January-February 2013 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

450

$

HEART HEALTH • LONG-LASTING LOVES • FLY FISHING • CARNIVAL BEHIND THE SCENES

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2013 VOL. 28, NO. 1

January-February 2013

Vol. 28, No. 1

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 Stephen Faure

Editorial Assistant Lauren Smith

Contributors are featured on page 14.

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

Business Manager Jane Quillin Advertising Account Executives Brenda Breck

Poki Hampton Candice Laizer

Barbara Roscoe Hali Ungar Intern Alexandra Wimley –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 Jim Seitz –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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. Tam­m any and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­r ight ©2013 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.

page 84

departments 12 Publisher’s Note 14 Contributors 20 Inside Scoop 66 Book Report

Carnival in New Orleans, A Fantasy,

by Maurice LeGardeur.

69 IN Good Company C J Ladner Insurance Agency.

72 Worthy Causes Partnership between Mandeville, Haitian churches.

contents table of

page 50

74 Flourishes Treasures for your pleasure. page 34

features

page 30

16 Lost in the Clouds Cover artist Jim Seitz.

30 Long-Lasting Loves Valentine couples.

34 Fly Fishing Louisiana Style Our world-class destination.

40 The St. Tammany Farmer Voice of the community.

80 IN Love and Marriage

Notable northshore weddings.

84 Inside Look Mardi Gras Colors.

12 IN the Spotlight 1

National Philanthropy Day Luncheon.

114 Inside Peek

50 Behind the Scenes of Carnival A year’s work for one day.

94 The Extraordinary Toni Wild The face of heart disease.

91 Building for the Future Christ Episcopal’s Center of Inquiry.

97 Heart-healthy Eating Franco’s Grill.

34 The Trace Turns 20 1

Celebrating a parish treasure.

98 Heart Disease No. 1 killer of women.

100 Northshore Circle of Red

16 IN the Spotlight 1 Harvest Cup Polo Classic 2012.

medical profiles

21 IN the Spotlight 1 Netchex 2012 Holiday Classic.

102 Louisiana Heart Hospital 105 Dr. Gary M. Agena

122 IN Development Wetlands mitigation.

106 Real Results Weight Loss and Aesthetic Clinic

26 IN Great Taste 1 Pardos.

107 Cardiovascular Associates

128 Inside Dining 133 Ad Directory

heart health

62 Kicking Off Covington’s Carnival The St. John Fools of Misrule.

108 Brown Family Orthodontics page 40

111 Dr. Kevin M. Plaisance January-February 2013 9

Dream big in 2013

by Lori Murphy

Most resolutions are based on what we will lose, give up or stop

doing in the New Year. I’m taking a different approach, looking to add things of value to my life. Like more time for my family, friends—and me! Especially, more Pilates and extended visits to the mountains of North Carolina.

Another blessing I’ll add is a ticket to the St. Tammany/

Washington Parishes Home Builders Association Raffle House drawing. I might get lucky and win—but even if I don’t, I will support several of my favorite charities.

The first Raising the Roof for Charity Raffle House was built in 1994.

Funds remaining after expenses were divided among predetermined local charities and since then, the STHBA has donated an astounding $4.3 million to local organizations. The 2013 partnering charities are Good Samaritan Ministry, Habitat for Humanity-St. Tammany West, St. Tammany Hospital Foundation and Tammany Trace Foundation. Every person in the parish is touched by at least one of these groups.

The 2013 Raffle House, valued at $525,000, will be built by Hurley

Homes, LLC, in Covington’s Maison du Lac subdivision on a lot donated

by Wainer Companies. It will have four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths in over 3,200 square feet of living space. During the 2013 Parade of Homes, May 11-12, 18-19, and on the evening of May 16, the house will be open for viewing. Other special events are scheduled—check raisingtheroof.net for details.

You have a great chance to win this house—if I don’t! Starting in

January, only 7,500 tickets will be sold for $100 each for the June 1 drawing. There will also be three early-bird drawings. If you would like to purchase a Raffle House ticket, e-mail me at lori@insidenorthside.com.

Talk about a win-win.

ps… Happy New Year to all!

Contributors

Contributors Bert Bartlett A New Orleans native, Bert Bartlett now lives in Covington. His short memoir, “The Daze of Katrina,” appeared in The Voices of The Storm issue of The Southern Quarterly in 2006. In 2010, his book A Tale Of Two Seasons, Katrina & A Super Bowl, was published. Bert was a panelist for the Tennessee Williams Literary Festival regarding the challenges of writing about the Saints. (He attended their first game in Tulane Stadium in 1967.) He writes a blog, “Souls Of The Saints,” and is working on a novel. He is a research writer and editor of the real estate newsletter for Murphy Appraisal Services, LLC. Alexandra Wimley A senior at Fontainebleau High School, Alexandra Wimley plans to attend either Tulane or Boston University in the fall.

She hopes to major in photojournalism and have an exciting career in the journalism field. When not juggling work and school, she enjoys running, reading, watching movies and spending time with friends.

Alexandra dreams of traveling the world and making a statement with her photography. Interning at Inside Northside has given her invaluable experience in the world of magazine publishing.

Capt. Alec Griffin Alec Griffin, owner of Louisiana Flywater Guide Service, is a licensed charter captain and full-time Louisiana fly-fishing guide. Although a resident of Mandeville, Alec’s primary fishing grounds are in the shallow-water marshes of lower Plaquemines Parish. Raised in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, he spent years chasing native brook trout. Upon graduation from Appalachian State University, Alec moved to Jackson Hole, Wyo., where he worked in fly shops and guided on fabled western rivers such as the Snake and South Fork. He moved to Louisiana almost 12 years ago and says that Louisiana’s wetlands and the fish that abound here stole his heart immediately. Alec plans to spend the rest of his fishing days roaming the Louisiana flats.

Contributors: Sarah Bonnette, Kaley Boudreaux, Linzy Roussel Cotaya, Alice Fielding, Karen Gibbs and Roy Robinson.

Best of all for Jim was being in International Contemporary Artists, a publication which solicits artist submissions from around the world to be judged for inclusion in the book. His work in the book led to a gallery in Vienna, Austria, inviting him to participate in an exhibition during 2013, which he is considering.

Ethereal Landscapes Jim’s paintings often send viewers onto long journeys into the ethereal worlds he creates, landscapes glowing with gold or silver and cut through by rivers or lined by trees; but always there are clouds, friendly and puffy or dark and ominous, depending on the scene he’s found himself in.

They’re far-removed from the work Jim did as a student at Stephen F. Austin University, where he specialized in preparing medical illustrations for lectures, books and exams. He continued drawing and painting during his travels after graduation, working all over the world as an engineer for an

Lost in the Clouds Cover Artist Jim Seitz been unbelievable,” he says. He started off with an exhibit at a museum in his Texas home town, the Museum of East Texas in Lufkin. Jim earned further recognition as featured landscape artist in the magazine American Art Collector—twice—and was highlighted in Western Art Collector magazine. The world’s artists and collectors also got behind-thescenes with Jim in an eight-page feature by American Artist magazine in which he shared his painting process and techniques.

16

Inside Northside

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

A JIM SEITZ PAINTING was on Inside Northside’s

by Stephen Faure first post-Katrina cover in 2005. We’d like to think its warmth and beauty brought a moment or two of relaxation to our readers during those trying times and that his piece for our first issue of this New Year gives them a touch of springtime and hope.

Jim is coming off a great year and is looking forward to a busy 2013. “The last 12 months have

oil company. Memories of the lands he’s seen during his travels often inspire his work. During the 1970s, Jim’s work brought him to both Middle Eastern deserts and the rain forests of New Guinea; mementos from this time—his drawings, native

>>

Meet cover artist

Jim Seitz and see some of his favorite works on display at

Hazelnut Mandeville and Jos. A Bank 2735 Hwy. 190 Mandeville, La.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013 5:30-7:00 p.m.

For more information, call

626-9684

Everyone’s Invited!

sculptures and other artifacts—adorn his office.

Jim is also surrounded by works that he and his wife, Connie, have collected from artists he admires.

“Every day, I get to see him, and I absolutely love it,” Jim says of a painting by the late Bill Hemmerling that hangs directly across from his desk. Included in the collection of works gracing Jim and Connie’s Beau Chêne home are paintings by Robert Cook, Alexander Stolin and James Michalopoulos, who along with Hemmerling, have been featured as Inside Northside cover artists.

Creating the Clouds There is a signature look to Jim’s

landscapes, with a gold- or silver-leafed foreground leading to a crisp horizon, with the sky and clouds above. He revels in coming up with the variations of color and textures and details— whether it’s a water feature or trees that populate the land—as much as he does in getting lost in the clouds, bringing them to life.

“Art is my passion, and it’s where I go to escape from everything else,” Jim says. “As an artist, you paint for the pleasure. Whether you sell a piece or not, you paint for the pleasure that you get out of the actual act. The icing on the cake is when someone else gets pleasure out of it as well.”

Jim usually works on several paintings at a time. He says that

when starting a new work, “The only direction I pre-determine is whether it’s going to have a low horizon line or a high horizon line.”

He textures his canvasses before painting, which adds depth to the translucent acrylic washes he uses to build up color. Once he gets started, “It’s like the painting talks to you as you apply color to it, as the porosity of underlying texture grabs color more heavily in some areas more than others,” Jim says. “I see clouds starting to form, and it’s just the way the canvas has grabbed the colors. I listen to the canvas and then start building up with more creams and whites and layers and more layers.”

That painting clouds becomes a transcendent experience for Jim shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Approaching storms produce fascination, not trepidation, for him.

“If you see a silver Tahoe swerving on the Causeway in the fall, it’s probably me looking at thunderheads,” he says.

“They’re almost like a living being.

There’s so much energy. Everything is expanding out, it’s moving fast—if you’ve flown through one, you know how much energy they have.”

He notes, “There’s nothing prettier than the skies in Louisiana in late summer and early fall during thunderstorm season.

But to try to capture that in a piece of art is really difficult.”

Fortunately for us, though, Jim’s paintings show that he’s been doing a really good job of it.

Jim Seitz’s paintings are available at Atelier, 839 Heavens Dr., Ste A, in Mandeville; online at jimseitz.com; Laura Rathe Fine Art in Houston; Beals and Abbate in Santa Fe; and Huff Harrington Fine Art in Atlanta.

January-February 2013 19

It’s Carnival Time!

INSIDE January

the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment

1–31 Art Exhibit. Oak Street Gallery, 111 N.

2-31 Mandeville City Hall Artist of

Oak St., Hammond. Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. Paul

the Month. Featuring works by artist John

Macaluso, 345-0251. theoakstreetgallery.com.

Marc Anderson. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E.

and PhotoNOLA 2012. The Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues–Sat, 9:30am–4:30pm. Free. photonola.org.

Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm. Free.

2-30 Covington Farmers Market. Wed

Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B,

and Sat; Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia

2-Feb 2 Perique: Photographs by Charles

St., 8am-noon. Free. 892-1873.

Martin. The Historic New Orleans Collection

20

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

3 Active Parenting for Step Families. The

Covington. 6-8pm. Members, $50; nonmembers, $75. 898-4435. stph.org.

Contemporary Arts Center, 900 Y 3, 10, 24 New Baby Support

Camp St., New Orleans. Wed-

Group. Ages birth to 7 mos.

Fri, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm and 6pm.

Discuss child development and

(Except Jan. 9). (504) 522-6545.

parenting tips with other parents

southernrep.com.

and professionals. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B,

8-27 Jersey Boys. Mahalia

Covington. 11:15am-noon. Free.

Jackson Theater, 801 N. Rampart

898-4435. stph.org.

St., New Orleans. Tues-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 8pm and 2pm; Sun, 2pm

4 Mike Vaughn Ministries

and 7:30pm. Tickets starting

Concert. Mike Vaughn Ministries,

at $35. 1-800-982-2787.

13101 Hwy. 442W, Tickfaw. 6pm.

mahaliajacksontheater.com.

Barbara Vaughn, 974-0507. mvmgoodnews.com.

Y 8, 15, 22 Play and Learn.

Ages 16 mos. to 4 yrs. Educational

5 Breastfeeding Class.

program designed for parents,

Topics include: the benefits and

grandparents or caregivers and

process of breastfeeding, holding

their children to have fun‌

and positioning the infant, what

together! STPH Parenting Center,

to expect with exclusive breast

1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B,

feeding and diet suggestions for

Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $15/

nursing mothers. Lakeview Regional

members; $24/child for non-

Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner

members. 898-4435. stph.org.

Blvd., Covington. 10am-noon. Free.

1-866-4LAKEVIEW.

9, 10 Lend Me a Tenor Auditions. Playmakers Theater,

5, 12, 19, 26 Camellia City

19106 Playmakers Rd., Covington.

Market. Robert and Front Sts.,

7pm. playmakersinc.com.

Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. camelliacitymarket.org.

Y 10 Preparing for Childbirth.

Discussion of birth process, epidural

5, 12, 19, 26 Hammond

anesthesia and post-partal care for

Farmers Market. W. Thomas St.

new parents. Lakeview Regional

and S.W. Railroad Ave., Hammond.

Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner

Sat, 9am-3pm. Terry Lynn Smith,

Blvd., Covington. 6:30-9:30pm.

277-5680. dddhammond.com.

Free. 1-866-4LAKEVIEW.

5, 12, 19, 26 Mandeville

10-Feb 21 Dave Ramsey’s

Trailhead Community

Financial Peace University.

Market. 675 Lafitte St.,

Six-week course (no class Feb 14).

Mandeville. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free.

Hosanna Lutheran Church, 2480 Hwy.

mandevilletrailhead.org.

190 East, Mandeville. Thursdays, 7pm. $95. Register at daveramsey.com/

5-27 Venus in Fur. Performed

by Southern Rep Theatre.

findaclass. 727-9200. >>

January-February 2013 21

Inside Scoop Y 10, 17, 24 Cuddle Buddies. Ages 8-15 mos. Learning and support opportunity includes “social” playtime for babies. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington.

10:30-11am. $6/month for members; $12/month nonmembers. 898-4435. stph.org.

11 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon.

Guest speaker Robin Perkins. New members welcome. Keith Young's Steak House, 165 Hwy. 21, Madisonville. 10am. Reservations required.

792-4926.

11 Rick Samson show. K. Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 2534 Florida St., Mandeville. 626-0530.

11 Hammond Chamber of Commerce Installation Banquet. Twelve Oaks at Southeastern Louisiana University, 500 W. Texas Ave., Hammond. 11:30am-1pm. Charlotte Banks, 345-4457. hammondchamber.org.

11–Feb 9 Landscapes: Imagined and Real exhibit. Hammond Regional Arts Center, 217 E. Thomas St., Hammond. Tues-Fri, 1-5pm; Sat, 1-3pm. Melissa Griffin, 542-7113. hammondarts. org.

12 A Night in Haiti. A celebration of Haitian culture. Dinner, live music, craft sale and silent auction. Mary, Queen of Peace, 1501 W. Causeway App., Mandeville. 6:30-9:30pm. $25.

Tickets available at MQP parish center or by mail.

(504) 220-3249.

12 Cajun Dance. Dance lessons, live Cajun music, food and drinks for sale. Abita Springs Town Hall, 22161 Level St., Abita Springs. 7pm.

Free. (504) 583-8603.

12 Krewe of Omega Mardi Gras Ball. Twelve Oaks, Southeastern Louisiana University, 500 W. Texas Ave., Hammond. 7:30-midnight. $50. 3457467.

22

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

12 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in Old Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 643-5340. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

12, 13, 19, 20 Avenue Q. Jefferson Performing Arts Center, 400 Phlox St., Metairie. Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 3pm. Adults, $18-30; seniors/military, $1527; students, $15-20; kids, $15. (504) 885-2000.

13 8th Annual Kickin’ It For Kids Spirit Championships. Southeastern Louisiana University Center, 800 W. University Ave., Room 101, Hammond. Spirit Professionals, 345-4383. spiritprofessionals.com.

Y 14, 28 Children in the Middle – Children’s Version. Ages 6-12 yrs. Help for children whose parents are divorcing. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Register by 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1. $10/per child (max $20 per family). 8984435. stph.org.

Y 14, 28 Children in the Middle. For divorcing parents. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Register by 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1. $30/members; $35/ nonmembers; $10/add’l for couples. 898-4435. stph.org.

Y 16, 23, 30 1,2,3,4 Parents. Learn techniques and strategies to enhance your parenting skills. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 6-8pm. $25/ members; $35 non-members; $15 add’l for spouse. Cost includes the book, “Parenting Your 1-4 Year Old.” 898-4435. stph.org.

17 Chamber After Hours. Ponchatoula Area Recreation District No. 1 Events Building, 109 W. Pine St., Ponchatoula. 5:30-7pm. 386-2536.

17 Newborn Care Class. Discussion of all aspects of taking care of a new baby. Includes visit to newborn nursery to observe newborn

>>

Northshore Carnival Parades January 26 Krewe of Bilge. Slidell, Noon.

2

Krewe De Paws. Slidell, 10am.

2

Krewe of Push Mow. Abita Springs, 11am.

26 Pearl River Lions Club. Pearl River, 1:15pm.

2

Krewe of Olympia. Covington, 6pm.

27 Krewe of Perseus. Slidell, 1pm.

8

Krewe of Selene. Slidell, 6:30pm.

27 Krewe of Dionysus. Slidell, follows Perseus.

9

Krewe of Bush. Bush, 9am.

9

Krewe of Salt Bayou. Slidell, 2pm.

26 Mona Lisa & Moon Pie. Slidell, 7pm.

10 Krewe of Tchefuncte. Madisonville, 2pm.

February

12 Lions Club Parade. Covington, 10am.

12 Krewe of Covington. Follows Lions Club.

1 Krewe of Eve. Mandeville, 7pm.

12 Krewe of Lyra. Covington, follows 1 Krewe of Omega. Hammond, 6:30pm.

Krewe of Covington.

Inside Scoop care. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95

Fleur de Lis, 111 N. 6th St., Ponchatoula. Cash

Auditorium, Greater Covington Center, 317 N.

Judge Tanner Blvd., Covington. 7-9pm. Free.

bar, 5pm; buffet and ceremony, 6pm. Tickets $20/

Jefferson Ave., Covington. (504) 250-5537.

1-866-4LAKEVIEW.

person. 386-2536.

26 Krewe of Bilge. Slidell, Noon.

18 Christian Serpas Acoustic Show. K.

22 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Refreshments

Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 2534 Florida St.,

will be served. Ju Ju’s Boutique, 1901 Hwy. 190,

Mandeville. 626-0530.

Ste. 25, Mandeville. 4pm. 856-9834.

26 Mona Lisa & Moon Pie. Slidell, 7pm.

26 Pearl River Lions Club. Pearl River, 1:15pm.

18-Feb 2 Adventures of Dr. Dolittle. A

24 Family and Friends CPR Class.

musical production. Creative Arts of St. Tammany,

Includes adult, child and infant CPR. Lakeview

26-27 City-wide Inventory Clearance

70326 Hwy. 59, Ste. 400, Abita Springs. Fri, 7pm;

Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd.,

Sale. 109 W. Pine St., Ponchatoula. 9am–6pm.

Sat, 2pm and 7pm. 590-3645.

Covington. 7-9pm. Free. 1-866-4LAKEVIEW.

Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce, 386-2536.

18-Feb 16 Salad Days. Juried exhibition of

24 Remembering Ricky Nelson. Columbia

27 Krewe of Perseus. Slidell, 1pm.

student art. Slidell Cultural Center Gallery inside

Theatre for the Performing Arts, 220 E. Thomas

City Hall, 2055 Second St., Slidell. Noon-4pm.

St., Hammond. 7:30pm. Reserved seating

27 Krewe of Dionysus. Slidell, follows

Free. 646-4375.

tickets: $36, loge; $32, orchestra; $22, balcony.

Perseus.

columbiatheatre.org.

21 Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce Installation & Awards Banquet. Bantaa’s Le

27 Krewe of Tchefuncte. Madisonville, 2pm.

26 Banu Gibson with jazz band. Fuhrman

January-February 2013 25

Inside Scoop 30-Feb 3 Super Bowl XLVII’s NFL Experience

by GMC. New Orleans Ernest N. Memorial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd., New Orleans. Wed, 3pm-10pm; Thurs-Sun, 10am-10pm. Noah Gold, noahg@bzapr.com.

February 1 Krewe of Eve. Mandeville, 7pm.

1 Krewe of Omega. Hammond, 6:30pm.

1 Mike Vaughn Ministries Concert.

Mike Vaughn Ministries, 13101 Hwy. 442W, Tickfaw. 6pm. Barbara Vaughn, 974-0507. mvmgoodnews.com.

1-28 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Featuring works by artist Darlene Moore.

Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. MonFri, 9am-4:30pm. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

1–28 Art Exhibit. Oak Street Gallery, 111 N. Oak St., Hammond. Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm. Paul Macaluso, 345-0251.theoakstreetgallery.com.

2 Covington Art Market. Juried art show.

Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., Covington. 9am-1pm. 892-8650.

2 Krewe De Paws. Slidell, 10am.

2 Krewe of Push Mow. Abita Springs, 11am.

2 Krewe of Olympia. Covington, 6pm.

1-2 Adventures of Dr. Dolittle. A musical production. Creative Arts of St. Tammany, 70326 Hwy. 59, Ste. 400, Abita Springs. Fri, 7pm; Sat 2pm and 7pm. 590-3645.

1-2 Perique: Photographs by Charles Martin. The Historic New Orleans Collection 26

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

and PhotoNOLA 2012. The Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues–Sat, 9:30am–4:30pm. Free. photonola.org.

1-16 Salad Days. Juried exhibition of student art. Slidell Cultural Center Gallery inside City Hall, 2055 Second St., Slidell. Noon-4pm. Free.

646-4375.

2 St. Scholastica Academy’s Annual Alumnae Mardi Gras Mambo. 122 S. Massachusetts St., Covington. 4-9pm. 8922540, ext. 140.

2-23 Camellia City Market. Robert and Front Sts., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. camelliacitymarket.org.

2-23 Hammond Farmers Market. W. Thomas St. and S.W. Railroad Ave., Hammond.

Sat, 9am-3pm. Terry Lynn Smith, 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

2-23 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Sat, 9am1pm. Free. mandevilletrailhead.org.

2-27 Covington Farmers Market. Wed and Sat; Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8am-noon. Free. 892-1873.

Y 5, 19, 26 Play and Learn. Monthly theme: Mardi Gras Madness. Ages 16 mos. to 4 yrs. Educational program designed for parents, grandparents or caregivers and their children to have fun…together! STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington.

9:30-10:15am. $15/members; $24/child for nonmembers. 898-4435. stph.org.

Y 7, 14, 21 Cuddle Buddies. Ages 8-15 mos. Learning and support opportunity includes “social” playtime for babies. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington.

10:30-11am. $6/month for members;

>>

January-February 2013 27

Inside Scoop $12/month nonmembers. 898-4435. stph.org.

Covington Hwy., Hammond. 1-4pm. Sandra 9 Krewe of Salt Bayou. Slidell, 2pm.

Y 7, 14, 21, 28 New Baby Support Group.

our_offices/research_stations/hammond/.

Ages birth to 7 mos. Discuss child development

9 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in

and parenting tips with other parents and

Old Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 643-5340.

professionals. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N.

madisonvilleartmarket.com.

8 Krewe of Selene. Slidell, 6:30pm.

12 Lions Club Parade. Covington, 10am.

12 Krewe of Covington. Follows Lions Club.

Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 11:15am-noon.

Free. 898-4435. stph.org.

Benjamin, 748-9381. lsuagcenter.com/en/

11 Riverwalk’s Lundi Gras Celebration.

Featuring Brass-A-Holics, Cowboy Mouth, the

12 Krewe of Lyra. Covington, follows Krewe

arrival of Rex, The Topcats and fireworks show.

of Covington.

Spanish Plaza, 1 Poydras St., New Orleans.

8 Northlake Newcomers Game Day

3-8pm. Free. riverwalkmarketplace.com.

Luncheon. Beau Chêne Country Club, 602 N.

15 “Hot Hawaiian Nights.” Annual fundraiser.

Food, spirits, music, silent and live auctions,

Beau Chêne Dr., Mandeville. 10am. Reservations

15 Rick Samson show. K. Gee’s Restaurant &

games and raffle. 5:30-9pm. Tickets $20/per

required. 792-4926.

Oyster Bar, 2534 Florida St., Mandeville. 626-0530.

person; available at door or in advance. 3862536 or Paula Gauthreaux, 974-7674.

8-9 Anniversary and Valentine’s Day

10 Cajun Dance. Dance lessons, live Cajun

event. Drinks, door prizes and Valentine’s

music, food and drinks for sale. Abita Springs

15- March 6 Architecture Exhibition.

specials. Bra la Vie!, 221 W. Thomas St.,

Town Hall, 22161 Level St., Abita Springs. 7pm.

Hammond Regional Arts Center, 217 E.

Hammond. 10am-6pm. 662-5065.

Free. (504) 583-8603.

Thomas St., Hammond. Tues-Fri, 1-5pm; Sat, 11am-3pm. Melissa Griffin, 542-7113.

9 Krewe of Bush. Bush, 9am.

10 Camellia Garden Stroll. 21549 Old

hammondarts.org.

1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm.

Hyatt Regency Hotel, 601 Loyola Ave., New

16 Newborn Care Class. Discussion of all

Register by 1 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1. $30/

Orleans. Visit heart.org or facebook.com/

aspects of taking care of a new baby. Includes

members; $35/nonmembers; $10/additional for

AHANewOrleans.

visit to newborn nursery to observe newborn

couples. 898-4435. stph.org.

23 8th Annual Tangipahoa Parish 4-H Pet

care. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd., Covington. 10am-noon.

21 The Full Monty. A musical about a group

Parade and Family Fun Fest. Zemurray Park,

Free. 1-866-4LAKEVIEW.

of unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, N.Y.,

Hammond. 9am-2pm. JoAnn Pesson, 748-9381.

who resort to stripping as a way to make some

lsuagcenter.com/Tangipahoa.

16 The Italian Festival Ball. Southeastern

quick cash. Columbia Theatre for the Performing

Louisiana University, Student Union Ballroom,

Arts, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 7:30pm.

23-24 Arts & Crafts Gala. I-12 Flea Market,

Hammond. 7pm-midnight. Veda Abene, 974-

Reserved seating tickets: $40, loge; $36

18080 S I-12 Service Rd., Ponchatoula. 9am-

0565. theitalianfestivalorg.com.

orchestra; $32, balcony. columbiatheatre.org.

5pm. Bill Davis, 510-7355. i12fleamarket.com.

16, 17, 23, 24 The Full Monty. A musical

21 Chamber after Hours. Ponchatoula Area

25, 26, 27 Avenue Q. A comical musical

about a group of unemployed steelworkers in

Recreation District #1 Events Building, 109 W.

telling the story of a recent college grad who

Buffalo, N.Y., who resort to stripping as a way to

Pine St., Ponchatoula. 5:30-7pm. 386-2536.

moves into a shabby New York apartment. North

make some quick cash. Jefferson Performing Arts

Star Theatre, 347 Girod St., Mandeville. Fri-Sat,

Center, 400 Phlox St., Metairie. Sat, 7:30pm; Sun,

22 Christian Serpas Acoustic Show. K.

7:30pm; Sun, 3pm. Student, $20; Senior, $27;

3pm. Adults, $18-30; seniors/military, $15-27;

Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 2534 Florida St.,

Adult, $30. 626-1500.

students, $15-20; kids, $15. (504) 885-2000.

Mandeville. 626-0530.

28 Sip & Shop. Extended hours. Refreshments

Y 18, 25 Children in the Middle. For

22 Go Red For Women. Luncheon hosted

will be served. Ju Ju’s Boutique, 1901 Hwy. 190,

divorcing parents. STPH Parenting Center,

by the New Orleans American Heart Association.

Ste. 25, Mandeville. Open-7pm. 856-9834.

January-February 2013 29

Loves

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

by Lauren Smith

30

Inside Northside

Fran and Don Lindquist

Fran and Don Lindquist were married on June 9, 1963. Fran is from the Boston area and Don is from New Orleans, and they live at Christwood in Covington. They have four children, eight grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Their secret to a long and happy marriage? “Through this period, we have worked hard together, we have played together, we have prayed together, we have worshiped the Lord together and we have served in the U.S. Navy together. Of course, there have been some hard times, like Katrina, but working together and planning together has brought us back to ‘even keel.’” Another tip from Fran is to have mutual respect for each other. When asked what advice they would give to newlyweds, Fran said, “Don’t just enjoy the journey; enjoy each day, because time really is fleeting.”

photo: COURTESY OF FRAN AND DON LINDQUIST

Long g n i t s a L

photo: COURTESY OF VIVIAN AND DOUGLAS BROWN

Married in the 1950s, Vivian and Douglas Brown have been married for more than 60 years. Vivian is from Chalmette and Douglas is from New Orleans.

Sadly, their only son passed away in the service when he was only 34 years young. The key to the successs of their relationship? The Browns say they don’t fight! “We don’t argue. We always agreed on things, and we discussed them,” says Douglas. They are also best friends and always together, except for exercise, which Douglas does on his own. “When he’s gone, I do something else,” says Vivian. The couple has always been, and still is, very active. They used to run a square dancing club at the Windsor. Their advice to newlyweds is that you have to have patience. >>

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Vivian and Douglas Brown

January-February 2013 31

Mary Jane and Lem McCoy

photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

Mary Jane and Lem McCoy have been married for 53 years. They wed on Oct. 31, 1959, the day Billy Cannon made his infamous play for the LSU Tigers. Before Katrina, Mary Jane and Lem lived in Waveland, Miss., and have since relocated to Covington. Sadly, they lost their wedding photos in the storm. The McCoys have three children and five grandchildren.

Though some people have questioned their decision to get married on Halloween— how do you celebrate your anniversary with kids who trick-or-treat?—the McCoys say it was never an issue. “We would take our children trick-or-treating, and then leave them with the babysitter while we went out to dinner,” says Mary Jane. Lem says he wakes up every morning and thanks the Good Lord for Mary Jane; she says she does the same for him. For them, marriage is about “respect and patience.

Patience, patience, patience!” Mary Jane’s advice to newlyweds is to be yourself.

32

Inside Northside

photo: COURTESY OF BETTY AND TOME McMURRY

Betty and “Ole” Tom McMurry Betty and “Ole” Tom McMurry were wed on March 21, 1947. Betty is from New Orleans and “Ole” Tom is from Atlanta, and they reside at Christwood in Covington. Sixty-six years later, they have three children, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild with another on the way.

Betty says trust and faith are important, as are doing activities together while also giving the other person space to pursue different things.

“It’s nice that we like to do some things together, like dancing and traveling.” “Ole” Tom says teamwork is also important. “We are kinda like piano movers. I handle the seat and the cushion, and she handles the piano itself. She does all the heavy lifting!” “Ole” Tom’s advice to newlyweds is: “To the fella, keep his damn mouth shut!”

January-February 2013 33

Fly Fishing Louisiana Style

by Alec Griffin

Kathy Savage reels one in on a trip with Capt.

Alec Griffin.

34

“WHERE DO YOU FLY FISH here in Louisiana?”

I’ve been asked this question countless times

by Louisiana natives since I moved here in 2001.

Granted, there were plenty of Louisiana anglers who had been pursuing their catch with the long rod well before my arrival, and many more have taken up the sport since then. For some, it’s been nothing more than a few hours dedicated to trying something different and then jumping back into their comfort zone of spinning tackle, scented plastics, braided lines or whatever else

Inside Northside

photo: COURTESY OF ALEC GRIFFIN

it is they’ve used to catch a lifetime full of fish. For others, it’s become a passion that has led to the purchase of more gear, gadgets and even boats than their wife ever knew existed.

Although the sport may just be finding momentum in Louisiana, there is nothing new about fly fishing. It’s been a popular sport in Europe for centuries and in the United States since the mid-to-late 1800s. Most people who do not fly fish think of it as a form of fishing practiced only in freshwater— primarily for bream and bass in warm water and, most popularly, in babbling brooks and cold running rivers in the country’s more mountainous regions for freshwater trout. However, saltwater fly >> January-February 2013 35

fishing has also been popular for quite some time and is arguably the fastestgrowing arena within the sport.

That is certainly true in Louisiana’s case, where, in particular, targeting redfish on fly has become wildly popular and has put Southeast Louisiana on the map globally as a world-class destination. It’s no secret to those who live and fish here that we have some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world right in our back yard. What many people don’t realize is that some of those fishing grounds also offer some of the best flyfishing opportunities in the world.

Fly Fishing vs.

Conventional Fishing Fly fishing, much like sight fishing in general, much like bow hunting versus hunting with a rifle, is more for the angler who is looking for a different experience than the angler who is looking for a quicker way to fill up a cooler. I do believe this is one reason why the sport has been slow to take off within the Louisiana fishing community, as there has always been a rather strong harvesting mentality here. I don’t think that’s wrong—I’m as quick as the next guy to throw a nice keeper redfish or two in the cooler for dinner—but the desire to harvest has to come second to the desire for a new fishing experience in order for fly fishing to make sense for an individual angler.

The many misconceptions about fly fishing are also reasons why we don’t have more resident Louisiana anglers taking up the fly rod. The biggest misconception is that fly fishing is much more difficult than conventional angling. Fly fishing is no harder than any other type of fishing. It is, however, completely different and therefore requires proper instruction and lots >> 36

Inside Northside

Capt. Alec Griffin (above left), Paul Savage (above right) and Kathy Savage (right) proudly

photo: COURTESY OF ALEC GRIFFIN

display a pair of bull reds from a recent trip.

of practice to become proficient, similar to learning how to use a bait-casting reel after years of using a spinning reel.

The main difference between fly fishing and conventional fishing is that in fly fishing, the angler is throwing a weighted line that is carrying a virtually weightless fly instead of a weighted lure that is carrying a virtually weightless line. Mastering the variety of casting, lure-retrieval and fish-fighting techniques that differentiate fly fishing from conventional fishing does not require a Ph.D. The learning process carries with it the potential for a bit of frustration, but at the end of the day, it will allow you to be a more well rounded angler.

That being said, fly-fishing in saltwater is not an everyday, nor an always effective, approach, and it does require a slightly better set of weather and water conditions to really max out the experience.

It makes the most sense when it is a shallow-water, sight-fishing situation—you see your target fish before ever casting a line. It is not the most effective way to fish when you are trying to cover the most water, especially deeper water, or are fishing in adverse conditions.

Although many of the flies we use here while chasing redfish are in fact flies that sink and imitate the same natural food source (baitfish, shrimp and

crabs) as conventional lures, the sink rate of most flies is much slower than most lures and the angler is limited to a degree in the distance he or she can cast. In those shallow-water, sight-fishing situations, however, the fly rod can be the angler’s best friend, as the fly can be placed much closer to the fish—and if a second or third attempt is required to get the fly where it needs to be, the line and fly can be picked up and re-cast immediately without ever having to reel in an inch of line. In other words, you can make numerous presentation attempts in a very short period of time.

Getting Started The worst way to start fly fishing is a “do it yourself” approach. I’ve seen it happen countless times. A skilled Louisiana angler decides to try fly fishing. He reluctantly goes and purchases the gear.

>>

January-February 2013 37

Joseph Authement with nice redfish.

He then takes that new fly rod out on his boat, not having received any instruction, and begins to whip away, usually resulting in a tangled mess and sometimes leaving him with a hook in the ear. After a period of time, he starts to feel a little more comfortable, and then a breeze, just strong enough to keep the gnats at bay, begins to blow.

All the problems and frustrations return, and he quickly puts the fly rod down and picks up his old trusty spinning rod. A few more sessions like this and the fly rod goes into the corner of the garage only to collect dust and rust and never to be used again.

The right way to go about it is to seek out as much information as possible, including general information, fly-tackle comparisons and most importantly, proper casting instruction.

A variety of local clubs offer all that.

38

Inside Northside

On the northshore, Pontchartrain Basin Fly Fishers meets once a month. Their information—and more—can be found at a popular Louisiana website dedicated to fly fishing, laflyfish.com.

After reaching out to these local groups, get out on the water with new skills and equipment—and possibly with a few new friends—and give this flyfishing thing a try. It’s a sport that can be equally enjoyed by men and women for a lifetime.

Our shallow-water marshes are some of the best fly-fishing grounds in the world. Why let all of the destination anglers visiting from around the globe have all the fun? Pick up a fly rod and begin a whole new angling adventure.

For more information, call Alec Griffin at (504) 430-4222 or visit louisianaflywater.com.

The St. Tammany Farmer Reporting on

by Steven Faure

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

the northshore since 1874

40

Inside Northside

Left: Publisher Karen Courtney. As The Farmer’s publishers, her family members have helped keep St. Tammany informed for 85 of the paper’s 139 years in print.

IN A TIME WHEN NEWSPAPERS are fading away around the country and seem to be in danger of disappearing completely in the New Orleans area, we are fortunate to have had our own weekly paper on the northshore, The St. Tammany Farmer, as a voice of the community since 1874. Karen Courtney carries on a family tradition as the paper’s third generation owner/ publisher.

Courtney is a traditionalist. Like so many local news junkies, she was disappointed with the Times-Picayune’s decision to cease printing a daily paper. While she owns an iPad to keep up on the go, Courtney says, “To sit in the morning with it on my lap and my cup of coffee is not the same. I’m very methodical when I read a newspaper.”

With 138 years of keeping St. Tammany informed under The Farmer’s belt, Courtney says, “We do consider ourselves an institution, and >> January-February 2013 41

W.G. Kentzel enjoyed a long and influential tenure as The Farmer’s editor.

we’re kind of proud of it. There are very few family-owned newspapers left in the country.”

It wasn’t the area’s first paper; historians note at least one previous publication, the Palladium. It’s not the only locally focused newspaper—the St. Tammany News, owned by a small national chain and based in Slidell, is published three times a week.

The story of how The Farmer came to be and came to be in Courtney’s hands is one that is exemplary of Covington, where the paper has always been based. “Come heres”—real estate speculators and business boosters—were behind the paper in its earliest days.

The St. Tammany Farmer’s founder, George Ingram, Courtney thinks, was a “come here” speculator.

“He was interested in selling real estate, and he was selling real estate. It seems he was promoting St. Tammany as 42

Inside Northside

Left: Jimmy Batty (rear) and Bob Taylor setting “hot type” using Linotype machines, a technology that fell to the wayside with the advent of electronic typesetting.

Below: The Farmer’s North New Hampshire Street office, prior to its remodelling in

photos: COURTESY OF THE ST. TAMMANY FARMER

the 1970s.

some sort of agricultural center.” Courtney’s not sure how accurate that is, as St. Tammany was a parish of small farmers, not big plantations.

After Ingram’s death in 1875, the paper passed swiftly through a series of owners, until its most influential early publisher, W. G. Kentzel, took the helm. A book, Mr. Kentzel’s Covington, was published after his death in 1907 by Carol Jahncke. It preserved pertinent articles, editorials and photographs from the time of his leadership at the paper.

Going back through late 19th and early 20th century papers is an eye-opener, says Courtney. “It’s a really interesting view of the community in the late 1800s and early 1900s. There was certainly no hesitation on the part of past editors and publishers in expressing their opinions. They used to use it as a bully pulpit for whatever candidate or issue they wanted. The things they said in The Farmer about candidates back then would make our insurers quake in their shoes. We’ve tempered that, in keeping with more modern journalistic standards.”

From 1916 to 1928, George Mason was the owner. “He was very progressive,” Courtney says.

“He worked with a group who were among the first to talk about a way to get directly across the lake and not have to go around. One of their proposals—we had a sketch of it in The Farmer— was to build a series of islands across the lake joined by short bridges. The whole idea of a bridge, albeit a series of small ones, was put forth by this group, and Mason was very involved with that. >> January-February 2013 43

operates the massive press that printed The Farmer until it was retired in 1970.

44

Inside Northside

raised in the newspaper business. She says, “When I was growing up, we had our own press, and it was always breaking down. I remember nights when they were waiting on the press to be repaired because they had to get the paper out. Someone would toss me a blanket, and I’d sleep on rolls of newsprint.”

Changing Times The technology that gets reporters’ words and photos from their cameras and keyboards to their readers is light-years removed from the days when Courtney was growing up.

Perhaps the best indication is The Farmer’s office, now a neat, quiet environment with its staff writing and editing stories on their desktop computers. Up until 1970, when the last issue was printed in-house, the building was a hot, cramped

photos: COURTESY OF THE ST. TAMMANY FARMER

Clarence Byers

He was also a proponent of ‘shop local’—spend your money at home and keep it at home. Even back then, people took the train to New Orleans, especially people with any means, and shopped.”

Courtney’s grandfather, “Nat” Goodwyn, a “come here” from Colfax in central Louisiana, took over the paper after Mason died in 1928. Nat’s descendants—now natives—are at the helm. “I’ll say “come here’ kind of jokingly,” Courtney says.

“My husband, who’s been here since 1973, asks, ‘So, at what point am I no longer a come-here?’”

In 1949, not long after she was born, Courtney’s father, Howard, died of a heart attack at age 29 right in front of The Farmer’s building on North New Hampshire Street. After Nat’s death in 1951, Courtney’s mother, Vera, and her aunt, Natalie, took over The Farmer’s day-to-day operations. As a result, Courtney was literally

and busy place, buzzing with hot type machines and that breakdown-prone printing press.

The Linotype, or hot type, machines produced just that—hot type out of molten lead. They were like huge typewriters; as the operator punched the letters on the machine’s keyboard, it would make a line, or “slug,” of type that would be lined up with the other slugs to be incorporated with spacers and dividers to make up a column. It was all assembled in a large frame that was divided into three columns per page.

“There were these big wooden tables where they put together the hot type,” Courtney remembers. “The Linotype operators were very nice.

I’m sure they wished I’d go away, but they’d let me type and make a slug with my name on it. I’d get to dip that into ink and do that kind of stuff.”

As she grew older, Courtney became more involved in the business.

“As soon as I could, in junior high or so, I started proofing and listing checks as they came in or whatever else needed to be done around here.

“When I first started proofing, being new, I might say, ‘This really should have a comma there.’ But many, many times the decision was ‘maybe it should, but it still makes sense, and we’re not going to go back in’ because you had to pull the slug out and produce a new one. For a correction to be made, it really had to be significant.”

There are a few reminders of the old days at The Farmer now—photos of the old presses and Linotype machines, and some souvenir slugs of type, including one of the paper’s masthead from the last issue printed in the building. Up until the remodeling, though, Courtney had hung on to >> January-February 2013 45

Karen Courtney’s grandfather, Nat Goodwyn, stands in front of The Farmer’s offices, believed by the family to have been located on Lee Lane before the move to the paper’s North New Hampshire Street location in 1924.

the old Linotype machine. “As much as I’d liked to have kept it, it was a behemoth. It took up a huge space; it was inky and dirty. I envisioned doing something with it, but the cost of moving it was prohibitive.”

A Community Paper The St. Tammany Farmer is the official journal for St. Tammany Parish and publishes public notices required by various governmental agencies. It also covers parish council, school board and various city council meetings.

“We try not to just hit the big stories but to focus on all layers. It may be a small zoning issue that affects only Pearl River or Barker’s Corner, but we still consider that to be important because it’s 46

Inside Northside

important to the residents who live in that area. That’s what sets us apart from larger publications that also cover the northshore.”

Courtney says it is frustrating when other news organizations only hit the big story, or cover an issue once it’s finalized, and then folks say they haven’t heard about an issue until it’s too late. “It bugs me when

I hear people say they didn’t know something. I see that as our job, to get on the issues early on and stick with them. I almost felt if I read one more story about the waste transfer station in Lacombe, I’d die. It was a major issue and has major implications parishwide. If you go back through our archives, I bet we wrote 25 stories on it over a course of six months. To me, that’s what we’re here for, and that’s what I want to do more of because I don’t know if there’s any other way to get the information out.”

There’s one common newspaper practice The Farmer doesn’t engage in—political endorsements. “I think newspaper endorsements harken back to the day when you had an uneducated population with many people who couldn’t even read and had to have someone sum up the situation for them,” Courtney says. “I find that a

Left: Workers had to manhandle trays of heavy lead type to produce The Farmer every week.Above: The pre-desktop publishing technology days of newspaper

photos: COURTESY OF THE ST. TAMMANY FARMER

production were messy indeed.

little insulting in this day and age. We haven’t endorsed a candidate since the 1940s. From what I can gather reading our old editorials, there seemed to be some collective wisdom around here that people really had the ability to make up their minds for themselves; it was more the newspaper’s obligation to present the facts—this is the candidate, these >> January-February 2013 47

are his qualifications, this is what he says he plans to do, or here is a tax proposition and it will do this—now it’s up to you to decide whether or not you want to support it.”

Making Adjustments Though not immune to the recent rash of troubles hitting the publishing business and the competition for advertising revenue, Courtney says, “Thankfully, we’ve held on in a pretty tough market. We’ve managed to maintain a pretty steady advertising base, and, I’m real proud to say, a steady paid subscription base.”

It’s only recently that The Farmer began maintaining an on-line presence at StTammanyFarmer. net. Weekly snippets of front-page stories are posted, as well as selected photos. It’s also led to an increase in subscriptions as more and more ex-patriot St. Tammany natives discover the website. Courtney says eventually they may have a system with all of the paper’s content available on-line behind a paywall. It will be a way for out-of-town readers to get local news in a timely fashion, unaffected by the vagaries of the postal system. “This is such a mobile community; for a small newspaper, we send papers all over. We always have a list of [those in the military] and people who moved away or retired and still subscribe.”

Small-Town Memories In light of Covington’s bicentennial coming up on July 4, 2013, Courtney reflects on growing up in Covington in the 1950s and `60s. The Farmer was central to Covington during those years, both in its importance as the city’s primary newspaper and for its location on North New Hampshire 48

Inside Northside

Street. Courtney grew up in the middle of it all.

“It was a real nice small-town atmosphere—and a nice time to be a kid in Covington. The Southern Hotel was operational; there were drugstores and shops; a florist and insurance offices; there was a bank in the corner of the Southern Hotel. There was a grocery store; the Pleasure Bar; and, of course, there was Tugy’s, which kids got to go into on Mardi Gras day while we waited for the parade with our parents.”

Courtney recalls that her path through childhood was marked by her ability to wander around downtown.

“It was kind of a progression of growing up, when I was allowed to cross the alley without an adult.

The big deal was when I got to go to Columbia Street without an adult. I’d just hang out in downtown while my mom was working, and then I’d ride home with her.”

While she may kid around about the “come heres,” Courtney says she welcomes new people and the continued growth of St. Tammany Parish. After graduating from college, she worked for the state’s department of education and traveled all over Louisiana as part of her job.

“I visited different school systems and saw small towns that were literally drying up. I know that but for the Causeway, and its location in proximity to New Orleans—which is both sort of a blessing and a curse, but I think the blessing part has won out—we would be just like some of those small towns I used to visit. There was poverty in the community, with every storefront boarded up and just no future for young people. I acknowledge that, and I hope that once again, The Farmer focuses on the positive benefits.”

January-February 2013 49

by Stephen Faure and Lauren Smith

costume with a mask taking part in some obscure stylized rituals.

After surviving the parade and carting home bags of trinkets, or after arriving home from a krewe’s bal masque, do you wonder, “Who put all of that together, anyway?”

It turns out there’s a small, dedicated army of managers, artists, seamstresses and craftsmen who work year-round to make the Carnival season a successful one. We caught up with a few of the key people who keep the tradition alive on the northshore.

Carnival Behind the Scenes of

Above: Floats in the works for Slidell’s Krewe of Perseus parade at Barry Barth’s studio in New Orleans.

Opposite: Krewe of Perseus Captain Allen Little.

50

MARCHING BANDS, COLORFUL FLOATS and hoards of children, both young and old, yelling “Throw me something mister!” means it’s Carnival time on the northshore. Everyone has their routine— gathering friends and family; packing up beverages, both kid-friendly and adult; and maybe some Popeye’s—for parade-going.

There’s also the non-public, but equally important aspect of Mardi Gras, the krewes’ masquerade balls. Occasionally, mere mortals may get an invitation from a family member or co-worker and honor that invitation by donning the specified costume de rigueur (formal attire), only to arrive at the ball to find the family member or co-worker in a silly

Inside Northside

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

The captain—Allen Little The old-line New Orleans krewes like Rex and Comus have highly secret traditions, especially when it comes to the identities of their prospective royalty and captain. Many people assume a krewe’s king is in charge of his group, but that is not the case. Most krewes have an officer who is designated “captain,” and just like the captain of a ship at sea, the krewe captain is in charge of all the krewe’s day-to-day operations. His identity is usually a secret.

Unlike those captains, Allen Little does not serve anonymously. He has been captain extraordinaire behind the scenes for Slidell’s oldest parading krewe, Perseus, since 1981. (The krewe started in 1971.)

By day, he and his wife, Cathy, are proprietors of Chateau Bleu, a Slidell private dining and catering hall. When he’s not watching the store, so to speak, he’s doing all things Perseus—from picking the theme, designing the costumes, buying the fabric, hiring the seamstresses to make the costumes, getting the floats together and hiring the marching bands to keep the crowds entertained between floats.

He also makes his own elaborate costumes, a new one each year that’s in keeping with the season’s theme.

Undertaking all of this for Perseus is a natural extension of Allen’s theater background. Raised in New Orleans, he was involved with La Petit Theatre in the French Quarter and with the Slidell Little Theatre once he moved to the

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

northshore in the 1970s. He’s a past president of the Slidell Little Theatre and is on its board of directors.

Allen’s also had some valuable schooling. “When I went off to college, I studied architecture and interior design. There was a costume class in the curriculum; I took it and I enjoyed it. I love doing all the wire work, too,” he says, referring to the elaborate headdresses and collars that adorn the krewe’s royal and officers’ costumes.

Allen says the theme for each year is chosen after consulting with the upcoming king and queen and other members of the krewe’s board of governors. For the parade on Jan. 27 this year, it’s “You’re Invited, RSVP.” Allen says the theme will be played out by floats decorated and riders costumed according to various parties. “You’re going to be invited to these different functions. The first one is going to be a New Year’s Eve party and then there’ll be a Mardi Gras ball, a birthday party, Halloween, a wedding reception, Cinco de Mayo— each group will be a different party.”

As captain, Allen says some of the biggest challenges lie in keeping the members interested. More members means more resources are available, but it’s also a matter of logistics. “We’ve been fortunate

>>

because our membership stays about the same. We don’t want to get too big because we’d have to go someplace else. We want to stay local. The [Slidell] auditorium holds 600 people, and by the time we get >> January-February 2013 51

140 members plus the princesses and consorts and their guests, that’s 600 people. Also, when it gets to be over 15 or 16 floats, it gets difficult to get enough bands to go between them all.”

All the hard work pays off on parade day. “It’s the excitement when you first come out. You look down the street, and it’s a long shot with nothing but people. Every year, I wait for that,” he says.

The float builder—Barry Barth Artist Barry Barth is a second-generation float

builder whose studios are located in New Orleans.

His company has built floats for several northshore parades over the years.

Starting in the 1970s, Barry; his father, Joseph; and his brother (named Joseph as well) started a company called Barth Brothers Artists and Decorators to compete with other float builders, including a wellknown firm his father had been involved with that Barry refers to only as “a prominent float-building company.” Their first coup was building the floats for the Krewe of Pontchartrain, then the next year,

Above: Artist Barry Barth’s family has been producing

and other large-scale decorative works for more than 50 years.

Right: A royal float awaits its kingly rider.

52

Inside Northside

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Mardi Gras floats

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

shipped as far away as Japan. “I’m skilled in float building because of my dad. From the earliest times, I remember watching my father painting floats. For years, there was a parade in Houma that owned their own floats, but we’d go over on weekends and decorate them. It probably kept me out of a lot of

photo: WERNHER KRUTEIN

Knights of Babylon as well. Barry says that within 10 years, they were building floats for 12 krewes and making what would become some of the most memorable sculptures of the 1984 World’s Fair—the pair of mermaids clad in almost nothing that towered 30 feet over the entrance.

“The World’s Fair mermaids were made out of papier-mâché. They were 30 feet high and they were supposed to last six months. A book that came out about the fair said they were destroyed in Katrina. They really weren’t,” he says. The statues caused a bit of a controversy when they were unveiled before the fair opened because of a couple of uncovered, and truly gigantic, breasts. “Some mothers complaining about it in the paper wanted them covered up, but once the fair opened you didn’t really hear any more about it,” Barry recalls. The mermaids, while severely damaged when Katrina sent nine feet of water through the studios, are still there and are being slowly restored.

Barry has been around float building all of his life, and his company has built floats and large-scale papier-mâché decorative sculptures that have been

trouble as a teenager, going over there and working.”

His father also invented a form of papier-mâché that was used in building the World’s Fair mermaids.

“If you know the workings of it, you can do it very quickly. The other way is pressing it into molds, and it takes a lot longer,” Barry says.

Barry’s company builds floats from the chassis up. In the old days, floats had wooden chassis and wheels. For a time when the krewe still paraded on Mardi Gras night, the company built Comus’ floats.

The captain of this oldest of New Orleans krewes, which first paraded in 1857, once remarked, says Barry, “We almost won the war with those chassis,” referring to the Civil War. Now it’s steel frames and truck tires that form the base of the floats, though Barry’s company pioneered the use of modified school buses as the base for a fleet of self-propelled floats that, despite having a perfect >>

Above: Barth’s family created the iconic (and anatomically controversial) mermaids that flanked the entrance to the 1984 World’s Fair.

Heavily damaged

by Katrina’s flooding, Barth is restoring them at his studio for future display.

Left: Historical float decoration.

January-February 2013 53

Above: Detail of a trademark photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Ilaine Hartman Medici collar.

Below: Ilaine working on a dress fitting for a queen.

safety record, Barry says, never caught on.

“One of the things that make it difficult is the trend for packing more people on floats. The more you pack people and go to double-deck floats, you start running out of space to decorate.” There are always safety concerns as well. “It can make you nervous some times,” he says of the process. “Making sure you don’t have a problem, strength-wise, and that it’s not loaded too much.”

The float builder has to be master of several crafts. “If you’re going to do what I do, you have to be knowledgeable in woodworking. And there’s special talent in stretching cloth on a frame, knowing how to vary the frame, to keep it from being boxy.”

Barry likes to incorporate graceful forms into his structures, saying, “It goes back to my traditional roots, building floats for clubs like Comus.”

Getting the floats to the parade routes can be challenging. “There’s the organization of getting them 54

Inside Northside

in and out of the den and lining up the drivers. It takes us about an hour to make it all the way to Slidell. Depending on how the police route us, sometimes we take the old bridge, sometimes we don’t.”

What’s Barry’s favorite parade? “I didn’t watch too many from a spectator’s point of view. It was a work day for me, although there’s a lot of satisfaction in seeing your work come together and roll down the street,” he says.

The seamstress— Ilaine Hartman Elaborate costumes and royal regalia don’t appear out of thin air.

Costume designers and the seamstresses who sew them have been a part of the Carnival season since the beginning.

Ilaine Hartman has been making krewe costumes and royal gowns for decades; she is known for the elaborate and glittering Medici collars she creates.

“My grandmother was in the fabric business and belonged to Iris. When she retired, my husband and I took over the business,” she says. Eventually that store closed, and Ilaine spread the word that she was going to make costumes from home. From there, her business began to grow, and it is still growing. When the last of three local sister seamstresses retired, Ilaine was asked to take over their clients.

Ilaine’s business includes designing and creating queens’ dresses, the essential harnesses that go underneath to hold up their collars and outfitting several krewes with costumes. “We make the court costumes for 12 clubs. I enjoy doing >> January-February 2013 55

photo: JOEY MICHEL

The Marching Wolves of St. Paul’s School break it down as they hit Canal Street in the Krewe of Carrollton parade in New Orleans.

56

the men’s costumes, but I also like to do the dresses.

I say, ‘The men’s costumes feed my face, the women’s costumes feed my soul.’”

The design and creation of the queen’s gown’s start in April or May the year before the ball. The corset and harness that go under the dress are crucial.

Multiple fittings are required, beginning with the initial mock-up in muslin that is turned into a pattern before beading is added. And it doesn’t stop there.

On the day of the ball, Ilaine is there to assist the queen and to handle any needed repairs. Sometimes

Inside Northside

she even rides with the queen in her limo. “I try to see to all of her needs,” says Ilaine.

As for what goes on behind the scenes, Ilaine says, “People just don’t know the secrets that have to be kept. I’ve been chased around a room by someone trying to find out who Rex is. Sometimes it can be funny. It’s definitely interesting!”

Her business is seeing more requests now than ever before, and like those before her, Ilaine’s found someone to take over once she decides to retire— which she says isn’t too far off. Ilaine’s assistant,

The band—St. Paul’s Marching Wolves Marching bands keep the beat and get the crowd dancing between floats. Area schools—and some from out of state as well—do the bulk of the marching, with a sprinkling of military groups thrown in.

A big hit for a select few northshore and southshore parades alike are the St. Paul’s Marching

photo: JOEY MICHEL

Jocelyn Glanzman, has been working with her for four years and after her fifth Mardi Gras, she will take over a larger chunk of the business. “When you get older, you think that you need to make plans,” says Ilaine.

Still, Ilaine is already looking to the future.

“We’re already talking about the 2014 Mardi Gras and trying to get the supplies we need.”

Wolves band, which is accompanied by the Golden Blues dance team. This year, they’ll be performing in the Eve and Olympia parades on the northshore and the Carrollton, Hermes, Endymion and Bacchus parades in New Orleans.

In a typical Mardi Gras season, the band marches about 35 miles. Band director Andrew Moran talked >>

Practice, practice, practice keeps the Marching Wolves in high demand during Carnival season.

January-February 2013 57

about what it takes to put on the band’s rolling roadshow and noted that, despite a seemingly exhausting march, his students very much look forward to the Mardi Gras season. Of course, a lot of practice and preparation are needed for the band to pull off great performances, as well as a lot of hard work by dedicated parents and faculty members who take care of the logistics.

Moran says they usually start parade practice in early January by marching practice routes around the school’s Covington neighborhood. “I get them accustomed to getting their feet moving,” he says, noting, “Our average parade is six to seven miles, and we practice two days a week, putting in three to five miles a day. I’ll even take them to our track and have them get on line to practice a lot of our line dances and to work on formations.”

Getting to the parades, especially those on the southshore, is a daunting task.

Everyone meets for an 11 a.m. call time and packs into three buses for the trip.

“There’s usually some traffic, and there may be an earlier parade on the route, so we have to make it through before they pass by or we’ll have to wait,” Moran says.

Twenty to 25 band- and danceteam parents come along as chaperones.

Moran says they have many jobs— keeping the crowds back on the parade route, getting band members water on breaks and one very important task—“keeping an eye out for the horse manure that’s on the route. They find it, stand by it and the boys go around it.”

While the girls of the Golden Blues 58

Inside Northside

do their dance routines as they march along to the band’s music, the Marching Wolves are known for “breaking it down” and busting into dance routines of their own on the parade route. “A lot of the stuff they do is traditional line dances they’ve been doing since the 1970s. It’s been handed down from one generation to the next. We have to teach all the new members the dances, but by the time we hit Mardi Gras, they’ve done them so many times you hit the start button and let them go.”

Depending on their position in the parade route, the band may not get back to St. Paul’s until 1 a.m., some days only to turn around and be back at 11 a.m to do it again for the next parade.

It’s all worth it, though. “They love it,” Moran says. “The boys will basically put up with football season to get to Mardi Gras. That’s what this band is all about and lives for. There’s nothing cooler than when they get to Canal Street and people are five and six deep packed in, and everyone goes nutso when we start playing. It’s just a great time.”

carves it and he puts his artistic touch on it.”

Janet is very involved with the design of the pin and works closely with the queen. The pin is not a generic, repeated-every-year pin, but instead, a thoughtfully planned and conceptualized handcrafted pin that reflects who the queen is. Thus, no two pins are alike, as no two queens are the same.

The pins have special meaning for each queen and each guest who receive them. >>

Above: The progression of a pin design, from Krewe emblem to concept sketch to prototype.

Below: Janet DeLuca.

Janet DeLuca of DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold in Covington has been creating court gifts for various organizations for many years. Last year, she added royal pin-making to her repertoire when she was approached to design and produce the 2012 Olympia queen’s pin. This season, she is designing another pin for a different krewe’s queen.

“Once I found the connections to be able to do it, I was definitely interested. This year our name will actually be on the back of the pin, so people will know where it came from,” Janet says. “Carnival is something I would like to get even more involved in. We just started with it, and I really enjoyed it, especially the creation part of it. The krewe comes to me with an idea in mind—first, who the queen is and second, what her hobbies are and what the theme is for that year. The queen puts together an idea, I send it to the guy who

photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

The jeweler—Janet DeLuca

January-February 2013 59

The court coordinator She’s the unnamed woman behind the men of the Krewe of Olympia. “The president of Olympia came to me in 2008. I had helped the woman who was doing it for a couple of years. They needed a woman’s touch.” Olympia is one northshore group that adheres to the more traditional cloak of secrecy.

Her job is connecting the right people while keeping those secrets— especially the identities of the king, queen and other members of the court.

“I wear a lot of hats,” she says. And boy, does she ever! From communicating with the media and arranging fittings and practices, to helping the queen’s mother and coordinating transportation, she does it all!

The Krewe of Olympia hosts a formal ball in the Castine Center and parades in the streets of downtown Covington, this year on Saturday, Feb. 2. Each of the events presents a unique set of challenges for the court coordinator. Preparing the pages, princesses, maids and their majesties for the ball is a lot like directing a play, albeit one with only one performance. The costumes and stage have to be perfect, as does the cue sheet that coordinates the timing for the announcer, the spotlight guy, the photographers, the caterers, the limo drivers, the police escort, the captain and the members of the krewe. Does the caterer have enough champagne glasses for the pre-ball toast? Does the photographer know which female guest is the queen’s grandmother? Is the royal makeup artist lined up to make sure the royal court is ready to shine? All of these details, plus hundreds more, are in her to-do list.

“As it gets closer, there’s a lot of stress. The whole look is very important to me. The details include everything from the dresses to the timing of the procession. It takes a lot of organizing to make it an elegant and enjoyable 60

Inside Northside

experience for the 1,000 guests at the ball. I like that pop of color in the floral bouquets, and the guys—well, they wouldn’t think of that! But me, I like to use that pop of purple that matches perfectly with the tableau background. It ties it all together.”

When the word “vacation” surfaces, she just laughs. Planning takes about 10 months. “It is a lot of work, but so rewarding. The girls will say ‘That was the best night of my life.’

The dads are really cute, too. At first, they don’t think they’re going to have a good time, and then they love it! To do this, you have to have passion. And I do have passion.”

Not only is she passionate about Olympia, she is also passionate about everything related to Mardi Gras. “The history of it is so neat and such a unique part of the world that we have to love it. It’s a deep-seated love.”

It’s that love that helps her appreciate the experience. “I have to take a deep breath. It is so serious, but it is so fun. One can’t outweigh the other.”

“It is fascinating, all the work that goes on behind the scenes. I would really be interested in doing something like this again. I think it’s fun! I love Mardi Gras because it’s the only time of year you can get away with metallic and wild decorations in your home—and it looks good! I love the family atmosphere on the northshore and taking my grandkids to the parades. It’s just nice, wholesome fun over here, and we really do enjoy it.”

Unlike Santa and his elves, the army of workers who make Mardi Gras possible really do exist. As you watch the parades go by this Carnival season, we hope you do so with a newfound appreciation for all that goes into making it possible!

Happy Mardi Gras!

January-February 2013 61

Kicking Off Covington’s Carnival

by Stephen Faure

ON THE FIRST DAY OF CHRISTMAS, my true love gave to me…

Exactly what we’re singing about in the many verses of the Twelve Days of Christmas carol has been, for the most part, lost in history. However, the traditions surrounding the 12-day period continue to this day. The commemoration of Twelfth Night by a new group, Covington’s St. John Fools of Misrule Twelfth Night Marching Club, is a recent addition to Carnival on the northshore.

Twelfth Night The “12 days” are the time between Christmas (Feast of the Nativity) and the Feast of the Epiphany, which celebrates the day when the wise men—the 62

Inside Northside

Magi, or three kings, depending on how the story is told—arrived in Bethlehem to greet the baby Jesus.

During Tudor times in England, the twelfth and the last night of the Christmas season became a time for all-out celebration. Alcohol was involved, as were costumes, masks and general noisy public frivolity.

While the Twelve Days carol’s origins are unclear, it’s not hard to believe that on that last day the singer’s true love sends “12 drummers drumming” to add joyful noise to the merriment.

Twelfth Night was marked over the rest of Europe with similar, if not blow-out, celebrations.

Cakes (the King’s Cake) in the shape of a ring or a crown were served in countries like Spain and France, a tradition passed on to Louisiana, a colonial

illustration by: ROY ROBINSON

The St. John Fools of Misrule

outpost of both of those countries during the 1700s.

Common to the European celebrations was the custom of placing a dried bean in the cake—whoever drew that became King of the Bean, or, in some English traditions, the Lord of Misrule.

In New Orleans, Twelfth Night became important not as the end of Christmastide, but as the beginning of the Mardi Gras season, which is marked by the masked ball of the Twelfth Night Revelers, an old-line Carnival krewe. TNR’s Lord of Misrule remains anonymous, but the group chooses its queen via a bean (made of gold, at that) in a slice of cake. The process has evolved into a stylized ritual involving fake cake, with the slice containing the golden bean going to a pre-ordained recipient.

The St. John Fools of Misrule In New Orleans, the Phunny Phorty Phellows celebrate Twelfth Night by throwing a raucous party on a streetcar riding up and down the St. Charles line.

There are many smaller and less public celebrations of Twelfth Night throughout the area as well.

In that same spirit, a group of friends have banded together as the St. John Fools of Misrule to celebrate Twelfth Night in downtown Covington.

“Like with many carnival organizations, it all began with a few guys sitting around a table in a tavern somewhere,” recollects Gordon Herrin, the group’s captain. In this case, the tavern would be the Columbia Street Tap Room, whose proprietor, Steve Ahrons, is also a Fools’ officer. Dan Cobb is another>>

Inset: Twelfth Night celebrations became popular in European nations during the 17th and 18th centuries.

January-February 2013 63

The St. John Fools of Misrule fortify themselves for their inaugural march

Right: A painting depicts a group engaging in some old-school style Twelfth Night reveling.

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Inside Northside

founder and officer. While Herrin is simply “captain,” Ahrons and Cobb’s titles harken back to the old English days of Twelfth Night celebrations, which inspired the group’s style of organized merriment.

“I’m ‘Black Rod,’” says Cobb. It’s the common term for the formally titled “Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod,” the sergeant-at-arms of Britain’s House of Lords. Ahrons is called “Muckle John,” which was the name of the last official court jester, who served under King Charles I in the 1600s “I grew up here in St. Tammany and wanted to start a Twelfth Night walking club for the longest time. We really wanted to bring more involvement to downtown Covington,” says Herrin, noting that local businesses suffer post-Christmas January doldrums.

The group looked at the European traditions; those of one group from England stood out. “They would put on masks and go out into the streets with cowbells and whips and make noise to drive the evil spirits out. They were called the ‘Lords of Misrule,’ but somebody already had that in New Orleans,” Cobb says. The Lords of Misrule also had a ‘Feast of Fools,’ so we put it together and called our group the

photos courtesy: DAN COBB

in January 2012.

‘Fools of Misrule.’”

Herrin adds, “When John Wharton Collins blocked out Covington on a grid, this was the St. John district. To respect that, we added it to our name and it became the ‘St. John Fools of Misrule.’”

The Covington organization has adopted the whip and the cowbell of the English group and insists that anyone joining their January march around the business district be masked. “It’s a costume and masking club. No costume and no mask, no marching,” says Herrin.

“Costumes and masks are appealing for many reasons. It’s a traditional way to do it, and when people who’ve never masked before do it they have the best time in the world. Participants could be the local city councilperson, a physician, an artist—anyone. That’s the essence of our club.”

Twelfth Night is traditionally celebrated on Jan. 6, but some celebrate it the evening of Jan. 5, a throwback to medieval times when a new day began not at midnight but at sunset. It doesn’t matter to the Fools. Unlike the Phunny Phorty Phellows and Twelfth Night Revelers, the St. John Fools of Misrule march the Saturday following Twelfth Night. This season, the group marches on Jan. 12. The masked marchers meet at Ahrons’ establishment to choose, via the traditional bean-in-cake method, the year’s “Lord of the Fools.” They’ll do so in their best effort to fulfill the club’s motto: “Vivere Vitam Omnino”—which Cobb admits might not be a perfect Latin translation—meaning “Live Life Completely.”

For more information or to join the St. John’s Fools of Misrule Twelfth Night Marching Club, contact Captain Gordon Herrin, captain@foolsofmisrule.com or visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/ FoolsOfMisrule.

January-February 2013 65

Book Report

by Stephen Faure

Maurice LeGardeur’s Carnival in New Orleans, A Fantasy

by Bert Bartlett

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN to a parade without leaving the house? The experience is there for the taking in a fine coffee table book, Carnival in New Orleans, A Fantasy, written by longtime northshore attorney Maurice LeGardeur, also known as the Bard of Boston Street. Fantasy revels not only in Carnival, but also in New Orleans and Louisiana culture. The book features works by Covington artist Robert Seago, whose nostalgic images illuminate a past that continually remains a part of our area’s present.

There are many regionally published traditional books about Mardi Gras and its history, but Fantasy walks a most unconventional and offbeat path. LeGardeur writes with satire and wit—with some history and mythology thrown in—in stream-ofconsciousness fashion.

A “Taboo” section pokes fun at the universal taboos: religion, politics and sex; however, LeGardeur adds three more—weight, booze and nudity to 66

Inside Northside

ensure our local taboos are addressed.

Potshots are taken at St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson parishes; Texans; Katrina; and numerous politicians, mores and customs from “Chalmations” to “Northshorians.”

Fantasy commences with a poem opposite Seago’s rich full-page depictions of scenes common along a parade route, including maskers, floats and flambeaux. Seago’s illustrations range from bright and luminous to dark and mysterious. LeGardeur’s style is literary, though homespun and humorous: “‘My kingdom for a toilet!’ Hear his Majesty proclaim, ‘Forget your rules of etiquette, When in my wild domain!’”

LeGardeur says, “The book was never supposed to be what it turned out to be—it was envisioned originally as 10-12 pages. But after hundreds of hours of work and nine months later, it was off to China to be printed. It’s really my version of The Night Before

Christmas for Mardi Gras.”

Carnival in New Orleans, A Fantasy comes with some lagniappe: a section of Katrina poems, a few racy pictures of Fat Tuesday revelers in the French Quarter and a humorous glossary of indigenous definitions. As LeGardeur believes no parade is complete without music, included is a CD of 16 original Mardi Gras tunes of various genres by Abita Springs artist John Preble and his group, The Abitians & Friends. Appendices provide the mirthful lyrics of Preble’s new classics and the timeless verses of If Ever I Cease to Love. The book is rounded out with Robert Seago’s nostalgic black and white etchings and with recipes for some seasonal favorites, including Oysters Rockefeller and Bananas Foster.

Fantasy is available at area bookstores and retailers; at LeGardeur’s Three Rivers Art Gallery, 333 Boston St. in Covington, 892-2811; and at Rouses.

January-February 2013 67

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

IN Good Company

C J LADNER HAS WORKED for State Farm for 30 years—and she has loved every minute of it.

C J’s name and face may seem familiar. Her company, C J Ladner Insurance Agency Inc., has been thriving on the northshore for more than 16 years. You may have noticed her car, with her photo and State Farm logo, in Covington. A well-known businesswoman in the community, C J attributes her success partly to her passion for working in the insurance industry. “My career is a way of life for me. I love coming to my office. As much as I like to relax, I love interacting with my clients and listening to my team members fulfilling people’s needs. It is a great blessing,” she says.

While the bulk of C J’s business is automobile, life and homeowner insurance, her team also writes policies for commercial properties, disability insurance, health insurance, long-term care and hospitalization income. More recently, State Farm began handling financial services with an online virtual bank, even offering mutual funds.

Residents may be surprised to know State Farm has resumed writing new homeowner insurance policies in most cities on the northshore. After being temporarily halted following Hurricane Katrina, C J and her team now have a broader area they are able to write policies for. “We still have boundaries

by Kaley Boudreaux

C J Ladner.

with C J Ladner Insurance Agency, Inc. on where we can write new policies, but as of Aug. 1, the boundaries expanded even more,” she says.

Most of her clients are referred to C J by word of mouth. “Our service is what sets us apart from other agents.

My office gives remarkable customer service.” Her team is readily available via office visit, phone, email and text.

“It’s different from 30 years ago when I started as an agent with a microfiche machine,” she jokes. Although she admits it is challenging to stay ahead

of the technology curve, it has most certainly helped her business. “You have everything at your fingertips to make sure your customers are getting the incredible service they deserve.

People, including me, want service right away. I love changing and adapting to the new technology.”

For 23 of her 30 years with State Farm, C J worked as an agent.

However, she wasn’t always interested in the insurance business. While she was working as a salesperson January-February 2013 69

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Inside Northside

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

at a car dealership in 1981, a friend suggested she try out insurance sales.

“He felt like I would be great at it and he encouraged me to interview for an opening as an agent,” C J says.

The position was for an insurance company similar to State Farm near her hometown in Waveland, Miss.

Needless to say, C J was offered the job. Soon after, she started working for State Farm as an agent and continued for about seven years.

After transferring to Baton Rouge and then later to Metairie to work in upper management, C J had the opportunity to return to personal production as an agent on the northshore. She has been here ever since.

“When I accepted the position in Mississippi, I was the third female hired in the state. Today, it is more equal, and being a woman in this industry is completely normal. Back then, it was a time when females were just getting into this type of business,” says C J.

The C J Ladner team.

C J feels her gender does play a part in her success as an insurance agent. “Women are very caring.

Not that men aren’t, but we have a nurturing side and people like that.

Especially when they’re talking about protecting their personal belongings, their treasures, their children, their life and their financial situation. It is easier for people to open up to a woman.

I truly believe that. With that said, I like to have men working in my office because it is a good balance, and I think we need that balance,” C J says.

One man who plays a big role in her office is her husband of 39 years, Keith Ladner. A retired real estate appraiser, Keith helps run the business from home. “My husband is definitely my backbone. He is very instrumental in our company. He makes me whole, and he is a hobby gourmet chef, so he keeps me eating healthy,” C J jokes.

Along with her husband, C J credits her staff of nine employees for much of her success. “I am proud of

my team. Without them, I wouldn’t be me,” she says. Most of her employees are licensed agents in auto, home, life, health insurance and bank services.

A mother to three grown children and grandmother to three younglings, C J’s favorite pastimes are playing golf and relaxing with family and friends at her river home in Bay St. Louis, Miss.

“My husband will cook out there, and we love to entertain and sit by the water enjoying great company.”

C J works as an insurance agent not only to earn a living, but also as a way of helping people in her community.

“I like to work with the public and to be hands-on,” she says. C J is very involved in the Catholic Church and has a passion for Habitat for Humanity and Mary Bird Cancer Center of St. Tammany Parish. “I am very blessed to be able to give back.”

C J Ladner Insurance Agency is located at 1972 N. Hwy. 190 in Covington, 892-5030.

Worthy Causes

Worlds apart; together in faith Partnership between Mandeville, Haitian churches

THEY MAY SEEM WORLDS APART—a Catholic parishioners work on church in Mandeville and one in the mountains of extending the church’s rural Haiti. roof. Right: Sr. Marina The 2,200 families who worship at Mary, Queen Aranzabel STJ, Mary, of Peace Parish have running water, electricity, access Queen of Peace’s to health care and modern conveniences within a pastoral associate, and short drive from their homes. the cooks at St. Benoît’s The 5,000 families who belong to St. Benoît outdoor kitchen. Parish in Dessources, Haiti, are part of an agricultural Mary, Queen of Peace society that lives without electricity and running recently sent funds to water. They walk an hour or more to celebrate Mass St. Benoît to construct at St. Benoît’s main church or one of its six chapels. a school kitchen and The two parishes share some similarities. Both its parishioners also have experienced an influx of residents after a natural funded St. Benoît’s roof disaster. And both have schools. St. Benoît teaches 400 construction. students in pre-kindergarten to sixth grades; 540 prekindergarten to seventh grade students are enrolled in at Mary, Queen of Peace.

A partnership formed “A Night in Haiti,” a special event two years ago between to mark the third anniversary of the the two churches has earthquake and raise awareness forged a deep bond about St. Benoît’s ongoing needs, where everyone’s sense of will be held Jan. 12, 2013, in the gratitude and faith is being Mary, Queen of Peace School strengthened. “We truly cafeteria. Tickets are $25 per believe God has brought person and can be purchased by us together,” says Fr. calling (504) 220-3249.

Ronald Calkins, pastor of Mary, Queen of Peace.

Left: St. Benoît

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Inside Northside

The relationship began in June 2010 when the Archdiocese of New Orleans’ Catholic Charities connected Calkins and Mgsr. Wildor Pierre, pastor of St. Benoît. Mary, Queen of Peace wanted to partner with a parish in Haiti, and St. Benoit needed help rebuilding after Haiti’s devastating earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010.

“It’s a blessing for Pierre to be able to do this for his people,” says Fenelle Guillaume, a Haitian who now lives in New Orleans. Guillaume met 46-yearold Pierre in Miami and put him in touch with Catholic Charities after the earthquake.

Donations from Mary, Queen of Peace parishioners and others in the community have financed a new roof and extension to St. Benoît’s main church and the construction of seven classrooms. Money has also allowed Pierre to start a school lunch program so that students have at least one hot meal a day, as well as pay the salaries of the school’s 11 teachers. Each teacher makes $4.25 a day during the school year, from October to June.

The Mandeville church’s Haiti Solidarity Partnership Ministry oversees the needs of St. Benoît and reaches out to other organizations for grants and resources for the Haitian parish.

Pierre, who speaks fluent English, came to Mary, Queen of Peace in October for the second time, bringing with him a list of St. Benoît’s needs, including the construction of a school kitchen and toilet, three more classrooms and the first phase of a school

photo courtesy: MUGUET BOLOTTE and SARAH BONNETTE

by Sarah Bonnette

cafeteria. A mission team from Mary, Queen of Peace will make its second trip to Dessources in February 2013.

“We have made a strong bond with Msgr. Wildor and feel we are well suited to each other as a sister parish. They have become an extended family, and we are happy to be a part of their community,” said Muguet Bolotte, leader of the Haiti Solidarity Partnership Ministry.

Bolotte says the ministry welcomes the community’s ideas and expertise on how to help St. Benoit, particularly in how their parishioners can become more sustainable. Currently, St. Benoît’s families lack reliable access to food, either because of money or because natural disasters affect their food supplies. In addition to the damage from the earthquake, they lost homes, crops and livestock during Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy. When devastating storms hit the area, there are no food reserves, and treacherous and muddy roads make traveling next to impossible; a 59-mile trip from Dessources to Port au Prince takes 4.5 hours by car.

“Their needs are huge, but if we stay focused and continue to take one step at a time, we will get there together,” says Bolotte. “We want to be able to assist them in sustainable ways, but this definitely slows down the process of what we would consider progress. In the long run, it will better serve the community in Haiti. We are in this relationship for the long haul.”

For more information, e-mail mqphaiti@gmail.com, visit MQPHaiti. wordpress.com or contact Muguet Bolotte at 705-1846. Catholic Charities is searching for other area parishes to help churches in Haiti. For details, contact Haitian Services Coordinator Kettly Prophete at kprophete@ccano.org or (504) 310-6933.

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1. Geaux flambeau! Mardi Gras ornament

by India Stewart, $44. Welcome Home and Garden, Covington, 893-3933. 2. Showcase your krewe pins. Judy’s Girls Carnival pin pillow, $225. Rug Chic, Mandeville, 674-1070.

3. Enhance your room. Rare antique terra cotta vignon jug from France,

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$525. St. Romain Interiors, Madisonville, 845-7411. 4. Cuddle up on a cold winter night. kashwear throw, $125. The Spa at Stone Creek, Covington, 801-7100. 5. Perfectly chilled wine, every time. Corkcicle keeps white wines chilled and brings reds to a “cellar” temperature without an ice bucket, $25. The Grapevine, Covington, 893-2766.

6. Fit for a king. Panama Jack Adirondack chair made in the USA of kiln-dried cypress with stainless steel hardware, $399. Several designs available. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008.

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1. Gaze in style. Vintage-inspired gold brushed bamboo mirror, $380. Hazelnut Mandeville, Mandeville, 626-8900. 2. Accessorize your home. VolarĂŠ whitewash sculpture wing by Attila made from driftwood, $717. Berger 1

Home, Mandeville, 624-3433. 3. Three’s company. Acrylic-covered canvasses by Shelly Rosenblum of Mandeville. Silver Cross, $275;

Squares in Gold, $350 and Green Squares, $275. the french mix, Covington, 809-3152. 4. Face up to it! Hand-thrown pot by John Hodge, $65. Three Rivers Gallery, Covington, 892-2811.

5. Worthy of praise. Award-winning all-natural peach, pecan and amaretto preserves made by hand, $9. deCoeur Gifts & Home

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Accessories, Covington, 809-3244. 6. All that glitters. Tall gold ribbon vase, $195. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

7. Point the way! Metal garden ornament, $119.95. Florist of Covington, Covington, 892-7701. 8. A rare culinary treat.

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Delectable vinegar combines the rich flavors of truffle and Barolo wine, $29.95. Oil & Vinegar, Covington, 809-1693.

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1. Stylish soaps. Gold Annieglass heart-shaped tableware with assorted colored and scented soap baubles. Dish, $71; baubles, three large, $30; 12 small, $26. Arabella Fine Gifts & Home Décor, Mandeville, 727-9787. 2. Light the way. French iron collection ivy chandelier, $1,250. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, Mandeville, 249-6040. 3. Toss your cares away. 36”x 88” washable Lili Alessandra rolled-up ribbon throw and Ann Gish charmeuse throw pillow with crystals.

Throw, $394; pillow, 225. Hestia Luxury in Linens, Covington, 893-0490. 4. Pour me something! Mardi Gras koozie and 5

wine glass, $15.99. Mandeville Party Co., Mandeville, 674-1605. 5. A work of art.

Hand-sculpted and -painted Rejoice Angel Wing in vintage white rustic finish with silver leaf, $195. Lynn Sterling Antiques, Mandeville, 626-7704. 6. Give the gift of deliciousness. Gift basket with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, two glass bottle stoppers, strawberry balsamic jam, gourmet olives, pasta and pasta sauce, and black truffle sea salt, $100. Infusé Oil & Vinegar, Mandeville, 778-0903.

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M A R R I A G E

Gennusa-O’Shea

photo courtesy: TYLER VANCE PHOTOGRAPHY

The wedding of Tammy Robinson Gennusa and Patrick Steve O’Shea was held at Maison Lafitte in Mandeville. The bride wore a Nicole Miller dress from Saks Fifth Avenue. Her bouquet of Sahara roses was by Florist of Covington, and her ring was a custom design from De Boscq Jewelers. The bridesmaids, Tammy’s daughters, Alexis and Ashley Gennusa, and Patrick’s daughters, Shannon and Katie O’Shea, carried bouquets of green hydrangeas with burlap wrapping to tie into the vintage and rustic theme. Their hair was done by Air Blow Dry Bar and their makeup was by About Face. Patrick’s son, Ryan O’Shea, also served as an attendant. The couple, who became engaged in Paris in May 2011, honeymooned at Secrets Maroma Beach in Playa De Carmen, Mexico.

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Caroline Lashley Dorning and Joseph Robert Goll (Captain/USMC) were united in marriage at an outdoor ceremony at Southern House and Garden in Knoxville, Ala. Rev. Matthew M. Smith officiated the evening nuptials. The bride wore an Alfred Sung strapless ivory satin A-line dress from Southern Bridal complemented by a scalloped-edge, fingertip-length lace veil with pearl detailing. Light pink and ivory roses and white hydrangeas were used in the bouquets and floral arrangements. The grounds were covered with candles and baby’s breath, with accents of lace and burlap to give guests a feeling of true Southern elegance and charm. Guests enjoyed a menu that reflected the couple’s Virginia and Louisiana roots while dancing the night away in the old-fashioned barn on the grounds. After the celebration, the couple honeymooned at the Hilton Nui in Bora Bora, Tahiti.

Whitney Hart St. Pé and Alexander Paul Bennett were recently united in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church. Reverend Monsignor Louis LeBourgeois presided over the Nuptial Mass. Whitney wore a strapless trumpet-shaped silhouette gown with a sweetheart neckline, pearl and sequined lace appliqués accented with Swarovski buttons, a cathedral-length train and a fingertip-length veil. Attending the bride, the bridesmaids wore strapless formal peony gowns; the groomsmen wore black tails. The reception was held at Benedict’s Plantation. Johnny Chauvin and the Mojo Band from Lafayette played until the wee hours of the morning while everyone twostepped the night away.

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photos courtesy: APPEAR PHOTOGRAPHY and MELISSA BREEDLOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

St. Pé-Bennett

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MARDI GRAS COLORS 1. Amethyst and diamond pendant set in 14kt white gold on 18’’ 14kt multi-strand chain. Pendant, $695; chain, $380. DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold, Covington, 892-2317. 2. 2.63ct emerald and 2.16ct diamond ring by Jules by Star set in 14kt white gold, $39,995. Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666. 3. Gold sequined dress by Haute Hippie, $590. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-7649. 4. 100% 4

silk purple twisted front shirt by ZOA New York, $173. Eros, Mandeville, 727-0034. 5. Emerald green taffeta dress, $154. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789. 6. 100% French silk Marjolaine purple and gold chemise, $263. Bra la Vie!, Hammond, 662-5065. 7. Tie dye bra cami and boy shorts available in a variety of tie dye colors. Designed for girls ages 7-14. Bra cami, $22; boy shorts, $20.

Blossom Girl, Mandeville, 626-6277.

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MARDI GRAS COLORS 1. Rupal bangle set by Amrita Singh, $132. Izabella’s Villa, Slidell, 6495060. 2. Twisted front, long-sleeved green shirt with pocket over black shell accented with green jeweled necklace. Shirt, $45; shell, $15; necklace, $25. Ju Ju’s, Mandeville, 876-3766. 3. 100% silk v-neck, long-sleeved women’s shirt with pocket by Acrobat, $158. Laurier, Covington, 875-0823. 4. Burlywood glossy snake stiletto sandal by Pella

6. Purple stain-resistant

Moda, $195. Fleurt, Covington, 809-8844. 5. Fabulous faux fur, $149.

cashmere sweater and

Lifestyle Store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200.

100% cotton long-sleeved men’s button-up shirt.

Sweater, $325; shirt, $87.50. Jos. A. Bank, Mandeville, 624-4067.

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7. 7.14ct fancy-cut amethyst set in 18kt white gold with .90cttw diamonds, $3,899. Lowe’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 845-4653.

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MARDI GRAS COLORS 1. Purple amethyst lady’s fashion ring set in 14kt gold surrounded by 20 round pink sapphires, $750.

Champagne Jewelers, Slidell, 6432599. 2. Gold and silver tone earrings with faux amethyst stone, $18.99.

Private Beach, Mandeville, 674-2326.

3. Double platform Jessica Simpson seafoam green suede pump, $98.

Shoefflé, Covington, 898-6465; Baton Rouge, (225) 761-1105. 4. Krista Lee’s purple embroidered tunic, $110.

3 Sisters Boutique, Ponchatoula, 3868680. 5. Long-sleeved burgundy top with gold sequins by Buddy Love, $58. Paisley, Mandeville, 727-7880.

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with magnetic closure and chain

by Whiting & Davis, $155. Emma’s Shoes & Accessories, Mandeville, 778-2200. 7. Gold sequined v-neck special occasion gown with ruched waistline and beaded belt detail

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by Tony B, $498. Southern Bridal, Mandeville, 727-2993.

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MARDI GRAS COLORS 1. 1.22ct princess-cut emerald gemstone surrounded by .70cttw diamonds set in 18kt white gold, $6,999. De Boscq Fine Jewelry, Mandeville, 674-0007. 2. Purple satin formal shoe with 4’’ heel by Helen’s Heart, $86. Azure Spa, Mandeville, 727-7799. 3. Maci’s sequined gown available in purple or black, $595. Olivier Couture, Mandeville, 674-6994. 4. White foxtail and whiskey quartz earrings by Tonobi, $138. Accents & Things, Slidell, 649-4273. 5. 100% cotton

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purple button down shirt with contrasting collar and cuff by Quieti, $98.

Bastille’s, Covington, 892-7194. 6. Laundry gold lace dress, $365. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 7. Purple, green and gold nail polish by OPI. Purple: Suzi & the 7 Düsseldorfs; green: Jade is The New Black; and gold: Glitzerland. $8.50 each. Oasis Day Spa, Mandeville, 624-6772.

8. Jewels of the Nile bangle bracelet set by Natasha featuring intricate design and texture in gold tone with teal enamel accent with crystals, $24. Dillard’s, North Shore Square Mall, Slidell, 646-0661.

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Image courtesy of JAMES R. AULTMAN.

Building for the Future

by Stephen Faure

High school inaugural senior class members Graham Beck, Sam Batson, Mason Sheen, Mandy Savage and Matthew Murphy with Rector Fr. Tom Blackmon and Headmaster John

Christ Episcopal School’s Center of Inquiry

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

Morvant break ground on the Center of Inquiry.

ON A GLORIOUSLY CRISP, cool and clear northshore October day, Christ Episcopal School broke ground on its latest addition, the Center of Inquiry. The center is the focal point of Christ Episcopal’s ambitious expansion program, a plan that is designed to accommodate continued increases in the school’s enrollment on the elementary level and in the school’s newly created high school program, which will graduate its first class this May. Christ Episcopal School was founded in 1984 by the community of Christ Church, a Covington landmark adjacent to Bogue Falaya Park since 1847. The school outgrew the church’s property and a new facility was opened off Hwy. 21;

the downtown Covington grounds still house the school’s Early Childhood Center for Pre-K and kindergarten students.

Headmaster John Morvant says the school is building a foundation for its future. Morvant’s familiarity with the community as a 33 years at St. Paul’s (21 as assistant principal) made him a natural choice to help then Headmaster Greg Homer and CES launch the new high school program four years ago. After Homer stepped down, Morvant was asked to become the school’s headmaster.

Morvant explains that Homer and the school’s board of directors decided to start a high school program because of concerns that rising enrollments in local high schools might make it difficult for CES students to get accepted by their school of choice. “The other part of the motivation was that the board particularly felt that we did a great job with educating kids and wanted to expand it, to make the same programs available to kids on the high school level,” he says.

There are six seniors in the school’s first graduating class in May. At the outset, Morvant notes, “There were five families willing to help us start the new high school program. I have great respect January-February 2013 91

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for those families and sincere appreciation for their commitment to Christ Episcopal”

The Center of Inquiry While the impetus to build the new facility was influenced in part by a need to accommodate the high school program, Morvant says, “What we decided to do was to create a facility that wasn’t just for the use of the high school. Although it will house classrooms primarily for the high school, it’s a multipurpose building that will be used regularly by all the students on the Christwood Blvd. campus.””

Designed by architect James R. Aultman, the Center of Inquiry will house classrooms, a state-of-the-art digital-age library, technology lab and a 220-seat theater/auditorium. The theater will be used for religious celebrations, musical and dramatic performances, lectures and as a place for student assemblies.

“The building already had a name when I arrived—before we knew what it would even look like. Mr. Homer had a vision that the building, as its name implies, would be a special place for inquiry and creativity,” says Morvant.

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“We’re trying to create an atmosphere where kids can learn and work together cooperatively and creatively, to create the atmosphere for the kind of educational approach that is identified with the CES brand, and of which we are quite proud.”

Future plans The CES enrollment has increased 37 percent since 2002. It is projected to reach 600 by 2016, up from the current enrollment, which stands at 550 students. The next major addition to the campus will be an athletic facility for soccer, track and field.

The school’s long-term master plan is to complete, in phases, a new gym, an additional classroom building, a chapel building, a campanile, amphitheatre and covered walkways. The total cost of these is projected to be $16.7 million.

Art at the Park, the major CES fundraising event, will be held April 12-13, 2013. Contact Lisa Rice at 875-9141 for more information and for sponsorship opportunities or visit christepiscopalschool. org for more information.

Heart Health

“I’M NOT AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON. I am an ordinary person who has had to face extraordinary things,” says Toni Wild, representative for the American Heart Association’s 2013 Go Red Campaign. Her story, however, belies her modesty.

Extraordinary things? Absolutely. Ordinary person?

Never!

Toni’s heart problems began, strangely enough, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 29. “It was a shock,” recalls the petite New Orleans native. “I was healthy and had no family history of breast cancer.” This was Toni’s first experience dealing with a life-threatening illness.

Unfortunately, it would not be her last.

As a surgical nurse in Hattiesburg, Miss., Toni knew the drill—lumpectomy, chemotherapy and radiation—followed by a mandatory five-year

am I going to die?” Toni remembers asking her oncologist.

The doctor confidently replied, “Yes, but not of cancer.” For Toni, it was the perfect answer.

Toni elected to have chemotherapy, a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. Two months after completing chemotherapy, she developed a cough, followed by shortness of breath and extreme fatigue. Initially misdiagnosed as having walking pneumonia, Toni ultimately ended up in the hospital in Hattiesburg, profoundly weak. After two days, doctors transferred her to Tulane University Medical Center in New Orleans, where she was diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced congestive heart failure.

Through medication and rest, Toni’s condition stabilized. With the help of her parents, Sydney and

by Karen B. Gibbs wait before getting pregnant. Five years later, with

breast cancer in the rear-view mirror and plans for a family on the horizon, Toni and husband Tom Shoemaker traveled to Tennessee to visit his parents. While taking a casual day trip, Tom and Toni got a flat tire. Tragically, while Tom was changing the tire, another car struck him. The injuries Tom sustained left him brain dead.

“At that point, I made decisions I never dreamed I’d have to make at 34,” explains Toni.

“When the organ procurement team asked me about organ donation, there was no way I could say no. Tom’s organs—his heart and both kidneys— provided three people a second chance at life. This is something he would have loved.”

In time, Toni resumed life as best she could.

Then, three weeks after the first anniversary of Tom’s death, she found a lump on the opposite breast. The cancer was back. “I just want to know, 94

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John Cuccia, and her friends, she was able to work, exercise and even play racquetball with limited symptoms. Toni learned to compensate for her decreased heart function. “It didn’t stop me from doing anything I wanted to do,” she says.

For the next 10 years, Toni lived a full and happy life. In 2000, she married Jim Wild but, due to her cancer and heart history, she was told she should never bear children. The silent specter of cancer had stolen yet another piece of her life.

Fortunately, Jim had two boys, ages 6 and 8, so Toni could be a mother after all.

Nine years after marrying Jim, Toni started feeling tired and dizzy after exercising. “I didn’t think too much of it until that ugly cough returned along with shortness of breath and fatigue. I knew it was my heart failing me again. I thought that, just as before, I’d go to my cardiologist, he’d tweak my medication and get me back on track.” Her >>

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

The Extraordinary The face of heart disease Toni Wild

Heart Health

Toni Wild.

January-February 2013 95

Heart Health optimism was wrong—dead wrong.

Extensive testing at Ochsner Hospital confirmed that Toni’s heart was badly damaged. “My doctor told me that, short of a heart transplant, there was nothing left to do. I was definitely blown away. One thing that crossed my mind was the irony that, years ago, I had given away a heart and now I find myself in a situation where I need one to survive.” During this period, Toni drew strength from prayer. “I said, ‘God, I don’t know what your plan for me is, but I want to live. I’m hoping you’re on my side. But if this is your will, then I am ready.’”

“I’m supposed to be a man, but I cried like a baby when she told us that,” her father adds. “She was ready, but to be quite honest with you, I wasn’t.”

“We didn’t know what our future held,” adds Jim, “but we knew who held our future.”

Nevertheless, while hoping for a good outcome, they were well aware of the alternative.

“I prayed that God would provide me with the perfect heart at the perfect time,” says Toni.

“Meanwhile, my church held a healing service for me. While they were praying for me in Hattiesburg, I could feel the love and power as I lay in my hospital bed in New Orleans. Without prayer, there’s no way I could have gone through all this.”

After two-and-a-half weeks in the hospital, Toni went home on a continuous intravenous solution that sustained her heart until a donor heart became available. “Her heart was operating at about 10 percent. She couldn’t walk 15 steps without losing her breath completely,” recalls Toni’s dad.

“It was too much exertion for her to even brush her teeth or her hair,” adds her mom.

The wait for a donor heart was unbelievably short. “That’s the part I’m so grateful for,” Toni says.

“There are those who wait months and years and sometimes die waiting. I don’t know how or why, but I got a call a week after I was home. At 11:49 p.m., my transplant coordinator called saying she had a possible heart for me.” Weeping openly, Toni adds, “It was definitely one of those ‘wow’ moments.”

One of Toni’s first thoughts was about the donor family. “I knew someone somewhere was preparing to say good-bye to their loved one. I remembered the pain and anguish when I agreed 96

Inside Northside

to organ donation. Jim and I prayed for that family, and we prayed that if it’s God’s will, this would be my perfect heart.”

Before leaving for the hospital, Toni shared an emotional farewell with the boys. “Then I looked around my house, studying everything. I knew this could be the last time I’d see it all—the boys, my dogs, my things—but I couldn’t dwell on that; I had to dwell on the positive and have hope.”

Jim describes their two-hour drive to New Orleans as one filled with awe over answered prayer and gratitude for the donor. “A God-given peace filled us during the trip and doubt never crept into our minds.”

At the hospital, two other people waited for the same heart—routine procedure to assure that a donor organ is used. “It took several hours of tissue and antibodies testing to figure out which one of us would be the perfect match,” explains Toni.

That morning, Toni’s cardiologist announced, “Looks like today is your day!” Toni’s emotions surface in the retelling. “I was tearful because now it was real. My prayer was answered. This was the perfect heart at the perfect time.”

“We both looked at each other and cried,” says Jim. “We felt the incredible power of prayer. At the same time, we knew there were two other people who had their hopes dashed. We wanted for them what we wanted for Toni.”

Regarding the surgery, Toni admits, “I knew I was in good hands. I was at peace. Prior to going into surgery, my nurse leaned down and sang a hymn to me. Holding my hand, she said, ‘You’re going to be OK, my baby.’”

The five-hour transplant operation began early that afternoon. Meanwhile, Jim, his brother, Toni’s parents and her two brothers kept vigil in the waiting room. “A nurse came out every 45 minutes or so to tell us what was going on,” says her mom.

The wait was especially hard on Toni’s dad. “I couldn’t grasp the fact that they opened her up and they took her heart out. Here was my daughter in the operating room without a heart. That thought still shakes me up.”

Finally, the surgeon came out. The procedure had gone well, but, as with any heart transplant,

Heart Health

there was a risk of stroke. They wouldn’t know if she’d suffered one until she awoke. “The first time I woke up, I was still intubated,” says Toni. “I couldn’t talk, but I remember thinking, ‘I’m alive.’ A couple of hours later, the nurse removed the tube and in a raspy voice I asked if I could call my husband.”

Meanwhile, Jim had fallen asleep in the waiting room— physically, emotionally and mentally spent. “I was so tired I didn’t hear the phone ring right away. I called back, and it was just awesome. My wife had come out of a heart transplant only four-and-a-half hours earlier, and now here she was talking to me!”

When Toni’s parents saw her the next morning, she was sitting up eating breakfast. Both break into laughter reminiscing. “It was amazing! She had color back in her face and she had more energy, more spirit.”

And for that spirit and energy, Toni is ever thankful.

“I acknowledge each and every day that I’m alive because of my donor. I am so very grateful for the generosity of this complete stranger. Isn’t it interesting? You pass strangers on the street and they won’t even give you a smile. This stranger gave me a heart.”

As a Go Red representative, Toni Wild is adamant in spreading her message. “Women, make sure to take care of yourselves. Take charge of your own health care issues. You know your body better than anyone else. If you think you have a problem, see a doctor. I never thought I’d be the face of heart disease, but I am.”

For Toni, thinking of others is second nature. Just before the transplant, she donated her hair to Locks of Love, her third such gift. In October 2012, she ran a half-marathon in San Francisco, raising $5,000 to fight lymphoma. As a surgical nurse, Toni embraces opportunities to give hope to potential heart transplant patients and to encourage women undergoing biopsies, mastectomies and breast reconstruction.

Heart-Healthy Eating Jamie Hamler, manager of Franco’s Grille, was not always health conscious or at a healthy weight. When he first started working at Franco’s Athletic Club one and a half years ago, Jamie weighed 231 pounds. He now runs and swims every day and is down to a very fit 194.

“Working with the trainers and staff here at Franco’s has taught me a lot about eating healthy,” he says. “Healthy is not a trend or a fad, but a lifestyle, and it’s not all about weight loss.”

The Grille offers both light and substantial meals as healthy alternatives for breakfast and lunch. Hand-chopped raw vegetables in each salad ensure proper digestion and the vegetables are balanced with a protein source. Grilled salmon, tuna and tilapia can be added to salads, pizzas, wraps and sandwiches. Grilled chicken breasts and portabella mushrooms are also good sources of protein.

“Anything in the kitchen can be made into a wrap or sandwich or used to top a pizza. All you have to do is ask,” says Jamie.

Gluten-free hamburger buns, pizza crust and bread are available—and even homemade gluten-free cupcakes and some gluten-free health bars.

The B-Quick Performance menu, designed by Brandt Quick, Franco’s sports performance program director, to go with his exercise program includes a variety of healthy options. Smoothies are a favorite among those working out with Brandt.

“We want to help people, both members and non-members, get healthy and stay healthy by being mindful of what they put into their bodies,” says Jamie. He and his staff are happy to answer questions about healthy eating.

The well-rounded menu at Franco’s Grille can be just what is needed at the end of a busy day. Try a healthy dinner with a

For more information or to schedule Toni as a guest speaker, please call (601) 818-2421 or email jimandtoniwild@comcast.net.

rotisserie chicken breast, steamed green beans and brown rice—all ready to take home and enjoy!

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Heart Health

Northshore Circle of Red members Rhonda Eckholt and May Ann Hymel.

research done to understand heart disease and stroke, which explains why treatment guidelines and programs have been geared toward that demographic.

This led to an oversimplified, distorted view of heart disease and risk, which has been very dangerous for women in this country.

“Heart disease accounts for about 35 percent of all female deaths each year. It is well proven to be a serious threat to women’s health and lives and no longer considered just a ‘man’s disease,’” says Rebecca Stubenrauch, RN, BSN, BC, CDE, CTTS, cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation supervisor at Slidell Memorial Hospital.

Why do the risks of this often-preventable disease get overlooked so often? Only 55 percent of women realize heart disease is their No. 1 killer, and less than half know what are considered healthy levels for cardiovascular risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol. “The first step should be to recognize that heart disease is a real risk to all women,” says Stubenrauch. “That awareness will hopefully lead to seeking guidance from a

No. 1 Heart disease The killer of women

by Linzy Roussel Cotaya, APR

Join the Fight The New Orleans American Heart Association will host the annual Go Red for Women luncheon on Feb.22 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. For more information, visit heart.org or visit the New Orleans American Heart Association at facebook.com/AHANewOrleans.

Mark your calendar to join the American Heart Association for the Northshore Heart Walk on Saturday, March 16. The Northshore Heart Walk is sponsored by Subway, Jenny Craig and Slidell Memorial Hospital. For more information, visit, NorthshoreHeartWalk.org.

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healthcare professional to understand risk factors and treating or addressing those risks.”

Go Red For Women is a nationwide movement to encourage awareness of women’s heart disease and a push for action to save more lives. The campaign celebrates the energy, passion and power of women who band together to wipe out this No. 1 killer.

The program gives women the tools they need to lead a heart-healthy life. By being a part of Go Red For Women, you can help save women’s lives— maybe someone you know. Grandmothers, mothers, daughters, sisters and friends are dying at the rate of one per minute because they don’t know that heart disease kills.

Signs of a Heart Attack in Women If we know what signs to watch for we might be able to take quick action for ourselves and the people around us. The most common symptom is an

photo: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

HEART DISEASE KILLS MORE WOMEN each year than all forms of cancer combined. It is the No. 1 killer in Louisiana, and it does not discriminate against age, race or gender. Unfortunately, the killer isn’t easy to see. Heart disease is often silent, hidden and misunderstood.

Historically, men have been the subjects of

uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It may last more than a few minutes or go away and come back. Another sign is pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach. In some cases, there may be no chest discomfort at all, but the sufferer will experience shortness of breath, break out in a cold sweat or be nauseous or lightheaded.

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

Get started. Make a New Life Resolution No matter where you stand, it’s never too late to make better choices for your health, and we invite you to start a new life resolution now. All you need is a goal, a plan and the desire to live better. That’s why the American Heart Association created My Life Check and the Simple Seven. Thanks to its science and research volunteers, you have a simple tool so

you know where you stand on your road to good health. All of us need to practice these seven steps to live a heart-healthy life. No one achieves heart health by accident.

The Simple Seven are: Get Active, Eat Better, Lose Weight, Stop Smoking, Control Cholesterol, Manage Blood Pressure and Reduce Blood Sugar.

To find out where you stand with the Simple Seven goals, go to mylifecheck.heart.org and take the My Life Check assessment. In a few minutes, you will know how you’re doing with each one of Life’s Simple Seven. You also get your own personal heart score and life plan. Your results will show you where you stand on the seven recommended areas of focus and will create an action plan that is customized to your lifestyle and health outlook. Your last step is a promise to yourself: a resolution to start making healthy, positive changes for a long, healthy future.

Remember, you can stop heart disease before it even starts. Start small. And keep it simple. Make one change today, and then you’re ready to make another.

Before you know it, you’ve stopped making poor choices and started making life choices!

Heart Health

Linzy Roussel Cotaya, APR, is the American Heart Association Communications Director for Louisiana-New Orleans/Baton Rouge.

“Start Walking on National Wear Red Day” Do more than wear red on National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 1.

Make a commitment to yourself and your family to live red each and every day.

Take the first step. Start with walking! Why? It’s easy, it works and it pays!

The American Heart Association recommends 30-minutes of moderate activity, but three 10-minute periods of activity are almost as beneficial to your overall fitness as one 30-minute session. This is achievable! Physical activity may also help encourage you to spend some time outdoors.

It’s easy.

Walking is the simplest way to start and continue a fitness journey.

Walking costs nothing to get started. It has the lowest dropout rate of any type of exercise. It is easy and safe. And it works.

Studies show that for every hour of walking, life expectancy may increase by two hours. Walking for as few as 30 minutes a day provides heart-health benefits.

It is the single most effective form of exercise to achieve heart health.

January-February 2013 99

Heart Health

Northshore Circle of Red

Jamie Napolitano (far left) and Toni Wild (far right), representatives for the AHA Go Red Campaign, with Northshore Circle of Red members Paula Davis (center left) and Janel Gray (center right).

NO ONE KNOWS that it’s possible to significantly reduce your risk of heart disease more than the America Heart Association’s Northshore Circle of Red members.

Through the Circle of Red, a nationwide grassroots sisterhood determined to save lives, women throughout the country are contributing significant resources and influence to fight women’s heart disease and raise awareness for the cause.

“The Circle of Red allows me to bring my passion for preventative health into my work with the American Heart Association,” says Rhonda Eckholdt, Circle of Red member. “Understanding the risk factors for heart disease is powerful in making the decision to fight back against this deadly disease.”

The Northshore Circle of Red members are champions for reducing the impact that heart disease has on their community. Members include Paula Davis, Rhonda Eckholdt, Tina Flick, Janel Gray, May Ann Hymel, Kim LaNasa and Leslie McGuire.

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Inside Northside

Louisiana Heart Hospital New technology… “… and so much more”

coordinated teams that improve patient care and outcomes, and increase efficiencies. The key is that the physicians, from family care to specialist, are made true partners in the process.

In this issue, we’re reporting that this partner focused approach has led to more growth in the LHH Physician Group with the addition of several cardiovascular specialists; and more advancements in technology with impressive upgrades to the LHH Cath Lab. “When physicians are given the ability to influence their work environments and connect with other physicians and service providers, patients receive better quality care and take their rightful place at the center of a circle of caregivers,” explains LHH CEO Steve Blades, who leads LHH’s integration

“Louisiana Heart Hospital …and so much more”

Philips Allura Xper

Advanced Imaging can be found on billboards, in newspapers, on the System. radio and the web. But what, exactly, is so much

administration. “We’re proud to introduce these distinguished physicians to our team and have

more? In the last issue, we reported that independent

plans for even more additions in 2013 as we expand

quality rating service Carechex now places Louisiana

throughout the parish.” Cardiovascular disease

Heart Hospital (LHH) as #1 on the Northshore not only

specialists who are members of the LHH integrated

for Patient Satisfaction* and Heart Attack Treatment,

delivery system are Michael Finn, MD, Waseem

but also for Spinal Surgery, Patient Safety/Major

Jaffrani, MD, and James Smith, MD, who practice in

Neurosurgery and Patient Safety/Major Orthopedic

Lacombe. Also located in Lacombe and part of the

Surgery. And, Carechex ranked them #1 in Louisiana

team is cardiothoracic surgeon, John Breaux, MD.

for Vascular Surgery.

The newest additions in Slidell are Anthony Morales,

Along with embracing multi-specialty excellence, the LHH system fosters a concept that seeks to

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vision with 35+ years experience in healthcare

MD, and Sergio J. Barrios, MD. Dr. Barrios says of the new partnership, “The

reform the healthcare system through integration.

world of medicine is rapidly changing. Dr. Morales

By bringing together the personnel, information

and I have been carefully evaluating our practice

technologies and providers needed throughout all

and our options for clinical integration with a

stages of patient care, including diagnostic, acute

hospital in the area. We are convinced that aligning

care, rehab and prevention, integration can provide

with LHH is the best option for our patients and for

Inside Northside

M E D I C A L

P R O F I L E

our practice. There is much to be done in reducing

of the new nuclear camera have increased patient

the burden of heart disease on the Northshore.

comfort and the accuracy of results.

We could have no better partner than the team at Louisiana Heart Hospital.”

CEO Blades also believes that using physician

The physicians utilizing new diagnostic and imaging technology are also rewarded as the more precise images are readily transferred to computers

input for such decisions as expanding technology

at the radiologist/cardiologist’s offices allowing tests to

is much more effective than having hospital

be reviewed more quickly.

administrators work in a vacuum. With just such input, LHH has invested in areas crucial to

Louisiana Heart Hospital’s vision for the future is to redefine the delivery of healthcare in the

comprehensive patient care, most recently with $5.2 million in technology upgrades, including state-of-the-art Philips diagnostic equipment for their Cath Lab. The Cath Lab upgrades feature a bi-plane unit and Xper Swing, which allows for less contrast and radiation than was previously needed during a cardiac catheterization (angiogram). 3-D and Xper CT technology allow for advanced vascular and neuro studies and flat detectors produce higher quality images.

Sean Behlar, Director Cath Lab and Radiology, explains, “The new cath lab equipment allows an angiogram to be done with less contrast media and

greater Northshore area through an integrated

Pictured (L-R) Sean

less radiation administered to the patient.

approach that improves the wellness of those they

Behlar, Cath Lab and

The 3-D mobility of the machine captures more

serve. They are making good on their promise

Radiology Director, and

images in less time with better outcomes. Together,

of “…and so much more” with a better delivery

Kerry Scheuermann,

that ultimately results in a better experience for the

system, better technology, better physician and

Cath Lab Technologist.

patient. These high quality images can now be

staff efficiencies, and better communication among

displayed on 56” monitors – the largest in use for this

teams of caregivers – all resulting in award-

type of technology – making for much easier viewing

winning patient satisfaction.

and more detailed diagnostic analysis.

*Full service hospitals over 50 beds.

More Philips technology is featured in upgrades to the radiology services, which includes a new Brightview Gamma Camera. This system utilizes reconstruction software producing higher resolution in less time. What does this mean for the patient?

For some patients this means cardiac imaging tests previously requiring two days to complete can now be done in just one visit, which is much more convenient

www.LouisianaHeart.com • 985-690-7500

for them. The versatility and higher image resolution January-February 2013 103

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M E D I C A L

P R O F I L E

Even after thousands of deliveries, Dr. Gary Agena experiences real personal joy with every baby he welcomes into the world. He is honored to be a part of each birth and also to offer compassionate care for every stage of a woman’s life.

Dr. Agena’s personal approach is unmatched, whether meeting with a young woman and her mother in his office to explain her first exam;

Dr. Gary Agena, OBGYN delivering a baby; managing

innovative treatments and technology. He is an

menopause; or treating

expert in the cutting-edge da Vinci robotics surgery

more complex problems.

technique, which minimizes risk and recovery time.

He takes the time to develop

“He also performed an excellent c-section on

a relationship of trust with

me. Like a perfect seamstress. I can’t wait to work

each of his patients, listening

with him again when I am ready to have another

to them with respect and understanding.

healthy baby,” adds Ms. Absher.

Dr. Gary Agena, OBGYN

“He’s a great doctor. He is very knowledgeable

Dr. Agena built his OBGYN practice on excellence in patient care. A Louisiana native,

and has a wonderful bedside manner. He patiently

his honors include being the three-time winner of

answered every question I asked—and I had a lot!”

the North Oaks Champion Award for Excellence

says OB patient Victoria Hope Absher.

in Patient Care, a Lectureship on the history of

Dr. Agena’s approachable, easygoing manner

Gynecology and Obstetrics and a Proctorship

is reflected in the open design of his office and

teaching other doctors how to use the da Vinci robot

especially by the welcoming presence of members

in surgery. Board certified by The American Board

of his staff. The comfortable atmosphere makes

of Obstetrics and Gynecology, he is also a member

office visits easier and more effective, such as

of the American Congress of Obstetricians and

those for vital annual preventative screenings. “For

Gynecologists.

many women, their OBGYN will be the only doctor that they see; that’s why thorough preventative exams are so important,” says Dr. Agena. “Early detection of gynecological problems can mean the difference in maintaining fertility or can even save the patient’s life.”

If a problem does arise, such as a high-risk

Dr. Agena’s office is located in Arbor Walk

pregnancy, fibroids or incontinence, patients know

Plaza, 393 Hwy. 21, Suite 525, in Madisonville,

that Dr. Agena combines his skill with the latest in

(985) 845-7121. garyagenamd.com.

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dieticians, work diligently to keep patients on the right track. “Our patients’ safe and long-term weight loss is how success is measured,” says Dr. Mark Dominguez. Dr. Dominguez, from Northlake Surgical Associates, is a board certified general surgeon trained in bariatric surgery and is the surgeon for Real Results Clinic.

Real Results physicians have been specially trained and certified in LAP-BAND® follow-up care.

LAP-BAND® maintenance, including fills and radiologic evaluations, is part of the follow-up care at Real Results Clinic. With no cutting or stapling of the stomach, studies show that the LAP-BAND® procedure is up to 10 times safer than other more extensive weight loss surgeries.

(Clockwise from top) Dr. Mark Dominguez, Dr. Leslie Copeland, Dr. Daniel Jones and Laurie Condon, R.N. REAL RESULTS WEIGHT LOSS AND AESTHETIC CLINIC in Covington offers both surgical and nonsurgical weight loss programs. They perform bariatric procedures, like the LAP-BAND®, as well as others, and provide the Ideal Protein Diet and prescription weight loss options. In addition, they customize weight loss programs based on a patient’s lifestyle, health, metabolic assessment and personal goals. Real

Surgical procedures are performed by Dr. Dominguez at St. Tammany Parish Hospital and Fairway Medical Center, a Bariatric Center of Excellence. Members of the staff also include Dr. Leslie Copeland, board certified in Internal Medicine, and Laurie Condon, a registered nurse.

Real Results Weight Loss and Aesthetic Clinic The clinic carries a variety of products to help

Results is excited to specialize in this unique opportunity

with weight loss, such as the Ideal Protein Diet,

in the treatment of obesity on the Northshore.

Bariatric Advantage and Unjury product lines. They

“Our primary purpose is to provide safe and sustained long term weight loss through specialized follow up care,” says Dr. Daniel Jones. Dr. Jones is

also have a variety of vitamins for both the surgical and non-surgical patient.

Real Results’ other services include laser

an emergency medicine physician who became certified in LAP-BAND® follow-up care after seeing

skin rejuvenation, spider vein treatment, body

such a need for tailored service on the Northshore and

BOTOX® injections.

composition analysis, laser hair removal and

surrounding areas. He says that studies show detailed follow-up care after surgery is the key to patients achieving 50 to 65% EWL (excess weight loss).

In other practices, there’s not always that attention to follow-up care. Real Results wants to help patients be successful using their new weight loss tool. Their customized programs are designed to help patients lose weight and maintain it for the

106

The Real Results clinic is located at 71380

rest of their lives. The Real Results Team, including

Hwy. 21, Suite 101B, in Covington. 985-590-4061.

physicians, registered nurses and registered

info@realresultsclinic.com.

Inside Northside

M E D I C A L

Cardiovascular Associates

P R O F I L E

Super Treatment “Your daughter ratted you out!” Dr. Menon said to Jay after explaining the situation to his wife and children. “She says you’re the king of denial and told me you mentioned to her having sharp pains in your jaw when you were working in the yard.” The decision was made to perform open heart surgery.

WHEN YOU HEAR THE TITLE “SUPERSTAR,” you think of

Two weeks later, other than being a bit tired, Jay was

an extremely successful athlete or actor. Dr. Pramod Menon,

feeling great, walking four times a day and anxious to get

Partner with Cardiovascular Associates, has a different picture:

back to normal. “This is the best time to fish; they’re biting

Jay Cambias.

down in Delacroix!”

Jay is a Superstar Salesman (owned an Allstate Insurance

Dr. Menon admits being a bit puzzled. “I don’t know

Agency for 38 years), Superstar Athlete (avid golfer with a 10

how he didn’t have a heart attack. He had no real signs

handicap), and Superstar fisherman, father and grandfather.

or symptoms. He mentioned that he had pain in his right

At 69 years old and after 46 years of marriage, his wife, Candy,

shoulder, but it was due to too much weed-eating. His activity

says “He’ll go after whatever is put in front of him. If there’s

level never decreased; he was never out of breath, even

something he can’t do, he’ll work at it until he can do it.”

playing golf on a mountainous course six days prior. He is

After a stress test suggested a blockage in the front of his heart, Dr. Menon immediately ordered an angiogram. But

one tough guy.”

Jay’s admiration for his doctor is difficult to express, even

Jay was feeling so good, and being the salesman that he is,

for the superstar with the ‘can-do attitude’. “Dr. Menon was

he talked Dr. Menon into letting him wait until after his trip to

instrumental in saving my life. He stayed after me to get the

the Smoky Mountains, where he hiked and played Hidden

stress test; he genuinely cares about his patients. You don’t

Mountain Golf Course in Pigeon Forge.

walk out of his office and he forgets about you. Once you’re

A week later, an angiogram found that there was

his patient, you’re his patient for life.”

blockage in five arteries, one of which had 100 percent blockage. After being confronted with this information, Jay heard Dr. Menon say, “We can’t repair it with stents.”

Naturally, being the superstar that he is, Jay’s response was, “Doc, can’t we just watch it and see what happens?” At that point the doctors excused themselves to visit with Jay’s family.

Cardiovascular Associates is located at 141 Lakeview Circle in Covington. 871-0735. heartwatch.org.

January-February 2013 107

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problems that affected my face and teeth; after treatment, I felt like a new person.”

Orthodontic success requires precision and accuracy. Perfect placement makes for easier and faster results. For this reason, at Brown Family Orthodontics the doctors place all braces themselves and never delegate this important technical task to an assistant. They have also invested in the latest technology. An i-CAT x-ray machine delivers high-definition digital imaging of the facial and tooth structure with less radiation

Dr. Edward Brown Jr. Dr. Edward Brown III Dr. Jessica Brown Ulmer

Brown Family Orthodontics

exposure for the patient than traditional x-rays and allows for comprehensive treatment plans. A digital impression system, iTero, eliminates the use of trays and putty by scanning the teeth and bite, allowing for a more accurate fit.

“It’s never to early or too late to come for an evaluation. The Academy of Orthodontics

IT REALLY IS “ALL IN THE FAMILY” at Brown Family

recommends that children come in by the age of

Orthodontics. Not only are father Edward Brown

7 so we can detect problems early and sometimes

Jr. and siblings Jessica Brown Ulmer and Edward

avoid invasive treatment,” says Dr. Brown. “And it’s

Brown III orthodontists in the practice, once you

never too late, even as an adult, to repair or refresh

become a patient, you join the Brown family, too!

your smile. It feels great to see a patient, no matter

Dr. Edward Brown Jr. started the practice 40 years ago and is responsible for countless beautiful smiles. His son, Dr. Edward Brown III, known to

what their age, greet the world grinning with new confidence after treatment.”

Brown Family Orthodontics has a network of

his patient family as “Dr. Ed,” joined the practice

offices throughout St. Tammany, Orleans, Jefferson

in 2000, and then his daughter, Dr. Jessica Brown

and Washington parishes, and offers a full range

Ulmer, joined the team in 2004, bringing the newest

of orthodontic treatments, including Invisalign. Best

technology, research and techniques to the practice.

of all, their pricing is inclusive with no surprises,

The Brown motto is “Beautiful faces, not just

and includes retainers, appliances, x-rays and

braces.” “People don’t realize how much the bone

breakage. Check out their patient-friendly website,

structure in their face and teeth affect the look of

brownfamilyortho.com, for instructional videos on

their face, beyond the straightness of their teeth,”

how to solve common braces problems at home and

says Dr. Ulmer. “As a child, I had orthodontic

lots of fun games for patients to enjoy.

Brown Family Orthodontics is located at 100 S. Tyler St. in Covington, 985-893-1044; and in front of Pelican Athletic Club at 2885 Hwy. 190 in Mandeville, 985-626-8297. brownfamilyortho.com.

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Inside Northside

g in pt in irie ce ts ta ac tien Me d ow a N w p an ne ond m am photography by: GREG RANDON

H

Front row, from left: John B. Logan, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon; Dr. Donald D. Dietze, M.D., Neurosurgeon; Richard P. Texada Jr., M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon.

Back row: Michael A. Braxton, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Susan J. Bryant-Snure, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

It’s not just our profession; it’s our passion.

The specialists at the NORTH Institute treat the entire musculoskeletal system, including the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, nerves and spine. With board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, neurosurgeon and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists on staff, the NORTH Institute is able to provide a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to total musculoskeletal health.

A coordinated state-of-the-art facility, we offer the latest in diagnostic services, surgical and non-surgical treatments, physical therapy and rehabilitation. Our goal is to restore maximum health and function to you as quickly as possible.

The NORTH Institute We Give Back Life

(985) 871-4114

2525 Severn Avenue, Metairie | 2775 S. Columbia Street, Bogalusa 42570 South Airport Road, Hammond 29301 North Dixie Ranch Road, Lacombe | I-12 Exit #74 • www.northinstitute.com

M E D I C A L

P R O F I L E

AFTER 15 YEARS OF RUNNING his OBGYN practice, Dr. Kevin Plaisance is pleased to welcome Dr. Jessica Rinaldo to his team, adding another dimension to his warm, professional staff.

Dr. Rinaldo’s area of expertise is female sexual dysfunction. Her caring demeanor complements Dr. Plaisance’s patient-centered approach, his professional attitude and his willingness to go the extra mile for his patients.

Dr. Rinaldo is a graduate of the LSU Medical School. She was awarded the Society of Laparoscopic Surgery award for being the top laparoscopic surgeon in her class. She brings

Dr. Kevin Plaisance Dr. Jessica Rinaldo Experience a Different Kind of Women’s Healthcare. and family deserves.

the most up-to-date techniques to her practice,

Doctors Plaisance

along with her own commitment to personalized

and Rinaldo offer personal

patient care. While Dr. Rinaldo practices in all

healthcare for women in

areas of gynecology and obstetrics, her special

every stage of life. Trust,

focus, female sexual dysfunction and decreased

good communication and

sexual desire in women, is a sensitive subject for

respect for the patient are

many women, and Dr. Rinaldo seeks to make

the cornerstones of their

patients comfortable enough to open up to her

practice. From a woman’s

about their problems. “I want patients to know that

first gynecological exam,

it’s important to talk to their doctor about these

through her childbearing years

issues. Women don’t just have to live with a less-

and the transition through

than-satisfactory sex life. There are many treatment

menopause, their combination

options available to them,” says Dr. Rinaldo.

of experience and compassion

Both Dr. Plaisance and Dr. Rinaldo accept

make them excellent care providers throughout

pregnant patients and are thrilled to share each

a woman’s life. In addition to OBGYN services,

new pregnancy milestone with them. The doctors

the practice offers family-oriented wellness care,

handle pregnancy and birth with the desire to

help with menopause and hormonal imbalances,

support the mother’s choices while ensuring a safe

laparoscopic and laser surgery, infertility work-

and healthy birth for mother and baby. Even after

ups and treatment, and 4-D ultrasounds.

so many deliveries, helping to bring new babies into the world is never routine. Each birth is approached with the reverence that the beginning of a new life

Doctors Plaisance and Rinaldo are located at 200 Greenbriar Blvd. in Covington, (985) 893-3777.

January-February 2013 111

IN the Spotlight National Philanthropy Day Luncheon

The Greater Northshore Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals joined with event sponsors Christwood Retirement Community and Covington Brewhouse to host its fifth annual National Philanthropy Day awards luncheon at Benedict’s Plantation. Each year, AFP pays tribute to those who contribute so much of their time, expertise and resources to our communities.

The celebration began with a pre-luncheon champagne toast to the honorees. Guest speaker and “Voice of the Saints” Jim Henderson kicked off the program. Jim’s tales linking his recent retirement travel woes with the concept of philanthropy were both humorous and heartwarming.

John and Suzy Graham were honored as the 2012 Outstanding Philanthropists for their generous philanthropic leadership for more than 35 years. Parish Concrete - P&W Industries received the 2012 Outstanding Leadership in Corporate Philanthropy award. Teenagers Mary-Brent and Beverly Brown accepted the 2012 Outstanding Foundation award for Kids Wanna Help®.

Marilyn Wenzel was presented with the 2012 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser award for her 20 years of dedicated service to Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West.

Guests commented that they were inspired by the generosity, persistence and positive attitude of the honorees, who truly “change the world with a giving heart.”

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January-February 2013 113

INside Peek uevara a, Jasmin G Egla Guevar at the er st en Armbru ussian and Gretch R d an se u en Ho bella’s Holiday Op ra A k Show at Santa Trun Decor. e m o H d Fine Gifts an Don and Sharon Drucker, Bill and Karyn Kearney, and Carol ine and Dylan Lang don at the Audubon Aq uarium of the Am ericas Scales and Ales fun draiser, which pa rtnered with LA Seafood.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

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Inside Northside

Lakeview Re gional Med ical Center’ monthly reso s H2U urce meetin g featured sp David Murde eaker n, training an d safety offic the St. Tam many Fire D er with is trict No. 4, with Laurie pictured Spurlin, LRM C’s H2U co ordinator.

Bra la Vie! owner Catherine Monica, ne McLin and Andrea Kopfler, Suzan la Vie!’s Bra at rso Linda Bonacco ht.

Nig r be vem No Starry

Ms. Kimberly Be rgeron’s fourth grade class on & Gold Day at Black Lake Harbor M iddle School. Fro row: Hope vonE nt berstein and De an Boudreaux. row: Brooke Ca Back illet, Alexa Smith and Hailyn Lewi s.

A Christmas Tea tradition brings this celebratory group to the Windsor Court to kick off the holiday season. er h and Latin teach ael Froeba, Frenc or, ild W Jake Doran, Mich Msgr. nt, Joshua Scott, n Mathieu Cherenfa Christopher Hutto d an ll we Po nt Orival Sauveur, Bre h. ss at Hannan Hig after a school Ma

Amanda Hover, Gi na Dampier, Alita Gi ordano, Rachel Perez and Linda Larkin at the Cham pagne Jewelers Ladies’ Nig ht Wish List Event.

Members of Th e K-Kids Club of Marigny Elementary vis it with Amy Et tinger, Samar Center progra itan m coordinato r. (Left to right Bernard, Amy ) Beau Ettinger, Josie Epstein, Brady Myers.

Dylan Ivy and Max Borrel lo from Mandevill e Elementa ry School dre ssed in th eir black and gold.

), 2013 wards (left ith Eddie Ed w e St. th as , rp ed Se h s Christian , at Unleas e’ ee ill ct u ev ter. d d en in an M me Castine C io Hall of Fa iser at the ra d n fu Country Rad y et ci Humane So Tammany

IN the Spotlight Harvest Cup Polo Classic 2012

A warm autumn afternoon at Leah Farms in Folsom was the setting for the 16th annual Harvest Cup Polo Classic benefitting the Junior League of Greater Covington.

Guests were greeted with flowing libations and small plate samplings from the northshore’s best restaurants. The crowd cheered on the winners of two polo matches, while a large silent auction offering everything from massages to home furnishings kept the crowd moving up and down the thoroughfare.

A new addition to the afternoon’s activities was a “hay pull,” where one lucky participant won a $2,500 gift certificate from Lee Michaels Jewelers. An exciting live auction sold a giclée (painting) by James Michalopoulos, a Tacori necklace from Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, a boxer puppy and a 10-night stay at a luxurious condo in Costa Rica. The Pretty Woman Hat Contest had another big turnout and the sounds of Karma brought the crowd to their feet for dancing during the final hour of the festivities.

The monies raised from the Harvest Cup Polo event support the League’s many projects.

116

Inside Northside

INside Peek

desco at d Robert Te Caroline an s Members Club & Spa’ Stone Creek n Party.

Appreciatio

Christine an d Tim Devra j, Jeannette Matti and D Lander and ana Palo at Stone Creek Club & Spa.

Susanne Dw yer celebrat ed a milestone birthday with surprise dinn a er party thro wn by her husban d, Fred.

k on their g students wor SSA engineerin Heather , os ar Cl a ed: Alici projects. Seat : teacher ng Bryan; standi Sprehe, Nguyen, Shelby sli Le s, am illi race W pez.

David Arbo, G Lo t at moderator M Olivia Roy and

Howard Ricks is honored at SSA on Veterans Day by his granddaughter, Dean of Academics Jennifer Grimley LeTendre, and his greatgranddaughter, Maddie Grimley.

Aaron Victoria and at the De q sc bo de ap C Ladies’ ry el w Je Boscq event. st Li Night Wish

Daphne Heb ert, coordina tor of the new ga llery and gift shop at the Ham mond Region al Arts Center, with Arts Center director Melissa Grif fin.

The Fontaine bleau High School Girls cross-countr y team won the runnerup trophy at the 2012 LH SAA Class 5A champion ship. Olivia Whitney McH Hunt, ugh, Caitlin Moroney, Courtney M usgrove, Nic ole Durham Katherine Pa , tin, Courtne y Smith, Coach Leon ard Tridico and Kenny Henderson, LHSAA exec utive director.

am y All-State Te cross-countr 4A , rt us la ha is in St. Stan off, Bret Re ros. ngham Wik and Gavin G members Bi ez un N n tia is hr C t, ot Wyatt Sc Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

January-February 2013 117

INside Peek

ht), Natasha Woods (rig ing ed Fe ive Ol t Moun Ministry program a director, accepts n $500 contributio l, he orc W r he Est from of auxiliary treasurer al the Oschner Medic ore Center–North Sh Auxiliary.

Jen Andrews, Julie Weldon and Rebecca Brad ford at the Su sannah Elle Designs Jewel ry Trunk Show at Simply Southern.

Kristen, Craig and Peyton Boudreaux in costu me at the SSA Father-Daughter Dinner Dance.

May, Patrick “Big kids” Austill and Betsy aid and Shea McQu Episcopal t ris Ch m fro Cook favorite ir the School share ’s Planet Kim .

Ms th wi s book -K class.

Kids Academy Pre

The Junior Auxiliary of Slidell recently we lcomed 51 new juniors represen ting all of the high schools in the Slidell area into its Junior in Service program.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

118

Inside Northside

Anna P app, Ke vin Q and Bil l Skrug uigley Outdoo r Living gs at the Center demon grill stration event.

with West St. or Mike Cooper Covington May cey Toledano ber President La Tammany Cham Sheasby at Oil ie m m Pe r r owne and Oil & Vinega d opening. & Vinegar’s gran

hter, d her daug Erin Rory an in Judy ay D ’s y Mom at Neely, enjo te ar n class r’s kinderg Helmstette . ry ta en Elem Madisonville

Susie Childre ss, Lynn Kenn edy and Fran serving up fu Tynes n and food at Resource Bank 59 branch C ’s Hwy. ustomer App reciation BBQ .

Radiologic tech nology student s Amber Johnso Jessica Blancha n, rd, Laura Bordelo n and Robbie Lara at the 55th Annual Louisian a Society of Radiology Tech nologists essay competition.

INside Peek

IN Cover artis t Carol Hallock , Rhonda Alleman and Be th Assaf.

sen Ellinghau son, John m ia y. ill rt W a th ist P Sarah Be t the Art Le Coq a and Mark

Rene Cha uvin, Erin Naquin a Hamby at nd Kathe Inside No rine rthside’s Rug Chic Artist Part . y at y Artist Part rs contributo s e n Jo d Davi ice and Cand z from Rodrigue Vodka.

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co, y, Ron Fran hanie Hendr ep St e , th er ill at ore Elizabeth M Jessica Gilm s-Luke and Terry Adam t. ke iday Mar Franco’s Hol

Nicole Allison and Kerri Parsons at the Franco’s Holid ay Market.

d Paige ders Alison Agena an Woodlake third gra ed on tur fea be l es that wil Pratt hold their pictur rch.

Ma in za oo Pal n ica Pel T-shirts at the 2013

Susan Patin , St. Tamman y Middle School Princi pal of the Y ear, and Mandé War ren, Middle School Teac of the Year her for both the parish and th State of Loui e siana; both are at Lake Harbor Mid dle School.

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Lakeshore High School faculty m ember Courtney Chau tin (left) compe ted with her mom, Mich elle; dad, Joe; an d sister Gabby in the Ki wanis 5k Fun Ru n for Project Graduatio n.

IN the Spotlight Netchex 2012 Holiday Classic benefitting Fostering Angels The 160 mixed-doubles players who came from as far away as Florida—some with world rankings—enjoyed warm weather, great food, a fabulous silent auction and other festivities at the Netchex Holiday Classic $5,000 Money Tennis Tournament at Franco’s Athletic Club.

Funds raised at the event benefited Fostering Angels, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing foster children opportunities to play sports and other extracurricular activities that help them to assimilate with their peers and give them a sense of accomplishment.

The sponsors who made the tournament a success include corporate sponsors Netchex, Abita Brewing Co., Inside Northside, Franco’s Athletic Club, NOLA Lending, I’land Pedi Spa and Champagne Beverage as well as food, silent auction and goody-bag sponsors.

January-February 2013 121

IN Development

Wetlands Mitigation

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IN MAY 2011, THE NEW ORLEANS DISTRICT of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began implementing a new policy for wetland impact (Section 404) permit mitigation requirements, the Modified Charleston Method. Corps regulations permit each district to choose its own guidelines; our district decided to replace the previously used Wetland Value Assessment with MCM. Simply stated, prior to MCM, every acre of wetlands that was disturbed in St. Tammany Parish had to be replaced by an equivalent 1.25-1.5 acres at an approved mitigation bank. Under MCM, that number has increased significantly. The MCM effectively raised mitigation ratio requirements to a range of 2.8 - 3.5:1, and as high as 18:1, depending upon the type of wetlands that exist on a parcel of land.

As a resident of the northshore you might ask, “Why should that matter to me?” The current—and projected future—economic impact of MCM is

The study notes that since MCM: While the MCM has increased DEMAND for mitigation, other factors are constricting SUPPLY, leading to dramatic price increases. Two of these factors are new regulations and expectations for mitigation bank performance and a lack of competition between mitigation banks. (There is only one bank with inventory in St. Tammany.)

Mitigation permit applications are down 17 percent; total construction permits have decreased 33 percent; and mitigation cost per project has increased over 50 percent.

GNO’s report says that MCM impacts all projects that are classified as wetlands—whether they be private developments, non-profit endeavors or public works. Some examples include the Kinder Morgan pipeline, the proposed Rouses grocery store in the western side of the parish, the expansion of a 100acre business park and numerous drainage projects.

something we should all be concerned about, and the voices of those speaking out against it are rising. We asked Michael Saucier, president of Gulf States Real Estate Services, LLC, to give us his perspective on this opposition. He says, “Many questions have already been raised regarding the mandate’s constitutionality, its science and its cost/benefit to the American public.

Because of the severe disruption in the natural development cost curve and price of raw land, many businesses and governments at all levels, including the state’s Department of Natural Resources, oppose the MCM approach and the economic development deterrents and private property rights issues it creates.

The MCM most certainly runs up the cost of badly needed public infrastructure improvements, including levees and roadway projects.”

Much development may not have occurred under MCM, and future development—and jobs and tax revenue—will be threatened.

The study concludes that this policy may limit the construction and/or expansion of critical public facilities such as schools, roads and levees due to the high cost of mitigating these projects. The placement of those projects on higher ground could shift development to areas without current infrastructure and could encourage high density development or increased sprawl.

Noting that 40 percent of the classified wetlands in the continental United States is located in Louisiana, the study says that we are put at a competitive disadvantage by the higher costs associated with economic development under the MCM model.

The GNO, Inc. Study

Effect on Residential Housing

Economic effects of a controversial mandate

On June 7, 2012, Greater New Orleans, Inc., published a report on its study, “The Modified Charleston Method, Introductory Analysis,” which used St. Tammany Parish as a case study to document the economic impacts of MCM on Southeast Louisiana.

There is a growing awareness of the possible effect MCM may have on residential housing. The relatively small inventory of lots that have been mitigated or are likely to require only minimal mitigation is being sought after by developers. When

Opposite: >>

Mike Saucier

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they are gone, prices on new lots will likely increase because of excessive mitigation costs.

Sue Meyer, newly elected president of the St. Tammany/Washington Parishes Home Builders Association, says, “Essentially, the MCM makes it much more costly to develop any piece of property that is deemed to be wet. When a property is deemed to be wetlands, it does not always mean it is the swampy wet areas that we are so familiar with in South Louisiana. It can also be Savannah Pine property, which most people do not consider wetlands. Much of our property on the northshore is defined as wetlands. About six years ago, with a 1.5:1 mitigation ratio, the mitigation cost was approximately $5,000 per acre. Because of the increase in bank cost over time, without MCM that figure would be about $15,000 per acre today.

However, with the MCM ratio of about 3:1(or higher), the ultimate mitigation cost is approximately $45,000 per acre or more. This will not only slow the residential building industry but will also impede government projects as well as other private commercial projects.”

An Added Concern In addition to the new MCM model, another Corps policy causes concern for us in Louisiana.

With minor exceptions, the Corps’ “1987 Wetlands Delineation Manual” is used throughout the United States. The delineation process is where a determination is made of where wetlands actually occur on a given site and comes into play long before mitigation.

Michael Henry, project manager of Hydrik Wetlands and Flood Control, explains it this way, “It is my professional opinion that the issue isn’t just the conversion from the WVA to the MCM mitigation assessment model, but rather the delineation process used to define what is considered wetlands in the first place. With very little regional consideration, the current criteria are used to define wetlands at a 15’ elevation in South Louisiana and a 500’ elevation in

Ohio.” He feels that a regional approach to defining those wetlands would effectively allow the Modified Charleston Method of mitigation to actually offset the impact to the kinds of wetlands the program was intended to protect in the first place.

Moving Forward With Louisiana having 40 percent of the continental U.S. wetlands, how that resource is preserved is understandably a great concern.

However, the state’s unique situation deserves consideration in the selection of policies and methods that are implemented in that preservation. Many individuals, businesses, non-profits and government groups are struggling with this issue as the effects of MCM become more evident. GNO, Inc., says that it will explore sources of mitigation, including coastal restoration and water management, and also options for affordable and effective mitigation.

St. Tammany’s unique geography– like that of most of the state–presents many challenges in determining how best to conserve wetlands while maintaining the

For more information on the GNO, Inc. study, go to gnoinc.org.

region’s economic growth.

January-February 2013 125

IN Great Taste

Osman Rodas of Pardos Bistro

Osman Rodas and Pardos chef, Jason A. West.

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FOR OWNER OSMAN RODAS, passion and hard work are the tenets of Pardos Bistro—qualities learned from his grandfather, the restaurant’s namesake.

Those same qualities are likely what led to his being discovered by Emeril Lagasse’s restaurant group and whisked cross-country.

Rodas was scouted by the company’s corporate staff in 2000 while a manager at Aqua in San Francisco. He accepted their offer and made the move to Louisiana, settling on the northshore. “Nobody starts as a manager with Emeril’s,” says Rodas. From waiting tables, he worked his way up to assistant manager at NOLA, where he stayed for three years before transitioning to general manager of Emeril’s Delmonico.

Two years later, Hurricane Katrina hit, and the restaurant closed long enough to leave Rodas at loose ends. “That group was one of the best I ever worked

Inside Northside

for,” he says. “I took a lot of pride in everything we did.”

A short stint in construction to pay the bills led to Rodas joining Felipes Taqueria for two years as general manager and his finally taking the first steps to opening his own restaurant by becoming part owner of Marigny Brasserie. But Rodas wanted something more, a place where he could showcase his passion and over 20 years of fine dining experience.

“And,” he admits with a laugh, “I was getting really, really tired of driving across the bridge every day.”

Rodas, his wife, Penelope, and their two sons, 4-year-old Luca and infant Rocco, have now lived in Covington for nearly 12 years. Patiently holding out for the right price on the desired location for his restaurant took three years, but Pardos finally opened in May 2012.

Pardos is described as an American bistro, featuring flavors and techniques inspired by a melting pot of cultures and Louisiana’s wealth of local

photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

by Amanda M. Westbrooks

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seasonal ingredients. A wood-burning oven in the kitchen adds a bit of rustic flavor to a menu that can be called both ambitious and approachable. One customer favorite is the seared diver scallops, graced with foie gras, atop a roasted maque choux sauce and apple gelée, a dish that juxtaposes sweet and savory, elegant and humble.

Diners have front row seats to the flurry of activity taking place in the restaurant’s open kitchen. “I love people watching our staff work,” says Rodas. “They become aware of the steps, challenges, focus and passion that go into every dish. They’re always blown away by how intense it gets between 7 and 8 o’clock.”

Rodas named Pardos for his late grandfather because he credits him as being one of the most influential people in his life. “He never gave you answers or made it easy for you,” explains Rodas. “He was stern and loving and helped you through self-reliance. When I’d ask him for advice, he’d say, ‘Just work hard.’

“We thought up all these gimmicky names for the restaurant, but I wanted something that came from the heart,” says Rodas. “People are in this business because they love it.

And the people you hire are the ones who love what they do.

They’re golden nuggets.”

One such nugget is Lara Hargrave, who worked for Rodas at Marigny Brasserie before taking the position of bar manager at Pardos. When the time came to find someone to take the helm of the Pardos kitchen, she introduced Rodas to her fiancé, Chef Jason A. West. “We talked, and I hired him solely based on his passion for food and the industry. He was so cocky; I really liked that,” says Rodas. “I didn’t even taste his cooking. I didn’t have to.”

It was a brave gamble that paid off. Alum of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State, West, a native of Metairie, has a pedigree worth betting on. He spent six years under Chef Kevin Templet at Flanagan’s in the French Quarter and moved on after graduation to refine his craft under a Certified Master Chef in New York. Returning to New Orleans post-Katrina, West worked for four years as lead cook at Brennan’s Restaurant, where he met then-bartender Hargrave.

He would go on to work as a sous chef at Crescent City Brewhouse for three years before the fateful meeting with Rodas.

“My restaurant is built around my staff,” says Rodas.

“They are a reflection of me and what happens there on a day-to-day basis. From the chef to the bar manager to the servers, it’s all teamwork.”

Pardos is located at 69305 Hwy. 21 in Covington. 893-3603; pardosbistro.com.

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

ABITA SPRINGS Abita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 8920205. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and boudin. MCC. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 8925837. On the Trace. Good food, great beer. Lunch, dinner. abitabrewpub.com.

MCC. Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 867-9950. Southern cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tues-Sun. MCC. Breakaway Cafe, 71667 Leveson St., 809-8998. Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm.

Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59, 8096313. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. thecamelliacafe.com. MCC. Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy. 59, 809-0308. Great pizza, sandwiches, pasta, fresh homemade bread. Lunch, dinner. mamadspizza.com.

COVINGTON Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Established 1910 in New Orleans, 1995 on northshore. Seafood, sandwiches, local favorites. Lunch, dinner. mamdspizza.com. MCC. Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292.

Mediterranean cuisine. albashabr.com. MCC. Annadele’s Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more. annadeles.com. MCC, checks.

Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St., 892-2373. Best po-boys in the world.

Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks.

Lunch, dinner. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 8716674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. Kids eat free every Wednesday! Private events and catering also provided. carretasgrill.com. MCC. The Cheesesteak Bistro, 528 N. Columbia St., Covington, 875-9793.

Original cheesesteak sandwiches, soups, salads, gumbo and super spuds. Breakfast, lunch. All under $10. MCC, checks.

The Chimes, 19130 W. Front St., 892-5396.

Lunch and dinner. thechimes.com. MCC. Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 8936158. Soup and salad specialists. coffeerani.com.

Columbia St. Seafood, 1123 N. Columbia St., 893-4312.

Seafood platters and po-boys. columbiastreetseafood.com.

Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill,

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434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Daily specials, appetizers, sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers. Live music Thurs-Sat nights. Lunch, dinner. covingtontaproom.com. MCC, ME. Copeland’s, 680 N. Hwy. 190, 809-9659.

Authentic New Orleans cuisine. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Online takeout orders at copelandsofneworleans.com.

MCC, ME, RR. Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. thedakotarestaurant.com.

MCC, RR. Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. delportoristorante.com. MCC, RR. Di Martino’s, 700 S. Tyler St., 2766460. Great food and reasonable prices.

Lunch, dinner. dimartinos.com. MCC. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Ste. C, 875-0160.

Conveniently located next to the new Covington Courthouse. Italian and seafood. dicristinas.com. MCC.

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

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407.

Salads, pizzas, calzones. MCC. mellowmushroom.com.

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

New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208 Lee Ln., 875-0432. Grilled fish, smothered rabbit and voodoo crawfish rolls. Family owned and operated. neworleansfoodspirits.com. MCC. Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Caffè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, 893-1488. Full service, year-round bakery. Luncheon salads, panini, catering, donuts, kingcakes, cupcakes and wedding cakes. Tues-Sun, open at 7am. nonnaskingcakes.com. MCC. North Island Chinese, 842 N. Collins Blvd., 867-8289.

Northshore Empress, 31 Louis Prima Dr., 871-6975. northshoreempress.com.

Don’s Seafood Hut, 126 Lake Dr., 327-7111. Lunch and dinner. donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.

Osaka 21 Japanese Restaurant, 70340 Hwy. 21, 809-2640.

El Portal, 1200 Business 190, 867-5367.

Osaka West Japanese Restaurant, 804 N. Hwy. 190, 871-8199. osakawest.com

The English Tea Room, 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., 892-9992. Lunch and dinner, Tues-Sat. gallaghersgrill.com. MCC, RR. Isabella’s Pizzeria, 70452 Hwy. 21, Ste. 500, 875-7620; 1331 Hwy. 190, 809-1900. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta. isabellaspizzeria.net.

Pardos, 69305 Hwy. 21, 893-3603.

An American bistro with a blend of multi-cultural cuisine with local flair.

Frutta del mar pasta, rosemary-grilled shrimp, roasted chicken. Lunch, TuesFri; Dinner, Tues-Sun; Happy hour, Tues-Fri, 4-7pm. Private parties and catering. pardosbistro.com. MCC. Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun Deli, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-7287.

Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes.

MCC, checks, ME. Peck’s Seafood & Grill, 70457 Hwy. 21, Ste. 108, 892-2121. Po-boys, seafood, burgers and lunch specials. MCC.

Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-5252.

Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. italianpie.com. MCC, checks.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. 21, 875-7894. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru!

Catering. MCC.

Jerk’s Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar, 70437 Hwy. 21, 893-1380. jerksIslandgrill.com.

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

Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 892-4992. Lunch, Mon-Fri; Dinner, Fri-Sat. Closed Sundays. Daily lunch specials, local produce, Louisiana seafood, everything housemade. lolacovington.com.

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

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

Schwing’s Restaurant, 1204 W. 21st Ave., 893-1899. Fresh seafood and home cooking. schwingsrestaurant.com. MCC. Sicily’s Pizza, 301 N. Hwy. 190, 8930005. Pizza, lasagna, salad bar, dessert pizzas. MCC, ME. Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St., 898-2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. sweetdaddysbarbq.com. MCC, ME. Thai Chili, 1102 N. Hwy. 190, 809-0180.

Thai Spice, 1581 N. Hwy. 190, 8096483.

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

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

Tony Bosco’s at TerraBella, 141 TerraBella Blvd., 612-7250. Authentic Italian cuisine. Lunch, dinner, private meeting room, catering. tonyboscos.com.

Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515 E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban sandwiches and more. vazquezpoboy. com. MCC, checks, ME. Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire St., 809-3840. Japanese cuisine and sushi in a casual atmosphere. MCC. Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr., 327-0520. Inspired American food. zearestaurants.com. 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. Brady’s, 110 SW Railroad Ave., 5426333. bradysdowntown.com.

Cocoa Bean Bakery and Cafe, 910 E. Main St., 345-2002.

Specialty cakes, pastries. Serving breakfast and light lunch. Specials. thecocoabeanbakery.com. MCC. Don’s Seafood & Steak House, 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550. donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.

Renaissance Antiques & Gifts 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.

Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 542-0043.

Casual fine dining including Creole, Italian, Caribbean and Southern cuisines. Handtrimmed steaks, seafood and specialties.

Dinner, Tues-Sun; Lunch, Wed-Fri; Sunday Brunch; Closed Mondays. jacmelinn.com.

MCC, checks.

Sage Café, 501 N. Hwy. 190, 8010092. Breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared from scratch with attention to detail. Drink specials. MCC.

Kirin Sushi, 221 E. Cate St., 5428888. First Japanese sushi restaurant in Hammond! Dragon roll, Kirin roll, sake. kirinjapanesecuisine.com. MCC.

Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 2496990. Special salads, spring rolls, soups, noodle and curry dishes. SunThurs, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm.

Lunch buffet weekdays, 11am-3pm. salathaibysu.com. MCC.

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 and dinner seven days a

i week. carretarestaurant.com. MCC.

Sun. mortonsseafood.com. MCC.

Old MacDonald’s Smokehouse, 1601 N. Morrison Blvd., 542-7529.

BBQ brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. oldmacdonaldsmokehouse.com. MCC, checks.

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

Tommy’s on Thomas, 216 W. Thomas St., 350-6100. Pizza, pastas. Lunch, dinner. tommysonthomas.com. MCC, checks.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 674-9090.

Bear’s po-boys and more. bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC.

Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600.

Contemporary delights. topela.com. MCC. Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 2100 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-6789. Innovative quality Chinese food served in Imperial surroundings. treyyuen.com. MCC, checks.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2108 W. Thomas St., 345-1131. “Taste our Magic.” voodoobbq.com. MCC. Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St., 345-1112. A great place to start your day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

LACOMBE Janie Brown’s Restaurant, 27207 Hwy. 190, 882-7201. Casual dining with a great atmosphere. MCC, checks.

Hook’d Up Riverside Bar and Grill, 100 Marina Del Ray Dr., 845-8119.

Burgers, wings, hot dogs and specials.

Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Hwy. 21, 845-9940. Steak, crab cakes. Lunch, dinner, Tues-Fri. keithyoungs.net. MCC. Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar, 702 Water St., 845-4970. Relaxed atmosphere, seafood, daily specials.

Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Water St. Bistro, 804 Water St., 845-3855. Casual ambiance on the Tchefuncte. Lunch and dinner, Wed-

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Café Lynn Restaurant and Catering, 3051 E. Causeway App., 624-9007.

Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia.

Catfish remoulade, pasta du jour. TuesFri, lunch: 11am-3pm. Dinner, 5pm.

Catering provided. cafelynn.com. MCC.

Chili’s Bar & Grill, 3420 Hwy. 190, 727-2771. Fajitas and the Awesome Blossom. Lunch, dinner. chilis.com.

MCC, ME.

Frog’s Pizzeria, 302 Hwy. 22, 8459500. frogspizza.com.

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Broken Egg Café, 200 Gerard St., 624-3388. Excellent choice for brunch!

Pasta, specialty salads, sandwiches. anotherbrokenegg.com. MCC.

Sal & Judy’s, 27491 Hwy. 190, 882-9443. Great food and line of retail products. Family-owned for 27 years. Veal is the house specialty. salandjudys.com. MCC, RR.

Friends Coastal Restaurant, 407 St. Tammany St., 845-7303. Key West meets New Orleans in this island casual dining atmosphere. Lunch, dinner. friendscoastal.com. MCC. RR.

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Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Hwy. 59, 624-5066. boscositalian.com.

Casa Garcia, 800 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8226. Redefining Mexican food one meal at a time. MCC.

Coffee’s Boilin’ Pot, 305 Old Covington Hwy., 845-2348. Boiled seafood in a family atmosphere. coffeesboilingpot.com.

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Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 Lovers Ln., 626-4557. Traditional New Orleans cuisine. Dinner, Sunday brunch. benedictsplantation.net. MCC.

La Provence Restaurant, 25020 Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Owner John Besh combines hospitality with French cuisine and welcoming hearths. Dinner, Sunday brunch. laprovencerestaurant.com.

MCC, checks. RR.

MADISONVILLE Cafe Madisonville, 410 Covington Hwy., 792-4506. Soups, salads, sandwiches and lunch specials.

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Causeway Café, 527 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-9997. MCC.

Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 6740560. 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. countrykitchenrestaurants.com.

Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59., 809-2929. Breakfast, lunch, TuesSun. 7am-2pm. Breakfast served until 10:30am on weekdays and all day Saturday and Sunday. Reserve Fat Spoon Cafe for your next party. fatspooncafe.com. MCC. Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse, 1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704.

Fresh fish daily, aged beef, traditional Italian. Lunch, dinner. fazziosrestaurant. com. MCC, ME, RR. Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps Roule, 792-0200. Fresh organic foods for breakfast, lunch and takeout. myfrancos.com/dining. MCC. George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342. Family owned. Fajitas, George’s nachos, Carne al la Parrilla. Best top-shelf margaritas in town. georgesmexicanrestaurant.com. >> MCC, ME.

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Italian Pie, 4350 Hwy. 22, 626-5252.

Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. italianpie.com. MCC, checks.

N’Tini’s, 2891 N. Hwy. 190, 626-5566.

Steaks, martinis. Lunch specials. Mon.Sat. ntinis.com. MCC. Nuvolari’s, 246 Girod St., 626-5619. In Old Mandeville. Gnocchi, escargot, filet mignon, linguini fruta di mare. Dinner.

Open seven nights a week. MCC. nuvolaris.com.

Old Mandeville Café (formerly Kickstand Café and Bike Rental), 690 Lafitte St., 626-9300. kickstand.bz.

Juniper, 301 Lafitte St., 370-8713.

Progressive Creole cuisine. Lunch, dinner, brunch. juniperrestaurant.net.

MCC, checks.

Pal’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Shop, 2201 Eleventh St., 626-0293. “Only 8” all-natural no-fat yogurt, banana splits, smoothies. Soups, sandwiches. MCC.

K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.

Featuring Louisiana seafood with raw oysters 1/2 price on Tuesdays. Express lunch and daily lunch specials under $10. Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm. kgeesrestaurant.com. MCC.

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

La Madeleine French Cafe, 3434 Hwy. 190, 626-7004. lamadeleine.com.

The Lakehouse, 2025 Lakeshore Dr., 626-3006, events 807-5014.

Special events venue open 7 days for private events. Call for reservations. lakehousecuisine.com. MCC. Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 727-1532. littletokyosushi.com.

Louie & The Redhead Lady, 1851 Florida St., 626-8101. louieandtheredheadlady.com.

Macaroni Grill, 3410 Hwy. 190, 7271998. Penne rustica, pasta Milano, other Italian favorites. Lunch, dinner. macaronigrill.com. MCC, ME.

Pinkberry, 3460 Hwy. 190, 612-7306.

Sun-Thurs, 11am-10pm. Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm. Pinkberry is the original tart frozen yogurt that is the perfect balance of sweet and tangy paired with high quality, fresh cut fruit and premium dry toppings. pinkberry.com.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy. 190, 674-1565. Catch your morning buzz at the convenient drive-thru!

Catering. pjscoffee.com. MCC. 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. rustypelicanbythelake.com. MCC. Sake Gardens Japanese Restaurant, 1705 Hwy. 190, 624-8955.

Sesame Inn, 408 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8888. Finest Chinese cuisine.

Shuck & Jive, 643 Lotus Drive, 6261534. shucknjivemandeville.com. MCC

Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App., 6269047. Serving breakfast and lunch, daily specials.

Smoothie King, 1830 W. Causeway App., 626-9159. Smoothies. smoothieking.com. MCC, checks.

Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea Square Shopping Center, 674-9883. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch and dinner, Mon-Sat. mandinasrestaurant.com.

Subway, 1665 Hwy. 190, 674-0733.

Sandwiches, salads. Low-fat available. subway.com. MCC.

Maw Maw’s, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste. 11, 727-7727. Soups, salads, stuffed potatoes, sandwiches, po-boys.

Megumi Japanese Cuisine, 4700 Hwy. 22, Suites 11 and 12, 845-1644.

Yakimono and sushi bar. Lunch, dinner. megumirestaurant.com.

Inside Northside

Monster Po-Boys, 1814 N. Causeway App., 626-9183. Lunch, dinner.

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

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 and dinner seven days a week. carretasrestaurant. com. MCC.

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MiMamacita’s New Mexican Cuisine, 2345 Florida St., 674-1400.

Great food and margaritas. Lunch, dinner, catering. MCC.

Taqueria Noria, 1931 Hwy. 59, 7277917. Lunch, dinner.

Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. timesgrill.com. ME, MCC. Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality

i China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch, dinner. treyyuen.com. MCC, checks.

Vianne’s Tea House, 544 Girod St., 624-5683. A full café menu with over 120 loose leaf and speciality teas.

Breakfast, lunch. viannes.com. MCC. VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy. 190 E., 629-2021. “Taste our Magic.” voodoobbq.com. MCC. PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant, 30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666. middendorfsrestaurant.com.

Rox, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., 370-0930. Crafted cuisine and martini bar Open 7 days a week. roxrestaurant.com. MCC. Sister’s Coffeehouse & Cafe, 18440 Hwy. 22 E., 370-9424. Warm, friendly atmosphere, unique food, gourmet coffees, teas. MCC, checks.

Taste of Bavaria Restaurant & Bakery, 14476 Hwy. 22, 3863634. Charming Bavarian bungalow, European-style breakfast, German-style lunch. tasteofbavariastaurant.com.

MCC, checks.

SLIDELL A Touch of Italy Café, 134 Pennsylvania Ave., 639-0600. Seafood, veal, steaks, daily specials. Lunch, dinner. kathrynandcompany.com. MCC, checks.

Assunta’s, 2631 Hwy. 190 W., 6499768. Italian food, extensive wine selection. Dinner. assuntas.com. MCC, checks.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Blvd., 201-8905. Po-boys and more. bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC. Bistro de la Reine, 2306 Front St., 288-4166. Sunday brunch, live entertainment, fine wines and spirits. Open seven days a week. bistrodelareine.com. MCC. Bonnie C’s, 1768 Front St., 2885061. Home-style Italian, seafood, and barbecue.

Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-6211.

Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. thecamelliacafe.com. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 137 Taos St., 847-0020.

Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. carretasgrill.com. MCC. Eddie D’s, 39510 Hwy. 190 E., 847-1000.

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

La. Pines, 1061 Robert St., 641-6196.

Meet under the water tower for Ahhhfullwaffles, Sugar Watcher specials.

Breakfast, lunch. lapinescafe.com.

MCC, checks.

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Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain Dr., 649-8055. Steaks, seafood, veal, duck, eggplant au gratin. Extensive wine selection. Dinner.

Nathan’s Restaurant, 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Rd., 643-0443. Seafood, steaks and pasta.

Nola Southern Grill, 1375 Gause Blvd., 201-8200. Burgers, ribs, steaks, pasta, sandwiches and seafood. MCC. Palmettos on the Bayou, 1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050. palmettosrestaurantslidell.com.

Peck’s Seafood Restaurant, 2315 Gause Blvd. E., 781-7272. Po-boys, seafood, burgers and lunch specials.

MCC. Phil’s Marina Café, 1194 Harbor Dr., 641-0464. philsmarinacafe.net.

Shenanigans Irish Pub & Restaurant, 2165 W. Gause Blvd., 288-5286.

Authentic Irish food, drink and entertainment in a traditional pub atmosphere.

Smoothie King, 150 Northshore Blvd., 781-3456. Low-fat health drinks. smoothieking.com. MCC, checks.

Steak Out, 1325 Gause Blvd., 6458646. Eat in or delivered to you. steakout.com. MCC. Tacos and Beer, 2142 Front St., 6414969. Lunch, dinner and late-night.

Times Bar & Grill, Front St., 641-4969.

Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. timesgrill.com.

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

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

NEW ORLEANS/SOUTHSHORE Café Giovanni, 117 Rue Decatur, (504)-529-2154. Chef Duke’s New World Italian Cuisine. Dinner, SunThurs, 5:30-10pm. Fri-Sat, 5:30-11pm.

Live Entertainment Wed, Thurs, and Friday Evenings. Perfect Catering for next social or business event.

Cafegiovanni.com. RR. Criollo Resturant and Lounge at Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., (504)-523-3340. hotelmonteleone. com/criollo/. MCC, RR R’evolution, 777 Bienville St., (504)553-2277. Located at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Offering modern, imaginative reinterpretations of classic Cajun and Creole Cuisine. Triptych of Quail, Gulf Shrimp, Grits “Villages de L’est and Oysterman’s spaghettini.

Revolutionnola.com. RR.

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Inside Northside

Directory of Advertisers ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE 10/12 Properties.................... 985-626-8200 73

ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE Florist of Covington................ 985-892-7701 92

ADVERTISER...........................CONTACT INFO PAGE Oasis Spa............................... 985-624-6772 68

Accents & Things.................... 985-649-4273 76

Franco’s Athletic Club............. 985-792-0200 BC

Oil & Vinegar.......................... 985-809-1693 75

Agena, Dr. Gary M. - OBGYN.... 985-845-7121 105

french mix, the....................... 985-809-3152 35

Olivier Couture, A Bridal Boutique

Al’s Plumbing Co.................... 985-845-9390 45

George’s Mexican Restaurant. 985-626-4342 131

............................................. 985-674-6994 86

American Factory Direct.......... 985-871-0300 68

GNL Contractors.................... 985-288-5112 42

Outdoor Living Center............ 985-893-8008 67

Arabella Fine Gifts.................. 985-727-9787 75

GNO Property Management... 504-525-2985 124

Paisley................................... 985-727-7880 85

Armbruster Artworks Studio.... 985-630-6295 55

Grapevine.........grapevinegiftsandgallery.com 79

Pan American Power............... 985-893-1271 29

Askhimbooks.com..............askhimbooks.com 46

Grieshaber Dermatology......... 985-893-1035 49

Pardos................................... 985-893-3603 115

Asset One.............................. 985-727-2834 65

Guastella Institute.................. 504-780-8007 79

Paretti Jaguar.... 866-751-0237, 504-456-7558 47

Bamboo Gardens....... bamboogardensla.com 76

Gulf States Real Estate Services.... 985-792-4385 49, 124

Pinkberry.................................pinkberry.com 127

Bastille’s................................ 985-626-4220 85

H2O....................................... 985-951-8166 70

Plaisance, Dr. Kevin M............. 985-893-3777 111

Bella Cucina........................... 985-626-7886 75

Hazelnut - Mandeville............ 985-626-8900 24

Private Beach......................... 985-237-6040 113

Benchmark Investment Group.985-635-0770 119

Hestia Luxury in Linens........... 985-893-0490 76

Proxi Products................... proxiproducts.com 79

Bennett’s Waterskiing and

Holly’s Sweets & Treats........... 985-966-1067 132

Real Results Weight, Laser and Aesthetic Clinic

Wakeboarding School.......... 225-654-9306 21

Honda of Covington............... 985-892-0001 IFC

............................................. 985-590-4061 106

Berger Home.......................... 504-733-4141 22

Honey Hive............................ 985-662-6029 132

Rehab Dynamics .................... 985-871-7878 104

Berry, Dr. C.M......................... 985-345-2555 39

Huntington Learning Center... 985-727-0000 8

Resource Bank...............bankonresource.com 36

Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights... 985-249-6040 23

Infuse Oils & Vinegars............ 985-778-0903 47

Roy Robinson......................... 985-502-1635 38

Blossom Girl........................... 985-626-6280 85

Integrity Builders, Inc.............. 985-626-3479 35

Ruffino Custom Closets.......... 985-809-7623 67

Bookkeeping By Stacy............ 504-217-4508 48

Istre Hearing Care.................. 985-845-3509 32

Rug Chic................................ 985-674-1070 48

Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers...... 985-626-1666 7

Izabella’s Villa........................ 985-649-5060 3

St. Joseph Abbey......... saintjosephabbey.com 41

Bra la Vie!.............................. 985-662-5065 83

Jim Stone Co.......................... 985-882-5907 68

St. Romain Interiors................ 985-845-7411 66

Broussards Pianos.................. 504-621-1749 38

Jos. A. Bank............................ 985-624-4067 26

St. Scholastica Academy......... 985-892-2540 58

Brown Family Orthodontics..... 985-626-8297 108

Ju Ju’s Boutique..................... 985-624-3600 89

St. Stanislaus.......................... 228-467-9057 45

Café Giovanni........................ 504-529-2164 127

K. Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar... 985-626-0530 131

St. Tammany Parish Hospital... 985-898-4000 101

Café Lynn............................... 985-624-9007 130

KentJacob Color Salon............ 985-845-8011 81

Scott Sandage........................ 985-542-2724 14

Cardiovascular Associates....... 985-871-0735 107

Lake After Hours..................... 985-375-9979 41

Scotts’ Coffee Bar, The............ 985-231-7632 132

Carreta’s Grill........ 985-871-6674, 847-0020 55

Lakehouse, The....................... 985-626-3006 129

Secure Access, LLC...................225-2064366 124

Champagne Jewelers............. 985-643-2599 22

Lakeview Regional Medical Center

Shoefflé.....................................shoeffle.com 89

Christ Episcopal School........... 985-871-9902 65

............................................. 985-867-3800 IBC

Shofstahl Law Firm................. 985-674-1801 132

Christwood Retirement

Laurier................................... 985-875-0823 83

Simply Divorce....................... 985-327-3024 132

Community..................... christwoodrc.com 19

Louisiana Custom Closets....... 985-871-0810 73

Slidell Memorial Hospital........ 985-643-2200 109

Columbia Street Mercantile.... 985-809-1789 86

Louisiana Heart Center........... 985-649-2700 27

Southern Bridal...................... 985-727-2993 81

Covington Cardiovascular Care.... 985-871-4140 93

Louisiana Heart Hospital................................

Southern Pain Center............. 985-727-7275 100

Culinary Kids.......................... 985-727-5553 61

louisianahearthospital.com................15, 17, 102, 103

Southland Plumbing Supply, Inc.... 985-893-8883 56

deCoeur...................................... decoeur.net 89

Lowe’s Jewelers..................... 985-845-6453 28

State Farm Insurance, CJ Ladner..... 985-892-5030 113

DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold.... 985-892-2317 89

Lynn Stirling Antiques............. 985-626-7704 26

Stone Creek Club and Spa...... 985-801-7100 11

Designs in Windows............... 985-209-1689 132

M. Celeste Lagarde, MD......... 985-898-0589 42

Stone Source.......................... 985-892-0695 79

D. R. Horton........................... 225-362-0846 10

Mandeville Party Co................ 985-674-1605 75

Studio MV.............................. 985-867-5601 46

Dr. Burkenstock, Skin Body Health

Mary Bird Perkins...............marybird.org/stph 118

Tchefuncta Club Estates.........tchefuncta.com 5

............................................. 985-727-7676 18

Mélange by KP....................... 985-807-7652 132

Terebella................................ 985-871-7171 92

EMB Interiors......................... 985-626-1522 61

Mix, The................................. 985-727-7649 86

Three Rivers Gallery................ 985-892-2811 21

Emma’s Shoes and Accessories... 985-778-2200 83

Moody Law Firm.................... 985-542-1351 60

Three Sisters Boutique............ 985-386-8680 86

Eros Home & Clothing............ 985-727-0034 83

MoreSmiles-Dr. Jim Moreau ... 985-809-7645 57

Town & Country Travel, Inc...... 504-838-8702 66

Etan Enterprises..................... 985-966-7042 60

NOLA Lending Group, LLC...... 985-951-8479 13

Tran, Dr. David........................ 985-893-1070 12

Eye Care Surgery Center......... 985-892-4858 6

North American Insurance Agency

Vantage Point........................ 985-259-7774 71

Fairway Medical Surgical

............................................. 985-871-5480 32

Venous & Arterial Surgery Clinic.... 985-893-5958 113

Hospital.......................fairwaymedical.com 36

NORTH Institute, The.............. 985-871-4114 110

Villa, The................................ 985-626-9797 85

Fazzio’s Restaurant & Bar....... 985-624-9704 130

North Oaks Health System........northoaks.org 25

Village Executive Office Suites, The

Fielding Photography.............. 985-626-7549 114

North Shore Square Mall........ 985-646-0664 4

............................................. 985-727-6700 113

Fitness Expo........................... 985-624-9990 104

Northshore Dermatology ....... 985-792-5959 58

Welcome Home and garden... 985-893-3933 76

Fleurt..................................... 985-809-8844 81

N’Tini’s................................... 985-626-5566 129

Witt, Dr. Victoria..................... 985-643-5145 100 January-February 2013 133

by Alexandra Wimley

The Trace Turns 20!

IN THE PAST, RAILROADS MEANT CONNECTION and opportunity for those who utilized them. Today, The Tammany Trace, built along what was the Illinois Central Railroad, provides a similar connection for families, individuals, locals and tourists in St. Tammany Parish.

Founded in 1992, the Trace is the first and only rails-to-trails conversion in Louisiana and the first Louisiana trail to be part of the National Rail-Trail Network.

Connecting five communities— Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, Lacombe and Slidell—the Trace is enjoyed by a myriad of runners, walkers, cyclists, horseback riders and other travelers. A wildlife conservation corridor, it links isolated parks, creating greenways and preserving historic landmarks and wetlands. Trace users can observe the picturesque scenery and the natural habitat of the unique wildlife from the 31 railway bridges along the asphalt path. The Trace’s trailheads, which are converted railroad stations, host educational events for local schools, festivals, farmer’s markets and places for relaxation and family fun. A team of rangers and volunteers helps to maintain the Trace as a recreational, transportation and educational hotspot.

We have just marked the 20th anniversary of the

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founding of the Trace. In 1992, under the leadership of former Parish President Kevin Davis, the parish received a $1.4 million federal grant to purchase the railroad corridor. The Tammany Trace Foundation was established to develop and operate the Trace. The first segment of the planned 31-mile route opened on Sept. 17, 1994, connecting Abita Springs and Mandeville.

Currently, the Trace extends 28 miles, from Covington to the Slidell Carollo Trailhead; the next section, to Camp Salmen, is being completed. The Trace will eventually culminate in downtown Slidell at Heritage Park.

The Kids Konnection Playground, located at the Tammany Trace Trailhead on Koop Drive, was finished in 2007 and is the first fully accessible play area for kids of all abilities in Louisiana. Future plans include adding a children’s museum, amphitheatre and Kids Town in partnership with the Junior League of Greater Covington.

Happy Birthday, Tammany Trace! We can’t wait to see what the next 20 years will bring!