Inside Northside Magazine November/December 2011

450

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LEAH CHASE • BILL BINNINGS AND SCOTT EWEN • ITALY

• JACKSON SQUARE

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2011 VOL. 26, NO. 6

November-December 2011

The community magazine of the northshore, serving St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.

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Publisher Lori Murphy ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Associate Publisher Poki Hampton Editor Jan Murphy

Art Director Brad Growden

Managing Editor Katie Montelepre

Editorial Staff Writer Stephen Faure

Contributing Photographer Abby Sands Miller Contributors are featured on page 14.

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

Business Manager Jane Quillin Advertising Account Executives Brenda Breck

Poki Hampton Shawna Hunt

Candice Chopin Laizer Jolie McCaleb

Barbara Roscoe Interns Akila Ananth

Jasmine Beard Alexis Gennusa –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Specimen plants

SALES BY APPOINTMENT

8

Vol. 26, No. 6

On the cover Artist Todd White –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 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. Tam­ many and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­ right ©2011 by M and L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher.

Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork.

find us on facebook

page 130

departments 12 Publisher’s Note 14 Contributors 15 Inside Input 20 Inside Scoop 34 Worthy Causes Sharing our blessings.

page 140

79 Book Report

Thanksgiving Graces.

page 40

contents features table of

92 IN Better Health Laurie McCants.

105 Men’s Jewelry For the men in your life.

06 Pets and their People 1 Sara and Lucky.

16 Giving Back from the Top Cover artist Todd White.

08 Books for Gifting 1 Something for everyone.

40 Collector’s Cottage Re-invented 100-year-old Covington home.

18 IN the Arts 1 Happenings in the art world.

46 Figuratively Speaking Artists Binnings and Ewen.

127 IN Good Company Jo Anne Basanez of Accents and Things.

130 Flourishes Treasures for your pleasure.

page 68

136 IN Fashion With Candice Vaughn. page 46

140 Inside Look Haute chocolate.

56 Wining and Dining in Tuscany Hitting the jackpot in Italy.

68 Leah Chase Doing her own thing.

80 Jackson Square The heart of the city.

147 IN Love and Marriage Notable northshore weddings.

96 Heart-Healthy Holiday American Heart Association’s Circle of Red.

48 IN the Spotlight 1 The Look, Heart and Night of Fashion.

113 Diver Down Commercial diving in the Gulf of Mexico.

150 Inside Peek 53 IN the Spotlight 1 Ultimate Tailgate Party.

looking good and feeling great 87 Dr. Michele Cooper

156 IN the Spotlight Inside Northside Meet the Artist Party.

88 Cardiovascular Associates

163 IN Great Taste Local favorites to try at home.

90 Dr. Burkenstock’s Skin • Body • Health

165 Inside Dining

90 Egan Wellness, Anti-Aging & Skin Care Spa

170 Last Bite Fat Spoon Café.

89 Alora Cleanse

91 Dr. Marija LaSalle November-December 2011 11

Fostering hope

by Lori Murphy

A couple of years ago, a friend of ours took a call in the middle of a

tennis match. It was the Office of Children’s Services telling her they had a young boy they hoped she would consider fostering. When she signed up to foster and went through the training and preparation, however, she and her then-9-year-old daughter decided they would love to have another girl in the family. As it turns out, that didn’t matter. Allen fits into the family as if he’d been there all along.

The circumstances of Allen’s life were the kind we read about. Nearly

2 years old, he didn’t talk and was covered in bruises. One among five children under 5 in his birth mother’s household, he likely survived by being quiet and keeping out of the way. Allen needed Jenn and Channing as much as they needed him. Her Franco’s coworkers, friends and family sprang into action and provided amazing support. We were lucky enough to fall in love with him ourselves at ISNS. He is a part of our family—his grandmother is Poki Hampton, our associate publisher.

Love can provide powerful healing, and Allen has flourished in his new

home. In fact, the whole family is flourishing. In mid-September, Allen’s official adoption came through. This will be the best Thanksgiving ever!

Recognizing that not all foster families are as blessed as they have been,

Allen’s family established Fostering Angels, a non-profit organization. The goal is to help foster families and their children take part in after-school activities and sports programs to build self-esteem and add to their sense of belonging.

If you’d like to be a part of this heartwarming effort this holiday season, call Jenn Thompson at 373-8223 for more information. Their first fundraiser takes place December 1-4 at Franco’s Athletic Club. And, naturally, it is centered around a tennis tournament!

In thanks,

Contributors

Abby Sands Miller Abby Sands Miller brings life to art and art to life. With a trained eye and a free spirit, Abby does more than just capture an image—she creates a vision. Abby is adventurous, “young at heart with an old soul,” an avid music lover and the mother of three. Abby grew up in Mandeville but earned her bachelor’s degree in art communication from Roanoke College in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. She has worked for international ad agencies and national commercial clients and has seen every corner of the globe from behind her camera’s lens.

Jan Windhorst A resident of the northshore for more than 20 years, Jan Windhorst lives, works and plays from her home base in Madisonville. She studied communications at Loyola University and earned a master of journalism from LSU. She currently works in marketing and has taught communications and advertising classes at Loyola and Tulane. Along with traveling, writing and photography, Jan enjoys performing in the local band Four Unplugged with husband Ricky. Home time is shared with basset hounds Trixie and Samson and corgi/terrier rescue Corky.

Alexis Gennusa A senior at Mandeville High School, Alexis Gennusa plans to attend the University of Southern Mississippi next fall. She hopes to major in marketing and advertising. Alexis is very involved at Mandeville High, where she is on this year’s homecoming court. Interning at Inside Northside has given her many opportunities to experience and understand the dedication and love that goes into the magazine. In her free time, Alexis enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Contributors: Maria Davis, Poki Hampton and Terri Schlichenmeyer.

14

Inside Northside

INside INput

All of us at Inside Northside were delighted to read this letter from Jan Sawa in response to our May-June Worthy Causes on the Mwana Mission Project. We’re happy to include a picture of Jan showing Mary, a Malawi woman, her picture in the magazine.

Hi Poki...

This is the kids looking at themselves, and also the teacher was so shocked to see all of the kids in the magazine. Mary...well she’d never seen anything like it!

Jan The following message was received on our website in response to Michael Gegenheimer’s article “Turning the Boys of Fall into the Men of Tomorrow” in our September-October issue.

I’m disappointed that there is no mention of the Lakeshore High Titans as they enter their first year with a senior class.

L. Barton L.,

You were not the only person to express concern that Lakeshore High

was not included in the article.

As I mentioned in my responses on Facebook and our website, due to space and time limitations for this issue, our writer was only assigned to cover the 5A-classed high schools in District 7, as mentioned in the story.

Unfortunately, this meant leaving out many northshore schools that are not in that classification, including Lakeshore (4A), Salmen (4A), Northlake Christian (2A), Pope John Paul II (2A) and Archbishop Hannan High (1A).

We are delighted that Lakeshore has their first senior class this year. We look forward to featuring Lakeshore’s outstanding seniors in our May/June issue when we spotlight area graduates.

– Katie

Keep up with the latest news and info from Inside Northside on our Facebook page, @IN_Magazine on Twitter and at insidenorthside.com.

November-December 2011 15

photo courtesy of TODD WHITE

by Stephen Faure IT’S HOLIDAY PARTY SEASON and Inside Northside’s November/December cover piece is artist Todd White’s tribute to social imbibing.

“You know, I hardly drink, but when I have to be social I like an Old-Fashioned,” Todd says.

Readers might also know the Old-Fashioned as the preferred cocktail of Mad Men’s Don Draper, and it’s no coincidence that Todd and his artwork have been inspired by the smoother, more suave Rat Pack days of the late 1950s and early 1960s.

bolted out of high school. I needed a job where I was going to be paid to draw. It was all I was really good at.” He had bolted to Hollywood, where he was hired to do animation at Warner Brothers. There, he says, “I climbed that ladder, starting at the bottom and worked my way to the top. At the end of it, I was the lead character designer on a lot of shows.”

Todd worked on the animated series Tiny Toons and Freakazoid at Warner Brothers. In the television business, Todd says, “What happens is, when a

Giving Back from the Top Cover Artist Todd White

“I think we all have an era we would really like to have lived in or at least visited. I would have just loved to have been in that whole ’50s and ’60s time,” Todd says. “I got into that at the end of the ’80s. I’m a music junkie, but I got so sick of the music that was out there then that I started listening to older stuff and worked with this guy who was kind of a Rat-Packy guy. I just liked that vibe. We were in the animation world at the time, and I incorporated that vibe with my background of illustration and animation. I would draw these hot, hot girls, with cigarettes and funky clothes and the big hats—the whole Kennedy-era kind of thing.”

Todd grew up in an artistic household in San Antonio. His mother was a painter and an art teacher.

“I was mom-taught as an artist,” he says. “I basically 16

Inside Northside

show ends, you bounce to another show. I landed with Nickelodeon in 1997 or 1998 and did a fouryear stint there. I was the character designer.” At Nickelodeon, he designed the characters for programs including The Angry Beavers and everyone’s favorite, Spongebob Squarepants.

Although he had worked to the top of the animation world, Todd says, “I was getting a little tired of working in the corporate world and wanted to do my own thing, so I was really painting a lot at that time. I was entering art shows in the park and such. One night, Nickelodeon let me do an art show there, and I sold out of all my originals. I just decided at that moment to do that full time. The beauty of that was I could work freelance doing animation at home—I still needed a paycheck—but I could still be >>

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painting and hustling at the shows.”

His experience in creating expressive characters for TV and his appreciation for the Rat Pack/Kennedy-era style—in music, clothes and design—really show in his fine art paintings. He says his favorite artists include Erich Sokol, Egon Schiele, Max Beckmann, Frank Frazetta and Robert Williams; looking at their art, one can easily see how their work has influenced Todd.

Todd strives to express the subject’s character and personality visually. “It’s more important to me to get that right than any other element.” He works off memory, mostly, although he says, “I do look at references sometimes, mostly for women’s hair styles. I’m the only guy in the bookstore buying a bunch of magazines on women’s hair!”

Giving Back to the Art World Since striking out on his own in the fine art world, Todd has enjoyed a remarkable measure of success. But, he says, “I didn’t really expect it to take off as well as it did. I knew I would do okay; I knew I would survive.” His work is carried in galleries all across the United States and he has a huge following in the United Kingdom.

He laughs and says, “I don’t want to compare myself to David Hasselhoff, but I’m quite popular in Europe.”

Todd was chosen as the official artist of the 2006 Grammy Awards and was invited to contribute art for the 70th anniversary celebration of The Wizard of Oz. Recently, he says, “The royal family commissioned me to do Princess Diana last year. I painted her, and we handed it over to a children’s charity fund. They’re going to auction it off this year.”

Now that he’s at the top of his game, he is working to give something back to the art world. “We have some 18

Inside Northside

really positive things in the works. I started something called the Todd White Art Project.” Todd has seen how cuts to arts funding has affected schools all over the country, and his mother’s situation as a junior high school art teacher in Texas really brought it home. “Her class gets $700 for 30 kids per class, six classes a day, for the entire year.”

The Todd White Art Project started with a unique way to raise money.

“I have the greatest fans of any living artist on this planet,” Todd says. “My fans will buy t-shirts that I’ve worn, pants, paintbrushes, anything I have sitting around the studio, anything other than art. I don’t need to sell that stuff to make money. I’m selling it and using 100 percent of the money to go into this fund. When I get to about $10,000, I can go to Grumbacher Art and Windsor & Newton and say, ‘Why don’t you sell me a thousand pounds of your student-grade paint in all different colors?’ Then, essentially, what I’m doing is making monstrously big gift baskets of art supplies that should last one class a full school year. I don’t trust handing bureaucrats cash; I would rather hand over supplies that they have to use.”

The project is similar to the George Rodrigue Foundation’s George’s Art Closet program available locally. Todd’s project is also really taking off. “Originally, this was supposed to be a U.S. thing, starting in L.A. and Texas, but some monster corporations have gotten involved and want it to go to a global level.”

Todd adds, “It’s good stuff, trying to give something positive back.”

Todd White’s work is available locally at Robert Bruno Gallery, 70325 Hwy. 1077, Suite 101, Covington, 792-7110, and Galerie d’Art Francais, 541 Royal St., New Orleans, (504) 581-6925; his work can also be seen online at toddwhite.com.

November-December 2011 19

INSIDE the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment

An art-filled weekend featuring 200 artists from more than 25 states and a juried show of original works. Downtown Covington.

10am-5pm. (Three Rivers Run 5K and 1-mile races: Sat, Nov. 12

November

1 Les Toussaints les Lumieres des Mortes: All Saints, the Lights of the Dead. All Saints Day tradition: blessings of graves and candle lighting ceremony. Various cemeteries in Lacombe. Call for locations and times. Lacombe Heritage Center, 882-7218.

1-5 John T. Scott: Prints and Sculpture.

Exhibition from the New Orleans Museum of Art. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. Free. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

1-6 Rock of Ages. Musical. The Mahalia Jackson Theater, 801 N. Rampart St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sat, 2pm; Sun, 2pm and 7:30pm. $33.50-$84.50. (504) 287-0351.

BroadwayInNewOrleans.com.

1-30 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Fontainebleau High School Photography Club. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

1-Dec 14 Hammond Art Guild Holiday Show and Sale. Artwork by Pat Macaluso, Chuck Wright and Margaret Cohen. The Oak Street Gallery, 111 N. Oak St., Hammond.

Opening reception: Nov 4, 6-8pm; gallery: Mon20

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

before festival opens.) Free. 327-9797. threeriversartfestival.com.

Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, by appointment. 345-0251. theoakstreetgallery.com.

1-Dec 16 Andy Warhol’s Celebrities. Exhibit from the New Orleans Museum of Art. Slidell Cultural Center (first floor of City Hall), 2055 Second St., Slidell. Tue-Fri, noon-4pm; Sat, 9am-noon. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

1-Jan 29 The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood. Historic New Orleans Collection, Williams Gallery, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm. Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

1-Feb 26 Wayne Gonzales: Light to Dark/ Dark to Light. Highlights range from paintings of New Orleans native Lee Harvey Oswald to the Louisiana Rigolets. New Orleans Museum of Art, One Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans. TuesSun, 10am-5pm; Fri, 10am-9pm. $10; discounts for seniors, students, children and members; Wednesdays, free. (504) 658-4100. noma.org.

Y1, 8, 15 Play Pals. Parents/caregivers and children 16-30 months have fun and learn together. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435.

Y1, 8, 15 Pre-K @ Play. Parents/caregivers

and children 2½-4 years have fun and learn together. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435.

2, 9 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street.

New Orleans Opera Association (11/2) and Bon Operatit! (11/9). The Inn On Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free.

(504) 524-7611.

2-30 Botox Wednesdays. Indulge yourself with the gift of youth. Dr. Kelly Burkenstock’s Skin•Body•Health, 2040 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. Limited appointments available. $265/area, $665/whole face. 727-7676.

2-30 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8am-noon. Free. 966-1786.

2-Jan 29 Prospect.2. Prospect New Orleans showcases new artistic practices from around the world. Venues throughout New Orleans. WedSun, times vary by location. Day, $10; week, $20; season, $30. prosepctneworleans.org.

3 Fall Harvest Dining Event. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, hot chocolate and wine; bring a nonperishable food item to benefit local community.

photos: TOM BALLENTINE

November 12-13 15th Annual Three Rivers Art Festival.

Discoveries Furniture & Finds, 120 E. Morris/ Business 190, Hammond. 5-9pm. 345-2577.

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

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. 3 Wine and Dine with Hospice. Wine tasting and food from local restaurants. Fleur De Lis Event Center, 1685 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville.

6-9pm. $75 donation; 10 or more, $65. 643-5470. hospicefoundationofthesouth.org.

3-12 Gail Hood and Yvonne James Exhibition. Henry Hood Gallery, 325 E. Lockwood St., Covington. Thurs-Sat, noon-5pm; also by appointment. 789-1832.

Y3, 10, 17 Cuddle Buddies. Parents/ caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. $12 per month; members, $6. 898-4435.

4 19th Annual “Let’s Make Waves” Patron Party. A nautical-themed party featuring live music, cocktails, food, a silent auction and a book signing by Chef John Besh. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation. Pontchartrain Yacht Club, Mandeville. 7-10pm. $50 in advance; $60 at door. (504) 836-2205. saveourlake.org.

4 Cabernet Tasting. Sample Cabernet Sauvignons and enjoy cheeses, meats and treats. Martin Wine Cellar, Village Shopping Center, 2895 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 6:30pm. $50. 951-8081.

4 Gluten-Free Cooking Class. Presented

by North Oaks Dietetic Interns. Alack Culinary Equipment and Supplies, 17420 Hwy. 190, Hammond. 11:30am-2pm. Free. Registration, 230-CALL. 4 Louisiana Museum Foundation Gala Celebration. Enjoy music, food and libations to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Preservation Hall. Old US Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans. Patron party, 6:30pm; gala, 8pm. $50 in advance; $60 at door; patron tickets, $300 (includes patron party, main gala and valet parking). (504) 558-0493. thelmf.org.

4 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5. Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. First Baptist Church, Covington.

7:30pm. Tickets starting at $20. (504) 523-6530.

LPOmusic.com.

4-5 Used Book Sale. Presented by the Friends of the Slidell Library. Slidell Library, 555 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri, 5-8pm, members preview sale; Sat, 9am-3pm, public sale. 646-6470.

4-6 Ponchatoula Trade Days. Arts and crafts fair featuring antiques, food and live music.

Downtown Ponchatoula. 9am-5pm. Free. Mary Scandurro, 386-0026.

4-13 Divorce Sale. Comedy. North Star Theatre, 347 Girod St., Mandeville.

Fri and Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $22;

>>

Inside Scoop seniors, $18. 626-1500.

4-20 The Woman in Black. Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Rd., Covington. Fri and Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (except 11/6). Adults, $15; students, $10. 893-1671. playmakersinc.com.

5 9th Annual Harvest Moon Dance.

Benefiting the Covington Food Bank and All Saints Ministries. Music by Four Unplugged, buffet, open bar and cash awards every half hour. Castine Center, Mandeville. 7-11pm. $65.

Jackie Catalanotto, 893-3003.

5 Arts Evening Cultural Festival. Works of more than 100 artists, live entertainment, fine and casual dining and antique and boutique shopping.

Olde Towne Slidell. 4:30-9pm. Free. Rain date: 11/6. Kim Bergeron, 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

5 Breastfeeding Class. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 10am-noon. Free.

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. 5 Deo Gratias 2011. Benefiting Saint Joseph Seminary College. Food by Chef John Folse, specialty drinks, music by West End Band, auction and raffle. St. Joseph Abbey, Covington.

Gala follows 6pm Vespers in the Abbey Church. $75 in advance; $100 at door. Vanessa Crouere, 867-2242. sjasc.edu.

5 NOLA Bookfair. Celebrates authors, publishers and books created right here in Louisiana. 500-600 blocks of Frenchmen Street, New Orleans. 11am-6pm. Free. (504) 813-6163. nolabookfair.com.

5 Presentation and Book Signing. With Christopher E. Cenac Sr., author of Eyes of an Eagle: Jean-Pierre Cenac, Patriarch: An Illustrated History of Early Houma-Terrebonne.

The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 2-4pm. Free. Reservations, (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

5-26 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-1pm. Free. Danny Blackburn, 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org.

It’s Your Choice, Choose Us

PHYSICAL

Crystal Cook, PT, DPT, MTC Susan H. Blanchard, PT

THERAPY

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

5-26 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515. mandevilletrailhead.yolasite.com.

5-Dec 11 Louisiana Renaissance Festival.

46468 River Rd., Hammond. Sat-Sun, 9:45am-5pm; also open Fri, Nov. 25. Adults, $14.95; children, $8.95; 5 and under, free; multiday discounts available. 429-9992. larf.org.

6 LPO Allegro Fall Event. Members of northshore LPO support society meet LPO conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. Home of Vikki Leftwich, 125 Lee Lane, Covington. 3-5pm. For information, call (504) 523-6530 ext. 116.

6 St. Paul’s School Open House. Grades 8-12. Student Center, 917 S. Jahncke Ave,

Make a List of Your Risks … and Check it Twice.

Covington. 1pm. 892-3200. stpauls.com.

6 St. Scholastica Academy Open House. SSA Gym, 122 Massachusetts St., Covington. 1-3pm (sign-in begins at 12:30pm). 892-2540, ext. 132.

6, 28 SaiN’Tini’s Party Bus for Home Games. Cajun-inspired meal, drink specials and live entertainment. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. $55, includes buffet and bus ride to New Orleans City Hall and back; $30, buffet only.

Nov 6: brunch, 8am; bus departure, 9:30am.

Nov 28: lunch, 3:30; bus departure, 5pm. 6265566.

Y7, 14 Children in the Middle. Simultaneous two-night sessions for divorcing parents and their children. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Adult session: $35/person; $45/couple. Children’s session: $10/ child (max $20/family). 898-4435.

North American provides protection for: • General liability • Buildings & business personal property • Business income & employee dishonesty • Contractors’ equipment • Computer equipment

7, 22 Introduction to Genealogy. St. Tammany Parish Library. Nov 7, Covington Branch, 310 West 21st Avenue, 6-7:30pm. Nov 22, Slidell Branch, 555 Robert Blvd. 6-7:30pm. Free. Registration recommended. 893-6280 (Covington); 646-6470 (Slidell). sttammanylibrary.org.

8 Northshore Women’s Council of Realtors 1st Annual “Bras for a Cause.”

Fundraiser for breast cancer. Sal & Judy’s Restaurant, Lacombe. 6-9pm. $30. Tina Richard, tinasold@charter.net.

• ERISA compliance • Valuable and strategic documents reproduction • Flood/excess flood • Accounts receivable reproduction

• Money and securities theft • Employee benefits liability • All types of marine and auto coverage • Workers comp • Umbrella coverage

2255 N. Hwy. 190 • Covington • (985) 871-5480 • (800) 229-2789 www.naiala.com

8 Water Quality and You. Professional Women of St. Tammany luncheon. Speaker Julio Torres.

Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. Noon. $29; members, $24. pw-st.org.

8-Dec 9 Louisiana Watercolor Society Juried Member Exhibit. Fielding Gallery, 525 E. Boston, Covington. Reception: Sat, Nov 12, 6-9pm; gallery: Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. Free. Philippa Gillen, 845-8292.

10 Is Your Child REALLY Learning?

Workshop about Progress Monitoring presented

by Northshore Families Helping Families. Pelican Room, Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd., Covington. 6-8pm. 1-800766-7736. fhfnorthshore.org.

10 Preparing for Childbirth. Birth process and postpartum care. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free.

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. 10 St. Tammany Photographic Society Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-8650. stphotosociety.org.

11 A SAVvy Affair. Live music, open bar, food and auction benefiting St. Andrew’s Village.

The Chicory, 610 S. Peters St., New Orleans.

8-11pm. $50 in advance; $60 at door. Donna Breaux, (504) 305-1617. saintandrewsvillage.org. >>

985/641.5198 2780 East Gause Blvd.

Slidell

601/749.9500 6353 North Hwy 11

985/792.5959 393 Hwy 21, Suite 550

Madisonville

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w w w. n o r t h s h o r e d e r m . c o m N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 2011 23

Inside Scoop 11 Acoustic Show by Christian Serpas and Ghost Town. K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., Mandeville. 6-9pm. Free. 626-0530.

11 Dew Drop Jazz Hall Concert. Aurora Nealand and The Royal Roses pay tribute to New Orleans jazz legend Sidney Bechet. Dew Drop Social & Benevolent Jazz Hall, Lamarque St., Mandeville. 6:30-9:30pm. $10. Richard Boyd, 624-9604. dewdropjazzhall.com.

11 Egan Open House. Learn about anti-aging and the new Venus Freeze. Egan Wellness & Anti-Aging, 1116 W. 21st Ave., Covington.

9am-3pm. 892-3031.

11 St. Peter Catholic School Green and Blue Gala. A black-and-white night featuring dining, dancing, fine art and live and silent auctions. Patron party, 6pm; gala, 7-11pm. $90 before Oct. 21; $110 at the door. Karen Van Zandt, 892-1831, ext. 8. stpetercov.org.

11 Who’s on First? Block Party. Live entertainment, artists, shopping, food and drinks.

1st and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 5-9pm. Free. Sue, 6416316.

11-12 Jacoby and Pronk Contemporary Dance Artists. NOCCA’s Freda Lupin Memorial Hall, 2800 Chartres St., New Orleans. 2pm and 8pm. $20-$125. Ashley Sutton, (504) 324-4242.

12 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St.,

Hammond. 9am-3pm. Free. 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

12 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in Old Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 624-7216. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

12 Mary, Queen of Peace Goes Abroad: Passport to the World. 5th annual Fleur-de-Fall fundraiser; music by the Boogiemen; Toyota Prius raffle. Mary Queen of Peace, 1501 West Causeway App., Mandeville. Patron party, 6pm; fundraiser, 7pm. $40 in advance; $50 at door. Jan Gustafson, 871-7127. fleurdefall.myevent.com.

12 Reimer’s Musical Theater. Variety show.

Reimer’s Theater, behind First Christian Church, 305 E. Charles St., Hammond. 6:30-9pm.

Donations welcome. Jake Drude, 345-3752. freewebs.com/reimersmusicaltheater/index.htm.

12 Unleashed! Bash on the Bayou. Star of Vampire Diaries, Ian Somerhalder. Live music to benefit the St. Tammany Humane Society. Castine Center, Mandeville. 7-11pm. $75 in advance; $100 at door. 892-PETS. sthumane.org.

12-13 15th Annual Three Rivers Art Festival.

An art-filled weekend featuring 200 artists from more than 25 states and a juried show of original works. Downtown Covington. 10am-5pm.

(Three Rivers Run 5K and 1-mile races: Sat, Nov. 12 before festival opens.) Free. 327-9797. threeriversartfestival.com.

Hebert Enterprises, Inc. Residential & Commercial Generators

13 A Night of Opera and Broadway.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell.

2pm. 781-3650. jpas.org.

14 Chamber Music Concert. Presented by New Orleans Friends of Music. Tulane University Dixon Hall, New Orleans. 8pm. $25. (504) 8950690. friendsofmusic.org.

14-19 Franco’s Holiday Market. Shopping extravaganza with boutiques, designers and artists. Franco’s Athletic Club, 100 Bon Temps Roule, Mandeville. Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm; Sat, 9am-noon. 792-0200. myfrancos.com.

15 Zumba Class. Benefit for the Angelle Ulfers Scholarship Fund and the Catherine Gensler Scholarship Fund. St. Scholastica Gym, Covington. 3:30pm. $15. 892-2540, ext. 104.

16 Holiday Inspiration. Fine art, jewelry, holiday décor and Christmas trees decorated

by Kelly Harnish. Rug Chic, 4240 Hwy. 22, Mandeville. 10am-5pm. 674-1070.

16 Northshore Executive Lock-up.

Fundraiser by local business leaders to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association; after raising their “bail,” nominees will enjoy lunch and a tailgating party. N’Tini’s, Mandeville. To participate, call (504) 455-4460.

78263 Highway 25 • Folsom, La. 985-796-3060

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17 Chamber after Hours. Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce. Ponchatoula Athletic & Recreation District Gymnasium, 19030 Ponchatoula Park Dr., Ponchatoula. 5-7pm.

Free. 386-2536.

17 Chamber after Hours. East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. La Reine Olde Towne Center, Slidell. 5-7pm. Members, free; nonmembers, $25. 643-5678.

17 Pajamas and Play: The Frog Prince.

Bring the kids in their pjs to enjoy milk and cookies! Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 6:30pm (pre-show activities with the Louisiana Children’s Discovery Center, 5-6pm). Children 12 and under, $13; adults, $19. 543-4371. columbiatheatre.org.

Slidell. 7:30-11:30pm. $60; $75 per couple.

639-0656.

18 Starry November Night. Holiday music, refreshments, “snow” and a visit with Santa.

Downtown Hammond. 5-9pm. Free. 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

18-19 Holiday Gift Home Show. Hosted by Sue Capitelli and Debbie Chatelain to benefit St. Tammany Hospital Foundation. Fri, 10am-7pm; Sat, 10am-5pm. Sue Capitelli, 892-6459.

18-Dec 23 Fine and Functional Exhibition.

Handmade works of art just in time for the holiday shopping season. Hammond Regional Arts Center, 217 E. Thomas St., Hammond.

Tues-Fri, 1-5pm; Sat, 11am-3pm. Free. 5427113. hammondarts.com.

18 Concert in the Courtyard. The Tin Men. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 6-8pm; doors open at 5:30pm. $10; members, free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

18, 20 Verdi’s A Masked Ball. The New Orleans Opera. 1010 Common St., Ste. 1820, New Orleans. Fri, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. $20-$150.

(504) 529-2278.

18 Fun Fridays. Art workshop and pizza dinner just for kids. Hammond Regional Arts Center, 217 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 6-9pm. $25; members, $20. 542-7113. hammondarts.com.

19 Abita Opry. Live Louisiana roots music; preshow on front porch. Abita Springs Town Hall.

Pre-show, 5pm; show, 7-9pm. Kathy, 892-0711. abitaopry.org.

18 Home Is Where the Art Is. Live art auction of works of local artists. East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd.,

19 Big Green Egg Demo. Delicious samplings from the Big Green Egg. Outdoor Living Center, 2101 N. Hwy. 190, Covington.

10am-2pm. Free. 893-8008.

19 New Orleans Heart Walk. Benefits the fight against disease and stroke in the New Orleans area. 3.6-mile walk, free food, drinks and activities for kids. Audubon Park, 6700 Magazine St., New Orleans. Registration, 9am; walk, 10am. Free; donations encouraged. (504) 8302306. neworleansheartwalk.org.

19 Santa Arrives. Center Court, Northshore Square Mall, 150 North Shore Blvd., Slidell. 6460661. northshoresquareonline.com.

19 Trunk Show. Rachael Bordelon of Opulent Metals. The Louisiana Art Gallery, 813 Florida St., Pelican Plaza, Mandeville. 11am-4pm.

624-7903.

19-Dec 1 Ma Louisiane: What Makes Louisiana French? Local Life, Towns, Architecture and Cuisine. Juried photography exhibition. Alliance Francaise de La NouvelleOrléans. Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm.

Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

20 Fiddler on the Roof. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 2pm. Adults, $30; seniors 65+, $27; students, $20; children 12 and under, $15. jpas.org.

20 Third Sunday Concert Series. Louisiana State University Faculty Jazz Trio playing songs >>

Inside Scoop from the Great American Songbook. Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St., Covington. 5pm. Free. 892-3177.

20, 27 Sunset Sundays. Kermit Ruffins with food by K. Gee’s (11/20); Amanda Shaw (11/27).

Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater. 4:30pm. Free.

Alia Casborné, 624-3147. cityofmandeville.com.

22-Dec 10 Fall 2011 Senior Exhibition.

Contemporary Art Gallery, Southeastern Louisiana University, 100 E. Stadium, Hammond.

Opening reception: Nov. 22, 5-7pm; gallery: Mon-Thurs, 8am-4:30pm (Wed until 8pm); Fri, 8am-noon. 549-5080.

24 Northshore Turkey Day Trot. Benefiting the Lung Cancer “Run For Hope.” Terra Bella, 100 Terra Bella Blvd., Covington. Registration, 7am; 1-mile run, 8am; 5k to follow. Marc Lombardo, 966-0659.

24-Dec 31 Christmas in the Park. A colorful Christmas display of millions of lights. Holmes Water Park; Tylertown, Mississippi. 6-8:30pm.

Cars, $5; commercial vans, $10. (601) 8764911. walthallchamber.com.

25-Dec 18 Miracle on 34th Street. Musical.

Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (except 11/27). Adults, $19; children, $14. 641-0324. slidelllittletheatre.org.

25-Dec 24 Christmas in the Country.

Holiday shopping specials and entertainment.

Downtown Covington. 10am-5pm. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

Life Well Planned

26 38th Annual Country Market Open House. 10 E. Pine St., Ponchatoula. 9-4pm.

Free. 386-9580.

26 Blues Fest Christmas. Concert. Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., Covington.

2-8pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

26 Christmas Open House and Preview. Hors d’oeuvres and wine. De Boscq Jewelry, 2602 Florida St., Mandeville. 5pm-9pm. 674-0007.

26 Lighting of the Oaks. St. Tammany Parish Emergency Operations Center, 510 E. Boston St., Covington. 4pm to dusk. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

What do you have planned for your future? We can help. We’ll meticulously tailor a long-term plan based solely on your financial well-being and specific goals.

29-Dec 4 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. The Mahalia Jackson Theater, 801 N. Rampart St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sat, 2pm; Sun, 2pm and 7:30pm. (504) 287-0351.

BroadwayInNewOrleans.com.

www.paulsnow.com 389 Hwy. 21 Ste. 402B Madisonville 985-792-5232

Asset Management for Lifelong Income Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA/SIPC

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27 Christmas/Advent Concert with Kitty Cleveland. St. Peter Catholic Church, 125 E. 19th Ave., Covington. 6:30pm. Free. kittycleveland.com.

Paul Snow

30 Emerging Young Professionals. Guest speaker: Dawn Brackett. Chesterfield’s Bar and Grill, 1300 Gause Blvd., Slidell. Noon-1pm.

1-year membership, $20. Linda, 847-0557.

30 Holiday Open House and Trunk Show.

Featuring hand-carved and -painted Russian Santas, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and holiday cheer. Arabella Fine Gifts and Home Décor, 3902 Hwy. 22, Mandeville. 5-8:30pm. 727-9787.

December

1 Cosmo Christmas Celebration. Cosmos and eggnog; register with purchase for a shopping spree giveaway. Discoveries Furniture & Finds, 120 E. Morris/Business 190, Hammond.

5-9pm. 345-2577.

1-4 Fostering Angels Holiday Classic. Tennis tournament. Food, festivities, silent auction to benefit foster children. Franco’s Athletic Club, 100 Bon Temps Roule, Mandeville. Jenn Thompson, 373-8223. fosteringangels.org.

1-4 Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. The Mahalia Jackson Theater, 801 N. Rampart St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 8pm; Sat, 2pm; Sun, 2pm and 7:30pm. (504) 287-0351.

BroadwayInNewOrleans.com.

1-10 Fall 2011 Senior Exhibition.

Contemporary Art Gallery, Southeastern Louisiana University, 100 E. Stadium, Hammond.

Opening reception: Nov. 22, 5-7pm; gallery: Mon-Thurs, 8am-4:30pm (Wed until 8pm); Fri, 8am-noon. 549-5080.

1-14 Hammond Art Guild Holiday Show and Sale. Artwork by Pat Macaluso, Chuck Wright and Margaret Cohen. The Oak Street Gallery, 111 N. Oak St., Hammond. Opening reception: Nov 4, 6-8pm; gallery: Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm; Sat, by appointment. 345-0251. theoakstreetgallery.com.

1-16 Andy Warhol’s Celebrities. Exhibit from the New Orleans Museum of Art. Slidell Cultural Center (first floor of City Hall), 2055 Second St., Slidell. Tue-Fri, noon-4pm; Sat, 9am-noon. Free.

646-4375. slidell.la.us.

1-23 Fine and Functional Exhibition.

Handmade works of art. Hammond Regional Arts Center, 217 E. Thomas St., Hammond.

Tues-Fri, 1-5pm; Sat, 11am-3pm. Free. 5427113. hammondarts.com.

1-24 Christmas in the Country. Holiday shopping specials and entertainment.

Downtown Covington. 10am-5pm. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

1-29 The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood. Historic New Orleans Collection, Williams Gallery, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm. Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

1-30 Christmas Windsor High Teas.

The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm. 898-3988. >>

N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 2011 27

Inside Scoop 1-30 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Mandeville’s Winter on the Water poster contest winners. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm. Free.

Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

6pm. Free. 386-2536.

1-31 Christmas in the Park. Christmas display of millions of lights. Holmes Water Park, Tylertown, Miss. 6-8:30pm. Cars, $5; commercial vans, $10.

(601) 876-4911. walthallchamber.com.

2-3 Holiday Extravaganza. Holiday music revue and pictures with Santa and friends.

Covington High Performing Arts Center Auditorium, 73030 Lion Dr., Covington. Fri, 7pm; Sat, 10am. Students, $5; adults, $8. Dr. Ric Watkins, 893-9843.

1-Jan 29 Prospect.2. Prospect New Orleans showcases new artistic practices from around the world. Venues throughout New Orleans. WedSun, times vary by location. Day, $10; week, $20; season, $30. prosepctneworleans.org.

1-Feb 26 Wayne Gonzales: Light to Dark/ Dark to Light. Highlights range from paintings of New Orleans native Lee Harvey Oswald to the Louisiana Rigolets. New Orleans Museum of Art, One Collins Diboll Circle, New Orleans.

Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; Fri, 10am-9pm. $10; discounts for seniors, students, children and members; Wednesdays, free. (504) 658-4100. noma.org.

2 Christmas Concert with Kitty Cleveland.

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, 312 Lafitte St., Mandeville. 7:30pm. Free. kittycleveland.com.

2 Christmas Lighting Ceremony. Shop late and enjoy live music. Downtown Ponchatoula.

2 Fiddler on the Roof. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Columbia Theatre, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 7:30pm. 543-4371. jpas.org.

2-18 Miracle on 34th Street. Musical. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $19; children, $14. 6410324. slidelllittletheatre.org.

2-3, 9-10 Holiday of Lights. Light up the Tammany Trace Trailhead. Kiddie rides, pictures with Santa and live music. 21490 Koop Dr., Mandeville. 6-9pm. Free. (Patron Party, Dec. 1, 7-10pm.) Tammany Trace Foundation, 867-9490.

3 Ladies’ Night Out. Make your Christmas wish list and enjoy champagne. De Boscq Jewelry, 2602 Florida St., Mandeville. 5-9pm.

674-0007.

3 Visit with Santa! Free photos, cookies, treats and giveaways. Silver Plum and 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville.

1-4pm. 674-4343.

3-4 Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and Delta Festival Ballet.

Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 2pm. $30-$50. (504) 491-0157.

3-30 Holiday Home and Courtyard Tours.

Decorated residence of General and Mrs. L. Kemper Williams, founders of The Historic New Orleans Collection. HNOC, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 10am, 11am, 2pm and 3pm. $5. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

3-31 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-1pm. Free. Danny Blackburn, 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org.

3-31 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8am-noon. Free. 966-1786.

3-31 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.

3-4, 10-11, 17-23 The Roosevelt’s Teddy Bear Tea. Santa’s Wonderland, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Sugarplum Fairy and additional characters. The Roosevelt, 123 Baronne St., New Orleans. 10am and 1pm; also 4pm on Dec. 10-11 and 17-18. Adults, $54; kids, $37; does not include tax or gratuity. Reservations, (504) 335-3129.

3, 10, 17 Teddy Bear Teas. Take pictures with Santa and enjoy a Christmas craft! The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington.

Seatings at 10am and 3pm. 898-3988.

Y6, 13 Pre-K @ Play. Parents/caregivers and children 2½-4 years have fun and learn together.

STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435.

4, 26 SaiN’Tini’s Party Bus for Home Games. Cajun-inspired meal, drink specials and live entertainment. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. $55, includes buffet and bus ride to New Orleans City Hall and back; $30, buffet only. Dec 4: brunch, 8am; bus departure, 9:30am. Dec 26: lunch, 3:30; bus departure, 5pm. 626-5566.

7 Christmas Concert. Holiday songs. St. Scholastica Academy, 122 S. Massachusetts St., Covington. 7pm. $10. 892-2540, ext. 104.

Y5, 12 Children in the Middle. Simultaneous two-night sessions for divorcing parents and their children. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Adult session: $35/person; $45/couple. Children’s session: $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435.

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

6 Mo’s Paper Maché Artists Holiday Ornament Swap. Calling all artists to celebrate yuletide creativity; pick up a free blank ornament

by Dec 3. Mo’s Art Supply, 315 N. Columbia St., Covington. 5-7pm. 809-6854.

Y6, 13 Play Pals. Parents/caregivers and children 16-30 months have fun and learn together. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435.

7 New Orleans Friends of Music. Chamber music concert. Tulane University Dixon Hall, New Orleans. 8pm. $25. (504) 895-0690. friendsofmusic.org.

8 11th Annual Teddy Bear Tea. Hosted by the Northlake Republican Women to benefit the Children’s Advocacy Center/Hope House. $30, plus donation of a new Teddy bear to social service agencies that work with children. Children’s Advocacy Center, 892-3885, ext. 1 or 4.

Y8 Angels of Light. Purchase a Tribute Angel for the 2011 Hospice Tree for Life; St. Tammany Parish Hospital Choir; refreshments.

STPH Lobby, Covington. 5:30-6:30pm.

Minimum donation, $10 per angel. 898-4171. sthfoundation.org.

8 St. Tammany Photographic Society Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-8650. stphotosociety.org.

8-March 3 In Katrina’s Wake: Restoring a Sense of Place, Photographs by Stephen Wilkes. Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm.

Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

Y8, 15 Cuddle Buddies. Parents/ caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. $12 per month; members, $6. 898-4435.

9 Book Signing with Chef John Besh. My Family Table, available Nov. 1. Purple Armadillo Again, 1337 Gause Blvd., Slidell. 643-2004. purplearmadillo.net.

9 Dew Drop Jazz Hall Concert. Christmas concert. New Orleans jazz cabaret singer Banu Gibson and her big band. Dew Drop Social & Benevolent Jazz Hall, Lamarque St., Mandeville.

6:30-9:30pm. $10. Richard Boyd, 624-9604. dewdropjazzhall.com 9 PhotoNOLA 2011. Keynote lecture and book signing with Joséphine Sacabo. Williams >> Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans.

Book signing, 5-7pm; lecture, 7-9pm. Free. (504)

Inside Scoop 523-4662. photonola.org.

9 Speedball Art Day with Allan Franklin.

Make your own wrapping paper and ornaments.

Mo’s Art Supply, 315 N. Columbia St., Covington. 2-4pm and 6-8pm. 809-6854.

9 Who’s on First? Block Party. Live entertainment, artists, shopping, food and drinks.

1st and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 5-9pm. Free. Sue, 641-6316.

9-10 Hammond Ballet Company’s The Nutcracker. Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond.

7pm. $20-$32. 345-2509. hammondballet.com.

9-10, 16-17 Christmas Under the Stars. Live entertainment, holiday decorations, storytelling and visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Old Towne Slidell. 6-9pm. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

9-11 Charles Dickens A Christmas Story.

Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Rd., Covington. Fri and Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. $7. 8931671. playmakersinc.com.

9, 16 Friday Night Lights. Bright lights and sights of Christmas. Downtown Ponchatoula.

8pm. Free. 386-2536.

10 Annual Christmas Parade. Downtown Ponchatoula. 5pm. Free. 386-2536.

10 Annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa.

Presented by the Northshore Mandeville Kiwanis Club. New Covenant Presbyterian Church, Fellowship Hall, Hwy. 22, Mandeville. 8-11am. $5.

Paul LaRocca, 966-4673. northshore-kiwanis.org.

10 Christmas Open House and Wish List Event. De Boscq Jewelry, 2602 Florida St., Mandeville. 10am-6pm. 674-0007.

10 Deck the Rails at the Covington Trailhead.

Children’s holiday event and trailhead lighting. 419 N. New Hampshire St. Covington. 4pm to dusk.

Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

10 Glitz, Glamour & Giving Gala. Annual United Way fundraiser benefiting local projects for St. Tammany Parish children. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 6:3010:30pm. $65 in advance; $75 at door. Charlotte Champagne, 875-3026. unitedwaynola.org.

10 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St., Hammond. 9am-3pm. Free. 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

10 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 624-7216. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

10 Mignon Faget Trunk Show. The Shop at The Collection, Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 10am-4pm. Free.

(504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

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10 Reimer’s Musical Theater. Variety show.

Reimer’s Theater, behind First Christian Church, 305 E. Charles St., Hammond. 6:30-9pm.

Donations welcome. Jake Drude, 345-3752 or 345-0374. freewebs.com/reimersmusicaltheater/ index.htm.

10 Winter on the Water. Holiday music, lights and festivities. Lakefront Gazebo, Mandeville.

Elementary school performances, 4pm; lighting by the mayor at dark followed by boat parade from harbor to gazebo. Free. Alia Casborné, 6243147. cityofmandeville.com.

10 Workshop with Greg Arceneaux. Build and take home an Acadian sanctuary stool.

The Louisiana Art Gallery, 813 Florida St., Pelican Plaza, Mandeville. 10:30am-1:30pm.

Reservations, 624-7903.

10-11 Holiday Home Tour. Presented by the Preservation Resource Center. Trinity Episcopal Church in Bishop Polk Hall, 1329 Jackson Ave., New Orleans. 10am-4pm. $35; PRC members and groups of 10 or more, $30; day of tour, $40; valid for both days. (504) 5817032. prcno.org.

10-11 Noël Á Mandeville. Activities, crafts and food. Sponsored by The Old Mandeville Business Association. Girod Street from the Mandeville Trailhead to the lakefront.

9am-dusk. Sat: pet parade, 2pm; holiday parade, 4pm. Sun: Reindeer Run 5k, 8am; Running with the Reindeer; historic home tours,10am; candlelight caroling on the lakefront at dusk. Free. Frank Stansbury, (504) 450-1955. oldmandevillebiz.com.

10, 17 Monte the Lion’s Children’s Holiday Party. Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., New Orleans. 10am, 2pm. Children, $36; adults, $50.

Reservations, (504) 681-4452. hotelmonteleone. com/monte.

11 7th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes.

Benefiting the Junior Auxiliary of Slidell. Beautifully decorated homes in Slidell, refreshments, entertainment and door prizes. 1-5pm. $20 in advance; $25 on day of tour; tickets available from any JAS member or at Simply Divine and Accents & Things. Leslie Paulsen, 285-7833, or Nancy Arce, 290-8219.

12 Christmas Concert with Kitty Cleveland.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 28088 Main St., Lacombe. 7pm. Free. kittycleveland.com.

12-13 A Christmas Peter Pan. Musical.

Fuhrmann Auditorium, Covington. 7pm. Free.

Louisiana Center for Theatrical Arts, 517-6637. lcta.biz.

12-17 Mistletoe Market. Gifts for everyone, from workout apparel to body care products.

Members and non-members. Stone Creek Club & Spa, 1201 Ochsner Blvd., Covington.

8am-6pm. 801-7120.

14 Emerging Young Professionals. Christmas> N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 2011 31

Play and Learn Northshore Academy Ages 6 weeks to 11 years

Part-time and full-time programs available Age-appropriate curriculum Healthy snacks and lunches Open-door policy Class A center Monday-Friday • 7am to 6pm

674-7744

2433 Monroe Street, Mandeville www.playandlearnnorthshoreacademy.com

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Inside Scoop dinner. Young’s Steak House, 850 Robert Blvd., Slidell. 6pm. 1-year membership, $20. Linda, 847-0557.

14, 21 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street.

Bon Operatit! (12/14) and New Orleans Opera Association Holiday Concert (12/21). The Inn On Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free. (504) 524-7611.

15 Chamber after Hours. Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce. Regions Bank, 301 W. Pine St., Ponchatoula. 5:30-7pm. Free. 386-2536.

15 Tales of the Toddy. Holiday celebration with a cocktail twist. Hyatt Hotel, 500 Poydras Plaza, New Orleans. 5:30-8:30pm. $30. (504) 948-0511.

16 Baroque Christmas. Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with the Symphony Chorus of New Orleans. First Baptist Church, Covington. 7:30pm.

(504) 523-6530. LPOmusic.com.

16 Theology on Tap. The Surprising Grace of Purgatory by Dr. Nathan Eubank; speaker/ discussion series for ages 21 to 35. The Abita Brewery Visitor Center, 21084 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs. 6:30pm. $5. Michelle Seghers, 3732656. StPeterParish.com.

16-17 Some Enchanted Evening. Songs from Broadway musicals. Fuhrmann Auditorium, Covington. 7:30pm. $20-$35; advance tickets, not preferred seating, $15. Louisiana Center for Theatrical Arts, 517-6637. lcta.biz.

16-18 A Christmas Carol. The Octavians.

St. Albert Student Center, 409 W. Dakota St., Hammond. Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sat, Sun, 2pm.

Adults, $10; students, $6; 10 and under, $3.

634-8122. theoctavians.com.

16-23 Royal Teddy Bear Tea. Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Royal Teddy Bear and the Saintsations. The Royal Sonesta Hotel, 300 Bourbon St., New Orleans. Morning and afternoon tea seatings. Adults, $58-$68; kids, $43-$53; includes Royal Christmas Bear, tax and gratuity. (504) 553-2328. sonesta.com.

17 Men’s Night Out. Beer and cocktails. De Boscq Jewelry, 2602 Florida St., Mandeville.

5-9pm. 674-0007.

18 Third Sunday Concert Series. Patti Adams (flute) and Yui Asano (piano). Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St., Covington.

5pm. Free. 892-3177.

27-31 Jared Montz Pro Soccer Camp.

Soccer techniques and skills for ages 5-13.

Pelican Park, Mandeville. 9am-noon. $180.

OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.

31 New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery Night.

The Historic Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. $300 per couple; includes standard room, dinner, evening cocktails, breakfast and a murder mystery night. (225) 906-5762.

N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 2011 33

Worthy Causes THE HOLIDAY SEASON is a time to cherish family and friends and to be thankful for our blessings.

In the midst of a season of preparations, parties and festivities, we should take the time to share our blessings with others. Below are just a few of the many ways to pass those blessings on through volunteering and holiday giving on the northshore.

Samaritan Center Food Bank Thanksgiving Adoption Program “As we take time to be thankful for our blessings, it is important to remember to pass those blessings along,” says Amy Ettinger, Samaritan Center Food Bank coordinator.

Many area churches direct people in need to the Samaritan Center Food Bank in Mandeville, which serves the community throughout St. Tammany Parish.

The Thanksgiving Adoption Program assists area families in need during the holiday. The program is designed to help people who are trying to make ends meet by giving them a Thanksgiving Day meal. “We help people who are working but don’t have the budget for a real Thanksgiving dinner,” Amy says. “Families are doing what they can, but they still need help.”

Food Bank of Covington The Food Bank of Covington reaches out to families in need from St. Tammany, Washington and Tangipahoa parishes throughout the year. Although it is always in need of volunteers and donations, the 34 Inside Northside

special programs for the holidays require additional funds, supplies and labor.

For Thanksgiving, each needy family receives a turkey or ham along with a Thanksgiving food basket. (Last year, the Food Bank purchased about 400 turkeys!) Money raised at the Harvest Moon Dance on November 5 will go toward purchasing supplies; food drives by local school children and donations by individuals also help fill the Thanksgiving baskets.

The Christmas holiday project involves presents instead of food. (The Feeding the Needy program takes care of the food by providing Christmas dinners for the Food Bank’s needy families.) Last year, 171

children received gifts. Families and individuals are asked to work with families in need to make their children’s wishes come true on Christmas morning.

The Food Bank distributes over 5,000 pounds of food to 95 families on a rotating basis each day it is open—enough for over 4,000 meals—and the demand keeps growing when times are tough, says Deacon Tom Caffery, president and CEO of the Food Bank of Covington. “It’s a whole new face of hunger.

People with college and graduate degrees are out of work; people are losing their homes.”

The Food Bank strives to meet the growing need in our area, but it is in dire need of volunteers and food donations. “We’re nothing without the volunteers,” Tom says. “When you’re working here, it’s sad to see the hunger, but the gratitude in people’s faces is overwhelming.”

Feeding the Needy “If you really want to do something that will make a difference in the lives of those in need—especially the children— this will do it,” says John Baldwin, co-founder of Feeding the Needy.

Nine years ago, John and fellow Covington Rotary Club member Craig Babylon met with the director of the Covington Food Bank to discuss the possibility of providing Christmas dinner for needy families in the northshore area. At that time, the Food Bank was serving about 60 families. “Craig and I decided that we would be able to provide a 12- to 14-pound turkey with all the trimmings, ready to warm and serve, for each family,” John says. “Our goal has always been to provide food for Christmas day with enough leftovers for several days and to not turn down any family that is truly in need.”

With support from the Covington Rotary Club and numerous volunteers, Feeding the Needy kicked off in 2002. Since the first year, the list of needy families—provided by not only the Food Bank but also Habitat for Humanity and local churches, schools and hospitals—has continued to grow at an alarming rate.

Last year, Feeding the Needy volunteers prepared and delivered 1,300 Christmas dinner packages to serve more than 5,000 people across St. Tammany Parish and the surrounding parishes.

“One of our main objectives is to take care of school children who depend on school lunch as their main source of nutrition and do not receive it during the holidays,” John says.

Each year, children and adults alike come to share their blessings of time, money and talent with others—whether it’s a full day or just 15 minutes, every bit counts. “My biggest fear is that I won’t have enough volunteers,” John says.

St. Tammany Project Christmas “We want every deserving child in St. Tammany to get a decent Christmas in a manner in which the family can maintain dignity,” says the Rev. Milton Gibson, president of St. Tammany Project Christmas.

Established in 2002, Project Christmas aims to make Christmas morning exciting for children who may not otherwise have a memorable holiday. The program also provides food for a family Christmas dinner. These items are given to the parents the week before Christmas so they can surprise their children with gifts and a delicious meal on Christmas morning. “Kids don’t have to stand in an auditorium waiting in lines to pick a gift from a pile of items,” Gibson says.

Much care is taken to ensure that Project Christmas helps those who really do need help. “Working with the needy, we realized that children were falling through the cracks, and some people were triple dipping for agencies,” Gibson says.

Children are accepted for the program if their families qualify under Federal poverty guidelines, and the organization consults with other local charities to avoid duplication of services.

Only children to age 18 who are enrolled in school, are living with their parents/legal guardians and are residents of St. Tammany Parish will be adopted for gift sponsorship. Senior citizens 65 and older also qualify.

Nearly 10,000 children have received Christmas gifts since the organization’s inception. “Only by the grace of God are we able to do what we do,” says Gibson, who is grateful to all those who will help spread Christmas joy to needy children and families this holiday season. >>

How You Can Help…

There’s a way for everyone to help this holiday season! If you like to cook…to call…to shop…to organize…to wrap…read on!

their time at the clinic for three hours per week. Call 893-3003, ext. 109 or 871-3939.

The All Saints Thrift Store at the Food Bank of Covington needs volunteers Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Call 892-5282.

If You Can Volunteer Your Time…

If You Like to Shop…

The Food Bank of Covington needs volunteers to help assemble Thanksgiving baskets in early November. (But remember—if there are no food donations, there won’t be anything to package!) Call Carmen O’Mara at 893-3003, ext. 101.

On November 15 and 17, volunteers are needed to take applications for Feeding the Needy at the Covington Food Bank from 9 a.m. until noon.

Call 893-9075 to volunteer.

The Samaritan Center Food Bank needs help collecting donations and assembling Thanksgiving baskets right before Thanksgiving. To volunteer, call 626-4457 or visit samcen.org.

The Food Bank of Covington needs nonperishable donations for Thanksgiving baskets through November 7. The Food Bank is open from 9 a.m. until noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. For a list of items needed, call 893-3003.

The Samaritan Center Food Bank needs nonperishable food items and $30 Winn-Dixie gift cards for Thanksgiving baskets. Drop off donations through November 21 Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For a list of items needed, call 626-4457.

Shop in Mandeville on Saturday, November 19—the

Volunteers are needed December 12-17 at the distribution sites for Project Christmas, which are located on both sides of St. Tammany Parish.

Volunteers can come for an hour, a day or the entire week to help collect and assemble gifts and to purchase any needed items. Call 259-5770 or visit stprojectchristmas.org for more information.

The Dental Clinic at the Food Bank of Covington asks dentists and hygienists to consider volunteering

Northshore Kiwanis will collect items for its eighth annual Thanksgiving Food Drive from 9 a.m. until noon in front of area grocery stores. The items will be donated to the Samaritan Center Food Bank and the Food Bank of Covington. Call Lori Pausina at 624-4707.

The Food Bank of Covington also helps needy families find families and individuals who can help them fulfill their children’s Christmas wish list. Contact the Food Bank to be matched with a family in need through December 8. Call Thelma at 893-3003, ext. 107.

Through Project Christmas, individuals and families can “adopt” children by purchasing gifts on >>

36 Inside Northside

their wish lists. Schools, churches and other groups can hold toy drives or food drives to provide for children who have not been “adopted.” Call 259-5770 or visit stprojectchristmas.org.

Shop at the All Saints Thrift Store Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. All proceeds from the Thrift Store go directly to the Food Bank of Covington to purchase food. Call 892-5282.

If You Like Computers…

Feeding the Needy fields many calls from families registering for the Christmas packages. Volunteers are needed to receive phone calls, register the applications in the computer and print maps and directions at First Premium Insurance Group. Volunteers are needed to work in shifts December 5-22 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. A volunteer will be needed at Baldwin Motors as well.

Call 893-9075 to volunteer.

While the cooks are busy in the kitchen on December 23 and 24, Feeding the Needy needs other volunteers in St. Paul’s computer lab to verify the addresses of the program’s recipients. Volunteers are needed starting at 9 a.m. Call 892-2203 for more information.

If You Like to Cook…

Feeding the Needy’s center of operations is housed at St. Paul’s School.

Volunteers are needed December 23 and 24 starting at 9 a.m. to help cook side dishes for each dinner package. Call 8922203 for more information.

If You Like to Deliver Smiles…

Feeding the Needy especially needs volunteers on Christmas day—at 7:30 a.m.—to deliver the Christmas dinner packages throughout the northshore 38

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

area. Some families have made it a tradition to wake up and help deliver the food before opening Santa’s gifts. “If a child needs a reality check, come on Christmas morning,” John Baldwin says.

“They will see what poverty really is.”

And what’s amazing, John adds, is that most of the needy children are happy.

“They have nothing, but they are happy.”

Call 892-2203 for more information.

If You Can Donate Your Treasure…

Your monetary donations to the Samaritan Center Food Bank can make a real difference this holiday season. However, the holidays aren’t the only time that families need help.

Consider donating your time and gifts to the Samaritan Center Food Bank throughout the year. Call 626-4457 or visit samcen.org.

Monetary donations to the Food Bank of Covington will help meet the growing need, which is present throughout the year, not only during the holidays. “They eat other than in November and December!” says Jackie Catalanotto of the Food Bank. To make a donation, call 893-3003.

Feeding the Needy requires monetary donations because “it’s quite an operation,” John says. “There are no administrative expenses—100 percent of the funds go to the program.” Any money left over will support the Food Bank of Covington and other Rotary projects. Send checks to the Covington Rotary Foundation, 1730 N. Hwy 190, Covington, LA, 70433.

Project Christmas relies on donations to be able to purchase the gifts that were not bought by local businesses, churches, service groups and individuals. Send donations to Project Christmas, P.O. Box 4043, Slidell, LA, 70459-4043.

"Glenn is a master...dependable and trustworthy. His estimate was accurate; he was on budget; and he completed the work on time. We are thrilled with the results.”

- Stephanie Tyner

Kitchen and Bath Renovations Home Improvements Remodeling/Additions Preventative Maintenance and Repair 102 Maison Dr • Covington LA License#880738 and Insured

985.898.3462 • 985.966.7042 N o v e m b e r - D e c e m b e r 2011 39

HAVE YOU EVER WALKED into a house that made you feel right at home, cozy and welcomed? Stacey and Brent Brown have created just that ambiance in their 100-yearold Covington cottage. “We were going to build a new house, but we found this one on the market and just fell in love with it,” says Stacey. A lot of renovation had been done before they bought it, but they added their own touches to make it their special place.

A canopy of crepe myrtles over the front iron gate welcomes visitors. The long walkway of hand-laid antique brick leads up to the spacious front porch.

“We love to entertain on this porch when the weather is nice,” says Stacey. The porch is approximately 20 feet by 24 feet and can accommodate overflow guests at a party. The Browns and their two teenage daughters, Beverly and Mary Brent, love to dine together outside on the porch when the weather is nice. The table is set for a casual evening with French-

Collector’s Cottage

by Poki Hampton

style flatware and contemporary china. Orchids and small plants serve as the centerpiece.

Tall French glass doors lead into the living room

Above: An iron and glass table is filled with small silver treasures from the Browns’ trips. Right: The front porch is the perfect place to dine in good weather. Opposite: The formal dining room is set for a wonderful autumn meal.

40

Inside Northside

from the porch. The moment you walk into the house, you notice the collection of unique pieces.

“When we travel, we like to bring back a little treasure as a memento of our trip,” says Stacey. One treasure brought home from Italy is anything but little. “We were staying in the little Italian town of Volpai in Tuscany. One day when we were exploring the town, we walked into an antique shop. There was this beautiful clock calling my name. The shopkeeper was busy with another customer, so I looked at the tag while trying to figure out how to get this piece back to Louisiana. I did the monetary conversion in my head and it came out one million dollars. ‘Wow!’ I said! I could only imagine a prince or a king having this clock one day.”

As fate would have it, Brown and her family went back to the antique store another day. The shopkeeper was not busy and gave her the correct price, which was not nearly one million dollars. “I was so excited I bought it on the spot,” says Stacey.

The 9-foot-tall apple wood clock, c. 1800, now stands guard near the front entrance.

The living room is full of such treasures collected >>

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

The Browns’ century-old Covington home re-invented

November-December 2011 41

Above: A handmade cypress table in the kitchen is the gathering place for the family.

Right: The master bedroom is filled with antiques collected over the years.

42

with love over time. “My parents began giving me an antique for each birthday and Christmas when I was 12 years old. They loved antiques and instilled that love in me. Brent’s parents were antique dealers, so he grew up with that love also.” Tucked into the bay window is a comfy club chair in acanthus leafpatterned chenille with a throw pillow in embroidered velvet. A seasoned leather chair is opposite. An English walnut chest of drawers between the chairs holds a piece from the New Orleans School of Glassworks of her daughters’ feet. A woven pattern frame holds a photo of a batik print by Gina Castle. The large red charger was made by Stacey in a pottery class.

Topped with a chenille tablecloth, a round table holds small antiques that Brent has collected: an antique compass, a measuring stick and a kaleidoscope. A small Wes Forman painting sits

Inside Northside

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

next to family photos that Brent took. A dentist by profession, Brent is also a marvelous photographer.

His framed subjects are found throughout the house, from landscapes to a still life of fruit to portraits of his two girls.

The sofa is covered in a golden-hued leaf-print damask. The ottoman is used as a coffee table; covered in patterned chenille, it picks up the gold.

Across from the ottoman is an antique English walnut linen press, c. 1830. The rocker next to the linen press belonged to Brent’s grandfather.

Behind the sofa is an iron-and-glass table that lends a contemporary bent to the room. On the table are small silver keepsakes collected by the family over the years. White hydrangeas in tall silver vases complete the look.

From the entrance, one gets a glimpse of the iron-and-wood staircase beyond. “We added the carved cypress double doors to give a bit of privacy from the front door. Uwe Adler was our renovation contractor nine years ago when we bought the house,” says Stacey. “He had a collection of architectural salvage. He found these doors and created the door frame of washed English pine to match.” The doors retain their original antique hardware and strap hinges. The stairs were included in the original renovation done by the previous owner. The base is iron, with 2-inch-thick cypress treads, salvaged when the attic was converted into

two bedrooms for the girls.

The dining room has a large bay window with swags and jabots in a heavy crimson fabric. The long pedestal table seats 10 for a formal dinner. Each place setting starts with a gold charger and Lenox Solitaire china and crystal. Stacey adds her artist’s touch with doubled napkins in pumpkin and sage green tied with sage green ribbons. She created a gold-edged card stamped with a gold B on which to print the dinner’s menu for each place setting.

Antique family silver mixed with bone-handled pieces adds an eclectic feel to the table. The centerpiece is an urn filled with three different types of orchids in fall colors. Amber votives and tall carved- wood candlesticks make the setting glow. Each place setting has a tiny Wes Forman painting used as a place card.

An ornate gold-leaf mirror hangs above the antique English mahogany sideboard, which holds two candlestick lamps with striped shades, an antique china demitasse set, silver objects and small paintings.

The kitchen is much the way the previous owner left it. “We added granite counter tops and painted the cabinets a deep sage green,” says Stacey. The painting above the cabinets of a streetcar is by Wes Forman. “We also added oiled bronze hardware and a dishwasher front that looks like a bank of drawers.”

The cook top was there, but the Browns added the stainless steel back splash and the grey textured metal vent hood. The long rectangular landscape painting is by Stacey. Wes Forman painted the small crawfish painting above the stove. Taking the bathtub out of the adjacent bathroom and reversing the wall made room for a double-door Sub Zero refrigerator and freezer. The family dines most evenings at a long cypress table with two benches by Greg Arceneaux.

Having the two benches instead of eight chairs gives the illusion of more space. The room is anchored by a kilim rug in tones of coral, brown and blue.

The master bedroom’s focus is the beautiful carved bed of English walnut burl that was Stacey’s wedding gift from her parents. The bedcovers are a rich crimson chenille, with shams that were fashioned from a coverlet in the same hue. Scrumptious bed linens, from Hestia Luxury in Linens, are a straw color. The painting on the wall is Haystacks by Eddie Mormon of Lake Charles. On an easel beside the bed is a small painting by Payton Hutchinson >>

Carved cypress double doors give a bit of privacy from the front entrance.

November-December 2011 43

purchased at the Three Rivers Art Festival.

The antique rocking chair, which Stacey covered in a coordinating fabric, belonged to Brent’s grandfather. A large mirrored armoire in the same style as the bed reflects into the room.

Sometimes, houses hold great little secrets. In this case, the surprises came in the form of the pantry, the gallery room and the laundry room.

The Browns have taken organization to a new height in the pantry, which is about 14 feet deep by 7 feet wide.

Using black metal brackets and cypress boards salvaged from the original pantry’s shelves, they have created a cook’s utopia. Glass jars are filled with dried beans, nuts and breakfast cereal.

No Wheaties boxes in sight. Baskets hold potatoes, onions and fruit, and everything is arranged artfully. The red-painted beaded-board walls along with the window at the end of the room make the panty light and bright. “We had the old door split into two pieces and made a double door into the pantry to save space,” says Stacey.

Tucked into the more recent addition to the house is the laundry room. And what a laundry room it is!

44

Inside Northside

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

A full-sized stackable washer and dryer play a minor role in this production. The gothic-style antique English marble-topped piece of antique pine, which has cathedral doors, is the star. “The black-veined marble and the piece itself are very old; we use it to hold all of the laundry supplies.” A large sunflower painting by Eddie Morman hangs above the piece.

The glow from a lamp falls on a pot of mums, a confit jar and a large glass bottle holding liquid laundry detergent, all sitting on the marble top. “This room was a closet in the addition that was added before we bought the house. We added the wallpaper, a wood plank ceiling, crown molding and the 8-foot-tall glass door,” says Stacey.

The addition to the original c. 1910 house is large enough to have a study and full bath downstairs and a large bedroom reached by a spiral staircase.

With soft shades of green and gold, the study is a calming retreat. An antique settee covered in soft chenille has striped throw pillows. Two rush-topped square benches are pulled together to make a coffee table. The antique English pine chest of drawers was once used by the Browns as a changing table when the girls were babies. Over the pine piece is a painting of koi in a lily pond. Cedar shutters block the sunlight and give privacy. A comfortable chair-and-

a-half with an oversized needlepoint throw pillow is a great place to relax. The large painting of the girls is by Wes Forman. “Brent and the girls went to Colorado on vacation, and Brent took a photograph of the girls blowing dandelions into the wind. Wes turned it into a painting and it was our Christmas card that year.”

The Browns’ love of antiques and art fills their Covington cottage with warmth, love and graciousness and makes each room an interesting mix of the old and the new.

Clockwise from opposite top left: The gallery room displays photography by Brent Brown. A view of the very well organized pantry. The laundry room’s décor is set by the gothic-style

Stacey Brown shares her love of art with the community as this year’s president of the Covington Three Rivers Art Festival board.

pine piece. The study is a calming retreat in shades of gold and green.

November-December 2011 45

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Artists Bill Binnings and Scott Ewen

by Stephen Faure

Figuratively Speaking “MY DEFINITION OF AN ARTIST is a producer of thoughts who introduces new thoughts to another person—not necessarily the artist’s thoughts—but thoughts the viewer or reader had not yet had before that encounter,” says sculptor Bill Binnings. (He used this definition to describe his friend, the late Walker Percy.)

Although he has been deeply involved in the art world for most of his life, the master sculptor doesn’t label himself an “artist.” “I call myself a sculptor.

The designation of ‘artist’ is something other people give you, usually over a long period of time and usually after you’re dead. It’s not something you can self-proclaim,” Binnings says, adding with his characteristic sly humor, “I look at it as a job that I much prefer over roofing. And I’ve done roofing.”

one in my family involved in it,” he recalls.

His detour into the construction business proved personally painful for Binnings; his family drifted apart and his studio became just another storage room. But, starting with a commission by local art enthusiast Nikki Barranger, Binnings began to spend more and more time in the studio. Their friendship had been

Above and right: Beauty born in fire: Bill Binnings’ graceful bronze sculptures start life in a 2000° furnace.

46

“It woke me up like Rip Van Winkle,” says Binnings of the “comeback” show the St. Tammany Art Association asked him to put together in the late 1980s. He had put his craft aside for almost 10 years while traveling internationally as a manager in the construction business. “The construction business was exciting; there was adrenaline all the time. It was invigorating, but it was lonely because I was the only

Inside Northside

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

Away and back

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

forged around the table of Walker Percy’s legendary northshore luncheons in the 1970s and 1980s. The pieces Barranger commissioned in memoriam to his mother became the centerpiece of the art association show. “To find myself back in the studio working again, able to be active spiritually, was a rebirth. To have let that almost die, to have let my family go and to have put my sculpture career on hold—coming out of that was truly like a rebirth.” After decades on the northshore, however, his artistic rebirth coincided with meeting and marrying a new bride, Janice, who, he says “kidnapped” him to live in Meraux down in St. Bernard Parish. Katrina brought them back to the northshore. “She thinks it was one big trick to get her over here. She was a girl of da’ Parish.”

Over the years, Binnings’ skill in designing and crafting life-size bronze statues has won him several commissions for public art works. Recent accomplishments include the lifelike (and life-size) bronze children in front of the St. Tammany School Board office on Jefferson Street in Covington. “I presented three proposals,” Binnings says. “One playful, two children chasing butterflies; the other is more meditative, two children sharing some piece of knowledge on the bench. The third one is exploratory, two children discovering a turtle. In all three cases, it was a boy and a girl.” The board liked all three of his proposals and was able to commission casting the first two. Binnings hopes to complete the third some day.

In 2009, the City of Gretna unveiled Binnings’ statue of Hall of Fame baseball player Mel Ott that it commissioned for the celebration of its native son’s 100th birthday. It is a dynamic sculpture, with Ott represented in his unique batting stance, bat and arms curled up to swing, standing on his left leg with his right foot raised off the ground. The viewer can almost hear the upcoming crack of the bat.

Two sculptures found in downtown Ponchatoula round out Binnings’ public art works in our area.

One, Binnings says, is “an Indian hunter—he’s obviously a hunter—but he’s offering food to a young deer. It’s called The Natural Conservationist. He’s not offering that out of sentimentality; it’s practicality.

He’s feeding his future.” The other Ponchatoula work, The Horticulture Lesson, features a strawberry farmer sitting on the tail end of his berry crate-packed 1940s-era truck as he’s talking to a young girl, >>

Above: Binnings waits for newly poured bronze to cool. Left: One of three Binnings sculptures commissioned by the St. Tammany School Board in front of the board’s office on Jefferson Street in Covington.

November-December 2011 47

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

A family talent A spring show at Tripolo Gallery in Covington featured works by Binnings and his nephew, Scott Ewen. Scott’s mom is Bill’s sister Pamela Binnings Ewen, who worked her way from being a single mother to a top-notch corporate lawyer to a wellrespected author. Their father was an architect by trade, and, as Binnings says, “a thinker and a doer.” A deep artistic streak ran through their mother’s family; an aunt and uncle, June and Bob Anderson, are well-established portrait artists. Scott, as well as Bill’s

children, grew up in a world of creativity.

Scott Ewen spent his junior high and high school years in Houston, studied at Boston University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and earned his bachelor’s of fine arts degree at Tufts University. He specialized in photography at school but had drawn and painted throughout his life. After living and working in San Francisco for nine years, he and his wife, Andrea, moved to Austin, Texas, where they reside now with their two children. “My wife teaches art to children, and she’s an amazing printmaker. We have two little kids, and they’re both really into art. It’s a pretty artistic household we have going. We have two studios, four chickens, three cats—a lot going on out here,” Ewen says.

His uncle’s background includes studying landscape architecture at LSU, then art at Newcomb College, where, Binnings says, “I really did learn a lot from people that knew what they were doing.”

He then went to graduate school at Ohio State and >> photo courtesy of SCOTT EWEN

teaching her something, while the figure of a young boy walks alongside.

“It’s the interaction of the young and the old, a snapshot of something you would have seen in the ’40s. And then there’s a young boy coming around the side of the truck. He’s got a cap on like the kids wore then and he’s got a baseball glove in his back pocket, so it’s really just a snapshot in three dimensions of something that may have happened somewhere in that time. Both of those Ponchatoula pieces were very successful sculptures. I think that if I’m a success as a sculptor, it’s in those kinds of interpretations.

“That’s what I mean when I say I don’t consider myself an artist, but a sculptor. I’m illustrating ideas in three dimensions.”

Top: Pouring bronze for one of Binnings’ latest works. Above: Binnings’ nephew, Scott Ewen, an accomplished painter; some of his work was inspired

by Binnings’ statues.

November-December 2011 49

a drawing that became sculpture.

50

to make is that people were starting to buy work that resonated with them personally instead of what people told them was important or what they were told they should own, which was more abstract or conceptual work. It reinforces what I would have thought. The more traditional approach—the figure, the landscape—is more of a spiritual subject matter that just resonates with people more in the long run.”

Binnings notes the impression critics may give

work alone in the studio for those two years. It was perfect. I got a whole body of work together, did some of my best work and then graduated.”

Binnings and Ewen are bound by a shared passion for creating figurative art. Both have noticed and lamented the fact that, over the years, the art world has treated abstract art as more relevant than figurative art, as did Binnings’ faculty instructor. Though both have worked for the most part independently of each other—Binnings didn’t know his nephew had been painting until a few years ago when Ewen asked him to look at his work—both talk about being drawn to the spirituality they feel, which they believe can be expressed by making and viewing figurative work.

“It’s an interesting phenomenon. The New York Times did an article a while back about the resurgence of the figure,” Ewen says. “It was during the collapse of Wall Street. The point they were trying

in reviewing abstract or conceptual art, telling the audience, “‘This is great art. You’re not only supposed to love it, you’re supposed to understand it. If you don’t understand it, there might be something wrong with the way you’re looking at it.’” His response, “I don’t know how you could exclude the physical recognition of who we are, what we are and the world we live in and just say, ‘This color splotch is important because it is.’”

Binnings’ sculptures are classical in form and precise in detail and anatomy. Ewen’s paintings may reflect a somewhat surreal style that expresses his interpretation of his subject. The paintings, however, are grounded in both his extensive background as a photographer and the years he spent participating in and teaching life-drawing classes. His subjects are always readily recognizable for what they are.

Binnings and Ewen’s joint show wasn’t so much

Inside Northside

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Binnings’ The Invitation,

worked as a teaching assistant. Unfortunately, “I was assigned a faculty adviser who was an abstract expressionist, and he did not see the value of figurative work. I had been working the whole semester without any discussion with him about anything. I had 30 pieces completed, all figurative work. He came in and said, ‘I don’t see any sculpture here.’” But the faculty advisor accepted a fellowship in Europe and departed for two years. “I was left to

a collaboration as a juxtaposition of their work. Ewen’s paintings, either inspired by or in harmony with his uncle’s sculptures, were displayed behind the bronzes so the viewer could take in both at once. Binnings latest creative phase was evident on the gallery walls, which displayed his newfound passion for making large-scale drawings.

“The show was a chance to do some special pieces based on my uncle’s sculptures,” says Ewen. “My work has obviously been informed by him. I grew up around him and have been watching him work my entire life, both in New Orleans and when they moved to Abita Springs in the ’70s. He had the foundry there, there were sculptures in the yard and there were drawings and paintings all over the place. Then there was my grandmother’s sister’s family, who are all traditional portrait artists. Every family member had paintings by my Aunt June and Uncle Bobby—all kinds of figurative work. I’m not surprised that I’m still interested in that, because that’s what I was looking at as a child. My earliest drawings that I can remember were of people.”

On sculpting Binnings talks about the difficult process of making the graceful sculptures that have inspired his nephew and so many other people over the years. “I’m delivering people into a quiet space. I’m not interested in histrionics or drama; I don’t want to do Civil War battlefield sculpture. I want something that’s going to give the viewer a place of repose—so their mind can be unbusy, even if just for a minute. If that could be a gift, that’s what I would give them.

“The process is essentially the same as they had in Egypt,” Binnings says of what’s called the “lost wax” process of casting metal. It all begins with sculpting a clay model, which is the part of the >> November-December 2011 51

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Inside Northside

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process where Binnings’ creativity shines. Sometimes he has a definite figure in mind. Other times, he says, “I work and work and work the clay until it suggests a form to me. The SelfMade Man was made that way. It was just developing some kind of shape and telling me what it was going to be. That’s so easy to overstate. It’s a platitude of an artist to say ‘I do what it tells me to do,’ but there really is some interplay between you and your medium and a lot of times, the medium speaks first.

“I have the freedom to do what I want in the maquette stage. Maquette usually means a small study for a bigger piece, but I use it to refer to the clay as opposed to the bronze. I can model it, shape it, caress it; I can think about it all night. I can distract myself from more important things, working on it during the day. It gets into and under me when I’m working on a new piece. The development of the form is so subtle, so seductive; I am single minded.”

The finished product, and how the viewer will see it, is always on his mind.

“When I’m actually doing the work, I’m thinking about abstract form. I’m thinking about texture, about how the light plays over the surface, how your eye follows a line around and through the form and how I can bring you to something I want you to stop and focus on—or how I can bring you away from that and carry you through it. Or I can carry your eye around a form and through an opening into negative space and over a face, and down a hip and you’re on a journey that might take you off of the fast road for a while and might let you just relax and enjoy the travel.

“It becomes very much like music, where your ear is hearing all these movements, your head is putting it together and you’re understanding it on some level other than language. That’s

photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

what the art of sculpture is to me.”

Larger pieces require some structural engineering, and this is where things have to become a bit more definite. He says the large figure of a dancer in his studio is his third attempt at that form. “When I’m building a large clay like that, I have to build an armature just to support all that clay. I pretty much have to know where it’s going at that time, but the studies for it might just be anywhere around the board.”

Binnings explains that once he’s satisfied with the maquette, the heavy work begins. “It’s 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration—true grunt work, hard physical work. I had an apprentice in my studio in Meraux. She was going to the art institute in Memphis and it was the summer after her freshman year. She was trying to decide whether to be a painting major or a sculpture major. She was a hard worker; she did everything I did, willingly and without any complaint. She went back and changed her major to painting.”

The next step in the process is to make a rubber cast of the clay maquette. The rubber forms a mold in

the shape of the maquette. Binnings then pours wax into the mold. The wax cools from the outside in, forming a skin on the inside of the mold. He repeats this process until the wax is built up to the thickness he wants the final bronze to be.

“Now I’ve done the sculpture in wax, and I have to finish it to get all the mold lines off or whatever else needs to be done,” Binnings says.

“Then I make a mold of the wax, a single plaster mold that completely covers the wax, inside and outside because you only want the bronze to be about a quarter of an inch thick. That goes into the kiln, which completely burns the wax out so there’s nothing where the wax was except a space.”

Bronze is heated to 2,000 degrees and poured into the mold. “When it cools, you chip the plaster off and you have that sculpture in bronze. Then you have to clean up the bronze, cut off all of what we call the gates and sprues, the channels the metal gets into it.” It’s a laborious process. Binnings says that at that point, “the joy of doing clay is way back in history.”

After cleaning and polishing and applying the >> November-December 2011 53

New medium

Detail of Ewen’s take (above) on his uncle’s statue, River of Life (below).

While Binnings keeps pouring bronze, making sculpture the oldfashioned way, he’s also begun to explore marketing his creativity in a new medium: drawings. “I like to draw; it’s relaxing. I started selecting smaller pieces to show at the gallery and thought they were nice, that it was something I could really get into. So I started doing the larger-scale drawings and I found out how physical they are.

The little drawings take two or three hours. They stand alone in themselves. But with the big drawings, you have to use your whole body; you’re drawing with your arm, your shoulder, your elbow and your wrist.”

He works on panels, rather than paper, because the drawing process he’s developed is to put a lot of lines down and work with the eraser to pull an image out. “I couldn’t do it on paper because the paper would be shredded. I’m just pulling and pulling this image out. It’s the physical activity and mental perception that comes from not having a direction to go into until it develops, and up to a point, it develops independently of what I’m doing.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Binnings does not paint. “When I try to do it, it is totally elusive to me, completely

photos: STEPHEN FAURE

chemicals that give the sculptures their distinctive patina, though, Binnings can appreciate the final product. “You have something you hold in your hand and you can say, ‘I made that. That didn’t exist before.’

It’s just amazing. I still have the same amazement 40 years after making the first cast.”

frustrating. With drawing, I can pull an image out and control that medium. But when I start trying to put color on it, it turns into mud soup. I am not a painter.”

Were he to start seriously painting, he says, he’d follow Bill Hemmerling’s lead and use house paints. “I can get any possible color I can imagine just off the color charts at Home Depot.”

While reflecting on his career and life challenges, Binnings stays rooted in his strong religious beliefs that not only comfort him but often inspire his art. It’s kept him grounded through life’s challenges, losing his family and art when focusing on his construction career and then Katrina destroying his home and studio after 15 years.

Their latest setback was Janice’s recent

struggle with cancer.

She’s recovered now, but Binnings says, “When she got sick, it was a year and a half where we couldn’t do anything. The house stopped, the economy changed, and when we came up for air it was a whole different world.”

He remains optimistic and grateful, though, and is back hard at work and enjoying Janice’s company. “Janice is a perfect partner, both as a wife and spiritual partner. I got a do-over. Most people in life don’t get to start over. But I did.”

His drawing of a

Bill Binnings’ and Scott Ewen’s artworks are available at Tripolo Gallery, 323 N. Columbia St., Covington, 893-1441, tripolo.com.

horse and dancer inspired Binnings to recreate the work in three-dimensions.

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Inside Northside

Opposite: Hilltop view of Cortona Santa Maria Nuovo.

Left: View of Cortona from Piazza Garibaldi. Below: Villa Baldelli house wine. Below left: Cortona art gallery down a side street.

in Tuscany

photos: JAN WINDHORST

by Jan Windhorst

SO WHAT ARE THE CHANCES that you meet someone from across an ocean and discover that you will be visiting his hometown in Tuscany that same month? And that he just happens to be a wine expert known in both his native region and here on the northshore? Luck was on my side, and that chance meeting involving food, wine and Italy was certainly a jackpot for me.

In preparing for my trip to Italy with my sisterin-law and niece, I knew I wanted to write about the experience. I hoped I would find an interesting link between that country, so steeped in history, culture and tradition, and our relatively young and blooming community right here. Just two weeks prior to our departure, an e-mail from Jacmel Inn in Hammond arrived advertising a wine dinner with special guest Antonio Molesini, featuring wines of Tuscany. Since we planned to visit that region, this was a must-attend.

For the first three big-city stops of the tour, my travel agent had reserved hotels in prime tourist locations, but for the last stop, she booked a >> November-December 2011 57

“storybookesque” villa in Tuscany near the small town of Cortona. “Secluded,” she said. I hoped that Mr. Molesini had at least heard of the town.

As we gathered upstairs at Jacmel Inn, I halfway expected “Antonio” to be an “Anthony” who capitalized on the good fortune of having been born in Italy to further his current endeavor as a wine salesman. But the first syllable uttered from his lips proved he was quite authentic. So authentic, in fact, that a few of his phrases were lost on me. That beautiful accent brought the region and the wines to life in a way no regular old Tom, Dick or Tony could’ve done.

Antonio took us through the wine selections. First was a 2010 Vernaccia, a white wine produced around the hill town of San Gimignano in Tuscany that is said to be one of the region’s oldest and noblest wines. The chefs paired this with figs and prosciutto on sourdough.

Next was a 2009 Soave Pieropan, found north of Florence near Verona. This wine is an excellent aperitif, young, light and fruity with a long-lasting finish.

It was accompanied by a tomato tart, sundried tomato-basil pesto and caprese micro salad. A 2009 Bramito del Cervo Chardonnay was next, with Antonio humorously explaining that the grapes are grown on a wildlife preserve and the name loosely translates to “the sound of the deer.” He apologized for not knowing the English word. Well, his audience didn’t know the word for the sound a deer makes, either!

To accompany the pork tenderloin and eggplant caponata, Antonio presented a 2006 Smeriglio Merlot. This wine is from Cortona—wait, did he say 58

Inside Northside

photos: JAN WINDHORST

Cortona? That’s the quaint, secluded town where I’d be staying at Villa Baldelli in just about two weeks—and I loved this wine! I’ll ask you again—what are the odds?

Not only was I tasting a wine from the very town I’d be visiting, but come to find out, Cortona may just as well be named Molesini. According to my new buddy Antonio, his family owns the wine store, and the grocery, and a restaurant and who knows what else—we only had so much time to chat.

So, with a map hand-drawn on the back of the wine-tasting menu, I now had directions to the Molesini wine store, the grocery and a family-owned tratorria, La Grotta. I also had a lead on a local spa that was said to have treatments using olive oil, wine and chocolate, Il Falconieri. Really? As if going to Tuscany to partake of olive oil, wine and chocolate isn’t enough, there’s a place that bathes you in these luxuries! And, Antonio told us, the trip was also going to coincide with the Tuscan Sun Festival, a celebration of art, theater, music, food and wine held in Cortona every year.

Fast forward two weeks. After an uneventful flight, we arrived in Rome—a city that is not a masterpiece of organization and timeliness. However, the din of Italian conversation was welcoming music.

For a week, we followed a path worn by millennia of travelers to see Rome’s ancient ruins, ornate churches

and lively piazzas. We saw Venice’s gondola-lined canals and narrow, winding, shop-lined streets.

Florence boasts its medieval and Renaissance architecture, and we beheld art treasures in galleries housed in the ancient palaces of powerful families.

After the whirlwind of trying to digest the history of the rise of Western Civilization in seven days, an older train running on a secondary track transported us out to the eastern edge of Tuscany and to a serene and bucolic experience. Or not.

As the train pulled into the station, we double-checked and saw “Cortona” in large blue letters on the sign. As we lugged our souvenirstuffed luggage onto the platform of the all-butdeserted station and made our way to the route map inside the tiny shelter, we discovered there are two stations in Cortona—and we had picked the wrong one. >>

Above: Enoteca Molesini. Left: Tasting of 25 wines at Enoteca Molesini.

November-December 2011 59

Villa Baldelli guest room (top), garden and guest house (right).

60

Our driver was scheduled to pick us up at the next stop. As we stood, bewildered as to how to proceed, an Italian man emerged from behind a vehicle and uttered a familiar sound. It was my maiden name (the arrangements had been booked by my sister-inlaw) in its original form. Although my sister-in-law didn’t recognize this articulation, I recalled some elderly relative lamenting the demise of the authentic pronunciation, and I grasped at any possibility that we were not stranded in a foreign country.

Miraculously, the man turned out to be our driver.

After we failed to appear, he took a chance and came in search of us at this station. From then on, I knew our stay in Cortona was fated for success whether or not things went according to plan.

The drive through the Tuscan countryside to Villa Baldelli was short, and we arrived at a sprawling property with several buildings, a pool area and a vineyard. We were greeted by Riccardo, who told us the villa dated to the 17th century and showed us to

Inside Northside

a large (compared to typical rooms in the big tourist areas) and charming room complete with antiques, wooden ceilings and a loft. My agile niece was elected to climb the metal ladder leading to the roof space.

We then explored the grounds and, inspired by the vineyard, returned to the reception area in search of wine. I was told that you really don’t need to know much about wine to fare well in Italy—just ask for the house wine. Everywhere we went we found that to be true, and the villa proved to be no exception.

After Riccardo suggested the house sangiovese, we retreated to the pool to enjoy our treat “under the Tuscan sun,” inspired by Frances Mayes’ book of the same name.

After the full schedule and sometimes strenuous walking tours in the previous cities, to simply sit and soak up the atmosphere was perfect. We decided to extend that experience and put off going into town that night. Rather, we opted for dinner on the grounds outside under the trees at little round tables sprinkled with other villa guests. I can’t tell you exactly what we had for dinner. I did bring a journal. At the outset of the trip, I wrote down what we enjoyed at meals and even took pictures. But on this night, simply being in the moment took over and thoughts of journaling and details were washed away with the second bottle of wine. I can tell you that

photos: JAN WINDHORST

the dinner was excellent and that what was brought out from that centuries-old kitchen was made even better against the backdrop of the ageless hills in the distance and the tolling of bells from unseen churches in every direction marking the passage of each hour.

So could we have been more relaxed? I was willing to try. I wanted to experience the olive oil, wine and chocolate spa and asked Riccardo to make the arrangements. However, the villa with the spa was also hosting all the dignitaries from the Tuscan Sun Festival and its spa appointment book was full. But in the spirit of things working out regardless of the plan, Riccardo had a backup. The second day at Villa Baldelli started with a knock at the door by a beautiful, table-toting masseuse.

Although she didn’t employ wine or chocolate, I got a wonderful massage that helped erase the toll that dragging luggage onto trains and walking up and down the hills of Rome, through the cobblestone streets of Venice and up to the heights of museums in Florence had >>

November-December 2011 61

taken on me. And the oil could’ve been olive oil, right?

Relaxed and refreshed, it was then time to tackle Cortona. We had planned to participate in a wine tasting at the Sun Festival but upon arrival found the event sold out. It seems Cortona is not as secluded or pastoral as I thought—at least not during the festival. Art and music lovers fill Piazza Signorelli and gather around its grand theatre to consider the event’s offerings and decide which performances to attend.

The walled hilltop town of Cortona is thought to be nearly 3,000 years old and has incredible archeological treasures housed in the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca. Just outside the center of town, Piazza Garibaldi overlooks stunning views of the countryside, Lake Trasimeno and the “new” church of Santa Maria built in 1554. From that piazza, one can follow Via Nazionale to the main square.

This main street is lined with eateries, art galleries and shops offering paper, leather, paintings, fine photography and more. Bright sunflowers so often associated with the region decorate not only the storefronts but also the wares for sale inside.

After stopping for a quick pizza and watching festival-goers stroll by, we visited an art gallery with modern paintings and sculptures perfectly at home in their ancient setting as we made our way to city center. Although our original wine tasting plans were a no-go, once again things fell into place—this time with the help of Antonio. His directions easily lead us to Molesini’s wine store in the Piazza 62

Inside Northside

photos: JAN WINDHORST

della Rebpublica, and guess what? They were having a wine tasting of their own. Actually, they have one every day as they are a particular type of wine store called an enoteca. This “wine library” offers tastings and information on local wines. However, a crooked paper sign taped to the door explained that the store was closed for the midday break and would not reopen again until 3 o’clock. When we returned, we found nirvana—a shop filled from floor to ceiling with bottles waiting to be explored. We met Antonio’s

nephew who, like his uncle a few weeks before, introduced me to four Tuscan vintages. I planned to bring one bottle back to my understanding husband, who had supported this whole adventure despite his thinly veiled jealousy—the Smeriglio merlot we had sampled at Jacmel together. This was not on the tasting menu at Molesini’s that day, but a tasty Chianti Classico was. In the name of education and spousal placation, I purchased that one also. I would have to sacrifice some of my clothes in order to fit >>

13th century clock tower and town hall in Piazza della Republica.

November-December 2011 63

two bottles of wine in my suitcase, but I was confident it would be worth it.

Antonio’s last recommendation related to food. We had high hopes that our final dinner in Italy would be memorable. I referred to his handdrawn map that made the trip with me and followed his arrows around the wine store and down the alley to the right to his aunt’s restaurant, Trattoria La Grotta. As with the wine store, we had to wait for the family to open shop.

We found that dinner is served late. “No self-respecting Roman eats before 8:30,” was the mantra we heard at the start of the trip. So we sat in the small courtyard and waited. The waiter emerged from inside to dress the tables, and, although the restaurant was still not open, he

offered a menu for us to peruse. What to order for my last meal in Italy? As if on cue, a deliveryman appeared toting a crate of huge mushrooms that looked like they’d just been handpicked.

Porcini mushrooms were chalked onto the specials board, and I was sold on my secondo piatto (second plate).

First, we shared traditional (tomato), mushroom and spicy bruschetta varieties for our antipasto, along with a flagon of house wine. All were delicious; the spicy variety tasted like pâté. For the primo piatto (first plate), we had a wider variety of choices than we’d seen at other restaurants, and, although tempted by the spaghetti with wild boar sauce, I opted for spinach and ricotta gnocchi. (May I say in the finest

photos: JAN WINDHORST

Below: Trattoria La Grotta. Opposite: Grape cluster on vine at Villa Baldelli.

food critic terminology—yum!) The grilled mushrooms proved as delicious as anticipated and black truffle ice cream rounded out the meal perfectly. Great suggestion, Antonio!

How fortuitous that I met Antonio at all, especially just a few weeks before my trek to his hometown. Although not everything went as planned, the country and particularly Cortona offered up beauty, history, culture, fun and adventure—not to mention a brilliant food and wine experience. I’m actually glad things didn’t all go as planned.

Now, I must return—for my decadent spa treatment, to experience more of the Sun Festival, to visit the myriad of churches and museums that time didn’t allow during this trip, to find the source of all the bells ringing in the Tuscan hills and to get off at the correct train station.

I will return with my husband—to show him all the things I’ve discovered, to embark on new, unplanned adventures and to watch as the ancient land is made new once again as it is beheld for the first time through the eyes of a fascinated explorer.

November-December 2011 65

68

Inside Northside

LEAH CHASE HAS BECOME a larger-than-life figure herself after a lifetime spent feeding everyone from the down-and-out to royalty, presidents, athletes, movie stars and musicians. Her life story, although more a tale of hard work than a fairy tale, became the inspiration behind the Disney princess Tiana in the movie The Princess and the Frog.

People from all over the world make the trip to Tremé and Dooky Chase Restaurant, which is Leah’s domain at Orleans Avenue and North Miro Street.

Founded in 1939 by Leah’s future in-laws as a small shop on the opposite corner of Miro—and named for her father-in-law—the restaurant moved to its current location in 1941. Leah married Edward “Dooky” Chase II in 1945, went to work there and began putting her stamp on the restaurant. She oversaw its expansion and success over the years and shepherded it through its rebirth after Katrina.

Despite all the achievements and accolades she’s garnered during her career in the city, life growing up “out in the county” in depression-era Madisonville is never far from her mind.

caulkers sealed the joints to keep out water.

They had to first go with cotton, then go with oakum—it was a ropy-looking stuff. We used to ride our bike and take him his hot lunch in a little bucket every day.

When they had the launching of the boats, that was a big thing! That was your entertainment; it was really something.

IN: Did you have a big family?

LC: My mother [Hortensia] had 14 children. She

IN: Do you still keep up with the northshore?

LC: I’m really gung-ho about Madisonville, where I came up. They have grown so much, oh

Leah Chase

by Stephen Faure

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

goodness! I still have family there.

I go across the lake and do fundraisers. I do St. Anselm’s Church every year and work with Mary, Queen of Peace. They even gave me a fundraiser in Covington after the storm. I still have northshore customers; they come across that lake all the time.

IN: We recently did a story on the Jahncke Shipyard in Madisonville. Was that part of the town when you were there?

LC: Oh, the Jahncke shipyard. My dear, my daddy [Charles Lange] was a caulker. He worked at Jahncke’s. You probably don’t know what a caulker is. See, they built wooden boats and

Doing her own thing. raised 11 of us and we’re all 11 still living. I’m the oldest, but she had a little baby before me that died at 18 months.

IN: She must have had her hands full.

LC: But I never remember my mother taking a pill for nerves or nothing. She would tell us, “Go dig me some worms out there.” You’d dig some worms and put them in a little tin cup. She’d take her fishing pole and go down to the river or go down to the bayou and she would sit there and fish. That was her relaxation. >>

Opposite: Leah Chase. Above: Dooky Chase’s Restaurant’s worldfamous Creole Gumbo.

November-December 2011 69

IN: Where did you go to school?

LC: Daddy was a stickler for learning things. I learned how to tell the time on a Roman numeral clock when I was 5 years old. Can you beat that? He had no

Leah Chase’s life story was the inspiration behind Disney’s The Princess and the Frog. This tribute from the director and artists graces the entrance to Dooky Chase’s Restaurant.

70

Inside Northside

education himself, maybe third grade. People back then knew what they needed to know.

My mother was from New Orleans; her mother was a midwife and a registered nurse. My mother had 14 children, so she was pregnant all the time and she would come to New Orleans to have the babies. We had to go across the lake with her until the new baby was ready to come home. My daddy had me going to school when I was 4 years old here in the city when my mother would come.

They would send me to the little nursery school. Back then, kids did not go to school young; they started school when they were 7 or so. When I would get back home to go to school in Madisonville, Daddy said, “Now, don’t tell anybody how old you are.”

There was no high school for blacks over in Madisonville at all, at least no Catholic ones, and

my daddy was more Catholic than the Pope! We had to go to Catholic school, so we came over here and stayed with my aunt to be taught by the same nuns that taught us in Madisonville, the Sisters of the Holy Family. The school, St. Mary’s Academy, was at Orleans and Royal in those days.

IN: What was growing up in depression-era rural St. Tammany like?

LC: People ask me, “What did you do then? What did you do in segregated times?” I was too busy fighting poverty; I knew I had to rise out of that poverty cycle. I was poorer than Job’s turkey when I came up. It helped me. I had to work.

I had to pick strawberries, I had to come home after picking strawberries and then go to school.

Then you surely had to wash your clothes and do your things around the house.

It didn’t worry me that I couldn’t go in this place or that place; I didn’t have the money anyway. But I knew if I had the money, I could do more. My daddy used to tell us all the time, “If you work, you can get anything you want.”

You know the Dendingers, the big white Dendinger house (the landmark home on Covington Street)? The Dendingers owned the whole town. What is now the Piggly Wiggly across the road from the big house was the Dendingers’ store then. We lived in the area behind there, and our house is still there.

You see, you live next to the wealthy people, but you know what? It was segregation time, but they would tell you, “Good morning” and “Good evening.”

Nobody ever hated anybody; nobody hated them because they had all the money and you had nothing.

People didn’t think like that in those days.

We didn’t think like that in the country. You knew you had to work, and you knew nobody gave them anything. They had a sawmill at their big lumber company in Livingston. You know, you didn’t feel like they owed you anything.

You felt you had to work so that you could get something. I might not get what they had, but I’d get something.

IN: How has Madisonville changed since then?

LC: I enjoy that little town today. Some of the old

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

She would bring home those little perch, sometimes what we called a goggle-eye perch, and she’d fry ’em up. Sometimes she would say, “I’m going fishing now. Put on the grits,” because sometimes we had fish and grits—sometimes we just had grits!

You know, I think about that, and it was good living. Those were good days.

people say, “Look at all these new people coming in and taking over.” Well, praise God they’re taking over, because you people are too old and the young people have moved out. It’s good they’re coming in; they’re bringing new things and new ideas and you can still enjoy.

They have this beautiful, big, new church in Madisonville, but no, they don’t like the church.

But nobody explained it to them.

St. Anselm is the patron saint of fishermen. You’re almost right on the river, where my mother and everybody used to fish. The church is like a big ship to me, and people don’t realize the inside of the church is like the belly of a whale. Nobody explained what the church meant, what the building meant.

I tell people all the time, “If you don’t like the changes you see, change the way you look at it.” I think the church is beautiful myself.

It looks like a big ship. That’s exactly what it looks like, a huge ship. And that’s what it’s supposed to be. I think it’s gorgeous.

IN: Let’s talk food. The holidays are just around the corner. You’re known as the Queen of Creole Cuisine. What were the holiday traditions you grew up with?

LC: I can only talk about my side of the Creoles; they call themselves the Creoles de couleur, the Creoles of color. I think some of the same traditions in New Orleans go the world around. Maybe the Creoles of color have more traditions that came by way of the islands because a lot of slaves came by way of the islands; you pick up things as you come through. >>

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Perhaps more famous than her gumbo is the fried chicken at Dooky Chase’s, a dish Leah has cooked with Julia Child on one of Child’s television shows.

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IN: I’ve heard people say they consider New Orleans to be the northernmost Caribbean city. What was the islands’ influence on Creole cusine?

LC: My gumbo z’herbes, I think, is a derivative of what they call callaloo in the islands. Callaloo is a green that grows out there, but they put okra in it; the African people used a lot of okra. You chop up those greens, and put the okra in with crab and bang! We turned it around and used what we had.

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IN: Isn’t the gumbo z’herbes an Easter tradition?

LC: At Dooky Chase Restaurant, on Holy Thursday, that’s all I serve: gumbo z’herbes and fried chicken.

Being superstitious, as we’re supposed to be—we came through the islands where people believed in voodoo and all that—even numbers like 2, 4 and 6 are bad luck.

Odd numbers are good luck, so you have to have an uneven number of greens—5, 7, 9, 11. I use nine greens.

We put a lot of meat because that was your last big meat day before Easter Sunday. Heaven forbid if your daddy caught you eating anything on Good Friday. I put a lot of meat in those greens. We put brisket in it, and chicken; we put ham and two kinds of sausage.

In many communities, the Easter tradition is lamb, because that was the sacrificial animal. But in our >> November-December 2011 73

community, we had things that were seasonal. We had crawfish.

It was important to make crawfish bisque on Easter Sunday, and you had your baked ham and potato salad—those were musts.

The must-thing you had to have in the community of the Creoles of color was something called cowan. It’s a snapping turtle.

You had stewed cowan. Why did you have cowan on Easter Sunday?

Because that’s the beginning of spring, that’s when that turtle started crawling out of the mud.

You had what was seasonal.

Oh, you’d go to the market and feel the turtle for eggs. You wanted a female with some eggs in it to put in that gravy. Oh, mercy! I still go back to serving that cowan with rice and potato salad on Easter Sunday.

You just had those things; it was the things the Creoles had to have.

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Inside Northside

IN: What did your family do for Thanksgiving and Christmas?

LC: When I was coming up, I remember only one time we had a turkey: when my mother raised one. On Thanksgiving, you know what we had? Things that they hunted.

We had venison if someone hunted deer; we had rabbit and all those kinds of things. You always had gumbo. Gumbo was before any festive meal. You sat at the table and you ate that gumbo by 12 o’clock in the day. Then you got away from the table, you sat around and talked, the family was together and you had you a little wine. We had to make strawberry wine, because that was what we had.

On festive holidays, you’d clean up and have the holly in the window—there was something

about it that came together with the food. I remember the cakes we had, jelly cakes, with strawberry jelly, and you’d put the icing on them. We had sweet potato pies, everything you had you made on that day and you enjoyed.

Christmas, you had everything, but the one thing the Creoles always had in New Orleans when they’d make market—and it was always “make market” and not “going to the market”—they had this big red snapper. They’d carry this cane basket and what you’d see sticking out of it was the fish’s tail and the celery. The red snapper, it’s a whole fish and you poach it and garnish it. You pull out his eye and you put an olive there and put a shrimp in his mouth. You just make it a pretty dish and that’s what’s on your table.

You’d have that on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I’ve got a customer that comes for that every year! He says, “I want that fish you always talk about!” So every year I do one for him to take to his party.

Celery was something we had only on holidays. They would take the hearts of the celery out, and they had a glass, a celery glass. You’d clean the hearts, take out the little strings on them and put that little glass on the table. We had olives only on Christmas; you had the celery and a little dish of olives, and that’s what you ate on Christmas.

You would have oyster dressing—you never had cornbread dressing. We have what we called oyster patties; it was like a stewed oyster put in a little patty shell, a flaky shell. Naturally, you had your potato salad and your rice and your sweet potatoes.

Here in this restaurant, I try to >> November-December 2011 75

keep up those traditional things and people like it. Some things you don’t have to change. You can do what you do, and whatever you do, you do it.

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Inside Northside

IN: You said your mother liked to fish, and your daddy hunted. What else did you eat growing up?

LC: People say, “You sure like to serve quail,” and I do! But I remember my mother and the quail. That was so funny. The bobwhite quail, when they’re up in the tree, they sing “bob-white, bob-white,” but if they fly down, it’s a different song. When they would get in the strawberry patch, my daddy would shoot ’em.

He’d shoot those little quails and my mother would clean them. We had these little plum trees in the yard and she used to make jelly out of them. So we’d take those little quails, and you know, the WPA would give you good butter, back then. She’d fry those quails in that butter and put plum jelly over them. It was the best thing in the world. Now I serve that, they think it’s high on the hog!

I’ll never forget—we were so poor—they had a grass that I don’t see anymore called purslane. It was a succulent grass, but if you cooked it, it was exactly like spinach. It was wild—what was that other thing you eat wild—poke, the poke sallet.

My mother would tell us to go pick it—it would grow in the yard, in the fields and all over and she would cook it. But she would tell us, “Don’t let anybody know we so poor we eating grass.” But when my daughter was living in California, we went to a very elite restaurant. I paid 20 bucks there for my purslane that I was told not to tell anybody I was eating because it was grass!

IN: How did your cookbooks come about?

LC: When the publisher came to me, I said, “I can’t do that. I can’t do these recipes for you, I can’t do that.”

She said, “We’re going to give you time; you just try.” They did give me time, but I thought I can’t be bothered with all that.

I remembered what I heard Dr. Howard Thurman say to a group at a women’s college in Atlanta one time. He said, “There’s a genius in every one of you. But you know, you’re just hustling and bustling and going around, and you just have to stop. Just stop for a while and let it all come out.” And sure enough, I did that. I just sat down one day. I was thinking about food, I was thinking about how I came up and I just started writing it on paper. He said you will be surprised, and I certainly was surprised I could write that book.

I wrote about things I did as a kid in Madisonville, and surprisingly, people liked those little stories. They read those little stories and say, “I can do this; I came up the same way.” That book came out in 1990, and it’s still selling. I still sign that book all over the place.

IN: You share your traditions every day serving food at your restaurant.

Besides your cookbooks, how else are you passing along your traditions?

LC: I’m trying to do another cookbook with my grandson, who’s also called Dooky. He went to the Cordon Bleu in Paris. He came to work with me, but went back to work with Entergy. He had gotten his MBA while working for >> November-December 2011 77

Entergy and works there during the day. He comes to work here with me at night.

I’m a cook. I’ve never been formally trained; I do what I’ve done all my life. He’s trained; chefs have to be trained and it gives a restaurant a little more credibility. None of these old black men that were in these kitchens were trained; they just did what they had to do.

Then it came to the day when the chef became the big thing. If a restaurant is going to advertise, you better have some sort of training under your belt so they can say, “well, he’s qualified”—you know how people are. Dooky wanted to go to the Cordon Bleu. I said, “Cordon Bleu? We’re going to have to do some Cordon Noir; put a little black in that blue.”

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Inside Northside

IN: Do you have any advice for cooks trying to keep their family traditions alive?

LC: People say, “I can’t cook like my momma.” It’s because you’re not your momma! People who cooked all their lives, when they put something in their hands, they knew how much that was. That was their measurement, but they would get it right every time. If you make an oyster dressing, those old people would die if you put an oyster in a food chopper. You chopped it on the board. It’s a whole different ball game. For some reason it tastes different if you chop it than if you mash it up in that machine.

Your momma had a certain touch that was unbelievable, and that was that. You’ll never be that, because you will never be her. You can do your own thing, and it will be yours.

Book Report

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Thanksgiving Graces

by Mark Kimball Moulton, illustrated by David Wenzel

FOR AS FAR BACK as you can remember, your parents have taught you that sharing is the right thing to do. You’ve always been told to let others play nicely with your toys. If you have candy, you’re encouraged to give someone else a bite. You might share your day, a silly story, a snuggly blanket, a seat or a box of colors.

When you have abundance, it’s always nice to share. And as you’ll see in the book Thanksgiving Graces by Mark Kimball Moulton, illustrated by David Wenzel, when you give, you also get back.

It’s Thanksgiving Day, and everyone’s getting ready. The turkey smells soooo good in the oven and the whole family is helping to set the table. Grandma’s making pies when there’s a knock on the door. It’s the neighbor, Charlie, and she asks him to stay for dinner. There’s plenty of food and plenty of room at the table for him. Charlie says he’d be glad to stay, but only if Grandma and Mom would let him pitch in and help. He rolls up his sleeves and plunges his arms into hot soapy water. Having someone to wash dishes is always a big help.

When the door opens a minute later, it’s big brother Jim, home from college and he’s not alone. He brought a friend, but that’s okay. There’s plenty to eat and lots of room for two more.

Jim sneaks a taste of what’s on the stove, and Mom laughs. Jim has done this before.

Then everyone hears the sound of a horn honking. Two more people arrive and Grandpa adds another table at the end.

Another guest calls to see if she can bring her cousin and her mother. Every time someone asks if there’s room for an extra, the answer is always “Yes! Of course!”

But as the table gets longer and the room seems smaller, one young host gets a little worried. Grandma didn’t make a lot of pies. There weren’t many potatoes boiling on the stove, and the turkey wasn’t very big—was it? Would there be enough food at this Thanksgiving table?

Sometimes, particularly when you’re a kid, it’s hard to separate the “thanks” of Thanksgiving from the legends, the parades and the fun. But this sweetly gentle little story, told in rhyme, explains the real meaning behind why we gather.

In author Mark Kimball Moulton’s holiday house, there’s love, warmth, and welcome as the table slowly expands to make room for every new arrival.

I loved the quiet worry in the words of Moulton’s young narrator and I loved the simplicity of Moulton’s storypoem, but neither would be the same without artist David Wenzel. One look at Wenzel’s illustrations and you can almost hear the laughter in this perfectly thankful book.

Two-to-8-year-olds will love Thanksgiving Graces, but I don’t think anyone of any age would mind a readaloud this holiday. Whether yours is a feast for two or a fête for two thousand, this is a book to share.

Jackson Square The heart of the city

Above: The Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, the Presbytere and Lower Pontalba building on the Chartres Street side of Jackson Square, as the Place d’Armes became known in 1851.

Inset: Called Place d’Armes by New Orleans’ French founders, it was known as Plaza d Armas when the Spanish controlled Louisiana.

80

NOT TOO MANY CITIES can be identified at one glance of a photo. A picture of five buildings and a statue in a small park defines New Orleans in the same way a photo of Golden Gate Bridge says “San Francisco” or one of Big Ben and Westminster Palace says “London, England.”

The picture is of Jackson Square: the statue of Gen. Jackson atop his rearing horse; St. Louis Cathedral behind him; the church flanked by the identical façades of the Cabildo and Presbytere. To the left and right of the square are the upper and lower Pontalba buildings. This view has not changed at all since Jackson’s statue was dedicated in 1855.

In fact, a drawing from 1726 shows the square and church in the same configuration they are today, nearly 300 years later.

Originally designated by the French, who founded the city, as the Place d’Armes, the site at the center of the city has witnessed all of New Orleans’ history, from the first landing of early colonists (and the Native Americans before them) to the celebration of the Super Bowl Champion Saints. In between, Jackson Square served as a meeting place for

Inside Northside

occasions both joyous and gut wrenching.

A national audience looked on grimly as President Bush addressed the nation from Jackson Square in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Wedding parties leaving the Cathedral second-line along paths where crowds have gathered for centuries to welcome dignitaries—presidents, royalty and celebrities. The square has been lit up by the soft glow of hundreds of candles as crowds have gathered in joy to sing Christmas carols and in the solemnity of silent vigils. In its earliest days, miscreants were publicly humiliated in stocks in the square and murderers and traitors were executed there.

Although it wasn’t the first settlement in Louisiana, New Orleans served as the colonial capital for France and then Spain, and as territorial capital and then state capital when Louisiana became part of the United States. It wasn’t too long ago that ships regularly landed at the levee in front of the square, discharging immigrants and transferring cargo to and from the growing port.

Jackson Square is the epicenter of New Orleans, and, in a way, of Louisiana as a whole. After the

Vintage photos circa 1870 courtesy Glen C. Cangelosi, M.D.

by Stephen Faure

Louisiana Purchase was finalized in the Cabildo, the official transfer of Louisiana to the United States took place as the Stars and Stripes was raised over the Place d’Armes in 1803. Jackson Square makes a perfect jumping-off point to celebrate Louisiana’s bicentennial of statehood in 2012.

If anyone is responsible for how Jackson Square and its surroundings appear today, it’s Don Andres Almonaster y Rojas and his daughter, the Baroness Micaela Almonaster de Pontalba.

The French founded the city in 1718. By 1726, land for most of the French Quarter had been

jail. An earlier Cabildo, or government house, next to the Corps de Garde had burned in the 1788 fire. In 1795, Almonaster pledged to build a new Cabildo as well, “…to the same plan as the Curial [Presbytere] … with the idea of making the front of the Plaza uniform, which in fact would beautify it, as they will form two equal wings to the Temple [the cathedral].”

Almonaster didn’t live to see his vision of symmetrical beauty completed. His death in 1798 complicated matters for the city and Almonaster’s widow and young daughters, one of whom died shortly afterwards.

Micaela, his surviving daughter, went on to lead a fascinating life that is the subject of a must-read book

cleared and the street grid established. In 1762, the colony of Louisiana was transferred to Spanish control, with a Spanish governor and troops finally arriving in 1766. The Spanish controlled the colony, and thus New Orleans, until November 1803.

Don Almonaster was a Spanish nobleman, a notary and town official who amassed quite a fortune and a great deal of land, including the property on the up- and downtown sides of the Place d’Armes.

After the devastating Good Friday fire burned most of the city to the ground in 1788, Almonaster pledged to build a new church and priests’ house (Presbytere). Before either could be finished, another fire in 1794 destroyed the Corps de Garde and the

by author Christina Vella, Intimate Enemies: The Two Worlds of the Baroness de Pontalba. Her contributions would redefine the ancient Place d’Armes and transform it to the Jackson Square we know today.

Her name lives on in the rows of buildings she built in 1850 that flank either side of the square, the Pontalba Buildings. The red brick buildings with ornate ironwork featured storefronts on the ground floor and living spaces on the top three floors. They were a commercial investment on her part, yet the identical buildings completed the ideal of symmetry so important to her father in his philanthropically motivated vision of the square.

The Baroness’ buildings came as the city had >>

One Family’s Influence

The Decatur Street entrance to Jackson Square. Boats landed at the area now occupied by Cafe du Monde.

November-December 2011 81

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Except for a few minor changes, the view of Jackson Square from

The Hero of the Battle of New Orleans

the river has remained unchanged since 1855.

Opposite: Jackson Square viewed from across the river in Algiers, circa 1870.

82

The Place d’Armes wouldn’t become Jackson Square until it was certain that a monument to the general’s memory would be erected in its center, although the idea had been around for some time.

Inside Northside

Vintage photos circa 1870 courtesy Glen C. Cangelosi, M.D.

Top and above:

undertaken to restore the entire area. By the late 1840s, the Cabildo, St. Louis Cathedral, Presbytere and the Place d’Armes—more commonly referred to as the “public square,” as French influence in this now thoroughly American state had waned—were all showing their age. The church was rebuilt, and the Cabildo and Presbytere were renovated, with each receiving an added third floor topped by a new mansard roof and dormer windows.

Andrew Jackson himself laid the cornerstone for the monument during a visit to the city in 1840 commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans, three years after completing his term as the seventh president of the United States.

It wasn’t until 1851, however, when a committee was formed (with a not-small bit of influence, and cash donations, from the Baroness, who was a big fan of Jackson) to finalize plans for the monument, which would be part of an overall “makeover” of what had become a decrepit, almost bare patch of ground.

On January 28, 1851, the council officially proclaimed the square “Jackson Square,” with one member somewhat jokingly suggesting the name be “Pontalba Gardens.” In 1852, the state legislature passed an act appropriating $10,000 as Louisiana’s contribution to the memorial, declaring it was proper for the state to, “[C]ontribute to a work destined to commemorate the achievements of the Hero, to whose military genius, and patriotic devotion in the hour of her darkest peril, she owes the triumph which rescued her chief city from capture by an invading foe…”

In 1854, the monument commission contracted with sculptor Clark Mills to reproduce the bronze statue of Jackson that Mills had cast in Washington, D.C. It had been dedicated in 1853

in what is now Lafayette Square across from the White House (a second duplicate was erected in Nashville, Tenn., Jackson’s home state, in 1880).

As the statue neared completion in 1855, there was a ceremonial re-laying of the cornerstone Jackson had laid in 1840. When Jackson had placed the cornerstone, a copper time capsule was placed in the brickwork around it.

For the 1855 ceremony, another time capsule was prepared containing commission documents, copies of the day’s newspapers, copies of the city’s laws and ordinances, and coins from 1855, including $3 and $1 gold pieces struck at the New Orleans mint. It, the original time capsule and Jackson’s cornerstone were incorporated into the

granite pedestal that was then built to hold the memorial statue. The square’s makeover was nearly complete, the iron fence that still surrounds the square was installed and the pathways laid out in their current configuration.

Plans to dedicate the statue on the 41st anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans on January 8, 1856, were thwarted when the ship carrying it was delayed. On February 9, the statue was unveiled. Sculptor Mills was on hand to describe his work for the crowd.

“General Jackson is there represented as he appeared on the morning of the 8th of January, fortyone years ago. He had advanced to the centre of the line in the act of review; the lines have come to present arms as a salute to their commander, who is >> November-December 2011 83

acknowledging it by raising his chapeau…His restive horse, anticipating the next move, attempts to dash down the line; the bridle hand of the dauntless hero being turned under, shows that he is restraining the horse, whose open mouth and curved neck is feeling the bit. I have thought this explanation necessary as there are many critics who profess not to understand the conception of the artist.”

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

The Mark of the Beast (Butler, that is) Jackson, patrolling his square, chapeau raised in salute and sitting upon his rearing horse, continues to be a defining icon of New Orleans. Through the years, however, he has not always received the respect he deserves.

After Union troops captured New Orleans in 1862, Gen. Benjamin Butler was placed in charge of the city. His extreme acts in response to the harassment and disrespect shown by local citizens to his troops earned him the nickname “Beast” Butler (also “Spoons” because it was said he looted silverware from local homes). One of his spiteful acts

was to have the phrase “THE UNION MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED” carved into the granite on the river side of the statue’s base.

In 1868, a writer at the Daily Picayune posted a story about the discovery of buried treasure in the statue’s base. He wrote that a citizen noticed an iron pin in the blocks, pushed it in and a door opened, revealing a vault full of silver and gold coins, gold nuggets, diamonds and emeralds. The date of the paper? April 1. There’s no record of how many people that story fooled.

Jackson’s statue suffered continued indignities; his head came off when some boys were climbing on the statue in 1934. A worker found it lying at the base of the statue. The director of the Louisiana State Museum had a plaster cast made of the head before it was bolted back on to the body. In 1960, Jackson’s sword was stolen and never found.

A replacement was cast from the third Jackson sculpture in Nashville.

Visit Jackson Square A family could spend a good part of a day

visiting Jackson Square and its surrounding buildings. After a walk in the square and a visit with Gen. Jackson, take the time to visit the Louisiana State Museum, whose properties include the Cabildo, the Presbytere and the 1850 House in the Lower Pontalba building. The Cabildo is home to a comprehensive museum of Louisiana’s history, while the Presbytere features the exhibit Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond on the first floor and Mardi Gras: It’s Carnival Time in Louisiana on the second floor. The 1850 House recreates life at the time the baroness built it. Tours of St. Louis Cathedral are also available during times Mass is not being celebrated.

As part of Louisiana’s bicentennial celebrations, Inside Northside will be featuring the properties of the Louisiana State Museum in upcoming issues during 2012.

For a full telling of the history of Jackson Square, please read Jackson Square Through the Years by Leonard V. Huber, the source for much of the material in this article.

Opposite: Clark Mills’ statue of Andrew Jackson. Gen. Butler’s taunt to Confederate New Orleans remains carved in the statue’s granite base.

Looking Good and Feeling Great AN OLD FRANK SINATRA SONG, Love and Marriage, said the two “go together like a horse and carriage”—“you can’t have one without the other”—and that to try to separate them is only an illusion.

The same might be said about “looking good” and “feeling great.”

More and more, it is apparent that looking good and feeling great go together…you can’t really have one without the other.

The health professionals who are featured in this section are firmly committed to helping you do both. They offer cuttingedge technology, products and personalized services for everything from balancing hormones and vitamin therapy to a fitness routine and a beautiful healthy smile.

If your pre-New Year holiday resolutions have anything to do with looking and feeling better than ever, or if you’re looking for new ways to carry out your resolutions in 2012, this section is a great place to start!

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Inside Northside

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takes less than 30

recommended that he

minutes. It’s an outpatient procedure that prevents heart

consider participating.

damage and provides early detection.” He says there have

Olexa jumped at the

been no complications, and the patient has no limitations

opportunity.

post surgery.

“People need to give back,” he says. “I thought it might help somebody else down the line if I participated.”

The clinical trial involves a new coronary monitoring system called the AngelMed Guardian System. The device is

Olexa has had the AngelMed Guardian for over a year and is happy he joined the trial. “I believe in guardian angels,” he says, “so it’s like someone is sitting on my chest watching over me.”

implanted in the patient’s chest and monitors specific heart conditions 24/7. It communicates wirelessly with a pager the patient wears, which vibrates if an irregularity—minor or severe—occurs. It helps people who may not know they are in trouble by alerting them before they have symptoms or are aware that anything is wrong.

“Many times people don’t realize they need to get to a

Cardiovascular Associates is offering this clinical trial FREE to patients who qualify. Offices are located in

doctor. They may not seek medical attention at all,” says Dr.

Covington, Hammond, Franklinton and Lacombe. 985-871-

Pramod Menon of Cardiovascular Associates in Covington.

0735, ext. 145. heartwatch.org.

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L F

O O K I N G E E L I N G

G O O D G R E A T

Pamela Egan

Egan Wellness, Anti-Aging & Skin Care Spa HELPING MEN AND WOMEN achieve optimum health has been the heart of Pam Egan’s practice for the past 10 years.

Dr. Kelly Burkenstock DO YOU SUFFER from fatigue, insomnia, mood swings,

With a focus on anti-aging and regenerative care, she has had tremendous success improving her patients’ overall well-being, as shown through both diagnostic testing and patient experience. Her holistic approach includes

weight gain or decreased libido? AgeLess Rx, a program

balancing hormones,

designed by Dr. Kelly Burkenstock, is The Answer.

balancing the body with diet

AgeLess Rx integrates age management, weight-loss

and exercise, restoring

and nutritional counseling with medical testing and a fitness

nutrients, detoxification and

club membership. Some of the key components of this

balancing the mind through

comprehensive program include metabolic blood and urine

stress management and

testing and testing of blood sugar, cholesterol and thyroid

spirituality.

status, along with the patient’s acid/base balance and

Egan says, “We want to

hormone/vitamin status that drive the metabolic balance.

make the body look as good

“When the body’s hormones, vitamins and metabolism

as it feels. The passage of

are unbalanced, it will be in a state of inflammation,” says

time, exacerbated by years

Dr. Burkenstock. “This results in accelerated aging and

of mismanaged health,

weight gain that lower the patient’s energy, mood, health and

leaves its mark on our

overall well-being. Our customized AgeLess Rx program

exterior. Terms such as sagging skin, cellulite, wrinkles

may include hormone and vitamin therapy, a diet and

and circumferential girth describe this negative impact.

exercise plan, as well as traditional medications.”

We focus on restoring a youthful exterior to match our

Dr. Burkenstock says, “The bottom line is that you can

clients’ internal sense of well-being.”

be one of the 20 percent that looks and feels great at any age! Because—You are so worth it!”

In years past, people had to endure painful, invasive procedures such as facelifts, liposuction or abdominoplasty and other forms of surgical fat removal. “We are proud and

Dr. Burkenstock is board-certified in internal medicine.

excited to announce the addition of the new ‘Venus Freeze,’

Alternatively, she has an extensive interest in skin and age-

a multipolar radio frequency and magnetic pulse device, to

management medicine and has completed training from

our practice,” says Egan. The freeze penetrates the skin to

the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. She has

a depth of 3 1/2 centimeters, causing a form of thermal

studied alternative and nutritional medicine nationally and

damage that stimulates collagen growth and improves the

abroad. Dr. Burkenstock has been tremendously

circulation of oxygen and nutrients to the tissue. The result

successful in treating thyroid disorders, diabetes, weight

is increased lipolysis, or fat absorption.

gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and metabolic

The “Venus Freeze” was developed in response to the

syndrome X. An authority on diabetes, cholesterol, blood

demand for a painless, non-invasive but effective method to

pressure, thyroid disorders and women’s health, she is a

deal with sagging skin, cellulite, wrinkles and circumferential

speaker for Lakeview and Lakeside hospitals as well as

fat gain. Egan says, “We are pleased to be able to say that

Abbott, Kos, Reliant, Bristol Meyers and Novartis

the ‘Venus Freeze’ effectively treats these conditions!”

pharmaceutical corporations.

Pamela Egan is a board-certified nurse practitioner and is Dr. Burkenstock’s Skin • Body • Health is located at 2040

board-certified in anti-aging medicine. The Egan Wellness, Anti-

N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. 727-7676.

Aging & Skin Care Spa is located at 1116 West 21st Avenue,

skinbodyhealth.com.

Covington. 892-3031. pamelaegan.com.

902 Inside I N S I DNEorthside N O RT H S I D E

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

G O O D G R E A T O O K I N G E E L I N G L F

Beautiful, Healthy Gum Tissue is the Foundation of a Beautiful Smile Dr. Marija LaSalle Beautiful smiles start with a foundation of healthy,

further root exposure,

symmetrical gum tissue. Tissue grafting is one of the most

decrease or eliminate

popular periodontal procedures and has been performed

sensitivity, decrease the

by periodontists since the late 1950s; it is very predictable

susceptibility to root

and has improved and evolved over time.

caries and improve the

Gum recession occurs when the tissue begins to pull

cosmetic appearance.

back and expose more enamel or root surface. This may

With some patients,

occur from smoking, grinding, clenching, malocclusion,

other causes of

aging, disease, and/or toothbrush abrasion. Receding

recession will also be

gums not only create an unattractive smile, but leave your

diagnosed and treated.

teeth vulnerable to root decay and gouging since the root is

An increasing

softer than the enamel on the crown of your tooth. When

number of our patients are concerned with improving their

recession is left untreated, bone loss weakens the

smiles. Your general dentist can provide crowns, veneers,

foundation of your smile and your body loses a natural

bonding or bleaching, but if the roots are exposed or the gum

defense against trauma and bacteria. This recession may

level is irregular, you will not have an appearance that is

also result in root sensitivity and an unsightly appearance

satisfactory.

to your gum and tooth.

Periodontal plastic surgery is instrumental in solving

Dr. Marija G. LaSalle has been practicing periodontics

these problems; it will arrest the progression of recession

for almost 20 years on the northshore. To schedule a

and halt the bone loss. A thin piece of tissue is removed

consultation with her at Northlake Periodontics, L.L.C.,

from the roof of your mouth and applied to provide a stable

please call (985) 727-1133. She is located at 1580 W.

band of tissue around the tooth. The graft will prevent

Causeway Approach, Suite 5, in Mandeville.

November-December 2011 91

IN Better Health

by Stephen Faure

with Laurie McCants PERHAPS THE WORST THING that can happen to an active person is to be sidelined from doing all the things you love.

Laurie McCants was a picture of the athletic California girl: an avid surfer, tennis and basketball player and a golfer. But sometime in her twenties, she says, she injured her back, resulting in day-today coping with pain caused by a bulging disc in her spine until she had surgery.

People afflicted by back problems suffer tremendous quality-of-life issues. “I’d go to sleep in pain and wake up in pain; I couldn’t stay asleep 92

Inside Northside

because of the pain,” she says. “I really couldn’t enjoy vacations. Whether we went to Hawaii or Mexico— we even went to Paris and I was just miserable because of the back pain. Who do you know that wouldn’t enjoy Paris? I definitely didn’t.”

While she missed participating in sports and other recreational activities, day-to-day living became challenging as well. “I had been living with pain for 15 to 20 years. Standing, shopping and sleeping were all difficult to manage,” she says. Laurie, busy managing partner of Honda of Covington recalls, “Conventions were probably the worst. You are literally standing and walking for hours at a time.

I’d rather someone just put knives in me than go to those conventions.”

Causing Laurie’s problems was a bulging disc and degenerative disc disease located in her spine at L5-S1. Over the years, she had consulted with different specialists and tried a variety of treatment options. “Whether I was living in California, Houston or Covington, I saw chiropractors, surgeons, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons. I was always told I needed surgery.”

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Health Concern: Bulging disc and degenerative disc disease.

Treatment: Surgery and physical therapy.

ASSOCIATED PHYSICIANS G ROUP A Complete Wellness Center (Formerly Madisonville Chiropractic)

Medical Weight Loss Clinic NOW OPEN • Chiropractor (Dr. Nicky Nicaud) & Massage Therapist Onsite • 3000-sq-ft Fitness Center: GYM 24/7 • Nutrition Consultation CALL TODAY FOR DETAILS OR AN APPOINTMENT

216 Hwy. 21 • Madisonville • 985.845.1825 She sought treatment with the NORTH Institute in Lacombe and underwent physical therapy and an epidural injection as well. She met with Dr. John B. Logan, one of the boardcertified orthopaedic surgeons at the Institute. Again, it was recommended that Laurie should undergo surgery.

“Every person is different, every case is decided upon using a team approach,” says Dr. Logan. “The team includes the spine surgeon, neurosurgeon, practitioners and most importantly, the patient. We use surgery as a last resort after all conservative treatment has failed.”

Laurie remembers, “I kept putting off surgery after I had my first meeting with Dr. Logan. I was scared of the surgery and scared of being off work for a long period of time. In my mind, to be gone a week from work is like being gone a month.” Then she ran >> November-December 2011 93

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Inside Northside

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into Dr. Logan at a restaurant one night and, she says, “He asked what I was waiting on. I really had no good answer because I knew the pain wasn’t going to go away.” Once she made up her mind, she scheduled the surgery almost immediately.

While there are many other options and procedures available to patients and surgeons, in Laurie’s case Dr. Logan performed a procedure called an anterior lumbar interbody fusion, where the surgeon reaches the spine from the front of the patient after making an incision near the patient’s navel. The damaged disc is removed and a device inserted in the space between the vertebrae, which then fuse together over time, forming a stable bond.

“After the surgery, you’re going to have a long recovery process even though they have you walking the next day,” says Laurie, who stayed in the hospital only one night.

Dr. Logan prescribed physical therapy as part of the recovery process.

Laurie underwent physical therapy at Rehab Dynamics in Covington for two to three days a week for six months. It was tough, she says, “But it was so important to my recovery process. They actually strengthen everything around the fusion and do other things that can help with scar tissue.” She’s also had follow-up visits at the NORTH Institute with Dr. Logan, nurse practitioner Arris Brunet and physiatrist Dr. Michael A. Braxton.

It was all worth it, though. Laurie says, “The results were awesome. I’d been in pain so long I’d forgotten what normal is like. You can’t possibly be in a good mood because you’re hurting 24/7. I think the successful therapy and being committed to all that rehab is what improved the overall quality of my life. You can’t put a value on being pain-free.”

photography by: GREG RANDON

g in pt in irie ce ts ta ac tien Me d ow a N w p an ne ond m am H Front row, from left: Richard P. Texada Jr., M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon; Alan M. Weems, M.D., Neurosurgeon; John B. Logan, M.D., Orthopaedic Surgeon; Middle: Susan J. Bryant-Snure, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Michael A. Braxton, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; Top: Dr. Donald D. Dietze, M.D., Neurosurgeon.

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, neurosurgeons 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

Rhonda Eckholdt

sisterhood determined to save lives. These women have made a yearlong commitment to the Go Red for Women campaign through a personal financial contribution of $1,000 or more to help find a cure for the number one killer of women. The Circle of Red participants also help spread Go Red for Women’s message through outreach and by encouraging others to commit to personal and corporate giving. Learn more at GoRedForWomen.org.

As we rush headlong into the holiday season, February—American Heart Month—seems far off in the future. A festive dinner party can be kind to your guests’ hearts and yours, however, if you use these recipes, which come with the AHA seal of approval.

Rhonda Eckholdt Rhonda Eckholdt was born and raised in New Orleans, and when it comes to cooking and heart health, it’s in her blood. She, her parents and her brothers have a passion for cooking; her oldest brother is an executive chef. Rhonda has been married for 23 years to Dr. Gregory Eckholdt, Ochsner cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon, so heart health is always a relevant topic. She has recently tried to become more in tune with a healthier lifestyle by participating in Franco’s Lose Dat program. With the help of her brother, Rhonda

WOMEN ON THE NORTHSHORE are committed to spreading awareness of the leading killer of women—heart disease—through the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign. One in three women has some form of cardiovascular disease, which kills more than 420,000 every year—about one woman every minute. This national campaign aims to educate women about the risks of heart disease and to inspire them to take charge of their heart health.

The six women featured here—Paula Davis, Rhonda Eckholdt, Tina Flick, Janel Gray, Kim LaNasa and Leslie McGuire—have chosen to join the AHA’s Circle of Red on the northshore, a grassroots

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is also changing many of her tried-and-true recipes to heart-healthy ones. “My husband’s occupation has made me aware of the need for education about heart disease among women,” she says. “Through the Circle of Red, I hope to show that lifestyle changes are an important part of heart disease prevention.”

Rhonda, her husband and their three sons live in Mandeville, where they spend most of their free time running, biking and playing basketball and tennis.

Appetizer: Red and Green Bell Pepper Boats 1 medium green bell pepper 1 medium red bell pepper 1/4 cup sliced almonds 4 oz low-fat cream cheese, softened

photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Circle of Red

Photos taken at Simplee Gourmet, Covington.

Heart-Healthy Holiday

1 tsp salt-free lemon-pepper seasoning blend 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Garnish with sliced almonds.

3 pieces per serving; serves 8.

Kimberly Fournier LaNasa

Cut each bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard stems, ribs and seeds. Cut each half into 6 pieces.

Arrange pieces with skin side down on a decorative serving platter. Set aside.

In a medium skillet, dry-roast almonds over medium heat 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Set aside 1 Tbsp almonds for garnishing. Process remaining almonds in a food processor or blender 15-20 seconds, or until finely ground.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, lemon-pepper seasoning blend and lemon juice with an electric mixer 1-2 minutes, or until creamy.

Add ground almonds and beat 10 seconds, or until combined.

Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a wide star or round tip, or snip the corner off a re-sealable plastic bag and spoon in mixture. Pipe

For Kimberly Fournier LaNasa, participating in the Circle of Red was an easy decision. She has always been interested in women’s issues, working as an attorney handling domestic cases involving women’s and children’s issues for almost 10 years.

She also enjoyed volunteering for the St. Tammany Parish Parenting Center by providing new moms with educational information before they left the hospital.

“I’m excited and honored to increase awareness and inspire women to take charge of their heart health through the Circle of Red,” Kimberly says. “Heart disease runs in my family, and with cardiovascular disease being the number one cause of the death on the northshore, I can’t think of a more important issue for myself and for our community.”

Kimberly resides in Mandeville with her husband and their three sons.

about 1 tsp of mixture onto each bell pepper piece.

Kimberly Fournier LaNasa

Appetizer: Cream Cheese Phyllo Bites with Pepper Jelly 15 frozen mini phyllo shells, thawed

Topping 1/4 cup all-fruit strawberry or apricot spread 2 Tbsps minced red bell pepper 1 tsp grated peeled gingerroot or orange zest 1 tsp balsamic vinegar 1 or 2 dashes crushed red pepper flakes

Filling 1 1/2 oz fat-free cream cheese, softened 2 Tbsps fat-free sour cream 1/8 tsp salt In a small saucepan, stir together the fruit spread and bell pepper. Cook over medium heat for several seconds so the fruit spread slightly melts, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cool completely, about 15 minutes. Stir in the gingerroot, vinegar and red pepper flakes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the filling ingredients until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

>>

November-December 2011 97

Gently spread 1/2 tsp filling over the bottom of each shell. Top with about 1 tsp fruit-spread mixture.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed, up to 4 hours.

3 phyllo bites per serving; serves 5.

Cook’s Tip: The cream-cheese and fruit-spread mixtures may be made up to 2 days in advance.

Refrigerate separately in airtight containers.

Tina Flick When she lived in New Orleans before Katrina, Tina Flick was involved in the American Heart Association’s activities on the southshore. As a current northshore resident, she is excited to bring the Circle of Red to this area. Tina’s family tries to focus its philanthropic activities around children

and education. Her goal is to get more families and schools aware of some of the small steps they can take to help stop the spread of heart disease to this generation. “Healthier eating habits and exercise are two simple things we can all do to make our hearts healthier,” Tina says. “While none of us can control what God may have given us with our hearts, we can all make healthier choices to cut back on not only our risk of heart disease but our children’s as well to hopefully not be in that 1-out-of-every-3 number.”

Tina lives in Mandeville with her husband and two sons.

Main Course: Louisiana Chicken and Vegetables 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 oz each), all visible fat discarded 2 tsp salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning blend 1/2 tsp dried thyme, crumbled 1/2 tsp salt, divided use 1 Tbsp canola or corn oil, divided use 1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed and

Tina Flick

patted dry 1 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/2 cup carrot in matchstick-sized pieces 1/2 cup chopped onion (yellow preferred) 1/4 cup water 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (coarsely ground preferred) Red hot-pepper sauce to taste (optional) Sprinkle chicken on both sides with seasoning blend, thyme and 1/4 tsp salt. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook chicken 3-5 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink in the center. Transfer to a serving platter and cover to keep warm.

Add 2 tsp oil to skillet, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook corn, bell pepper, carrot and onion 4-6 minutes, or until beginning to brown on edges, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Stir in water, black pepper and 1/4 tsp salt.

Spoon around the chicken. Serve with hot-pepper sauce.

3 oz chicken and 1/2 cup vegetables per serving; serves 4.

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photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Photos taken at Simplee Gourmet, Covington.

Paula Davis

Cook’s Tip: If salt-free Cajun or Creole seasoning blend is not available, make your own. In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 tsp each chili powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and black pepper. For a hotter mixture, stir in up to 3/8 tsp cayenne. Use 2 tsp of the blend for this recipe and store the rest in an airtight jar. You may want to turn on your exhaust fan when using this and other blackening seasonings over medium-high or high heat.

Paula Davis Paula Davis’ father, who suffered from multiple arrhythmias, died unexpectedly of congestive heart failure on Thanksgiving Day in 1999; her aunt has had a heart transplant. So after being diagnosed with arrhythmia in 2006, Paula knew she had to make a lifestyle change. “Many women typically put others’ needs before their own, often

neglecting themselves,” Paula says. “I realized that if I didn’t begin to prioritize my own needs, I wouldn’t be able to take care of anyone for much longer!” Paula increased the “health and happiness” factors in her life and lowered her stress levels by participating in service work, exercising regularly, getting more rest and virtually eliminating alcohol and tobacco from her life. “I was shocked to find out heart disease was the number one killer of women,” she says. “It has become an important goal of mine to raise awareness of this through the Circle of Red.” Paula and her husband live in Mandeville with their two sons and daughter.

Side Dish: Creamy Tomato Fettuccine Cooking spray 8 oz uncooked 100%-whole-wheat fettuccine (or spaghetti or angel-hair pasta)

>>

1/3 cup chopped onion (white or yellow, approximately 1 small) 1 tsp minced garlic from the jar or 2 cloves freshly minced 2/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese 1 tsp dried basil or 2 Tbsps chopped fresh basil 1 tsp sugar or sugar substitute 1/8 tsp pepper 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, low-sodium, including liquid

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Spray 3-qt saucepan with cooking spray; heat to mediumhigh heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally until onion begins to turn translucent (crisp-tender). Stir in remaining ingredients, breaking up tomatoes with spoon.

Heat to a boil, reduce to low-heat and simmer uncovered 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened. Add pasta to sauce and toss.

Serves 4.

Veg-out: Consider adding steamed squash or broccoli, sliced mushrooms or roasted bell peppers.

Tips on Cooking Pasta: Pasta cooked Italian style is al dente, literally translated “to the tooth.” Pasta is cooked when it offers some resistance when bitten. Don’t add oil to pasta while cooking. It adds extra calories, and sauces don’t coat oily pasta as well. Cook pasta uncovered, using plenty of water at a fast rolling boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Be sure the water is at a rolling boil before adding the pasta.

Pasta—to wheat or not to wheat? Whole-wheat pasta is a great source of fiber and whole grains. Switching cold turkey from “regular” pasta to whole-wheat isn’t for everyone. Slowly transition your palette by beginning with a 50-50 mix of regular and whole-wheat and then gradually go to all-wheat.

Leslie McGuire Heart health is of great importance to Leslie McGuire and her family. She lost her father to a heart attack and both grandmothers to congestive heart failure. As a former teacher, Leslie’s hope is to raise awareness as to how women can reduce their risks for heart disease and live longer, healthier lives. Her personal commitment to a heart-healthy lifestyle includes tennis, yoga, regular workouts at the gym and healthy food choices. Leslie is proud to be a part of the Circle of Red. “My family history is the driving force behind my interest in the red dress movement,” she says. “I am committed to supporting this grassroots effort to spread the word in our community that heart disease is the leading 100

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

in a single layer in an ungreased skillet. Dry-roast over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until just fragrant, stirring frequently. Prepare extra nuts to freeze.

Leslie McGuire

Janel Gray

photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Photos taken at Simplee Gourmet, Covington.

cause of death among women.”

A Kentucky native, Leslie has made Mandeville her home for the past 16 years. She and her husband have two sons and one granddaughter.

Janel Gray was “blown away” to hear that the number one killer of women is heart disease. With no family history of heart disease, she had assumed that breast cancer would top the list. “As the mother of three children, I am always concerned with staying healthy to be able to care for them,” she says. “Also, because I have three sisters, women’s health is especially important to me.” After a friend invited her to the initial Circle of Red meeting, she felt compelled to help spread awareness on the northshore. “I think that knowledge is key,” she says. “The Circle of Red has an extremely important mission that I am glad to be a part of.”

Janel resides in Covington with her husband, daughter and two sons.

Dessert: Cheesecake Dainties Cooking spray

Side: Green Beans with Walnut Gremolata

2 Tbsps crushed low-fat graham crackers

1 16-oz package of frozen cut green beans

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 Tbsps finely chopped dry-roasted walnuts

8 wonton wrappers

3 Tbsps chopped fresh parsley

2 oz low-fat tub cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp shredded lemon zest

1/4 cup fat-free sour cream

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp frozen orange juice concentrate

1/8 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsps firmly packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Prepare green beans using package directions,

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

omitting salt and margarine. Drain well. Transfer to

1/4 cup sliced strawberries

a medium bowl. In a small bowl, stir together the

2 tsps honey

remaining ingredients. Stir into the cooked beans.

1/2 cup per serving; serves 6.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly spray 8 cups of a 12-cup mini-muffin pan with cooking spray. In a small

Cook’s Tip: To dry-roast most nuts, spread them

bowl, stir together the graham crackers and cinnamon. >> November-December 2011 101

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photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Photos taken at Simplee Gourmet, Covington.

Janel Gray

Place wonton wrappers in a single layer on a

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer on

flat surface, such as a large cutting board or piece of

medium speed, beat cream cheese, sour cream,

aluminum foil. Lightly spray both sides of wrappers

orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, lemon juice

with cooking spray. Sprinkle with graham cracker

and vanilla 1-2 minutes, or until fluffy, scraping the

mixture.

bowl once halfway through. Spoon about 1 Tbsp

Place a wrapper in each of the sprayed muffin

mixture into each cooled basket. In a small bowl,

cups. Press down gently in the middle of each wrapper

stir together strawberries and honey. Arrange

so it molds to the shape of the cup and the tips point

strawberries on top of each basket.

out attractively. Fill remaining 4 muffin cups with water

2 cheesecakes per serving; serves 4.

to keep pan from warping.

Bake 6-7 minutes, or until golden brown.

Transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Let cool at least 15 minutes before removing from pan.

All recipes copyright by the American Heart Association. For more recipes and additional information, visit heart.org/simplecooking.

November-December 2011 103

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Men’s Jewelry

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1. Edward Mirell “Pulse Collection” titanium necklace in black or gray with sterling silver and .10ct diamonds, $878. Reine Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, Slidell, 201-7415. 2. Men’s avant-garde Ray Ban Tech sunglasses from the Carbon Fibre Collection, $219. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-7649. 3. 14k two-tone men’s unique stone-finish wave ring, $1,702; 14k white gold men’s wedding band featuring a hammered finish together with milgrain and polished edge, $1,699. De Boscq Jewelry, Mandeville, 674-0007. 4. Lapis gentlemen’s 14k yellow gold ring with .22cttw of diamonds, $945. Lowe’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 845-4653.

6 5

8

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5. Hand-cast silver men’s bracelet by sculptor Rachael Lagarde Bordelon, $557. The Louisiana Art Gallery, Mandeville, 624-7903. 6. Sterling silver fleur de lis cufflinks, $150. Champagne Jewelers, Slidell, 643-2599. 7. Men’s Fossil stainless steel watch with black

7

face and gold fleur de lis, $90. DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold, Covington, 8922317. 8. Men’s Fossil watch with a heavy-duty titanium look in LSU purple, $150. Geaux for the Gold, Slidell, 641-

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0620. 9. Two-tone men’s Signature Series stainless steel watch with genuine mother-of-pearl dial, 11 diamonds and date, $480. Moseley’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-5098. 10. Gentlemen’s stainless Movado watch, series 800, sub-sea quartz, $1,295. Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666.

November-December 2011 105

Pets and their People

by Stephen Faure

Pets: Sara and Lucky.

People: Susan and Ray Schmidt of Mandeville.

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Inside Northside

But the original stray was yet to be found. Ray suggested that they cook some really “greasy” ground meat and place it in the large trap. On an extremely cold evening when they checked the trap, they found the same scared puppy they had been after for months! In their quest to rescue one pup, they had rescued two! The second puppy was appropriately named “Lucky.”

The most interesting part of the story, however, happened when the Schmidts introduced the dogs to each other. It was as if they had been reunited after some long separation. Could they be mother and daughter? Sisters? The Schmidts may never know— but today, Sara and Lucky live happy lives at the Schmidt home. Sara has even learned to run on her three legs! Just don’t call her “Tripod.”

Is your pet unique? Do you share a special story?

We would like to publish articles similar to this one about Sara and Lucky in upcoming issues of Inside Northside. Just write your story of no more than 500 words and send it to editor@insidenorthside.com for consideration.

And look for Pompom the Duck in January-February!

photo courtesy of SUSAN AND RAY SCHMIDT

ON HER WAY TO AND FROM WORK in Slidell, Susan Schmidt often saw a small puppy dodging traffic as it ran across Highway 190. She quickly became obsessed with saving the dog from its inevitable doom. Each morning and each evening, she tried to catch it. After fruitless attempts to cajole the puppy with food and blankets, Susan came to the realization that her tricks were not going to work.

Susan then recruited her husband, Ray, to help with the rescue. They first used a small trap, and then a larger one as the puppy grew. The Schmidts spent many evenings driving around the area and checking the trap, trying to get a glimpse of the puppy—to no avail. Their luck, however, eventually took a turn for the better.

On their typical rescue mission one Sunday afternoon, they thought they saw the puppy about a block away. Ray called out and, amazingly, the dog came running toward the couple! But as it got closer, the Schmidts realized that this was not the puppy they’d been looking for. This dog’s leg was badly injured, and she was walking on her elbow.

The couple immediately took her to the Animal Emergency Clinic, where the injured leg was amputated. Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending on how you look at it—the dog’s owner was never located. The Schmidts’ grandson named her “Sara.”

FINE GIFTS & HOME DECOR

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November-December 2011 107

Books for Gifting IN THIS COLLECTION OF BOOKS, you’re sure to find something for even the most-hard-to-please person on your holiday shopping list. We’ve made it even easier by including prices and where-to-find info.

Design and Architecture A Classical Journey: The Houses of Ken Tate, principal photography by Timothy Dunford, $65. Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights, 249-6040.

Creating Your Architectural Style by George D. Hopkins, Jr., Ph.D., $39.95.

Simplee Gourmet, 892-8370.

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Designer Houses, $135. Studio MV, 867-5601.

Flowers for the Home: Inspirations from the World Over by Prudence Designs by Grayson Handy and Tracey Zabar, $40.

Rug Chic, 674-1070.

French Chic: The Art of Decorating Houses by Florence de Dampierre, $50. Rug Chic, 674-1070.

Seaside Living, $135. Studio MV, 867-5601.

The Louisiana Houses of A. Hays Town by Cyril E. Vetter, $45. Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights, 249-6040.

Victoria Hagan: Interior Portraits by Marianne Hagan, $50. Rug Chic, 674-1070. >> Family meals prepared with the best ingredients are the focus of Chef John Besh’s latest cookbook. He starts with the basics: items to include in a well-stocked pantry and basic recipes that are starting points for any home cook’s spin on soups, rissotto, curries, pasta and more. Subsequent chapters feature weekend breakfasts, school-night dinners and Sunday suppers. Southern favorites are also covered: recipes for fried chicken, barbecue, fish and one-pot meals. The book is beautifully photographed and interspersed with Besh’s reminisces of growing up in the South as well as his reflections on handling a busy everyday life with his four boys and wife, Jenifer. Holiday meals and ideas for a perfect jazz brunch round out the cookbook. Available Nov. 1, $35. Book signing, Dec. 9, Purple Armadillo Again, 643-2004.

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General Interest Ancestors of Congo Square: African Art in the New Orleans Museum of Art, $75. New Orleans Museum of Art, (504) 658-4100.

Statuesque New Orleans by Ashley Merlin, $45.

Creations De Main, 231-7388.

Cooking Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735-1835, $95. The Shop at the Historic New Orleans Collection, (504) 598-7147.

St. Tammany: A Bicentennial Celebration, $25. Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights, 249-6040; Creations De Main, 231-7388; The Shoppes at Coquille Cottage, 206-9226.

At Home with Carolyne Roehm, written with Melissa Davis, $60. Rug Chic, 674-1070.

Big Green Egg Cookbook, $50. Outdoor Living Center, 893-8008.

Come to the Table: Food, Fellowship, and a Celebration of God’s Bounty by Benita Long, $24.99. St. Joseph Abbey Gift Shop, Covington, 867-2227.

Henderson Park Inn Exceptional Taste: Tales & Recipes, $38.95. Henderson Park Inn, (866) 398-4432.

Louisiana’s Best Restaurant Recipes, $19.95. The Who Dat Shoppe, 641-1105.

Inspirational believe, $12.95. the french mix, 809-3152.

Saints: A Year in Faith and Art, $21.50. the french mix, 809-3152.

Thank Him: Living Life With an Attitude of Gratitude by Jane Trufant Harvey, $10. Inspirational Gift Books, askhimbooks.com.

Kids Born to be a Tiger by Jady Regard, $18.50. The Who Dat Shoppe, 641-1105.

My First Who Dat Story by Tom Weber, $19. The Who Dat Shoppe, 641-1105.

One Dat, Two Dat, Are You A Who Dat? by Cornell P. Landry, $16.95. Three Divas and a Sugardaddy, 288-5550.

Sean Michael K. Whistles the Wrong Way! by Irene

Klitzner, $19. The Silver Plum and 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe, 674-4343.

Today Is My Birthday and I Have Nothing to Wear!

by Irene Klitzner and Peggy Adams, $19. The Silver Plum and 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe, 674-4343.

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THOMAS HARTER LOVES HIS JOB. He says, “When you really love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” Ironically, he follows that observation with another: “But, believe me, it’s been a lot of hard work to get where I am.”

Harter is a commercial diver, an occupation that might sound to the uninitiated like someone who takes graceful leaps off poolside boards for a living, but, in fact, is one of the most complex—and dangerous—ways to make a living. Most importantly for our area, the offshore oil industry as we know it would never have developed and would grind to a halt today if not for commercial divers, despite the rise of remotely operated underwater vehicles that now perform tasks traditionally done by human divers.

Divers have a reputation as hard-living risk-takers.

Some might even say crazy. Harter’s hard-living days are behind him, but every day on the job brings its own brand of danger. It’s a life he’s lived since the day he was born, though, and whether the day’s work is as mundane as scraping mussels or as glamorous as salvaging a multi-million dollar drilling rig, he’s well

Diver Down

prepared and trained to keep risks to a minimum.

The job requires a wide array of knowledge and skills. Physics, chemistry, human physiology, biology, hydrodynamics and naval architecture are among the areas of knowledge Harter has learned just to stay alive on the job. He’s had to master skills such as working with metal—both cutting and welding— crane operation, rigging and lifting. Oh, and he’s had to learn how to handle explosives, too.

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

A life in the water “I was brought up with Navy people, all master divers, SEALs, UDTs [underwater demolition team]; people like that. My father, John Harter, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1955. He was an officer who helped run an experimental diving unit, which is part of Naval special warfare,” says Harter.

Commercial Diving in the Gulf of Mexico “Back in the late ’50s and throughout the ’60s, extensive by Stephen Faure technological development in diving—and space—was going on. My dad helped develop much of the diving equipment, doing the editing on the Navy’s diving Diver Thomas Harter tables. A lot of the technology we have now came from at home in Folsom; the Navy, and my father was heavily involved in it.” displayed are his Thomas was born when the Harters lived in modern commercial Annapolis, Md. After John Harter’s Navy career ended, diving helmet and he started his own diving and salvage business there. In a collector’s item, 1977, the Louisiana offshore oil boom beckoned and a Mark V helmet, the family moved to the Tall Timbers neighborhood in last used by the Algiers. “He came to work for Taylor Diving. That was >> U.S. Navy in 1984.

November-December 2011 113

one of the biggest diving corporations at the time. They were doing work everywhere: the North Sea, China, Singapore, all over the world.

“I grew up around water. We had a 42-foot sailboat in Annapolis. We sailed it from Annapolis around Florida to Panama City and kept it there for the summer. Later, we brought the boat over to Lake Pontchartrain and kept it at Eden Isles,” Harter

recalls. “To always be around water was a gift to me.

I enjoyed sailing and swimming and all that kind of stuff. I took to the water like it was second nature, so diving was kind of bred into me.”

Then in the 1980s, the oil boom went bust.

“There wasn’t much work going on. A lot of companies were folding; many people lost their homes. My dad became president at Taylor, but in 1985 he left and went to Pennsylvania to work for the Waterfront Corporation, a commercial diving and marine company. A group of about eight guys came from Louisiana, too,” Harter says.

Harter, who had just graduated from Holy Cross High School, went with his dad and began working at his new company. He recalls, “I started out working in the shop and then worked as a tender supporting the divers. It wasn’t too long before they let me dive.

That’s how it all started for me—at the age of 18.”

An interesting career Since starting out in Pennsylvania, Harter has worked all over the world and in just about every state in the United States where there’s a significant body of water.

up for a dive.

Right: An oil platform Harter helped salvage from the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

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photos courtesy of THOMAS HARTER

Above: Harter suits

“A lot of people don’t understand or realize what is actually buried in the water, the maintenance that goes into handling these types of things and that people have to do that type of work. I happen to be one of them,” Harter says, proudly. “I’ve worked on everything from bridge structures, pipeline crossings, cable crossings and phone lines buried at sea to various types of salvage. I work a lot in the Mississippi; I have quite a reputation for working in the river under heavy current conditions, salvaging tugboats and barges and working at chemical plants, refineries and electrical generating plants, maintaining their water intake systems.

“I’ve been to Bahrain, working for the Navy on a nuclear submarine that had an accident. I’ve worked several jobs in Honduras; I’ve worked in Mexico, Puerto Rico and Canada. I’ve worked in California and the East Coast and every state along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas. Some of the inland jobs have been at massive coalburning plants in Indiana; Princeton, Ind. has the second-biggest coal-burning plant in the country.”

Working offshore in the oilfield entails many different tasks. “We do underwater welding, cutting with torches, pipeline installation, pipeline maintenance and setting and removing platforms. A lot of times, removing platforms and the casing involves explosives. We’re down there setting explosives, then we blast, and the big derricks are there to pick it up,” says Harter.

Harter’s had some interesting, and some sad, moments on the river in New Orleans. In 1997, he volunteered his services to find the body of a boy who had been missing after jumping into the river in the Carrollton area. After several days, the Harbor Police had not

located the body. “I went down on my own, got him and brought the family some closure. The city awarded me the Making a Difference award.”

In 2003, the USS Normandy, a Navy cruiser, was in port. “They were under high security and while mounting some machine guns on the bow, someone dropped one into the water. They called me in to go get it.”

Danger abounds When he goes to work, whether in the open ocean or on the banks of the Mississippi, Harter has to face the reality that he’s entering a world that doesn’t really belong to us.

“You really have to be a fearless individual to be a good diver, to be comfortable in that setting. Someone who’s not comfortable deep in the water in a weightless environment is not going to be able to perform their job, to keep their senses together.”

Cruising sharks and barracuda are normal company when diving offshore, and, he says, “There are some real scary eels offshore. When you get down deep and one of those things starts checking you out, they can do some damage to you. You try to stay away from that stuff if you can. Divers have been killed by manta rays in the Gulf of Mexico. If you’re on the bottom at 280 feet and that manta ray runs into your dive hose, it can pull you straight up to the surface.

I saw one about 22 feet wide. I didn’t know they got quite so big. When you start seeing stuff that big, you really realize, ‘wow, this is a vast world.’”

He’s witnessed some other surreal sights thanks to the power of Mother Nature. “I’ve been involved in hurricanes before Katrina where we’ve gone on platforms and we’re up on a 40-foot deck level and seen fish that were washed up there on waves, and >>

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Harter prepares for a dive offshore.

and supervisors and all the equipment needed to work on the bottom; companies don’t want to waste any time getting the job done. “A lot of times, we work 24-hour shifts offshore, so the diving does not stop. It’s not just a daylight thing. We’re diving 24 hours a day on operations, with two different shift supervisors and with the chambers and the compressors always running.

A lot of times we don’t come in unless there’s really bad weather or a hurricane pushes us in. Sometimes you get on a set schedule where you might be out there for 30 days, come in for a week or two—and then go right back out on a crew boat or a helicopter.

“I’ve had quite a safe career, but it’s a dangerous way to make a living.

I was fortunate to grow up around the older guys, learn from them what it was all about and gain experience as a young man. I’m glad to say that there have not been any fatalities on any job that I’ve ever been on.” Harter

photo courtesy of THOMAS HARTER

massive devastation. I’ve seen dead alligators on platforms that are 30 miles offshore. I don’t know how.”

Being pulled straight to the surface from depth is not a good thing. The foremost danger all divers have to face is decompression sickness, also called “the bends.” The deeper a diver goes, the more nitrogen dissolves into their bloodstream. Coming up too quickly causes the gas to bubble out, causing severe pain or death. Various gas mixtures and techniques like saturation diving allow divers to stay at depth for longer periods of time. Decompression chambers on the dive boats allow the divers to slowly come back to surface pressure. On a 260-foot dive using mixed gas, Harter notes that he might be able to stay down for 45 minutes. He would take an hour and a half to ascend through several decompression stops on the way to the surface, followed by nearly four hours in a decompression chamber, where he has to lie with his extremities perfectly straight, alternately breathing pure oxygen for 25 minutes followed by five minutes of regular air, then back to the oxygen.

“That’s so you don’t get O2 toxicity,” he says. “If you sit there and breathe O2 for an hour, you’d start jumping around like a cockroach that just about got stomped.”

Many jobs call for divers to cut through steel platform legs or the sides of sunken ships or barges, which is particularly hazardous. “When we burn, we use O2 through a torch that’s 18,000 volts; we cut through 3-inch steel like it’s nothing.” But, he says, “The torch generates hydrogen gas that can build up. If it’s not vented, you’re building a bomb; several divers have been killed because of explosions.”

The schedule can be grueling. It’s expensive to hire out divers, tenders

adds another observation that illustrates that his career is different from most others—“I’ve been fortunate enough to keep all my digits.”

While he considers himself to have been fortunate on the job, Harter has had a few close calls in his day. “I had to bail out of my helmet one time in the Mississippi River at about 70 feet. Another time my hose got wrapped up in the propeller of a boat. The captain had backed off the engine, and the tender wasn’t paying attention. The next thing I know, I get yanked off the bottom, but they’re saying they’re not pulling me up. Well, I was able to ditch my helmet before the propeller ended up sucking me in.”

Harter says that living the life of a diver can be rough and that the reputation divers have of being a hard-living bunch is true.

“Some people don’t make it out of that stage. Working offshore for a couple of months at a time, they kind of lose the reality of how to act. When they come onto the beach and get booze in them, they turn into a different kind of animal. Some of the divers I knew died in car accidents or incidents due to drinking.”

Harter’s proud that he is no longer living that lifestyle and has been sober for years. He enjoys traveling and spending time with his family on their property in Folsom, where they’ve lived for some time now. When traveling, he does enjoy skin diving— but nothing too fancy. “Toting all that scuba gear gets to be a little bit of a headache. Snorkeling can be just as enjoyable.”

November-December 2011 117

the Arts IN “We’ve been around the block a few times,” says Christian Serpas of his St. Tammany-based band, Christian Serpas and Ghost Town. For the past 12 years, the band has played not only throughout the “block” of the northshore, but also across the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida, and even Tennessee.

The band’s country-mixed-with-rock style is influenced by the music the members listened to growing up—from Hank Williams and Willie Nelson to Led Zeppelin and The Ramones. Their newest CD, Open Road, is the band’s fifth record.

“It’s had good reviews so far,” Christian says. “I know everybody thinks their last record is their best record, but everyone has been telling us that. We’ve gotten really good feedback, and it’s our best-selling record.”

Most of the recording took place on the

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northshore at Sound Landing in Covington.

Christian was introduced to the studio when he recorded Next Best Thing to Heaven, St. Tammany U.S.A. with co-writer Rick Windhorst for the Louisiana Bicentennial CD. Mixing and vocals were done at the Music Shed in New Orleans.

For a band that’s been around for quite

Photos courtesy of CHRISTIAN SERPAS AND GHOST TOWN.

Open Road, by Christian Serpas and Ghost Town

by artist Susan Sharp

some time, Christian Serpas and Ghost Town have done what was needed to stay together and to stay true to their vision—“We play what we consider to be revved-up country music,” Christian says. “One of the things that is comfortable and cool to me is that three out of the four guys that sat in on the first meeting are still up there, doing it the way we’ve always done.”

Christian (acoustic guitar), Jeff Oteri (drums) and George Neyrey (guitar) were the original three members (all do vocals), with bass players changing a few times. Brian Broussard, who has been with the band since after Katrina, jumped at the chance to sing and play bass with the guys he had been following for years. “He’s a blast!” Christian says.

The band is committed to following their initial purpose—“We concentrate on our own songs and play mostly original music. We play some cover songs, but just not today’s top 40.” Christian is proud of the fact that they figured out how to keep doing it “the way we wanted to do it.” While they’ve seen many bands form and break up since 1999, the guys in this band are here to stay.

“People appreciate it, and there’s room for what we do. We’re not staring at our instruments; we’re performing and engaging with the audience,” Christian says. “We try and make Ghost Town the country band we would want to see. We want to entertain, to put on a show. Each show is different, and that’s what makes it fun for us. Sometimes we are laughing so hard we can’t start the next song and I think, ‘I hope the audience is having as much fun as we are!’”

Christian Serpas and Ghost Town have over 500 shows on their resume. Not only have they performed at many clubs, fairs, festivals, casinos and concert halls, they’ve also shared stages with many country stars—Kenny Chesney, Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam and over 60 others—and have had dozens of TV and radio show appearances. The band has also earned many accolades from local music magazines, including Album of the Year, Musician of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Top Louisiana CDs of the Year.

Though they’ve traveled throughout the greater Southeast, Christian is proud to say that the band is based out of St. Tammany. “I love living here, and I love the people around here,” he says. “St. Tammany has been very good to me and our band, and we enjoy giving back in any way we can.”

SPECIAL EVENTS Saturday, November 19th, 11-4 TRUNK SHOW with Rachael Bordelon of Opulent Metals Saturday, December 10th, 10:30-1:30 WORKSHOP with Greg Arceneaux––build and take home an Acadian sanctuary stool. Call for reservation.

THE LOUISIANA ART GALLERY 813 Florida Street, Pelican Plaza Mandeville, La.

985-624-7903

Tuesday–Saturday 10-4 & By Appointment

For more information about Christian Serpas and Ghost Town, their CD or their upcoming shows, visit csghosttown.com. Don’t miss the band’s acoustic show at K. Gee’s in Mandeville on Friday, November 11, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m.! >> November-December 2011 119

Photo courtesy of JPAS.

Dennis Assaf JPAS on the Northshore

Above: Dennis Assaf.

Below: Untitled by

For more information about JPAS’s northshore performances, visit jpas.org.

Olde Towne Mural Project Olde Towne Slidell has been transformed into an outdoor art gallery by the Olde Towne Mural Project.

Since 2008, nine local artists have painted Slidell scenes using brick and stucco walls in the city as the canvas for their masterpieces.

The project kicked off when world-renowned artist Slidell native Phil Galatas painted a scene illustrating the early days of Slidell. The mural, >> photo courtesy of THE CITY OF SLIDELL

Blake Kentworthy.

Dennis Assaf is committed to enhancing local residents’ cultural experiences by bringing the Jefferson Performing Arts Society to the northshore.

As the executive/artistic director for JPAS, Dennis has been promoting the arts in Jefferson Parish and the greater New Orleans area for the past 34 years.

JPAS’s partnership with the northshore began after Katrina with performances of Annie, The Buddy Holly Story and Will Rogers Follies at Mandeville High School. Since his move to the northshore in 2007, Dennis has continued to bring more of JPAS’s masterpieces to this area.

“We are really committed in a big way on the northshore,” he says. “I want to serve this community.”

Nine different productions will have northshore performances during the 2011-2012 season—Fiddler on the Roof; A Night of Opera and Broadway; Nunset Boulevard: The Nunsense Hollywood Bowl Show; Hairspray; The Bikinis; Flannagan’s Wake; Xanadu; Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood; and How I Became A Pirate. Northshore venues include Benet Hall at Saint Joseph Abbey, the Sidney Fuhrmann Auditorium, North Star Theatre, Northshore Harbor Center and the Columbia Theatre.

Dennis sees a great appreciation for cultural events among the northshore audience. “What we have on the northshore is a hunger for what we offer. There’s an untapped potential to serve this community. This move to the northshore is more than expanding the audience base—it’s trying to plant the seed,” he says. “This has always been a cultural movement. We have always professed more than just ‘buy a ticket and come see it.’ We offer the JPAS experience—you’re going to be informed about the value of the art in our lives as well as the economic impact.”

Dennis has been working for 34 years to get a cultural arts venue on the southshore—and the building is now under construction. “A community without a central, identifiable cultural facility is less than complete, so where there is a shortage in facilities, I find myself leading the charge,” Dennis says. He hopes that the increased cultural events on the northshore will inspire residents to campaign for a similar state-of-the art venue in their community.

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Above: Olde Towne by Phil Galatas. Below: Dockside with RedBean the Crawfish by Adam Sambola.

which depicts Cousin Street as viewed from Front Street by the railroad tracks, shows a growing city at the turn of the century.

“It was really a success,” Phil says. “People sat at the restaurant and watched or walked by and stopped to talk. It was a lot of fun, and it’s a nice uplift for people in town.”

Since the completion of Phil’s project, local artists Mickey Asche, Lori Gomez, Barbara Shaw, Blake Kenworthey, Adam Sambola, Bruce Hume and IN cover artists Milo StephensAsche and Carol Hallock have painted local scenes, including swamp and bayou settings, a celebration of Mardi Gras in Slidell and a beautiful mosaic sign that welcomes visitors to Olde Towne.

For a copy of the Slidell Mural Guide, call 646-4375 or visit slidell.la.us (the link is under Departments: Cultural and Public Affairs). The guide is also available at the Slidell Cultural Center, City Hall, 2055 Second Street; Department of Cultural & Public Affairs, 250 Bouscaren Street; and Slidell Museum, 2020 First Street.

City of Slidell Receives Two National Awards At the annual City-County Communications and Marketing Association conference in Texas, the City of Slidell 122

Inside Northside

>>

photos courtesy of THE CITY OF SLIDELL

“The murals have really helped to beautify Olde Towne,” says Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan. The city has released a mural guide and map that lists the locations of all the murals in Olde Towne. (You can also see Phil’s mural in Baytown Disco—a movie starring Eva Longoria.) Additional murals will be added as funding becomes available.

Above: Deity XIX. Right: George Dunbar.

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Saturday, November 5, 2011 Castine Center - Pelican Park 7:00p.m. - 11:00p.m. $65 Per Person 893-3003 for Tickets

Four Unplugged Buffet by New Orleans Caterers (Jeff Curtis) Open Bar - Martini Fountain Beer Donated by Champagne’s • Dessert by Zoe’s Fine Bakery Money Given Every Half Hour 7:00-10:00

received two national awards for its cultural programming and promotional efforts.

The first-place Savvy Award was presented to the 2010 Paint the Towne Blue event, which centered around The Blue Dog Days of Summer: George Rodrigue from the New Orleans Museum of Art exhibit.

The city also earned a second place Silver Circle Award in the category of Most Creative for Least Dollars Spent for its “Farewell, Flamingos” invitation and celebration, created when the last of its office complexes opened.

George Dunbar’s Deity XIX George Dunbar’s monumental relief sculpture Deity XIX has been installed in the lobby of the Cypress Bend Office Park building in Covington. Commissioned by Brunner Gallery and Steinmetz & Associates for Cypress Bend’s corporate art collection, it was fabricated in Dunbar’s studio on Bayou Bonfouca.

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photos: MARK ST. JANE

Moon Da t s e nce rv a H

The Shoppes at

Coquille Cottage

Best new shop on the northshore!

Antiques, art and one-of-a-kind finds.

504 Water St., Madisonville | 206-9226

November-December 2011 125

Fostering Angels Holiday Classic Tennis Tournament • Franco’s Athletic Club • December 1-4

Great food, festivities, a fabulous silent auction and, of course, great tennis!

Corporate Sponsors: Inside Northside, Snow Financial, Netchex, Franco’s Athletic Club

Event Sponsors: The Kramer Foundation, Loeb Law Firm, Leslie and Mike McGuire, Perino’s Garden Center, Resource Bank, Schneider Paper, Whitney Bank

Food Sponsors: Bonefish Grill, Chick-fil-A, Great Harvest Bread Company, Morton’s Seafood, Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery, Rouses, VooDoo BBQ & Grill

Silent Auction Sponsors: Arabella Fine Gifts, Gretchen Armbruster, Rachael Bordelon, Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Brenda Breck, Sue Capitelli, DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold, Designs in Windows, EMB Interiors, EmbroidMe, Entergy, Fitness Expo, Henderson Park Inn, Jones Physical Therapy, Kent Jacob Salon, The Louisiana Art Gallery, Ospa, Private Beach, Jim Seitz, Dale Stram, Studio MV and many more!

Additional sponsorships available.

For a tournament registration form, please go to www.fosteringangels.org.

To become a sponsor, please contact Jenn Thompson at 985-373-8223.

Fostering Angels is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping foster children assimilate with their peers through participation in sports and extracurricular activities, giving them a sense of pride and accomplishment. Fostering Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.

INGood Company

photo: AMANDA HYMEL

Jo Anne Basanez of Accents and Things “IT’S STILL FUN to get up and come to work every day!” That’s the attitude Jo Anne Basanez has taken to her job every day for the past 30 years. As the owner of Accents and Things in Slidell, she makes it seem like anything but a job.

Though her background didn’t lend itself to retail—Jo Anne studied sociology at LSU—she says, “I always thought it would be fun to have a gift shop.”

Her only experience had been working part time in a Slidell gift shop for one year before she opened her home décor shop on August 1, 1981.

Jo Anne wasn’t completely unprepared, however—her travels abroad with her husband in his military career were a great learning experience.

She says she learned the most when she lived in Germany and in Taiwan for extended periods of time. Her two daughters even attended school abroad. After her husband’s retirement from the military, they had moved to Diamondhead, Miss., but she says she chose to work in Slidell because “I knew that Slidell needed me.”

by Katie Montelepre

Jo Anne and her husband still travel extensively, sometimes making as many as four overseas trips per year. They’ve been all over Europe and Central and South America, and they have visited Japan, China, Mongolia, Cambodia, Thailand and Antarctica— when they were there, it was warmer in Antarctica than in Baltimore!

Her family—which now includes eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren—has taken trips together to Tanzania and Egypt, and the adults of the family recently went on a cruise in the Baltic Sea. “Shopping and buying around the world is a lot of fun and a learning experience,” Jo Anne says.

But she has just as much fun running the store itself—and her secret to success is her willingness to change with the times. “You have to change or you die,” she says. Although they still write tickets by hand instead of using a cash register, Accents and Things has survived by staying current. “We try to keep up with the changes and what’s popular,” Jo Anne says.

“We have evolved over time.” >> November-December 2011 127

The store first opened in Midtown Square, which was, according to Jo Anne, the hottest shopping center around at the time. In keeping with their mantra of changing with the times, Accents and Things moved to Crossgate Shopping Center after 10 years when the popularity of Midtown Square waned.

A major change in inventory occurred at the time of this move. Originally, one of the store’s main product lines was silk flower arrangements, which were very popular when Accents and Things first opened. Jo Anne also offered craft classes, so the store featured a wall full of ribbons, tons of baskets and craft supplies. But after the move, Jo Anne discontinued the silk flowers and the craft classes because her customers’ needs had changed.

Jewelry became the new focus. Accents and Things began offering the Brighton line of jewelry and other accessories, including luggage, shoes, wallets, handbags and sunglasses. Today, it also sells Pandora and Tonobi jewelry.

Home décor has been a part of the store’s inventory from the beginning. For holiday seasons, a large assortment of gifts and decorations is available.

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A gourmet food section, which is especially popular at Christmastime, offers products from Wind and Willow and Robert Rothschild Farm.

Gifts for birthdays and weddings are available in abundance—there’s everything from Trapp candles and Willow Tree figurines to cookbooks and ceramics from artist Dana Whittmann. Lampe Berger oils and lamps and products from Lady Primrose are just some of the offerings. Smaller gifts like bookmarks, nightlights and books are also available. Jo Anne says she likes to keep an inventory with a wide range of prices so even children can buy gifts for their family and friends.

One section that has grown over time is the baby selection. Expectant mothers and their friends can choose from an assortment of baby clothes, stuffed animals, blankets, kids’ books and much more. The shop has been around so long that the pregnant mothers who bought things for their babies 30 years ago are now grandmothers! “It’s been fun to watch the families grow,” Jo Anne says. “We’re on the third generation now!”

She says the best part her job is interacting with the customers. Once again, she claims, “It’s a lot of

fun! Our customers have become our friends—we’ve gotten to know them very well. And they are loyal— we’ve had some for 30 years!” Even the children of shoppers love the store. One child told her mother that she was “playing Accents and Things.”

The loyal customers could hardly wait during the two weeks that Accents and Things was closed for Katrina. When Jo Anne went to take down the hurricane boards (which had notes from customers looking for Lampe Berger oil to get the smells out of their houses), there was a lady waiting who needed a birthday present for her daughter. “Birthdays didn’t stop for Katrina!” Jo Anne says, so even though they had no electricity, they sold her a gift and wrapped it, too!

The employees, who all work part time, are just as loyal as the customers. “We’re family,” Jo Anne says. Her daughter Leslie, now vice president of the corporation, has been working with her mother since opening day. Charlotte and Cheryl, two of her current employees, have each been there for over 16 years.

(The other employees have also worked for many years—it’s a standing joke that if you want to work there, you have to sign a contract for at least five

years.) Most of the employees are grandmothers now, but “we were all pretty young when we first started!” says Charlotte, whose granddaughter says she wants to work at Accents and Things when she “grows up.”

Besides the great customer service, one of the reasons customers shop at Accents and Things is because it’s an “on-the-way” store. “A lot of people tell me they can always find something here,” Jo Anne says. With free gift-wrapping, customers can get a gift at the very last minute—even on the way to a party or event. But if you see something you want to buy later, Accents and Things offers a three-month layaway, too.

For the holiday shopping rush from the first of November until Christmas, Accents and Things will be open on Sundays from noon until 5 p.m. in addition to their regular hours (Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.). Free gift-wrapping and a “wish list” service (both offered throughout the year) round out the holiday necessities, making Jo Anne’s store a fun and convenient place to shop!

Accents and Things is located at 3056 Gause Blvd. in Slidell. Call 649-4273 for more information.

November-December 2011 129

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1. Twinkle in your eye. Clamshell with antique gold leaf interior, $118. Izabella’s Villa, Slidell, 6495060. 2. Angels of light. Iron angels with glass candleholders, $200. Rug Chic, Mandeville, 6741070. 3. Vintage with a modern twist! Silver lizard shade and updated mid-century table lamp in amber and clear acrylic, $260 each. Nancy Robbins, Mandeville, 727-4565 or 789-5770. 4. Royal Tea! From the exclusive Royal Collection inspired by Queen Victoria. Each piece hand finished with 22kt gold: teapot, $225; cup and saucer, $125. The English Tea Room, Covington, 898-3988.

5. Sassy sippin’! Holiday Diva and Holiday Baubles wine and martini glasses from Lolita, $25 each.

Creations De Main, Mandeville, 231-7388. 6. Fresh catch. Crab Flour Sack 30” x 30” kitchen 6

towel, $15. deCoeur Gifts & Home Accessories, Covington, 809-3244. 7. Light up the holidays!

Iron candelabra with rust finish holds eight candles, $65. The Shoppes at Coquille Cottage, Madisonville, 206-9226.

8. Have a blue Christmas! Distressed French cabinet with soft blue and off-white finish and turned legs, $375. Discoveries Furniture & Finds, Hammond, 345-2577. 9. Personalize! Engraved money clip and compact, $25 each. The Engraving Company, Lakeside Shopping Center, Metairie, (504) 837-7378. 10. Enjoy a smokeless flame in a shape of your creation. Oriflamme Fire Table, starting at $1,399. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008.

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Inside Northside

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Inside Northside

Janome • Brother • Pfaff • Fabric • Notions • Patterns Classes • Repairs • Sewing Cabinets • Industrial Machines

3997 Hwy. 190 E. Service Rd., Covington • 985.249.6156 www.sewingmachineoutlet.com

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1. O Holy Night. Four-piece nativity set, $140.

St. Joseph Abbey Gift Shop, Covington, 8672227. 2. Scent the night. Fragrance decanter with grape-wood defusers and 22.5 ounces of scent, $350. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

3. Reserve a spot in your house for guests with this one-of-a-kind, original New Orleans parking meter lamp, $650. The Purple Armadillo…Again!, Slidell, 643-2004.

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4. He’s making his list. Holiday 5” x 7” frame, $25.99. Mandeville Party Company, 674-1605.

5. Christmas cutie! Personalized Storytime Bear reads ’Twas the Night Before Christmas, $40. Suzanne’s Gift Boutique, Covington, 871-1581.

6. Bernhardt petrified wood and metal side table, $633. Georgian Furnishing/Bergerhome, New Orleans, (504) 733-4141. 7. Chop chop.

Marble cutting board with deer and oak leaf details; includes 20 3-ply napkins and matching spreader, $38. Party Cup Express, New Orleans, For custom orders, call (504) 835-5465. partycupexpress.com. 8. HO! HO! HO! Create this Santa hand towel with Janome’s new Janome 12000 and digitized MBX software. Precision Sewing Machines, Covington, 249-6156.

9. Ring in the New Year! Ring and faux diamond pen sets with silver-tone pens, $23 each.

Le Beau Papier, Madisonville, 845-1114.

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1. Cuddle up in these lacetrimmed, 100 percent cotton

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nightgowns by Thea in children and adult sizes, $53-$78. Hestia Luxury in Linens, Covington, 893-0490.

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3. Summer dreaming!

Path to the Beach pastel by Lori Seals framed in Roma Gold, $475. Additional works exclusively at Welcome 2. Celebrate fall with this exquisite lidded brass

Home and garden, Covington, 893-3933.

urn with a laurel wreath, $434.95. Florist of

4. Scents of style.

Lemonwood diffuser

Covington, 892-7701.

by Michael Aram, $95.

Arabella Fine Gifts and Home DÊcor, Mandeville, 727-9787. 5. Enlighten your home or lanai with this attractive metal and wooden chandelier, $685. Perino’s Garden Center, New Orleans,

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(504) 834-7888.

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6. Cock-a-doodle-doo! Decorative rooster fan; available in other figures; $93. The Grapevine, Covington, 893-2766. 7. Be a stand out.

30-inch-tall Vera Vase of silvered metal, $155.

Studio MV, Covington, 867-5601. 8. Perfect for fall! Earthenware bowl by artist Amber Poole, $64. Pineapple Gallery, Mandeville, 626-0028.

9. Sinfully pleasurable! The Culprit red wine from Sonoma County, $16.99. Martin Wine Cellar, Mandeville, 951-8081.

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10. Lantern of light. 9” gold-plated tabletop lantern, $500; available in copper, $300, and nickel-plated, $400. Handmade copper 11

ornaments, starting at $35.

Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights, Mandeville, 249-6040. 11. Inspired decor. Small clay rosary handmade in Honduras, $74.50. the french mix, Covington, 809-3152.

2841 Magazine St • NOLA • (504) 891-6601 Hours: Monday-Friday 9-5 • Saturday 10-5 www.domrugs.com

November-December 2011 135

IN Fashion

with Candice Vaughn

by Maria G. Davis Photography by Abby Sands Miller Hair and makeup by Stephanie Cerise of Kent Jacob Salon FOR THIS FASHION SHOOT, we cast Candice Vaughn, a commercial banker at Resource Bank, in the role of highfashion model. The setting is the New Orleans Museum of Art. Celebrating its 100th year, NOMA provided stunning backdrops featuring its 35,000-work collection with artwork from every corner of the globe. Visitors can enjoy art in the outdoors at the Besthoff Sculpture Garden as well as fine dining and spectacular views of City Park from Cafe NOMA by Ralph Brennan.

Outfitting Candice in sparkle, elegance and architectural details, we subjected her to the bright lights of the camera and were amazed by what came through the lens. She is a beauty—a natural, easy, beauty who doesn’t take herself and all the glam too seriously.

As a new mom to 5-month-old Hailey, Candice is in amazing shape, and the camera loved her. Need we say more?

MD: Candice, this photo shoot was amazing. You were gorgeous. How did you feel doing that shoot?

CV: It was fun, though I was nervous in the beginning. I don’t really dress like that often, so I was not sure of how it all looked. But, I got more comfortable at the end.

MD: What were your favorite pieces?

Candice takes in the extensive African collection on NOMA’s third floor.

Boyod sparkle dress, $295, The Mix. Alexis Bittar earrings, $225, and cuff, $395; Jimmy Choo shoes, $785; all from Saks Fifth Avenue.

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CV: I love the sparkle dress. It was really something. I felt comfortable in the jeans look though—that is more my personality.

MD: Do you think you have a strong personal style?

CV: I think my style is evolving. I can tell I focus on different things since I have been married and have had a baby. I probably dressed a little more close to the body before, but now I am getting more comfortable with myself and wanting things that are a bit more classic.

MD: Tell me where you grew up. Do you think that has had an influence on your style?

CV: My father was a Navy man, so I spent half my life in San Diego, and then Tampa. When I was 13, he was transferred to Louisiana and we moved to Mandeville. I think I have always been the kind of girl who is really comfortable in a pair of chino shorts and a nice t-shirt. I like to be comfortable.

MD: How has being a mom changed the way you dress or changed what you wear?

CV: I definitely dress in clothes that can move with me. I need to be able to pick her up and bend over to pick up toys several times a day, so I

MD: You said to me that as a banker you want

Candice takes in the breathtaking

to look professional and put together. Do

views of City Park in Cafe NOMA

you wear things at work that you don’t wear

by Ralph Brennan. Jeans, $72,

otherwise?

and top, $60; both from Paisley.

CV: I wear a lot of pants to work, but when I am

don’t want to feel constricted in my clothes. I

going out anywhere, I really am a dress girl. I

still like to look very put together, but I have a

like my legs and I feel best in a skirt.

Alexis Bittar earrings, $225, Saks Fifth Avenue.

real need for fit and comfort right now.

MD: Well, we all commented on your legs during MD: What about trends? Do you follow the current trends or do you find them hard to navigate?

CV: I don’t branch out much. I like the trends, but I

the shoot. Fabulous! What do you do to stay in shape?

CV: Actually, I do less now than I did before the

am a very frugal shopper. If I buy something, I

baby because I have less time. But, I was very

really need to know I am going to get a lot out

careful when I was pregnant and ate very well.

of it. I tend to use the trends as just a guide

I play tennis now and do what I can when I

for accessories, but like I said, I really am

have time. I think it is genetic.

interested in keeping it simple so I can get the most use out of an outfit.

MD: I love the story of how you met Hunt, your

>>

November-December 2011 137

Candice goes back in time in NOMA’s Oceanic Art exhibition Red silk dress, $270, Olivier Couture.

Blue stone earrings, $39, Shoefflé.

Candice enjoys the picture-perfect fall day near the aluminum Spirit Gates by artist John T. Scott. Kensie pants, $144; Samuel Dong jacket, $159, and blouse, $99; all from Columbia Street Mercantile.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Know Entry shoes, $79, Shoefflé. Earrings, $75, and ring, $90; both from DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold.

husband. Tell me a little more about that.

CV: When [my family] moved to Mandeville, Hunt and I went to the same high school, and we were very good friends. We were friends all the way through LSU, and I even dated his roommate. After college, he told me about a position in Resource Bank, where he worked, and I applied.

After working there a while, we started dating. Soon after that, we were married. But, it is so great. We have known each other so long, and we were very good friends first.

MD: What do you think he will say about the pictures when he sees the magazine?

CV: I showed him some that you sent me. I thought he would just laugh. He said I was a sexy mommy.

MD: Much has changed in your life since you finished college. How satisfied are you with your current style?

CV: I feel really comfortable in my own skin now. I always try to look put together. I don’t really plan my outfits or spend a lot of time thinking about my wardrobe, but I think it is so important to always look your best. I try to do that everyday.

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Mall of Ac adi a n a L A FAY E T T E

|

La ke sid e S h o pp ing C e nter

M E TA I R I E

|

Mal l of L ousiana B AT O N R O U G E

1281 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, (985) 626-9797 Monday-Saturday 10-6

Women’s Clothes & Accessories

follow us on

Jefferson | 7543 Highway B AT O N R O U G E

Holiday Sales Event Thursday, December 8

November-December 2011 139

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HAUTE CHOCOLATE

1. Smoky topaz faceted stones with eight 5mm garnet stones set in 14kt gold, $1,195. DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold, Covington, 892-2317. 2. Jacket with matching hat, $42; chocolate brown boots, $72. Silver Plum and 1, 2 Buckle My Shoe, Mandeville, 674-4343. 3. Mignon Faget sno ball chocolate pearl necklace, $210. Mignon Faget, Lakeside Shopping Center, (504) 835-2244.

4. Cotton blend dress by Hunter Dixon-New York, shown in coffee, $314. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-7649. 5. Brown feather-printed dress with pockets, $62.

Paisley, Mandeville, 727-7880. 6. Brown Terani evening gown of delicately pleated chiffon with satin ruffle and beading detail, $840. Southern Bridal, Mandeville, 727-2993. 7. Fur and brown crocodile purse, $3,020. Saks Fifth Avenue, New Orleans, (504) 524-2200. 8. Faux Croco embossed handbag, $88.

OSpa at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200. 9. 18k white gold diamond ring with a 1.12ct oval cognac diamond; setting emphasized with 1.92cttw side baguettes and brilliant-cut diamonds on band; $9,225. 18k white gold halo diamond ring with a 1.10ct oval cognac diamond featuring .83cttw baguette and round brilliant-cut accent diamonds, $8,175. De Boscq Jewelry, Mandeville, 674-0007.

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Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Thursday 10am-7pm or by appt.

3426 Hwy. 190 • Mandeville 985-727-9955 • www.hwrosenblum.com

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311 Robert Street Olde Towne • Slidell 985-641-1105

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HAUTE CHOCOLATE 1. Python-embossed Nolita leather bag; 21”W x 18 1/2”H x 5”D; 10” straps, six pockets, magnetic closure; $320. Accents and Things, Slidell, 649-4273. 2. Coiled brown pearl bracelet, $5,995. Moseley’s

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Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-5098. 3. KUT from the Kloth bronzed leather heritage jacket, $99. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789. 4. Chocolate brown cotton and spandex hooded jogging suit with tiger motif: top $24.99; pants, $26.99. Private Beach, Mandeville, 237-6040. 5. Lace-up brown leather Bootie Indigo

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by Clarks, $129. Shoefflé, Covington, 898-6465; Baton Rouge, (225) 924-7100. 6. Espresso faux-fur apron with adjustable neck, $29.95. Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery, Covington, 893-1488.

7. Elegant light brown topaz and diamond earrings in an old-mine cut style, $163. Olivier Couture, Mandeville, 674-6994. 8. Nike Fitdry golf shirts in several colors and patterns custom embroidered with your company logo, $68. Embroidme, Mandeville, 624-9718; Slidell, 649-5055.

November-December 2011 143

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HAUTE CHOCOLATE

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1. NOER brown suede fringe purse, $78. Apricot Lane, Lakeside Shopping Center, Metairie, (504) 849-0900. 2. Two-tone sterling silver and 18kt gold

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engraved fashion ring with cushion-shaped smoky quartz center stone, $875.

Champagne Jewelers, Slidell, 643-2599. 3. Shimmering metallic dress with chiffon overlay by Cynthia Steffe, $395. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797.

4. Brown faux fur blazer by Montanaco, $170. Three Divas and a Sugardaddy, Slidell, 288-5550. 5. Saints boots, $35. The Who Dat Shop, Slidell, 641-1105. 6. Lightweight all-weather jacket with matching tote in leopard print, $183. California Drawstrings Northshore, Covington, 327-7300. 7.

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White and chocolate diamond drop earrings, 1.24cttw, in 14k white gold, $2,750. Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666. 8. Chocolate brown padded half-cup bra and panties by Fantasie: bra, $105; panties, $49. Bra Genie, Mandeville, 951-8638. 9. Chocolate brown satin purse with flower rhinestone accent, $56. Azure Spa, Mandeville, 727-7799. 10. Skin-nurturing, talc-free

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makeup with UV protection and antioxidant benefits: eye shadow, $31.75; bronzer, $36.50; concealer, $16. Egan Wellness & Anti-Aging, Covington, 892-3031. 11. Men’s leather belts with Saints or LSU logo in metal: Saints, $40; LSU, $45. Mike’s Den, Mandeville, 626-9668.

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Quantities from 1 - 10,000

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embroidme-mandeville.com Northlake Shopping Center 985-624-9718 mandeville@embroidme.com November-December 2011 145

842 Collins Blvd., Suite C • Covington • 985-892-2317

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Inside Northside

Watkins-Smith

Charlotte Watkins and the Rev. Joshua Smith were united

celebration included a cocktail buffet, a snorkeling adventure and a Caribbean rehearsal dinner. The wedding ceremony featured Caribbean steel drums; the bride’s father was the soloist. The bride carried birds of paradise flowers and wore a Calvin Klein ivory-colored silk dress with a sweetheart neckline. As a special touch, the dress featured ornamental lace from the bride’s great-grandmother’s wedding gown, added by the bride’s father. Following their honeymoon cruise through the Bahamas

M A R R I A G E

in marriage at Bimini Bay Resort in the Bahamas. Their weekend

photo: ROBERT TRAVERS

Egan-Bundrick

Claude Youngblood Bundrick Jr. celebrated their marriage at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Long Beach, Miss.

Rev. Louis Lohan, and Fine Arts Ensemble provided music for the ceremony. The

Country Club. The couple met at LSU seven

bride wore an Eco Couture vegetable-dyed

years ago. Erin remembers, “The dating years

silk shantung gown in vanilla sky from

flew by as our relationship grew, and we knew

Olivier Couture, which featured a pleated

bride’s strapless empire draped trumpet gown from Olivier Couture featured a sash and pleated

photo: STEVE RANDON

Texada was celebrated last spring at New Orleans

draped sweetheart neckline and a pleated organza banded hemline. Her bouquet was composed of sunflowers, blue

organza detail at the hem. After the ceremony,

delphiniums, white roses and hyperm berries. After the reception featuring live music by

friends and family danced the night away—for

Bottoms Up, the newlyweds spent their honeymoon in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

four hours!—to music from Souled Out. “We are so blessed to have beautiful memories that we will always cherish,” the bride says. The couple enjoyed a honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Dart-Roberts

Molly Dart and Tristan Roberts celebrated their evening wedding at Our Lady of the Lake in Mandeville. Cream, white and spring-green garden roses, lilies and hydrangeas from Florist of Covington were used in the bouquets and decorative flower arrangements. The bride’s satin organza feather-like ruffles on the train.

According to the bride, “It was beautiful, light and flowy”—perfect for dancing the night away to music from MoJeaux at the reception.

After the celebration, the couple honeymooned in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

photo: STUDIO TRAN PHOTOGRAPHERS

sheath gown from Olivier Couture featured

November-December 2011 147

I N

The nuptial Mass was officiated by the

The wedding of Erin LaCroix and Dan

that we would be best friends forever.” The

L O V E

Dr. Paige Mackenzie Egan and Dr.

LaCroix-Texada

photo: EAU CLAIRE PHOTOGRAPHICS

A N D

and the Virgin Islands, the couple is enjoying their new home in Covington.

IN the Spotlight The Look, Heart and Night of Fashion

A new Night of Fashion combined with the Look of Fashion and the Heart of Fashion events to raise nearly $215,000 for the advancement of pediatrics at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. The stylish trifecta was presented by St. Tammany Hospital Foundation, Saks Fifth Avenue New Orleans and Inside Northside.

The third annual Heart of Fashion luncheon, held at Tchefuncta Country Club, featured a cocktail hour with the signature “Purple Stiletto” martini, a silent auction and a New York-style runway show by Saks Fifth Avenue. Each table was beautifully decorated with flowers by Petals N’ Parties.

Guests at the Night of Fashion at the club included not only the stylish ladies of the northshore but their dapper men as well.

All enjoyed a cocktail hour, delicious cuisine, an exciting live auction and a runway show. As at the earlier luncheon, there were fabulous gifts for every guest and a shoe lounge by Saks Fifth Avenue.

Kicking off the September events was The Look of Fashion, a day of services at H20 Salon & Spa. The salon donated proceeds from all appointments to the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation.

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November-December 2011 149

photos: FIELDING PHOTOGRAPHY

INside Peek

Harry and Ju ne Warner at th e grand opening of Th e Women’s Pa vilion of St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Dr. William W ells, Sharon Toups, Patti Ellish an d Pam Ballard . on, Tanya Diane Winst e London nn A r, le Disch illin. cM M and Craig

ns, is, Sue Osbon, John Eva Greg Lemons, Tom Dav re.

Co es Jam ano and Rick Smith, Pizzie Rom

ild Women Bu Chair Karen Slaton with zel.

Marilyn Wen

Carol Ballantine, Da vid Crumhorn and Karen Slaton with Women Build volunteers.

Wide receiver Chris Adema and outside linebacker/ defensive en d Max Morse are on the U .S. Merchant Marine Acade my football team. Chris, a 2008 Mandeville H igh graduate , and Max, a 20 10 St. Paul’s graduate, play ed against each other in high school.

Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West Women Build volunteers show off their fashionable construction wear.

Alex, Melissa and Chris Richier with Saints No. 1 draft pick Cameron Jordan at Geaux for the Gold.

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Inside Northside

Cedarwood students sold pink snacks and donated all proceeds to Geaux Pink Day, sp onsored by Mary Bird Pe rkins Cancer Center and St . Tammany Parish Hospita l.

PHOTOGRAPHY photo: JOEY MICHEL

INside Peek

photo: JOEY MICHEL PHOT OGRA

PHY

(center) teer Andrew Mullet Student Host volun . llet Mu dy Cin d an with his parents, Al

Matt and Mimi Voelkel and Nicole Brouillette.

Willie Paretti an d Don Petitpain with golden retriev er puppy donate d

by Bay and Kr istin Ingram.

Student Host volunteer Andy Short and parent volunt eer Kim Murph y.

ental students Saint Paul’s environm etz, Nick Go tt rre Ga , Tim Pearce yes gather Re Shepherd and Chris ool garden. sch the in rk wo tools for

photo: JOEY MICHEL PHOT OGRA

photo: JOEY MICHEL PHOT OGRA

PHY

PHY

PHOTOGRAPHY photo: JOEY MICHEL

photo: JOEY MICHEL PHOTOGRAPHY

Student Host volunteers Parker Campo, Connor Campo, Jordan Peterson and Connor Bresette at St. Paul’s Jazz N Roll.

Blaise and Mon ica Ernst, Jeff St. Romain and Jil l and Clark He ebe.

Covington resid ent Adam Krai l with baby Benjamin on th e MTV plasma screen in Times Square kicking off the Buddy Walk for the Nationa l Down Syndro me Society. r Ride fundraise the Rock and nered rt pa a Sp Participants in & lub one Creek C ttle childhood hosted by St Center to ba s es tn Fi d oo with Elmw It program. the I Can Do h ug ro th ity obes

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St. Paul’s stud ent Jacob Tullo s won a $50 gift certi ficate from N’ tini’s owner Mark Be nfatti at the 8t h Grade Etiquette Training.

IN the Spotlight Ultimate Tailgate Party

LSU and Saints colors and paraphernalia were abundant at the Ultimate Tailgate Party hosted by the Exchange Club of West St. Tammany. More than 500 guests danced on the oak-shaded lawn and around the pool at Tchefuncta Country Club to the music of Deacon John and the Ivories.

Frank Davis, celebrity judge of the featured barbeque contest, awarded Grand Champion honors to The Swine Krewe. The event raised approximately $35,000 for Danielle Inn, a home for unwed expectant mothers. The Exchange Club of West St. Tammany Parish is part of a national organization that is dedicated to the prevention of child abuse.

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INside Peek Dusty Rhodes, Rhonda Rhodes and Mimi Rhodes.

St. Stanislaus Homecoming Maid Caroline Collins and he r father, Michae l Collins.

is Jacobi, Fr. Dennis Carver, Lou rman Jacobi.

He d an Aloysius Jacobi

The 2011 St. Stanislaus Homecoming Court: Maids Amy Love and Mattison Scardino; Que en Meg Artigues; and Maids Carolin e Collins and Em ily McDermot t.

Jim Thriffiley and Jay Artigues at the St. Stanislaus Tailgate Party.

It’s Geaux Time!

New! Located inside Geaux for the Gold.

Get all your licensed LSU and Saints gear at Geaux for the Gold – the largest store of its kind on the Northshore. Open 7 days a week, and 24/7 online.

Geaux for the Gold Conveniently located right off the I-10 at Gause in Slidell.

796 East I-10 Service Road next to McAlister’s.

985-641-0620

Store for Sports-themed Merchandise

Order products online at www.geauxforthegold.com

Siiri, Brittany and Lennie Quick at the Zydeco Breakfast at K. Gee’s Restaurant.

Page McClend on, Laura Copeland, Loui s Prima, Laurie McCants, Sand ie Burch, Mar ie Hammons, W illie Parretti an d Victoria Witt at the Louis Prim a concert in Co vington.

Sophomores Ta ylor Fournier, Kristen Fayard Ashley Zitzman and n at the Lakesh ore Titans 2010 yearbook signi -11 ng party.

rrow f Tomo ders o a e L e th y ants in mman g Particip of The St. Ta e Risin r o h s h m t r o t N a r progra ’s r b e hambe tee cele m. (Top) West C als Commit a r g ion e pro ine Profess pletion of th Cather , r e y w m D o c n ly ir o the Car rew uillet, a ther, D Emily G , Amelie Pra (bottom) Eric n ; , h la a it o s s u m r n S a M ah Gen rd, Sar Alexis Crawfo lian Carlos, , Jil Young on.

Meghan Rickers l e Lackner Rach from Gir Mandev lS ille with Girl Guid cout Cadette Tro from Ca es Karen op 3103 nada, in , from A 1 of London, Girl Guid ustralia, England es and S and Tere , at the couts’ Pa sa, World A x Lodge. ssociatio n of

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IN the Spotlight Inside Northside Meet the Artist Party

Honda of Covington was the setting for the Meet the Artist Party for the September/ October issue of Inside Northside. The Junior League of Greater Covington, Honda of Covington and Inside Northside collaborated to honor the art contributors to the Harvest Cup Polo Classic Silent Auction.

Cover artist Milo Stephens-Asche was featured along with other contributing artists, who showed their paintings to more than 300 guests. The music

by Christian Serpas and Ghost Town kept the crowd lively. Great food and drink from several northshore eateries were consumed in a festive party atmosphere, making it a very special night.

Another highlight of the party was the collection of beautiful handcrafted hats by the Haute Dames. Party participants were able to try on creations and buy them for the polo event.

Inside Northside is proud to partner with JLGC to present the Harvest Cup Polo Classic, the league’s primary fundraiser.

Through monies raised at this event, JLGC is able to provide support to many local projects aimed at improving lives in the community.

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INside Peek

Meghan Rooney had her blue ribbon tied around her finger by her mom, Laure Rooney, in anticipation of getting her senior ring at Ring Mass.

, Sara Silvan la St. Blanc, nder xa le A Seniors Kay n so an and Ally ngs.

Demi Riord eir senior ri to show th d te ci are ex

(Back) Jackso n Fos, Seth Hagan, Zach Barnet t, (front) W ill Barnett, Br John Fairfax . , FSC, and N ick Pecoraro celebrate Se nior Week at St. Paul’s.

t t to presen graders wai ses. ro d re SSA eighth h it sw r big sister pe, their senio Madison Po l, el u ad M arcia.

B y st Kimberly ri K d Vercher an a th an m Sa

cier and SSA senior mom Charisse Sau reception the at e elin Mad er ght her dau ies. mon cere following Ring Day

Emma Boss ier and Griffin Mason head ing out to the Je suit Homecomin g.

Slidell Art League’s 201 1 Artists of the Year wit h Mayor Freddy Drennan (second from left) at the openin g reception: Lynda Donal dson, Master Artist; Can dace Page, Apprentice Artist; and Esther Trosclair, Tee n Artist.

Bella Angelette, Madal yn Mares and Sydney Smyczynski at the Hannan Cheer/Dance Cam p “Wild About Summer.”

rs presents ioner Mark Mye Tourist Commiss n plunger lde go d with a bejewele for the ng tti Mayor Drennan sh” ribbon cu at the “Royal Flu dition. ad m oo str re phitheater Heritage Park Am

o Bruce DiMartin at and Shelby Rase Day. Hannan’s Book

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INside Peek Reba Weymouth , NP, and Michele Cooper, MD at the My Vitality Rx seminar at Franc o’s Athletic Club.

Slidell fans at the Duck Hunt supporting the LSU Tigers when they faced Oreg on in Dallas.

Jackie Battaglia celebrates her 50th birthday at Galatoire’s with her sister Lesley Wandler.

d Terri Perkins an ll. tre Cu n re Ka

r, Dr. Erica Mange Dr. Lorenz Hamburger and rs at Courtney Roge ing the grand open in ss ne ell W of actic. pr iro Ch ion ot M

Charles “Silky” Sullivan, Candace Watkin s and Mayor Donald Villere at the 25-year celeb ration breakfast for th e Northshore Man deville Kiwanis Club.

and Gail Ayers Shane Mutter, Tony llivan.

Su ” ilky “S and Charles

North Oaks’ Am ie Arnold, Hayley Matherne, Dr. Anthony D. Haase III, Denis e Brann and Betty Devall welcomed the residents of the Independenc e area to North Oaks Primary Care ClinicIndependence.

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Members of Al pha Omicron Pi at Southeastern Lo uisiana Universi ty present a Barbie doll and panda bear to Michae la Alsobrooks fo r the Pediatrics Un it at North Oaks Medical Center .

ris, Vicki Berry, Taffy ersen, Mona Mante Angie Dick, Sheryl Ped lliams and Courtney allwood, Patricia Wi Sm ee Aim , on rris Mo in Slidell that raised with a Purpose event Dusang at a Painting Parenting Center at ell Memorial Hospital Slidell. $490 to benefit Slid Painting with a Twist

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