Inside Northside Magazine July/August 2011

450

$

GULF COAST MEMORIES • NORTHSHORE’S FINEST • DAN MILHAM • DECADES OF LEADERSHIP

JULY-AUGUST 2011 VOL. 26, NO. 4

July-August 2011

Vol. 26, No. 4

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

• • • • • • • • • • •

Hedges Screening Shade replacement Ornamentals Specimen plants Running Clumping ‘Giant’ varieties Wind resistant Over 100 species 24-acre nursery

SALES BY APPOINTMENT

38124 Hwy 440 Mt. Hermon 6 miles west of Franklinton

985.795.2300 www.bamboogardensla.com

Publisher Lori Murphy –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Associate Publisher Poki Hampton Editor Jan Murphy Art Director Brad Growden Editorial Staff Writer Stephen Faure Editorial Assistant Katie Montelepre Contributing Photographer Abby Sands Miller Contributors are featured on page 14.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Business Manager Jane Quillin Advertising Account Executives Brenda Breck Shawna Hunt Poki Hampton Candice Chopin Laizer Jolie McCaleb Barbara Roscoe Graphic Designer Julie Naquin Interns Jenny Bravo Michael Gegenheimer –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For advertising information (985) 626-9684 phone 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 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Pools

•

Ponds • Gardens • Waterfalls Caves • Grottos • Walls

Perry McNeely

•

On the cover Artist Zachary Cummings –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INSIDE NORTHSIDE MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copyright ©2011 by M and L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher.

Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork.

985.951.8787

www.bcrockforms.com find us on facebook 6

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

featuring Decades of Leadership 2011 (Follows page 98)

departments 10 Publisher’s Note 12 Inside Input 14 Contributors 18 Inside Scoop 30 Worthy Causes Northshore Families Helping Families.

32 IN Better Health Stephen Jennings.

table of

contents 136 Real Estate Spotlight First impressions.

140 Last Bite Local favorites to try at home.

141 Inside Dinning 146 In Great Taste Saia’s Super Meat Market Allan Tyrone.

34 Book Report Beach reads.

16 Art, Meet Science.

Science, This is Art Cover artist Zachary Cummings.

36 Eclectic Energy Recovery with style.

42 Francie and John A marriage of creativity.

50 Better Than Home Cooking!

St. Tammany’s award-winning school lunch program.

62 Not to Miss in Mississippi There’s more than the beach!

108 IN Fashion With Peter Link.

68 Blue Skies Dan Milham: Profile of a retired weatherman.

112 Inside Look The Coral Corral.

120 IN Love and Marriage Notable northshore weddings.

76 Bonnie McElveen-Hunter The Tiffany Circle of the American Red Cross.

123 IN the Spotlight Celebration of Discovery.

80 Northshore’s Finest 2011 Honorees Supporting a cure for cystic fibrosis.

124 Inside Peek

page 68

127 IN the Spotlight TLC’s Derby Day for Cancer Care.

page 62

features

56 Worth More Than Gold Memories of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

104 Flourishes Treasures for your pleasure.

130 IN the Spotlight 2011 Rich Mauti Tennis Classic.

page 36

92 Greece Mediterranean love letter.

101 Bogue Chitto State Park A new get-away.

profiles 96 Dr. Chevies Newman, OB/GYN 137 Pinnacle Mortgage Group 139 Louisiana Veterinary Referral Center

page 112 J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

9

One heart at a time

by Lori Murphy In the snail mail world, chain letters made their way through my mailbox several times a year, for everything from recipes to postcard collecting. Technology has changed everything, and with e-mail, these letters are no exception. I get too many. I hate the pressure they often exert to forward them to my contact list, and rarely do.

That said, I think this is worth sharing in the hope that you, too, will be touched by its purpose and reminded of your own blessings on these hot summer days.

In September of 2010, Hartley was born to the Doussan family in Mandeville. Diagnosed with Down syndrome and congenital heart failure, she would likely not have lived past 18 months without surgical intervention. They were fortunate to locate the best surgeons to repair her heart, and she has been perfect since her surgery was completed in late December.

After such an ordeal, it is a very special family that decides to reach out and make a difference for other families facing these challenging circumstances. The Doussans learned that the parents of most children in the world diagnosed with this heart condition are either unable to afford this surgery or unable to find properly trained physicians in their country. They sadly watch their child die.

Hartley’s Heart Foundation was created this spring as a non-profit with a goal of organizing and funding medical mission trips for pediatric heart surgeons and their medical teams. Hartley’s doctors had conducted such trips in the past and expressed a desire to continue. The foundation will help fund these trips, with an added emphasis on educating local physicians and surgical teams to perform these lifesaving surgeries in the future without assistance. The Doussan family is operating the foundation themselves to ensure that 100 percent of the funds are put to good use, and the physicians have all agreed to pay their own way!

This October, Hartley’s Heart Foundation will sponsor its first trip. One child, one heart at a time, the team will bring wonderful possibilities to Asuncion, Paraguay, performing 10 open-heart surgeries and numerous other cardiovascular procedures.

If you want to help this mission to Paraguay or learn more about the life-giving goals of Hartley’s Heart Foundation visit www.hartleysheartsfoundation.org.

I hope you agree that this was worth passing along. Best of luck to Hartley, her family and the medical teams that are making this outreach possible.

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

photography by: GREG RANDON

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.

Working Together for Total Health.

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 29301 North Dixie Ranch Road, Lacombe • I-12 Exit #74 • www.northinstitute.com

INside Input I N S U R A N C E

The Professional Insurance Agency

Lauren Markezich with Amelia, Rosalie and Celeste.

Serving our customers and our community on the Northshore since 1938.

Dear Inside Northside: When I picked up the May-June issue of your magazine, the article titled “Do-It-AllMoms” caught my eye, since I proudly consider myself one of those. The moms featured in your article all have done wonderful things for themselves, their families and their communities. The article, however, left me feeling hurt and somewhat invalidated. The article spoke of a specific

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type of mom and it wasn’t me. I, like many

My three children are not the pictureperfect children described in the article, either. My daughters are all intelligent, beautiful and talented; they also struggle with a variety of health and learning problems. I spend a lot of time teaching them to embrace their challenges and to lead with their strengths.

My commitment to Mandeville’s children doesn’t end with my own three daughters.

As a teacher, I feel like I have 300 children,

other women, am a single mom.

and I do. Besides teaching them course

Each of the moms in your article credited their husbands’ support of the family as instrumental in their success. I do everything for my family, from paying the bills and

content, I also get to know each one as an

getting the trash out to creating family traditions and talking to their teachers. There is no fallback; it’s me.

Since I am ultimately financially responsible for my children, I work full-time.

As a teacher, it is not unusual for me to work 60 hours a week. My children feel my absence, but they understand the circumstances.

I do not have the resources to enroll my children in every activity they would like to try. Instead, we focus on the less expensive activities: Pelican Park sports, church activities, after-school groups, volunteer work.

Having to make choices doesn’t mean that my children aren’t getting what they need to become successful adults.

individual and reflect back to each what makes him or her special.

In no way do I intend to minimize the wonderful accomplishments of the women featured in your article; they deserve validation for their successes, hard work and commitment to their families and others. But so do I and the many others like me. Not to include moms like me in your article was an oversight. We already feel

guilty about not being able to give our kids the white picket fence ideal. An article like yours adds to the feeling that we have somehow failed ourselves and our children, when in fact the opposite is true. We are truly the moms who do it all. Maybe next time, you will be able to cast your net a little wider when deciding who to include in an article like this one.

Sincerely, Lauren Markezich Lauren, I am so sorry that our feature left you feeling like you were on the outside. Thank you for taking the time to let me know.

When I first read your letter I wasn’t sure how to respond. We did not mean to imply that these represented the only type of moms that is worthy of praise and recognition. Originally, we planned the article as a roundtable, but we couldn’t get the busy moms together, so we did the separate interviews. Some on our editorial staff did express a concern that different types of moms were not included, specifically mentioning single moms. My response at the time was that it would be impossible for us to include everyone and that that wasn’t our intention. Your letter showed me, very eloquently, the weakness in my argument.

We tried to make lemonade—but regrettably, our efforts fell short for you.

Please know that every time we build an issue, it is our goal to gather the northshore together. Sometimes, as in your case, we don’t succeed. Please hang on to my e-mail address and share feedback with me whenever you like.

Thank you for letting us share excerpts from your letter—and for sending the delightful picture of you and your girls. I regret that space did not allow us to print your letter in full.

– Lori Murphy Publisher

Contributors

Karen Hales Before venturing off to join boutique marketing firm Markit360 as public relations director, Karen Hales was marketing coordinator for Slidell Memorial Hospital. A Buffalo, N.Y., native, she worked for five years as a newspaper reporter, earning a New York State Publishers Association Award before moving to California’s Yosemite National Park. She came to the New Orleans area “by way of steamboat” in 2003, when she became public relations director for the former Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Karen also is a yoga instructor in Slidell. She and her husband, Lee, have two children.

Robyn Richmond An engineer still serving the oil and gas industry, Robyn Richmond is the owner of The Main Office in Mandeville, where businesses share professional resources at hourly rates. Robyn works with companies of all sizes, enhancing their image and efficiency while cutting their overhead costs. The office also serves as a gallery for Robyn’s original works of art. She, her husband, Wayne, and their two sons live in Mandeville.

Eric Suhre Eric Suhre is new media director with Innovative Advertising in Covington and a freelance photographer. Art is his passion, and creating art for his clients though photographs and graphic and web design is his goal. Laughter is mandatory for Eric—he brings a sense of good humor and fun to every project. He enjoys golf, working in his yard, cheering for the Saints and spending time with good friends and family. Eric and his wife, Nicole, reside in Covington with their dog, Stewie; they are expecting their first baby in January.

Contributors: Maria Davis, Melissa Eugene-Duplantier, Poki Hampton, Abby Sands Miller, Terri Schlichenmeyer and Webb Williams.

by Stephen Faure BLESSED ARE THE FEW who know right away what direction they’re going to take when starting college.

It’s a common freshman dilemma. It’s a good thing Zachary Cummings didn’t have his heart set and mind focused on something like accounting or prelaw when he started at LSU. Zach’s interests led him

alongside the history of science. In a way, they sort of follow each other. Sometimes art may precede physics; sometimes physics would influence art.”

He cites the often-explored topic of Einstein’s theory of general relativity and the cubist art movement of artists such as Picasso and Braque. “The

to higher realms. He’s just graduated with dual

cubist idea of fragmented space and general relativity’s

degrees: a bachelor of fine arts in studio arts and a

multiple perspectives influenced a lot of the cubist

bachelor of science in physics—along with minors in

work that’s influenced me.”

French and art history. A strange combination, you might think, but for Zach, it’s worked out well.

The Baton Rouge native says he did a bit of

Quantum mechanics is another area of physics that comes into Zach’s mind as he’s creating abstract work. “When you paint abstract, you don’t paint

Art, meet science. Science, this is art.

Cover artist Zachary Cummings

objects as recognizable things. I would think of it as multiple things, or many things combined. The viewer interprets them in the same way that a particle’s wave functions are the superposition of many different states before the observer measures them.” Art, Zach feels, can be a universal language, like math, but unlike math, it’s a language that appeals to both one’s emotions and intellect. While that may seem a bit esoteric, his ideas have translated into a couple of pieces painted for his senior show that were chosen for an exhibit at the Shaw Center for the Arts in Baton Rouge. His scientific studies have obviously had a major influence on Zach and his art.

they took us to Westbury and Governor’s Island.”

This month’s cover piece is of a wooded scene from a session at Westbury.

For Zach, his varying interests complemented each other. “It’s interesting to see the history of painting 16

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

Zach’s work can be seen online at zacharycummings.weebly.com.

photo: ANNA KAYA

painting in high school. “But in my third semester in college I took a painting class under professor Denyce Celentano. I took to it so well she recommended that I take a class in New York for the summer.” The summer program he entered was at the New York Studio School, which offers intensive marathon workshops in different subjects. Zach chose a landscape session. “We went out for a few weeks;

He’s also spent a lot of time working in science fields, in 2009 as an intern at Caltech and at Caltech’s LIGO observatory facility in Livingston, La. In 2010, as a Starlab program instructor, he developed an astronomy curriculum for elementary school students in Zachary, La. But it’s art that has won his attention postgraduation. He’s been accepted into the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, where he will pursue a master of fine arts degree in studio arts. “I really didn’t want painting to be just a hobby. I found I connected more with the professors and the students in the college of art, and I think it made for a more meaningful experience.”

Meet the Artists!

Meet cover artist

Zachary Cummings and featured artists

John Hodge and Francie Rich and see some of their favorite art works on display at

ShoefflĂŠ 228 N. Columbia St., Covington

Thursday, July 21 5:30-7:00 pm For more information, call

626-9684

Everyone’s Invited!

July 1-4 Mandeville Seafood Festival. Fontainebleau State Park. Fri, 4pm-midnight; Sat-Sun, noon-midnight; Mon, noon10pm (fireworks, 8:45pm). Tickets: early bird special (before 5pm), $5; all-day pass, $15 (online, $10); weekend pass (online only), $30; seniors 65 and over, Active Duty Military, children 10 and under (with adult), free. 624-9762. seafoodfest.com.

INSIDE The definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment.

August 26-27 31st PIG Golf Tournament and Party. Benefits disadvantaged children and seniors on the northshore. Four-man shamble with drinks and food along the course.

Party music from Four Unplugged, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, raffle and silent auction.

Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. Fri: tournament registration, 11am-12:30pm; shotgun start, 12:30pm; awards, 5:30pm. Sat: party, 7-10:30pm. Tournament, $200 (includes pig roast

July

after golf and 2 PIG Party tickets); PIG Party, $75. Melanie Roth, 845-4220. pigcharity.org.

1 Grand Reopening of The Frame Shop.

(fireworks, 8:45pm). Tickets: early bird special

Madisonville Marketplace, 408 Covington St.,

(before 5pm), $5; all-day pass, $15 (online,

Influence on Western Art. Mississippi

Madisonville. 10am. 845-1001.

$10); weekend pass (online only), $30; seniors

Museum of Art, 380 S. Lamar St., Jackson,

65 and over, Active Duty Military, children 10

Miss. Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, noon-5pm.

1 Take it to the Tracks. First Friday block

and under (with adult), free. 624-9762.

$5; seniors (60+), $4; students, $3; children 5

party. Chris Gray band, beer tasting,

seafoodfest.com.

and under, free. (601) 960-1515 or 866-VIEW-

Hammond’s Hottest Talent competition. 100

1-17 The Orient Expressed: Japan’s

ART. msmuseumart.org.

block of N. Cate St., Hammond. 6-10pm.

1-10 The Threads of Memory: Spain and

Free. 542-3471. dddhammond.com.

the United States. Illustrating more than 300

1-29 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the

years of Spanish influence in the settlement of

Month. Louisiana Junior Duck Stamp Art

1-4 33rd Annual Car Show & Cruise. In

the United States. Historic New Orleans

winners. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E.

conjunction with Mandeville Seafood Festival.

Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-

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

Fontainebleau State Park. Daily car cruises,

Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm.

Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

Fri-Sun. Car show, Mon: registration, 8am;

(504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

awards, 4pm. Pre-registration, $25; onsite

1-Aug 14 The Golden Legend in the New

registration, $30 per vehicle. Mike Pausina,

1-17 Ancestors of Congo Square: African

966-3165 or mpausina@aol.com.

Art at the New Orleans Museum of Art.

Viceroyalties. The Historic New Orleans

seafoodfest.com.

NOMA, One Collins Diboll Circle, City Park,

Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-

World: Art of the Spanish Colonial

New Orleans. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm. $10;

Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm.

1-4 Mandeville Seafood Festival.

seniors (65+) and students, $8; children 7-17,

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

Fontainebleau State Park. Fri, 4pm-midnight;

$6; children 6 and under, free; Wednesdays,

Sat-Sun, noon-midnight; Mon, noon-10pm

free. (504) 658-4100. noma.org.

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

1-Sept 7 Joe Beyrle: A Hero for Two

Nations. American Airborne soldier who fought with both the American and Russian forces in World War II. The National World War II Museum, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans. Sun-Sat, 9am-5pm. (504) 528-1944, ext. 237. nationalww2museum.org.

1-Sept 12 Holding Out and Hanging On: Surviving Hurricane Katrina. 14 gelatin silver print portraits of storm survivors by photographer Thomas Neff. The Presbytere, 751 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. Adults, $6; children under 12, free. (504) 568- 6968. crt.la.gov.

1-Sept 25 Race: Are we so different?

Exhibit by the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum.

The Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans. Tues-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. Free. crt.la.gov. follow us on

2 Fourth of July Celebration. Live music from Stardust, bonfire on the beach! Bogue Chitto State Park, 17049 State Park Blvd., Franklinton. 7:30-10:00pm. Free with $1 park admission; 3 and under, free; 62 and over, free. 839-5725 or boguechitto_int1@crt.state.la.us.

LAKESI DE SHOP P I NG CEN T ER | M E TA I R I E

Ma l l o f L o usia na J ef f er so n H ig h way B AT O N R O U G E

crt.state.la.us.

2 Old Fashion Family Fourth. Music, food and fireworks. Bogue Falaya Park, Covington.

6-9pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

2-30 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free.

Danny Blackburn, 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org.

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.

2-30 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515 or mandevillemarket@gmail.com. mandevilletrailhead.yolasite.com.

4 14th Annual Slidell Heritage Festival.

Heritage Park, Slidell. 3-11pm. $7; 12 and under, free. 646-0563. slidellheritagefest.org.

Dr. Kevin M. Plaisance Obstetrics & Gynecology 200 Greenbrier Blvd., Covington 985.893.3777

♼ 5, 12, 19 Play Pals. Parents/caregivers >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

19

Inside Scoop and children 16-30 months have fun and learn together. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:3011:15am. $24 per month; members, $15.

898-4435. ♥ 5, 12, 19 Pre-K @ Play.

Parents/caregivers and children 2 1/2-4 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.

6-27 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.

7 Annual Membership Meeting. Open to St. Tammany Art Association members; nominations for board members due 7/2. 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 6:30pm. 8928650. staa.org.

7 Theology on Tap. Speaker/discussion series for ages 21 to 35; Dr. John Bergsma presents “Is the Old Testament Relevant Today?” The Abita Brewery Visitor Center, 21084 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs. 6:30pm.

Michelle Seghers, 373-2656.

StPeterParish.com. ♥ 7, 14, 21 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.

8 Building on Faith Wall Raising Ceremony. Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West. Faith community volunteers (ages 16+) and supporters are welcome. Call for exact location in Madisonville. 9am. Laurel, 893-3172, ext. 222 or volunteer@habitatstw.org. habitatstw.org.

8 Who’s on First? Block Party. Live entertainment, artists, shopping, food and drinks. 1st and Erlanger streets, Slidell. 5:309pm. Free. Gene Duvic, 639-3340.

8-24 Rent. Musical (rated R for adult themes/language). Playmakers Theater,

>>

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

21

Inside Scoop 19106 Playmakers Rd., Covington. Thurs-Sat,

624-7216. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

OnlineSoccerAcademy.com.

8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $25; students, $15.

9 Reimer’s Musical Theater. Variety show.

11-15 Pinocchio. Theater camp; Fuhrmann

Reimer’s Theater, behind First Christian

Auditorium, 317 N. Jefferson Ave., Covington.

8-29 25th Annual Putnam County

Church, 305 E. Charles St., Hammond. 6:30-

9:30am-2:30pm. $185; members, $175.

Spelling Bee. Musical comedy. Cutting Edge

9pm. Donations welcome. Jake Drude, 345-

Performances Fri and Sat. St. Tammany Art

Theater, 747 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri and Sat,

3752 or 345-0374.

Association, 892-8650, or

8pm. $18.50. 649-3727 or 639-8294.

freewebs.com/reimersmusicaltheater/index.ht

info@sttammanyartassociation.org.

cuttingedgetheater.com.

m.

893-1671. playmakersinc.com.

sttammanyartassociation.org.

11-23 Treasure Island. CAST theater camp,

8-31 The Art of Tiffany from the

9-Aug 13 46th Juried Artists Exhibition.

ages 7-14. 70326 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs.

Collection of Mary Ellen Whiddon. Tiffany

St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N.

$225. Performances: Fri, 7pm; Sat, 2pm and

glass exhibit. Slidell Cultural Center, 2055

Columbia St., Covington. Opening reception:

7pm. 590-3645. DramaAndMusic.com.

Second St., Slidell. Opening reception: Fri,

Fri, July 9, 6-9pm; gallery: Tues-Fri, 10am-

July 8, 7-9pm; gallery: Tues-Fri, noon-4pm;

4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. Free. 892-8650 or

12 Professional Women of West St.

Sat, 9am-noon. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

info@sttammanyartassociation.org.

Tammany Luncheon. Keith Young’s

sttammanyartassociation.org.

Steakhouse, 165 Hwy. 21, Madisonville.

Networking, 11:30am; luncheon, noon.

9 Bastille Day Celebration. Boudin, jambalaya, music by Bernie David and the

9, 23 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St.,

Members, $24; non-members/guests, $29;

Cajun Friends. St. Tammany Parish Library,

Hammond. 8am-2pm Free. 542-3471.

register by noon on 7/8. pw-st.org.

Folsom Branch, 82393 Railroad Ave. Noon-

dddhammond.com.

13 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon.

2pm. Free. Registration required, 796-9728. sttammany.lib.la.us.

11-15 Jared Montz Mandeville Youth

Reservations required. 845-0013 or

Soccer Camp. Pelican Park, Mandeville.

infonewcomers@aol.com.

9 Madisonville Art Market. Tchefuncte

9am-noon. Emily Montz, (847) 630-4739 or

Riverfront, Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free.

Emily@JMsoccer10.com.

13 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street.

Vocalists from Bon Operatit! The Inn On

6:30pm. Michelle Seghers, 373-2656.

Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New

StPeterParish.com.

Orleans. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 5247611. innonbourbon.com.

St. Tammany Art Association. Downtown Covington. 6-9pm. Free. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

14-17 Once Upon a Mattress. Young Actors Theatre (grades 8 and 9). Slidell Little

16 Folsom Community Farmers Market.

13 Women Build Kick Off. Silent Auction,

Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr., Slidell. Thurs, 7pm;

Railroad Ave., Folsom. 9am-1pm. 796-9833.

hors d’oeuvres and live jazz music. Clarion Inn

Sat, 7pm; Sun, 1pm. $10. 643-0556.

villageoffolsom.com.

7:30pm. Free. Jennifer, 893-3172, ext. 230 or

15 Sunset at the Landing Concert.

16 Harvest Festival. Barbeque, wine,

jmoskowitz@habitatsw.org. habitatstw.org/wb.

Columbia Street Landing, Covington. 6-9pm.

concert by Mountain Standard Time.

Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

Pontchartrain Vineyards, 81250 Old Military

& Suites Conference Center, Covington. 5:30-

14 Preparing for Childbirth. Birth process,

Rd. (Hwy. 1082), Bush. Picking, 4pm; barbeque, 6pm; concert, 6:30pm. Picking,

epidural anesthesia and postpartum care.

15-16 Justin Alexander Bridal Gown

Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington.

Trunk Show. Receive a $250 veil credit with

dinner and concert, $20; concert only, $10.

6:30-9:30pm. Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW.

purchase of your Justin Alexander gown;

892-9742 or

gowns starting at $1100. Olivier Couture,

winery@pontchartrainvineyards.com.

1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri,

pontchartrainvineyards.com.

14 St. Tammany Photographic Society Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320

10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointments

N. Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-

required, 674-6994.

16-17 St. Tammany Home & Garden

15-17 Lil’ Abner. Young Actors Theatre

6pm; Sun, 11am-5pm. 882-5002 or

14 Theology on Tap. Speaker/discussion

(grades 10-12). Slidell Little Theatre, 2024

jessica@sthba.org. sthba.org.

series for ages 21 to 35; Jason Angelette

Nellie Dr., Slidell. Fri, 7pm; Sat, 1pm; Sun,

presents “Caught between Saturday Night

7pm. $10. 643-0556.

8650. stphotosociety.org.

Show. Castine Center, Mandeville. Sat, 10am-

and Sunday Morning.” The Abita Brewery Visitor Center, 21084 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs.

♥ 18, 25 Children in the Middle—Adult session. (2-part series) How to help children

16 Bastille Day Celebration. Presented by

of divorcing parents. STPH Parenting Center, >>

Inside Scoop 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-

Life Well Planned

9pm. $35/person; $45/couple. 898-4435. ♥ 18, 25 Children in the Middle— Children’s session. (2-part series) Help for children of parents in (or have completed) Children in the Middle sessions. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435.

20-24 Tales of the Cocktail. Cocktail and culinary event. Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., New Orleans. Various times and ticket prices. talesofthecocktail.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.

21 A Women’s Day of Infinite Possibilities. Speakers, fashion, business tips and networking. Covington Presbyterian

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

Church Social Hall, 222 S. Jefferson St., Covington. 9am-3pm. Members, $30; nonmembers, $35; includes lunch. womeninfinitepossibilities@gmail.com. wipgroup.org.

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

Paul Snow 21 Live & Local Series. Beer tasting of three Abita Beer brews, live musical performance. The Inn On Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 6-8pm.

Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com.

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

Relax and Enjoy

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW.

We offer custom services:

21 Theology on Tap. Speaker/discussion

Pools • Spas Pool renovations Brick • Flagstone • Pavers Concrete Outdoor kitchens Fireplaces • Fire pits Cabanas • Pergolas Landscaping • Lighting Drainage

series for ages 21 to 35; Dr. Herb and Lisa Flood present “Reeled in from the Real World.” Abita Brewery Visitor Center, 21084 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs. 6:30pm. Michelle Seghers, 373-2656. StPeterParish.com.

23 Chris Duhon Foundation Golf Tournament. 4-man scramble benefit for

State Licensed Landscape Architect and General Contractor.

Fully insured.

Original presentations customized to suit your specifications.

Ability to work within budgets.

Stand Tall Foundation. Oak Harbor Golf Club, Slidell. Registration, 10:30am; start, 12:30pm. chrisduhomstandtall.org.

23 Christmas in July. Open houses at

riverlandscape.com

participating businesses. Old Mandeville Business Association. Old Mandeville.

985.727.0596 • 504.382.5217 24

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

oldmandevillebiz.com.

>>

Inside Scoop 1-Sept 7 Joe Beyrle: A Hero for Two 23 Jewel of Madisonville Gala and

30 Breastfeeding Class. Lakeview Regional

Nations. American Airborne soldier who fought

Auction. Benefiting St. Anselm’s building fund.

Medical Center, Covington. 10am-noon.

with both the American and Russian forces in

Food, drinks, live and silent auctions, music by

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW.

World War II. The National World War II

The Bucktown All-Stars. Castine Center, Mandeville. Patron party, 6pm; gala, 7pm; live auction, 10pm. Tickets, $50; sponsorships available. Tickets and info, 845-7342. stanselmmadisonville.org.

Museum, 945 Magazine St., New Orleans.

August 1-6 Drama Camp with Weston Twardowski. Ages 10-17. 4499 Sharp Rd.,

25-Aug 6 Dragon Song. Musical. CAST theater camp, ages 7-14. 70326 Hwy. 59,

Mandeville. 9am-3pm; extended hours available, 8am-5pm. $125. Performance Sat.

Abita Springs. $225. Performances: Fri, 7pm;

517-6637 or louisianatheater@gmail.com.

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

lcta.biz.

DramaAndMusic.com.

Sun-Sat, 9am-5pm. (504) 528-1944, ext. 237. nationalww2museum.org.

2 Fishing Fest with 4-H. Bogue Chitto State Park, 17049 State Park Blvd., Franklinton. Free with $1 park admission; 3 and under, free; 62 and over, free. 839-5725 or boguechitto_int1@crt.state.la.us. crt.state.la.us.

2-13 46th Juried Artists Exhibition. St.

1-31 Jax Frey’s Oschner Art Show. Acrylics

Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia

28-30 Haute Bride Jewelry and Sash

on canvas by Covington artist Jax Frey. Lobby,

St., Covington. Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat,

Trunk Show. 10% off Haute Bride items

Oschner Medical Center, 1516 Jefferson Hwy.,

11am-4pm. Free. 892-8650 or

purchased during the trunk show. Olivier

New Orleans. Open 24 hours. Free.

info@sttammanyartassociation.org.

Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville.

artbyjax.com.

sttammanyartassociation.org.

1-31 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the

2-14 The Golden Legend in the New

Thurs, 10am-6pm; Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am5pm. Appointments required, 674-6994.

Month. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E.

World: Art of the Spanish Colonial

29 Columbia Street Block Party. Street

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

Viceroyalties. The Historic New Orleans

festival, classic car display. 200-500 blocks of

Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-

Columbia St., Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free.

Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4:30pm.

892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

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

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3-31 Covington Farmers Market. Wed,

mandevilletrailhead.yolasite.com.

2-Sept 12 Holding Out and Hanging On:

Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire

Surviving Hurricane Katrina. 14 gelatin silver

St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St.,

11 St. Tammany Photographic Society

print portraits of storm survivors by

8am-noon. Free. 966-1786.

Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N.

751 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues-Sun,

4-7 2011 Antiques Forum. French at Heart:

8650. stphotosociety.org.

10am-4:30pm. Adults, $6; children under 12,

Continental Influence in the Gulf South. The

free. (504) 568-6968. crt.la.gov.

Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St.,

♥ 11, 18, 25 Cuddle Buddies.

New Orleans. Additional information, Anne

Parents/caregivers and infants 8-15 months,

2-Sept 25 Race: Are we so different?

Robichaux, (504) 523-4662 or

STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St.,

Exhibit by the Louisiana Civil Rights Museum.

anner@hnoc.org. hnoc.org.

Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. $12 per

photographer Thomas Neff. The Presbytere,

Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-

The Old U.S. Mint, 400 Esplanade Ave., New

month; members, $6. 898-4435.

Orleans. Tues-Sun, 10am-4:30pm. Free.

5 Take it to the Tracks. First Friday block

crt.la.gov.

party. Live music by the Bout It Brass Band;

12 Who’s on First? Block Party. Live

Hammond’s Hottest Talent competition. 100

entertainment, artists, shopping, food and

♥ 3 Back to School. Panel discusses

block of N. Cate St., Hammond. 6-10pm. Free.

drink. 1st and Erlanger streets, Slidell. 5:30-

routines, homework and stress. STPH

542-3471. dddhammond.com.

9pm. Free. Gene Duvic, 639-3340.

6-27 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333

13 Full Moon Night Race. Enjoy a full moon

Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 6-8pm. $10; members, $5. 8984435.

Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free.

night with friends! Fontainebleau State Park,

Danny Blackburn, 285-3599.

Mandeville. 7:30pm. (504) 390-8807 or

camelliacitymarket.org.

ctorres@q50ultras.com. q50ultras.com.

Skin•Body•Health, 2040 N. Causeway Blvd.,

6-27 Mandeville Trailhead Community

13 Madisonville Art Market. Tchefuncte

Mandeville. Limited appointments available.

Market. 675 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Sat, 9am-

Riverfront, Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free.

$265/area, $665/whole face. 727-7676.

1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515 or

624-7216. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

3-31 Botox Wednesdays. Indulge yourself with the gift of youth. Dr. Kelly Burkenstock’s

>>

mandevillemarket@gmail.com.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

27

Inside Scoop 13 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.

13 Second Saturday Evening Stroll.

Coordinated art galleries. Downtown Covington.

6-9pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

13 Ticket to Paradise. Raffle party. St.

You wouldn’t trust your retirement assets to a call center, would you?

Tammany West Chamber of Commerce. Food

Call one of our local experienced representatives who you will come to appreciate as a personal trusted advisor.

Unplugged. Castine Center, Mandeville. 7-

by local restaurants, wine, beer, music by Four 11pm. $125 per couple. 892-3216. sttammanychamber.org.

Financial Planners • Registered Investment Advisors

Call us. Over 35 years experience makes a difference!

1327 W. Causeway Approach Mandeville, LA 70471 985.727.2834 OR 1.800.375.0198 Fax: 985.727.2894

www.wealthplanning4u.com

13, 27 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St., Hammond. 8am-2pm Free. 542-3471. dddhammond.com.

Joseph J. Vizzini CPA, CFP® Registered Principal

joevizzini@assetonellc.com

Securities offered through Girard Securities, Inc., member FINRA, SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Asset One, LLC, a registered investment advisor not affiliated with Girard Securities, Inc.

♥ 16, 23, 30 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. ♥ 16, 23, 30 Pre-K @ Play.

Parents/caregivers and children 2 1/2-4 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.

18 Live & Local Series. Free beer tasting of three Abita Beer brews, live musical performance. The Inn On Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 6-8pm.

Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com.

19 Hot August Night. Hammond’s Hottest Talent final competition, wine tasting, art stroll, shopping, dining, 1950s-style “Sweet 16” celebration. Downtown Hammond. 6-10pm.

Free; wine tasting, $20. 542-3471. dddhammond.com.

19 Sunset at the Landing Concert.

Columbia Street Landing, Covington. 6-9pm.

Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

19-20 7th Annual Fishing Rodeo. Saint Paul’s Alumni Association. Lafitte C&M Docks (Pavilion), Lafitte. Captains party: Fri, 6-10pm; tournament: Sat, 6am-1:30pm; awards party:

28

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Sat, 2pm. $75 by 8/12; $100 day of event. Don Celestin, 966-0342 or don.celestin@mssb.comor.

20 Folsom Community Farmers Market.

Railroad Ave., Folsom. 9am-1pm. 796-9833. villageoffolsom.com.

20 HEROES for Habitat 5K and Fun Run. Varsity Sports, 2021 Claiborne St., Mandeville.

Registration, 4pm; 1-mile race, 5:30pm; 5k race, 6pm. Diane Weiss, 893-3684 or (504) 460-2991.

20 Sibling Class. For big brothers- and sisters-to-be, ages 3-12. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 10am-noon.

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. ♥ 22, 29 Children in the Middle—Adult session. (2-part series) How to help children of divorcing parents. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. $35/person; $45/couple. 898-4435. ♥ 22, 29 Children in the Middle—Children’s session. (2-part series) Help for children of parents in (or have completed) Children in the Middle sessions. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435.

26 Columbia Street Block Party. Street festival, classic car display. 200-500 blocks of Columbia St., Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free.

892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com.

26-27 31st PIG Golf Tournament and Party.

Benefits disadvantaged children and seniors on the northshore. Four-man shamble with drinks and food along the course. Party music from Four Unplugged, open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, raffle and silent auction. Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. Fri: tournament registration, 11am-12:30pm; shotgun start, 12:30pm; awards, 5:30pm. Sat: party, 710:30pm. Tournament, $200 (includes pig roast after golf and 2 PIG Party tickets); PIG Party, $75. Melanie Roth, 845-4220. pigcharity.org.

27 Jazz’n the Vines. Outdoor concert. 81250 Old Military Rd. (Hwy. 1082), Bush. 6:309:00pm (gates open at 5:00). $10; 17 and under, free. 892-9742 or winery@pontchartrainvineyards.com. pontchartrainvineyards.com.

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29

Worthy Causes Northshore Families Helping Families

by Katie Montelepre Ambassadors in Action

FAMILIES OF INDIVIDUALS with disabilities need to look no further than Northshore Families Helping Families to get resources, support and personal help. Everyone on staff has a child or sibling with special needs, and a majority of the board members have a disability themselves or a family member with a developmental disability.

“It’s a unique concept—it’s Above: Ambassadors in Action Haley Lowentritt and Grace Nader work on a scenario for NFHF with Donna Slocum, executive director.

Below: Liz Gary of NFHF cheers on Hailey Brinson, who learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels during the Lose the Training Wheels bicycle camp held at the Castine Center.

30

families helping families, and so we get it,” says Donna Slocum, executive director of NFHF. “We try to help the whole family.”

The organization, founded in 1992 by the Louisiana Developmental Disabilities Council, is one of 10 independent centers around the state. NFHF serves St. Tammany, Washington, Tangipahoa, St. Helena and Livingston parishes.

One of the many NFHF events, programs, workshops and support groups is SOAR, a parentand volunteer-driven initiative that offers autism resources. A fall series will address issues such as behavior, communication, aging, adolescence and long-term planning. Another program, A.C.C.E.S.S., provides grants for adaptive equipment, assistive devices, home/car modifications and interventions

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

that are not covered by private insurance or Medicaid.

A new NFHF program, Ambassadors in Action, brings high school juniors and seniors together to help special needs individuals and their siblings in the school environment. The program was the brainchild of NFHF board member Matt Gardner, who has an older brother with angelman syndrome.

When he found out about NFHF a year ago, he got involved right away. “The benefits weren’t there as my brother came up [through public school], and there was a small group that had to fight for the benefits that people on the northshore get now,” he says. “What I saw in NFHF was the same type of community effort—they were fighting the same fight for more people.”

This past spring, six students from area high schools participated in the pilot session of Ambassadors in Action. Some had family members with disabilities, some were interested in pursuing a related career and others just wanted to get involved.

The students are Katlan Bonnette, Denham Springs High; Brandy Campbell, Salmen High; Bentlie Logan, Fontainebleau High; Haley Lowentritt, Mandeville High; Malena Moreau, St. Joseph’s Academy, Baton

Rouge; and Grace Nader, St. Scholastica Academy.

In addition to volunteer work with NFHF and other organizations, the students were challenged to notice how individuals with disabilities are being treated and what their experiences are in the community. Donna says, “The kids were incredible. They totally got it.”

Brandy Campbell definitely “got it.”

When she realized that Salmen High didn’t offer a Best Buddies program, she began the process of creating a program that pairs typical students with special needs students.

Grace Nader and Haley Lowentritt have chosen to become Ambassadors again during the coming year. “I wanted to be an Ambassador so that my peers would be able to develop a sense of awareness and understand that they have the power to give individuals with disabilities the ability to grow and overcome boundaries,” says Grace, whose 6-year-old brother has Down Syndrome.

“NFHF doesn’t place limitations on individuals with special needs or their families. They develop opportunities for them to thrive. I don’t think our community could ask for more.”

Haley, who wants to study nursing and special education, has enjoyed the volunteer work and the impact she has had on parents and children of disabled families. “I highly recommend the Ambassadors program because it not only taught me how to be a better volunteer, but it also showed me how to appreciate all of the hard work NFHF does for this community,” she says.

“They do a great job.”

The deadline for applications for the upcoming Ambassadors in Action program is August 15. For an application or for more information on NFHF, call 875-0511 or visit fhfnorthshore.org.

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31

IN Better Health

by Stephen Faure

Health Concern: Recovery from severe shoulder injury.

Treatment: Corrective surgeries, plus a commitment to a longterm physical therapy.

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

TALK ABOUT YOUR LIFE-CHANGING experiences! A

through the one-hour drive from Baton

rooftop fall from 14 feet in May 2010 put a major crimp in Steve Jennings’ life. The on-the-job accident shattered his

Rouge.”

Steve’s drive and determination

left scapula (shoulder blade) into several pieces and brought

remained unabated, though a bit

this on-the-go Madisonville dad’s life to a screeching halt,

tempered by the severity of his injury. He

although it took him a few days to realize it.

set about doing everything necessary to

Steve coaches his daughter’s soccer team, and they were due to play in Shreveport for the state championship the weekend after his accident. Surgeons in Baton Rouge spent hours reconstructing his scapula, holding all the pieces together with a plate and six screws. Despite the trauma, Steve says that post-op, “I was a horrible patient. I was complaining constantly because I wanted to get out of there. Finally, I talked to my doctor and asked if there was anything keeping me here. He said no and sent me home. On the way home, I’m loaded up on pain pills and babbling on and on about if we leave Saturday morning at 5 a.m. we can be in Shreveport for the game. My wife said, ‘Are you kidding me? You’ve got 25 staples in your back and you’ve just had a four-and-a-half-hour horrible surgery.’ I was dead-set on going, but the next morning the realization finally hit me that I had barely made it

get back to where he was before the accident, which has included regular physical therapy at Rehab Dynamics in Covington. His therapy is aimed at regaining both his strength and his range of motion. “Anything,” he says, “to try to stimulate and at the same time break through some of the scar tissue and some of the impediments your body puts forward that slow down that process.”

Although it’s with great affection, he refers to therapists Susan Blanchard and Crystal Cook as “torture specialists.”

Steve says, “They’re trying a new torture device on me that actually stretches and holds my arm in a stretching position.

We’re hoping that through intensifying

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

with Stephen Jennings

my rehab I can forgo a third surgery that’s slated to happen.”

Steve cites an example of the creative ways the Rehab Dynamics staff has come up with to “torture” him. “We have a thing we call the ‘dog sled’ where I have to put my stomach on a chair, they sit on my back and I have to drag them using nothing but arm strength.

That was real interesting.”

Cook says Steve’s motivation and dedication make him the perfect patient.

On his part, Steve appreciates the staff’s willingness to work with him. “If I come up with ideas, or if I see things that might work for me, they’ll look it over. If it’s something they like, we work it into my workout.” And, he adds, “I come up with things constantly.”

His employer, Southern Homes, has been accommodating and has trained Steve for an office job as an estimator. He’d rather be back out working in the field and would really like being back on the soccer field enjoying the sport he’s been active in since he was 6 years old. The therapists at Rehab Dynamics are providing the tools and techniques to meet his goals.

“One of the things they teach you is that you have to be diligent. You have to know this might be something that you have to work on the rest of your life. It’s one of those things where, if you’re going to do something, you should go all-out. They’re not miracle workers, but what they try to ingrain into your mind is that this is a life change.

“I’m 45 now. I would very much like to be able to do the things I did when I was 21. I want to play soccer; I want to water ski; I want to be able to climb trees. They know that and have done everything in their power to get me back to that.”

- STEPHEN FAURE

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33

Book Report

by Terri Schlichenmeyer

Beach Reads CATSUP AND MUSTARD. Cookies and milk. Salt and pepper. Dogs and kids.

Hugs and kisses.

Yep, some things just naturally go

Danielle Steel.

Singer Ricky Skaggs has a new biography out in July, there’s a new Terry Goodkind release, plus one by Eric Van

together, and if you have a vacation

Lustbader.

If none of these is your cup of (iced) tea, there are dozens of new and

coming up, you’re going to want to take a good book with you, right? Summer may be half over, but there are lots of great books left to read.

varied puzzle books coming out for the summer.

July

August

Okay, so you have your beach towel. You’ve staked out a spot by the pool. Now you need a good book in your hands.

Imagine the fireworks you’ll find in the new novel by Catherine Coulter!

The latest Meg Cabot book might be explosive. There are new works due in July from Mary Janice Davidson and Tess Gerritsen.

You’ll find Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner this month. Alex Kava is releasing a new Maggie O’Dell novel. Iris Johansen comes out with the latest in her popular series. Plus new novels from Anne Rivers Siddons, J.A. Jance and

So you used up your vacation already? So what? There’s lots of summer yet to enjoy, so why not enjoy it with these books?

Look for Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Find Cold Vengeance by Doug Preston and Lincoln Child, or the new C.J. Box release. Don’t miss the new offering from money guru Clark Howard. Grab the new Ron Kessler book on the FBI. Sleuth out the new book by the Kardashians.

Also new in August are a book by Julie Garwood and one from W.E.B. Griffin (with William E. Butterworth IV).

Karrine Steffans’s new release is for

lovers, Penn Jillette and Celia Rivenbark will each make you laugh and former Punky Brewster star Soliel Moon Frye has a new memoir/parenting book.

And the fabulous summer of reading ends strong. There’s a new Simpsons book due from Matt Groening, a Kathy Reichs mystery, more puzzle books and another William Kent Krueger novel!

Play Catch-Up If you missed them, check out these books that were released in May and June.

Try The Last Gunfight by Jeff Guinn, a book about what really happened at the OK Corral. Grab Thank You Notes by Jimmy Fallon.

Make your inner-scientist happy with The Believing Brain by Michael Shermer.

Or look for the latest by Steve Martini, John Sanford or Steve Berry.

There’s The Kingdom: A Fargo Adventure by Clive Cussler with Grant Blackwood. Or maybe you’d prefer a new novel from Ann Patchett or Laurell K. Hamilton. How about the latest by the late E. Lynn Harris, Summer Rental

by Mary Kay Andrews or Folly Beach by Dorothea Benton Frank?

David Baldacci has a new book, and Ann Brashares comes out with Sisterhood Everlasting. You’ll find new releases from James Rollins, Joseph Finder, Alexander McCall Smith and Diana Palmer.

And, if that’s not enough, there are new diet books, finance books and more science books.

REMEMBER … nothing is cast in stone. Book titles can be changed or cancelled. Release dates are approximate.

For the final word, check with your bookseller or librarian. They get paid big bucks for knowing these things.

And have a great summer’s reading!

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35

Eclectic Energy

by Poki Hampton

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

Below: Pecky cypress walls hold two storage cabinets for electronic equipment. An ornate mirror is flanked by two marsh paintings by Alexander Stolin.

A fire crackles in the stone-and-plaster French-style fireplace.

Right: Tropical landscaping surrounds the exterior of the house.

WHEN PEGGY AND BILL EDGETT decided to downsize from their home in Folsom, they moved to their fishing camp in Violet. As avid fishermen with grown children away from home, they thought this was a good fit. That was before Katrina hit and destroyed St. Bernard Parish. A few days after the storm, Peggy and Bill took a boat from Covington, crossed the lake and navigated down to their house. Everything was gone except a few belongings. They stayed in a FEMA trailer, planning to rebuild. When they discovered that rebuilding would not be possible for 2 1/2 years, Peggy found a house to buy. The new house, in the Rigolets, had very little damage from the storm.

Being artistic and creative, Peggy

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

had a vision for the house when she first saw it. Her experience since 1987 in the furniture manufacturing and wholesale rug business gave her a wealth of resources from which to draw to implement her ideas. A long-time friend, Beth Assaf, of Rug Chic in Mandeville, had many of the items Peggy used in decorating her new home.

“Just about the only things remaining from the original house are the plantation shutters and the travertine floors,” says Peggy. She removed interior arches and painted the brown grass cloth in the living room, which helped to brighten the room. The original fireplace wall was replaced by pecky cypress, two built-in storage cabinets and a stoneand-plaster mantle. “We lost some of Alexander ‘Sasha’ Stolin’s paintings in the >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

37

storm, so he painted two large ones for us. We wanted Louisiana wildlife and marsh scenes, and these are both beautiful and colorful.� Over the mantle is an antique mirror that was part of an opening to a gazebo in Paris. The fireplace tools are iron antiques. The oversized cocktail table of glass and silver-leaf iron holds a large antique bulk wine bottle from France. The terra cottaand-cream upholstery sits atop a Turkish rug. “We have found a man who has gone back to making rugs like they did 150 years ago,� says Peggy. This Oushak design is in a soft terra cotta with sage.

Glass lamps fitted with black shades on two espresso-finished wooden end tables add drama.

The kitchen was completely gutted and replaced with new cabinets, granite countertops and new lighting. Taking out the wall dividing the kitchen from the living room and painting the new cabinets in a soft sage with a dark brown glaze creates an open, airy feel.

Lighted glass-front cabinets display antique Majolica plates. A distressed iron chandelier hangs above the cooktop island. The breakfast nook was simplified with a round table, chairs 38

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

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

covered in a mohair fabric and a round chandelier

Opposite Page: Sea-foam

in distressed iron that mimics the chandelier in the

green and terra cotta fabrics

kitchen. Two framed antique French art pieces are hung on the back wall. The birch bar stools have an espresso finish; the leather seats and are complemented by a carved wooden piece above the keyhole back.

The office, just off the foyer, holds a contemporary desk made of one large plank of African walnut. Two unusual lamps of handapplied quartz crystals are topped by rectangular shades. The credenza is the same wood but has distressed iron legs; it holds wooden masks from a Brussels antique store. The painting is by Stolin. “Sasha painted this for us after a trip to Turkey and Greece. We brought back pictures, and he created this painting from that.� The travertine floor is anchored by a zebra rug from Africa. >> The dining room is a study in pared-down

pull the colors from the Turkish rug in the guest bedroom. The lamps are constructed from reliquaries.

Above: New kitchen cabinets, granite and stainless appliances update the kitchen. Left: A distressed iron chandelier hangs over the round contemporary table in the breakfast room. With assistance and furniture from Beth Assaf at Rug Chic, Peggy was able to beutifully furnish her new home.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

39

Right: Antique African wood is used in the dining table and sideboard. Two panels are by Alexander Stolin.

Below: A large painting by Alexander Stolin accents the study, which has a zebra rug and a desk made of one single plank of African wood.

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

elegance. The table and the sideboard are made of the

40

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

same antique African walnut and distressed iron legs as the office furniture. Stolin did the two pastels and the small painted metal sculpture when he first moved to Madisonville. A custom hand-spun weave of mohair and wool covers the dining chairs, which are finished with a nail-head trim. Silk placemats, goldrimmed china and embroidered linen napkins adorn the table, with simple orchids in clay pots as floral accents. “The rug is a combination of Aubusson and Kilim weaves,” says Peggy. The silk-screened draperies are in Nomi fabric.

The master bedroom has a king-sized bed with chocolate silk bed covers. The bench at the end of the bed is covered with hand-spun wool and mohair.

Paintings from Robert Cook’s early days adorn the walls, which are a soft, robin’s-egg blue. The exposedjoist V-groove wood ceiling is painted a soft cream and

has an iron Niermann Weeks chandelier with leaf trim. A breakfast tray, sitting on an upholstered ottoman, awaits breakfast. The antique French armoire is finished in antique cream, chocolate and French blue.

One of the two guest rooms is painted a light sea-foam. This is picked up in the Roman shades and bedcovers. Accents of terra cotta are on the shades, pillows and the silk matelasse duvet cover of the fourposter iron bed. The quilted coverlet is of silk linen woven in two colors, and the dust ruffle is in a sea-foam silk taffeta. The lamps were constructed from reliquaries (carved wooden pieces used in churches to hold the bones of saints) that Peggy found in Brussels. Holding the lamps are glass and iron bedside tables whose finish matches the bed. The headboard is in cream leather.

The rug is an Oushak weave with a Turkish knot in the same subtle colors.

On the elevated back porch is furniture by Kingsley Bates made from 100-year-old Indonesian teak. “This teak really holds up to our hot humid weather,” says Peggy. The box cushions are in a taupe outdoor fabric. Several standing plant baskets hold tropical plants. “My aunt gave me the little banana sculpture, which she bought in Cuba in the 1950s.”

The kidney-shaped pool and hot tub, which are surrounded by tropical landscaping, overlook the waterway. A pool house, complete with full bath and outdoor kitchen, makes entertaining a breeze. The Edgetts use the space under the house to host large parties. Knock Out Roses line the fence on both sides of the house. The exterior of the house, once painted orange and cream, is now in subdued cream and white.

Peggy’s home is truly a reflection of her style of combining elements from many different periods and cultures into a cohesive and beautiful interior to achieve an eclectic energy.

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FIRST TIME-VISITORS walking into John Hodge and Francie Rich’s living room might be taken aback.

What seems like hundreds of faces stare at them from the walls; an oddly large collection of whimsical skeletons and skulls, souvenirs of the Mexican Dia de los Muertos, occupies one side of the room; assorted vases and pots form a corner display; and baskets filled with many varieties of decorative ceramic pieces

glazed objects and vases that are embellished with natural elements—leaves, stems and flowers, for example—to decorative wall pieces and serving trays in different sizes.

When talking to the couple, one quickly finds that the depth of wit apparent both in their own works and in the objects they collect isn’t a fluke. A conversation with the duo quickly becomes part art

lurk throughout the room.

history lesson, part travelogue, part modern media

The faces staring down from the wall belong to

critique and part comedy routine—with no

the portraits that Francie paints. The vast number

designated straight man and with each often finishing

might be somewhat menacing, but she’s managed to

the other’s sentence.

capture the lighter side of her subjects; whatever good is in their lives shines through. Many paintings are of her students at St. Scholastica, some are of her and John’s pets and some are inspired from way beyond the bounds of the northshore. Most are done in an iconic style, with just the subject’s face floating on a gold-leaf background.

John’s ceramics range from plain-but-elegant

Thirty Years on the Northshore John and Francie come from completely different backgrounds that led both of them to New Orleans in the 1970s. John is originally from Baton Rouge and Francie is from Minneapolis. “But I like to think of myself as a Southerner,” Francie says. “I don’t have that accent anymore, I hope.”

by Stephen Faure

Francie and John A marriage of creativity.

Opposite: John Hodge and Francie Rich clown around with Francie’s portraits of him.

Right: John Hodge creates pottery in a variety of styles.

42

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

Minneapolis and went to graduate school in Oakland.

After that, I got an artist-in-residence grant in New Mexico, because that’s where I wanted to go next.

Then I said I wanted to go to either Louisiana or Russia.” She came to Louisiana for a job at Nicholls State University.

Francie left Nicholls State for a job in Bellingham, Wash. It didn’t work out, so she came back, having been offered a position at Dominican College as soon as there was an opening there. She waited four years, and for a time even gave the French Quarter artist’s life a try, living there and showing at Jackson Square. “I saved up my money for the license, but if I sold a painting, I’d pack up and go home. People would say, ‘Why are they so expensive?’

I’d say, ‘Why shouldn’t they be?’” she says, laughing. >> “I was so mean.”

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

She says, “I spent my junior year of college in Holland, finished my last year at the art school in

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

43

were chasing the same jobs and dreams. I applied for a job at Nicholls State, and they said they would interview me, but technically, they said, they thought

Above: John’s studio is packed with hundreds of molds that he uses to create the various objects that decorate his finished ceramic work.

Right: One of Francie and John’s collaborations, a painted vase with faces from the society pages and artist Frida Kahlo (with Elvis on her mind).

44

called us and said, ‘Come look at this house.’ So we looked at it and bought it …”

Francine jumps in, “It was Valentine’s Day …”

“It was a miracle,” continues John. “We hadn’t

they were going to have to hire a woman. That’s the

saved, we hadn’t planned. We were on a real limited

job Francie got. Then later, we both applied for an

budget.”

The house, on Vermont Street, would be their

artist-in-residency with the National Endowment for the Arts. I got that; she didn’t. It kind of went like that. We were covering the same ground.”

“And everybody said, ‘Oh, you should meet him!’” laughs Francie.

Eventually, they were introduced by mutual friend Don Marshall. “Then,” John says, “we didn’t see each other again for four years, when another friend said, ‘Y’all should really meet.’ The second time we met, we went straight to being like an old married couple.” And they did marry, with fellow artist and future northshore raconteur John Preble standing as John’s best man.

John and Francie’s first home on the northshore was in Slidell, a rental on 13 acres. “We just assumed we couldn’t afford to live in Covington,” John says.

“We had some friends in the real estate business who

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

photos: (left) STEPHEN FAURE; (top) ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

John recalls, “After we met, we realized we both

home for 26 years, but it always lacked studio space. Once shown the house they’re now in, John thought it was perfect. The former owner had built in space for a woodworking studio and a darkroom off the garage, which John could also close in for more studio and equipment space. There was one problem, he says. “Francie hated it.”

“It was so ugly on the outside,” she says. “I loved the foyer, everything else was just dark.”

They looked at other houses and almost bought a different one. “We had taken pictures of this one and recognized it as an interesting house— for somebody else. So we kept trying to talk other people into buying it, and I think we finally sold it to ourselves. We got used to it.”

“And Cathy Deano said, ‘Don’t crap this one up.’ And we did!” says Francie, with more than a slight bit of glee.

The home on Jackson Street has plenty of space for John’s pottery works, a studio area for Francie and a large back yard (actually another lot) that is Francie’s domain. The different little areas back there filled with statuary and different plantings certainly reflect her tastes and personality. “We call it Follywood,” she jokes. “A gated community, and soon to be a UNESCO World Heritage site.”

Their Art Making art isn’t always the easiest way to make a living, but John and Francie have done pretty well. John’s decorative ceramics are sold in several local outlets, as well as through his website. Francie teaches part-time, art history classes at St. Scholastica Academy and in the spring at St. Joseph Abbey. “I like the girls. I like the crazy questions—and the seminarians and their comments, too,” she says. “I love it >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

45

a lot.” She gets frequent commissions to do portraits, of both humans and pets.

John says, “She does portraits nonstop for people. Francie just wants to paint. If there’s a group of people standing still long enough for her to paint their pictures, she will. Her students are obvious …”

Again, Francie finishes John’s thought. “I take their pictures the first day of class because I’m really bad with names. So then, my seating chart is made up of their pictures. I decided that I’d do their paintings from those photographs.”

Generally, though, Francie says, “I’m very much influenced by anything in the media. First, it was the photos in the society column. But I realized I was offending the very people that would actually buy my work. People threatened to sue me because my work was more caricature.”

As time went on, her work evolved.

“I decided I wouldn’t do backgrounds [in my portraits] anymore, and that’s when I went to the gold leaf. I also painted on vases. John would throw the vases and I’d paint on them.”

Francie’s subjects, for a time, came

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not from the society pages but from the “wanted” pages in the newspaper— pictures of men wanted by the police.

John says, “She started painting with the gold background so they looked like icons—they became ‘Iconvicts.’”

John notes that Francie is voracious in going through her subject matter.

Thirty-three of those faces looking down from the living room wall are portraits of the miners rescued from disaster in Chile in 2010 that she was compelled to paint. There’s a group of TV judges (Judge Judy, et al.) and the lawyers who advertise on their shows. (Yes, Morris Bart is included.) Inspired by Gary Busey’s recent appearance on Celebrity

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Apprentice, Francie says, “I’m thinking of doing a Gary Busey series.”

John replies, “Stuff she paints for her own amusement amuses only her. Like the TV judges.”

“They amuse you, too.”

“Alright, they amuse me,” John finally admits.

Although John works almost exclusively in ceramics, he started his life in art as a painter and assumed he was headed for academia. “I really thought I’d teach in a university or something, but I’ve never really done that except in brief stints. One day, I realized I was supporting myself out of the studio. I never really thought that would happen; I never considered it would even be a possibility.

“I majored in painting for my undergraduate and graduate degrees. But I took pottery as an undergraduate and taught pottery on a teaching fellowship when I was in graduate school. When I got out of school, I ended up getting a series of National

Endowment grants, four years in a row, and had money to spend on studio equipment and supplies. At the end of four years, I had everything I thought I could want. I had a wheel, I had a kiln, 100-yard rolls of canvas, darkroom equipment, everything.

“I was able to have the space for multiple studios.

But then I had to start cutting back. So one thing after another got chiseled away. I was appearing in galleries in the city, and the paintings I was doing—they were huge—weren’t selling well, but the pottery was selling out. The inevitable point came when I put dollar signs on what I was doing; it became clear that the pottery was the thing that would sustain me. Shortly after that, I met Francie. She was a painter, so I said, ‘Look, one painter in the family is enough.’ So we’ve just been sort of a team that complements each other ever since. I guess I’ve been doing pottery 40 years now.”

John and Francie keep busy with the business of art. John’s pieces sell in Mignon Faget’s stores, and, he >>

Media icons, like the television judges and lawyers displayed at the couple’s home, are often the subjects of Francie Rich’s paintings.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

47

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says, at other stores in Uptown New Orleans. “The store in Madisonville [the Shoppes at Coquille Cottage] does just great,” he says. “They do such a good job selling. Karen Redd is just tenacious and talks it up. She can say things about me that I can’t say about myself …”

“Well, you do …,” says Francie.

“I do, but it’s just a little braggadocio when I do it. It’s charming when Karen

Traveling The couple has an interesting side business—putting together European tours, which they’ve done for 31 years now, both for student and adult groups.

Their last tour, whimsically christened “I see London, I see France” tour in conjunction with the royal wedding, was a sell-out.

They had the idea because both had been to Europe before they met. “When we did meet, we were commiserating that we would probably never be able to afford to go again, so then we just said, ‘Let’s figure out a way to make that happen,’” recalls John. “Mostly, we decide where we want to go and see if 48

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

we can’t find a bunch of people to go with us.”

While the trips are naturally artoriented, Francie notes, “It’s not rammed down people’s throats. We don’t go to every museum; we don’t take binoculars to look at the details on the ceilings.”

“We like to shop. We like to eat,” adds John. Some years, they’ve done as many as three tours. This fall, they’re doing their first tour—to Italy—with Corks n Canvas/Painting with a Twist owners (and their good friends) Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney.

The couple, along with some other close friends, takes an annual trip to Mexico each summer for their own

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

does it. It’s amazing.”

vacation in San Miguel Allende, which, they say, is the only time they can actually relax. Mexican themes are common in John’s work, and he says, “Francie and I were married on All Saints Day. Mexico has Day of the Dead, and the skeleton sort of became our wedding symbol.” Souvenirs of the Mexican holiday are scattered throughout their home.

Their travels have influenced their own art over the years, and John figured out a way to create a synergy between his travels and his pottery. “When we’re going to churches or in areas where there are beautiful fountains, I take a few drops of fountain water and drops of holy water back with me.” He adds the water to the many buckets of clay stored in his garage. “So the clay I use has the fountain water and the holy water and these exotic things I bring back from wherever I travel. It’s not like gallons of holy water—it’s drops. I mark the bottom of the pieces with these little cross marks to indicate there’s holy water and fountain water in the piece, and there’s a little romance card that goes along with it. In my mind, it has to do with bringing energy back, things that I respond to positively and feed back into the clay. It doesn’t make it better clay; it’s just a fun thing for me to do that integrates one activity into another. It gives me a mission when I’m traveling.

When I’m not looking for things to make molds out of, I’m looking for things to put in my clay.”

John’s work is available on the northshore at the Shoppes of Coquille Cottage on Water St. in Madisonville and online at johnhodgepottery.com. Francie’s work can be seen in Covington at Shoefflé and online at francierich.com. She is available for commissions, and both she and John are available for private lessons at 892-5108.

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49

Better Than Home Cooking!

Cypress Cove Elementary.

50

WHEN IS THE LAST TIME you had a real, honestto-goodness home-cooked meal?

At Cypress Cove Elementary School, nearly all meals served in the school dining room are made from scratch and prepared fresh the same day.

“All our bread items are made fresh daily. We prepare all the foods fresh the same day. We prep fruits and vegetables fresh that morning,” says Robin Blakeman, foodservice manager at the Slidell primary school for the past 17 years.

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

In 2004, Cypress Cove Elementary School became the first school in the nation to earn the HealthierUS School Challenge Gold Certification award presented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The award honors schools that meet voluntary nutrition and physical activity standards set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. By 2005, every public elementary school in St. Tammany Parish had achieved the USDA Gold Award.

In 2009, the USDA established the Gold Award

photos: COURTESY OF ST. TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM

St.Tammany’s award-winning school lunch program.

by Karen Hales

of Distinction, which raised the bar higher by increasing the nutritional standards of foods available in school vending machines and snack bars, physical education requirements and student participation in the school lunch program. The Gold Award of Distinction also requires a structured nutrition education component in both the classroom and cafeteria.

Aiming to meet the new standards, St. Tammany Parish again committed to ensuring healthy school campuses. By last August, fewer than 800 schools across the nation had earned USDA awards in any category (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Gold Award of Distinction).

Just 59 schools had met the USDA Gold Award of Distinction level; 25 of those were schools in St. Tammany Parish.

All 23 elementary schools and two junior high schools, Fifth Road and Lee Road, are Gold Award of Distinction winners. St. Tammany School Food Services received $2,000 in monetary incentives for each school to support its ongoing nutrition efforts.

Pat Farris, supervisor of food services, says the schools focus on teaching children how to eat healthy at an early age—with the hope that when they are able to make decisions independently as they get older, they will already have established good habits.

“Our goal is to expose children to a variety of foods, to teach it in the classroom, experience it in the cafeteria and hopefully bring it home. We want them to be eating better at home and at school,” Farris says.

Last September, Rose Smith, Brock Elementary principal, had the honor of hosting a special guest, an experience she describes as “a once-in-a-lifetime event” for the school’s 365 pre-K to fifth-grade students. St. Tammany Parish’s achievement had caught the

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attention of first lady Michele Obama, who established the Let’s Move!

Campaign to help raise a healthier generation of children. An initiative of the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, Let’s Move! has incorporated the HUSSC into its campaign, which aims to encourage children to lead healthier and more active lifestyles and to end childhood obesity within a generation.

The first lady and Let’s Move! came to Brock Elementary during the first of two events in the New Orleans area kicking off National Childhood Obesity Month.

Calling childhood obesity “a national problem affecting every single community,” Obama outlined Let’s Move!’s efforts working with food manufacturers to put better labels on their products, with restaurants to post calorie information and with grocery stores to provide healthier options in the communities they serve.

She highlighted steps schools and communities can take to combat childhood obesity and saluted participants in the HUSSC program, praising St. Tammany Parish for setting the standard for schools all across the country.

“The nutrition education [children] get at schools like Brock Elementary is often the only guidance they get on making healthy decisions about what they eat,” Obama said during the kickoff event. “So every day, with the food you serve, the lessons you teach and the example you set, you’re shaping their habits and preferences and affecting the choices they’re going to make for the rest of their lives.”

St. Tammany schools have a high level of participation in the school lunch program, serving more than 25,000 lunches and nearly 10,000 breakfasts 52

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

per day, all prepared in on-site cafeterias. More than 70 percent of the students in attendance participate in the school lunch program, and several schools boast more than 90-percent participation, Farris says.

She credits her predecessor, Sylvia Dunn, who retired as supervisor of food services, with starting the long process of transforming her schools’ health and nutrition over the course of more than 20 years.

Among her successes is the legacy that “the entire school system from the superintendent and principals to the cafeteria managers and gym teachers are supportive of school nutrition,” Farris says.

“This is a real nutrition program—this is not a feeding program. We want to educate the students on nutrition, not just feed them,” she adds.

photos: COURTESY OF ST. TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM

Surpassing Guidelines Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. With the increase in obesity, specifically in children, chronic diseases in young adults are becoming more prevalent in the United States. Today, nearly 25 million American children are overweight or obese. If these trends continue unabated, this may be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

To help combat that sad possibility, the USDA has set specific nutrition criteria for elementary

schools to meet the HealthierUS School Challenge including serving a different fruit and vegetable every day of the week, at least one serving of whole-grain food each day and offering only 1-percent or skim milk. Competitive foods and beverages available in vending machines, snack bars or à la carte must meet nutritional requirements restricting total fat, sugar and sodium content. Other requirements include a minimum amount of physical activity per week and nutrition education for students both in the dining room and in the classroom.

But just because the program has specific >> guidelines doesn’t mean St. Tammany takes a

Top: Students at Brock Elementary were excited to welcome first lady Michelle Obama to their school.

Above: Cypress Cove Elementary.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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cookie-cutter approach. First, every school has an

The “Go, Glow, Grow” curriculum uses a

active student Nutrition Advisory Council comprised

simplified version of MyPyramid so children learn the

of students who help the cafeteria manager with product testing, menu development, student surveys,

connection between healthy foods and what they do for the body. According to the curriculum:

community outreach and more.

this spring, while others have held food drives to support local food banks. A number of schools hosted “Moo Dat!” events to promote dairy consumption as part of a healthy diet.

At Brock Elementary, the NAC group recently helped coordinate the school’s first community walk.

Brock NAC students also go into the classrooms with Cindy Emmons, Brock’s cafeteria manager, to teach the nutrition curriculum, “Go, Glow, Grow,” taught in pre-K through first-grade classrooms in all elementary schools. During one session, they helped the students make ice cream cones filled not with ice cream but cheese, plus fruit such as melon, grapes and strawberries.

“It’s children teaching children about what’s Pontchartrain Elementary.

54

healthy,” Smith adds. “They are taught how nutritional it is for them and how tasty it is.”

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

Grains are Go foods; they help you run, jump and play all day.

Fruits and vegetables are Glow foods; they help you have shiny hair and sparkly eyes.

Milk and meat and beans are Grow foods; they help you grow big and strong.

Cypress Cove’s Blakeman says the schools strive to use as little processed foods as possible in their efforts to serve nutritious meals, which means less saturated fats, sodium and preservatives. Her staff opts for fresh local fruit and vegetables when possible, serves whole grain pasta and brown rice instead of white and adds whole grains like wheat into breads, rolls and desserts.

She says the most gratifying part of her job is having the chance to reach children in their formative

photos: COURTESY OF ST. TAMMANY PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM

Several schools invited first responders to their schools to celebrate Louisiana School Lunch Week

years with information that could help prolong their lives. Since the school only teaches kindergarten through first grade, she gets to reach every student in the school with the message and gives them an opportunity to sample foods they may never have tried before.

“We introduce zucchini and squash and kiwi. We try to introduce things that they may not have had, like cantaloupe and honeydew,” she says.

“I’m always telling them to try new things because their taste buds change.”

Once Cypress Cove’s kindergarten, first grade and T-1 students make their way through the lunch line, they exit to the cafeteria through a salad bar, where they make their own selection from the offering of fruits, vegetables, wholegrain rolls and other healthy items available.

“They feel like they’re little people that are growing up, and they get to go through the lunch line, pick the tray up and decide what they want to eat from the salad bar,” Blakeman says. And, because the children are making the choice by serving their own fresh foods, they do a better job of consuming the food on their plates.

She notes that the children’s enthusiasm and the quality and care put into the nutrition program are what make the work rewarding. “They run up to you and tell you, ‘I’ve been eating oranges! I’ve been eating healthy!’ They come up and tell you they’ve been doing healthy activities.

“I get to introduce all these new kids in their first years in school to a cafeteria program that’s a good one and hopefully instill in them that cafeterias do have healthy foods,” she says.

“Anything that you can teach for the future of our children to eat healthy and make healthier choices—you want to do everything you can for that.”

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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by Robyn Richmond

Worth More Than Gold Memories of the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Eugene Mary: 1869-1931), bought some waterfront property in the country, in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.

It was right on the bay, and Dunbar Avenue went

MY GRANDMOTHER, Shirley Satterlee Munch, once wrote in a letter, “I have been thinking about writing a book …” She never did write the stories of how she grew up in New Orleans and spent many summers with her large family on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

However, my aunt, Anne Thomas, and I transcribed a

along one side. This was before they put in the road along the beach, so our lawn went right down to the water. There was a large house, which was raised on big posts in case of flooding.

Downstairs in the open, there was a cold shower stall to wash off the salt water after a swim. Upstairs there was a big screened porch, almost all the way around, with lots of daybeds, three big bedrooms, a big dormitory with a row of beds, a parlor with a fireplace, a huge dining room, kitchen and one bathroom. It had electricity but no hot water. We all named it “Bay Lou,”

series of tape-recorded interviews with my

and it holds a special place in my heart.

grandmother and combined them with photographs and personal letters Anne had saved through the years.

I am thrilled to share excerpts from this collaboration with Inside Northside’s readers. The book was written in my grandmother’s voice, and I have inserted real names and other information in parentheses for clarity.

Family was what my grandmother cherished most, and some of you may recognize your own relatives in these passages. My grandmother passed away in 2007, but through her own words and photographs we will always have her personal memories of Bay Lou, The Pass, and those long, lazy days of summer on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Top: Ann Munch,

Summer Of 1925

Jack Barringer and Kathleen Munch.

Right: The Mary family, c1917.

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Shirley Satterlee Munch remembers the first house her family had on the Gulf Coast, which was in Bay St. Louis.

About this time, my grandfather, Big Dad (Paul

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Bay Lou was for all the family, but we seemed to use it the most. Mama (Ethel Mary Satterlee: 18941973) loved it, and she eventually moved to the bay and spent the rest of her life there. But when we were little, it was such a good change from close city life.

We would go over in early June when school let out and stay until Labor Day. It was only 50 miles from New Orleans, but the roads were mud, not even gravel. We had to drive through the Honey Island Swamp in an open Model T. We would leave home at 10 in the morning and

photos: COURTESY OF ROBYN RICHMOND

In 2003, we presented my grandmother with her book, Worth More Than Gold. The title is a quote written by my great-grandfather on the back of her baby photo.

not arrive until 6 or 7 p.m. The Half Way House was in Slidell.

I remember one time my Daddy (Hugo Satterlee: 1893-1979) was driving us over and we had a flat tire where the road through the swamp was high and narrow with no shoulder. Paul (Paul Satterlee: 19251999) was a baby, and Mama made him bottles with condensed milk. Somehow, there was an opened can in a picnic basket in the back seat, and we kids got into it. It was all over us and on the car seat—so sticky. My poor Mama tried to wash us off, but we were all sticky, and my Daddy was furious.

When school let out in June, we were off to the bay. We played outside in the sunshine all day, swimming and crabbing from the pier. I think all that

members came over. We would help Mama clean on Saturday morning, put fresh crepe myrtle branches in vases all over the house and have a nice dinner ready. On Sunday, we all walked a few blocks

fresh air and sunshine helped keep us healthy, as we

to the little church on Dunbar Avenue to 8:30 Mass. It

never went to the doctor. We did not have one, only

was so small that sometimes the men had to stand

Dr. Faivre who delivered us all. In the evening, we

outside, but we all went.

When we got bigger, Mama allowed us to walk to town and play Putt-Putt or to get an ice cream. We

would play outside, games such as “Red Light,” “Hunt the Hay” and “Statues.” Mama would sit on the porch with her hand sewing and watch us.

On the weekends, Mamere (Loretto Jewett Mary) and Big Dad and other family

didn’t have much, but we did lots of things.

Pass Christian; July 1941 Shirley was by now married and had two daughters.

When she (My mother: Kathleen Munch Perrin) was about a month old, we took her to the house the family rented every summer at 910 West Beach, Pass Christian, Mississippi, on the Gulf Coast. It was a raised house with a screen porch across the front and three bedrooms. We had electricity but no hot water and only an ice-box. The ice man would deliver a big 50-lb. block every few days.

We had wonderful times over there. We went swimming every day. The gulf was across the highway, a short walk away. The water came up to a seawall. (There was no wide beach as there is today. That was done after the hurricane of 1948.) >>

Above: Shirley, Ann and Kathleen Munch.

Left: Shirley, Debbie, Cynthia and Kathleen Munch.

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About once a week, we would stand out on the highway and flag down the Greyhound Bus to take us to Gulfport. What a treat. We had lunch out, then to see a movie in the cool air-conditioning. The kids liked going to the dime store, too. We would shop for groceries, and everyone had to carry a big paper sack back on the bus. One time, I had bought some nice veal liver, but the butcher did not wrap it well.

On the bus, it went through the bag and all over my white dress. I was so embarrassed when I got up. And we had to tell the driver when to stop at our driveway. Sometimes we told him too soon or too late, and sometimes he had to make several stops before he could be rid of us. There was always

build a pier about 15 feet long. We could hang our crab nets from the pier, jump off to go swimming and sit out there in the evenings to enjoy the stars and cool breezes. Sometimes, Daddy and I would go out to the pier late at night. It was the only place where we could be alone.

We played games and cards, Canasta or Michigan for pennies. Or we made fudge and listened to the radio. My Mama still went to Bay Lou. Some weekends, we would go there and be with my family.

photos: COURTESY OF ROBYN RICHMOND

World War II began the year Kathleen was born.

The next summer (1942), we had to cover the top half of the car lights with black and when we came out

something to laugh over after those bus rides.

At the beginning of the summer, Daddy (This is now grandma’s husband, Milton Munch: 1907-1978) and Fred (Fred Barringer, his brother-in-law) would build a new pier, if the winter storms had taken the old one.

They would go in the woods behind the house and cut young pine trees, skin them and haul them out to the water. Then they rocked them back and forth down into the sand. It was hard work. They would

the driveway facing the beach, we kept our headlights off. They did not want any lights to show where the shore was in case there were enemy ships in the Gulf.

There were lots of service men everywhere. We used to give them a ride if they were hitch-hiking in uniform. You just helped them out. You cannot do that now.

On Saturday nights, Daddy and I would go to the late movie in Gulfport or out dancing to Benny French’s at Henderson Point. They had a jukebox and Daddy liked the song “A Woman in Love.” At the end of the summer, on Labor Day weekend, we would return to New Orleans.

In 1948, there was a terrible hurricane, and it caused major damage on the Gulf Coast. Our dear Bay Lou house was destroyed. It might have withstood the storm, but they said a neighbor’s houseboat got loose and crashed into it. When we >>

Above: Shirley, Cynthia, Kathleen, Debbie, Ann and Milton Munch.

Left: Jack Barringer, Kathleen, Milton and Ann Munch on the sea wall.

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Right: Debbie,

Ann, Milton and Shirley Munch.

Below: Kathleen Munch, c1961.

heard about this, I wanted to drive over there to see if we could find anything from the house. I especially wanted to find the door where Mama had measured us every summer and to see if the house at the Pass has survived. We later learned that it had.

So, Daddy and I, Anne (Anne Munch Thomas) and Kathleen (Kathleen Munch Perrin, my mother), Emelda, Fred and Jack (Barringer—my grandfather’s sister and family) drove over about two days after the hurricane. We could barely get through Dunbar Avenue with all the debris, but finally got to the grounds where Bay Lou had stood. It was unbelievable and sad. We walked around and looked, but everything had washed away. By this time, it was

have laughed many times about Georges Hotel.

Around 1955, my Mama and Daddy (Ethel and Hugo Satterlee) bought a little house in Bay St. Louis at 1320 Dunbar Avenue, just several blocks from where Bay Lou had been. This had always been Mama’s dream. She had saved her sewing money for years. The house had a big screened porch, and she kept chickens in the back yard. We enjoyed visiting them there and crabbing again on Dunbar pier.

getting late, so we decided to go to the Reid Hotel and spend the night. How naive we were as we

Mama still did sewing, and Daddy did bookkeeping work. They were very happy.

asked for accommodations; people were sleeping all

The first man walked on the moon July 20, 1969, and also that year, Hurricane Camille struck the Gulf

over the lobby and Red Cross workers were helping lines of people—and we were acting as if this was a vacation. We were in a disaster area. We quietly left and started driving home. It was dark and stormy by the time we got to Slidell, and the only place that we saw there to stay was Georges Hotel.

The only two rooms available had one double bed in each, so we four slept across the bed, and I guess Mel, Fred and Jack did, too. The bathroom was down the hall. We 60

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Coast. It was the worst hurricane ever to hit that area.

I was so worried about my Mama and Daddy in Bay St. Louis and my sister, Loretta (Loretta Satterlee.

She still lives across the street on Dunbar). Mama would not evacuate from her house until the sheriff came to the door. She loved her house so. Well, thank goodness they did leave, as the house flooded to within six inches of the ceiling. I think the reason that the old house survived was because they found that the walls were solid, heavy planks. Daddy and I drove over as soon as the water receded and waded through the mud to see if we could salvage anything. Most of the furniture was ruined, but I did find Mama’s silver butter dish in the mud and had it restored. The house was a disaster, but it was still standing. The Red Cross was first on the scene with food and clothing, and they brought in trailers for people to live in temporarily. We later learned that our dear 910 West Beach house at the Pass was completely swept away.

photos: COURTESY OF ROBYN RICHMOND

Kathleen, Cynthia,

by Poki Hampton

MISSISSIPPI IS A MIX of old and new favorite places. Here are a few of our favorite things to do when visiting the Magnolia State.

Fort Massachusetts/Ship Island Following the War of 1812, construction of historic Fort Massachusetts on Ship Island was planned as a defensive fort for New Orleans. An armed band of militia took possession of the island and the unfinished fort in 1861, just as Mississippi seceded from the Union. On July 9, 1861, the Union ship Massachusetts came within range of the Confederate guns. A 20-minute exchange resulted in little damage to either side. That action was the only military action ever seen by Ship Island or the fort. Tours are available year round, but vary seasonally. msshipisland.com.

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Beauvoir—The Jefferson Davis Home After the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis wanted a quiet restful place to write his memoirs.

In early 1877, at the invitation of the owner, Mrs. Dorsey, Davis moved to Beauvoir in Biloxi. In 1878, Jefferson and his wife purchased the estate and lived there until their deaths. In 1881, Jefferson published The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government and nine years later A Short History of the Confederate States of America.

Today, the house is a museum owned and operated by the Mississippi Division of the Sons of the Confederate Veterans. The presidential library was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, but is being rebuilt with an expected completion date in 2012.

The house contains many of the original >>

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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D G

B C

F

A

furnishings and is open for tours from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily. beauvoir.org.

E

Walter Anderson Museum of Art Walter Anderson is among the most celebrated artists of the 20th century. His depictions of the plant life, animals and people of the Gulf Coast are shown in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs,

A: Beauvior, the Jefferson Davis Home; B: Fort Massachusetts; C: Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art Welcome Center;

just east of Biloxi. The works of his brothers, Peter and James, are also displayed in the museum’s permanent collection; Peter established Shearwater Pottery, while James was a noted painter and ceramist. The works of other artists are also exhibited throughout the year.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. and on Sunday from 12:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. walterandersonmuseum.org.

D: Stennis Space Center;

Shearwater Pottery

E: Mississippi Museum of Art; F: The Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint; G: Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum; H: Island View Casino.

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Shearwater Pottery, in Ocean Springs, was founded by Peter, Walter and James “Mac” Anderson in 1928. The brothers were inspired by their artist mother, who had studied at Newcomb College. The collection in the museum is from the earliest days to the present. The pottery today still

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produces art pottery, utilitarian ware, decorative tiles and other ceramic objects. shearwaterpottery.com.

Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art The Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi was created in tribute to George Ohr, whose innovative and enduring spirit earned him the title of “Mad Potter of Biloxi.” Ohr was a leader in the modernist movement and his contemporary and creative flair can be seen throughout the exhibits of the museum.

Architect Frank Gehry designed the museum in Ohr’s bold and self-sufficient style with separate buildings, all connected by an extensive brick plaza, and beautiful live oaks. The newly renovated museum is open to the public Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. georgeohr.org.

Casinos Dining and gaming at one of the Gulf Coast’s 11 casinos is an enjoyable way to finish the day on the

unforgettable experience. Charters are available for up to 49 people seven days a week. The permanent site of the museum is scheduled to re-open in 2012. maritimemuseum.org.

Stennis Space Center Where can you walk through the International Space Station and tour America’s largest rocket engine testing facility? The StenniSphere at the NASA Stennis Space Center. Pilot the space shuttle from the mockup cockpit and observe air travel, lights and human activity on Earth from the Control Center exhibit. Group tours are available by appointment. ssc.nasa.gov.

Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport

coast. The Island View, located in Gulfport, has 83,000 square feet of non-stop gaming, including 2,000 of the hottest slots and 49 exciting table games, and features entertainment such as Blonde Ambition and Pop Vinyl.

Enjoy a round of golf at Island View’s own Windance Country Club, which was named one of Golfweek’s

The Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport was originally constructed in 1942 as a training facility for B-25 and B-29 flight crews. In 1949, it began civilian flights. Today, the airport has grown into a leading regional facility with six commercial airlines, offering non-stop flights to cities such as Houston, Dallas, Memphis, Charlotte and Atlanta. “We are convenient and competitive,” says Bruce Frallic, executive director.

“Best Courses You Can Play” for two years in a row.

“We have grown each year, with an economic setback

The Island View’s newest restaurant offering is the

in 2009 due to the national economy. But we were

Carter Green Steakhouse, which serves up sumptuous

back on track in 2010 and working to increase in

steaks, lobster, seafood and great wine. When it’s time to retire for the night, the hotel offers 560 luxurious

2011.”

Many of the airport’s facilities were damaged or

rooms, complete with free Wi-Fi, 24-hour room service

destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, but today, the new

and a refrigerator in each room. islandviewcasino.com.

sleek terminal boasts amenities found in larger airports, including meeting rooms, free Wi-Fi and curbside skycaps. Two new gates were added recently along with an 800-car, three-level parking facility. “We are an easyin, easy-out facility,” says Frallic. flygpt.com.

H

Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum is open in its temporary location inside Biloxi’s Edgewater Mall. The exhibits inside the museum share the history and maritime heritage of the Gulf Coast. Included in the exhibit is the Biloxi Lighthouse lens that has been in St. Augustine, Fla. since it was restored after Katrina.

Exhibits on shrimping, oystering and recreational fishing are on display, along with many historic photographs of the Gulf Coast. The museum sponsors a wooden boat show and a seven-week Sea-n-Sail Adventure Camp for ages 6-13, which teaches kids about maritime heritage. Sailing a Biloxi Schooner and cruising down the Mississippi Sound is an

The Mississippi Museum of Art The Mississippi Museum of Art in Jackson houses more than 3,000 works by renowned artists such as James McNeill Whistler, Alexander Calder and Mary Cassatt. The extensive collection of Mississippi craftsmen reflects the cultural and historical heritage of the state, with works by Eudora Welty, William Dunlap, William Hollingsworth and others. The museum also sponsors educational programs, lectures and special forums. This fall, the Art Garden will be completed. It will feature public space, a stage for concerts, a >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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FROM MAIN STREET TO AROUND THE WORLD

We insure local businesses with national and multinational exposures.

Business owners packages, multi-state workers comp exposures, ocean cargo, marine and admitted foreign insurance are among the categories we excel in.

coastal calendar After a myriad of events for the Fourth of July, the Mississippi Gulf Coast continues with even more events for the whole family.

Our Lady of the Gulf Crab Festival July 1-3 Our Lady of the Gulf Church Grounds, Bay St. Louis Mississippi Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo July 1-4 Long Beach Harbor Mötley Crüe Summer Tour July 8 Mississippi Coast Coliseum, Biloxi

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

Candlelight Tour of Fort Massachusetts July 9 West Ship Island, Mississippi Sound Croaker Classic July 9-10 Dock Bar & Grill, Gulfport Rockstar Fantasy Karaoke with Blonde Ambition July 13 The View Bar at Island View Casino Resort, Gulfport Live Entertainment by No Idea July 28-30 The View Bar at Island View Casino Resort, Gulfport Harrison County Gem & Mineral Show August 12-14 West Harrison County Civic Center, Long Beach The Shed BBQ Shedhead Blues Festival August 27 Shed Barbeque & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs For more information and many more events, log on to gulfcoast.org/events or visit islandviewcasino.com.

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children’s fountain and sculpture. msmuseumart.org.

St. Stanislaus College

I

Operated for the past 157 years in Bay St. Louis by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, St. Stanislaus is an all-boys Catholic boarding school for grades seven through 12. St. Stanislaus specializes in building character and helping young men become self-confident and well-educated adults. Seventyseven of their 2010 graduating seniors earned a total

The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint Old-school blues and superb award-winning barbeque make The Shed the place to take the family for a mouth-watering meal. The Shed, with locations in Ocean Springs and Gulfport, has won more competitions than we have room to mention here. Appearances on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and more recently on Best in Smoke keep them in the forefront of the barbeque world. But suffice it to say that whether you like pulled pork, brisket or chicken, The Shed’s mouth-watering, pecan-woodsmoked Q is just what a hungry traveler needs to

J arboretum’s senior curator, says the arboretum offers visitors a recreational and educational experience and celebrates the area’s native plants by recreating and K teaching about the habitats and plant communities of the Pearl River drainage basin. The 64-acre site contains three main environments: the grasslands (savannah) area, the woodlands area and the aquatic exhibit. photo: MELINDA LYMAN

of $5.3 million in scholarships. ststan.com.

A spectacular feature is the Pinecote

top off a day of sightseeing. theshedbbq.com.

Pavilion. On the edge of a two-and-one-half-acre pond, it was designed by nationally renowned

The Mississippi Coast Coliseum

architect E. Fay Jones. Besides being the focal

Since 1977, crowds have been dazzled by a plethora of entertainers, Broadway shows,

point for the arboretum’s events and programs,

comedians, sports events and circuses at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi. Recent entertainers have included Carrie Underwood and the Cirque Du Soleil. As the largest beachfront facility of its kind in the region, regular attendees come from Jackson, Mobile and New Orleans. Recent renovations include fully upholstered seats and a new parking garage. mscoastcoliseum.com.

Crosby Arboretum Need a break from the beach? Head up to the Crosby Arboretum, conveniently located at Exit 4 of I-59 in Picayune. Opened in 1986, and now a part of the Mississippi State University system, the arboretum was founded as a memorial to local philanthropist L. O. Crosby. Patricia Drackett, the

“A wonderful breeze comes up on the Pinecote Pavillion in the hot summer,” Drackett says. “It was actually designed to take advantage of the breezes from the southwest as they come across and are cooled by the pond.”

The arboretum hosts programs and events all through the summer. “It’s a beautiful place even with the summer heat, and summertime means that all the activity speeds up,” says Drackett. “The insects are incredible, and kids love to watch those, you just need to come out a little earlier. Out in the pitcher plant bog, kids can get out on the boardwalk, lean down and look inside the throats of the yellow pitcher plants. The pine savannah and pitcher plant bog change colors over the summer. It’s really what Mississippi wildflowers are all about.” crosbyarboretum.msstate.edu.

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I: Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport; J: St. Stanislaus College; K: Crosby Arboretum; L: Walter Anderson Museum of Art. J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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IN 1973, I HEARD a fresh new voice on WGSO radio that I thought would be perfect for a Luzianne coffee commercial I was producing. I wrote the script and went to the studio to create my commercial with the new announcer from Detroit who had great pipes—Dan Milham.

The spot began with the phrase, “Here in New Orleans,” and Milham intoned, with his deep, rich voice, “Here in New Orleens.” I interrupted to explain that it was only pronounced that way in songs

Then he heard from his uncle named Sam, who offered him an all-expenses-paid vacation in Southeast Asia. “How could I pass that up? By the way, they said, ‘You’re not gonna pass this up!’” Dan served honorably in the Vietnam War, creating weaponry-efficiency information tracking. After the Tet offensive, he saw combat during those early years and returned home with memories he’d rather forget.

rhyming with “red beans,” “Creole queens” and

On To New Orleans Weather played a big part in Dan Milham’s move

maybe “pinball machines.” He learned to pronounce it “New Awlins.” Every time we’ve gotten together

to New Orleans.

through the past 38 years, I’ve reminded Dan who taught him how to say “New Orleans” properly.

We’ve remained friends anyway.

“In February 1973, I left a radio station in Detroit for the opportunity to become a staff announcer and program host at WGSO in New Orleans. It was a mild

Blue Skies

by Webb Williams

I interviewed Dan at his lovely home in Slidell’s Oak Harbor, where he and his wife, Paula, also a TV

Dan Milham: Profile of a Retired Weatherman

broadcast veteran, have lived since 1993.

winter up north, so I looked forward to seeking my fortune in the sunny southland. I had a Volkswagen

Early Days The late ’50s found Dan in his eastside Detroit

building a radio studio and generally learning his craft. In college, he majored in mass communications, working in radio and acting in productions for a local PBS station, all the while fine-tuning his talents. In the early ’60s, Milham, blessed with a good voice for radio and knowing that girls really dug DJs, got his first job as a rock jock.

snowing, and they closed off the bridges. I thought it was really hardly snowing. So, being a snow-savvy northerner, the first thing I did when I got to New Orleans was break the law—go around the barricades—’cause I didn’t know how else to get into the city. But I wasn’t the only one doing it, and I finally made it to the radio station for my interview.” He asked a doorman in the French Quarter if they had salt trucks for the snow piling up in the streets. The doorman said they had salt in saltshakers in the restaurants, but otherwise, he had no idea what Dan was talking about.

The New Orleans market welcomed Milham, with his wit and warmth as an announcer, his proficiency as a producer and, eventually, as program director. When the station had the Saints broadcast rights, Dan produced the programs.

Once in 1977, when Dan and I had drinks after >>

set at Channel 6.

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photo: COURTESY OF DAN MILHAM

driving down to New Orleans was going to be easy, I thought. At the twin bridges at Slidell, it started

Dan Milham on the

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Beetle because it was so snowy-weather-cold hearty and

high school involved in a broadcasting guild, doing public address announcements, performing in plays,

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photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

enjoy doing the weather—my way.”

He admittedly didn’t know much about weather at the time. “But I fell in love with the presentation

MILHAM TESY OF DAN photo : COUR

part of the job, studied the weather, passed all the

Top: Dan enjoys some “golf therapy” and a good cigar at Oak Harbor.

Above: Dan busy at WGSO in the 1970s.

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work, he told me he was offered the weekend weatherman slot. I was happy for him, but as we toasted, he expressed reluctance to taking the offer.

He said that Nash Roberts was THE New Orleans weatherman, and he’d never top him. I encouraged the move with, “You’re funnier.”

Dan says, “When I went to Channel 6, it was as weekend weatherman and staff announcer. ‘Oh, and Bill Stanely’s sick, so can you come in and do that?’ I was utilitarian around the station, but I really grew to

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tests and submitted a tape of my weather shows to a panel of members of the American Meteorological Society.” Dan got his official seal as a member and became Channel 6’s official fulltime evening weatherman in 1980. Trouble was, he still wasn’t a real meteorologist.

“We really like your work,” the bosses at WDSUTV told Dan. “But we’re gonna have to find a real meteorologist, so don’t be insulted, but you’re gonna have to train your replacement.” So from April through August he auditioned scholastic weather wizards from around the country who had no clue how to apply their expertise to presenting a weathercast on TV. The general manager called Dan into his office and drawled, “Y’know, Danny, it occurs to me, you been tryin’ ta win this job, haven’t cha?”

“I remember stopping myself from saying, ‘Did it take a lot of thinking on your part to arrive at that conclusion—for me to stay at this position?’” But Dan

wisely held his tongue and got the job again for good. Real good. He studied diligently through correspondence courses and classes and was ultimately certified by exams administered by the AMS. Finally, Dan was really Dan the Weatherman.

During our conversation, I mentioned that, while banter on newscasts can be very stiff, Dan’s humor was always welcomed. He said, “I was blessed with some pretty darn good people on the anchor desk, like Norman Robinson, Kris Fairbairn, Margaret Orr and others who were fun on the air when it was appropriate and not just boring chit-chat.”

They remain friends to this day.

Not surprisingly, the worst of all weather for Dan was Katrina. “It was more stressful than any other event simply because we weren’t even here.

The station decided to move us to Jackson, Miss., that Sunday, when most everyone had evacuated anywhere they could. Even WWL radio was out of town, broadcasting from Baton Rouge.

Our company, very smartly, was able to get our signal on the air in Houston, Baton Rouge, Jackson, Orlando and many other markets where our evacuees fled. It was a fabulous group effort, and I was very proud of our company.” Six weeks later, Dan returned to their home in Slidell, luckily finding little damage.

I brought up his early trepidation about embarking on a career in weather in Nash Roberts’ town. I recalled his saying over a few drinks back in 1980 that Nash ‘owned New Orleans weather.’ He laughed. “Was that only a few drinks we had?” Then he said, seriously, “To this day, he still does. I learned that while Nash was a wonderful guy with great qualities and was a true New Orleans weather pioneer, his reputation is a bit mythological. He was a great >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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photo: COURTESY OF DAN MILHAM

Above: Dan visiting the kids at Northlake Christian School.

Right: Dan enjoys a postretirement career as a

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

photographer.

forecaster—but he wasn’t a good broadcaster—even he would admit that.

Like so many New Orleans legends who were what they were because they were so non-formulaic—Hap Glaudi and Buddy Diliberto come to mind—he

That’s still the case today.” It’s all a

didn’t fit into any standard mold. They

matter of presentation skills and the personality of the presenter. And my

were unique to the city.

1144 N. Causeway Mandeville 985.626.4557 benedictsplantation.net.

“With Nash, it all came down to working with the same U.S. Weather Bureau information everybody else was.”

Dan smiled to himself. “When I said that on a radio interview once, I found out that you had to be very careful how you talked about Nash. A lady called in, dressed me down rather smartly and said essentially, ‘You just watch yourself there, you whippersnapper, you!’ Like all of us when we’re young, there are some lessons to learn.

“But, really, if you were so disposed [at that time] to record everyone’s weathercast at, say, the 5 o’clock news and played them all back, I doubt if you’d have found significant differences.

friend Danny was one of the best.

Life After TV After 31 years as chief meteorologist at WDSU-TV, Dan was offered “a rather generous amount of money” to retire.

He was told the company was going to offer similar payouts to other employees, so he’d have to make his decision within 24 hours. He has never regretted his decision to take the offer. In his 31 years at WDSU-TV, he served under 11 general managers and 14 news directors.

I asked what weathercast he watches nowadays. “I get most of my information now from the internet. I rarely watch local news. I don’t mean

that to be an insult, but if I want to learn current information about an item, I can find it online.”

Dan has two daughters from a previous marriage. “Rachel is 35; she’s a cosmetologist with a good list of clients.

My youngest daughter, Christen, 33, is a social worker. Both have terrific husbands, I’m happy to say.” Christen also has a degree in psychiatry, so I asked Dan if she ever gave advice to her dad. “No,” Dan said, without missing a beat. “She gave up on that.”

Dan met his wife, the former Paula Pendarvis, when she came to Channel 6 as a producer. “I was struck instantly with how bright she was and what a good producer and an excellent writer. Being beautiful didn’t hurt, either. We worked with the same group and we would all hang after the newscast sometimes, like on a Thursday night at Molly’s in the Quarter.” A few years later, they married.

That was 18 years ago. “Yeah, I think it’s gonna work,” he grinned.

They built their home in Slidell’s Oak Harbor 13 years ago and were the sixth home in the subdivision. “It was an existing floor plan, but we eliminated a bedroom to expand the kitchen for Paula, who’s a gourmet cook, and a bar for me.” Dan enjoys an occasional scotch. Canals cut through the subdivision and lead to Lake Pontchartrain, but Dan’s favorite feature is the golf course. He loves a fine cigar and his golf therapy on occasion. “Am I good? Nah. But I love it. For me, it’s gettin’ outside, jokin’ with the guys, smokin’ a cigar and gettin’ off enough decent shots to make myself think, ‘If I only concentrated a little more …’”

With his impressive eye for cityscapes, homes and landscape portraiture, Dan’s photography hobby has turned into a post-retirement >> business. “New Orleans and all of J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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TV magic would turn Dan’s green screen into a weather map for the viewers at home.

Southeast Louisiana is so stunningly interesting and beautiful, it inspires my work. Every now and then, I’ll take pictures for friends, like family shots for some fellow Rotarians, but I’d prefer landmarks and such.” He appreciates the ease that digital technology adds to his craft. “If it doesn’t work, I just hit ‘Delete’ and it goes away.” His work can be seen at pictureneworleans.com.

I asked if he missed broadcasting.

“No. I know that sounds like, ‘Well, gee, I thought you liked it.’ Truth be told, I loved it since high school in Detroit, but that’s over. My dad and mom both imbued in me the concept of turning the page—that’s over; let’s see what’s next.” His dad was in the tool and die business in Detroit, serving the auto design industry. Mom became a secretary/executive assistant at the gas company. Both quit when it was time.

“They retired down in Florida, and had some good years there.”

I asked if being stopped in the supermarket by folks wanting to know what the forecast is gets tiring. “I still get asked, ‘Is it supposed to rain?’ I don’t know what it is. But, y’know, I s’pose if 74

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

photo: COURTESY OF DAN MILHAM

after 31 years on television no one recognizes you, it’s possible you might not have made much of an impression.”

More than once, though, Dan has run into a fan who says, “Y’know, I watch your show every night!” I suggested that might be a way for him to get back on the air. Think of it. When we’re having the same weather pattern for weeks on end like we do every summer, let’s run Dan Milham’s Greatest Forecasts!

Any other thoughts? “I was asked just yesterday at dinner with some friends if I had a ‘bucket list.’ I do have a bucket, but no list. I said, ah, it seems like I have my health; I have a wonderful wife; I have a very nice house that I like; I have two healthy, happy daughters who are married to really nice guys; and a sweet little perfect granddaughter who’s just a riot. So everything is nice. Life’s pretty good. I’m not gnawing away at ropes tryin’ to get outta here, by any means. It’s a nice place to be. I get to play golf a lot, too.”

I asked Danny to complete this lyric: “Way down yonder in ____.”

“Nah, you’re not gettin’ me on that one, pal.”

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Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, the first female chairman of the American National Red Cross, is one of the nation’s most successful woman entrepreneurs. The daughter of a military man and a teacher, Bonnie grew up with a sense of duty to make a positive difference in the world.

She is the founder and CEO of Pace Communications, the largest custom publishing company in the nation, serving Fortune 500 companies such as Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Bluetooth SIG, Carlson Travel Group, Wachovia, Toyota, Verizon, Four Seasons and USAA. Her company is ranked by Working Woman Magazine as one of the top 175 women-owned businesses in America. In addition, she is a former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Finland (2001-2003).

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and the Tiffany Circle of the American Red Cross

Bonnie McElveen-Hunter and Kacie Kelly, the chairwoman of the Tiffany Circle Society of Women Leaders and a member of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Chapter.

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THROUGH HER TRAVELS, from spearheading measles initiatives in Zimbabwe to visiting those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter has learned that poverty most often rests squarely on the shoulders of women and children—as does the impact of natural disasters. With this in mind, she co-founded a special program within the work of the Red Cross that reaches out, from woman to woman, to make a difference.

The American Red Cross Tiffany Circle Society of Women Leaders was formed as a forum for women to come together to support the most vulnerable in our communities. This year, the Southeast Louisiana chapter is proud to have created a local Tiffany Circle and has great expectations for its future on the northshore and across the region. It will allow women to impact thousands of lives in their own community through the work of the Red Cross.

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

by Melissa Eugene-Duplantier

Tiffany Circle members each invest $10,000 annually in their local Red Cross chapter. These gifts are unique in that they primarily fund non-emergency initiatives. In times of disaster, there are many people around the world who will dig deep to give. Our area was certainly a beneficiary of that post-Katrina and has also been on the giving end, most recently with tornado disasters in our neighboring states. But the Red Cross as an organization is only capable of surging forward in response to those emergencies when the underlying structure of equipment and volunteers is kept trained and at the ready. That everyday business of the Red Cross is the mission of the Tiffany Circle. In return, members are invited into a national network of peers who gather annually to learn more about the worldwide operations of the Red Cross and to influence the programs of work that will be undertaken.

“Women are particularly powerful when we work together,” says Bonnie.

“That is why the Red Cross mission is a perfect fit for women leaders. There are so many Red Cross programs that speak to us as mothers and sisters, from our disaster preparedness and health and safety programs to support for military families and countless other community initiatives.”

As an example, local kids will learn to swim this summer thanks to the Red Cross and lifeguards will be trained and certified to keep our pools safe. With so many of our military personnel deployed around the world it is good to know that 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Red Cross stands ready with communications capability should there be a family emergency. Military members can have peace of mind knowing that when they are on a mission, in training or stationed anywhere in the world, including on

>>

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“Our services to armed forces programs are as old as the Red Cross and we thought the National World War II Museum was the perfect place to celebrate the launch of our Tiffany

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Circle,” says Kacie Kelly, local Circle

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Louisiana board member.

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The need for Red Cross services has

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grown rapidly over the past several years

power in the event of a power outage. With

and the organization’s 21,420-square-foot building located on the northshore serves as a regional office covering Washington, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.

Located at 300 Ashland Way in Madisonville, the Red Cross is positioned to provide a multitude of health and safety training and disaster preparedness classes to residents and businesses. In the event of a large-scale disaster, the location will also serve as the Southeast Louisiana

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Chapter Continuity of Operations, or COOP, center for all 13 of the chapter’s parishes. A large multi-function room can be divided into classrooms and will be used as a command center in the event of a hurricane or flood. There is ample room

“I came to Advanced Hand Specialists after a hunting accident. David made me a custom splint, gave me a home program, and has been working on my scar so that I can get back to doing the things I need and want to do. I recommend anyone with a sports injury or any upper extremity injury to see the therapists at AHS. They have given me the best treatment and are a big factor in getting me back to full health as fast as possible.”

– Bubby Brister, former NFL quarterback

Your hand deserves the best.

594 Asbury Drive, Suite A • Mandeville • (985)674-4170 www.advhand.com • email: info@advhand.com 78

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

to launch a disaster emergency operations center and space to coordinate a large disaster response, including staging areas for rescue and feeding operations.

“Past disasters have proven that women, in particular, recognize the need for the immediate assistance that the Red Cross provides,” Kacie says.

“Local Red Cross chapters rely on the generosity of their communities to continue our services, and we invite others to join us. A gift of $10,000 can provide shelter, food, counseling and other emergency assistance to dozens of families left homeless by a fire in a large apartment building, shelter 500 people affected by a severe storm or flood and

Left: Tiffany Circle members Phyllis Taylor (left) and Charlotte Bollinger (right) with Patricia Brinson and Olivia Manning.

Below: Monique Coleman, Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, Tiffany Circle member Rita Benson LeBlanc, Dorothy Clyne and Heidi Raines.

enable 250 deployed military personnel to receive Red Cross communications that can help with their requests for emergency leave.”

The name Tiffany and the $10,000 amount have historical precedents. The society is named for the beautiful Tiffany windows in the Board of Governors Hall at Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Red Cross President Mabel Boardman commissioned these windows, produced by the Tiffany Studios, in 1917. As an act of

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

reconciliation and hope, they were paid for with a $5,000 gift from the Women’s Relief Corps of the North and $5,000 from the United Daughters of the Confederacy of the South.

The women in these windows personify virtues at work in the Red Cross movement: hope, mercy, faith, charity, truth and fortitude. Members of the Tiffany

Circle provide living examples of these virtues by ensuring the Red Cross has the ability to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to life’s emergencies.

Left: James C. “Jay”

“While women clearly suffer more during and just after emergencies, women are also often the first to mobilize in the face of a disaster,” says Bonnie.

“We’re helping to identify women leaders in local communities who can really be a part of this work from the start, and not just after the disaster has occurred. After all, I firmly believe that we come into this world with nothing, we leave with nothing and all we really keep is what we give away.”

Directors, American Red

Young, immediate past chairman, Board of

Cross Southeast Louisiana Chapter; Bonnie McElveenHunter; and Frank Tessier, chairman, Board of Directors, American Red Cross Southeast Louisiana Chapter.

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Inside Northside and Hornbeck Offshore proudly present the

Northshore’s

Finest 2011 Honorees

photography by Eric Suhre

IN THE 56 YEARS SINCE the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation was founded, it has funded dramatic improvements in research and care. In 1955, children born with CF often died before reaching elementary school. Today, people with CF are living into their 30s, 40s and beyond. More than 47 percent of people with CF are age 18 or older.

The foundation has a unique and successful approach to developing drugs to fight this rare disease; virtually every approved CF drug available today was made possible by foundation support. A popular saying at the foundation says, “Money buys science and science buys life.” Fueled by chapters across the country, the foundation boasts an impressive use of

vital CF research and educational programs in the effort to make CF stand for cure found.

In 2010, under the leadership of longtime foundation volunteer and board member Jim Harp, Inside Northside Magazine and Hornbeck Offshore Services, Inc. (NYSE:HOS) launched the Northshore’s Finest event, which has two goals. In addition to supporting the foundation, it is a way to celebrate young northshore professionals who are giving of themselves and who have a propensity for getting involved philanthropically.

The 13 honorees presented on the following pages were nominated by their peers; they are working to raise both

revenue, with nearly 90 cents of every dollar raised supporting

be celebrated at a luncheon at Tchefuncta Country Club July 29.

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awareness of CF and funds for the foundation. Their efforts will

Front: Alicia Irmscher and Lani Fast; back: Paul Meyers and Samuel Pons.

Opposite page: Sandy Summers, Emily McKneely, Randy Bidleman, Lauren Coudrain and Jesse Hartley.

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Odds are you’ve seen these honorees in action, but allow us to introduce them…

Alicia Thomas Irmscher A native of Natchitoches, Alicia Irmscher resides in Slidell and works in Covington for the Notification is

programs, including a medical mission trip to India.

Philanthropically, Mother Teresa is Ashley’s role

Prevention Foundation.

Living on one side of St. Tammany Parish and

model because of her lifelong selfless dedication to

working on the other has given Alicia the opportunity to enjoy the events, parks and other attractions throughout the parish. As a responsible northshore citizen, she is involved in several different service, philanthropic and political organizations.

Alicia’s parents are her inspiration, both professionally and philanthropically. “They taught me that nothing in life is easy, but with hard work you can be successful in everything you set your mind to do,” she says. “They also taught me that you get more from life by helping and giving to your fellow man,

mother is her professional inspiration because of her hard work and devotion as both a successful mother and a professional.

Ashley values honesty and always strives to do the “right thing for the right reason at the right time.”

During her free time, she loves being outdoors, riding bikes, kayaking, exercising, fishing, football and spending time with friends and family.

“You can accomplish anything you set your mind to; if you aren’t successful the first time, keep working and eventually you will be.”

the sick and poor, despite much criticism. Ashley’s

even if it is only a friendly smile or a quick note in the mail saying hello.”

Whether it’s running with the bulls in Spain,

Born at a military hospital on Andrew’s Air Force

traveling through Europe or doing mission work in

Base outside of Washington, D.C., Amber Burch has called

Kenya, Alicia loves adventure. But most importantly,

Hammond home for the past 10 years. She works for U.S. Senator David Vitter as his representative in Tangipahoa

she loves spending time with her wonderful husband, daughter, parents and close friends.

“It is very easy to get involved on the northshore.

Choose organizations that you are passionate about and participate with them fully and completely.”

Ashley E. Rush Born in Natchez, Mississippi, Ashley Rush, RN, MSN, CPHQ, now resides in Mandeville and works as the Quality Manager at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Ashley enjoys the plethora of activities and events on the northshore and the many ways to get involved. “I love the people. I have had many wonderful opportunities through networking with other individuals on the northshore,” she says.

As a member of the First Baptist Church in Covington, Ashley has had many occasions to serve the 82

community and the world through a variety of outreach

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

Amber S. Burch

and Washington parishes.

Having lived in both very rural Washington Parish and very urban Dallas, Amber enjoys the mixture that the northshore brings. She demonstrates her commitment to the community through her involvement in many northshore organizations. “I try to be a good friend and influence to the people that I communicate and work with,” she says.

Amber’s professional role model is her boss, David Doss, whose interaction with others, his genuineness and the way he leads by example have motivated her to work harder and to strive to be patient and kind. Cassie Ragan and Erin Moore Cowser’s high standards for dedication to philanthropy and to people have also inspired her.

During her free time, Amber enjoys going to the gym, cycling, Spoga fitness studio, 5k races, attending

Join the honorees at a CF Leadership Luncheon July 29 at Tchefuncta Country Club, sponsored by Hornbeck Offshore.

Call Ashley Mills at 504-455-5194 for information.

Amber Burch, Todd Reeves, Kristen O’Keefe and Ashley Rush (seated).

church and spending time with loved ones. A “huge fan” of Theodore Roosevelt, she shares this quote by the former president: “I care not what others think of what I do, but I care very much about what I think of what I do! That is character!”

“Take on the things that you are passionate about and that you can give all of yourself to. It is not worthwhile to be less than your best, so choose your involvements wisely. But after you have chosen them, stick through with commitments and be active!”

Jesse Hartley A resident of Mandeville, Jesse Hartley serves as the executive director of the Children’s Advocacy Center/Hope

House.

Jesse says her favorite aspect of the northshore is the people of the community. “Everyone is always willing to lend a hand and so many of our community members truly have a vested interest in seeing this area thrive,” she says.

Through her work at Hope House, Jesse has helped serve and protect abused children and has helped clients on the path to recovery. She has also developed partnerships with other area nonprofits to meet the needs of the community.

Jesse’s role model both professionally and philanthropically is her mother, who was a strong businesswoman and selfless community member. >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

83

“She taught me to take risks, challenged me to succeed and supported me when things didn’t work out as planned,” Jesse says.

Jesse tries to find humor in all aspects of life, keeping in mind what a wise man once told her: “If it doesn’t eat you, it will only make you stronger.” She

as a Merchant Marine, her father provided an example of a strong work ethic and dedication to family and community and her mother was a working mom who successfully balanced family, work and community involvement.

During her limited free time, Emily

spends her free time running, relieving

enjoys the company of loved ones,

stress with CrossFit, enjoying time with

community events, Saints and

friends and family and being on or near

Southeastern football, boating on the

the water whenever possible.

“Find your passion and learn to

Tangipahoa River and the lakes, beach

balance work and play. A truly successful person has success in all areas of their life, not just their career.”

home improvement projects.

“Make the most of your time, talk to everyone you can, be organized, set goals and remember that if you support your community, it will support you. Join local committees or boards. Get involved!”

Emily McKneely Born in Hammond and now a resident of Ponchatoula, Emily McKneely is the director of sales for the Tangipahoa Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Emily loves the small community feel and the big city amenities of the northshore. “Easily accessible services,

A lifelong resident of Folsom, Kristen O’Keefe is a branch manager at the Capital One Bank on Highway 21; she is also the outreach coordinator for State Representative Scott M. Simon.

Kristen appreciates the family-

Tangipahoa Parish, yet I love walking

friendly environment of the northshore.

into the grocery store and running into

She enjoys giving of her time to help those who cannot help themselves and working with community leaders to better the northshore community. She serves on the board for New Heights Therapeutic Riding Center.

Kristen says she is blessed with outstanding friends and family, including her mother, Martha Cazaubon, who has been an incredible role model. “Her energy, charisma, positive attitude and community involvement have been an inspiration to me all of my life,” she says.

“Her love and support afford me the opportunity to excel professionally and personally.”

Kristen strives to “add value everyday by adding sunshine to people’s lives.” Although free time is scarce, she

Emily supports the northshore community through her involvement in various organizations, including the Ladies’ Top 28 committee, Louisiana Travel Promotion Association, the Southeastern Alumni Board and Leadership Tangipahoa, where she serves as immediate past-chairman. She encourages others to support the community by donating their time, attending local events and participating in special activities for worthwhile causes.

Professionally and philanthropically, Emily’s family is her inspiration. Her grandmother raised five children while her husband worked out of the country I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Kristen O’Keefe

quality medical facilities and exceptional educational opportunities abound in

five people I know,” she says.

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vacations, traveling and completing

and her husband are currently studying to become private pilots, so that “the sky is not the limit.”

“Wake up every day and find a way to add value to another person’s life.

Remember, it is possible to make a difference, and sometimes the difference may not be instantaneous. Don’t look for something in return.”

Lauren Coudrain Born in Metairie, Lauren Coudrain is now a resident of Covington and president/CEO of the Coudrain Group, LLC, which she founded in 2010 to provide social media and online fundraising assistance to nonprofit organizations.

Lauren enjoys living on the northshore because of its rapid growth, which provides the opportunity to be part of positive progressive change as St. Tammany becomes a new hub for the entire state of Louisiana.

Lauren’s personal and professional focus has always been concentrated on nonprofits and the services they provide to the community. She currently serves as chair of Northshore Rising Professionals and on the boards of the St. Tammany West Chamber and Northshore Neighborhood Housing Services. She is also an active member of the Covington Rotary Club, Greater Northshore Association of Fundraising Professionals, St. Tammany Commission on Families and the Leadership St. Tammany Alumni Foundation.

John Tobin, a truly inspirational community leader and mentor, is Lauren’s professional and philanthropic role model. She admires John’s selfless service to the community, his tireless commitment to people in need and his constant consideration for the community in every decision he makes.

When she is not busy serving the community, Lauren’s hobbies include >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

85

painting, photography, writing and using power tools.

“Business networking is great, but I’ve found that community service is the best way to truly network with others.

Professional and philanthropic goals are best when intertwined with one another—the opportunity to give back while promoting professional goals is immeasurable.”

to something, give it 100 percent!”

Randy Bidleman Randy Bidleman was born in Detroit, Michigan, but has called Mandeville home for 30 years. He is a vice president/senior business banker at Capital One Bank in Mandeville.

Randy is passionate about the northshore community and feels very

Paul A. Myers IV

fortunate to live, work and raise a family

Paul Myers was born in Natchez,

here. He also enjoys the people, cultural

Mississippi, and currently resides in

arts, energy and natural beauty of the

Covington. He is a commercial lender/business banker in the Mandeville

northshore.

Randy is a board member and treasurer of the PIG Invitational Charity, which raises money for needy children and seniors in St. Tammany Parish. He also serves on the Ambassadors Council of the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce, is a member of the Leadership St. Tammany Class of 2011 and has volunteered for the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany, Junior

Office of Metairie Bank & Trust.

Paul’s favorite aspect of the northshore is “the small town feel,” and he appreciates everything his community has to offer, especially the family environment.

Paul has taken advantage of the everyday opportunities to make a difference on the northshore by teaching Junior Achievement at Fontainebleau High School, organizing food drives for the Covington Food Bank, working with small businesses to assist with economic difficulties and volunteering for other great causes to benefit the community.

Professionally, Paul’s inspiration comes from his father’s work ethic and respect for all people and his greatgrandfather’s loyalty and integrity. Paul’s philanthropic role model, his grandfather, always said, “Never complain about what is going on in your community unless you are willing to lend a hand to make it better.”

Paul’s strength and motivation comes from his family. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and two children, exercising, hunting, fishing and volunteering for Ducks Unlimited.

“The challenges are out there, but it is up to all of us to be proactive. If you commit

Achievement, Habitat for Humanity and Kids Konnection.

Randy’s parents are his professional and philanthropic inspiration. He describes his father, Jerry, as “an ultimate professional in the business world” and says that his parents are two of the most generous, giving and loving people he has ever known.

In addition to playing drums for the local band 4-Unplugged, Randy enjoys playing roller hockey and golf and staying active in his two sons’ sports activities.

“In both my professional world and in my philanthropic activities, I always try to follow my heart. Money and material things should not be the single driving force behind the decisions you make.”

Sandy Armstead Summers Born in Plaquemine, Sandy Summers currently lives in Hammond, where she

works as the assistant director of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Sandy likes being a part of the exciting growth the northshore is experiencing. She says she appreciates the friendly spirit in the area that is

the spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship that this parish maintains,” she adds.

A supporter of area nonprofit organizations, Lani is also involved in the northshore community as a graduate of Leadership Northshore and a member of East St. Tammany Chamber of

welcoming to many backgrounds. In an

Commerce’s Emerging Young

effort to give back to the community,

Professionals. She is inspired by a quote

Sandy volunteers in various northshore

from Maya Angelou: “One must know

organizations.

not just how to accept a gift, but with

Sandy’s inspiration comes from God and His Word, as well as her mother and sister. “They have both played such a huge and positive role in my life that no person—no matter how famous—can compare to them,” she says. For Sandy, her mother and sister embody love, faith, strength and courage as they donate their time, money and talents to people and projects that matter.

Sandy loves God, her family and helping others. Her free time is nonexistent, as her two small children

what grace to share it.”

Lani enjoys spending free time with her family and friends. She is always up for a road trip, boat ride, beachside or a good festival!

“When you find yourself blessed, pay those blessings forward to your community, whatever your interest may be.”

Samuel L. Pons Born in Metairie, Samuel L. Pons lives in downtown New Orleans but works on the northshore. As a business unit manager for

and her volunteer efforts keep her busy.

“Strive to do good work and good things for others—regardless if the project is

Hornbeck Offshore Services, Sam is

large or small—because you never know who is watching or who you may impact.”

Covington.

“My involvement with cystic fibrosis

Lani Ramhofer Fast Born and raised in the New Orleans metropolitan area, Lani Fast has lived on the northshore for eight years and currently resides in Mandeville. She is the clinic operations manager at Ochsner Medical Center - Northshore.

Lani calls the northshore home because of the great sense of community it provides through the people, who are down-to-earth and welcoming. She enjoys the blessing of “nature’s best,” from the lake, bayous and natural springs, to the scenic parks and fabulous food. “There are so many great specialty businesses that showcase

responsible for all aspects of the downstream petroleum transportation segment of HOS in

is a natural fit—both personally and professionally. My cousin Verna Bieber has two young children affected by the disease, and I recently learned that a coworker has a daughter with CF,” he says.

“I’m really looking forward to serving on the event committee for the inaugural Grapes and Grain benefit on the northshore this fall, as we seek to fund a cure for CF.” Carl Annessa, COO of Hornbeck Offshore, is Sam’s professional role model. He is inspired by Carl’s incredible knowledge and experience across a wide range of business functions and his respect for people, regardless of professional standing. >> J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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Sam’s philanthropic inspiration is Jim Harp, who makes time to help others despite his busy schedule as a father and as an executive and CFO of Hornbeck Offshore.

Although he has very little free time, Sam enjoys spending time with his friends, playing golf and exercising. However, he is probably best known around town for his role as the lead singer-songwriter of the alternative pop/rock band Lucy’s Walk, which can

northshore community through his church, civic groups and community service groups such as the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, STARC, the Northshore Foundation, the Louisiana State Bar Association and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Todd says there are many people who have inspired him professionally and philanthropically. “I am fortunate

frequently be heard in New Orleans venues such as the

and blessed that God has put these people in my life who

Howlin’ Wolf, Tipitina’s and the House of Blues.

“Care about what you are doing.”

teach and encourage me to persevere in becoming the best I can be—not only through their words but in their actions and deeds,” he says.

J. Todd Reeves Originally from Monroe, Todd Reeves grew up in Slidell and has been a resident of Mandeville for the past 10 years.

He is co-owner/owner of The Reeves Law Firm, the All American Title Agency and the All Pro Sports Agency.

Todd’s favorite thing about the northshore is that it’s “home.” “It’s where I grew up, where my kids are growing up, where my family is, where my church is and it’s a community of people that I have created friendships with, have helped and who have helped me,” he says.

Todd enjoys volunteering to help others in the

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During his free time, Todd loves just being with his wife and two daughters—“whether it’s at home watching a movie, playing hide-n-go-seek, going to the park, the zoo, flying kites, going to the beach, seeing the Saints and Tigers play, snow skiing, fishing, riding horses, swimming, boating, singing—as long as it is with the three girls who rule my world I’m a happy man.”

“I believe that we all have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and it is important that we encourage one another to do so because this will ensure that our community will continue to thrive.”

Advancements in Cystic Fibrosis Therapy Compressor Old: Takes 20 minutes to aerosolize each

Therapy Vest: Eric says, “This vest

medicine; requires power outlet. About 12

allows me to have the freedom of doing

inches wide, 12 inches tall, 8 inches deep.

my CPT treatment by myself. It is so

Weighs about 8 pounds.

efficient that it is needed only 30 minutes once a day. The downside was

New: E-flow takes 6-8 minutes to

that its size made traveling difficult. You

Northshore’s Finest

aerosolize each medicine; battery

are still bound to a specific area.” About

photographer

operated. About 4.5 inches in diameter.

21 inches wide, 24 inches tall, 14 inches

Eric Suhre, a CF

Weighs about .75 pounds.

deep. Weighs about 25-30 pounds.

patient, shared with us some of

Acapella Valve: Eric says, “This is where

the life-changing

Airway Clearance

we are now. Used for 30 minutes a day,

advancements

Chest Physical Therapy: Eric Suhre says,

this gives me total freedom and

made possible

“When I was younger, my mom had to

independence. Replaces the larger

through research

perform CPT on me for 30 minutes twice

therapy vest machine and is easy to

funded by the Cystic

a day. I was dependent on someone else

travel with.” About 6 inches long.

Fibrosis Foundation.

to perform this twice-daily treatment.”

Weighs about .25 pounds.

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CFF Visionary Verna Bieber When Verna Bieber found out that her son had cystic fibrosis, she knew what was ahead of her. Her best friend and “backdoor neighbor” had died at the age of 23 from CF while waiting for a lung transplant.

By age 13, Verna had seen her friend JoBeth undergo three surgeries to remove her lung.

Despite her disease, Jo Beth graduated from high school and attended Nicholls State University.

Although away at LSU, Verna was able to visit on the weekends, helping Jo Beth with her physical therapy treatments. She was also blessed to be with her friend the last few weeks of her life.

“My best friend was the most amazing influence in my life,”Verna says. “She taught me how to fight—this girl didn’t stop. My hope is that I can be as strong for my children.”

After Jo Beth’s death and per her wishes, Verna changed her major and became a neonatal intensive care nurse. After celebrating her wedding in Louisiana, she and her husband moved to California, where they had their first child.

At a regular baby check up, the doctor noticed signs of CF and ordered a “sweat test” for Verna’s son. Because of her experience with the disease,Verna says she didn’t need to wait for the results. “When I kissed his feet and they were so salty, I knew. I knew my baby had CF.”The official results came in while they were visiting family in Louisiana—her baby had CF.“I knew that dealing with CF we would need a lot of family support,” Verna says. They moved back home to Louisiana, where her daughter, who also has CF, was born.

Verna soon realized the importance of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, which supports the CF care center at Tulane University and Hospital.Through the Tulane center,Verna’s children get throat cultures every three months, and the doctors provide meticulous and proactive treatment.

The research of the CFF has come a long way since Verna’s friend was diagnosed with the disease.“It’s truly amazing what they are doing,” she says.“We’re in a very exciting time right now.

We are going to see this disease diminish—become a nuisance versus a major killer. When my friend died, they didn’t even know where the gene was.”Through research, the CFF has discovered the location of the gene as well as over 2,000 mutations. The state is now regularly testing infants for CF, and early testing during pregnancy is also available.

“It’s amazing how many people don’t know much about CF,” Verna says. “With my best friend having CF and now my kids, it is very clear to me that we need a cure—and I am a voice that needs to be heard. We have to fight this disease because it is a killer; we have to save these children’s lives.”

Although only about 30,000 people in the United States have the disease,Verna knew many students who died from CF while she was in high school. “I watched children die around me,” she says. “But it is a different world today. There is hope. It’s still serious, dangerous and scary, but it’s a lot more hopeful.”

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by Gerard and Cindy Braud

Greece

Mediterranean love letter The sun was setting as we sailed away from Venice, Italy, with the realization that these were the same waters navigated by ancient mariners, warriors and merchants on their Mediterranean routes to

Above: One of Santorini’s famous blue-roofed churches.

Right: Cindy and Gerard Braud.

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Bronze Age sailing vessel, but a modern 10-story ship that towered over the historic island.

Special occasions call for special celebrations.

Our 30th wedding anniversary was cause for a Mediterranean voyage of a lifetime. We’ve always placed a priority on life experiences more than material possessions, so we put everything on hold for two weeks and declared the trip had no limitations and no budget.

The romantic streets and canals of Venice were our home for three days before sailing. This city radiates romance, anchored by the massive Byzantine San Marco Basilica and Piazza. Lined with some of Europe’s grandest cafés, Venetians and visitors rub elbows in the Piazza, sipping cappuccinos or wine while dining on Italian delicacies amid a serenade of outdoor orchestras.

Venice is a collection of breathtaking architecture

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

and art, intertwined with endless shops. Whatever you can imagine, you’ll find the very best of it here: shoes, fine clothing, gloves, jewelry and beautiful Murano glass. Around every corner is a magnificent church and over every bridge is a charming café. Few dinners in the world can compare to enjoying seafood hors d’oeuvres, lobster pasta and shrimp scampi along Venice’s Grand Canal.

But Venice was only the starting point on our

photos: COURTESY OF GERARD AND CINDY BRAUD

Greece. Champagne in hand, we were not on some

way down the Adriatic Sea to the Greek Isles, with stops along the way in lands where civilizations thrived and died as far back as 7,000 years before Christ. They left behind masterful pagan temples, Christian churches with architecture that boggles the mind and ports that hold secrets we will never know.

We began with stops among the Roman and Greek ruins of Croatia and the medieval fortresses of Montenegro. In Split, Croatia, we enjoyed dark beer sitting on the marble steps beneath the towering columns of a peristyle that served as the center for conversation and debate for rulers and citizens thousands of years ago. How surreal. Down the coast in Montenegro, a strenuous three-mile hike up a steep mountainside led us to the distant Fortress of St. John, capped off by an awe-inspiring view of Kotor harbor. Then we meandered through the streets of Kotor, a picturesque village that looked like the setting for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Our entry to Greece was the Isle of Corfu, which is less about history and more about the coastal beauty of a mountainous resort. Reportedly, Prince Harry and Kate Middleton like Corfu for romantic getaways. But the real highlight here was meeting a tour guide who took us down a country road to the best restaurant on the island for the most incredible Greek lunch. At Spiros Vasilis, we dined on olives, taziki, tamara, stuffed grape leaves, tomatoes, fresh baked bread, grilled lamb and Greek meats, punctuated with Greek wines.

We were in foodie heaven.

The port of Katakolan, site of the first Olympics in 776

Varicose Vein Treatment

B.C., was our gateway to ancient Greece. Earthquakes have long turned the temple of Zeus and its massive surrounding buildings to rubble, but the collection of recovered antiquities, statues and artifacts is jaw dropping. The archeological site was buried for centuries and unearthed in the 1800s. The fallen columns are huge, leaving visitors in awe of the scale and scope conceived by the builders and artisans who first mastered math and construction techniques that are unparalleled today. Every four years, modern Olympians still return here to light the Olympic torch.

That evening, we sailed through fiords into the dark, only to awaken in the caldera of a volcano, which makes up the island of Santorini. The most photographed island in Greece, Santorini is famous for its bright white stucco homes adorned by blue domed roofs and housing tiny chapels.

Imagine sailing into the center of a large donut-shaped island with one bite missing. The center hole is a seven-mile wide lagoon, surrounded by a sheered 1,000-foot crescent cliff. From below, the ridge looks like it is covered in snow, when in reality >> the white caps are the famous stucco homes. This unique

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topography was created in 1,600 B.C. when a massive volcano erupted here, blowing what was once the center of the island into the cosmos and leaving only the outer walls of the mountainside. Many historians believe tales of the lost city of Atlantis are really Plato’s way of explaining how one day an entire island civilization existed, and then vanished into the sea.

The true charm of Santorini is walking an intricate path of narrow stairs amid a constant collection of interconnected dwellings perched perilously along the caldera rim, overlooking the most amazing deep-blue ocean the eye has ever seen. We dare say the world has few vistas as spectacular.

Feeling adventurous, we trekked through village after village, then along a stony caldera trail for nearly three hours before surrendering to a taxi for a ride to Aio, the most scenic of the island’s villages.

Here, paths are lined with shops featuring amazingly unique art and handcrafted jewelry, accented by a myriad of restaurants with spectacular views.

The next day, we landed in Crete, which can boast of one of the most charming harbors in the world. Ringed by a broad paved walk, the harbor is lined with restaurants and coffee shops, perfect

for people watching. We wined and dined where 9,000 years ago early civilizations developed and where all life was destroyed by a tidal wave nearly 500 feet high when Santorini erupted.

Crete is a shopping mecca, ranging from traditional Greek produce markets where the locals shop to fascinating art and jewelry. Our search for a

photos: COURTESY OF GERARD AND CINDY BRAUD

special piece of jewelery to celebrate our anniversary ended in Crete. The two young ladies running the jewelry store were happy to serve us Raki (grappa brandy) while we made our final purchasing decision.

Then, it was a celebratory kiss on both cheeks for both of us after the sale was made.

We ended our cruise aboard our ship, the Azamara Journey, by sailing into Athens, the modern capitol of Greece and home of the picturesque mountaintop, Acropolis, the most famous of all Greek landmarks.

Ancient Agora, Dionysus and Odeon Theaters and Panathinion Stadium were just a few of our stops.

Working up an appetite, we enjoyed a traditional outdoor Greek lunch of veal, with eggplant, tomatoes, olives, taziki and tamara. The proud owner checked on each guest, making us think we had stumbled across the Sal & Judy’s of Greece.

Appetites satisfied, we journeyed on to explore

the massive outdoor markets where bargains abound.

But before turning in on our final night, we snuck out one more time to wine and dine on the Greek cuisine that we couldn’t seem to get enough of.

Of all the places in the world, Greece was on the top of each of our lists of places we wanted to see. The adventure from Venice to Athens was worth every dollar and every minute. Life is too short to focus on only money and possessions. Sometimes in life, you have to chase after dreams that lead you to the great destinations and experiences in life.

Opposite: Ruins of a Greek gymnasium.

Top: The iconic white stucco buildings of Santorini.

Above: The remains of the Temple of Zeus in Athens.

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E L I F R P

O

L A C I D E M

Evaluation of mood and stress in primary care medicine.

Q & A with OB/GYN D r. C h e v i e s N e w m a n

Q: Why are mood and stress the topic?

Shouldn't we be discussing OB/GYN problems?

A: Problems with mood and stress affect many patients. Those who suffer often feel they are on an unsustainable path. Exhausted and frustrated, it

and have word identifiers and grimacing faces. It is

No matter your degree of mental health, life is

common in hospitals and medical offices. The scale is

difficult. It is less difficult, however, when the barrier

self validating in that a number corresponds with the

between yourself and the flow of life becomes softer

severity of the symptom.

and smaller. When these boundaries soften, loneliness

If there is a problem with the sleep-wake cycle, I

and suffering abate. The goal of spiritual wholeness and

seems the "ideal self" is slipping away; internal

ask the patient if they desire evaluation. Verbal

mental health are similar; the movement from self

dialogue is constant, taking away the ability to be

consent to perform the test is important. Some are

absorption and isolation to clarity and inclusion.

deeply present. Sleep is often fragmented or elusive

not ready and just want birth control, pap smear and

Additionally, there is evidence that patients with

despite chronic fatigue; performance may slip,

immediate exit. I understand.

prolonged untreated psychiatric problems may be at

increasing downside momentum.

Mood and stress problems have a roughly 25%

If needed and desired, I have people rate the following: insomnia, daytime sleepiness, stress,

higher risk of dementia.

It is my prediction that screening for mood and

incidence at any time in our population. People often

sadness, worry, guilt. I will expand to pain, inattention

stress problems will become woven into future medical

have guilt for feeling bad because there is no obvious

and irritability, depending on the circumstances. They

care, much as diabetes, hypertension and cancer are

external reason. Likewise, some have a tendency to

give me a number from the pain scale, giving an

screened for currently. It is sensible. There is a high

blame external sources creating unnecessary conflict or

average over the last three weeks.

prevalence of mood and stress problems and effective

violence in the worst cases.

These problems often present as other

The questions are an attempt at the dimensional

treatments. Earlier treatment improves lifetime course of

approach to psychiatry. This approach attempts to

the problem. Lack of treatment allows not only

symptoms. Every medical specialty has conditions

identify individual symptoms. Treatment often involves

continued suffering, but downstream health conditions

closely linked to stress and mood. Likewise, chronic

lower doses of more than one medication. The goal is

which evolve from lifestyle or neglect of medical

medical conditions can cause mood changes. It

to create a regimen that provides faster relief, improved

conditions. Undiagnosed problems increase healthcare

seems obvious, but if we do not screen for the

compliance, and greater symptom resolution.

costs by expensive testing for psychiatrically

problems they will be missed. It can be difficult for a patient to put these symptoms into language.

predominate physical symptoms.

Q: What is the goal of medical treatment?

A: The ability to sleep deeply, be awake deeply

of other medical problems for which we currently

Q: Tell us about screening and evaluation.

and have a centered mind are the goals of treatment.

screen. It will become a routine part of healthcare.

A: The future of medicine will integrate broader

We must consider a "top down" approach while

Good luck and thank you for your time.

use of basic screening and treatment for mood and

simultaneously treating physical pain and illness. If a

stress. If a person does not feel good, it can be hard to

person sleeps well and has a good energy level, the

care about anything beyond getting through the day.

brain is likely in no need of medical treatment.

Medical compliance goes down, dietary restraint often

The goal is to live a best course of life. If you are

vanishes, pain worsens, marital stress increases, job

reluctant to use medication, cognitive behavioral

performance and attendance decrease, substance

therapy is useful in itself or as an addition to

abuse may evolve or deepen; non treatment can

medication. A good psychotherapist focuses on altering

hinder attempts at control of chronic medical problems.

thought processes, helping to improve self-imposed

In pursuit of a simple evaluation, I devised

stress. New thoughts are biologic processes. The well

screening based upon the well known standard pain

trained psychotherapist will recognize and refer a

scale, the one with numbers that go from zero to ten

patient for medical management when necessary.

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Problems with mood and stress have the qualities

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

—Chevies Newman, MD. FACOG Dr. Chevies Newman and Newman Comprehensive OB/GYN are located at 907 S. Harrison St. in Covington. Please call 246-1224 for an appointment.

ACTIVITIES Horseback Riding Swimming Ropes Course Tennis Canoeing Golf Basketball Gymnastics Dance Archery Arts & Crafts Outdoor Living Skills Campfire Fun Rope Swing Volleyball Soccer Riflery Aerobics Chorus & Drama Voice & Music Trip Day Counselors-in-Training Climbing Tower River Water Blob Cheerleading Flag Twirling Sports Riverview Camp for Girls is a community where your daughters grow in confidence and maturity - all while having a great time in a safe, carefree and wholesome environment.

Susan and Larry Hooks, Owners and Directors • For more information, call (800) 882-0722.

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When is the best time to help your child with the next school year? This summer!

Pam B. (Beren’s mom) “They took time to assess his difficulties and created a program to meet his specific needs. It is a place where my child is nurtured and receives positive motivation from the entire staff.”

Beren B. (6th Grade) “Huntington helped me learn study skills to use now and in high school and college.”

Seth H. (11th Grade) “Huntington was a great learning experience and they helped raise my ACT score!”

Tammy H. (Seth’s mom) “I’m pleased with the progress my son has made through Huntington’s ACT Prep Program. He has become more comfortable taking the ACT test and has more self-confidence through his hard work and improved results.”

Skarlett H. (Madison’s mom) “Huntington Learning Center made a dramatic positive difference in Madison. Madi went from quite possibly struggling and repeating a grade to scoring consistent 100’s. Madi has enjoyed reaching her goals at Huntington. Her confidence is up and is very proud to show off her multiple rewards! She is so confident that she now chooses to read books above her grade level. After meeting with Madi’s teacher, I received the best compliment, ‘To see the progress where Madison started to where she is now, I just get goosebumps.’ I highly recommend Huntington Learning Center to assist your child and achieve their goals. “

Madison H. (1st Grade) “Huntington helped me a lot. They helped me learn how to read and how to make math easier.”

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IF YOU NEED A BREAK from the ballpark, swimming lessons or other summer commitments, a trip to Bogue Chitto State Park might be just the thing. This new park—celebrating one year in August—has something for everyone in the family.

Whether it’s hiking, horseback riding, fishing, playing in water fountains, enjoying the beach or floating down the river, you’re sure to enjoy! And if you need a weekend (or week-long) getaway, rent a cabin, bring your RV or just pitch a tent.

Bogue Chitto State Park, located just 25 miles north of Covington, encompasses nearly 1,800 acres.

Since its official opening, over 93,000 visitors have taken advantage of all the park has to offer. “We are

Bogue Chitto very excited to be way above expectations,” says Anthony Marange, park manager. “We are proud to have full support from visitors all around the country.”

hills in Louisiana!), you just might spot some furry or scaly friends. ’Possum, ’coon and ’gator are frequently seen, but keep an eye out for coyote, bobcat, pig, deer, otter and mink as well.

Hiking and Wildlife

Even if you don’t run into those animals, you

The park boasts seven miles of walking trails, including a five-mile loop around the entire park.

can’t miss seeing—or hearing—the many feathered

Throughout your hike, be sure to note the small

birding,” says Denise McKinney, an interpretive

identification signs on the trees—after reading a few,

ranger. “So far, we’ve identified 125 different species

try to recognize some on your own! And if you would

and we’re keeping a running list.” You might

rather ride than walk, bring your horse to explore the 14 miles of equestrian trails.

While traversing the rolling terrain (Yes, there are

recognize bobwhite quail, wild turkey, great blue heron and a variety of woodpeckers, hawks and songbirds. If you see any “unidentified” birds while you’re hiking, be sure to take a good look (or a picture) and let one of the rangers know.

Though the birds of the air are exciting, “The fishing here is wonderful!” Denise says. There are about 20 ponds throughout the park, many of which were old gravel pits that have been filled with water— and fish—from the natural overflow of the river. This keeps the ponds well stocked with different species, including bass, white perch and catfish.

Fourth of July Celebration Saturday, July 2 7:30-10:00 p.m.

Join Bogue Chitto State Park staff on the Day Use Beach for the first Fourth of July celebration in the park.

photo: COURTESY OF JARED ZERINGUE

Enjoy live music from Stardust and a bonfire on the beach!

Fishing Fest with 4-H Tuesday, August 2

Events are free with park admission. Contact Denise at 839-5725 or boguechitto_int1@crt.state.la.us for more information.

State Park

by Katie Montelepre

friends that call the park home. “It’s a great place for

Fun in the Water After exploring the trails, cool off at the spray park or at the beach.

Kids will enjoy splashing through the water

>>

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morning until six in the evening. Cool

while floating (or paddling) on the water, Rocky Bottom Tubing and Canoeing is the answer. Owner Len Bickham offers tubing, canoeing and kayaking; included are life vests and a shuttle service so you don’t have to carry your equipment to the launch.

Single tubes, double tubes and icechest tubes (these can also be used for small children) are available for rent. The

off with snowballs, soft drinks and

trip—from the north side of the park to

Gatorade, or satisfy your cravings with candy, Frito pies, hamburgers and hot

the south—takes about two and a half hours. In a canoe (which fits up to three

dogs. (Snack and drink machines and restrooms with drinking water fountains are located throughout the park.)

A trip to the beach area along the Bogue Chitto River offers plenty of options. Jump in the river or just wade in the shallow area, but don’t try to swim against the current—you won’t get very far! After swimming, relax at the picnic pavilions or rent a beach chair and umbrella from Rocky Bottom. The two volleyball nets are “first come, first served,” so don’t forget to borrow a volleyball at the entrance station.

people) or a kayak (available in single or double), the trip through the park will take about an hour and a half. For the more adventurous voyager, Rocky Bottom offers a much longer trip. The shuttle will take you out of the park about six miles up the road to a private launch in Franklinton, where you’ll start your fourhour journey. Of course, it all depends on how many times you stop for a snack!

If you have your own canoe, kayak or tube, you can use the shuttle service for a small fee. The shuttle to the private launch leaves about every hour, while the shuttle for the in-park route leaves more frequently.

For prices and details, call 515-1477

during the summer from 10 in the

Floating Down the River If you’d rather explore the park

photo: COURTESY OF BOGUE CHITTO STATE PARK

playground in the Day Use Area. In addition to the water slide and fountains, there’s a “dry” playground, too. Parents can take advantage of the picnic pavilions, where they can relax in the shade or barbecue at the grills provided.

If you need a quick snack or drink, Rocky Bottom’s concession stand is open

or email rockybottomtubing@yahoo.com. Friend them on Facebook to get more information and special offers.

Camping Since you’ll need more than just a day to enjoy everything Bogue Chitto has to offer, consider taking a camping vacation at the park. All facilities are open year-round.

The bottomland and upland campgrounds provide over 80 spots for RV and tent camping. Campers in these areas have access to their own beach, which is separate from the Day Use Area. There’s even a washer and dryer to do laundry, and all camping facilities have free wireless internet. (In response to suggestions from many visitors, a primitive campground— without electricity and water—is in the planning stage.)

For campers who don’t want to “rough it,” four individual cabins are available for rent. Each cabin sleeps eight people and has a screened-in porch overlooking a bluff, as well as a TV and a grill for barbecuing. If you need more room, you can rent the lodge, which holds 14 guests.

Bogue Chitto’s Group Camp is the perfect place for a family reunion or a trip with many, many friends. This facility sleeps 52 people in bunk beds lining the walls of two dormitories. In the center of the building, there’s a large room with a TV and tables and chairs. The adjacent kitchen area has ovens, stoves and a large refrigerator and freezer, as well as a serving station that’s a small version of a cafeteria lunch line. Outside, there’s a climbing tower for the kids, an outdoor classroom and a sand pit for volleyball and horseshoes. If you want to bring a group just for the day, a Meeting Room, which holds up to 150 people, is also available for rent.

Bogue Chitto State Park is located at 17049 State Park Blvd. in Franklinton. Call 839-5707 or email boguechitto@crt.la.gov for more information; for reservations, call 877-CAMP-N-LA. Find Bogue Chitto State Park on Facebook or visit crt.state.la.us.

Admission: $1; 3 and under, free; 62 and over, free.

In addition to the many natural attractions, Bogue Chitto State Park hosts public programs that are both educational and fun. These include trail hikes with the interpretive ranger, outdoor cooking classes and lessons on many topics, including tent camping, composting, candle making, knot tying and how to use a compass. Most programs are on Fridays and Saturdays; call ahead or ask for a schedule at the entrance station. Schools, clubs and other groups can also call to request programs related to their interests or studies.

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Scoop with style! Pewter fleur de lis measuring cup set, $49.50. The Shops at Madisonville Marketplace, Madisonville, 845-1001.

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Healthy healing! Himalayan salt crystal lamp, $19.95. Poole Lumber Company, Covington, 892-4500.

Sorority tee, $24. Campus Connection, New Orleans, (504) 866-6193.

4

3

Rush to get this personalized tee!

Can-helenic coozie! Sorority coozie available in a variety of letters,

$14.99. Mandeville Party Company, 674-1605.

5

Support your team! Full grain, buffed cowhide LSU iPad case, also available with fleur de lis,

$59.95. Geaux for the Gold, Slidell, 641-0620.

6

Maintain a youthful glow. Age-Proof Suncare is an oil-free, hydrating and protecting sunblock

from Murad, starting at $28. Massage Envy, Mandeville, 626-6260.

Mandeville, 626-1522.

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Island bound. Sea urchin-shaped vase, 13� tall, $35. EMB Interiors,

Geaux for the Que! Handsome BBQ tool set perfect for tailgating, $76. Mike’s Den, Mandeville, 626-9668.

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Geaux for the Gold Where sports fans shop!

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Visit Geaux For The Gold for the newest Saints and LSU items.

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H OME F URNISHINGS • G IFTS • O RIGINAL A RT I NDIA S TEWART • TAYLOR S COTT C OLLECTION A NNIE S LOAN C HALK PAINT 214 Lee Lane, Covington • 985.893.3933 Open Tuesday - Saturday 10-5

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Correct while you protect! blumöd corrective sun visors

are a natural acne treatment, amplifying the blue light to penetrate acne and heal, $39.95. Egan Wellness and Skin Care Spa, Covington, 892-3031.

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Lovely “Lilly on Linen”!

Design Legacy pillows, custom made with a variety of giclée prints on Belgian linen; made in the USA, $170. Welcome

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Home and garden, Covington, 893-3933.

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Party perfect!

10” x 10” glass cheese board, $42. Arabella Fine Gifts and Home Décor, Mandeville, 727-9787.

4

Get your slice of

heaven with wooden angel wings by Creative Coop, $98 per wing. De Coeur, Covington, 809-3244.

5

Tea time!

Contemporary hammered silver creamer and sugar on tray, $60. Studio MV, Covington, 867-5601.

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A sweet scent from

head to toe! Hand-painted perfume bottle, $140. The Grapevine, Covington, 893-2766.

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Don’t be crabby—dip

your chip! Chip and dip holder or accent piece, $110. Accents & Things, Slidell, 649-4273.

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Steamy summer nights.

Rowenta Steam Generator Iron, $299. Precision Sewing, Covington, 249-6156.

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IN Fashion with Peter Link

by Maria G. Davis Peter Link, the son of an Air Force colonel, was born in 1944 during World War II while his father was stationed in the South Pacific. The family moved several times in his young life, to California, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., before finally settling in Dallas when he was 6 years old.

After graduating from the University of Texas (Austin), Peter joined the Air Force and served for four years, rising to the rank of captain. He began his banking career in Texas, traveling across the Lone Star state in various banking positions before settling on Midland, Texas, as his home. As the president of a bank in Midland, he made friends with his neighbors, George and Laura Bush, a friendship that continues today. A bank-consulting job moved him to Atlanta. In 1993, he relocated to Covington. After losing his wife of 32 years, Peter found love again with Maureen (Moe) Clary; they have been married for 10 years. This year, he celebrates 40 years in banking. cool that came with his Texas roots. I thought he was the perfect model for our boating adventure.

As we joked and enjoyed the afternoon, I could not help but detect a lovely Texas drawl, which bubbles to the surface ever so gently when he speaks.

Listen carefully; you might just hear that little lilt in his words.

MD: Peter, you are always so well dressed. How would you characterize your style?

PL: I grew up, for the most part, in Highland Park (Dallas), Texas. Highland Park was a conservative and preppy place, so I think I just absorbed that and never really lost it.

MD: And of course, your Air Force training simply reinforced that.

PL: True. My Air Force years probably made me more of a “uniform” man. Moe said when she Linen solid pant, Toscano, $148. White shirt, Giorgio Armani, $235. Blue linen jacket, Hugo Boss, $595.

married me I had fourteen identical white

Bi-color Safari belt, Prada, $190. Suede penny loafer, Bally, $450. All from Saks Fifth Avenue.

shirts in my closet. I like structure.

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photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com Photographs taken abord the “Le Bon Temps Roule,” Rusty Burns, owner.

Peter personifies style, grace and the quiet

MD: I understand that your mother also had an appreciation for fashion. You shared the story of moving her here, when you told her that the

Covington’s own Ralph Lauren? You were

Daniel Cremieux blue shorts, $55;

great, and you looked like you owned the boat.

polo shirt, $49.50; red and white

PL: Well, that was a little out of my element; I was

shirt, $45. All from Dillards, North

men wore jackets to dinner at the assisted

nervous at first. But by the end of the day, I

Shore Square. Champagne man’s

living center.

thought it really was a lot of fun—I loved the

rubber-and-steel watch, $435.

boat. The clothes made me feel like I owned it!

Champagne Jewelers. Gucci

PL: Yes. I told her she would love it and that she would be pleased to know the men were

MD: Peter, you are our first male IN Fashion

suede driving shoe, $390. Saks

required to wear jackets to dinner. Although

subject. We’re going to do something different.

she was disappointed to hear they did not

I’ll throw some sentences at you, and I want

have to wear ties!

you to finish with the first thing that comes to

MD: That says a lot about how you were raised.

PL: Oh, yes! The 50s was a very buttoned-up era.

mind.

PL: (laughing) OK.

She felt most comfortable in that environment,

MD: My favorite thing to wear is...

and I guess I still do.

PL: A jogging suit.

MD: How did you take the casual-Friday trend?

Isn’t that a little odd for banking?

PL: I didn’t know what to do with it. I didn’t embrace it right away. Eventually, I came to love just wearing a jacket with no tie on

MD: If I were going to breakfast on a lazy Sunday, I would wear...

PL: Shorts and shirt, if it were warm.

MD: The one outfit I could never see myself wearing is...

Fridays. I miss it now since I changed jobs and

PL: A leisure suit. I never owned one.

have no casual Fridays.

MD: I would never leave home without wearing...

MD: You were so comfortable on our photo shoot!

Did you know that we were calling you

Fifth Avenue.

PL: My watch, my wedding band and my UT class ring.

>>

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

109

IN Fashion

straw fedora, $30. Perry Ellis linen shirt, $45. All from Dillards, North Shore Square. Seiko leatherstrap watch, $75. Champagne Jewelers. Gucci suede driving shoe, $390. Saks Fifth Avenue.

MD: If I could go to work dressed any way I please, I would...

PL: Wear exactly what I already wear every day—a tie and coat.

MD: Living in Louisiana has changed my style because...

PL: I have come to love seersucker suits.

MD: What do you see when you see people dressed today, as opposed to the buttoned-up style of your youth?

PL: I think it is a more casual life now, but there is room for a little lax in the structure. I like to feel comfortable now.

MD: Well, Peter, I have to say that because you looked so distinguished at our shoot, every time I see you I am going to call you Covington’s Ralph Lauren. Thank you for being our first male model!

PL: You are kind. Thank you for choosing me. I don’t see that, but I will answer if you call me Ralph!

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photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com Photographs taken abord the “Le Bon Temps Roule,” Rusty Burns, owner.

Daniel Cremieux white cargo shorts, $59.50;

985.727.7649 4480 Hwy 22 | Mandeville, LA

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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CORAL CORRAL

THE 1

2

4

3 5

6

7

1

Tacori sterling silver and 18kt yellow gold doublet with clear quartz over red onyx on 18” sterling silver chain: pendant, $1,690; chain, $100. Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666.

2

Damiani’s Italian wedge slide

available in orange, pink, green and nude, $39. Shoelicious 21, Covington, 893-4080.

7799.

4

3

Wide multi-colored headband, $8. Azure Spa, Mandeville, 727-

Zip-front knit dress by Joseph Ribkoff, $200. London Hill, Covington,

892-0201.

5

White and coral 100 percent-cotton sundress by fresh produce,

$49. Suzanne’s Gift Boutique, Covington, 871-1581.

6

Breezy silk-feel

blouse, $36. Apricot Lane, Lakeside Shopping Center, Metairie, (504) 8490900.

7

Quilted city satchel with gold accents by cinda b, $109. Three Divas and a Sugardaddy, Slidell, 288-5550.

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

Children in developing countries frequently cannot afford shoes. With every pair of TOMS shoes you purchase, a pair will be given to a child in need.

TOMS are now available at Columbia Street Mercantile, 236 N. Columbia St., Covington, 809-1789. TOMS.com.

SUMMER BLOWOUT SALE Bags • Shoes • Jewelry • Candles 1281 N. Causeway Blvd. • Suite 2 • Mandeville 985-626-8188

London-Hill Clothing Shoes Accessories

New Apparel Arriving Daily Men,Women & Children Flags • Art Party Supplies Jerseys • Shirts Ha ts • Gifts Handbags Accessories Home Décor Collectibles

311 Robert Street Olde Towne • Slidell 985-641-1105 114

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

Summer Sale!

Now Carrying: BCBG BCBGeneration Max and Cleo 820 E Boston St Covington, LA 985.892.0201

Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm Saturday 10am-4pm

1

3

2

4

5

CORAL CORRAL

THE

1

6

Big Buddha Fiesta Bag in brown/coral

multi, $89. ShoefflĂŠ, Covington, 898-6465; Mandeville, 626-8685; Baton Rouge, (225) 924-7100.

2

Fiery opal and diamond ring

set in yellow gold, $4,535. De Boscq Jewelry, Mandeville, 674-0007.

3

Pandora bracelet accented with coral-

colored Murano glass beads: bracelet, $65; glass beads, $40 each; birthstone beads, $75 each; 2-tone beads, $85 each.

Champagne Jewelers, Slidell, 643-2599.

4

Faux wrap coral dress, $49. Columbia

Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789.

5

Hand-sewn beautiful cotton apron in a

variety of patterns, including bridal, $35.

Olivier Couture, Mandeville, 674-6994.

6

Multi-colored floral crepe halter dress,

7

$29.99. Private Beach, Mandeville, 2376040.

7

Coral beaded sandals by

cocobelle, $78. Heel 2 Toe, Mandeville, 626-8188.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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2

CORAL CORRAL

THE

1

5 4 3

6 7

1

14ct citrine and diamond pendant with .75cttw diamonds set in yellow gold, $1,395. DeLuca’s

Expressions in Gold, Covington, 892-2317.

2

$22. OSpa at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0270.

Coral-colored multi-strand beaded necklace with silver trim, 3

Stretch cami available in

regular and long and an array of colors; one size fits most: $17 each or 2 for $30. Bra Genie, Mandeville, 951-8638.

4

Eyelet tiered cocktail dress in

coral by Esley, $56. Paisley, Mandeville, 727-7880.

5

Allison strapless

romper by ALEXIS in Starburst, $165. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-7649.

6

Silk dupioni cuff bracelets by Julio, $48. The

Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797.

7

Elegant short chiffon dress

with layered wire-hemmed skirt and jewel-embellished top, $373. Southern Bridal, Mandeville, 727-2993.

8

Canvas

Bon Voyage Bag by Toss Designs, available in a variety of colors and sizes, $86. Hestia, Covington, 893-0490.

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

8

Janome • Brother • Pfaff • Fabric • Notions • Patterns Classes • Repairs • Sewing Cabinets • Industrial Machines

3997 Hwy. 190 E. Service Rd., Covington • 985.249.6156

1281 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, (985) 626-9797 Monday-Saturday 10-6

Women’s Clothes & Accessories

www.sewingmachineoutlet.com

If the shoe fits, buy every color!

clothes shoes handbags jewelr y & much more!

70360 hwy 21 • covington 985.893.4080 • shoelicious21.com J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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A N D

M A R R I A G E

Leitz - St. Germain

St. Louis Cathedral was the historical setting for the nuptials of Valerie Ann Leitz, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Leitz, and

L O V E

Lance Corporal Ryan Christopher St. Germain, son of Mr. and Mrs. Risley St. Germain Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Carter Merrill. The afternoon ceremony was officiated by Father Mark Beard.

The cathedral was exquisitely decorated with dark red roses,

I N

orchids and calla lilies. The bride’s great-grandfather’s rosary was wrapped around the handle of her bouquet, which was a reflection of the cathedral flowers with accents of rhinestones. As the bride and her father arrived at the cathedral in a vintage white Rolls Royce, music from a violin, cello and trumpet trio filled the air.

The bride and groom each had seven attendants, including the bride’s close friend, Lauren Dennis, as the maid of honor, and the groom’s brother, Riz St. Germain Jr., as the best man.

After the ceremony, guests second lined from the cathedral around Jackson Square to the Riverview Room of the Jackson Brewery. The lively procession was led by the bride, groom and members of the band Four Unplugged. The views of the Mississippi River, the riverboat Natchez and the surrounding French Quarter were breathtaking, setting the scene for an unforgettable night.

The reception featured an array of food items, including raw oysters and sushi. The couple toasted with Waterford crystal champagne flutes, a gift from the bride’s parents, and cut their five-tier wedding cake with former U.S. Marine Jeff Boyd’s sword.

Favors of Roman Candy and Hubig’s Pies provided a nice treat for danced the night away. As a special treat, the groom, his best man and his father sang Brick House for everyone’s enjoyment!

After their fabulous celebration in the French Quarter, the happy couple honeymooned in Paris, France.

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photos: CALEB CHANCEY

all. The bride and groom, along with their friends and family,

FINE GIFTS & HOME DECOR

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842 Collins Blvd., Suite C • Covington • 985-892-2317

3902 Highway 22 • Mandeville • 985-727-9787

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

121

IN the Spotlight Celebration of Discovery

“Oh, The Places We’ll Geaux!” was the theme for the Celebration of Discovery 2011, the fourth annual event benefiting the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.

Celebration-goers’ taste buds were tantalized by more than 35 restaurants, while the sounds of the Northshore High School Jazz Combo and The Wiseguys, as well as a special appearance by American Idol’s Lauren Turner, kept the dance floor moving all night.

In keeping with the event’s Seussical theme, guests were greeted at the Castine Center doors by “WE,” dressed in yellow from head to toe, who provided an extra touch of whimsy, much like the event’s live artists—another Celebration signature.

The evening’s special guests included honorary chairs and emcees Margaret Orr and Jim Henderson, Rich Mauti as auctioneer and special appearances by New Orleans Saints, including Chris Ivory and Zach Strief.

Ochsner Health System was Stage Sponsor of the Celebration.

Proceeds from the event, totaling $120,000, will help fund the building and development of the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

123

INside Peek

John and Cathy Crosby at the Sanctuary for Ar t Patron Party to benefit Habitat for Humanity.

Ernie Debus, Cindy Saia, Marlene Zahn and Al Zahn . arcia Holmes Featured artists M joined Latter ly and Alice McNee tuary and nc Sa e Th and Blum, e effort. th in Inside Northside

success of the chestrating the y Saia, Among those or e Tour were Cind ary for Art Hom ctu Alice Sa t al tis ur ar , ug ina e Zahn rre Villere, Marlen Susan Villere, Pie d. mmy Whitehea McNeely and Ta

Jesse Wimberly, Jay Wimberly, Luis Ansola, Fernando Ayala and Lori Summers (front center) at the New Orleans Polo Clu b.

r, yer, Amanda Hove Scaglione, Scott Me rial mo Me Cheryl and Mark ll de Sli the nie Meyer at Julie Indest and Jen to raise money for ndezvous benefit Re op oft Ro l Hospita er Center. the hospital’s Canc

Arabella’s Patrice Senac, creator Annie Morhauser and Tammy Maher at the Annieglass trunk show.

y, Terry Crosb y le id Fr n lle A k ar and M w Arnett sho r ei off th the medals at a n ia Louis Veterans al Honor Med Ceremony.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

124

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

the heart of the forest northshore residential development wooded lots available for sale 2+ acres

discover the outdoors new acadian home for sale on 2.4 acres $295K

design a raised garden

observe wildlife create a personal space

take riding lessons Conveniently located 10 miles north of I-12 at Goodbee/Madisonville Ext.

plant an orchard enjoy the seasons

theheartoftheforest.com

easy access to all areas of the Northshore and New Orleans

for a personal tour of the properties

Phone: 985.796.9130

IN the Spotlight

Join the Circle of Red

TLC’s Derby for Cancer Care

An elite group of northshore women

Charming La Maison in Abita

with the passion, resources and

Springs was the setting for the first-ever

commitment to help find a cure for

TLC’s Derby for Cancer Care. Hosted by

the number one killer of women.

TLC Home Companion Care, Inc. and KC’s Babycakes, this Kentucky Derbythemed event raised more than $10,000 to benefit the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation in support of cancer services at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Guests at the soirée enjoyed a silent auction featuring a wide variety of unique local items, live music by United We Groove and local restaurant fare including Kentucky burgoo and grits, Mediterranean hummus, mozzarella and tomato salad, citrus crêpes and mint juleps. In addition, Best Table Décor and Ladies Derby Hats won Win, Place and Show awards during the festivities.

For more information, contact Shaney Halter with the American Heart Association at 504-830-2300.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

127

INside Peek

Steven Putt an d Carolyn Elde r of Saks Fifth Avenue with IN’s Brenda Breck (center) at th e Men and Wom en of Fashion for BRAVO in New Orleans.

Dr. Paige Egan of Covington and Dr . Clay Bundrick of Shrev eport celebrate their engagement at the home of Drs. Preston M arx and Sonia York in Co vington.

and Kim binson Stephen Laurie Spurlin, Ro ical Center ed M w Regional Melvin of Lakevie at A ard Aw ld Go ay dW accept the Unite y. on rem n awards ce Night of Distinctio

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

128

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

e Carson and Catherin a, en Ag son Caulfield, Ali Allee Easterling-Gay, n Gordon Reese IV, Eva Berry, Chloe Agena, Trevor Berry, Carter Reese, Lily Easterling at rry Be rk Ma Gay and ily the Memorial Day fam of me ho the picnic at rry in Be elly Sh d an rk Ma Madisonville.

Northstar Crea tive Solutions and the STW celebrate the Chamber St. Tammany office openin g.

Sarah Clifton and Lori Ostarly Ulfers at Stone Creek’s Zumbathon to fund the Angelle Ulfers SSA scholarship.

e Coach of Boys 5A Stat Moser an Se the Year e LA Boys ad or at G d an of the Soccer Player cInnis.

Year Adrian M

Celebrating 14 years on the Northshore.

“At Northshore Dermatology, patient health is of the foremost importance… … I recognize that skin plays a vital role in the overall well-being of our patients. For this reason, I have taken the time to expertly develop and research the latest techniques and technologies to best promote this end. To assure the highest quality of care, I personally perform each skin cancer surgery at our in-office surgery suites.

I also believe that outward beauty is important to one’s overall sense of wellbeing and sense of self assuredness. Feeling good about how you look can have a dramatic impact on how you approach your daily life. That is why I have carefully selected each and every product we use.

Northshore Dermatology has gone the extra mile to invest in the very latest equipment for performing our cosmetic procedures and to maintain the highest level of training for each of our technicians and supervisors.

At Northshore Dermatology, my staff and I are personally committed to helping you achieve your treatment goals. No matter what your budget is, we will develop a plan together for your success.”

– Eric N. Tabor, M.D. Eric N. Tabor, M.D.

The only Platinum Plus Level Botox provider in the greater New Orleans region.

Slidell, LA

Madisonville, LA

Picayune, MS

2780 East Gause Blvd.

985/641.5198

393 Hwy 21, Suite 550 985/792.5959

6353 North Hwy 11 601/749.9500

w w w. n o r t h s h o r e d e r m . c o m

IN the Spotlight 2011 Rich Mauti Tennis Classic

For the third year, Stone Creek Club & Spa partnered with the Rich Mauti Cancer Fund to host the 2011 Rich Mauti Tennis Classic. A recordbreaking 360 competitors faced off in the mixed-doubles tournament.

Though most of the players were local to the northshore and greater New Orleans area, players came from as far away as California!

This year’s event raised more than $60,000, which will fund cancer screenings, education and early detection efforts. Since its inception in 1979, the 100 percent-volunteer, non-profit Rich Mauti Cancer Fund has been a community leader in the fight against cancer. All funds raised have supported local initiatives, including such projects as the Ronald McDonald House and the East Jefferson General Hospital Comprehensive Education and Early Detection Program.

130

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

INside Peek James and Renee Simmons at the Covington BBQ Cookoff sp onsored

by Franco’s .

Taking Grand Champion hono rs at yet another charity BBQ competition is Mandeville’s own John Bevington. lf tournament goers ctuary In the Ruff go St. Francis Animal San Monica ch, ba sen Ro iota, Diane Michelle Demarest Ch therine Wilbert Ca g, rk, Robin R. Youn Cla D. n rily Ma a, rer Calda ns Honeybees. with the New Orlea and Sharon Stoskopf;

Baldwin, Zed ry members John Covington Rota Bourgeois, an Se , dt a Bran Williamson, Laur ck Bossier.

Ja Kim Kirby and

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

and Cindy Allem a el and Pam Jackson at ical Fairway Med pital’s os H al ic rg Su Day. Free Physical

Thomas D iscon, Liz Gereighty, Discon, Sa Scott ndy Mistric and Tina B the NORTH illiot Institute an d Discon La of Firm’s Cra w Dat Nat w ion Team Hospice Fo at the undation C rawfish Bo il.

nior Caitlin Girl Scout Ju okie seller co Weid, top any Parish, in St. Tamm , Troop om m with her er Lisa Hite.

31031 lead

Tamara Mye rs, Bonnie Br ister, Kelly Si Karen Redd mon, Mary Bo at The Shop rne and pes at Coqui Linen on the lle Cottage’s River event. first White

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

133

INside Peek Faculty members Pau lette Adams, Marianne Kin g, Pam Georges and Lau ren Walker enjoy Silent Night on the River, Cedarw ood Parents’ Club annual gala.

2011 d Ryan Weitzel, Morey Wood an ictorians. led -va co s lau nis St. Sta

At Northshore Senior Day at Our Lady of the Lake Catholi c Church are Melanie Hogan, Archbishop Hannan; Courtne y Laureiro, Pope John Paul II; Archbishop Gregory Aymond ; Erin Caruso, SSA; and Dra ke Arnold, St. Paul’s.

ike Allison and M gala. e th at e in Pa

Cedarwood Class of 2005, now graduating seniors, visit the campus.

Back: Harrison Richard, Lanie Foudriat, Mallory Stubbs, Ty Tymphony, Lauren Murphy, Connor Fly and Kathy LeBlanc, principal; front: William Crawford, Savanna Guzzardo, Catherine Cardwell, Briana Joseph and Christian White.

cipal Mary ted SSA Prin ate LSU presen Louisiana St e with the er d. ill V ar w yn A hr t Kat vemen olden Achie University G

nd Gregory Most Revere Archbishop d, on M. Aym s, an of New Orle A senior SS s te la tu congra ho was w ga er Sophie Gib Regional named the r the Year fo Student of r fo s ol Scho Non-Public Louisiana. the state of

ss of Scholastica’s cla Members of St. reunion at th 35 eir th te 1976 celebra alise Prieto. the home of M Members of the MS 4A Al l-State baseba teams from St ll . Stanislaus ar e seniors Jacob Lindgre n, Kollin Cann on and Lawrence Bo urgeois.

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

Thursday, September 22, Tchefuncta Country Club Luncheon, 11:00am or Dinner, 6:00pm Join us for a fabulous afternoon of Couture for a Cause featuring the northshore’s only true New York-style runway show by Saks Fifth Avenue, a cocktail luncheon, silent auction, surprise giveaways, sponsor swag bags and a little something for every guest. And, because you wanted more, more more... we’ve added a second showing after dark. Perhaps you would prefer a stylish evening of fashion, food and fun.

For sponsorship and ticket information for Heart of Fashion and Night of Fashion, contact Nicole Suhre with St. Tammany Hospital Foundation at 985-898-4171 or nsuhre@stph.org.

Chaired by Lendon Noel and Jeanine Riecke.

Presented By

HAUTE COUTURE SPONSOR

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

LUXE SPONSORS Annette Dowdle Humana Dr. & Mrs. Tom Lavin NOLA Lending Group, LLC Riecke Development Northlake Gastroenterology Jennifer Rice Pelican Athletic Club

Mr. & Mrs. Greg Pellegrini St. Tammany Parish Hospital The Sanctuary Mr. & Mrs. Mike Sanderson

GLAM SPONSORS LeeAnn Branton Capital One Bank Monica Ernst

Computer Network Consultants, LLC Jeremy Goux CJ Ladner Karen Lindsey LWL Susie Kessenich Laurie McCants Resource Bank

Rachele Richardson Lavigne Oil Company H20 Salon & Spa United Healthcare Stone Creek Club & Spa Stone Pigman Walther Wittmann LLC Pat Vaccari

r e a l

e s t a t e

s p o t l i g h t home has an aura of being well maintained, it will make it past others with unfinished details or small problems that have been ignored.

Often, we stop seeing our home as it appears to others. This is true of everything from the clutter on bookcases to the quirky way you have to turn the doorknob to open a door. The idiosyncrasies we’ve come to accept can be deal-breakers to potential buyers. Nowhere is this more true than the view from the curb of your street. A leaning mailbox and old lamps by the front door can give the wrong impression, even if you have pressure washed the porch. Ask a trusted friend or two what advice they might offer. Call in the professionals. Your real estate professional, designer and landscaper might provide ideas that push your home to the front of the line.

Consultations with these experts are often available at no charge, and suggested upgrades can pay for themselves if they bring you a quick offer.

Trimming the bushes and weeding the garden are obvious first steps, but don’t discount the value of

First Impressions WHEN TRYING TO SELL a home in a tight real

adding a container garden to the porch or investing in

estate market, it is important to take the advice of

new light fixtures. “Some lighting styles will date a

professionals and add to the curb appeal of your

home to a certain period. Adding what is new and

home. First impressions are often the difference

now can have a big impact, particularly on the porch

between selling your home and congratulating a neighbor who got the offer. The good news is that there are a number of easy, fast and relatively inexpensive ways to have a dramatic effect.

In a market where buyers have many homes to choose from, curb appeal is even more important. “I have seen buyers refuse to look at a particular home, despite it being a perfect match for their wish list in every other way,” says Melanie LaFluer-Geier of 10/12 Properties. “First impressions are everything.”

Have you ever been on a blind date? The smile that he or she flashed when you were introduced goes a long way in deciding if there will be a second date.

and in the entry foyer,” says Paul Gement of Pine

refreshed garden can help someone re-think a decision to consider only new construction. If the 136

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

CURB APPEAL IDEAS

The same is true when buyers sift through the sometimes mind-numbing options available to them on the market. A freshly painted entryway or

Grove Lighting and Electrical Supply. For executive level homes, the changes might include adding a water feature or resurfacing the driveway. Step back and consider what would influence you as a buyer, and be open minded about what is feasible. You might even fall back in love with your house, or at least take some of the fresh, new ideas with you on the search for your new home.

Replace hardware.

Update light fixtures.

Paint, paint, paint.

Add flowering plants.

Light the landscape.

Buy a new mailbox.

n o r t h s h o r e

l i v i n g

New Financing Options!

2008 was the year of disappearing financing options for home buyers. The first to disappear were 100% products, then 3% and 5% down conventional products. Unless a borrower had 10% to put down, they were held to the program parameters of FHA, VA, and Rural Development, where they needed to be a veteran (VA), make less than $74,000 (RD), or purchase a home for approximately $297,000 (FHA).

Last month, 95% Financed Mortgage Interest was introduced. Today, a borrower who wants to purchase a home priced over $300,000 can now put 5% down and finance the MI into their loan amount, saving hundreds of dollars in monthly payments. The minimum credit score for this program is 720, but for excellent credit buyers, this option will open up more opportunities than FHA, which limits the loan amount.

Last week saw the emergence of a 3% down Conventional program offered to borrowers with a 720+ credit score. The down payment funds must be the borrower’s own and the MI must be paid monthly, but for homes that exceed the FHA limit, this will present new purchase opportunities!

Many lending programs that disappeared were not contributors to the downfall of the housing industry. Seeing good options return should help those home buyers ready to • Private offices • Full-time receptionist

• Conference room • All-inclusive packages

purchase, thereby aiding in the housing market recovery.

4030 Lonesome Road • Mandeville, La. 70448

For more information on these exciting new products,

The Village Executive Office Suites 2895 Highway 190, Mandeville

contact Belinda Janecke at Pinnacle Mortgage Group, 985-727-0755 or email loans@mortgagebypinnacle.com.

(Upstairs from Martin Wine Cellar)

(985) 727-6700 • www.pelicanvillage.com J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 1 1

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n o r t h s h o r e

l i v i n g

Wherever the Road Takes You in 2011 • Residential photo: JOHN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

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

Hablamos español Manager

Ashton Ray

Melanie LaFleur-Geier

Sergio Mesa

Brantley Ray

Real Estate Brokerage and Consulting • 985.626.8200 • 1012properties.com

We keep unity in your community.

GNO Property Management Full-Service Property Management for Homeowners Associations ROBERT PHILLIPS AT 504-528-7028 ROBERT@GNOPROPERTY.COM WWW.GNOPROPERTY.COM 138

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

Last Bite

K. Gee’s Fat Spoon Cafe

Bar-b-que Shrimp 1/3 cup olive oil

Martin Wine Cellar The Cougarita 2 oz Pama Pomegranate

Corned Beef

2 pinches fresh rosemary

1 12lb corned beef

1 pinch garlic powder

30 cloves peeled garlic

2 tsps minced garlic

6 whole bay leaves

9 shrimp, unpeeled

2 Tbsps mustard seeds (yellow)

Salt

1 Tbsp mustard seeds (brown)

Black pepper

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 tsps Louisiana hot sauce

2 Tbsps black peppercorns

3 tsps Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes

1/2 cup full-flavor beer

8 sprigs thyme

1/2 cup butter

Fill pot with water to cover

Into a medium sauce pan put olive oil, rosemary,

corned beef. Add all

garlic powder and minced garlic. Heat on high

ingredients and bring to boil.

heat, letting it cook down. On a separate plate,

Reduce heat to simmer; cover

salt and pepper shrimp. Add to garlic-oil

and cook until knife inserted

mixture. Add hot sauce and Worcestershire

meets no resistance.

sauce. After about a minute on the first side,

1/2 oz Cointreau Splash of lime juice Squeeze of agave nectar (to taste) Shake all ingredients together, serve over ice or blend for a frozen concoction. Rim glass with salt and serve.

140

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

flip shrimp, using tongs. Add beer. Let it heat Once cooked, remove from

up again, as beer will cool mixture. Turn off

stock (reserve) and separate

heat and add butter. Melt, and shake the pan

muscles; trim fat and slice. After

thoroughly. Serve with lightly toasted and

slicing, return to strained stock.

buttered French bread. Makes one serving.

photo (top): THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Liqueur 1 oz tequila

INside Dining MCC: Major credit cards accepted ME: Menu Express delivery RR: Reservations recommended ABITA SPRINGS Abita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 892-0205. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and boudin. MCC. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 892-5837. On the Trace. Good food, great beer. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 867-9950. Southern cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tue-Sun. MCC. Breakaway Cafe, 71667 Leveson St., 809-8998. Tue-Sat 10am-5pm.

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

COVINGTON 407 North, 407 N. Columbia St., 8093131. Seafood, steaks, sandwiches.

Lunch and dinner Mon-Fri; dinner Sat. MCC. Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Established 1910 in New Orleans, 1995 on northshore.

Seafood, sandwiches, local favorites.

Lunch, dinner. MCC. Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292.

Mediterranean cuisine. MCC. Annadele's Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more.

MCC, checks.

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

Bonefish Grill, 200 River Highlands Blvd., 809-0662. Specializing in market-fresh fish cooked to perfection over a wood-burning grill. bonefishgrill.com. MCC. Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks.

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

Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 8716674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC. Cheesesteak Bistro, The, 528 N. Columbia St., Covington, 875-9793.

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

MCC, checks.

Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 8936158. Soup and salad specialists.

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

Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill, 434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Daily specials, appetizers, sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers. Live music Thurs-Sat nights. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME. Copeland’s, 680 N. Hwy. 190, 8099659. Authentic New Orleans cuisine.

Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch.

Online take-out orders at copelandsofneworleans.com. MCC, ME, RR.

Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. MCC, RR. Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. MCC, RR. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Suite C, 875-0160.

Conveniently located next to the new Covington Courthouse. Italian and seafood. MCC. Downtown Drugs with the Original Soda Fountain & Café Cabaret, 322 N. Florida St., 892-7220.

Nostalgic soda fountain for lunch and after school, six days a week.

El Portal, 1200 Business 190, 8675367.

English Tea Room, The, 734 Rutland St., 898-3988. Authentic English cream teas. Special event teas, English scones, crumpets and cakes.

Serving breakfast and lunch. Mon-Sat 7:30am-6pm. englishtearoom.com.

MCC, RR.

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

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

Osaka West Japanese Restaurant, 804 N. Hwy. 190, 875-0409.

Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun Deli, 1248 Collins Blvd., 892-7287.

Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes.

MCC, checks, ME. Pelican Market Café, 70457 Hwy. 21, 893-6666. MCC. PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. 21, 875-7894. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru!

Catering. MCC. Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME. Sage Café, 501 N. Hwy. 190, 8933580. Breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared from scratch with attention to detail. Drink specials. MCC.

Four Seasons Chinese Buffet, 600 N. Hwy. 190, 893-3866. MCC.

Schwing’s Restaurant, 1204 W. 21st Ave., 893-1899. Fresh seafood and home cooking. MCC.

Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler St., 892-9992. Lunch and dinner, Tue-Sat. MCC. RR.

Sicily’s Pizza, 301 N. Hwy. 190, 8930005. Pizza, lasagna, salad bar, dessert pizzas. MCC, ME.

Ground Pati, 814 N. Hwy. 190, 8934208. Steaks, burgers. Kids’ menu.

MCC.

Sorelli’s Brick Oven, 321 N. Columbia St., 327-5541.

Isabella’s Pizzeria, 70452 Hwy. 21, Suite 500, 875-7620; 1331 Hwy. 190, 809-1900. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.

Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 8715252. Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out.

MCC, checks.

Jerk’s Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar, 70347 Hwy. 21, 893-1380.

JerksIslandGrill.com.

Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 892-4992.

Louie & The Redhead Lady Too, 324 E. Boston St., 809-8050.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner. louieandtheredheadlady.com. MCC. Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St., 892-0708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

MCC, checks.

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

Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St., 898-2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME. Thai Chili, 1102 N. Hwy. 190, 8090180.

Thai Spice, 1531 N. Hwy. 190, 8096483.

Thai Taste, 1005 Collins Blvd., 8097886.

Thai Thai, 1536 N. Hwy. 190, 8098905.

Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515 E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban sandwiches and more. MCC, checks, ME. WOW Cafe & Wingery, 1600 N. Hwy. 190, 898-4969. Buffalo wings, wraps, salads. MCC. Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire St., 809-3840. Japanese cuisine and sushi in a casual atmosphere. MCC. Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr., 327-0520. Inspired American food.

MCC.

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

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

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

New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208 Lee Ln., 875-0432. Grilled fish, smothered rabbit and voodoo crawfish rolls. Family owned and operated.

MCC. Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Caffè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, 893-1488. Italian bakery items, luncheon salads, soups and sandwiches. MCC. North Island Chinese, 842 N. Collins Blvd., 867-8289.

HAMMOND Adobe Cantina & Salsa, 1905 W. Thomas St., 419-0027. Fine Mexican cuisine, good spirits, great friends and fun. Ceviche (marinated fish) and Mexican pasta. Live band. adoberestaurant.com. MCC. Cocoa Bean Bakery and Cafe, 910 E. Main St., 345-2002. Specialty cakes, pastries. Serving breakfast and light lunch. Specials. thecocoabeanbakery.com. MCC. Don’s Seafood & Steak House, 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550.

MCC. Hon Yum Chinese Restaurant, 1905 W. Thomas St., 230-0888.

Chicken, shrimp, tofu specialties.

Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

i n s i d e

d i n i n g Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 542-0043.

Casual fine dining. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

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

Dragon roll, Kirin roll, sake. MCC. La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 419-9990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC. Old MacDonald’s Smokehouse, 1601 N. Morrison Blvd., 542-7529. BBQ brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. MCC, checks.

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

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

MCC, checks.

Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600.

Contemporary delights. MCC. Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 2100 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-6789. Innovative quality Chinese food served in Imperial surroundings.

MCC, checks.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2108 W. Thomas St., 345-1131. “Taste our Magic.” MCC. Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St., 3451112. A great place to start your day.

Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

• Daily Lunch Specials • Local Seafood • Let Us Cater Your Next Event

Sal & Judy’s, Hwy. 190, 882-9443. Great food and line of retail products. Family owned for 27 years. Veal is the house specialty. MCC, RR. MADISONVILLE Badeaux’s Drive In, 109 Hwy. 22 W., 8457221. Family dining. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Cafe Madisonville, 410 Covington Hwy., 792-4506. Soups, salads, sandwiches and lunch specials.

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

Water St. Bistro, 804 Water St., 845-3855.

Casual ambiance on the Tchefuncte. Lunch, dinner Wed-Sun. MCC.

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

Casa Garcia, 800 N. Causeway Blvd., 9518226. Redefining Mexican food one meal at a time. MCC. Causeway Café, 527 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-9997. MCC. Chili’s Bar & Grill, 3420 Hwy. 190, 7272771. Fajitas and the Awesome Blossom.

Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME. Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-0560.

Soup and salad specialists.

Coscino’s Pizza, 1817 N. Causeway Blvd., 727-4984. New York hand-tossed pizza and Italian foods cooked on stone using the finest ingredients. MCC. Country Kitchen, 2109 Florida St., 6265375.

Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59., 8092929. Breakfast, lunch Tue.-Sun. MCC.

Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps Roule, 7920200. Fresh organic foods for breakfast, lunch and takeout. MCC.

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

142

Café Lynn Restaurant and Catering, 3051 E. Causeway App., 624-9007. Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia. MCC.

La Provence Restaurant, 25020 Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Owner John Besh combines hospitality with French cuisine and welcoming hearths. Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC, checks. RR.

Frog’s Pizzeria, 302 Hwy. 22, 845-9500.

Fri. and Sat. 11am-10pm kgeesrestaurant.com

Broken Egg Café, 200 Gerard St., 6243388. Excellent choice for brunch! Pasta, specialty salads, sandwiches. MCC.

Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse, 1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704. Fresh fish daily, aged beef, traditional Italian. Lunch, dinner.

MCC, ME, RR.

Friends Coastal Restaurant, 407 St. Tammany St., 845-7303. Key West meets New Orleans in this island casual dining atmosphere. Lunch, dinner. MCC. RR.

Mon.-Thurs. 11am-9pm

Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Highway 59, 624-5066.

LACOMBE Janie Brown’s Restaurant, 27207 Hwy. 190, 882-7201. Casual dining with a great atmosphere. MCC, checks.

Coffee’s Boiling Pot, 305 Old Covington Hwy., 845-2348. Boiled seafood in a family atmosphere.

2534 Florida St. Mandeville 985-626-0530

Benedict’s Restaurant, 1144 Lovers Ln., 626-4557. Traditional New Orleans cuisine.

Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC.

MANDEVILLE Andale! Margaritas & Grill, 643 Lotus Dr., 626-1534. Breakfast, lunch and dinner; sizzling fajitas, chili relleno el comal. andalemargaritasgrill.com. MCC. Barley Oak, The, 2101 Lakeshore Dr. 7277420. Serving 130 styles of beer, call and premium liquors and lunch and dinner. thebarleyoak.com. MCC. Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 674-9090. Bear’s po-boys and more.

MCC.

George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342. Family owned.

Fajitas, George’s nachos, Carne al la Parrilla.

Best top-shelf margaritas in town. MCC, ME. Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E. Causeway App., 624-2597. Sicilian specialties by 5-star chef Gio Vancheri. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. MCC. RR. Grillot’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 2100 Florida St., 624-8849. World-famous BBQ oysters, steaks and lobsters. Delivery available. MCC. Hong Kong Restaurant, 2890 E. Causeway App., 626-8222. MCC. Isabella’s Pizzeria, 2660 Florida St. (in the Florida Street Market), 674-5700. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.

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

Izumi, 2660 Florida St., 624-8664. Sushi, Japanese specialties. MCC. Juniper, 301 Lafitte St., 624-5330.

Progressive Creole cuisine. Lunch, dinner, brunch. MCC, checks.

K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.

Featuring Louisiana seafood. kgeesrestaurant.com. MCC. Kickstand Café and Bike Rental, 690 Lafitte St., 626-9300.

La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway App., 624-2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC. La Madeleine French Cafe, 3434 Hwy. 190, 626-7004.

Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 727-1532.

Louie & The Redhead Lady, 1851 Florida St., 626-8101.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy. 190 E., 629-2021. “Taste our Magic.” MCC.

Macaroni Grill, 3410 Hwy. 190, 727-1998.

Penne rustica, pasta Milano, other Italian favorites. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME.

Zydeco Café, 68480 Hwy. 59, 871-8748.

Po-boys, pasta, burgers and more.

Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App., 6269047. Serving breakfast and lunch, daily specials.

Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea Square Shopping Center, 674-9883. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Maw Maw’s, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste. 11, 727-7727. Soups, salads, stuffed potatoes, sandwiches, po-boys.

Maxein’s Coffee House, 115 Girod St., 626-9318.

Megumi Japanese Cuisine, 4700 Hwy. 22, Suite 11&12, 845-1644. Yakimono and sushi bar. Lunch, dinner.

MiMamacita’s New Mexican Cuisine, 2345 Florida St., 674-1400. Great food and margaritas. Lunch, dinner, catering. MCC. Monster Po-Boys, 1814 N. Causeway App., 626-9183. Lunch, dinner.

N’Tini’s, 2891 N. Hwy. 190, 626-5566. Steaks, martinis. Lunch specials. Mon.-Sat. MCC. Nuvolari’s, 246 Gerard St., 626-5619. In Old Mandeville. Gnocchi, escargot, filet mignon, linguini fruta di mare. Dinner. MCC. Obelisk Wine Bar & Art Gallery, 22 St. Ann Dr., Ste. 2, 674-4215.

Pal’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Shop, 2201 Eleventh St., 626-0293. “Only 8” all-natural no-fat yogurt, banana splits, smoothies.

Soups, sandwiches. MCC.

PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant, 30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666.

Rockefeller’s Restaurant, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave.,370-0930. Catfish Delacroix and Trout Mardi Gras are among the festive specialties. MCC, checks.

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

Taste of Bavaria Restaurant & Bakery, 14476 Hwy. 22, 386-3634. Charming Bavarian bungalow, European-style breakfast, German-style lunch. MCC, checks.

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

Assunta’s, 2631 Hwy. 190 W., 649-9768.

Italian food, extensive wine selection. Dinner.

MCC, checks.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Blvd. 2018905. Bear’s po-boys and more. MCC. Bistro de la Reine, 2306 Front St., 2884166. Sunday brunch, live entertainment, fine wines and spirits. Open seven days a week.

MCC. Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-6211.

Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine.

MCC.

Petunia’s Place, 2020 Hwy. 59, 674-3436.

Carreta’s Grill, 1340 Lindberg Dr., 847-0020.

Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy. 190, 674-1565. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC.

Eddie D’s, 39510 Hwy. 190 E., 847-1000.

Rag’s Old Fashioned Po-Boys, 4960 Hwy. 22, 792-1744. Herbie roast beef with Swiss and ham, muffalettas. MCC, checks, ME.

Java Jungle, 1071 Robert Blvd., 649-0380.

Specialty coffees, casual dining, lush tropical setting. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore Dr., 727-2829.

Ristorante Carmelo & Pizzaria, 1901 Hwy. 190, 624-4844. Family-oriented Italian cuisine. Lunch and dinner. MCC. Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod St., 778-0364.

Lunch, dinner. MCC. Sake Gardens Japanese Restaurant, 1705 Hwy. 190, 624-8955.

Sesame Inn, 408 N. Causeway Blvd., 9518888. Finest Chinese cuisine.

Smoothie King, 1830 W. Causeway App., 626-9159. Smoothies. MCC, checks.

Subway, 1665 Hwy. 190, 674-0733.

Sandwiches, salads. Low-fat available. MCC.

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

MCC, checks.

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

MCC, checks.

Mandina’s, 2111 Gause Blvd., 690-6679.

Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain Dr., 6498055. Steaks, seafood, veal, duck, eggplant au gratin. Extensive wine selection. Dinner.

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

Sweet Daddy’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0208.

Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME.

Phil’s Marina Café, 1194 Harbor Dr., 6410464.

Taqueria Noria, 1931 Hwy. 59, 727-7917.

Lunch, dinner.

Smoothie King, 150 Northshore Blvd., 7813456. Low-fat health drinks. MCC, checks.

Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

Steak Out, 1325 Gause Blvd., 645-8646.

Eat in or delivered to you. MCC.

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

MCC, checks.

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

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

Tacos and Beer, 2142 Front St., 641-4969.

Lunch, dinner and late-night.

Times Bar & Grill, 1827 Front St. 639-3335.

Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

Sonny Garcia and his daughter, Lisa Garcia Schwing, welcome you to their charming café.

“Eat Life With A Fat Spoon!”

Sonny Garcia, a partner in the law firm of Garcia & Bishop and restaurateur, and his daughter, local residential designer Lisa

Schwing, have opened a new Mandeville restaurant. Fat Spoon Cafe offers all the best in breakfast and lunch with a unique

twist. Examples from the breakfast menu are omelets such as

Crabby Spoon, Cajun Spoon and The Cowboy, as well as Eggs Benedict, Eggs NOLA, Belgian Waffles (regular and sweet

potato) and Beignet Sticks. The lunch menu includes specialty salads with unique dressings, sandwiches with homemade

corned beef, a creative selection of 9 1/2 oz. hamburgers and

hot lunch specials daily. Draft beer and long necks are served at lunch and Mimosas and Bloody Marys at breakfast.

“Everyone who tries our food comes back for more.”

Open Sunday-Friday, 7am–2pm Breakfast served until 10:30am weekdays; Breakfast on Sunday, 7am–2pm.

Wine Market, The, 2051 E. Gause Blvd., 781-1177. Deli restaurant, lunch, 11-3pm.

Sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps. MCC and checks.

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

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145

IN Great Taste

Allan Tyrone of Saia’s Super Meat Market

by Stephen Faure

shoppers to the Mandeville mecca of meat for a generation now.

Owner Alan Tyrone is about the only thing at Saia’s that’s been

‘Mandeville’s fine but the cow is gone!’”

So look for the cow next time you’re planning a special meal. While offering the freshest hand-cut meat and house-made sausage in town,

around longer than the cow, and he is happy both the store and its

Saia’s can also special-order any

calling card (“calling cow”) have woven themselves into the fabric of

type of meat you could

Mandeville life. One big reason is that Saia’s provides something that, if not “ain’t there no more,” is certainly becoming a rare bird in a supermarket age—a full-service meat counter where you’ll be waited on by your neighborhood butcher.

“The meat market is the backbone of the store,” says Alan, without a hint of whether he was making a pun or not.

Freshness in every item behind the counter is the key. “Some stores don’t have butchers anymore. Everything is cut somewhere else and shipped in pre-cut and prepackaged, even the ground meat. We grind meat three or four times a day! Customers ask us at what time the meat was ground, not what day.”

While the market carries a good selection of staple grocery items such as milk, bread, butter, eggs and produce, Alan has seen—and met—a growing customer interest in maintaining a large selection of wine and spirits, which Saia’s sells for competitive prices. Saia’s is also known for its deli counter offerings of po-boy sandwiches and Saia’s specialty, fried chicken. “We got into it when there really was no fried chicken in Mandeville. We have a formula that works, and people love it.

We cut it fresh every day; it’s never been frozen, and it’s marinated overnight.”

Allan is well aware of the place the store’s calling card has in residents’ hearts. Although it’s been stolen (“some kids towed it down the street”) and kidnapped (Allan’s buddies put it on a flatbed tow truck and parked it outside of his wedding reception), Allan couldn’t believe the postKatrina panic he read about in some online journals. “We parked [the cow] behind the store for the storm. I read that people were saying, 146

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

want, from prime beef to whole hogs.

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

THERE’S ONE ITEM northshore folks won’t have to add to that ever-growing list of things that “ain’t there no more”: the Saia’s Super Meat Market cow. The towering bovine landmark has welcomed