January-February Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

495

$

INSIDEPUB.com

PAT CLANTON •

PRESIDENT’S ARTS AWARDS • TREASURE HUNTING • HEALTH AND WELLNESS

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2021 VOL. 36, NO. 1

contents table of

Atchafalaya Basin.

Page 36.

Features

12 Inspired by Water Cover Artist Marcia Holmes 20 The 14th Annual President’s Arts Awards 26 Pat Clanton Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient 36 Atchafalaya Basin Perrone Heralds the Plight of America’s Most Bountiful Wetland

Health & Wellness

page 26

45 Introduction 48 Go Red for Women

page 63

49 How to Combat Chronic Stress

Departments

50 Improving Access to Healthy Eating

8 Publisher’s Note

52 The Power of Play

10 Contributors

68 Generous Hearts Redefining Engagement

53 Caring for the Neighborhood at All Hours

16 INside Scoop

71 IN Love & Marriage

54 Kids Cook with Heart

34 IN Other Words Happy New Year!

74 IN Great Taste Old-Fashioned Comfort Cakes

55 2021 Northshore Heart Walk Co-chair Annette Dowdle

60 Flourishes Extraordinary Gifts and Home Accents

76 Haute Plates

56 Healthy at Home

63 Inside Look

58 Get Fit “Working off the crazy”

67 Treasure Hunting on the Northshore

81 Last Bite Peace, Love, & Little Donuts

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78 Inside Dining

82 Last Look

Pooch Ponzi I signed up for a Ponzi scheme. Actually, I signed my rescue dog up for a toy Ponzi scheme—and this time it worked!

Twenty-five years ago, an actual cash Ponzi scheme blew through the northshore, and it was gut-wrenching.

I feel silly admitting I fell for such an absurd concept. Send money to this person, and other people are going to send money to you.

Completely ridiculous. “But, seriously, so-and-so got buckets of money back.” A couple of days went by, and someone else approached to say, “No, really, it is working, I know it sounds ridiculous.” Of course, it was a ridiculous loser’s game, and I lost. It was hard to take, because I really needed the money. Not the fictitious buckets of Ponzi money—our actual money that I voluntarily put into an envelope and mailed to a stranger.

This experience made me skeptical of the toy Ponzi. This was different, I told myself optimistically. I love dogs, and dogs love toys.

What could go wrong? As it turns out, not a thing.

Roux and I mailed a toy to the top dog on the list and put her name at the bottom, and we waited. All of a sudden, the floodgates opened and packages started arriving daily for Roux Murphy.

One, then three, then another and then even more. At the time of this writing, Roux has received 26 toys from anonymous dog lovers—26! It is fun to see the toys that are selected by other players, undoubtedly all channeling their dog’s favorites. For now, Roux spends the afternoons in anticipation, waiting by the window for the mailman to arrive.

Roux and I learned that if you jump into a Ponzi scheme with generous intentions, you just may get buckets of blessings back. Just like life.

Contributors January-February 2021 Vol. 36, No. 1

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

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

Karen Gibbs

Longtime contributor to inside Northside Karen Gibbs is a wife, mother and grandmother who relishes the freedom and variety that comes with freelance writing. From lifestyle articles for TODAY.com to health and education pieces for a New Jersey family magazine, her subjects are ever changing and always challenging. Her favorite assignments, however, are those about remarkable people like Pat Clanton. Read about Pat’s life of service to the city of Covington on page 26.

Publisher Lori Murphy

lori@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor Jan Murphy

jan@insidepub.com

Creative Director Brad Growden

brad@insidepub.com Digital Communications Margaret Murphy –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Business Manager Jane Quillin

jane@insidepub.com Operations Manager Margaret Rivera

margaret@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Advertising Account Executives

Barbara Roscoe Poki Hampton barbara@insidepub.com poki@insidepub.com

Pemmie Sheasby Hilary Creamer pemmie@insidepub.com hilary@insidepub.com

Jonée Daigle-Ferrand Anne Honeywell

Stacey Paretti Rase –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the Cover

Becky Slatten

Cover Artist Marcia Holmes.

Find more on page 12.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contact

Becky Slatten is a Natchitoches native, an LSU alumna and fanatical football fan and a mother of three; she enjoys traveling, writing and painting at her Wednesday art class.

She and her husband, Scott, spend time with family and friends and relish the small town charm of life in Covington.

Becky likes putting her own unique spin on a variety of topics in IN Other Words, in this issue on page 34.

Other Voices: McKenzine Bigliazzi, Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, Hilary Creamer, Sandy Franco, Greer Gattuso, Candra George, Poki Hampton, Yvette Zuniga Jemison, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Steven Mills, Kevin Schrub, and John Snell.

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Inside Northside

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

Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­right ©2021 by M & L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Inside Northside Magazine is created using the Adobe Creative Suite on Apple Macintosh computers.

Inspired by Water Cover Artist Marcia Holmes

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

by Poki Hampton

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Inside Northside

IN FEBRUARY 2020, artist Marcia Holmes, who had just returned from her sixth teaching engagement, this time at The Mississippi School of Folk Art in Natchez, repacked her bags and planned to join the “Palate to Palette” tour in Spain to paint.

Then came the call for the COVID shutdown. Luckily, Marcia had taken many photographs from her 2019 travels to New York City and Albuquerque.

“On the outskirts of Albuquerque, I discovered Shady Lake, a gorgeous place with water lilies, cottonwood trees and mountains in the background.” These photos served as inspiration for paintings to come. Marcia created colorful abstracts using spring and flowers for inspiration.

“I was painting, painting and painting,” says Marcia, “but at the end of April, I started to feel the isolation. Art is a healing antidote so I would go out by the lake behind my house taking photos of waterlilies, water hyacinth and wild iris.”

She also went to her daughter’s camp in the Honey Island Swamp, where she could see the many colors reflected in the Pearl River. “Twilight on the bayou is breathtaking.” Thus, the Honey Island Series was created.

Marcia has always been connected to and inspired by waterways, reflections and the fauna flowing within the water.

“Nature and water’s essence are the source of life and continue to inspire my work in pastel, oil and mixed media. >>

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

I like to look at a landscape with the trees and sky reflecting in the water, and I take three of those resources and part of a cloud’s reflection or part of a plant to incorporate into the painting.” For Marcia, creating a new painting is like solving a puzzle with a surprise drip here and a splash of color there until it becomes pleasing to the eye. “It sometimes surprises me and takes me along a different path. I strive to amplify and expand the breadth and depth of my work from my own abstract impressionist manner to a new direction.”

For almost exactly 21 years, Marcia has been creating beautiful works of art, working methodically, choosing paint colors and pastels before she begins.

She then puts in blocks of color, which become the background and the base for the whole painting. She says, “I believe that 70 percent of painting success is in the underpainting, making a base for the whole.”

Inspiration for color can come from anywhere, a lily pond or a brightly colored fish in an aquarium.

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“Once, while at a hotel, a tropical fish caught my eye.

Its color was so amazingly electric-blue, with red and olive green, all so beautiful together.” Those colors were inspiration for a new piece.

“Marcia’s pastels reflect the tradition and aesthetic of Edgar Degas, an extraordinary pastelist, combining vibrant color, captivating composition and fine detail,” says Cybele Gontar, owner of the Degas Gallery, where Marcia’s work will be exhibited from March 1 to April 30.

Over the years, Marcia has received many, many awards for her work. In 2019, she was named the Visual Artist of the Year at the St. Tammany Parish President’s Arts Awards. Past Parish President Pat Brewster said of the event: “This event is our way of saying thank you to our local artists, our art patrons, and to all of our residents, for your continued investment in the arts, and the future of

the arts, for our community.”

In addition to the St. Tammany award, Marcia has attained Master Pastelist and Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America. She is also in the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Artists and has participated in juried exhibits around the world, including the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans; Lauren Rogers Museum of Art in Laurel, Mississippi; Koehnline Museum of Art in Des Plaines, Illinois; and The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio.

Marcia Holmes’ work can be seen at Armbruster Artworks in Covington and at Degas Gallery in New Orleans. A complete résumé of her accomplishments can be seen at MarciaHolmes.com. Her upcoming solo exhibition will be at the Degas Gallery the months of March and April. With COVID, please call for hours.

January-February 2021 15

p resen t ed b y

Sightseeing Carriage Tours of Covington Sightseeing historical tours of charming Covington run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Carriage tours are 30 or 60 minutes, taking visitors through Old Covington with an expert guide to narrate the history of the area. Adults, $20-$40; Children 4-18, $10; free for children 3 and under. Pickup location: 316 E. Gibson St., Marsolan Feed & Seed, Covington, 788-0425

While information is current as of December 15, all dates and times are subject to change due to Covid-19 restrictions. Additionally, some event producers will not announce February activities until next week.

Farmers Markets Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market Every Sunday, 11am-3pm Abita Springs

609 N Columbia St. 966-1786.

Covington Farmers Market - Wednesday

Recurring Events Pups & Pints BeauxGeaux at Chafunkta

Lunch Market Every Wednesday,

Brewing Co. Every Sunday, 12-6pm.

10am-2pm Covington Trailhead, 419 N

Bring your dog to the brewery on

New Hampshire St. 966-1786.

Sundays and get Beauxgeaux (Buy

Folsom Farmers Market at Giddy Up

One Get One) all day long. Don’t have

Every Monday, 10am-12pm Giddy Up

a pup or can’t bring one? That’s OK,

Folsom, 82292 LA-25. 260-5060.

as 10 percent of all sales will go to the

Madisonville Maker’s Market Every

Northshore Humane Society. Chafunkta

Farmers Market, 22049 Main St. 892-

Sunday, 10am-2pm Madisonville Ball Park

Brewing Company, 69123 Skybrook Rd.,

0711 ext 7.

& Playground. 264-2328.

Mandeville, 869-0716.

Camellia City Market Every Saturday,

Mandeville Trailhead Community Market

Folsom First Friday at the Giddy Up

8am-12pm Camellia City Market, 1808

Every Saturday, 9am-1pm. December

Monthly on 1st Fridays, 5-9pm. Bring a

Front St, Slidell. 640-7112.

markets will include additional vendors

lawn chair and blanket to lay out under

with holiday-themed items for sale.

the trees and stars on the grounds behind

Covington Farmers Market Every 16

Saturday, 8am-12pm Covington City Hall,

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

Giddy Up. The event is free, and all ages

non-members. Northlake Nature Center,

are welcome. Food, alcoholic beverages

23135 Hwy. 190 East, Mandeville, 626-

and concessions will be available for

1238.

purchase. Music will strictly be outside;

The Sadie Jane Bridal Show Jan. 7,

however, our indoor café will remain open

6:30pm to 8:30pm. Free for brides and

for dining. The Giddy Up Folsom, 82292

grooms; $10 for guests. Reserve online at

Hwy 25, Folsom, 260-5060.

thesadiejane.com. The Sadie Jane Event

Live Music at Abita Brew Pub Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 5-8pm

Center, 405 Country Club Blvd., Slidell, 643-6892.

Fri., 12-3pm, Sat/Sun. Free. Seating is

Julia Sings Celine Dion Jan. 8-16, Fridays

limited, fee free to bring your own chair

and Saturdays, 8pm. Julia Anne Ernst is

to this free event. No outside food or

an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola

drink permitted. Abita Brew Pub & Abita

University New Orleans majoring in vocal

Brewing Gift Shop, 72011 Holly St., Abita

performance/opera. Julia is thrilled for the

Springs, 892-5837.

opportunity to perform at Cutting Edge

Friday Night Live Music at Abita Roasting

again and bring you a show full of your

Co., Covington Every Friday, 5 to 8pm.

favorite Celine Dion hits. Individual ticket

Free to enter. Kick off your weekend with

prices start at $27.50-45.00 per show.

some great live music. In addition to the

Purchase tickets and gift certificates

regular delicious menu, the popular local

online at Cuttingedgetheater.com, or

franchise will have additional special

through the Box Office. Cutting Edge

items for guests to enjoy during the

Theater, 767 Robert Blvd., Slidell, 649-

performance. Abita Roasting Company,

3727.

1011 Village Walk, Covington, 246-3345.

January Degas Pastel Society 18th Biennial

The Awesome ’80s Prom Jan. 9-24, Friday and Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 2:30pm. A brand-new, blast-from-thepast party in the style of Tony ’n Tina’s

National Exhibition Jan. 1- Jan. 30,

Wedding and The Donkey Show, set at

Fridays and Saturdays 11am-4pm. The

Wanaget High’s Senior Prom—in 1989!

Degas Pastel Society remains dedicated

All of your favorite characters from your

to the promotion of pastel painting by

favorite ’80s movies are at The Prom.

presenting exhibitions of outstanding

From the Captain of the Football Team,

work. The hope is that all who view this

the Asian Exchange Student and The

exhibition will gain a greater appreciation

Geek to the hottie Head Cheerleader,

of the beauty and brilliance of pastel

they’re all competing for Prom King and

painting. St. Tammany Art Association,

Queen. And just like on American Idol, the

320 Columbia St., Covington, 892-8650.

audience decides who wins! Travel back

Northlake Nature Center Hiking, Biking,

in time and join the breakdance circle, or

Canoeing & More Jan. 6 & 13 –

just sit back and watch the ’80s drama

Nature Walk & Titivatio; Jan. 8 – Adult

unfold. Adult, $19; Senior (65+), $17;

Storywalk; Jan. 12 – Kundalini Yoga. The

Student (11+), $14; and Child (10 and

Northlake Nature Center offers nature-

under), $10. 30 by Ninety Theatre, 880

related, educational and healthy, active

Lafayette St., Mandeville, 844-843-3090.

lifestyle programs for the public and

Ray: A Ray Charles Tribute Show Jan.

student groups. Space is very limited

22-30, Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm. This

and reservations are required. Most

concert/theater work brings the music

programs are free for members, $5 for

and the story of the great Ray Charles >> January-February 2021 17

Inside Scoop to vivid life! Portraying Ray,

Students, $10. Purchase

master pianist/vocalist Sam

online at playmakersinc.com.

Warren leads his three sultry

Playmakers, Inc. Community

vocalists (à la the Raelettees),

Theater, 19106 Playmakers

performing this American

Rd., Covington, 893-1671.

legend’s most popular hits: Whatd I Say?, I Got A Woman,

26-March 13; Fridays

Mess Around, and Georgia

and Saturdays, 8pm. This

On My Mind. $27.50-$45 +

musical about American high

tax. Cutting Edge Theater at

schoolers features music in

Attractions Salon, 767 Robert

the rock ’n roll style of the

Blvd, Slidell, 649-3727.

1950s and is the basis for

Jazz in January: Virtual

Travolta and Olivia Newton-

Christ Episcopal Church,

John. $27.50-$45 + online

Covington will present

fees. Cutting Edge Theater at

the 6th annual “Jazz in

Attractions Salon, 767 Robert

January.” Performances will

Blvd, Slidell, 649-3727.

Brighton Beach Memoirs Feb.

on Friday, January 22

27-March 14; Fridays and

and Saturday, January

Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays,

23, with a special tribute

2:30pm. Here is part one of

to Dolly Parton mass on

Neil Simons autobiographical

Sunday morning. Virtual

trilogy: a portrait of the writer

Event; Recorded at Christ

as a young teen in 1937

Episcopal Church, Covington;

living with his family in a

For more information,

crowded, lower-middle-class

visit christchurchcovington.

Brooklyn walk-up. Dreaming

com or call 892-3177.

of baseball and girls, Eugene

February Olde Towne Slidell Art Market

must cope with the mundane existence of his family life in Brooklyn: formidable mother,

Feb. 13, 4-9pm. Slidell’s Olde

overworked father and his

Towne Art Market features

worldly older brother Stanley.

work by “leauxcal” artists and

This bittersweet memoir

makers, along with live music.

evocatively captures the

Private lot at Green Oaks

life of a struggling Jewish

Apothecary, 2238 First St.,

household where, as his

Slidell, 285-5613.

father states, “if you didn’t

The Glass Menagerie Feb.

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

the 1978 film starring John

Concerts Jan. 22-24.

be livestreamed evenings

18

Grease...The Musical Feb.

have a problem, you wouldn’t

13-27; Saturdays, 7pm;

be living here.” Adult, $19;

Sundays, 2pm. Playmakers,

Senior (65+), $17; Student

Inc. Community Theater

(11+), $14; and Child (10 and

presents Tennessee

under), $10. 30 by Ninety

Williams’ The Glass

Theatre, 880 Lafayette St.,

Menagerie. Adults, $20;

Mandeville, 844-843-3090

Northshore Favorites

Our staff picks what they’re looking forward to in the new year.

Walking the lakefront is my favorite! It’s the perfect time to catch up with friends and get some exercise in all while taking in the gorgeous scenery.

– Lori Murphy I love being able to spend a day on the river with friends, and if my dog is there, it’s even better!

– Margaret Rivera

\

I like stopping by the different farmer’s markets in the area.

– Pemmie Sheasby I enjoy bike riding on the Trace.

– Barbara Roscoe I love attending the outdoor concerts, especially at the Bogue Falaya Park.

– Jan Murphy A perfect day for me would be grabbing an early lunch and then spending the afternoon in the shops and art galleries around downtown Covington.

– Poki Hampton My wife and I like to take in the sunset at Sunset Point.

– Brad Growden Besides Antiquing (see page 67), I like to go to the Dew Drop Jazz Hall for live music or walk the trails through Northlake Nature Center and Big Branch Wildlife Refuge.

– Hilary Creamer

14th Annual

President’s Arts Awards EACH YEAR, ST. TAMMANY PARISH celebrates the President’s Arts Awards to recognize local artists and arts patrons who have contributed to the culture of the parish and to reinforce the foundational significance of the arts in our community. These artists add richness to our lives in many ways and have been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally as special talents in their disciplines. We are fortunate to have the privilege of enjoying their talents, which expand beyond the parameters of our region to touch people across the country.

The 14th Annual President’s Arts Awards, presented by Parish President Michael B. Cooper and the St. Tammany Commission on Cultural Affairs, honored the following 2020 recipients at an outdoor ceremony at the Koop Drive Trailhead Pavilion.

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Above: The presentation of awards took place at the Koop Drive Trailhead Pavilion adjacent to the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany. Far left: St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper and his wife, Catherine. Left: President Cooper and emcee of the night, Fox 8’s John Snell.

photo courtesy: ST. TAMMANY PARISH GOVERNMENT

Performing Artist of the Year Mel Rogers Mel Rogers is a free-lance clarinet-saxophone-flute musician who has worked with the Saenger Theater Broadway Orchestra since 1980. As pit musician and orchestra contractor, he has performed with Rex Harrison in My Fair Lady and Richard Burton in Camelot and has also assembled orchestras for top artists Ray Charles, Tony Bennett and Rod Stewart.

Rogers has worked with the Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Tulane Summer Lyric, NOCCA, Le Petit Theater, Beau Rivage, New Orleans Opera, New

Orleans Ballet and the LPO and presently teaches in the Talented Music Program at Covington High School.

Visual Artist of the Year Gretchen Armbruster Gretchen Armbruster is a visual artist working in oils, watercolor and pencil mediums who captures colorful depictions of carnival, jazz and local personalities and is a highly sought-after portrait artist.

She is the gallery owner and principle instructor at Armbruster Artworks in Covington. Her most notable works include Crescent City Classic >> January-February 2021 21

posters, Krewe of Bacchus artwork, murals in the Old Absinthe house on Bourbon Street, the 2010 Lombardi poster, cover art for Inside Northside magazine and label design for a California vintner. Armbruster has been featured in the national magazine American Art Collector and her work has appeared in the film, He Said She Said.

Literary Artist of the Year Mike Artell Mike Artell is a freelance writer, cartoonist and musician and has received several accolades from science publications and literacy groups. In 2009, his book Petite Rouge – A Cajun Red Riding Hood received numerous awards and was named the Read Aloud Book of the Year by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Petite Rouge was also selected for the Louisiana Young Reader’s Choice Award and became a musical production in New York, London and across the United States. Artell also remains committed to sharing his talent by teaching thousands of children in schools locally and across the globe, to think, write and draw more creatively.

Musical Artist of the Year - Lee Hicks Lee Hicks is in his 19th year as the Director of Bands at Fontainebleau High School. Since his arrival at Fontainebleau, the program has become one of the most respected and successful programs in Louisiana and is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally. He’s had students go on to become music educators and professional musicians. He has recorded for Six Flags Entertainment and the National D-Day Museum. Hicks has also performed professionally in New Orleans and the Gulf South region with the LPO, the Saenger Theater Broadway Orchestra and the Jefferson Performing Arts Broadway Pit Orchestra and with industry legends such as Bernadette Peters, Barry Manilow and Tony Bennett.

Culinary Artist of the Year Abita Brewing Company Abita Brewing Company is the original and largest craft brewery in the state of Louisiana. Founded in Abita Springs 22

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

in 1986, the company began annual production with 1,500 barrels of beer. Today, Abita annually brews and globally distributes more than 138,000 barrels of beer and soda in its state-of-the-art brewing facility.

President David Blossman remains committed to Louisiana-inspired branding and artistry and uses only the finest locally sourced ingredients and the pure artesian water of Abita Springs. Every year, the company donates more beer and root beer than brewed in their first year of business and has several specialized beers created specifically to give back to the community. The local brewery also offers guided tours and boasts a full calendar of events making it a true culinary and cultural destination.

Patron of the Year - Painting with a Twist Painting with a Twist began in 2007 after Hurricane Katrina when two enterprising and philanthropic women, Cathy Deano and Renee Maloney, wanted to create an entertainment escape for people to come together and have a little artistic fun. By 2009, the concept grew to four locations and, in 2014, the national franchise was launched. Today, Painting with a Twist has over 270 franchise locations across the United States, has served an estimated 5 million guests and has created over 10 million paintings.

Through its Painting with a Purpose program, the company hosts events once a month across the franchise system, raising over $5 million for charities and donating 50 percent of proceeds back to local non-profits. Throughout the years, Deano and Maloney have continued to support the arts through their personal involvement and contribution to a wide variety of local community organizations. Â

President’s Award Gardner Schneider Kole Known for her life-long career in volunteerism and civic enrichment, Gardner Schneider Kole was instrumental in founding, leading and serving many of Slidell’s civic clubs and organizations throughout her life. Her gift, skill and love of dance and theater >> January-February 2021 23

led her to teach and inspire students in her dance studio for a number of years and open doors of opportunity for others in the performing arts in Slidell.

Kole worked with organizations such as Slidell Little Theatre and founded the Slidell Performing Arts Guild. She was also the founder of the annual event Jazz on the Bayou, which has raised millions of dollars furthering the work of local charities. Â

Native Son Award Lesslee Fitzmorris Mitchell L e s s l e e Fitzmorris Mitchell, a native of Slidell, began her show business career at a young age by organizing and producing neighborhood shows. Although she sought a legal career as an attorney, Fitzmorris-Mitchell returned to her love of dance and production and founded two international events and dance/cheer instructional businesses, American AllStar, Inc. and St. All-Star, Inc., In 1985, she produced her first pregame show at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans and has since produced, directed and choreographed the International Special Olympics closing ceremonies, an Academy Awards show and two Emmy Awards shows, along with countless Super Bowl pregame shows. For 17 years, Fitzmorris-Mitchell served as the manager and director of the nationally acclaimed New Orleans Saints dance team, the Saintsations. Â

Outstanding Service Award - Kim Bergeron Kim Bergeron is a leading arts advocate, talented artist and founder of 24

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

numerous programs for the City of Slidell including S o m e Enchanted Evening with the LPO, the Bayou Jam concert series and several world-class exhibitions at the Slidell Cultural Center. She also co-founded the Northshore Cultural Economy Coalition and in 2016 created a “Shop Local Artists Weekend” to generate awareness as to the importance of communities supporting creatives, which has since expanded to state and national levels. Her professional work and her community service have led to a plethora of local, regional and national awards. For her community service, Bergeron has been honored with the ATHENA International Leadership Award, American Red Cross Power of Women Award, Rotary Club’s Service Above Self Award and Paul Harris Fellow.

Shout out to Sonange Ledwith of Swamp Girl Glass Blowing for the awards, which are stunning works of art in their own right.

photo courtesy: SOLANGE LEDWITH

The final award of the night was the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Patricia “Pat” Clanton. Turn to page 26 for her story.

January-February 2021 25

“When all is said and done, there’s no place under the sun that I would rather be from than this little town called Covington.”

(From This Little Town Called Covington, a poem by Pat Clanton, 1983).

Pat Clanton

by Karen Gibbs

Above: 4th of July picnic in Bogue Falaya Park in the late ’90s. Inset: Pat was radiant as a student at Covington High School.

IF YOU WANT TO GET PAT CLANTON TALKING, ask her about Covington—but don’t expect her to stop talking any time soon. She’s absolutely in love with her hometown—and has more than 91 years of great memories to prove it. From theater to motherhood, promotional work to civil servant, preservationist to poet, third-generation Covington native Patricia Fuhrman Clanton has devoted her life to the city.

Quite fittingly, in recognition of her outstanding contributions, Parish President Mike Cooper recently awarded Pat Clanton the 2020 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award. As news of the honor spread, one could almost hear a collective cheer rising throughout the city. Everybody loves “Miss Pat,” and a look at her amazing life will explain why.

A daughter of Pauline and Sidney Fuhrman, Pat grew up in a family that valued the arts. At three, she made her debut at her father’s Majestic Theater

26 26 Inside InsideNN orthside orthside

singing Donkey Serenade and dancing with her sister, Rosemerry. “I was a little kid with a big voice,” she says, a nostalgic smile gracing her face.

A graduate of Covington High School, Pat attended Southeastern Louisiana University, where she met the love of her life, Richard Clanton. They were married in 1950, in the picturesque Christ Episcopal Chapel. In the early years, Richard taught elementary school in Mandeville while Pat worked at Citizens Bank. When sons Patrick and Brandon were born, however, Pat became a stay-at-home mom. Brandon recalls his mother’s exuberance: “When people are with my Mama, they go away happy. She has that gift.”

Once the boys were in junior high, Pat returned to the workforce, welcoming newcomers and touting life in Covington—a perfect fit! As Patrick says, “My mother’s always been an ambassador of the city.”

Pat’s next job, working with the Chamber of Commerce, was likewise tailor made. Noting

photos courtesy: PAT CLANTON

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Pat’s enthusiasm and knowledge of Covington, chamber officials asked her to host a radio show, Chamber of Commerce News Plus, that featured chamber news, community events and interesting local stories. With her theatrical experience and outgoing personality, Pat was a natural. Before long, she had created and hosted a second radio show, It’s a Woman’s World, that focused on women’s topics like recipes, fashion and store openings.

Meanwhile, Pat formed a woman’s auxiliary to promote chamber activities.

She says, “This was in the ’60s, when the chamber was a predominately male organization.” This move proved historic because, at the time, there were only seven other auxiliaries in the country.

With two radio shows and a woman’s auxiliary to her credit, Pat felt qualified to apply for the recently vacated position of executive director of the chamber. When she inquired, Pat says, “The chamber president slapped his hand on the desk and emphatically said, ‘A woman will never have that position!’” Down, but not out, she couldn’t help but think, “We’ll see.”

Shortly after, Pat accepted the position of business manager of Playmakers, Covington’s amateur theater group, of which she was a charter member. “As kids, we’d go to Playmakers when it was in the original barn,” recalls son Patrick.

“My father was in a few plays, but he also helped build the sets.”

A few years later, the Bogue Falaya Plaza shopping center wooed Pat to be its manager. Dynamic in her approach, she staged fashion events, art exhibits, boat shows and dance competitions to attract customers. Promoting these events kept her name constantly in the newspaper—something the business community noticed.

Among those was the chamber’s >> January-February 2021 27

Ernest Cooper and Pat organizing the Chamber of Commerce news and radio program.

Inset: Pat’s first inauguration in 1987 with Covington attorney and cousin Roy Burns swearing her into office.

28

Inside Northside

and friends, the 58-year old trailblazer ran for and won the position of city council representative from District D. Once again, Pat Clanton made history—this time as the first woman elected to the Covington City Council.

The victory, though exciting, was sobering for Pat. “I accepted this win with a great sense of responsibility. I had opened the door for other women to follow. I had to do a good job. I had to be respectful and willing to negotiate while not compromising my principles.”

Pat wondered how she would be received by her colleagues. Lynn Moore, council clerk during Pat’s tenure, recalls, “Pat used her power as a woman to defuse the testosterone in the room. Powerful in her own way, she accomplished a lot, working her magic with her ladylike ways. She was so Southern and sweet—but don’t get in her way.”

Fellow councilman Sam O’Keefe adds: “In 1987, we were colleagues on the City Council. Miss Pat was very well-versed and strong with her opinions— and that was a good thing.”

Rykert Toledano, attorney for Covington at the time, says, “Pat Clanton is the matriarch of Covington—an institution admired by all.”

One of the challenges facing the council at the time was equipping the all-volunteer fire department.

“I was a volunteer with the fire department,” says >>

photos courtesy: PAT CLANTON

Above: Past Mayor

newly elected president, Vol Holden, who invited Pat to a chamber meeting. “After introducing me, Vol asked if I’d consider the job of executive director. I replied, ‘Do you have a paper for me to sign because I have a pen!’” With those words, Pat made history again as the first woman executive director of the Greater Covington Chamber of Commerce, a position she held from 1979-1984.

The chamber’s project in the early ’80s was the restoration of Bogue Falaya Park, the “crown jewel of Covington”—something dear to Pat’s heart. The once-popular site was overgrown and polluted.

Enlisting the cooperation and support of parish, city and state agencies, the chamber launched the multiyear project. “I visited Mayor Cooper and explained that it would be a feather in his cap to return the park to the people,” says Pat. The mayor agreed to allow city workers to help at no cost. Years later, the grand re-opening was celebrated with the U.S. Marine Corps Band leading a parade of dignitaries and citizens down the street to the park. “It was a glorious day,” recalls Pat. As Pat became acutely aware of the problems facing the city and its businesses, she knew it was time to run for office and help solve them. In 1987, with the enthusiastic support of her husband, family

O’Keefe. “We needed certain equipment, but the city always put off getting it, saying it didn’t have the funds.” Pat was determined to change that. “She wouldn’t take no for an answer. All the firemen championed her for that because we got the ‘jaws of life,’ which was new at the time.”

Pat also rallied support for preserving the historical sites in Covington, notably the two historic pillars at the entrance of the recently restored Bogue Falaya Park. She had discovered the brick-andmortar posts hidden in the bushes and vines at the park’s entrance. “They looked like two big sentinels standing there,” she says. A plaque on one of the posts revealed that they were dedicated in 1920 by Dr. Louis Stevenson to honor the CSS Manassas ironclad vessel that protected Louisiana during the Civil War! “I was so excited!” says Pat. “This had to be saved.” After acquiring permission from the powers that be, Pat located a city mason who disassembled the posts, numbered the bricks and rebuilt the posts with new mortar. The cannonballs that had originally topped the two posts were missing, so sculptor Robert Maxwell commissioned Shreveport Brass

30

Inside Northside

Works to produce six replacement cannonballs— weighing 60 pounds each.

Another preservation project that Pat embraced was restoration of the Columbia Street Landing, the birthplace of Covington. This was once a very active commercial and passenger port where immigrants arrived with their meager possessions to settle in and build the city of Covington. However, over time, the river became so polluted that, in the 1960s, the city closed the street to the Landing.

A joint announcement by the council and Mayor Villere in 1987 marked the start of a campaign to clean up the Landing. “Citizens showed up to help,” says Pat. “It was amazing! A man on a backhoe volunteered, while others came with axes and saws. The street department pitched in, too. It was wonderful to see how many got involved.” Despite the outpouring of help, it wasn’t until 1994 that the restored Columbia Street Landing was dedicated. Today, the Landing is a popular venue for social and civic events.

Indeed, Pat is the consummate preservationist.

“When people think of Covington history and preservation, they think of Pat Clanton,” says Parish

photo courtesy: PAT CLANTON

President Mike Cooper.” She is a driving force behind not only safeguarding the story of this timeless city but also passing down its rich history from generation to generation. She is truly a jewel in our community, and her contributions will live indelibly into the future.”

Although preservation is an important part of

Pat’s legacy, her most important economic contribution involved being a whistle blower. In the early ’90s, while Pat was on city business at the St. Tammany Parish Hospital, the hospital director asked if she’d like to see plans for the new hospital. “I could hardly believe it,” says Pat. Looking at the plans, Pat asked where the new hospital would be located. When she heard >>

Pat Clanton with the historic park gates at the entrance to the Bogue Falaya Park in 2006.

January-February 2021 31

Highway 190 near the interstate, she thanked the director and left.

“First, I called my parish councilman, because the hospital is a parish entity. He knew nothing. Next, I went to the St. Tammany Farmer and said, ‘I don’t want to be Chicken Little, but I think the sky is falling.

The business community needs to be notified that the hospital plans to move out of town.’ That’s all I had to say. Next day, the papers were full of it!”

Over the ensuing weeks, the parish council, business owners, doctors, volunteers and workers all got involved.

Former mayor Ernest Cooper, Mayor Keith Villere, Representative Eddie Deano, Bob Champagne and others went to Baton Rouge. “It was huge,” says Pat. “The city fought to keep the hospital, and it won. It was one of my proudest accomplishments.”

But there were more to come.

In April of 1995, Pat and several other councilmen fought to create Covington’s first full-time fire department. “This wasn’t an easy task,” says O’Keefe, “because people didn’t like paying more taxes. But we were able to persuade enough of the electorate to approve them. Today, we have a great fire department with first-class people and equipment.”

During her tenure, Pat endeared herself not only to the firemen but also to other public servants. “Thirty-three years later, when I’m on the street downtown, I hear someone call, ‘Hey, Miss Pat,’” says Pat. “I look and it’s someone from the police, fire or public works departments.

That makes my day!”

Pat retired from the council in 1995. Eight years later, she ran for—and won—the councilman-at-large position.

This allowed her to serve two years representing the entire city of Covington and two years as council president. And, 32

Inside Northside

1.

2003 election night; from left to right (first row) Michelle Clanton, Kayla and Brook (Pat’s granddaughters), (second row)

photo courtesy: PAT CLANTON

Jewel, Pat, Patrick, and (third row) Brandon.

it added two more “firsts” to her list of accomplishments—first woman to serve as councilman-at-large and as council president.

During this time, Pat undertook another preservation project: restoring the Fairgrounds arch. The iconic red arch, dedicated in 1920 to the soldiers of World War I, was in dire need of restoration. Because it was parish property within the city limits, Pat had to get permission from city and parish governments before working on it. “At first, the Louisiana National Guard offered to help, but they kept getting called away to more important duties,” says Pat. Ultimately, Bruce Crouch, director of parish facilities, took charge and saw the project to completion. In gratitude for promoting this restoration, the Covington City Council proclaimed a “Ms. Pat Clanton Appreciation Day.” During this celebration, Pat deferred praise from herself to all who were involved in the project, something she has done throughout her lifetime.

“I was a seed planter for projects but I never finished them alone,” says Pat. “No one ever does. If the project were a fiddle, those who pluck the strings and make the music are the ones who come forward to help. Those are the ones I like to shine a spotlight on.”

Well said, Pat. But this time, the spotlight is shining on you—not as the long-ago little girl with the big voice at the Majestic Theater, but as the woman of today with the soft voice giving her life to the city she loves. Take a bow, dear lady. Take a bow.

To view actual newspaper articles about Pat, visit Ron Barthet’s blog at https://tammanyfamily.blogspot.com/ search?q=pat+clanton.

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1009 Cleveland Street, Franklinton • (985) 207-2200 • thechiff.com • January-February 2021 33

IN Other Words

by Becky Slatten

Happy New Year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! And when I say that, please understand that it’s not as a wish, or a hope, or a request—it’s an order.

Because, just in case 2021 has any thoughts of continuing on the road through hell, we’ll need to put on a collective happy face and show it who’s boss. In other words, we’re going to need to kill it with kindness.

I’m not saying there won’t be trials, or tragedies, or that we won’t have our differences. We most certainly will, but we mustn’t let them define us or an entire year of our lives. Staying positive in the face of overwhelming negativity is challenging, but optimism is more contagious than Covid 19 and, I believe, with a little practice, it can become second nature. Therefore, we’ll all have some very important roles to play in 2021; please allow me to offer some suggestions.

Obviously, don’t kill anybody or steal their stuff or set it on fire (one would think these pointers go without saying, but apparently not). Cover your cough, disagree with civility, and, for the love of God, don’t leave your grocery cart in the middle of a parking space. Decide what you want to eat BEFORE it’s your turn to order in the drive-thru line, don’t drive pokey in the passing lane (especially on the causeway) and do not, under any circumstance, stop in the right-turn-only lane on Tyler with your left blinker on (yes, that was me honking at you). Also, try not to honk at people while driving. The cashier at Hobby Lobby doesn’t make company policy, so don’t be mean to her because your item isn’t on sale. Remember your waiter works mostly for tips, so it’s really OK to tip on the tax. Let the lady with the one bunch of celery go ahead of you at the grocery store—and smile behind that mask, it shows.

In a nutshell, let’s make 2021 the year of kindness and consideration. Let’s pay it forward and smile with our eyes—and I promise I’ll try not to honk at you.

Perrone Heralds the Plight of America’s Most Bountiful Wetland

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

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Inside Northside

GERARD PERRONE IS A MAN on a mission, an unwavering campaign to educate the world about the peril of our Louisiana wetlands. Like primatologist Jane Goodall entrenched with her chimpanzees in Africa, Perrone has devised a way to imbed himself in the Atchafalaya Basin.

The wildlife photographer and eco-activist has made himself such a part of the scenery that his fellow swamp inhabitants go about their lives as he quietly and patiently chronicles their behavior and living conditions.

Here are some fast facts about Perrone’s home-away-fromhome. At almost a million acres, the Atchafalaya River Basin is among the most ecologically varied regions in the United States. Larger than the Florida Everglades and five times more productive than any other river basin in North America, it’s home to 65 species of reptiles and amphibians, over 250 species of birds, and more than 100 different species of fish and aquatic

photos: GERARD PERRONE

Atchafalaya Basin

life, not to mention panthers, black bears, bobcats, nutria, mink, fox, muskrats, beavers, otters, and raccoons. The basin houses the largest nesting concentration of bald eagles in South Central United States, has an estimated average annual crawfish harvest of nearly 22 million pounds, contains the largest contiguous bottomland hardwood forest in North America, and is the largest overflow alluvial hardwood swamp in the country.

Perrone wants you to know all that bounty is at risk of extinction.

A Hammond native, Perrone attended St. Paul’s School in Covington before completing an art degree at LSU and a masters at Rhode Island School of Design. After a two-year internship in New York City, he made his way back to Louisiana to try his hand at teaching in college, all the while perfecting his skills behind the camera lens. Disillusioned with his teaching career, Perrone opened a small photography studio, bought a home in Uptown New Orleans, and began renovating historic homes in the area.

His photography received recognition with an exhibit at the Contemporary Art Center. But a divorce and other life changes

called for a change of scenery. Perrone found himself next in Oregon where he became involved in environmental activism. “I lived in a cabin in the middle of nowhere,” he says. “I was there for four years, and it changed the way I thought about everything.”

Perrone left Oregon determined to be part of the solution, made his way around the entire country—twice—and finally landed back home in Louisiana. “This is the land I grew up on, but having been away and come back, I didn’t see anything the same,” he says. “The Atchafalaya was right in my backyard and it wasn’t—isn’t—getting the attention it needs. This is the largest watershed in the country and one of the top five wetlands in the world. The basin feeds the entire Gulf. As goes the Atchafalaya, so goes the Gulf—and beyond.” Perrone spent six years traveling into the basin and back documenting the changes he saw there with his camera. But it’s difficult terrain to navigate.

“I was spending so much time getting to the places I wanted to observe that I only had a couple of hours of light once I got there,” says Perrone. “I didn’t want to feel like a visitor. I wanted to become part of the basin, so I could really experience it >> January-February 2021 37

38

Inside Northside

photos: GERARD PERRONE

and learn about it. I decided, if I wanted to get serious, I had to design a boat that would allow me to gain access to the hard-to-reach area and camp there. He set to work designing his self-contained “WetLand Explorer” in a design that came to include a 20-foot, flat-bottom boat small enough to get into all the places he wanted to reach but big enough to become his floating campsite.

It took Perrone two years and two prototypes to perfect the design for his WetLand Explorer.

He enlisted the help of Hanko Boat Builders out of Morgan City to construct the craft from his plans and a team of seamstresses to create the tent that would protect him from the elements. He equipped the boat with a toilet, 25 gallons of water, electricity to power fans, a spigot for water, and enough gas to go 250 miles roundtrip—and was awarded a U.S. Utility patent for boat/tent design. The craft allows him to spend four days and three nights comfortably imbedded in the basin documenting everything he observes; it is large enough to sleep three comfortably.

“Now, I had to decide where I wanted to go,” says Perrone. “I wanted to study and catalogue the patterns of change within the Atchafalaya and foster a sympathetic awareness of the area. My challenge was the basin itself, which is so large and diverse.

Within the almost million acres, the terrain goes from old-growth cypress to freshwater marsh, then the Port of Morgan City, then brackish marshland, pure salt marshes, and finally the Gulf. Within that area, there are people earning their living by harvesting what the basin has to offer from fish, crabs, oysters, and shrimp to oil and gas and lumber. These people are part of the story, too.” It took Perrone two full years of exploration to choose an area to study.

He finally chose a spot he deemed to be a microcosm of the Mississippi Delta.

“I realized that just as man is harvesting the bounty of the Atchafalaya, so are the birds,” he says. “If I could follow the birds, photograph them, and study their patterns, they’d lead to the larger bounty. The outlook for our coast is uncertain. In an area this flat, any amount of sea level rise can take out three ecosystems. Is there an answer?

Is it too late? I don’t know. But if we

become sympathetically attuned, we can learn from what’s happening, document the changes, and appreciate the natural wonders of the moment along the way.”

Perrone established a non-profit he named The Nature Study Project. “My idea is a very different type of eco-tourism,” he says. “It’s not about tossing marshmallows to alligators but taking the right people out into the swamp for full-day—or overnight or multi-day—immersive experiences where we can really slow down and live in the environment of the basin, where they can see the instability of this fragile ecosystem that’s so important to our existence on Earth. It’s particularly intriguing to birdwatchers, so that’s my target audience right now.”

Meanwhile, Perrone continues to chronicle the changes in the Atchafalaya through his pictures. “Photography is just heightened observation,” he says. He also befriended shrimpers and crabbers, >>

Gerard Perrone.

January-February 2021 39

Visit NatureStudy.com for information and to book your tour.

40

Inside Northside

photo: GERARD PERRONE

who welcomed him onto their boats. “I want to tell their story, too. Their nets bring up a sampling of the Gulf, and their knowledge of the Atchafalaya— gained over generations—is vast.”

His work to document the plight of the Atchafalaya Basin, the last wetland of its kind, is starting to garner attention.

Perrone was recently able to bring a journalist and photographer, working for the non-profit Southerly Magazine, on a three-day wetlands immersion experience, which they documented in a story on SoutherlyMag.org. He’s joining forces with The Nature Conservancy, Freshwater & Wetland Conservation, and a private landowner (with 9,000 acres of wetlands) to develop a nature outreach program for inner-city kids and veterans. “I have other irons in the fire, too, including an interactive mobile nature study fieldtrip where participants go out to collect nature specimens that we’ll study in magnification and document together. I want to restore the childlike wonder of nature. We are challenged with sustaining our one-of-akind ecosystem. The Atchafalaya Basin is the canary in the coal mine. What’s happening here can happen worldwide.

We need as many people as possible to hear that message and help spread it.”

O R T H O P A E D I C S

A Place to Call Home TCHEFUNCTA CLUB ESTATES

After a year of careful planning and consideration, Tchefuncta

The first few resident founders of Tchefuncta Club Estates

Club Estates (TCE) is ready to break ground on their final expansion

were veterans. Many were in the oil and gas industry with

of the neighborhood, Tchefuncta 3.

backgrounds in geology, engineering and business. That talent

Nestled along a quiet section of the Tchefuncte River, the

to this day is reflected in a community with self-sufficient water,

1200-acre gated community has remained a hidden gem on the

sewer, and security systems. Those same people had the foresight

Northshore since 1956. What began as a passion project for a

to bury utilities. A concept that had little traction in 1959. Today

group of friends and business colleagues with a vision to create a

in 2020, those same visions are seen in TCE’s new high speed self-

safe, family-friendly environment has grown into a community of

owned fiber network. Barnett added, “This principle of personal

462 residences. The original founders’ love for a property called

involvement just adds pride. It is what makes this community a

Emfred has emerged as an eco-friendly community that respects the

unique place to call home.”

landscape and its natural beauty. Even to this day, it is the guiding

Those who find their way to the neighborhood seem to

principle on which the neighborhood has expanded. Residents are

try and find a way to live in the neighborhood. Soon they get

drawn to large homesites surrounded by mature trees and 460 acres

involved. So many of the TCE families today have encouraged

of dedicated green space that provide a direct access to nature.

friends and associates to join them in this unique lifestyle. TCE

When the first wave of residents moved into TCE in the

has many families living in close proximity that are generational.

late 1950s and early 1960s, the Causeway had recently been

Grandparents, parents, and grandchildren all living only doors

completed with one bridge connecting the two shores. Most

or streets apart enjoying the simple pleasures of TCE and most

residents still worked in New Orleans. They eased the commute

importantly spending time with each other.

The expansion

by purchasing a bus and rode together. From TCE to New Orleans’

includes many

Central Business District, they spoke of their dreams, their

Built on the heels of Hurricane Katrina and a recession, T2 gained

aspirations, and their families. They were determined to create

traction and all lots were sold. Presently 90% of the lots have

something extraordinary together.

homes built on them and several are currently under construction.

community amenities including

The Tchefuncta 3 expansion was preceded by a T2 expansion.

a social gathering

Today, the neighborhood operates and reflects a small, self-

In 2019, Tchefuncta Club Estates purchased an additional

venue “The Barn,”

sufficient town in a bustling parish. A respite down a treed lane where

240-acre tract of land. The clearing has begun on what is the last

community garden

residents live a TCE lifestyle of friendship. Charles Barnett, a past board

expansion of the community. Headed by current TCE President,

president and current board member, always references the uniqueness

Ward Cashion, plans are in place to keep the original feel of TCE in

diamond, golf

of the community when he says, “They started with each other. They

place. Tchefuncta 3 will consist of 133 new homesites to be spread

cart paths, and

relied on each other. They found fun things to share with each other, and

across 130 acres of the newly acquired property. Ward commented,

they built a community that to this day harbors those same values.”

“All of the expansion will be surrounded by a natural landscape that

spots, a baseball

playground.

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Inside Northside

encompasses over 100 acres of preserved greenspace. It represents the last opportunity for many people to purchase and own a homesite in this neighborhood.” All of the buffers around this new section of TCE will create a unique secluded feel for this area. A new park, a ball field and a garden will be for the immediate access and use of those purchasing in the expanded area.

In addition to these new amenities another tradition the estates will construct, and return is “The Barn.” The old barn burned in 2006. It was common to see people riding horses throughout the neighborhood designated trails. The new barn will not have horses, but it will be a great place for fun, entertainment, and special events like get togethers, birthday parties, and more.

The exterior will recall the memory of the old barn with interiors that allow enough space to bring back all of the beloved traditions including “Boo at the Barn” during Halloween.

TCE continues to be labor of love, offering something for everyone to enjoy. There is fishing at Lake Emfred and the

Tchefuncta River with easy access via a boat ramp and docks. At Lake Emfred, there’s a park complete with picnic areas and a playground. The club offers golf, swimming, fitness, tennis and dining. The TCE Marina has over 65 slips and is expanding, and

From top: Tchefuncta

offers residents the convenience of quick access to the river.

Club Estates Board

Ward was enthusiastic in saying, “What I found when I

Chair Ward Cashion

arrived here 35 years ago, universally, no matter what social

(right) with John Perez,

circle, everyone was concerned with your happiness and your

TCE Executive Director,

child’s safety.” He added, “When you turn into that entrance off of

(left) discussing details

Highway 21, a calm comes over you. Your breathing slows. There

on the buildout of

is a sense of peace, and the closer you get to the gate the bigger

Tchefuncta 3.

the smile and the happier you become.”

Tchefuncta 3’s homesites development is the final

Richard and Sarah

opportunity for the neighborhood to expand. This site is the last

Robertson and their

major untouched piece of land within TCE’s 1200 total acres. Over

two children enjoy

the next 8 years the development will be separated into two dirt-

living in TCE close to

to-road stages. Stage one, the first 64 lots, began development in

many extended family

October 2020 and people will begin building in 2021.

members and friends.

As TCE residents looks forward to the future, they remain

They look forward

committed to honoring the past and creating a safe environment

to the buildout of

that future generations will be proud to call home.

Tchefuncta 3.

TCE residents Grayson and Charlotte Terral with their daughter looking at the entrance to the new addition

For information about TCE and homesites in Tchefuncta 3, please contact John Perez, TCE Executive Director, at 985.317.1376.

which will include 3 miles of road.

January-February 2021 43

Health& Wellness

Watch Me Go Red. For Me. For All Women.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women, claiming more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined. It is not just a problem for “older” women. Heart disease and stroke can affect a woman at any age. In fact, new research shows heart attacks are on the rise in younger women. It is critical for all women to take charge of their heart health and encourage others to do the same.

Go Red for Women is the American Heart Association’s movement to end heart disease and stroke in women. They work locally and in communities around the world to help women understand that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat and empower them to take action to lower their risk.

“Watch Me Go Red” is a campaign designed to engage women to demonstrate ways they prioritize good health and wellbeing in their lives, inspiring others to do the same. Because together, there’s nothing women can’t achieve. We’ve Got This.

Know your family history and talk to your doctor about heart disease.

Be Aware. Starting at age 20, women should get screened for CVD risk factors to “Know Your Numbers,” the five key personal health numbers that help determine risk for heart disease: total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and body mass index.

Live Well. Even modest changes to diet and lifestyle can lower risk by as much as 80 percent. Make living a healthy lifestyle a priority by moving more, eating smart and managing blood pressure.

Make an Impact. More research is needed to find new ways to treat, beat and prevent heart disease in women.

Participating in research has >>

January-February 2021 45

Health & Wellness never been easier or more important. Research Goes Red puts women in the driver’s seat to accelerate scientific discovery by contributing to health research through clinical trials, surveys, focus groups and more.

Women face a 20 percent increased risk of developing heart failure or dying within five years after their first severe heart attack compared with men, according to new research published recently in the American Heart Association’s flagship journal Circulation.

co-director of the Canadian VIGOUR Centre at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

“Better adherence to reducing cholesterol, controlling high blood pressure, getting more exercise, eating a healthy diet and stopping smoking, combined with recognition of these problems earlier in life, would save thousands of lives of women—and men.”

Heart disease risk in women increases leading up to menopause; early intervention is key.

The menopause transition, the years leading up to menopause, is a time of increasing heart disease risk for women. Monitoring women’s health and lifestyle, while integrating early intervention strategies for good cardiovascular health, is important, especially

Previous research looking at sex differences in heart health has often focused on recurrent heart attack or death. However, the differences in vulnerability to heart failure between men and women Heart Attack Symptoms Specific after heart attack remains to Women unclear. What we should all • shortness of breath know: • pressure or pain in the lower The development of heart chest or upper abdomen failure either in the hospital • dizziness or after discharge remained • lightheadedness or fainting higher for women than men • upper back pressure for both types of heart attack, • extreme fatigue even after adjusting for certain confounders.

Women were more likely to be an average 10 years older than men at the time of their heart attack, usually an average age of 72 years versus 61 for the men.

Women also had more complicated medical

during midlife and during menopause, to help prevent heart disease, according to a new Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association.

For many women, the menopause transition begins when they are in their late 40s to mid-50s.

Before this transition, women produce estrogen, the female sex hormone, which may also have cardioprotective effects. When women go through the natural menopause transition, their ovaries stop producing as much estrogen. Significant changes in a woman’s cardiometabolic and vascular health, which lead to higher heart disease risk, occur during the menopause transition.

Since the increase in heart disease risk during menopause is associated with a decrease in the production of the hormone estrogen, health care professionals and scientists have studied if hormone therapy might help reduce cardiovascular risk. There is research indicating potential cardiovascular benefits of certain combinations of hormone therapy when

histories at the time of their heart attacks, including high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, risk factors that may contribute to heart failure.

Women were seen less frequently in the hospital by a cardiovascular specialist: 72.8 percent versus 84 percent for men.

“Identifying when and how women may be at higher risk for heart failure after a heart attack can help providers develop more effective approaches for prevention,” says lead study author Justin A. Ezekowitz, M.B.B.Ch., M.Sc., a cardiologist and

initiated in early but not late menopause. Further research is needed to evaluate the role of other hormone therapies and how long these interventions impact cardio-metabolic health. Additionally, some studies show the benefits of hormone therapy, including a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and protection from bone loss, seem to outweigh the risks for most women in early menopause. Current recommendations from leading professional medical societies endorse the use of hormone therapy for women who have recently begun the menopause transition, with appropriate indications.

Women at higher risk for heart failure and heart attack than men

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Inside Northside

Key takeaways in the statement include the following: Some of the common symptoms felt with menopause have a correlation with cardiovascular disease. Hot flashes and night sweats are associated with worse cardiovascular disease risk factor levels. Depression and sleep disturbances, linked in some studies to an increased risk of heart disease, are also common among women during this time.

Physiological changes during menopause, such as increased abdominal fat and visceral fat (body fat around the organs), are associated with a heightened risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease and cancer mortality, even among those with normal body mass index levels.

Cholesterol levels, metabolic syndrome risk and vascular vulnerability appear to increase with menopause beyond the effects of normal aging. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when a person has three or more of the following measurements: abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), high blood pressure and/or high blood glucose levels (blood sugar).

Novel data show a reversal in the associations of HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) with heart disease risk over the menopause transition, suggesting higher good cholesterol levels may not consistently reflect good heart health in all stages of life in women.

Data about the use of cholesterol-lowering medications remains limited for women going through the menopause transition and requires further study so evidence-based recommendations can be developed.

Women who experience menopause at an earlier age have a higher risk of heart disease. A woman’s age at menopause can be influenced by factors such as length of menstrual cycle, poor cardiovascular risk profile during reproductive years and socioeconomic factors. Race and ethnicity also play a role, with many Hispanic and Black women experiencing menopause at younger ages.

Physical activity and nutrition may play a role in the timing of menopause for all women. Women who drink little to moderate amounts of alcohol may have later onset of menopause, and those who smoke cigarettes are likely to start menopause about a year earlier than non-smokers.

There is, however, limited information on what is ideal in terms of lifestyle changes (such as the AHA’s Life’s Simple 7) for women during menopause. Data does indicate though that only 7.2 percent of women in menopause meet physical activity guidelines, and fewer than 20 percent of those women consistently maintain a healthy diet.

January-February 2021 47

Health & Wellness

Join the fight on the northshore.

The Northshore Go Red for Women unites the ladies of the northshore around the AHA mission in a safe and healthy way! Join event co-chairs Tammy O’Shea and Susie Villere as they work to build awareness for women’s heart health in 2021. For details, log on to NorthshoreGoRed.heart.org. The effort is sponsored locally by North Oaks Health System, Humana, State Farm Insurance, HUB International, Armbruster Artworks, Fidelity Bank, Jennifer Rice, Diane LaPlace Realty and Heart Clinic of Hammond, and nationally by CVS. It will be a rally for awareness and prevention for heart disease. Heart disease has already touched you or someone you love, so help us save a woman’s life. Learn more and register today at NorthshoreGoRed.heart.org.

Susie Villere and Tammy O’Shea.

How to Combat Chronic Stress THERE IS NO DOUBT that this has been a trying year, and you might be experiencing extended periods of stress.

Crisis fatigue, the mental and physical exhaustion caused by sustained stress, has become a common response for many people, and it can take a toll on your health.

Chronic stress, which leads to excessive amounts of cortisol and other stress hormones flooding your body, can affect almost every aspect of your health from sleep, to digestion, blood pressure, diabetes and mental well-being. Stress may be unavoidable, but we encourage you to find small moments of peace each day to focus on you, which can help offset the effects of crisis fatigue, stress and anxiety.

TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR MIND AND BODY

1. Take 60 seconds throughout the day and focus on deep breathing, which can provide an instant, calming effect anytime, anywhere.

2. “Stress eat” the healthy way by incorporating fruits, veggies and lean meats into your diet to strengthen your immune system.

3. Sip stress away by drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration and reduce cortisol levels.

4. Aim for 8 hours of good sleep to relax your mind and recharge your body.

5. Establish a routine for stability, which lessens anxiety and helps you manage stress better.

As a Family Nurse Practitioner, Michelle Civello provides personalized health care to motivate her patients to maintain healthy lifestyles through preventive medicine. Her approach to patient care is to always put the patient first. She treat patients ages 4 and older.

For help with coping with crisis fatigue, stress and/or anxiety, schedule an appointment with a North Oaks primary care provider. Call (985) 230-APPT (2778).

January-February 2021 49

Health & Wellness

Improving Access to Healthy Eating The American Heart Association is deeply concerned about the public health crisis facing our country. Our top priority regarding coronavirus is the health and well-being of all individuals and their families today and in the future, in every community, everywhere.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in this country. That means today and every day, every 33 seconds a man, woman or child dies from cardiovascular disease.

Let that sink in. Every 33 seconds.

The American Heart Association is working to reduce death from heart disease and stroke and improve cardiovascular health for everyone in our community.

Brittany Gay, northshore resident and executive director of the American Heart Association-Greater New Orleans puts the priorities of the AHA this way, “We are committed to discovering and improving the role social determinants of health, like food access, education, complete streets, equitable housing and income, play in our long-term 50

Inside Northside

risk of heart disease, stroke and other devastating illnesses. We work for a community that is well-being supported by the places they live, learn, work, play, pray, and heal.”

Food insecurity, for example, does not just mean that people do not have access to any food, it means that the food they do have access to is often not nutritious or is not affordable on their budget. Fresh vegetables, fruits and lean meats are harder to access, meaning a lot of what is eaten is what we think of as “junk food”—processed foods that are high in sugar, sodium and fats.

Locally, the American Heart Association has prioritized healthy eating to improve the access and consumption of healthy foods in a number of ways, including the “Good to Go” program that brings healthy prepared meals to under-resourced neighborhoods’ corner stores. Through partnerships with community organizations they are working to bring healthy, fresh, affordable foods to those disproportionately impacted.

January-February 2021 51

Health & Wellness

The Power of Play THE POWER OF PLAY is an essential part of a child’s experience at the Children’s Museum of St. Tammany.

National studies have shown that the element of play is fundamental for learning 21st century skills, increasing a child’s ability to problem-solve with their peers, collaborate through social engagement and create through the arts.

“Play is critical to the healthy development of a child,” says Director of Education and Programming Gillian Rabalais, “We want to stretch their minds and introduce or further encourage a child’s learning interests. Young Picassos create pieces of art in ARTworks, while

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first responders, doctors and astronauts role play and take to the stage. Adventure seekers climb a great oak nestled in a grove of pine trees.”

In River Landing, kids can catch a fish, cook a meal or work in a market.

Little Lake Tots allows them to huddle in the lighthouse for a good book or sharing a story with a new friend.

Young visitors learn more about the big world via an iconic globe. And, in the How & Why Gallery, kids discover and explore all things STEM. The latest gallery edition is Natural Wonders, an outdoor learning lab to teach kids about the environment,

indigenous species and habitats.

Healthy communities believe in their children, their future and what a children’s museum can bring to a community, to a family, to a child..

From the community perspective, children’s museums bring workforce, economic development, educational impact and a community spirit.

CMST is located at 21404 Koop Drive in Mandeville. During Covid-19, the museum is offering timed admissions.

Enhanced cleaning protocols are also in place. For more information, call 888.1555 or email info@cmstkids.org.

Health & Wellness

THERE’S A NEW CONCEPT in convenient healthcare south of Covington: St. Tammany Health System Express Care, a walk-in clinic merging the convenience of urgent care with the relationship model of primary care. As a bonus, on most health plans, the charge is primary care rather than the typically more expensive urgent visit.

Located just south of the health system’s main hospital campus, STHS Express Care offers all the services one would expect from a traditional doctor’s office at more convenient hours—weekends, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and weekdays, 2 to 10:30 p.m.

When the opportunity came along last October to head up this new clinic, Nurse Practitioner Kira Smith jumped at it—and for a good reason: It brought her back home. “I grew up in Slidell, graduating from Northshore High School.” she says. “And my family’s all

here. St. Tammany has always felt like home to me.” She has a bachelor of science in nursing from LSU, a master’s from SLU and in spring 2019, earned her degree as a family nurse practitioner, laying the groundwork for her return to St. Tammany.

Express Care welcomes walk-ins, taking care of a variety of patients presenting a variety of conditions. “I really take pride in being a nurse practitioner, and I enjoy taking care of people of all ages,” she says. “I think it’s very rewarding to be able to give back to the community that I grew up in.”

STHS Express Care is not an emergency facility. If you’re experiencing a life-threatening emergency, call 911 or visit an STHS Emergency Department in Covington or Mandeville. STHS Express Care is located at 71338 Louisiana 21.

898-4001 or StTammany.Health/ExpressCare.

photo: TIM SAN FILLIPPO / STHS

Caring for the Neighborhood at All Hours

Nurse Practitioner Kira Smith, head of St. Tammany Health System’s new Express Care clinic in Covington.

Health & Wellness

Kids Cook with Heart SHOPPING FOR HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES and learning how to cook them is an investment in health for a lifetime.

To get our kids off to a good start, the American Heart Association took their cooking program aimed at children virtual when in-person classes were not an option.

Rouses donated boxes of the ingredients needed for the holiday-themed cooking class. More than 30 kids from Lancaster Elementary School participated in the digital program led by several local nutritionists. In addition to selecting the right ingredients, participants learned essential cooking skills.

They also learned how to cook healthy meals on a budget and craft heart-healthy versions of some of our favorite holiday side dishes, and even a dessert.

Students were taught how a healthy diet can positively affect their lives.

Before each class, the students took the necessary ingredients home from school, or picked them up if they were participating in virtual learning and made a side dish to serve their family that evening.

Each semester, this program will come to a different northshore school in an area of high need and continue to spread these skills and knowledge across our youth.

Thanks to local sponsors at Ochsner Health - Northshore, St. Tammany Health System and Slidell Memorial Hospital, this program will bring us all a healthier future.

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Health & Wellness

2021 Northshore Heart Walk Co-chair

Annette Dowdle

“Working with the American Heart Association is personal for me, as I am a heart survivor,” says Annette Dowdle, senior vice president with HUB International Gulf South. “I spread awareness for heart health everywhere I can, especially as my job involves working with large companies on their employee benefits programs. I want to not just save my clients money, but also improve the lives of their employees.”

Annette Dowdle was 47, had completed numerous marathons, and was in good health. Yet, in the fall of 2013, she started having dizzy spells and racing heartbeat episodes. One day while traveling for business, she passed out alone in her hotel room and woke up later completely unaware of why she was waking up on the floor.

After several tests, including a stress test which successfully recreated her episodes, Annette was diagnosed with a heart condition called supraventricular tachycardia. SVT is an abnormal rapid heartbeat that develops when the normal electrical impulses of the heart are disrupted. Although most cases of SVT are not considered to be dangerous or life threatening, frequent episodes can weaken the cardiac muscle over time and should therefore be addressed with medical intervention.

“I received help from educational resources like AHA and a monitor that has been implanted beneath my skin to record my heartbeat, which is then sent cellularly to my cardiologist. Thanks to my cardiologist and a healthy lifestyle, I’ve been symptom free for the last 4 years,” says Annette.

Today, while she doesn’t run as much, Annette still focuses on maintaining physical activity and a healthy lifestyle to keep her heart healthy. She says, “Women tend to put themselves last, and I focus on keeping my health a priority so that I can be there for my family in the future. I encourage all the women out there to make themselves a priority because if we don’t, we won’t get to enjoy life to the fullest.”

Annette has long been an active supporter of the American Heart Association, even before she was a survivor. This year she will co-chair the 2021 Northshore Heart Walk alongside Rhonda Bagby from HUMANA. The Heart Walk photo: FRANK L. AYMAMI III

is Saturday, May 8, 2021, in downtown Covington. “This year, we’re bringing the mission of the American Heart Association to life by focusing on critical community issues to save lives within our community. With your support and participation in the walk, we will raise funds to support the AHA’s work on the northshore to control blood pressure, eliminate tobacco and vaping, drive health equity, and fund life-saving research so we all can live longer, healthier lives.”

January-February 2021 55

Healthy at Home Inside Northside asked Fitness Expo for their favorite ultimate workout machines to exercise on at home! All found exclusively at Fitness Expo.

The Matrix TF30 XIR Ultimate Treadmill is the industry’s most advanced frame-and-deck combination for the ultimate run in your own home. The TF30 Treadmill includes easy-folding design, durable Ultimate Deck, exclusive Johnson Drive System and convenience features that redefine the workout experience in amazing ways.

A stunning HD display and intuitive home screen offer easy access to entertainment.

The Octane xR6 is a seated elliptical that has redefined the recumbent exercise. With workout boosters that will activate certain muscle groups in short bursts, this machine can push you to reach new exercise limits. An effective workout with no impact on your knees, joints or back.

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Health & Wellness

The WaterRower Natural rowing machine is handcrafted from solid ash and features Honey Oak stain finished in Danish oil. It offers a full-body, low-impact, joint-friendly workout. It features sounds of moving water and the rhythm of a rowing machine.

The Inspire Fitness FT1 Functional Trainer offers a durable, maintenance-free modern design. The FT1 Functional Trainer works all of the muscle groups with easy-to-pull grips and cable pulley system for any level user. It has over 40 different exercises and a quick, one-handed adjustable high/low pulley system that adjusts to more than 30 height positions. The dual-weight stacks allow you to work each side of your body independently for a more balanced workout.

The Precor EFX 225 Elliptical provides a reliable workout with all of the quality and technology you expect from Precor. The moving handlebars complement the CrossRamp Technology, offering a full-body work out. The motorized cross ramp elevates from 15 degrees to 25 degrees, giving the user more options and variety.

January-February 2021 57

Get Fit

by Sandy Franco

“Working off the crazy” EACH NEW YEAR, the fitness industry scrambles to forecast the

2020. Aspirations for a sculpted physique took a backseat to, as

hottest trends. After the sucker-punch that 2020 gave us, making

one popular meme put it, “working off the crazy.” Study after study

predictions seems like tempting fate. Instead, let’s reflect, regroup

confirms that exercise reduces anxiety, depression and negative

and restart. In many ways, 2021 marks a new beginning and an

mood while improving self-esteem and cognitive function, but

opportunity to create rather than follow trends.

never has this hit home quite like it has in recent months. Stress,

We are all doing things a little differently these days. Never

fear, frustration, boredom and anxiety ran rampant in the time

before has there been such a sweeping awareness of health-

of Covid19 and reported rates of depression tripled. Exercise

related vulnerability and a simultaneous realization that self-

intervention is increasingly becoming a part of the solution.

protective measures involve trade-offs. Most of us, for example,

Exercise has also taken to the front-line of preventative

were faced in 2020 with the challenge of staying in place without

medicine. “It is paramount that we find creative ways to exercise

being sedentary. Most of us struggled.

while maintaining social distancing and proper hygienic

In a survey of four key global fitness markets, the International

countermeasures,” says Richard J. Simpson, Ph.D., FACSM, an

Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association found that health club

associate professor in the Departments of Nutritional Sciences,

members across the globe reported decreased levels of physical

Pediatrics and Immunobiology at the University of Arizona. “While

activity when fitness facilities were closed by mandated shutdowns.

exercise may not prevent us from becoming infected if exposed,

An overwhelming majority said their exercise routine changed

it is likely that keeping active will boost our immune system to

during this time, with more than half reporting that their new fitness

help minimize the deleterious effects of the virus, ameliorate our

regimen was less challenging, less consistent or simply worse than

symptoms, expedite our recovery times and lower the likelihood

their previous routine. A separate study conducted by the Physical

that we can infect others with whom we come into contact.” Simpson

Activity Council found that 57 percent of health club users in the

goes on to explain that, “Each bout of exercise, particularly whole-

United States reported a decline in exercise and physical activity

body dynamic cardiorespiratory exercise, instantaneously mobilizes

during March and April 2020, the same months that health clubs

literally billions of immune cells, especially those cell types that are

were shut down in most states. This decline effectively diminished

capable of carrying out effector functions such as the recognition and

the presence of our greatest defense against chronic disease and

killing of virus-infected cells.”

acute illness. Physically active individuals have been shown to have a five-fold decrease in risk of respiratory Covid19.

Overwhelming evidence supporting the importance of exercise and the need for fitness facilities recently drove Franco’s Athletic Club to become one of the founding members of the

OUR “WHY”

While the past year and the ripples of hardship that it brought have revealed the fragility of life, it also gave us time and

new Louisiana Health and Fitness Alliance, part of a global initiative designed to set new standards of safety and excellence for fitness, athletic, and recreation businesses.

reason to reexamine our priorities and our purpose. It changed, or at least brought into focus, our “why.” Like many things, fitness took on new importance.

Sanity replaced vanity as a primary motivator to exercise in 58

Inside Northside

LIVE AND LEARN

The past year has certainly taught us a few things. We learned that exercise frequency and intensity decline when people don’t have

access to fitness facilities. At Franco’s Athletic Club, we learned that we needed to go beyond our walls, to meet people where they are, to reach out and to stay connected, supporting both members and the community through technology and instruction.

We learned to get creative, to navigate digital workouts and video-conferenced group training, to meet in outdoor spaces and to use the space of our large health clubs to spread out. We learned that exercise done throughout the day can do wonders for a body that has suddenly been planted in front of a computer screen for nearly every task. Most importantly, we learned that while technology can deliver an endless stream of guidance and instruction to our devices, we still need the connection, camaraderie, and accountability that our fitness community provides.

People deal with change differently. Many resist it, a few embrace it. When change comes from the outside, when it is not something we seek out or choose, it is easy to feel out of control. Moving into the new year, we have the opportunity to start anew, to become who and what we want to become, to change what we can.

While we often cannot change what happens around us or even to us, we can change our habits,

photo: REBECCA ANN PHOTOGRAPHY

our lifestyles, and our attitudes. We can change our minds, and yes, we can change our bodies.

Any coach will tell you if you want to become stronger then you must increase weight load, increase resistance, apply pressure. In doing so, the muscle creates microtears so it can grow, so it can get bigger, get stronger. Yes, it is painful, but it is necessary for growth. And so it is with life.

January-February 2021 59

Flourishes 1

2

3

4

5

6

1. Bevolo Modernist Collection. Copper, $475-$975; stainless steel, $675-$1,275.

Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, Mandeville, 249-640. 2. Lazuli Stones scented candle in marbled glass with intense blue effects. The Lifestyle Store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0020. 3. Terracotta Designs Ricarda 6-light chandelier. Southland Plumbing & Supply, Mandeville, 893-8883. 4. Set of 4 royalty wine glasses, $68. deCoeur Gifts & Home Accessories, 809-3244. 5. Seasonal arrangements, starting at $65. Florist of Covington, Covington, 892-7701. 6. Geography-inspired 24 oz. stainless steel tumblers, $39. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008. 7. Tulipe Dans Un Pot 7 60

Inside Northside

Confit, 16”x16” pastel on archival paper, $1,850. Marcia Holmes, marciaholmes.com.

January-February 2021 61

Flourishes

1

2

1. Exclusive White Artichoke Footed Planter, $134; boxwood sold separately.

Bliss Clothing & Home, Mandeville, 7782252; Covington, 276-4609. 2. Stunning Church Hill Collection 33” tall lantern available in electric or gas. Available in 3 sizes 28”, 33” and 36”, from $598.

Shown here with optional Top Scroll and Bottom Farm House Hook. Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-910-3275, 3

gulfcoastlanterns.com. 3. 32”x63” wall tarp, $95. Mélange by kp, Mandeville.

4. Hand-carved Javanese wooden finial, $410. Greige Home Interiors, 875-7576.

5. Nativis, resin and Caribbean sea glass on canvas, 24x36, $1,250. Virginia Sibley, VS@bombshellartist.com.

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5

INside Look 1

2

1. White gold emerald and diamond ring, $24,700. Lee Michaels Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 2. 16” monogram necklace on small curb chain, $40. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 3. Orb crystal candlesticks; 25”, $135; 29”, $165. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045.

4. Sparkle City tee design exclusive to Olive Patch. Available in youth XXXS-adult medium, $58. Olive Patch, Covington, 327-

3

5772. 5. Step out in style with these pointytoe, chunky-heel multicolored snakeskin booties; other styles available, $69. J Ashley Boutique, Mandeville, 778-0965.

4

5 January-February 2021 63

INside Look

3

1 2

4

5 1. White gold, ruby and diamond earrings, $40,500. Lee Michaels Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 2. One-of-a kind purses made from 100% recycled military tents; variety of images and sizes. Redoux Home Market, Mandeville, 674-8811. 3. Red sequined, short-sleeve top, $50. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789 & 809-1690. 4. Magenta V-neck dress by Iris Setlakwe. Pagoda Maltese cross necklace of ruby, pink corundum and emeralds. Ballin’s LTD, Covington, 892-0025. 5. Popular 18” 14kt gold paperclip necklace and bracelet; necklace, $1,295; bracelet, $625. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts, Covington, 892-2317. 6. Florsheim brown leather men’s shoes, $100. Chiffarobe, Franklinton, 207-2200. 7. Haba Princess Rosalina play tent, $99.99. KiKi & Lolli, Covington, 900-2410.

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January-February 2021 65

R E A L

E S T A T E

P R O F I L E with our eyes on the prize will enable us to jointly continue on toward the finish line. We recognize that any undertaking in life and work can be successful if we continue to look ahead and work together, without the need to be adversarial. No one has to lose in order for someone to win.

Third, we all have a role to play. No one has it all or can do it all, no matter how gifted or talented they may be. If we can try and remember that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, we will gladly take our rightful place in any situation and enjoy the journey.

photo: NOEL MARCANTEL

It would be nice if I could “sugar” this up and

Beverly Hobbs Shea, Realtor HIGH ROAD PROPERTIES, INC.

Recently, I sold Rick and Lori Murphy’s home

end by saying this is why I became a Realtor so long ago, but that wouldn’t be accurate. The truth is that I’m not a salesperson at all—I’m a businessperson who sells. Actually I trade—my time, knowledge, service, commitment and network of like-minded professionals who, like me, have rewarding careers and jobs that enhance their daily purpose.

Personally speaking, I’ve been walking the

and anticipate a new adventure, eagerly taking it all

winding path of change. As I transition from one

on Cherokee Lane in Covington. Most of IN’s

in and avoiding both preconceived suspicions and

stage to another in this life and career, I accept both

readers will remember Lori’s words about change,

“what ifs.” We need to set aside any negative filters

invited and uninvited opportunities, accomplishing

letting go of a place they’d lived in for 20 years,

in order to absorb the air of possibility.

through alteration, flexibility and movement from

and how time always brings new opportunities

Second, if we “trust the process” it will unfold

success toward significance. Never have I enjoyed

if we’re willing to make room for them. The

in due time; this is not to say that there won’t be

the journey more. Time always brings opportunities

house and grounds couldn’t have gone to a more

challenges and hurdles, but always looking ahead

if we’re willing to make room for them.

perfect new family, and though there were the customary matters to deal with, the spirit of fairness and sharing an adventure was contagious and enveloped each and every one of us caught up in its embrace. With the exception of my own sale a few years back to another special buyer, this was undoubtedly the most pleasant “deal” I’ve ever done. And it reminded me of several things that I found worth sharing.

First, things really do work out as they are meant to be when we leave our angst at the door

Beverly Hobbs Shea, Realtor, and High Road Properties are located at 224 Rue Chantilly, Covington. (504) 669-8826 bev@BeverlyHobbsShea.com 66

Inside Northside

Vintage greeting cards make great flourishes to treasured framed photos. These Depression-era St. Valentine’s Day cards were exchanged by my grandmother Shirley (whose birthday was Feb. 14th) and her siblings.

by Hilary Creamer A PERFECT DAY FOR ME starts with popping into a local bakery for a coffee and croissant and spending some time hunting. Not for deer, duck or some exotic large game, but for unique places with vintage items that have a story to tell. This is treasure hunting, and it’s open season on the northshore.

Treasure hunting is not quick-stop, hurried shopping.

You want to go slow. Look at everything. Absorb the history.

Be comforted by nostalgia. Breathe. Flip through old hardbound books and read the names of the previous owners written in pencil on the inside cover. Open a vintage train case and ponder the places it has been. Pick up a Pyrex dish and imagine the recipes made in it. Dishware is one of my prized hunting trophies, especially Pyrex. (“Balloons” and “Friendship” are my favorite patterns. What are yours?)

There is a story in every item. And when you find your treasure, you become a part of its story.

We may be putting off vacation plans due to the pandemic, but we can take a trip through time just by visiting our local antique shops. They don’t just house treasures, they ARE a treasure. Shop small. Shop local. Shop often.

Happy Hunting!

♥︎ Hilary

If you are a fellow treasure hunter, I would love to know what trophies you prize the most—vintage sewing patterns or clothing, antique signs, or tools, art, furniture, etc. And if you enjoyed this hunt and want to see more, let me know at hilary@insidepub.com.

Clayton House Marketplace 1600 Collins Blvd., Covington. 985-892-6368 claytonhousemarketplace.com Clayton House Marketplace is the home of 80+ small businesses in one convenient retail location. Their store is over 30,000 square feet and contains everything from locally crafted furniture, artwork, and gifts, to one-of-a-kind collectables and furniture.

C.J.’s Antiques & Collectibles, 160 SE Railroad Ave., Ponchatoula.

985-386-0026 cjsantiques.com Step back in time and experience a vast and everchanging inventory of vintage items, collectibles, antiques, and so much more. Since relocating to Ponchatoula in 1993, we’ve built a reputation for our exceptional curation of one-of-a-kind items. Bring your friends and family, -- our 15,000 square-foot space has something for everyone.

Trail’s End Antiques 157 East Pine Street, Ponchatoula. 985-386-5776 trailsendantiquesla.com Trail’s End Antiques has been in business since July of 1997. They have a wide variety of items to suit most anyone’s taste. Here you will find a wide array of glassware, furniture, cast iron skillets, pots, and much more! Looking for something fun?

Check out their collection of man toys, old gas pumps, porcelain signs, and more.

January-February 2021 67

Generous Hearts

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

Redefining Engagement “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

are facing many of the same issues, with changes in how to deliver their critical programs and, just as importantly, how to raise the money to fund them.

With revenue-generating events being cancelled and in-person interaction with donors gone, there is a direct short-term threat to our critical nonprofit sector if they do not evolve.

Truth be told, it’s not unique to the northshore.

Conversations about nonprofit sustainability have, in some instances, turned into conversations about survivability. However, nonprofit work is essential in this country, making up 10 percent of the workforce, and the third-largest workforce in the United States. That’s millions of people striving to provide the critical services needed by our most underserved populations. But no matter how noble the cause, a nonprofit is still a business, with operational costs, budgets and real people that are affected by shifting public health, economic, environmental and social climates.

Harsh Realities and Brilliant Pivots SCHOOLS CLOSED. Events canceled. Stay at home. Meetings postponed. Keep your distance.

Avoid contact. No parties. No touching. 2020 has left us in a new reality, not the least of which is a digital connectedness that is serving as a bridge over the social and physical isolation of the last several months.

On the bright side, whether through online education, e-commerce, video work meetings, social media interaction, email or texts, digital communication is allowing newfound connections and engagement—although slightly less warm. This unexpected pivot has been a challenge for many businesses that rely on face-to-face interaction to get their work done. Similarly, our local nonprofits 68

Inside Northside

In June, a Johns Hopkins study indicated that the nonprofit sector had faced sweeping layoffs— to the tune of 1.6 million workers in the three months leading up to May of this year. Closures and social distancing measures have wiped out organizations that didn’t have a rainy-day fund or a concrete backup plan. Others are seeing overwhelming requests for assistance from people who need their services more than ever. Many nonprofits are struggling, and in turn, the people who depend on them are, as well. This year may be the perfect storm for the sector, but resilient nonprofits are figuring out ways to regroup and adjust to the short-term and long-term realities facing uncertain futures.

Virtually Possible It is not an easy task for our local nonprofit organizations to navigate through the landscape of the growing needs of their clients while keeping in touch with their ambassadors, members and donors.

Staying electronically engaged is more important today than it ever has been and is also necessary to help these vital organizations emerge as more effective connectors. Because of that, silver linings have appeared all over our region for nonprofits who have had the fortitude to change their fundraising models and quickly embrace the virtual landscape.

One example of this is Family Promise of St. Tammany’s online raffle to help bolster their ongoing capital campaign. In a non-Covid year, Family Promise would have held a Celebrity Dinner fundraiser, which according to Executive Director David Horchar, is really more of a “friend-raising” event and not so much a large money earner, garnering less than $5,000 profit annually. This year, due to restrictions, they took a chance on an online raffle with prizes being drawn daily and a grand prize of $10,000. “We never would have attempted an event like this before Covid,” says Horchar. “We had to come up with something virtual. This idea seemed like a good fit, and luckily, it was. We took a risk with the grand prize award, but it paid off. We raised $37,000 selling $25 raffle tickets, and we will definitely do it again next year even bigger!”

The NAMIWalks event, which is a major fundraiser for the local organization, was scheduled for May but postponed to October to hopefully hold an in-person event. “Then, with several hurricanes headed for us, one right after the other, we had to go entirely virtual,” says NAMI St. Tammany Executive Director Nick Richard. “Because of the incredible generosity of the community that we live in, we exceeded our $115,000 goal this year and raised nearly $130,000, which was in the top 5 percent of all of the NAMI affiliates nationwide. To put that amount into perspective, we raised $111,000 last year for the in-person walking event.”

Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s Art of Hope Virtual Auction held in early November was a new event this year, the online auction having split off from other events that they had previously held.

The concept was that they paired 10 cancer patients with 10 local artists to help translate the story of the patient into a piece of art, which was then auctioned off. According to Director of Development Erica Kelt, of Mary Bird in Covington, the event created some “wins” that they never expected. “By having the auction online, it enabled so many more people to participate who would not have come to an in-person event. The mission-focused auction helped to get the word out about all that Mary Bird does for cancer patients in our area. While we fell slightly short of our $10,000 goal, the connections that we made will open the door for other opportunities down the road.”

The old saying of “absence makes the heart grow fonder” has certainly rung true in 2020. As we evolve into the new year, we value personal interaction and crave meaningful engagement more than ever. And our smart, local nonprofit sector is taking those lessons and transforming their organizations to better serve and better deliver for those that need it the most.

January-February 2021 69

A N D

M A R R I A G E photo: GREER GATTUSO

Lassus-Hodnett

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L O V E

The wedding of Emily Carol Lassus and Bryan Adam Hodnett was celebrated at St. Stephen’s Church in New Orleans. The ceremony was officiated by Father Doug Busch of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Mandeville; Pastor Josh Jordan of First Baptist Church of Covington, where Emily grew up, also participated. The song selections and readings were chosen by the bride and groom, and music was provided by an organist, trumpeter, and three vocalists throughout the ceremony.

The bride wore a Maggie Sottero design from Town & Country Bridal.

The line gown with a beaded bodice highlighting a plunging sweetheart neckline and square back atop an ivory satin skirt was complemented by her cathedral-style veil scattered with freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals.

The six bridesmaids wore one-shoulder, spaghetti-strap dresses in navy crepe by Amsale, and the groom and groomsmen wore Black Vera Wang tuxedos. Included in the bridal party were the bride’s grandparents, who also walked down the aisle.

The bride’s loose and organic bouquet incorporated a variety of roses and foliage by Kim Starr Wise. It was finished with ivory satin ribbon and a wedding bell necklace from her grandmother. The bridesmaids carried a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet.

A small, intimate dinner was held after the ceremony for the bridal party and immediate family at The Southern Hotel in Covington. Flowers and candles on the tables, gold accents and photos complemented the elegant Camellia Ballroom. The menu by Oxlot 9 offered chicken and sausage gumbo and a choice of grilled beef filet or seared Gulf fish. The three-tier traditional wedding cake featured ribbon and pearl detail and cascading ivory and white flowers by Kim Starr Wise. The formal reception, with entertainment by the Bucktown Allstar, has been postponed until July 31, 2021, and will be held at the hotel as well.

Wedding planner Elyse Jennings and her team coordinated the perfect day, which was videoed by Montoto Productions.

The couple honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and returned to their home in Madisonville. They plan a trip to Greece, their original destination, for their one-year anniversary after the July reception.

January-February 2021 71

M A R R I A G E I N

L O V E

The wedding of Megan Elizabeth Meyer and Michael Lawrence, officiated by Pastor Ken Shroeder, took place under a beautiful gazebo in the Greystone’s courtyard and gardens in Mandeville. A fireworks display by Geaux Pyr followed their vows.

The bride’s Paloma Blanca dress from Town and Country featured a beaded French Alençon lace bodice, a Mokuba ribbon at the waist and a multilayered skirt.

She wore both a long and a shorter veil. Her bouquet and those of her bridesmaids, featuring a variety of roses and eucalyptus, were from Beth’s Flowers in Metairie, which provided all of the flowers for the ceremony and reception.

Among the friends and family members who attended the bride and groom were junior bridesmaid Emma Lawrence, flower girls Eleanor and Charlotte Meyer and ring bearers Paul and Pierce Frichter.

For the reception, guests moved into the indoor hall, where tables were decorated with lanterns, candle clusters and greenery. All enjoyed the delicious food catered by Keith Young. The five-tier wedding cake, which had fresh flowers cascading down, was from Giovanna’s Bakery in Covington, as was the groom’s cake. Adding to the evening’s enjoyment, which was captured on video by Ogborn Films, was music from Rock It Productions.

Wedding favor cookies were provided by Kristen Fuller.

The couple’s original honeymoon plan was a two-week trip to New Zealand. That plan and their second choice of Santa Fe, New Mexico, were cancelled because of the pandemic. Megan and Michael ended up going to Florida to the beach, then to Disneyworld, then to Universal and on to Busch Gardens. They returned home to The Woodlands, Texas, where Megan is a registered nurse at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston and Michael is a mechanical engineer with TC Energy in Houston.

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photo: MCKENZIE BIGLIAZZI www.mckenziebigliazzi.com

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Meyer-Lawrence

January-February 2021 73

IN Great Taste

by Yvette Zuniga Jemison

Old-Fashioned Comfort Cakes Old-Fashioned Vanilla Cake Servings: 12-16 3 cups granulated sugar 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup shortening 1/4 cup honey 5 large eggs 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon table salt 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1¼ cups whole milk Special equipment: 12-cup Bundt pan, nonstick spray with flour

THERE’S NOSTALGIA ASSOCIATED with an old-fashioned vanilla cake. It’s vanilla-scented comfort food that evokes wonderful childhood memories of birthday cakes and buttercream-topped cupcakes. The cake in Bundt form is also a beautiful thing. You can enjoy a slice with a morning cup of coffee or dress it up for an easy-to-construct dessert. Try adding cocoa powder to half of the batter for a tender swirl of fudgy chocolate cake. The marbled cake is also a beloved treat that is so luscious it can be served on its own or with a simple dusting of powdered sugar. As winter continues to keep us in a baking mood, dust off your Bundt pan and try one of these recipes.

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1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour.

2. Cream together the sugar, butter, shortening and honey in a large mixing bowl using a mixer on medium-high speed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.

3. Add baking powder and salt and blend until combined.

4. Slowly add half of the flour with the mixer on low speed, alternating with half of the milk until well blended.

5. Scrape batter into prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.

6. Cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Invert cake onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Marbled Cake Servings: 12-16 1 recipe Old-Fashioned Vanilla Cake 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted Special equipment: 12-cup Bundt pan, photo: YVETTE JEMISON

nonstick spray with flour

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray Bundt pan with nonstick spray with flour.

2. Prepare the recipe for the Old-

Fashioned Vanilla Cake.

3. Reserved half of the batter, about 4 cups. Add the cocoa powder to half of the batter and blend until well combined.

4. Scoop the batters into the prepared pan, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating vanilla and chocolate.

5. Gently swirl a butter knife through the batter, working around the pan. Bake until tester inserted into

center comes out clean, 55-60 minutes.

6. Cool in pan for 30 minutes.

Invert cake onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

We’d like to see how you liven up a slice, so share your creation by tagging us on Instagram at @InsideNorthside and @y_delicacies. For more recipes, go to YDelicacies.com or follow on Instagram at @y_delicacies.

January-February 2021 75

Haute Plates

Ceasar’s

408 N. CAUSEWAY BLVD.

MANDEVILLE • 951-2626

CEASARSRISTORANTE.NET Located just off the Causeway, Ceasar’s offers an Italian classic and

A selection of restaurants and haute dishes found around the northshore and beyond.

Creole Tomateaux

Desi Vega’s Steakhouse

Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar

MANDEVILLE • 951-2650

COVINGTON • 276-4994

MANDEVILLE • 778-2176

1851 FLORIDA ST.

1950 HWY 190

CREOLETOMATEAUX.COM

DESIVEGASNORTHSHORE.COM

There’s nothing better than

Our USDA Prime steaks are

2891 HIGHWAY 190 FELIXS.COM

Felix’s has been dedicated to

contemporary menu, plus dishes

enjoying a down home meal in a laid

carefully selected, hand-cut and aged for

absolute freshness for our entire 70+

from European recipes. Everything

back atmosphere. From fresh fried

tenderness, then seared to perfection

years. With our always-changing

made to order from scratch. Featuring

seafood, to our famous Fried Green

and served on a sizzling plate. Start

daily specials and the widest variety

dishes that are meant to be shared.

Tomateauxs, to overstuffed Po-boys, to

your meal off with appetizers such as

of preparations anywhere, you’ll

Available for parties and private

appetizers, desserts, and everything in

fried green tomatoes, turtle soup or

always discover something new.

events.

between, we have a little something for

bacon-wrapped gulf shrimp stuffed with

And you will always be enjoying the

everyone. Catering available.

crab-meat.

freshest oysters.

La Carreta MANDEVILLE,

Nothing Bundt Cakes

1248 N. COLLINS BLVD.

COVINGTON • 888-6555

STE 400, COVINGTON

COVINGTON,

1111 GREENGATE DR. #D

AND PONCHATOULA

NOTHINGBUNDTCAKES.COM

HAMMOND

CARRETARESTAURANT.COM Celebrating over 20 years of fresh

Our goal is to bake a cake that

Pat’s Seafood AND 70456 LA #21,

892-7287 • 892-7287

Fresh local seafood and a large

Peace, Love, & Little Donuts

70493 LA-21, STE. 100

COVINGTON • 400-9780 PEACELOVEANDLITTLEDONUTS.COM Great place for friends or

not only reminds you of home but also

offering of deli to-go items, such as

family to gather in the morning or

food in a fun and festive atmosphere, La

opens you to a new world. And while

boiled crawfish, gumbo, crawfish pie,

afternoon. Enjoy over 60 flavors of

Carreta offers authentic Mexican cuisine

that’s no easy request, the handcrafted

corn and crab bisque, crabmeat au

donuts, coffee, juice and a variety of

at several locations across Southeast

recipes are more than up to the task.

gratin and po-boys. On-site catering

other drink choices. The atmosphere

Louisiana. Daily lunch specials, fiesta

Each recipe uses the finest ingredients

available.

will leave you feeling like a hippie in

time daily and family friendly.

to bring you Bundt Cake perfection.

76

Inside Northside

the ‘70s.

Gallagher’s Grill 2306 FRONT ST, SLIDELL

Half Shell Oyster House

509 S. TYLER ST, COVINGTON

COVINGTON • 276-4500

326-8350 892-9992

GALLAGHERSGRILL.COM Award-winning entrées featuring

70367 HWY 21

HALFSHELLOYSTERHOUSE.COM Local Gulf oysters and a variety of Gulf Coast seafood with a New

sizzling steaks, pork chops, and the best

Orleans flair and influence that

seafood Louisiana has to offer. Whether

extends throughout our ambience

you’re looking for fine dining in a

and menu. Steaks, chicken, pasta and

comfortable setting, or a lunch that’s a cut

so much more. Lunch, dinner, daily

above the rest, we specialize in creating

happy hour, Sunday brunch.

the perfect experience for your needs.

Salty Joe’s

43344 S. RANGE RD.

HAMMOND • 956-7099 SALTYJOESBBQ.COM At our one-of-a-kind dining

Tchenfuncte’s

407 ST. TAMMANY ST.

MADISONVILLE • 323-4800 TCHEFUNCTES.COM

Overlooking the river, Tchefuncte’s

destination, dishes are made with the

celebrates the highlights of the season,

best local ingredients from the land to

rooted in classic Southern cuisine.

the sea. Pecan wood in the smoker gives

Executive Chef Michael Gottlieb sought

slow-smoked meats the intricate flavors

the world’s best ingredients and found

of BBQ that you love. If it’s fire-touched

most in the Northshore area. Tchefuncte’s

flavors you crave, enjoy our grilled

partners with community purveyors for

meats, burgers, and fresh seafood.

the best seafood, meats and produce.

January-February 2021 77

New Orleans and the northshore are home to more great restaurants than we could hope to list here. For a comprehensive listing of restaurants in the New Orleans metro area, please refer to Tom Fitzmorris’ nomenu.com.

In this guide, you will find some of the best bets around town. Tom’s fleur de lis ratings are shown.

Bear’s Restaurant aa Po-boys, 128 W. 21st St., Covington, 892-2373 Beck ‘n’ Call Cafe 534 N. New Hampshire, Covington, 875-9390 Blind Tiger 19124 Rogers Ln., 9002443 Bud’s Broiler aa Hamburgers, 1250 N. US 190, Covington, 985-803-8368 Buster’s Place aa 519 E. Boston St., Covington, 809-3880. Seafood,

ABITA SPRINGS Abita Brew Pub a 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs, 892-5837 Abita Springs Café aa 22132 Level St., Abita Springs, 400-5025 Camellia Café Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine, 69455 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-6313 Mama D’s Pizza & More aa 22054 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-0308

po-boys, steaks. Open seven days a week. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 70380 LA Hwy. 21, Covington, 871-6674 CC’s Coffee House Coffee and pastries, 1331 N Hwy 190., Covington, 900-2241 The Chimes aaa Cajun, 19130 W. Front St., Covington, 892-5396 Coffee Rani aa Soup and salad, 234-A Lee Ln., Covington, 893-

COVINGTON Abita Roasting Company 1011 Village Walk, Covington, 246-3345 Albasha aa Mediterranean, 1958 Hwy. 190, Covington, 867-8292 Annadele’s Plantation aaaa 71518 Chestnut St., Covington, 809-7669 Apres Lounge 1950 N Highway 190, Covington, 276-4994 Barrel Wine Bar Wine, small plates and more, 6x9305 LA 21, Ste. E, Covington, 272-8485

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6158 Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill aa 434 N. Columbia St., Covington, 898-0899 Copeland’s aa Creole, 680 N. US 190, Covington, 809-9659 Dakota aaaa Contemporary Creole, 629 N. US 190, Covington, 8923712 Desi Vega’s Steakhouse1950 N Highway 190, Covington, 276-4994 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 69292 Hwy. 21, Covington, 871-2225

DiCristina’s aaa Italian, 810 N. Columbia St., Covington, 875-0160 DiMartino’s aaa 700 S. Tyler St., Covington, 276-6460 Don’s Seafood Hut aa 126 Lake Dr., Covington, 327-7111 The English Tea Room aaa 734 Rutland St., Covington, 898-3988 Fat Spoon Café aa 2807 N Highway 190., Covington, 893-5111 Gallagher’s Grill aaaa Contemporary Creole, 509 S. Tyler St., Covington, 892-9992 Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food 200 River Highlands Blvd., Covington, 327-7420 Habanero’s 69305 Highway 21, Ste.

Meribo Modern Italian, 326 Lee Ln, Covington, 327-5407 Mugshots Grill & Bar 300 River Highlands Blvd., Covington, 893-2422 New Orleans Food & Spiritsaaa Seafood, 208 Lee Lane, Covington, 875-0432 New Orleans Style Seafood Restaurant & Market Seafood platters, gumbo, burgers and more! 1536 N Highway 190, Covington, 888-1770 Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Cafè 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, Covington, 893-1488 Outback Steakhouse aa Australianthemed cuisine. 60 Park Place Dr.,

600, Covington, 871-9760

Covington, 893-0505. MCC.

1331 N Hwy 190, Ste. 100,

Ox Lot 9 aaa Contemporary, 428 E

Covington, 900-2124 Half Shell Oyster House 70367 Hwy 21, Ste 100, Covington, 276-4500 La Carreta aaa Mexican, 812 Hyw 190, Covington, 400-5202 La Casa de Sabores 324 East Boston St, Covington, 900-2297 Lola aaa 517 N. New Hampshire St., Covington, 892-4992 Mattina Bella aaa Breakfast, 421 E. Gibson St., Covington, 892-0708 McAlister’s Deli 206 Lake Dr., Ste. 15, Covington, 898-2800 Megumi of Covington aaa 1211 Village Walk, Covington, 893-0406

Boston St., Covington, 400-5663 Pat’s Seafood 1248 N. Collins Blvd. and 70456 LA #21, Ste 400, Covington, 892-7287 Peace, Love & Little Donuts 70493 Highway 21, Ste 100, Covington, 400-9780 Pot & Paddle 70493 Hwy 21 Stuite 800, Covington, 234-9940 Pyre 70437 LA-21, Suite 100, Covington, 888 -6129 PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co. 70456 Hwy. 21, Covington, 875-7894 Pizza Man of Covington aaa 1248 N. Collins Blvd., Covington, 892-9874

i Raising Canes 1270 N. Hwy. 190, Covington, 809-0250 Ristorante Del Porto aaaa Italian, 501 E. Boston St., Covington,

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Orlando’s Seafood, 304 Hwy. 22 West, Madisonville, 845-4446 Tchefuncté Restaurant 407 St Tammany St, Madisonville, 323-4800

875-1006 Sweet Daddy’s 420 S. Tyler St., Covington, 898-2166 TCBY 70488 Hwy 21, Covington,

MANDEVILLE The Barley Oak Serving 130 styles of beer, 2101 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville, 727-7420

892-9000 Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys a 515 E. Boston St., Covington, 893-

Beach House Neighborhood Cafe, 124 Girod, Mandeville, 624-9331 Bistro Byronz aa American, 1901

9336 Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar aaa 323 N. New Hampshire St., Covington, 8093840. MCC. Zea aaa American, 110 Lake Dr., Covington, 327-0520

Highway 190, Mandeville, 9517595 Bosco’s Italian Café aaa 2040 Hwy. 59, Mandeville, 624-5066 Café Lynn aaaa Contemporary Creole, 2600 Florida St., Mandeville, 624-9007

HAMMOND Brady’s 110 SW Railroad Ave., Hammond, 542-6333.

Don’s Seafood & Steak House 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., Hammond, 345-8550 Jacmel Inn aaaa 903 E. Morris St., Hammond, 542-0043 Kirin Sushi 223 S. Cate St., Hammond, 542-8888 La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine 108 N.W Railroad Ave., Hammond, 419-9990 One Thirteen Restaurant New American cuisine, 113 N Oak St, Hammond, 402-3481 Salty Joe’s BBQ 43344 S. Range Rd, Hammond, 956-7099 Si Senor 1905 W Thomas St, Hammond, 393-0090 Streetside Market 201 W Thomas St, Hammond, 318-7370 Tommy’s on Thomas Pizza, 216 W. Thomas St. Hammond, Tope là Contemporary delights, 104 N. Cate St., Hammond, 542-7600 Yellow Bird Café 222 E. Charles St., Hammond, 345-1112 LACOMBE Sal and Judy’s aaaa Italian, 27491 Highway 190, Lacombe, 882-9443 MADISONVILLE Abita Roasting Company 504 Water St., Madisonville, 246-3340 The Anchor 407 St Tammany St, Madisonville, 323-4800 Keith Young’s Steak House aaaa

Ceasar’s Ristorante aa Authenic Italian cuisine, 408 N Causeway Blvd, 951-2626 Coffee Rani aa Soup and salad, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-0560 Coscino’s Pizza aa Italian, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 727-4984 Creole Tomateaux Authentic Creole Cuisine, 1851 Florida St., 9512650 Daisey Dukes 1200 W. Causeway Approach, Ste 13, 951-2140 El Paso Mexican Grill 3410 US 190, 624-2345 Fat Spoon Café aa 68480 Hwy. 59., 809-2929.

Fazzio’saa Italian,1841 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 624-9704 Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar 2891 Highway 190, Suite D. Mandeville, 778.2176 Franco’s Grill Fresh organic foods, 100 Bon Temps Roule, 792-0200 George’s aaa Mexican, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 6264342 Girod Street Market and Deli Private Chef/Catering available. 528 Girod St., Mandeville, 985-629-4260 Gio’s Villa Vancheri aaa 690 Lafitte St., 624-2597 La Carreta aaa Mexican, 1200 W. Causeway Approach, Mandeville, 624-2990 La Madeleine aa French, 3434 US 190, 626-7004 The Lakehouse aaa Contemporary Creole, 2025 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville, 626-3006

Steak, 165 LA 21, Madisonville,

LaLou Breakfast, 200 Girod St., 231-7125

845-9940

Leonardo’s Trattoria & Pizzeria

Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar aa 702 Water St., Madisonville, 845-4970

Authentic Sicilian dishes, 2625 Florida St, 788-2550 Little Tokyo aaa Japanese, 590

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g Asbury Dr., 504-727-1532 Liz’s Where Y’At Diner aaa 2500 Florida, 626-8477 Mande’s 340 N. Causeway App., 626-9047 Mandina’s aaa Italian, Seafood, 4240 La 22, Mandeville, 674-9883 Nuvolari’s aaaa Creole Italian, 246 Girod St., Mandeville, 626-5619 The Old Rail Brewing Company a Homemade American cuisine, 639 Girod St., Mandeville, 612-1828 Pardo’s aaaaa Contemporary Creole, 5280 LA-22, Mandeville, 893-3603 Pat Gallagher’s 527 Restaurant and Bar aaaa 527 N. Causeway Blvd, Mandeville, 778-2820

9254 Impastato’s aaaa Creole Italian, 3400 16th St., Metairie, 504455-1545 Legacy Kitchen aa American. 759 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-309-5231 Riccobono’s Peppermill aaa Creole Italian, 3524 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-455-2266 Ruth’s Chris Steak House aaaa Steak, 3633 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-888-3600 Shogun aaaa Japanese, 2325 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-8337477 Vincent’s aaaa Creole Italian, 4411 Chastant St., Metairie, 504-885-2984

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co. 2963 Hwy. 190, Mandeville, 674-1565 Poke Loa Louisiana’s freshest poke bowls, 1810 N Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 778-0444 Pontchartrain Po-Boys aaa 318 Dalwill Dr., Mandeville, 626-8188

PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant 30160 Hwy. 51, Ponchatoula, 386-6666 La Carreta aaa Mexican, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., Ponchatoula, 370-0930

Raising Canes 3801 Hwy. 22, Mandeville, 674-2042 Rip’s on the Lake aa 1917 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville, 7272829 Rob’s Rockin’ Dogs 2890 E Causeway Approach, Ste B, Mandeville, 231-7688 Rusty Pelican aa 500 Girod St., Mandeville, 778-0364 Times Grill a 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 626-1161 Trey Yuen Cuisine of China aaa Quality China cuisine with Louisiana flair, 600 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 626-4476

SLIDELL A Touch of Italy Café 134 Pennsylvania Ave., Slidell, 6390600 Assunta’s aaa Italian, 2631 Covington Hwy., Slidell, 649-9768 Blue House Grill Sandwiches, 2170 Gause Blvd W., Slidell, 288-5544 Cafe Luke Breakfast and brunch favorites plus Dinner Theatre, 153 Robert St., Slidell, 707-1597 Camellia Cafe aaa 525 Hwy. 190, Slidell, 649-6211.

Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 1340 Lindberg Dr., Slidell, 847-0020 Copeland’s aa Creole, 1337 Gause

METAIRIE Acme Oyster House aaa Seafood, 3000 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504309-4056 Andrea’s aaa Italian, 3100 19th St., Metairie, 504-834-8583 Andy’s Bistro aaa American, 3322 N. Turnbull Dr., Metairie, 504-4557363 Austin’s aaaa Creole, 5101 West Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504888-5533 Caffe! Caffe! aa Breakfast, 4301 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, 504885-4845; 3547 N. Hullen., Metairie, 504-267-9190 Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 2320 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504837-6696; 1821 Hickory Ave., Harahan, 504-305-4833 Drago’s aaaa Seafood, 3232 N. Arnoult Rd., Metairie, 504-888-

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Blvd., Slidell, 643-0001 El Paso Mexican Grill 1100 Robert Blvd., Slidell, 445-1450 Gallagher’s on Front Street 2306 Front St., Slidell, 326-8350 Nathan’s aaaa Contemporary Creole, 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Rd., Slidell, 643-0443 Palmettos on the Bayou aa 1901 Bayou Ln., Slidell, 643-0050 Peck’s Seafood Restaurant 2315 Gause Blvd. E., Slidell, 781-7272 Speckled T’s Seafood, 158 S Military Rd., Slidell, 646-1728 The Blind Tiger Slidell 37330 Lakeshore Marina Dr., Slidell, 707-1082 Times Grill 1827 Front St., Slidell, 639-3335 Vera’s aaa Seafood, 2020 Gause Blvd W., Slidell, 690-9814 Zea aaa American, 173 Northshore Blvd., Slidell, 327-0520

Last Bite

Peace Love & Little Donuts

HAVE YOU TRIED the newest spot to score mini donuts? Peace Love & Little Donuts offers a 1960s-’70s experience, with a wide variety of mini cake donuts under sub-categories like disco dozens, far out and groovy.

This is not your typical glazed donut. The staff works hard to make sure every bite tastes fresh, with a subtle flavor of frostings and a crazy selection of Funkadelic toppings; no one flavor overwhelms the others. You can customize the tiny cake donuts with options that include gluten free and a variety of personalized toppings.

Whether in need of a quick donut and cup of coffee, an after-school or work snack or treats for a special event, this new donut shop is all about a delicious, fun and shareable donut experience.

Peace Love & Little Donuts is located at 70493 Hwy. 21 just behind the Shell Station. Stop in to try it for yourself.

January-February 2021 81

Last Look

by John Snell

A festive sailboat captured by FOX 8’s John Snell.

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