The Jambalaya News - 03/21/13, Vol. 4, No. 25

VOL. 4, NO. 25 / MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 2

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

GENERAL 715 Kirby St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-436-7800 Fax: 337-990-0262 www.thejambalayanews.com PUBLISHER Phil de Albuquerque publisher@thejambalayanews.com

NEWS EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lauren de Albuquerque lauren@thejambalayanews.com

CONTRIBUTORS Nicole Shuff Arabie Rhonda Babin Leslie Berman George Cline Angie Kay Dilmore Julie Fay Monica Hebert Mike Louviere Mike McHugh Mary Louise Ruehr Brandon Shoumaker Karla Tullos ADVERTISING sales@thejambalayanews.com

SALES ASSOCIATES Michele Clack Faye Drake Allen Garber GRAPHICS ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Burn Rourk ART ASSISTANT Sarah Bercier CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Danley Romero BUSINESS OFFICE MANAGER Kay Andrews Legal Disclaimer The views expressed by The Jambalaya News columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Jambalaya News, its editors or staff.

The Jambalaya News is solely owned, published by The Jambalaya News, LLC, 715 Kirby Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 436-7800. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. The Jambalaya News cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a selfaddressed envelope. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Copyright 2013 The Jambalaya News all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

contents COVER STORY 23 Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc.

On Cover: Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. Eighty Years of Community Impact

March 21, 2013 • Volume 4 • Issue 25

5

REGULARS 6 Adoption Corner 7 The Boiling Pot 8 Hospital Round-Up 9 Soul Matters 10 The Dang Yankee 11 Tips from Tip 28 Sports Report

12

FEATURES 5 Meet Stan Plues, Master Butcher 12 Niblett’s Bluff Park: A Place for Fun--and History 15 What You Need to Know About Kidney Stones 16 Belly Fat in Men 20 It’s Time to Plant Spring Vegetables 21 Keeping Your Children Safe in Your Garden

15 19

ENTERTAINMENT 30 Red Hot Books 32 HeART of SWLA 34 Acting Up! 36 Funbolaya 37 Family Night at the Movies 39 Society Spice 42 Jambalaya Jam 44 Local Jam 46 Eclectic Company 47 Killin’ Time Crossword

23

32 46

30

37 We accept credit cards!

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 3

A Note From Phil Courage I was a shy little boy growing up. I never said much in school unless I was asked a question. I cried when I had to start school.

In kindergarten, I cried when I was chosen to be in a fashion show and I cried when it was time to go on stage. An adult had to walk with me and hold my hand. When I got older, I didn’t stick up for myself when I was teased for being “brown.” I didn’t have much courage. But in the 8th grade, everything was about to change.

When we heard our junior high school was having auditions for The Wizard of Oz, I decided to take a chance and try out, along with my brothers Frank and Chuck. We were all in the choir, so we were good singers.

And we knew how to take direction, thanks to our parents.

I remember the audition well.

They had me read lines for the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion. I saw myself as the

PAGE 4

MARCH 21, 2013

Scarecrow and gave it all I had! I danced around and fell. For the Tin Man, I walked stiff-legged.

For the Lion, I growled and put up my fists as I pretended to be brave. I was exhausted afterwards, but I felt good, knowing that I gave it my best shot.

The next afternoon, Mr. Johnston called in all the students who auditioned. My brothers and I held our breath. First, he told us how intense the rehearsals would be, starting with once, then twice, then three times a week, and eventually, every day as we came closer to the performance dates.

We looked at each other and gave the nod. We were ready.

I don’t remember anything else that day except hearing, “Phil, you will be our Cowardly Lion!”

Then, “Frank, you will be the Tin Man!” Finally, “Chuck, you will be one of the lead munchkins!” I don’t think our feet hit the ground as we all ran home to tell Mom and Dad the news.

They were right. It was a lot of

work memorizing our lines and learning our parts. I was also a paperboy for The Detroit News, so I had to juggle delivering papers, schoolwork and rushing to rehearsals. I made it work.

After hours of practice, rehearsals and costume-fittings, we were all set for our first performance. I felt like a mighty lion, showing my muscles backstage and practicing my roar.

That’s when Glinda, the Good Witch (whom I had a crush on) motioned for me to lean over to her from the stage. That’s when it happened...my first kiss. I’ll never forget it. I was mush. I think my legs even gave out. And everyone was counting on me to enter the stage as a mighty lion. I took a deep breath, stood tall, and jumped on stage with the mightiest growl I ever heard myself make! I did it!

Every show was fantastic. It was a huge success. The director made T-shirts and pins that all our friends and families wore. We

made the newspapers, radio and even local television. Everyone was talking about The Wizard of Oz! And we made it all happen.

Our last performance was bittersweet. That show had been such a big part of our lives; we’d made new friends and encouraged and supported one other.

We learned about teamwork, and being the best we could possibly be. And it ended up having such an influence on all of our lives. It helped me realize that I could be anything that I wanted to be.

Decades later, at one of our class reunions, one of my teachers said, “You sure aren’t lacking courage now, Phil!”

And she is right.

What a life I’ve had. Thanks to that show, and the wonderful teachers who instructed and nurtured us, I know I can be a lion if I want to be. I can be anything.

– Phil de Albuquerque TJN

Volume 4 • Issue 25

by Rhonda Babin “This is my art. This is my world,” said Master Butcher Stan Plues as he gestures to a buffet table at Jag’s, a local bistro. Filled with attractively displayed foods, the garnishments and perfect spheres of stuffed fish are the handiwork of Plues (rhymes with blues) and are just a sampling of his renowned skills that earned him the title of Master Butcher.

According to the World Association of Master Butchers, a person earns the title of master by being an expert or master of their trade.

Becoming a master takes years of apprenticeship at the side of another Master Butcher. In addition, he or she must be able to have the ability to teach others the trade through hands-on application.

Master Butchers have knowledge of domestic and weathered (out in the elements) beasts and birds. They learn about the animals from field to table. No small feat when you think about all that is involved from breeding and conception to having a piece of meat or fowl that is the centerpiece of the meal they are plating.

There are only a handful of Master Butchers left in the world. Plues makes his home in our corner of the globe and happily shared stories of his journey Stan Plues, to mastering the trade that Master became his way of life.

Butcher Plues is a third generation Master Butcher. He learned from his father, who in turn learned from his father.

Born in London in 1940

Volume 4 • Issue 25

to Gladys and Harold Plues (who met in a butcher shop!), Plues’ earliest memories involve World War II. He remembers having a gas mask strapped to his face as protection from mustard gas.

Skip forward a few years and Plues’ memories take a happier turn. As a 9-year-old, much of his time was spent in the family butcher shop. At the age of 11, he was told he would be working at the shop on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. “At that point, I knew I would be a Master Butcher. That is when my training began,” Plues explained. “I had wanted to be an architect, but you take the lot you’re given and be the best you can be.”

Five years of his apprenticeship had him learning about bacteriology and how you age beef properly without refrigeration.

“I didn’t touch the meat for those years while I learned the details about running the butcher shop,” Plues recalled. He remembers going to a business that sold hind quarters. The business had been in operation since 1867 and was the place to go.

“Here in the States, you would go to a barn sale to purchase your animal and then bring it to someone for processing,” he said. “In England, you go to the butcher shop where the Master Butcher has raised it, butchered it, and used every part of the carcass to have things in the shop including steaks, roasts, bacon, and sausages.”

Those early years also helped him learn the skills of bartering with the fish monger, haberdasher and green market vendor. “There weren’t grocery stores, so if you needed a vegetable, you talked to the green marketer. We all traded wares to provide for our tables and customers,” he said.

By his mid-twenties, Plues was running his own butcher shop and had acquired an appreciation for fine dining and wines. His skill and pleasure for combining all elements of a meal led him into the restaurant industry. For 16 years, he ran a restaurant called The Viking on Church Street in London. During this time, Plues also fathered a son, Andrew, who lives in England.

The mastery of his craft, his love of cooking, and the responsibility of having others learn some of what he knew turned him into a world traveler. In his journeys, he learned about the animals, birds, and seafood unique to an area. And he took that knowledge home with him.

“If it has four legs, can fly, or can swim, I can take it and build a plate around the meat,” he said.

Plues fell in love with America on a vacation here in 1976. In 1987, he moved to the States and worked from New York to Miami. “I fell in love with the people in the South and decided to make it my home,” he said.

One particular Southerner, Mamou native Freda Whelan, is loved more than any other. They married in 1997. With a twinkle in his eye, Plues urges his wife to repeat the first thing she said to him when they met.

“I told him to take all his clothes off!” She laughed, explaining that she was working for a local physician as a deep tissue medical massage technician. Plues was there for an appointment to treat his rotator cuff.

Years of working with a hand-saw and knives cutting heavy pieces of

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 5

beef had taken their toll on Plues’ body. “It comes with the trade,” he shrugged.

Plues has seen his beloved art of Master Butchering become a thing of the past in the last two decades. “It really bugs me that the finest breeding stock in the world is bred, fed, fattened, and then vacuum packed and frozen.” He said. “That’s all that’s available. There are zero butchering schools in the United States and only one in Canada. I am fortunate that I got to share my craft with students at Sowela for six years.”

The classes Plues taught include Food & Beverage Service, Meat Fabrication, Garde Manger (decoration), and Basic Baking Fundamentals. There’s a distinct change in his voice when he gets to Regional & International Cuisine.

“Highlights from my teaching career include a project where each student had one of 19 countries assigned to them,” he recalled. “They had to learn about the customs, cuisine, and cooking techniques for their country and then present a meal that included every aspect of the food and beverage industry. The end results were outstanding, and countries as diverse as Madagascar, Argentina, and Iceland were represented.”

Plues left the school when some administrative changes were made and decided to focus on his health. “I had been diagnosed with cancer and it felt like the right time to go,” he said.

Now cancer free, Plues didn’t stay in retirement long. Former student Keith Jagneaux, chef/owner of Jag’s, enlists Master Butcher Plues’ help from time to time. Together, they have put together unique menu choices and a special night of fine dining that has local “foodies” begging for more.

Plues loves imparting his knowledge and will graciously visit with anyone who would like to learn more. “I love wine and fine food,” he said.

“And I love sharing my skills to make every plate something special.” TJN

PAGE 6

MARCH 21, 2013

Meet

Gordy!

“Cuddle Bunny” is what this dashing little man should have been named. He loves to visit in your lap and pass the time away. Gordy appears to be a full-blooded Schnauzer. He was found as a stray and was in need of a trim. Now that he has "cleaned up his act," he is looking for a better life and a new home!

He is good on leash, but a fenced yard is a must. His foster is still getting to know his likes and dislikes, but says he is a great cuddle buddy! He is current on shots, neutered, microchipped and doing well with house training.

We have found out that Gordy has cataracts and this does effect his eyesight, but not his ability to get

around. He has been fully vetted and is ready for his new forever home!

Gordy is not cat or small child tested yet, but seems to be very easygoing and eager to please. Please give him a chance at the life he deserves! If you wish to meet our pets looking for new families, please visit LAPAW at PetSmart on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. If you would like to meet a certain animal, please let us know in advance by emailing us at lawpaw@bellsouth.net or by calling (337) 478-7294. To learn more about LAPAW Rescue, please visit our website at www.lapaw.org. Hurry, Gordy is waiting!

TJN

Volume 4 • Issue 25

The

Boiling

P l

Please submit press releases to lauren@thejambalayanews.com

L’AUBERGE DONATES TO CONNECTIONS COUNT! L’Auberge Casino Resort proudly supports the Connections Count!

Professional Development Conference with a $5,000 donation. Family & Youth’s 15th annual conference connects mental health professionals and practitioners from throughout Louisiana as they expand, enhance, and share knowledge, expertise, and “know how” related to services for children, youth, and families.

ACADIAN AMBULANCE DONATES TO UNITED WAY Employees of Acadian Ambulance present United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a check for $13,298.00.

John DuBose, operations manager; Jay Woodley, operations coordinator; all from Acadian Ambulance and Kimberly Fry, United Way of SWLA.

FRIENDS OF SHANNON COX SUPPORT FAMILY & YOUTH Family & Youth accepted $21,000 from the Friends of Shannon Cox to benefit the Shannon Cox Counseling Center. The money was raised during the recent Shannon Cox Memorial Tennis Tournament.

Julio Galan, president/CEO Family & Youth, Kerry Andersen, L’Auberge Casino Resort, Leslie Harless, Family & Youth board chair; Keith W. Henson, Sr. VP/GM L’Auberge and Dr. Candis Carr, conference director.

IBERIABANK ANNOUNCES PROMOTION IBERIABANK is pleased to announce the promotion of Elizabeth A. “Beth” Ardoin to senior executive vice president, as well as her recent appointment to the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s New Orleans Branch. Ardoin joined the company in 2002 as senior vice president and director of communications. Ardoin’s Beth Ardoin responsibilities encompass all aspects of corporate public relations and communications, while she also maintains facility management and oversees the company’s human resources function.

FIRST NATIONAL BANK DeRIDDER OPENS MOSS BLUFF LOCATION First National Bank DeRidder has opened a new location in Moss Bluff. This full-service branch is at 1838 N. Hwy 171 near Clyde Dulaney Road. Tonya Goss, a resident of Moss Bluff, has been named assistant branch manager and new accounts representative at that location. Goss was previously with City Savings Bank and Cameron State Bank in Moss Bluff. The branch will have an official grand opening in May. First National Bank DeRidder also has four locations in Tanya Goss DeRidder and a mortgage loan office in Lake Charles.

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Pam Tadlock, Jules Maust, Marti Lundy, Jane Baggett, Ginny Henning, Joy Parker and Tammy Andreas present check to Maria Alcantara Faul, VP/Development Family & Youth.

SWLA CHARTER ACADEMY HIRES CO-PRINCIPALS The Board of Trustees of the Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy and Charter Schools USA are pleased to announce the hiring of Lorette Marie Bass and Jacqueline A. Smith as co-principals of the Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy. Bass is currently the lead assistant principal at SWLCA and has an impressive educational work history dating back to 1996 in Lake Charles schools, including Lake Charles Boston High School, Calcasieu Parish School Board, Combre-Fondel Elementary School and Fairview Elementary School. Smith began her educational career with the Calcasieu Parish School Board, working as a teacher from 1977-1998, a curriculum coordinator from 98-99, and as assistant principal and then principal at A. A. MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 7

Nelson Elementary. Both Lake Charles Charter Academy and Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy are affiliated with Charter Schools USA, an A rated management organization with a network of 48 schools in five states, including schools in Lake Charles, Shreveport, and Baton Rouge.

‘HULA HOOP FOR HEART’ SUPPORTS HEART ASSOCIATION “Hula Hoop for the Heart,” a fundraiser for the American Heart Association, was held recently at Episcopal Day School. It included a hula hoop obstaEllie Kate Fontenot and Ella Mulhearn present cle course, a hula hoop Brett Jackson of the American Heart Association dance-off and entertainment with a check for $2,000 on behalf of “Hula Hoop by Young Band Nation. The for the Heart.” event raised $2,000.

RACE PACE MULTISPORT DONATES TO SHS CROSS COUNTRY Race Pace Multisport, LLC recently donated $500 for the Sulphur High School Cross Country team. Money was raised during the Park to Park Half Marathon on February 2. Runners traveled from four states to participate in this 13.1 mile run through the streets and parks in Sulphur. The SHS Cross

Country team assisted in the event by calling out times to runners at various mile markers along the route.

Lori Pritchett, Schanon Turner, Rochelle Odom, and AunJelle Burton (owner of Race Pace Multisport, LLC) along with the SHS Cross Country team.

JEFF DAVIS BANK HIRES MIKE DOLAND Jeff Davis Bank & Trust Co. has hired Mike Doland as commercial lender and branch manager of its Kirby Street location, the bank’s largest branch in Lake Charles. Doland brings 34 years of banking experience.

He previously worked for First Federal Bank. An active member of his community, Doland is a board member for the McNeese State University Alumni Association and previously served as president. He is a former board member and past president of Crime Stoppers of Lake Charles and Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles. TJN

Mike Doland

BIENVENU TO SPEAK IN UPCOMING SEMINAR On Tues., March 26 at 6 p.m., the ENT & Aesthetic Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital will host a free seminar entitled “The Secret to Aging Beautifully,” at Dynamic Dimensions in Sulphur. The evening’s featured speaker is Harold Bienvenu, MD, board certified facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon. Dr. Bienvenu will speak about new surgical and non-surgical treatments and techniques for reversing the signs of aging. The seminar is free; however, seating is limited. To reserve a seat, please call (337) 527-5459.

Light refreshments will be served. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of two free makeup consultations.

CHRISTUS ST. PATRICK REGIONAL HEART CENTER HOSTS FREE AAA SCREENING CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital will host a free Abdominal Aortic Aneurism (AAA) Screening on Sat., April 6, from 8 a.m. to noon on the second floor of the hospital, at 524 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive. Join cardiologist Thomas Mulhearn IV, MD with the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Regional Heart Center, for this AAA screening. If you are a male over the age of 60 with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and a history of smoking, you are at risk. AAA is among the top 13 leading causes of all deaths in the U.S. and the third leading cause of sudden death in men. If an aneurysm can be discovered before it ruptures, death can be prevented-this ultrasound can save lives. The screening is by appointment only and appointments are limited. To register, call 491-7577.

MEMORIAL HOSPITAL CARDIOLOGIST MAKES HISTORY History was made at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital recently. Dr. J. King White, a cardiologist with the Heart & Vascular Center, a part of the Memorial Medical Group became the first doctor in Louisiana to implant the first drug-coated peripheral artery stent. The Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent (Zilver PTX Stent) is the first drug-eluting stent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to re-open the femoropopliteal artery in the thigh, when narrowed or blocked as a result of peripheral artery disease. The stent is coated on its outer surface with the drug paclitaxel, a drug that helps prevent recurrent narrowing of arteries.

MEMORIAL WELCOMES DR. BILLIODEAUX Memorial Medical Group welcomes Seth T. Billiodeaux, MD, a pain management physician board certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology.

His office will be located in the Memorial Medical Group Aster Street Offices, 2750 Aster Street in Lake Charles. For more information, or to inquire about an appointment, call Dr. Billiodeaux's office at (337) 480-8900.

PAGE 8

MARCH 21, 2013

WCCH EMPLOYEES SUPPORT UNITED WAY Employees of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital presented United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a check for $16,046.00. TJN

Paula Koonce, WCCH, United Way A&R committee member; Debby Nabours, WCCH, United Way committee member; Bill Hankins, WCCH CEO and Kimberly Fry, United Way of SWLA. Volume 4 • Issue 25

by Nicole Shuff Arabie

Are you listening to your SOUL? When we try to protect ourselves from the change that we know is happening in our life, we aren't listening to our soul. We are listening to our fear, our lack of faith. To listen to your soul is to stop fighting when things fall apart or when they just don’t go your way; when you are betrayed or mistreated or misunderstood.

Slow down and listen to your soul. Feel deeply, see yourself clearly, and surrender to the discomfort and uncertainty. What is your soul calling you to do? Have you been

Volume 4 • Issue 25

feeling those little nudges? Have you even noticed the little signs showing up in your life?

I'm going to give you a little advice: if you choose to ignore your soul's calling, you will suffer so much more than you need to. And it won't be easy. I wish I could candy-coat it for you. You will have to step out of your comfort zone, over and over again.

Next up is the healing. Many things must be healed so that you can live a fully expressed life. You know you’re getting closer when the

“junk” rises to the surface. You must deal with it when it does. If you don't, that's when the suffering begins.

Honor your calling. Follow the footsteps that are bringing you closer to your purpose. Listen and be open to what is within. You have to be awake to hear it! Make the connection to your true self. Stop being scared. Fear makes you lose your joy and happiness. Understand that you are enough.

Stop using your critical mind!

You need to bypass it. If you don’t watch out, it will pop up with all of the reasons why not. So, go ahead and make it happy for a few minutes with all of the reasons why.

Sometimes, you have to push the known out of the way to discover the new. The conscious mind judges, edits, and analyzes. The subconscious mind is our problem solver, our imagination, and our creativity.

Most of the time, we put off what we know we should do. Way down deep inside, we know what we should be pursuing, such as going back to school, starting a business, getting back in shape, etc.

But we come up with excuses that hold us back: "I'm too busy.” “I tried and it didn't work.” “I'm not capable.” It's so easy to talk yourself out of it.

You can still become everything God created you to be. But you have to do your part and stop being lukewarm. Don't just settle for where you are. Remain passionate about what God put in your heart.

Don't you dare give up and settle.

Get that fire back in your life.

“If what you see by the eye doesn't please you, then close your eyes and see from the heart. Because the heart can see beauty and love more than the eyes can ever wonder.”

-Unknown To book a session or other services with Nicole Shuff Arabie, call (337) 540-6573 and leave a message indicating several dates/times that work for you. You will hear back by phone with available dates and times. You can also go to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/#!/Decluttering YourSoul. Both in-person readings or phone/skype readings are available. TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 9

Dang Yankee The

By Mike McHugh

Free Bird!

While Yankee Land is still getting pummeled by Winter Storm Heathcliff (or whatever the selfappointed storm-namers at the Weather Channel are calling it), spring is in the air here in Louisiana.

The signs are everywhere. Crawfish are running; daffodils are blooming; and sinuses are draining faster than the beer kegs at MacFarlane’s Pub on St. Patrick’s Day. Hay fever is an unwelcome sideeffect of the warming weather, and it’s especially hard on Yankees who live in these climes. I believe it’s

Mother Nature’s way of getting back at them for what they did to New Jersey. As we know, hay fever is neither a fever, nor is it caused by hay.

The real cause is my wife’s flower garden. Her annual pilgrimage to the garden center, where she buys about century’s worth of annuals, is yet another sure sign of spring. Not that I’m against flowers, you understand. They’re fine in their place, so long as that place does not include certain wallpaper patterns.

But I’m not here to discuss flowers or hay fever. My real topic today

is birds. For the first time, my wife dragged me along on this year’s flower-shopping trip. It may have been retribution for the time I took her to that reptile show. At any rate, while she was going around selecting impatiens, begonias, snapdragons, crackletrolls, popsicles, and whatnot, I took interest in the store’s attractive display of bird feeders.

I was amazed at the designs— made to represent everything from simple log cabins to the Sydney Opera House. I could imagine a giant nuthatch perched atop the Sydney Opera House, pecking away violently at the structure, shaking it so as to make a performance of Swan Lake look more like a rugby match. There was a great variety of seed, too, each one specially mixed to attract certain types of songbirds, some which, according to the packaging, could do a mean Lynyrd Skynrd. That sold me right there, and so I went for one of the rustic-looking feeders, my wife not being too keen on the whole birdzilla thing.

When we got home, I set up the feeder in a tree in the backyard, while my wife tended to her annuals with the backhoe. Then I sat back and waited for “Free Bird.”

No birds visited the feeder on that first day, or the next. My wife reasoned that it would take time for the birds to discover the food. I didn’t believe that. The way I figured, seeing as how flies can detect fresh hamburger meat in a millisecond, how much longer should it take for a bird to find a free meal?

They can’t be that much more stupid than flies. In terms of intellect, birds would have to compare to flies to the same degree that Jessica Simpson does to super-physicist

Stephen Hawking.

“Any customers yet?” I asked my wife a few days later. She answered that there were none.

It eventually dawned on me why the birds weren’t taking us up on our offering. This is Louisiana, after all, home to about two million of the world’s one million known species of insect. We consider almost all of them to be pests, but to our feathered friends, they are a veritable smorgasbord.

Setting out birdseed around here is like taking a three-bean salad to your grandbaby’s birthday party at Chuck-E-Cheese.

The feeder also had wire baskets designed to hold a substance called “suet.” Suet is supposed to be especially attractive to songbirds, the way that Jack Daniels was to members of the Allman Brothers Band.

Back in the day, you could set a fifth of Jack Daniels out on the porch, and you’d be virtually assured a Dickey Betts sighting.

But, alas, suet does not have seem to have that same allure vis-à-vis songbirds, and when you realize what’s in it, it’s easy to see why.

Suet’s ingredients include rolled oats, cornmeal, and unsalted nuts, formed into a cake with solid fats, such as lard. While that might go over well in the galley of a pirate ship, any self-respecting goldfinch would surely turn his beak up at it.

My wife remains optimistic.

Her current theory is that it may be too early in the season for songbirds. Like they’re all still down in South America, on the final leg of a 17-city winter tour. Me, I have my doubts.

Maybe I should have passed on the feeder and just waited for the CD. TJN

WE SPECIALIZE IN LASER REMOVAL OF: Hair • Wrinkles • Scars • Birthmarks Rosacea • Spider Veins • Warts Acne Scarring • Tattoos • Brown Spots Stretch Marks • Acne • Cellulite

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE PAGE 10

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

By George “Tip” Cline

WE MISS THE ARCADE AMPHITHEATER The Arts and Humanities Council’s 2013 Live @ the Lakefront Music Fest series will be coming to a close on March 22, the day before the reopening of the greatly revised Millennium Park. The concerts are on the lakefront behind the Civic Center on our newly completed boardwalk where pavilions, booths and tables sell art, food and beverages.

We anxiously anticipate the completion of the construction around the south side of the Civic Center so we can again make use of the Arcade Amphitheater, a prime outdoor music venue with its grassy slopes facing the lake. The amphitheater proved to be a very popular spot for the series in the past and many of us would prefer to be off the concrete and parking lot, which has served well in the interim.

I am not alone in advocating the use of the amphitheater for the Downtown at Sundown free music series that usually follows shortly after the winding down of the Contraband Days festivities. The Arcade Amphitheater is truly a jewel that hasn’t been utilized anywhere close to its potential. Many of us can remember the old Arcade Theater on Ryan Street (built in 1910), the site of many vaudeville and other shows and movies for decades. The theater mysteriously burned one night 75 years later.

Bricks from that old theater were used to build our Arcade Amphitheater, thus being the source of the name.

WHERE’S THE BOTTLE? After the first Live @ the Lakefront, we went to a local pub for a bite. I ordered a bottle of Volume 4 • Issue 25

Belhaven Twisted Thistle IPA, a way-above average brew that I was very eager to try. I really like the hop flavor coming from India Pale Ales. This beverage costs about $10 a bottle ($7.75 plus tax and tip) so you might want to savor it a bit more than a frosty cold Bud from the ice chest.

My server comes across the room with pilsner glass in hand (helps to warm the beer if you hold it in your hand) and asks if I had ordered the Belhaven.

Now, not to be a snob, but part of the enjoyment of a premium beverage is to see the bottle, peruse the unfamiliar label and watch the compensating drops of moisture run down the sides of the chilled bottle and glass after being poured. It should not be served to you like a refill of tap water. I was, frankly, flabbergasted.

I had not ordered just a pint draft of beer. To me, this is like ordering a fine champagne, and having it just handed to you in a glass with no sign of the bottle. Not the way to enjoy a better dining experience. We quickly asked for our check, paid it along with a nice tip and promptly left. I have privately messaged the owner to let him know about our experience, but to the date of this writing, I have not had a response.

facility would not compete with the rest of the hotels and motels, so in a future column, I can tell you all about this wonderful bridge I will sell you in Brooklyn, should you believe in fairy tales.

The Mardi Gras Boardwalk project is in the works, with a 100-room condo/hotel just around the lakefront from the Civic Center. What about a water taxi service to connect the casinos, Mardi Gras Boardwalk complex and the Civic Center instead of erecting a parking garage (which many people refuse to use for their own personal safety reasons) and eliminating what we now have?

Part of the proposed plan includes making that area a Tax Incremental Financing district (TIF), making all sales tax paid in the area separate from the general fund in order to pay for a part of the construction costs and associated expenses in that specific area.

Fortunately, this is an issue that we will be given the opportunity to vote up or down. Think about it real hard and make your own decision.

SUPERMARKET ROUNDUP Now that we are in the heart of crawfish season, our shopping comparison this issue looks into some of the items used in a crawfish boil.

The survey was done on March 13 at the following locations: Albertsons, Ryan Street; Market Basket, Lake Street Kroger-McNeese Street and Walmart-Nelson Road.

The prices listed here are the posted prices on the shelf where the product was made available for sale.

Zatarain’s Crab Boil, bagged 3ounce package: Albertsons, $.99; Market Basket, $.79; Kroger, $1.49; Walmart (only carried package of 6 3-ounce packages) $3.

Lemons, fresh, per each: Albertsons, $.34, (3/$1); Market Basket, $.34 (3/$1); Kroger, $.34, (3/$1), Walmart, $.27.

Red potatoes, fresh, per pound: Albertsons, 1.49, Market Basket, $1.19, Kroger, $1.29, Walmart, $.88.

Green Giant Nibblers Corn, frozen, 12-count mini ears: Albertsons, $5.19: Market Basket, $3.97; Kroger, $4.49: Walmart, $3.48. TJN

A HOTEL ON CIVIC CENTER GROUNDS? The powers that be are again promoting the loss of more of our Civic Center ground. The north parking lot is the target for a municipally financed hotel. Not only do we lose more open parking, but we will also be financing competition to the existing hotels, which are privately owned and operated. City Hall feels that the MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 11

Now that the good weather is finally here and we’re spending more time outdoors, it’s time to look into the great parks we have in our area. The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury operates 24 park facilities that range from simple boat ramps to beaches, playgrounds and picnic facilities. But none of the parks in Calcasieu Parish are as unique as Niblett’s Bluff Park.

The park at “the Bluff ” is funded by the citizens of Ward 7 and operated by a volunteer board made up of private citizens. Residents of the ward, they meet once a month to conduct the business of running the park.

HISTORY According to the 1840 survey and census records, the Bluff was first known as Millspaw’s or Millspaugh’s and the settlement was named Jericho. The site was the early crossing of the east channel of the Sabine River. A ferry operated by Richard Ballew, one of Lafitte’s ole pirates, ran the five-mile journey from Orange around the tip of Sabine Island and landed at the Bluff. It became the major crossing between Texas and Louisiana on the Opelousas Trail.

During the War Between the States, the site became a Confederate fort called Camp Pleasant. It was an important encampment in 18631864 when the Federals were planning to invade Texas. Known by that time as Niblett’s Bluff, it was a gathering point for both recruits and supplies for the Confederacy’s Trans-Mississippi Department.

There was even a military hospital at the fort.

After the war, the settlement at the Bluff thrived. A post office was established in 1873 but was eventually discontinued in 1884.

From 1877 to 1930, the Lutcher and Moore Lumber Company PAGE 12

MARCH 21, 2013

used the Bluff as a log yard and railroad terminal for its sawmilling operations in Orange, Texas. Logs were delivered to the yard from the Louisiana forests, then rafted and towed to the Orange mills.

PARK DEVELOPMENT On January 7, 1966, the Lutcher Moore Lumber Company deeded a tract of 31 acres to the State of Louisiana to develop a historical park.

The site was developed and operated as a state park for only a few years before it was passed to the Parish and eventually taken over by Ward 7.

The goal has been to preserve the natural beauty and history of the area in an environment that is fun for the whole family. The park is open 365 days a year with caretakers residing on premises. There is a year-round maintenance program that keeps it neat, clean, and in very good operating condition.

Facilities include two large and two smaller covered pavilions with installed charcoal cookers that can be rented for day use, along with a large enclosed pavilion with kitchen facilities and a covered patio. Your children will enjoy the four fully-equipped playgrounds.

The north and south ends of the park have boat launching ramps with boardwalks. And there are two fish cleaning tables on the river’s edge.

There are 30- and 50-amp electrical hookups for campers with RV trailers that include pads and firepots. There are no sewer hookups, but there is a dump station by the wildlife pen. The pen contains several exotic as well as native Whitetail deer; there is even one rare all-white deer.

If you’re a tent camper, you can chose from sites with and without electricity. Every effort has been made to provide good sites in a well-planned area that preserves nature. Most of them give a good view of the river.

Five small cabins along the riverbank may be rented for overnight use.

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Each cabin has bunks that sleep four, a kitchen, air conditioner and limited furniture.

The cabins are popular and stay rented. If you’d like to rent one, plan ahead.

The restroom building in the middle of the park has showers and a laundry facility.

The grey and red paint scheme pays homage to its Confederate history.

WHAT REMAINS Part of the breastworks of the old Confederate fort remains on the north end of the park and extends behind the old (circa 1910) community church. The old railroad tram line joins the breastworks and runs along the bluff bank of the river. It is possible to stand in the middle of the old tram line, look between the two rows of trees and imagine the narrow gauge train running down the line pulling a load of logs.

Stumps of the old pilings of the tram line rise out of the mud at the south end of the park beneath the boardwalk when the river is low. On this long-gone trestle over the river, the engine would halt and the logs would be dumped off the cars and built into the large rafts that would be towed to the mills in Orange.

At the entrance to the park is a replica cannon under a covered pavilion and flying two

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Confederate flags.

The citizens of Ward 7 have done an excellent job of providing a park that is unique in the full facilities for campers and picnickers and giving a glimpse into the important history of the area.

COMING UP This year, a Bluegrass Festival will be held from March 18 through 23. There will be jam sessions all week long and stage shows on Friday and Saturday nights. It’s going on now, so check it out.

Springfest is held annually. This year, it’s on April 20-21. Approximately 40 food and craft vendors are expected, with six bands booked over the two days. Most years, there is a Confederate reenactment of the fictional Battle of Fort Niblett.

The park is located at the end of Niblett’s Bluff Road. From I-10, take the Exit #4 and go north on LA 109. At the first crossroad, turn left on Niblett’s Bluff road for 2.5 miles to the park. From Starks, follow LA 109 south until you reach the crossroad; turn right on Niblett’s Bluff Road. For more information about events, rental rates for campsites and pavilions, call (337) 589-7117 or (800) 589-7441. TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 13

PAGE 14

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

What You Need to Know About Kidney Stones Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract, occurring more frequently in men than in women.

A kidney stone is a hard mass made up of crystals that separate from the urine. There are four major types of stones: • Calcium stones are the most common type of kidney stone and occur in two major forms: calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. Calcium oxalate stones are more common.

Calcium oxalate stone formation may be caused by high calcium and high oxalate excretion. Calcium phosphate stones are caused by the combination of high urine calcium and alkaline urine, meaning the urine has a high pH. • Uric acid stones form when the urine is persistently acidic.

A diet rich in purines—substances found in animal protein such as meats, fish, and shellfish—may increase uric acid in urine. If uric acid becomes concentrated in the urine, it can settle and form a stone by itself or along with calcium.

• Struvite stones result from kidney infections. Eliminating infected stones from the urinary tract and staying infection-free can prevent more struvite stones.

• Cystine stones result from a genetic disorder that causes cystine to leak through the kidneys and into the urine, forming crystals that tend to accumulate into stones.

A stone may stay in the kidney or break loose and travel down the urinary tract. A small stone may pass all the way out of the body without causing too much pain, but a larger stone may get stuck in a ureter, the bladder, or the urethra. A problem stone can block the flow of urine and cause great pain.

Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not pass—and it may even get larger.

Call a doctor if you have any of these symptoms: • Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away • Blood in your urine which will make it look pink • Fever and chills • Vomiting • Urine that looks cloudy • A burning feeling when you urinate These may be signs of a kidney stone that needs a doctor's care. There are several nonsurgical ways to remove problem stones.

If the stone passes on its own, try to catch it in a strainer. Your doctor can test the stone to find out the type. After a stone has passed or been removed, your doctor may also ask for a urine sample or take blood to find out what caused your stone. You may need to collect your urine for a 24-hour period.

These tests will help your doctor find ways to prevent stones in the future.

Eating, Diet and Nutrition You can help prevent kidney stones by making changes in your fluid intake.

Depending on the type of kidney stone you have, changes in the amounts of sodium, animal protein, calcium, and oxalate consumed can also help.

Drinking enough fluids each day is the best way to help prevent most types of kidney stones. Healthcare care providers recommend that a person drink two to three liters of fluid a day. People with cystine stones may need to drink even more. Though water is best, other fluids may also help prevent kidney stones, such as citrus drinks.

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Assorted kidney stones

Recommendations based on the specific type of kidney stone include: Calcium Oxalate Stones • reducing sodium • reducing animal protein, such as meat, eggs, and fish • getting enough calcium from food or taking calcium supplements with food • avoiding foods high in oxalate, such as spinach, rhubarb, nuts, and wheat bran Calcium Phosphate Stones • reducing sodium • reducing animal protein • getting enough calcium from food or taking calcium supplements with food Uric Acid Stones • limiting animal protein Cystine Stones • Cystine stones can be difficult to treat.

Your doctor may recommend that you drink more fluids so that you produce a lot more urine. If that alone doesn't help, you may be prescribed a medication that decreases the amount of cystine in your urine.

TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 15

People who gain belly fat are at greater risk of serious health problems, even death, than those who accumulate fat in other areas — and men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist.

Specifically, it's the deepest layer of belly fat —the fat you can't see or grab — that poses health risks. That's because these "visceral" fat cells actually produce hormones and other substances that can affect your health (e.g. increased insulin resistance).

Regardless of your overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of: • Heart disease • High blood pressure • Stroke

• Some types of cancer • Type 2 diabetes • Insulin resistance • High triglycerides • Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol • Metabolic syndrome • Sleep apnea

What is too much?

Your waist size is a good indicator of whether you have too much belly fat. Although measurements that compare your hip and waist circumference (waist-to-hip ratio) or compare your height and weight (body mass index) are more precise, your waist size alone can give you a good estimate. For most men, the risk factors for heart disease and other diseases increase with a waist size greater than 40 inches.

To measure your waist: • Place a tape measure around your bare abdomen just above your hipbone.

• Pull the tape measure until it fits snugly around you but doesn't push into your skin.

• Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.

• Relax, exhale and measure your waist—but don’t suck in your belly!

Is belly fat inherited?

Your genes can affect your chances of being overweight or obese, as well as where you carry extra fat on your body. For most men, however, the problem likely has more to do with lifestyle than inherited traits.

Is age a factor?

Muscle mass decreases with age---particularly if you do not exercise. The less muscle you have, the slower your metabolism PAGE 16

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

becomes. Men who may have been very active in their youth inevitably become less active, but do not slow down their consumption of food. This leads to weight gain, and for men, it usually accumulates in the middle.

How do you get rid of belly fat?

• Reduce calories.

Trim down your portion sizes. Eating spicy, oily, processed food has adverse effect on the fat burning mechanism in your body. Eat healthy foods that contain fewer calories. When you’re eating out, eat half your meal and take the rest home for another day.

• Increase physical activity. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, in addition to strength training. Cardio exercises such as running, jogging, cycling, swimming etc., are ideal exercises to lose belly fat. Simple exercises such as climbing stairs can also show positive effects. You may need to do more to lose weight and keep it off. If you can't set aside time for longer workouts, try shorter spurts of activity throughout the day.

After you shed excess pounds, maintain your weight loss with a healthy diet and regular physical activity. After you've incorporated some of the strategies mentioned above into your lifestyle, continue to take your measurements. Write them all down in the same place so you can see your progress as the inches melt away. TJN

Volume 4 • Issue 25

The Facts About Diabetes

If you have diabetes, your body's system of making energy from food does not work right. Normally, your body breaks food down into glucose, a form of sugar that is the body's main source of fuel. The hormone insulin helps your body use the glucose. With type 1 diabetes, the body's immune system attacks and destroys insulin-making cells. There is no way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but it is much less common than type 2.

With type 2, your body usually does not use insulin well. As a result, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. That means your cells don't get the fuel they need to function. And, over time, high blood sugar levels can hurt the organs in your body.

You can have type 2 diabetes for years and not know you have it.

Many men don't know they have it until they develop problems such as vision loss, kidney disease, or erectile dysfunction. If you have symptoms, they could include increased hunger and thirst, the need to urinate often, feeling tired and sores that don't heal well.

It is possible to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. Exercise, healthy eating habits and maintaining a healthy weight go a long way. It’s also important to know your family's diabetes history, and discuss it with your doctor.

It's important to get screened for diabetes. Experts recommend getting screened every three years starting at age 45. Before that, ask your doctor if you need to be screened based on your risks for diabetes, such as being overweight and having a relative with diabetes.

Screening can detect diabetes early, when it is easier to lower your chances of developing diabetes-related health problems.

It can also can reveal pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes means your blood glucose level is higher than is considered normal and you are at risk of developing diabetes. Pre-diabetes can be reversed, so ask your doctor about steps you can take, such as exercising and making healthy food choices. TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 17

PAGE 18

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Quality design and quality of life are both important concepts individually, but in my field of work, they go hand in hand.

One of the first things I always ask my client is, “How do you want to live in your space?” Consider this question. Walk through the paths of your home. Do you find obstacles? Do find yourself walking around items when you would feel more comfortable walking directly into the space?

If you have answered “yes” to any of these questions, let’s change it! Create a blank slate and jump in! Take down art on the wall.

Move your furniture out of the space completely to get a clear shot of “what could be” or group it together and place accordingly.

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Don’t be afraid to break tradition and arrange everything in a way it’s never been arranged.

This is your home, your haven; therefore, you should live most passionately here!

It’s so important to surround yourself with items of inspiration or items of intense significance.

Anyone can stage a house to look nice, but is it you? Can you walk through your home and tell your story just by placing your hand on something and remembering where or why or how you found it?

Build your home on the building blocks of your life and allow yourself the time, preference and creative license to accomplish something beautiful!

Good luck! TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 19

By Dan Gill, LSU AgCenter Horticulturist Louisiana gardeners begin to plant spring and early summer vegetables this month. Watch the last freeze date in your area and be prepared to cover or protect tender plants in case of an unusually late freeze.

Planting as early as possible does more than get you the first ripe tomatoes on the block. It also helps ensure abundant production before the intense heat of midsummer and fewer insect and disease problems. Here are just a few of the choices.

Tomatoes are America's favorite homegrown vegetable.

With our warm early summer weather, there is no denying that we can grow some of the tastiest tomatoes in the country.

Now is the time to start planting transplants into your garden in south Louisiana. Wait until mid-April in north Louisiana. Recommended varieties include Better Boy, Fantastic, Monte Carlo and Sweet Million (cherry) – these are vining types. Bingo, Celebrity, Mountain Delight Solar Set and Sunleaper are bush types.

Many other varieties of large-fruited, cherry and plum tomatoes can be grown successfully in Louisiana. If you’re planting a number of tomato plants, try several different varieties to ensure good production.

Peppers are another popular vegetable that is productive and not difficult to grow. Peppers are less likely to be attacked by insects, and disease problems generally are less severe than those of tomatoes.

Many types of sweet and hot peppers can be grown here.

Popular hot types include Tabasco, Jalapeno, Cayenne and

PAGE 20

MARCH 21, 2013

Habanera. Remember, one hot pepper plant is probably all that you need.

Large-fruited sweet or bell peppers are great for stuffing or seasoning. Varieties that perform well here include Big Bertha, King Arthur, Camelot, Merlin, Sentry and Jupiter. Production is usually less during the hottest part of summer – so early planting is important. But production picks up again in fall.

Gypsy pepper is a cross between a bell pepper and a banana-type pepper. It produces a medium-size fruit and is extremely productive even in the heat of summer. The fruit is ornamental – it begins yellow-green, then, as it matures, it changes to yellow to orange to red. The fruit is sweet in flavor and is great in salads or cooking.

Okra and eggplant are best planted when the soil is very warm. You should wait until late April or early May to plant these two vegetables. If planted too early, they may become stunted and are slow to recover.

Eggplants come in various colors, sizes and shapes. All produce well during the summer and through fall, although production of large-fruited types may lag during the hottest months.

Choose standard varieties, such as Black Bell, Dusky or Classic; green types, which are less bitter in summer; or Oriental types like Ichiban, Millionaire or Hansel. Oriental types produce very well in summer heat.

Okra seed may be soaked overnight to soften the hard seed coat before planting. After emergence, plants should be thinned to stand 12 inches apart. Production will start in June and continue into fall. TJN

Volume 4 • Issue 25

It is wonderful to get children interested in gardening. Give them a packet of seeds and a little spot of their own, show them what to do and watch the magic happen.

Spending time in the landscape with children, especially young ones, requires adults to pay careful attention, though. Just as you would childproof an indoor room, it’s important to take safety precautions in the yard to keep children safe.

Here are some outdoor safety tips from the Louisiana State University Ag Center: The first is the most obvious: Never leave a toddler or young child outdoors unattended.

As they get old enough to understand, teach your children never to eat any plant unless an adult is supervising. While eating fruits and vegetables you’ve grown yourself is part of the joy of gardening, many common ornamental plants can make you sick if you eat them and some are very poisonous.

A free list of common poisonous plants is available from your local LSU AgCenter Extension office, or you can check out the many excellent poisonous plants sites on the Internet.

Make sure that poison ivy is not allowed to grow in your landscape.

Watch for this vine with three-part leaves and immediately eliminate it if you find any. If needed, herbicides such as glyphosate and trichlopyr can be used to control it.

Do not allow children to eat soil from the garden. Some soils may contain relatively high amounts of lead or other toxic substances and should not be consumed.

Check for plants with spiny leaves or thorns – such as cactuses, roses, yucca, hollies or pyracantha.

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Point out any potential hazards to children and fence off areas or plants that should be avoided. Remove dangerous plants, if necessary; especially if they are close to a play area.

Do not plant spiny plants next to raised porches, decks or steps where children might fall into them.

Be careful with sharp tools and let your children know which tools are safe for them to use and which are not. When you lay down tools between use, place forks, rakes and other pointed tools with the tines down. If children are around, keep your eye on the tools– or put them away promptly when they are no longer needed.

If you want your children to do some gardening, it’s a good idea to purchase tools specially made for children. This gives them a chance to identify more closely with gardening, since they have their own tools. It’s safer, too.

Despite their sometimes colorful labels, garden chemicals can be dangerous if mishandled. If you have garden pesticides, be sure to store them in locked cabinets in their original containers. This includes organic pesticides, some of which are quite toxic. Never use empty food or drink containers for storing pesticides, cleaning supplies or fertilizers! Do not leave pesticide containers out while using them. Put them up promptly in a safe location after you have mixed the material.

Children should never be around while pesticides are being mixed or applied.

Be especially watchful of young children around ponds, pools, large puddles, buckets and large containers of any sort. Small children can drown in even small amounts of water. Fence off ponds or other aquatic features if necessary.

Most insects in the garden are harmless. Even insects that can sting, such as bees and wasps, generally will not be a problem if they are left alone. Do, however, watch out for potential problems and discuss with your children how

best to deal with insects they encounter and precautions they should take. Take appropriate care of any bites or stings because some children are allergic. Control any fire ant hills in the area where chil-

dren are likely to play or garden. Be familiar with the stinging caterpillars that occur in our state – contact your local LSU AgCenter Extension office for a fact sheet with pictures. TJN

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 21

PAGE 22

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

The Junior League of Lake Charles (JLLC) is celebrating 80 years of community impact in 2013. In this organization, you don’t find stereotypical ladies of leisure, but rather, volunteers dedicated to developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.

The League began in 1933 when 11 young visionaries established the then Junior Welfare League of Lake Charles. Their immediate work focused on assisting children “in need” with proper nourishment and medical treatment, and providing them with loving necessities such as dolls and toys.

In subsequent years, the League faced wartime woes and was forced to shutter its doors for one year. It came back even stronger, and further expanded its efforts to include new programs focused on arts and humanities education. After a lengthy application process, the Junior Welfare League was accepted into the Association of the Junior Leagues of America, Inc. in 1967, where its name officially changed to Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. Since then, the League has proudly established a long list of impactful local community organizations, projects and fundraisers that have served or continue to serve the Lake Charles community. They include the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, Calcasieu Community Clinic, The Children’s Museum, Family and Youth Counseling, Harbour House, Imperial Calcasieu Historical Museum, Lake Charles Symphony, Marshes to Mansions cookbook, the annual Mistletoe & Moss holiday market and Leaguers & Links Golf Tournament- --and the ladies show no sign of stopping!

Each year, the League spends over $100,000 directly in the community through its outreach programs, grants and collaborations, and averages 20,000 hours of community service and training to civic leaders. When you consider that each hour has an estimated value of $21.79 (according to the Independent Sector, a coalition of charities, foundations, corporations and individuals) that's $435,800 of volunteer time each year!

TRAINING AND DEVELOPING CIVIC LEADERS One way the League trains members and develops civic leaders is through the Birkman assessment. The Birkman Method® is a motivational, behavioral and interest evaluation consisting of a 298-question personality assessment and a series of related report sets. Over 70 league members participated in the Birkman this year. The workshops facilitate team building, executive coaching, leadership development, career counseling and interpersonal conflict resolution.

“The League is committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers,” said Amanda McElveen, president of the Junior League of Lake Charles. “Our purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. The league will be celebrating our 80th anniversary in 2013. We look forward to many more years of serving, strengthening, and sustaining the Lake Charles community.”

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 23

ISSUE–BASED COMMUNITY IMPACT MODEL In 2010, the League decided to build upon its strong foundation as a project driven entity and make the transition to become more of an “issue-driven” organization. This means that in addition to developing their own members’ potential, the League is striving to develop comprehensive programming in collaboration with other community leaders and non-profit organizations focused on one or two particular community needs, rather than various “projects,” so that the League can have a greater impact in Lake Charles.

A task force was created to ensure its activities make the greatest impact and began meeting in the spring of 2012 to strategize and provide recommendations on how to smoothly transition to an issue-driven organization. The group developed a visual representation of the mission-driven impact model, which has appeared at meetings and many League-sponsored events, and in various publications.

The impact model provides a way for the members of the League, as well the community, to easily see what impact the JLLC is trying to make, and what it is doing to be successful. The task force also provided ideas on how to communicate and explain the impact model, how to incorporate it into strategic planning, and restructure/rename committees to best reflect it.

A key component in transitioning to the impact model is the integration of the League’s community programming with its placement committee. (The placement committee annually slates League members with their voluntary operational roles.)

Because the League relies upon the talents of members to achieve a desired impact, the task force provided recommendations for a revised placement interview, stressing the importance of placement advisors better knowing their advisees. The new interview process will lead to deeper relationships, so members can develop their potential and discover leadership skills both in-League and in the community.

The League is excited about the transition to the issue-based model and looks forward to its continuing rollout across the organization this year and into 2014.

A LEGACY OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH Many of the League’s established local community initiatives and organizations are still thriving today. In addition, the League continues to serve Southwest Louisiana through many of its current projects. They include, but are not limited to, the projects listed below.

BRANCH OUT AND GROW GRANTS The League offers Branch Out and Grow Grants to educators and other non-profit organizations. The purpose of these educational grants is to support excellence in teaching by awarding grants for innovative projects that otherwise would not be provided for in school budgets. In 2012, the League awarded $14,000 to local educators.

Congratulations to this year’s winners: COMPELLING KIDS TO LEARN WITH TECHNOLOGY Amanda Meche, Karen Frost: First Grade, Episcopal Day School, All Subjects The project will better equip children for the workforce of the future by integrating a more hands-on, technologically based approach to teaching core subjects. It also aims to better engage and motivate children to be committed to long-term learning by providing a more fun, interactive, modern-day learning environment; utilizing various technological tools, including a promethean board; hand-held tablets and an educational website, Brainpopjr.com.

FUTURISTIC FIRST GRADERS WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY

15% Senior Discount All Doctors’ Prescriptions Accepted Experienced Professional Staff • Most Insurance Accepted

Madison Queenan: First Grade, St. John Elementary, All Subjects The project hopes to implement seven iPads in the first grade classrooms, initially, to allow the students to use as a project-based learning tool, conducting community helper interviews. Utilizing the face-time application, students can conduct their interviews on the iPad, interact with one another, parents and peers within the community.

YOU CAN COUNT ON IT! Nina Jones, Rhona Williams: Third-Fifth Grades, Brentwood All photos by Romero & Romero Photography Elementary School, Math PAGE 24

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Primarily, the grant project aims to improve math standardized test scores by utilizing more engaging, innovative tools such as assessment booklets and manipulative materials to improve basic math computation and problem solving skills. Secondly, the project hopes to increase parent involvement by sending home the Take Home Test Prep Rings weekly, requiring parent/student interactions.

THIS IS NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S MATH CENTER Terri Miller: Fourth Grade, Math/Reading, Ralph Wilson Elementary The project will implement two iPads in the classroom, enhancing student performance and confidence levels as the iPad meets the needs of a variety of learning styles, and increasing communication between parents, teachers and students. Free apps including Math Tutor Life, Number Line and Basic Math will be used during math instruction, and eBooks and Renaissance Place will be used for reading centers.

MEETING SPECIAL NEEDS WITH NETBOOK INTEGRATION

time. In addition, the technology will enable the children to use visual tools to analyze the data, including an app called Easy Chart HD, allowing for the inexpensive creation of bar, line, pie and sidebar charts.

Emma Hobbs: Fifth, Sixth & Seventh Grade, Self-Contained Special Education, Lake Charles Charter Academy The project aims to implement Netbooks in the special needs classroom to better accommodate various learning styles, making learning more effective and easier for a child that can experience more frustration due to learning disabilities, such as autism, sensory issues, visual learning styles and difficulty with handwriting. It also plans to implement a math tool named Conceptua Math and a reading tool, Achieve 3000, both of which incorporate differentiated instruction to provide a more successful learning experience for children with learning disabilities.

Jo Lynn Marcantel, Kim Ieyoub, Stephanie DuRoussea, Amanda Brinkman, Suzy Solari, Blair Tadlock, Tenia Fuselie: Pre-K through Fifth Grade, Middle School, Immaculate Conception Cathedral School The project will place an Apple TV and VGA Adaptor with audio support in seven classrooms that currently use iPad technology, allowing for a more interactive, engaging environment as classroom instruction notes, media, lessons, etc. can be displayed on the screen. Children can share their ideas and participate in class at their desks.

EARTH DAY, HOORAY! IF YOU BUILD IT... THEY WILL COME!

Libby Richards: Third Grade Social Living, Episcopal Day School The project hopes to implement the use of handheld GPS receivers

Kimberly Underwood, Julie Ortego: Pre-K through Fifth Grade, Science and Math, Dolby Elementary School The project is designed to beautify the school grounds and to help make them safer for the students. The teachers, students and parents will build flower boxes around the trees at school for Earth Day, teaching the children about the life cycle of flowers, as well as, the insects and animals that depend on the flowers for food. With the current design, rain slowly pushes the mulch away and children try to throw the bricks, creating a safety concern.

iTEACH INTERACTIVE

GEOGRAPHY ON THE GO!

PHOTO HISTORIANS JoAnn Mayo: Fourth grade, Art and History, LeBleu Settlement Elementary School Photo Historians aims to teach children a greater appreciation for the Louisiana setting in their rural, farming community and to improve their LEAP writing scores by utilizing a Sony Cyber Shot digital camera to complete their photo project. The photo project consists of learning how to use all of the camera’s features to capture an image native to Southwest Louisiana culture.

APPLYING iPADS IN DATA ANALYSIS Marva January: Sixth Grade, Math, Lake Charles Charter Academy The grant project will implement the use of the Survey Analytics’ iPad app in the sixth grade classroom to conduct data analysis for a recycling project. Such a tool will allow the sixth graders to gather, monitor and compare data accurately in realVolume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 25

in combination with iPads to complete the Lake Charles history unit.

The fourth and seventh graders will also use the equipment during the following spring for the annual wetland restoration planting trip. The equipment will allow children to photograph assigned landmarks, identify geographic addresses and conduct research, which will add a scientific component to history.

IMPACT SUPPORT The League’s Done in a Day provides a dedicated group of League volunteers to work on a number of unrelated, short-term community projects when non-profit agencies are limited in achieving their goals because of a lack of manpower.

This past August, the League collaborated with the Family and Youth Counseling Center for their annual Family Fest to educate people on healthy eating habits and the importance of having fruits and grains in their diets.

In September, the League hosted an event at the Central Library to develop the potential of teenagers in the community. The screening of “Miss Representation” introduced students to the ways media shapes our culture. Discussions and activities were then conducted that complimented specific clips shown from the movie. Due to the positive feedback received as a result of the event, a future screening is being planned for the spring/summer of 2013.

In December, the committee sponsored the League’s annual Joy Drive. Christmas cheer was spread by placing donation boxes throughout local businesses and schools. Generous donations were made by the community and by students at Oak Park Elementary and Nelson Elementary, who have learned the true joy in giving.

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT The League is collaborating to develop strong leaders and create a healthy and confident workforce by sponsoring trainings for families whose children are attending "Leader in Me" schools.

This results-oriented program teaches children about goal-setting, develops character, and provides tools for conflict resolution. The free trainings are based on Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People and encourage carry-over of the life lessons kids are learning at school.

This past January, the League hosted parent workshops at Oak Park and Dolby Elementary. Students, teachers and Franklin Covey consultant Gary McGuey helped parents understand the Leader in Me process, and how to apply the seven habits at home.

In November, League members joined together with Dolby Elementary fifth graders to get a mission accomplished. The school felt that since the fifth grade exterior wall looked bare, it needed a facelift, so they asked if the League would assist the students in painting a “7 Habits Tree.”

Each student filled out a questionnaire about the 7 Habits and stamped their painted hand on the tree to show their support of Covey’s mission. The League hopes that the 7 Habits tree will be a daily reminder for all students to embrace the leader within.

In honor of the League’s 80th annniversary, the League has partnered with Maplewood Elementary School and pledged $80,000 dollars to help fund the "Leader in Me" program"

HEALTHY CHOICES The League recently collaborated with the Partnership for a Healthier SWLA to begin the FIT KIDS program. The partnership is made up of skilled people such as dietitians, nutritionists, and fitness experts who worked together on the FIT KIDS project, a five-week program designed to be implemented in area schools. Oak Park Elementary participated in the program focused on nutrition and healthy choices, and the importance of moving your body. The program was a fun and educational way to teach kids about healthy lifestyle choices and reduce the growth of childhood obesity. The students gained valuable information that they will benefit from their whole lives.

The Junior League Headquarters is located at 1019 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles, LA 70601. To become a volunteer member, learn more about their issue-based community model, or to support the League’s programs through donations and sponsorships, please visit www.jllc.net, follow on Facebook or call 436-4025. TJN PAGE 26

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 27

ker n Shouma

By Brando

Box of Dreams I think I ought to tell you something. When it comes to baseball, I’m one of those guys.

You know those guys.

They are the guys who, when they talk about baseball, sound a lot like Kevin Costner in Bull

PAGE 28

MARCH 21, 2013

Durham talking about constitutional amendments outlawing artificial turf and the designated hitter. In my opinion, the best thing about Interleague play is that American League pitchers have to man up and bat in road games to National League parks.

They are the guys who get all misty just thinking about the last few scenes in Field of Dreams, ghostly father having a catch with the son with whom he shared a fractious relation-

ship. Seriously, if I’m not in the mood to cry, I turn the channel once Ray Liotta invites James Earl Jones out into the corn.

They are the guys who get all fired up anytime Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, or Mark McGuire are mentioned in baseball conversation. I don’t get (too) sanctimonious about a whole lot of things, but steroids in baseball just chap my rear end. There’s something about a roided-up freak of chemistry

destroying home run records like they were nothing but paper mache’ that I just find more vulgar than if it were a fat, drunken hedonist like Babe Ruth doing the same.

I confess that one time, about 15 years ago, I wrote an essay about “warriors in wool” and “the cathedral of baseball.” Or something like that. It was an okay essay, at the time. In retrospect, it sounds pretty trite.

Pretty naïve, too, considering half of the big leaguers out there

Volume 4 • Issue 25

won’t even run out a ground ball to the infield if they don’t think they can beat out the throw.

Besides, all that was before I watched a game from the suites at the new Alex Box Stadium.

My father-in-law got the tickets third-hand and invited me to go with him to the game, a Saturday night game that turned out to be quite cold and blustery for early March in Louisiana. It was also the same night as the Richard Bausch reading at McNeese and I was excited about that as well, considering the recent dearth of quality literary readings in a town that gave the world Tony Kushner and Andre Dubus.

It was a dilemma and LSU baseball was no novelty to me, but, in the end, my sporting (and journalistic) side won out and I was off to Baton Rouge.

It’s not too often you get to see a game from the luxury suites. It was a sacrifice, but I did it for you, dear readers.

Did I say they were luxury boxes? If you ever want to know where all that Tiger Athletic Foundation money you pay for the privilege of buying LSU football tickets goes, I can tell you; it goes to stocking the suites at Alex Box Stadium with five kinds of whiskey and slices of chocolate cheesecake.

Actually, because my fatherin-law and I were trying to figure it out, I looked up how much one of those suites costs.

That would be roughly $40,000 a season. The catering is extra.

What you get for $40,000 a season plus catering costs is, basically, the living room to a moderately upscale one-bedroom apartment (comfy couches and chairs, flat-screen television, mini fridge, etc.) with a bulletproof (I think) glass wall looking out onto the playing field and 24 box-level seats outside.

The protective glass keeps foul balls from breaking things but it keeps most of the game sounds out as well. Don’t get me wrong, I think an integral part of the live sports-watching

Volume 4 • Issue 25

experience is being able to hear and be a part of the crowd, to be able to high-five the complete stranger in the seat next to you after your team hits a grand slam.

But the outfield bleacher seats don’t come with catered beef and chicken fajitas (with all the trimmings) waiting for you when you sit down.

Forty thousand smackers also gets you a fully stocked bar complete with five kinds of whiskey, Bloody Mary mixes, and ice chests of beer, all of which our suitemates, fun-loving folks from the legal community up in Marksville, enjoyed immensely.

We all enjoyed the game, too, of course. LSU went down early to Ivy League-foe Brown, but the Tigers put up a five-spot in the second inning, giving the frozen fans out in the bleachers a good excuse to head for the exits early. Not that they did; there was a pretty decent crowd for a cold, non-Saturday night conference game. LSU fans are hardcore and the folks from up Rhode Island way probably enjoyed the T-shirt weather.

Meanwhile, I was enjoying another beer and thinking that baseball is certainly full of magic, religion, and…other stuff. I thought that baseball is definitely a constant through time, something you can mark the years by.

But, mostly, I thought that, at least for this one night only, I could get used to seeing the game from the luxury boxes.

Brandon Shoumaker is a graduate of McNeese State University and has covered sports for more than a decade for various publications.

Brandon Shoumaker Coaches or parents with story tips or comments may contact Brandon at bshoumaker@yahoo.com or send him a message on Twitter (@bshoumaker).

TJN

Business is

Booming! mi And we need to increase our sales staff!

Do you have prior sales experience?

Are you looking for full-time work with people who love what they do?

E-mail resume to office@thejambalayanews.com MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 29

By Mary Louise Ruehr

Art for Art's Sake …and for Greed Let’s dive into the world of art.

On March 18, 1990, two men dressed as police officers robbed the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Among the stolen works were pieces by Degas, Vermeer and Rembrandt that have never been recovered. In her novel The Art Forger, author B.A. Shapiro uses this true crime cleverly to create an intriguing scenario.

The forger is artist Claire Roth, who makes a living in present-day Boston by painting “perfect repli-

PAGE 30

MARCH 21, 2013

cas” of works by the masters.

Because of this, she’s snubbed by the art world. But in walks an important gallery owner who will pay her to secretly create a reproduction of a Degas, one of the paintings stolen from the Gardner, which he intends to sell as an original. Selling a copy as a copy is fine; selling a copy as an original is a crime. But the extravagant offer is too tempting for Claire to refuse.

To make her painting as perfect a copy as possible, Claire studies

the work of the artist and investigates his technique and materials.

She also searches for the truth behind the great painting. But maybe she isn’t the only one creating reproductions.

The possibilities offer an interesting back-and-forth, is-itreal-or-isn’t-it, will-they-believeor-won’t-they plot. What is “real” art? For that matter, what is art?

Claire says she’ll never know “whether I’m a great artist or just a great forger.” But then, she says, “There’s a long history of art experts seeing what they want to see. What they expect to see.”

Only the bad forgeries have been discovered, she says, because the good ones are hanging in museums. Oooh. Intrigue, tension, a bit of a thriller and even a love story -- it’s a good read.

Adult situations and language.

An Old Master painting stolen by the Nazis during World War II is the McGuffin in John Pearce’s novel, Treasure of Saint-Lazare. A woman brings a letter from her recently murdered father to her former lover’s father, because the two patriarchs worked together during the war, tracking down looted artwork.

So the man and woman travel from Florida to Paris, looking for the painting.

Oh, and there’s gold.

The book is a little slow in getting to the point, but then,

it’s filled with thriller-type action that takes place in both the present and the past.

Chasing Aphrodite: The Hunt for Looted Antiquities at the World’s Richest Museum by Jason Felch and Ralph Frammolino reveals how museums became “multimillion-dollar showcases for stolen property.”

The authors write that “Trafficking in looted art ... is probably the world’s second-oldest profession.” In 1970, an international treaty for the protection of cultural property was brokered to stop “the illicit flow of artifacts,” following which artwork returned from U.S. museums to governments of Italy and Greece was estimated at more than half a billion dollars’ worth.

“The returns followed an international scandal that exposed an ugly truth, something art insiders had long known but publicly denied. For decades, museums in America, Europe, and Volume 4 • Issue 25

elsewhere had been buying recently looted objects from a criminal underworld of smugglers and fences, in violation of U.S. and foreign law.”

But after the treaty, museums still bought illegally smuggled artworks, sometimes participating in obscuring their ownership histories. One of the worst perpetrators was the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

“The Getty built an enviable collection of antiquities by turning a blind eye to their origins.” The museum used subterfuge such as “Overpaying for art. Unauthorized acquisitions. Inflated and forged appraisals. None-too-subtle bribes.”

They were even involved in tax fraud and the purchase of known forgeries. “The Getty was embroiled in a painful public scandal as its secrets spilled into public view.”

The authors present character sketches of Getty as well as the investigators and curators. They give a bit of ancient history and a dab of Classical mythology along with this peek into “the notoriously shady world of collecting antiquities.” It's an engrossing read.

In The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family’s Century of Art and Loss, author Edmund de Waal relates the history of his own family in regard to its collection of netsuke. These tiny Japanese pieces of art are usually made of ivory or wood, and some have inlaid eyes of amber or horn.

He traces his ancestors from Russia to France. Perhaps the most flamboyant of his relatives was Charles Ephrusssi, who, in Paris in the 1870s, was a friend of Renoir, Degas, Manet and Whistler, as well Volume 4 • Issue 25

as author Marcel Proust. (Charles was one of two men on whom Proust based his character Charles Swann.)

The “ridiculously affluent” Charles began buying art at a time when Japanese artwork was all the rage. “Japanese things -- lacquers, netsuke, prints -conjure a picture of a place where sensations are always new, where art pours out of daily life, where everything exists in a dream of endless beautiful flow.”

In all, Charles bought 264 netsuke pieces. “There are many different subtle variations of colours in netsuke, all the colours of the ivory, the horn and the boxwood: cream, wax, nut-brown, gold. They are not just art; they’re playful. … They are for touching. Above all, they make you laugh in many different ways.

They are witty and ribald and slyly comic.”

Then Japanese art fell out of favor, as did anyone Jewish -- like Charles. The netsuke moved on with the family to Austria.

When the Nazis began looting and destroying Jewish homes, they took over the Ephrussi house. The family was dispersed, and some were killed. But the little Japanese figurines were hidden and saved by the family’s Gentile maid, who later restored them to the family.

This story reminds us that art is made by people and is only “stuff ” until it is admired and valued.

There are some black and white photos, but, disappointingly, no photos of the netsuke. It would have been nice to have a close-up of the titular image. So I suggest you get the new illustrated edition, which purports to have plenty of images of the tiny figures.

Copyright © 2013 by Mary Louise Ruehr. TJN MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 31

Taking time away from my office to visit DeRidder brought about an unexpected discovery of artistic treasures. I had heard there was a nice professional gallery there, but really did not know what to expect.

My guide for the day was painter Jennifer Roberston, a DeRidder resident. She greeted me with the offer of lunch before seeing her hometown gallery.

I was glad to have the opportunity to know Robertson and her work. Like many oil painters, she’s been honing her talents creating beautiful landscapes of Southwest Louisiana. Lately, however, she has discovered a deep connection with animals.

During our visit, she shared a few examples of her work with

By Monica Hebert

Unexpected Discoveries in DeRidder

me. Frankly, I think this is her niche. Her portraits of wild animals feel authentic and capture the spirit of the creature. She composes her paintings in such a way that we are a curious about what the animal could possible be thinking or feeling. In other words, she uses her art to create an intimate experience between her sense of an elephant, tiger or zebra and myself. A distinct connection is made, completing the circle between the artist and the admirer. That is success.

Roberston has been painting for about 30 years. She grew up watching her Italian father paint, but was never professionally instructed. She enjoys the exploration that oils on canvas afford.

“I paint because it’s calming-you kinda lose track of time and

“Elephant” by Jennifer Robertson

PAGE 32

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

place,” she explained. As an oil painter myself, I envy her ability to construct a painting keeping her lines even and straight. And she uses that skill to present her subject with striking eloquence. Four of her landscapes are part of a group exhibition in Pujo Street Cafe in downtown Lake Charles.

After enjoying a nice lunch, we made our way over to the Real Art Gallery.

Real Art DeRidder, a commercial gallery representing local talent, is an oasis for the soul. This gem began as an idea from the town’s Mayor, Ron Roberts. “The arts are the missing ingredient in our society,” Robertson said. “Culture is important because it is the ingredient that gives us the most pleasure.”

With the backing of the mayor, the visual artist community of DeRidder came together to form an arts cooperative. They renovated and opened the gallery on West First Street in DeRidder’s Downtown Cultural District.

Three years later, the gallery, in addition to the regular art exhibited there, features guest artists for solo exhibits each month.

When I walked into the gallery space, I was greeted with an exuberance that made me eager to sit and visit with the folks there.

Margo Roll appeared to be the leader as she stood with the others, watching, listening and observing. Although she has many years of experience with fine art, both as an artist and as a framer, it was the twinkle in her eye that got my attention.

Originally from Long Island, she has moved around frequently as a military wife. How did she handle the cultural diversity of the various places where she was required to live? "Bloom where you are planted," she said simply.

I could see that her twinkles Volume 4 • Issue 25

“Pansies” by Margo Roll emanate from her deep love and respect for the creative person and for art in general. Roll exemplifies the intention set forth by Mayor Roberts.

I was drawn to one of her paintings, a large oil on canvas of pansies. The colors are strong, vivid and alluring. Painting pansies is not a novel idea, nor is it unique to paint with bold colors.

But it is novel to present the subject with ease. Roll has a knack of presenting color that is intense, yet inviting at the same time. I enjoyed it immensely.

Oil is not her only medium. “I do it all,” she said. “Pen and ink, watercolors and oil. I've studied with about 60 teachers around the country!”

The RAD Gallery is home to all expressions of fine art, including pottery, sculpture, paintings and photography. For the month of March, the gallery will feature “Honor Youth Art Month,” an exhibit by the students of Beauregard Parish schools. Plan a date with yourself and take a little road trip to DeRidder to soak in the accomplishments of the area’s artists. If you want to see the gallery on Sunday, call ahead; they will gladly make arrangements to open the space. Find them at www.realartderidder.com/index.ht ml or call (337) 462-8900. TJN MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 33

Chocolate, Colors and Corpses!

“Life is like a box of chocolates.

You never know what you’re gonna get.” Mama Gump’s words are as true today as they were in 1994 when movie-goers first heard them.

And that’s exactly why the movie Forrest Gump went on to win six

Oscars including Best Adapted Screenplay.

Now I can’t promise I’ll always deliver such timeless words of wisdom, but in the weeks to come, I hope to offer you tasty tidbits of local film and theatre happenings

925 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles, LA • (337) 377-6616 PAGE 34

MARCH 21, 2013

as unpredictable as Mama Gump’s box of chocolates.

First up, if you’re as interested in making films as you are in watching them and don’t know about the Lake Area Film Group (LAFG), keep reading.

Whether you own a Red camera and an entire Arri light kit or don’t know an fstop from a stop sign, the LAFG welcomes you. The group is open to anyone in the Lake Area interested in making movies. The group meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. inside Stellar Beans coffee shop.

This month, a handful of members made a run to the Boomtown Film Festival in Beaumont and struck filmmaking oil. They stumbled upon a gusher of an idea in the movie The Exquisite Corpse Project and have decided to replicate a shorter version of it here in Southwest Louisiana.

Here’s how it works: One screenwriter writes five pages of the script and creates a list of characters for the writers that follow them. Then the next writer inherits that list of characters but only gets to read the last page of the previous writer’s script. Still with me? Finally, the entire script is stitched together until the screenplay is done.

Locally, the writing for a 15minute short film is already underway, but if you’re interested in taking part in the production process, the monthly meeting is March 28.

Now, if you’re more of a movie watcher than a movie maker, the Movies Under the Stars series at Prien Lake Park will kick off on Fridays in April. Films are shown on a large inflatable screen as soon as the sun goes down, so start times vary. If you like to sit up close, you’ll want to claim your picnic spot early and enjoy a little socializing before the sun sets. And if you’re not much of a picnic planner, different food options are available on site.

This spring, you’ll find there’s a movie for every taste with choices like the animated Wreck-It Ralph and the action packed Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol alongside the 2011 music-filled version of The Muppets. For the full schedule, go to www.cppj.ne/movies.

Now this year’s Oscars are over, but if you love watching award winning movies on the big screen, you don’t have to wait another year to do so. The current Classics Series films at Cinemark all have one thing in common: they’ve all won an Academy Award. And you can see them in their full-size, silver-screen glory on Wednesday nights at 7 p.m.

To make viewing them even more fun, I thought I’d offer some neat tidbits to look or listen for.

American Beauty (March 27) takes a dark look at what’s going on behind closed doors in the most ordinary of neighborhoods. The film, written and directed by Alan Ball, uses the color red often and quite strategically. Many previous viewers suggest the color represents the life force or passion. One quick example would be the film’s introduction to one of the main characters as she chops off red blooms in her rose garden. We later learn there is no passion in her life, but you’ll note that when it returns so does the color red around her. Each character in the movie has a different tie to the color red.

The next classic, Casablanca, directed by the talented Michael Curtiz, brings a treat for the ears on April 3. Many catch phrases in American slang are movie quotes from this one movie. “Here’s looking at you kid,” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” and “Round up the usual suspects,” are just a handful of familiar lines you might recognize.

Ironically, this movie also boasts the most misquoted line in movies.

The line “Play it again, Sam,” was never spoken in this film. The real line is “Play it, Sam. Play “As Time Goes By.” So if you’re fond of quotable dialogue you may want to check out Casablanca.

Finally, the third classic film is The Godfather directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola. A little added bonus while viewing this iconic mobster movie would be to count all the movie icons who acted in it before they were famous.

Sure, you remember Marlon Brando and Al Pacino, but I’ll bet you’ll find at least four other big names with young faces as you watch this New York tale of organized crime.

That’s all for this month. Until next time, save me a seat before the lights go down! TJN Volume 4 • Issue 25

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 35

EASTER - WORD SEARCH

Baskets Bunny Chicks Easter Eggs

Good Friday Jelly Beans Jesus Lilies March Thirty One

New Clothes Peeps Pocking Resurrection Spring

The Dot Game Players take turns connecting two dots. When you make a square, put your initials in the

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

box and take another turn. When all dots are connected, the player with the most boxes wins.

PAGE 36

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

ctor Dire

der useum n e l l n E dren's M a D By e Chil of th

Oz the Great and Powerful (Disney, 2013) Ever wonder about the backstory of the wonderful wizard? In these days, all storytelling is about the prequel, and so with great ambition, Oz the Great and Powerful and Disney studios claim their ground in creating a children’s backstory to the classic movie.

The movie opens in black and white, just like the original. In a tremendous sequence, we see a young

carnival magician, Oscar Diggs (James Franco), making a living on the windy sparse plains of Kansas.

He’s strictly second-rate carnival. His clothes need mending, his crowds are thin and the money is very tight.

Not only this, but Oscar is morally pretty shabby as well. He loves to woo the ladies who come along, and actor James Franco excels in this role, with a charming sleaze that he carries into his carnival show.

I got my hopes up for this film when the storm blew in which sends Oscar to Oz. The resulting panic on the ground with the impending storm perfectly recalls the same scenes in the original Wizard of Oz. Computer graphics didn’t exist

when the original Wizard was filmed, and I suppose the goal of Disney was to make Oz as magical as possible. To me they overdid it, but I would bet younger audiences find it refreshing and wonderful. There’s no end of magic once Oscar gets to Oz. There he meets Theodora (Mila Kunis), a Prada-styled witch who immediately catches Oscar’s eye. She also has a sister, Evanora, played by Rachel Weisz.

Weisz handles her witch’s role better than any actress I’ve ever seen, except maybe for Margaret Hamilton (look her up).

There’s a third witch. You and I both remember her: Glinda.

Oscar repeatedly calls her Wanda. Glinda’s father was the ruler of Oz, but has been killed and now the land is under a curse. Everyone is waiting for a great and powerful wizard from Kansas to set them free.

At this point, we reach the middle of the movie, which starts to drag. For some reason, the script becomes forced and false, and you feel sorry for the actors struggling with their shallow lines. The green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West makes her appearance here, and all I can say is she reminded me of the villain in The Mask. Same makeup artist, I think, and the same acting coach.

James Franco pretty much has to carry the movie himself, and does an admirable job playing the mediocre but humorous con artist who suddenly is called upon to save Oz from its dark days. As the man behind the curtain, his character is full of razzle dazzle. I ended up really believing he was the young Wizard of Oz. Instead of picking up a cowardly lion, scarecrow, and tin woodman on his journey, Oscar teams up with computer graphic characters China Girl and Finley (a flying monkey, no

less), possibly the most heartwarming beings in the movie. The film is also filled with Munchkins, Winkies, and Tinkers, all characters from the Oz books and in the original film. Sadly, there is little to no singing and dancing in Oz, which to me is a huge mistake, one of the things that made original Wizard such a classic. Well.

Times have changed.

All told, a good start and good finish make Oz the Great and Powerful just enough of a movie to be enjoyable for families. The film takes an honest swing at foreshadowing and recalling the magic of the classic story, while it attempts to become a classic in its own right.

Rated PG for screaming witches and flying monkeys. Have fun! TJN

FORET FLOORING

Full Service Flooring ~ Quality Installation

Hubert Foret

Cathy Morton

Come By and See Us For All Your Flooring Needs!

20x20 Traventine-Look Porcelain Hand-Scraped Wood • Laminate Vinyl • Ceramic • Carpet

959 SAM HOUSTON JONES PARKWAY, LAKE CHARLES• 855-6511 MON.-FRI. 8AM TO 5PM • SATURDAY BY APPOINTMENT

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 37

PAGE 38

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL RODEO The cowboys and girls gave us a weekend of bull riding, barrel racing, tie down roping, pole bending, goat tying and a lot more action at the Burton Coliseum. Yep, the Louisiana High School Rodeo Association came to town. A little cold weather couldn’t keep this tough crowd of fans, family and friends from coming out to cheer on their favorites.

Ride ‘em!!

Tyler Waguespack and Taylor Istre

Brooke and Brittany Veillon

Sheila, Kaetlin and Greg Lalond

Charlie Little and Jaycie Laughlin

Abby and Ryder Guillot

Camille Hanley, Kate Watkins and Gretchen Hanley

Tristan Martin and Rowdy Parrott

Shadd Bailey, Carter Phelps, Cyndie and Troy Bailey, Brennen Dimas

LIVE @ THE LAKEFRONT The Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana and the City of Lake Charles teamed up to bring us the first Live @ the Lakefront concert of the season!

The crowd enjoyed local R&B staple City Heat and the Barbe Show Choir at the Lakefront Promenade, along with food from area restaurants and crafts from talented vendors.

Fun for the whole family!

April Nixon, Kaylee Jones, Regan Ratliff and Meg Bon-Vuke Volume 4 • Issue 25

Natalie Phillips and A’nna Guillory

Susan Blevins, Laurie Cormier and Cinnamon Salvador MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 39

Katy LaBauve and Candace Duhon

Allen Singletary with Ellie Kate Fontenot

Jennifer Kurtz, Mia Vick, Heather Greenlee, Erica McCreedy, Angie Manning and Ashli Waldrep

LOUISIANA SWASHBUCKLERS SEASON OPENER Yay! The Swashbucklers are back!

The ninth season opener attracted a large crowd of indoor football fan-atics when the two-time defending PIFL Albany Panthers came to the Smuggler’s Den in the Lake Charles Civic Center to square off with our home team! It was an exciting night of fantastic family entertainment, music and performances from the First Mates and the Buccaneers of Lake Charles. See you at the next game!

Sarah Ford, Amy Herbert and Jennifer McHaffie

Ashlyn Freeland and Terri Wells

Ana Mallett, Missy Meaux and Kathy McKelvey PAGE 40

MARCH 21, 2013

Beth Ogea, Tori Touchet and Rosgneishia Elliot

Noah LeJeune and Noah Comeaux

Bella and Destiny Bonin

Max, Anna and Monica Duplechin

Hunter Wesley and Eric Marras

Rebecca, Rachel, Angela and Katelyn Callaway Volume 4 • Issue 25

EMPTY BOWL FUNDRAISER The fifth Empty Bowl fundraiser benefitting the Salvation Army was held at L’Auberge Casino Resort.

Bigger and better than ever, supporters were in for a grand evening as they were entertained by the Victory Belles and served delicious soups by 12 of the Lake Area’s premier chefs. Each attendee received a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl made by local potters as a token of appreciation for supporting the Salvation Army’s mission. Good work! TJN Mary Villamil, Sharon Henry and Jane Stine

Jerry LeBlanc and Rhonda Dion

Irene Vandever and Jacob Vincent

Trevelyn Johnson and Kyle Fontenot

Cathy Seale and Joyce Gamborg

Jackie and John Stromain

Maria and Beau Faul

Volume 4 • Issue 25

James Simpson and Alexus Jones

Jessica Dwight and Kelli Marcantel

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 41

DREAMGIRLS AT LUTCHER THEATRE MARCH 29 The sparkling new high-tech production of the Tony and Academy Award winning musical Dreamgirls will electrify audiences in Orange, Texas as Big League Productions, Inc. brings this high-energy Broadway hit show to the Lutcher Theater Friday, March 29, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. for one show only. Tickets for Dreamgirls are on sale now and range from $35-$65. Tickets are available at www.lutcher.org or (409) 886-5535.

MUD TRUCK MADNESS & MUSIC FEST MARCH 29-30 Where can you go for “Food, Fun and a Mud’n Good Time?”

The Fourth Annual Mud Truck Madness Mud and Music Fest is the place! It will take place Easter weekend, March 29-30 on Hwy. 476 in Negreet. Friday’s musical line-up includes After Hours, Beau Shyne, Cody Cook & the Bayou Outlaws and LA Roxx. Saturday, enjoy the music of Landry & Co., Bastion Cavalier, The Justin Merritt Band and JB & The Moonshine Band. The gates open daily at 7 a.m. General admission is $15 per day and $25 for a two-day pass. Children under 12 are free. Pit side parking is available for $25. For more information, go to www.toledobendlakecountry.com or call (318) 332-2199.

PAGE 42

MARCH 21, 2013

PUEBLO POTTERY GALLERY TALK APRIL 4 Dr. Ray Miles, Dean, College of Liberal Arts at McNeese State University, will conduct a gallery talk on Thurs., April 4 from 6-8 p.m. at 1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan Street. “Art Traditions among the Pueblo Indians” is open to all ages at no charge and is being held in conjunction with “Pueblo to Pueblo: The Legacy of Southwest Indian Pottery” currently on display. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.

PERSON OF THE YEAR EVENT HONORING SYLVIA STELLY APRIL 4 Mark your calendars! On Thurs., April 4, The Jambalaya News honors Sylvia Chaves Stelly, winner of The Jam’s 2012 Person of the Year award with a dinner at the Chateau du Calcasieu in downtown Lake Charles. Tickets are $25 per person, with the proceeds benefitting the good works of the La Familia Resource Center. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call (337) 436-7800 ext. 105.

CAJUN MUSTANGERS CLUB CAR SHOW APRIL 6 The Cajun Mustangers will be having their annual car show on April 6.

There will be food, drinks and door prizes, and auction items up for bid.

Come out to see some great cars and to have some great family fun. A portion of the proceeds from the show will go to Wounded Warriors charitable organization. The event will be held at Tarver Ford, 930 N. Beglis Pkwy, Sulphur, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. For more information, call 433-8504.

LAKE CHARLES SYMPHONY APRIL 6 “A Journey of Life,” the final concert of the Lake Charles Symphony’s 2012-2013 season, will be held Sat., April 6, in the Rosa Hart Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday’s program includes the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, known for its technical brilVolume 4 • Issue 25

liance, and the rich and the passionate Symphony No. 6 in B Minor (Pathetique)

by Tchaikovsky. Lin He, the symphony’s concert master, will be soloist for what is considered one of the greatest concertos in the repertoire. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors/students. They may be purchased at the Symphony Office, 809 Kirby St., Room 210; the Civic Center Box Office, or online at www.lcsymphony.org.

RAILROAD DAYS FESTIVAL APRIL 11-13 Take a step back in time at the annual Railroad Days Festival April 11-13. Enjoy the historic Railroad Museum, Railroad Days Queens’ Pageant and the Bows & Barks Doggie Pageant. Other festivities include a parade, look-a-like contest, 5K run, model train show, old timers reunion, the Railroad Idol Contest and live entertainment including featured entertainer Mark Chesnutt! Hours are April 11 from 5-11 p.m., April 13 from 3-11 p.m. and April 13 from 8:30 a.m. midnight. DeQuincy Railroad Museum is located at 400 Lake Charles Avenue, DeQuincy. For more information, call (337) 786-8241.

Cancer in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, runs from 6 p.m. April 13 to 6 a.m. April 14 in the McNeese Quad. Registration is $5 per person and open to individuals as well as teams. All relay proceeds will benefit cancer research. In addition to food and games, a live “Battle of the Bands” will be held from 11 p.m.–3 a.m. in the Quad. For more information, email ariel.caraway@cancer.org or call (337) 433-5817, ext. 2. TJN

RELAY FOR LIFE APRIL 13-14 A Relay for Life event to raise awareness and funds for cancer will be held April 13-14 on the McNeese State University campus.

The event, sponsored by the McNeese chapter of Colleges Against

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 43

Sponsored by

To list your event e-mail: lauren@thejambalayanews.com

The

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20 • Kory Fontenot @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• William Christian @ Cigar Club, 8 p.m.

• The Posse @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 21 • Matt Hoggatt @ Cooler’s Ice House, 6 p.m.

• Tom Brandow @ Otis & Henry’s, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 6 p.m.

• Jamie Berzas @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Richard LeBoeuf @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

• Open Mic Night @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Blackbird @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• DJ Eric Scott @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 22 • Wayne Dylan @ Otis & Henry’s, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 6 p.m.

• Scotty Pousson & Pointe aux Loups Playboys @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Street Side Jazz Band @ Luna Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

• J.C. Melancon @ Mary’s Lounge, 7 p.m.

• No Idea @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

• Ashes of Babylon/Lochness Mobsters @ Lake Charles Civic Center, 8 p.m.

• Jen Kober @ Luna Live, 8 p.m.

• Tassie Burnette & Hundred Dollar Habit @ Stellar Beans, 8 p.m.

• Wooden Wings/Oddfellows/Elephunk @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Brian Moore/Alien Tramp @ Cigar Club, 8 p.m.

• Lil Abe Manuel & Dew Knot Playboyz @ Linda’s Lounge, 8 p.m.

• Bernie Alan Band @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• Matchbox Twenty @ L’Auberge Event Center, L’Auberge Casino, 8:30 p.m.

• Bon Journeys @ Yesterday’s, 9 p.m.

• Big Al Carson & Blues Masters @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• DJ Eric Scott @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 23 • Briggs Brown & Bayou Cajuns @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Buddy Guy/Jimmie Vaughan @ Delta Event Center, Delta Downs, Vinton, 7 p.m.

• No Idea @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

• Down the Phoenix @ Luna Live, 8 p.m.

• When the Word Was Sound/England in 1819 @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• J.D. Newbury & Southwind @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• Damon Troy & Final Five @ Yesterday’s, 9 p.m.

• Big Al Carson & Blues Masters @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• DJ Eric Scott @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

SUNDAY, MARCH 24 • Brad Brinkley & Comfort Zone @ Mary’s Lounge, 5 p.m.

• TK Hulin/Steve Adams & Smoke @ Yesterday’s, 6 p.m.

PAGE 44

MARCH 21, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

TUESDAY, MARCH 26 • DJ Brewmaster @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27 • Natural Vibrations/Sol Tribe @ Luna Live, 8 p.m.

• Marcus Sawyer & The Mechanical Heart @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Neal Smith @ Cigar Club, 8 p.m.

• 3 of a Kind @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, MARCH 28 • Mike Dolan/Stratton Doyle @ Otis & Henry’s, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 6 p.m.

• Howard Noel & Cajun Boogie @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Open Mic Night @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Chee Weez @ Pool Island Area, L’Auberge Casino, 8 p.m.

• Ganey Arsement & Lakeside Gamblers @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• DJ Adriana @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

6 p.m.

• Steel Shot/Muzic Unlimited @ The Pavilion, Coushatta Casino, 6 p.m.

• Travis Benoit & Allons Dancer @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Street Side Jazz Band @ Luna Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

• DJ Jet @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Ryan Bourque/Kevin Johnson/Wes Spears @ Cigar Club, 8 p.m.

• X-It 43 @ Linda’s Lounge, 8 p.m.

• Bag of Donuts @ Pool Island Area, L’Auberge Casino, 8 p.m.

• Prophets & Outlaws @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• Louisiana Express/Johnnie Alan @ Yesterday’s, 9 p.m.

• BB & Company @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• DJ Adriana @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

• Joe Simon & Louisiana Cajun @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• DJ Chicago Velvet Smooth/ Semantic Junkys @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

• Ryan Bunch @ Cigar Club, 8 p.m.

• Molly Ringwalds @ Pool Island Area, L’Auberge Casino, 8 p.m.

• City Heat @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• Geno Delafosse & French Rockin Boogie @ Yesterday’s, 9 p.m.

• BB & Company @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• DJ Adriana @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m.

• TBA @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 4 • TBA @ Otis & Henry’s, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 6 p.m.

• Homer LeJeune & Kajun Kings @ DI’s Cajun Restaurant, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Cypress @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

• TBA @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

• DJ Jose Mata @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge Casino, 11 p.m. TJN

TUESDAY, APRIL 2 • DJ Rae @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3 • When the Word Was Sound/Silo Homes @ Dharma, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, MARCH 30 • Cajun Heat/Zydecane/Ambush @ The Pavilion, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, MARCH 29 • Alex Rosell @ Otis & Henry’s, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake,

Volume 4 • Issue 25

MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 45

Leslie B e four dec rman’s career in ades, an music folksing er, mus d includes stin spans ic teach ts as a booker, e c tival dir oncert promote r, coffeehouse r e notes w ctor, music jou , publicist, fesr r nalist, a it e r, a organiz ation pr rtist manager lbum , trade esident, attorney ent ,a Museum nd president o ertainment f She pre of Southwest the Music fers all Louisian eclectic , and things music a. ally GRAM votes M Recordin Ys as a mem on the g Aca ber o reached at leslie@ demy. She c f the an leslieber man.co be m. t uitaris love g ngwriter n. Or that ds for h r g our and so d Thompso w RT reco ivore, whic atchin e r c f n a l e a a h m r c a d ’s i O e n l R labels vinyl. roduc s including , Thompso iversary, p d w r e ’s o n e c h e ’s l s o w r e p nn dt be ndent tapes on n s Van Zan he ous la Strict Tem n its 30th a and his ex e i r p a e v d e T d o d t ’s in l n : e , n n s o y w e o a m o s c o – B T ith re-rele ental albu rd Thomp ts. Most re and ears w e late, great (Sunshine emos 1971 a m c z h e u e Th instr issued Ric son’s proj untry, jaz n releas nivore ns & D e CD dio Sessio y 5 on Om s phel d re lts, o b nk, co homp u o d thi - an fe Linda T released fu l in the vau only on Stu Februar e f d e o r r a e h l e t i a w Unh out as of ne examp he label’s d ateri ivore many RVSn an , Omn rds from m portantly, al short ru a fi welski, t y ” on K y r 72) l e s e 9 i c c i 1 , u s R i o m d g i c c a m y o n , e e t i r P r r d h p r i d p l s c n e t D folk d HD, a Recor on. Chery ominated me that h some inyl. ya g to “ s to ca an d r-n uding n colored v , Pawelski en l l D stenin ew Orlean s startled b the e Y i c o m v l C t n e o M i , s r n n , a I w ng to N of I wa eciirecto estalt lens, yl LPs GRAM ions o ld but rivi enix, when by Bill Boe a spin of time ing A&R D cords of o nd reissues eso- vin ectors’ edit the label’s g h making d se. d , M e l d F o col rs wit ibing found ny’s new r cordings, a pular and ly made l relea rix, to Ph ounce o l a Descr the partne nivore wil at are e flight comment back-ann Jimi Hend a p r p i c y d m e b e o p s s l c s y e m y th al she rk lea ,e cheek host. As h Comin’ b Hell and redits out what O ce projects ur hearts,” , ore-re of-print wo g very well which out f c e b ? , ’s A t u o rd ab utllin rds, show My Train om People believe i sions ant to prod re close to out a reco e’re long o rtists are se vinyl reco u l t s a i w u t W a p d . e n a l “Hear , “That’s fr ed. Can yo nd he’s stil r i h . e teric he noted, r formats ivore reco lion “W ningful, t decide to f the lab akes d s a l he sai , just relea ince 1970 mea When we he tone o e that m d r well, s s and othe o one Omn h multi-mi s a s l e D ttle h t Ange been dead i n i h l t C er is t aid. “ cord d – on w h , l a l e g s t se h d .” hou te in sale a or Mus quali- s r baromet conic bran ce on a re usic we t d n Guy’s ng records O, I thoug cording, an ’s A ou Gag mpe A i g on x the m a chan g an i releas er I L’d MF ology of re mi Hendri ault likely to co rs by Lady del, relyin can make uildin uyers take nivore – so ority. The b , e o t n i v s f J A the ’s ng tech nge that ss m r, topp rket Om t pri sic b chart- ore busine o niche ma ntities amo ell- mu use it’s on be our firs eate, devou ical ut the at s from ra s v a t a r i er abo d it isn’t st aveled to u years. Wh o c u c t u [ m s be g Omn ’s s sold tinum ing q e r + s goin and motto nt hungry i e realiz has time-t red for 43 ears, there t we ty product ctably–sell e risky pla certainly v o l a y o a n di the on name We w music it’s been st r all these ong ago th ing. in pre jects what strategy ca h the upete in r label’s ] say it all: ike us.” p p u m e s l t e o a f r g t c t o o l t j pr rou angible tha whe e is that a rded tha orth rele ew repea urers. Just small label aining ma any many , and n t o ival th w t a s m n i e e s r e strang ff Jimi rec and that’s put out a uip er can earn label’s surv market for e v r o d w o a w d th the fe niv q u o , t o t t e e a s m r h e art e h h l a l y y t l O t o i m b n f t m f i S s wi i’s s? I eard een poss , and ma panies ng s ce sure nturns o k e i e l s h n c i l l e a d e e l ’t s n n p w ’s i t l a d have always b sed artist ord com e labe d dow marke and the big reating an d an audien ous, P c It’s &R n actor in th d from cea led at rec t to take - an sic sales. n s e y i l A f duc b d e r b n e a ’s a t l by mu well as h n, i at ca oderate pro sts, eve into prin the pub jor f at roame d l o a h i r t t n o m a s e c c t e a e i r b As ind lty projec their m keting co v y is orks vantage of star’s on th e has r ce sav ur discussi p, through for catad fa a or jib hing new w l a o p specia ent to cove g and mar t e s e a u u l k s is, va In o llar start r in A&R i in . r c s fit. i u s f for ru t f e licity ut the fact ed, c c u d s ste ufa le pro d company ree an suc a b n ’s y c a a e g r B r n s n o n m . o t o u o a , s h s v o i tion ake a rea welski an ultiple deat gy has ch cordOmni ki’s illustri n to the h s, she drew a re o s s olo l g e n e d d l n n h i n i w and m at means P develop m ensing o t c s a a a f e u , t P cts c b ience cre ets, fe o io o i i e t l j h s d lic o f u u T y l r l a e t m p per l boxed s log es of the cien , including d taking ii x f the sh the ability n up the f e e f o k s i wor e stream s lea nd rtun V, an vagar us decades y successfu ts for ings a s have to c e recording and T priate oppo parnd l l c om a s p h e c , j g m n i n o l o i r i r o h s f e d w i o p o t e r of of a g or vis engin uality of th entially. An as usic f e of all app he quality sacridreds d recordin catalog di s, Rhino n m u h h n q g ’ o s n e ic e tt ta sound reased exp ying publ p for reissues a tol Records roup, iTun tists such a advan ensure tha will never b u i c u r b G p n a o i ’s a t e c g t r i i , s h C n s o s t a i / t h tie as, tha s EMI ncord Mu d others f on, Miles ds. ecord rand as it h de it clear e last peek ’ h ular r lack of fun mnivore b an ev c c Co , i a Z t t r e s n r n o t B e f o e s ma i eO lity for rm art Warr , The ske tainm ficed veloping th g high qua g one o ts favorite sets.

Enter Franklin, er, Chicago , Judy Hen e. n o i n e i l i s t c o a D s l l d c t in ele pre s and Areth Bette Mid t, The Ban tiny samp sly eant s tering and d-recognim trunk ich is why w , u a r s s a i o a e i h s bv tew am Dav Wh some ne g bran g, ma packhow o Rod S st to n mixin s, designin and clever folBoys, ed Neil, ju no matter hlighted, ils r , a r vendo rough chic ing a loyal isand F ach project d to be hig tion to det p h d t e n e n v e o r t ti develo ell-placed s at And ject dese d k. r u n o o a n l , w a u w g h c ’s n t i b i h i t u g k c g e . s i s u a g t l m c e its og g thro rketin re ecle ed the that of Paw lowin on and ma e that catal receiv hallmark is even mo d to learn h i e a e t tribut e want to b that’s elski’s tast be surpris ndt, we bo “W a Z Paw ou won’t Van s y e o n t s w , nd mine ition to To an Za V s in add e wn

gs: n i d r eco 2 R e r o t v Omni Files, Par Audio

To

PAGE 46

MARCH 7, 2013

Volume 4 • Issue 25

brand,” Pawelski said, which usually means re-issuing previously released but now out-of- print records, but she told me that most of Omnivore’s releases, with few exceptions, are records “that never existed in nature” before they were born at her label.

Pawelski’s insights are too interesting to spell out in shorthand here, so I’m planning on one more look--at the part of our con-

versation about audio quality. But here’s a teaser, a comment that took us off into an intense discussion. Speaking of why she left Rhino Entertainment, she said, “I realized they were more intent on shutting it down as a physical product label, because they’d drunk the Kool-Aid of digital [to become a licensing and digital label.]” More provocative statements to come. Check this space.

TJN

Killin’ Time Crossword ACROSS 1. Tough guy 5. "The Pit and the Pendulum" writer 8. Deep in thought 12. "Grey's Anatomy" actress Winningham 13. ___ Arbor 14. Algerian port 15. Halloween costume 17. Burlesque bit 18. National Mall institution 20. Anatomical duct 21. "___ there, done that" 22. Attention 25. Will Smith title role 26. "Dear" one 29. Washington D.C.'s original urban planner 33. Pitcher's asset 34. Paleontologist's estimate 35. Grimm beginning 36. Billionth: Prefix 38. Soundless communication (abbr.)

40. Congress neighborhood 44. Darling dog 45. Freed 47. ___'acte (intermission) 48. Rescuer of Odysseus, in myth 49. Bananas 50. "___ la vie" 51. Poker prize 52. English prep school

Volume 4 • Issue 25

DOWN 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Queen Mary's letters Thousand ___, Calif.

Utah city Hand over Trails Lennon's in-laws Dignify First name in talk shows 9. Bill Clinton, e.g.

10. Hurt 11. Big bang producer 16. Greek vowel 19. Teutonic turndown 22. Tax pro, for short 23. Tire filler 24. Scraps 25. Oktoberfest drink 27. Part of some co. names 28. 66, e.g. (abbr.)

30. Rajah's wife 31. Self-aggrandizement 32. Leaves 37. Not together 38. Apportion 39. "Thar ___ blows!"

40. Sugar source 41. Vintner's prefix 42. Future atty.'s exam 43. Danish toy company 44. Japanese computer giant 46. Actor Aykroyd

© Lovatts Publications Pty Ltd MARCH 21, 2013

PAGE 47