VOL. 2, NO. 1 /APRIL 8, 2010
•Happy Anniversary to Us! •Get the Scoop on Cold Stone Creamery •Austin’s Premier Music Festival
PAGE 2
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
GENERAL 715 Kirby St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-436-7800 Fax: 337-990-0262 www.thejambalayanews.com
contents 31
publisher@thejambalayanews.com
REGULARS
lauren@thejambalayanews.com
EDITOR Lisa Yates lisa@thejambalayanews.com
CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Berman George Cline James Doyle Dan Ellender Maria Alcantara Faul Houston Jones Mike McHugh Mary Louise Ruehr Brandon Shoumaker Karla Tullos ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANT Patricia Prudhomme SALES ASSOCIATES Jody Barrilleaux Katy Corbello Faye Drake Sarah Puckett Karla Tullos GRAPHICS ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Darrell Buck
April 8, 2010 • Volume 2 • Issue 1
COVER STORY
PUBLISHER Phil de Albuquerque NEWS MANAGING EDITOR Lauren de Albuquerque
On Cover: Paula Hilliard accompanies her daughter, Madison, to make a deposit at FFB, with Katrina Joubert, teller. Photo by Michelle LaVoie.
7 12 13 14 25 29 42
Teaching Children to Save
The Boiling Pot The Dang Yankee Tip’s Tips Doyle’s Place Greener World What’s Cookin’ Sports Report
FEATURES 5 16 18 22 38 62
Happy Anniversary to Us! LWV Annual Banquet Bayou Biz: Cold Stone Creamery Haiti: Hope and Faith Part 2 My Life in the Circus Part 2 SXSW: Austin’s Premier Music Festival
31 49 5
ENTERTAINMENT 44 47 48 49 50 54 58 60
Red Hot Books Funbolaya Killin’ Time Crossword Family Night at the Movies Society Spice Jambalaya Jam The Local Jam Eclectic Company
ART/PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Michelle LaVoie BUSINESS OFFICE MANAGER Kay Andrews
25
29
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, 826 Ford 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 2009 The Jambalaya News all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. Volume 2 • Issue 1
18 We are now accepting credit cards! APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 3
F
A Note From Lauren Spring Has Sprung Spring is here, and everyone’s thoughts turn to, among other things— spring cleaning. Inside and out, we’re all cleaning out closets, washing curtains, planting flowers and trimming or getting rid of all the palm trees and plants that didn’t make it through the deep frosts we had this winter. Spring cleaning is a lot easier and more joyful here than up North because, well, it’s really spring—it’s not just a date on the calendar. There’s nothing worse than getting all excited to bring your summer clothes out of the attic—only to have the temperatures plummet yet again. Or having a late season snow smite those crocuses that were hopefully poking out of the ground. Mother Nature can be spiteful. As we go to print, the azaleas are in full bloom all over the Lake Area (including in front of our home) along with my favorite wisteria. When we lived in our huge old house in Southeastern Massachusetts, there were wisteria vines in the back garden that twisted and climbed wherever they could. I was constantly tripping over their tentacle-like roots, which made mowing the lawn quite a chore, but I just love their scent. I would bring bunches into the house, but the next day, they’d be dead, drooping over the rims of the vases, their petals scattered on the floor. Our home sat on close to an acre of land in the middle of downtown Taunton, which is about a half hour from Rhode Island. We had the most amazing fruit trees and flowers. Forsythia, rhododendron, lilacs (which I miss terribly, since there are none down here), ornamental plums, dogwood, peonies, irises, roses, violets, and lilies-of-the valley, along with apple, cherry and pear trees… I’m sure I’m missing something. What a magical place. We never planted a thing; all we had to do was trim and weed and prune. I always felt that we didn’t own the land; that we were just its caretakers for a while. While the trees were very, very old, the late wife of the previous owner had planted most of the flowers. She came from England, bringing seeds with her that thrived in the cool damp earth so similar to that of her homeland.
PAGE 4
APRIL 8, 2010
The only tree that we wish we didn’t have was the hawthorn. Although the blossoms are pretty, the odor is abominable—it smells like rotten fish. I’ll never forget the huge garage sale we had at our house one spring to benefit a non-profit group that we were involved in. As we set up all the tables, I kept getting a whiff of something nasty. I thought something had died near the house. It didn’t take me long to discover where the odor was coming from. Of course, by then it was too late to move the tables, so I had to sit there for hours, totally embarrassed by that vile smell, hoping that the yard-salers were too distracted by what we had for sale to notice anything else. As I mentioned before, Mother Nature can be spiteful! I found this picture in my photo album of Phil and I in our magical garden that first spring that we lived in Taunton. It brings back wonderful memories for us. I know all of you have your own springtime memories, too. Treasure them, but don’t forget to make some new ones!
– Lauren de Albuquerque
TJN
Volume 2 • Issue 1
By Lauren de Albuquerque
We did it! As I write this article, we are wrapping up Volume 2, No. 1 of The Jambalaya News. This means that we’ve been in business for one full year. It seems like just yesterday that Lisa Yates, Darrell Buck, my husband Phil and I all sat down together at our dining room table and started brainstorming about what kind of publication we wanted to produce. We wanted something lively and colorful, something much different than what was already on the stands in Southwest Louisiana. And we didn’t want any bad news or negative content. There’s enough of that going around—in print, on the Internet, and on television. We didn’t need to spread more of it. Most important, Phil and I wanted our product to reflect how we feel about our
Volume 2 • Issue 1
adopted home. Since we arrived here, our enthusiasm about everything the Lake Area has to offer has never waned, and friends have always told us how infectious our enthusiasm is. We wanted others to experience the wonderful life that Southwest Louisiana offers through our eyes. We also wanted to create a publication that would appeal to readers of all ages—from children to seniors. Of course, we needed a catchy title; something that would represent what we wanted to convey. “Jambalaya” seemed to fit the bill. Once we had the name, it was pretty easy to come up with the types of columns and features that we wanted to include. And we were so fortunate that so many topnotch writers who shared our vision wanted to contribute. One month after that first meeting at the dining room table, Volume 1, No. 1 was on the stands—an issue that was basically put together on our home computers while
we worked 24/7 to get it all done. Phil was our only salesperson at the time, so in addition to his contracting job at Ft. Polk, he was running all over the city selling ads. When I held that first issue in my hands, I knew we had a winner. With Lloyd Lauw, Jean Lafitte 2009, and his merry band of Buccaneers gracing the cover, The Jambalaya News flew off the stands. One of the first phone calls we ever received was from an elderly man who had found The Jam in a hospital waiting room. “I’ve been stuck here all day,” he told me. “And I happened to pick this up. I love it!” When I asked him if he had any suggestions for us, he said, “Just keep on doing what you’re doing!” And we have—except, I think, we’ve made it even better. And our working conditions are a little better, too. We purchased a beautiful building on Kirby St. in downtown Lake Charles that’s a pleasure to work from and is a far cry from the
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 5
early days. Although, we did move our dining room table there for old-time’s sake—and we still gather around it for meetings. So, 25 issues later, Phil and I want to thank everyone who has helped make The Jambalaya News the fastest growing publication in Southwest Louisiana: Editor Lisa Yates and Art Director Darrell Buck, the original dream team, who were with us from the very beginning, and whose hard work, dedication and expertise created the amazing product that we have today. Lisa and Darrell are the ultimate perfectionists—and it shows. We simply could not have done it without you—and hope you know how much we value you both. And now Darrell has a fantastic assistant in Michelle LaVoie, who is such a fast learner that she produced our Magic of Mardi Gras issue all by herself. Way to go, Michelle! Patricia Prudhomme, whose extensive sales knowledge guided us on the right path, and who laid the groundwork for our future sales team. And who always makes sure she gives Darrell a hard time. Our dynamic sales team: Faye Drake, Katy Corbello, Karla Tullos, Sarah Puckett and Jody Barrilleaux. Keep up the good work—you’re all stars! Office Manager Kay Andrews, who keeps it all together, and keeps us together, even when a million things are going on and Phil is moving at warp speed. All of our terrific advertisers, who took a
chance with a new publication and believed in our product. Because of your confidence in us, we’ve continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Our awesome contributors whose articles continue to inform and entertain us. We’ve got the best. Our growing readership, the people of Southwest Louisiana (and beyond, we’re thrilled to say), whose enthusiastic support acknowledges that The Jambalaya News has made the impact that we were hoping for. And finally, I would like to personally thank my husband Phil, who said “Yes,” when I asked him if we could start a publication—and who hasn’t spent much quality time with his wife this past year. Thank you for making my dream come true—I love you from the bottom of my heart. TJN
Hope Therapy Center Hope Therapy Center is a comprehensive outpatient clinic located on East Prien Lake Road here in Lake Charles. We provide physical, occupational and speech therapy services for patients of all ages. We love what we do and are excited for the opportunity to provide services for you or your family member. If you wish to know more about our programs, check out our website at www.hopetherapycenter.net Bottom Row, Left to Right: Sonya M. Brooks, Owner, MA, CCC-SLP and Kim B. Anderson, Owner, PT, DPT Top Row, Left to Right: Mika Doucet, LOTR, MOT and Emily D. Pelican, MS, CF-SLP.
PAGE 6
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
The
Boiling
P l
Please submit press releases to lauren@thejambalayanews.com
CAMERON STATE BANK ANNOUNCES RECENT PROMOTIONS Roy Raftery, Jr., president and CEO of Cameron State Bank, announced three recent promotions. Jody Bourgeois has been named a personal banking officer. Her duties include helping customers with new accounts as well as assisting with branch operations. Bourgeois has been with CSB for 14 years. Kim Carrere was named administrative assistant to the executive vice president of operations and is responsible for operational research, assistance with cash management services and Internet banking. Carrere has 10 years of banking experience. Renee Lassiter was named accounting department supervisor, overseeing accounts payable and general ledger. She has been with CSB for six years.
CALCASIEU PARISH MCDONALD’S AND THE LOUISIANA SWASHBUCKLERS TEAM UP TO FIGHT BREAST CANCER Calcasieu Parish McDonald’s restaurants have teamed up with the Louisiana Swashbucklers in the fight against breast cancer by sponsoring special-edition pink footballs saluting the Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer 3K. All proceeds from the sales of the footballs will benefit the Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer 3K. Since 2004, the event has raised funds for local breast cancer survivors in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes through an annual walk in October. The pink Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer 3K footballs will be available for a $50 donation at the Treasure Chest during Louisiana Swashbucklers home games and at the team offices in the Lake Charles Civic Center outside of game times. The footballs will also be available for purchase on the Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer 3K Web site at www.ethelbreastcancer.org. For more information, contact Jen Breen at 478-7396 or jbreen@ocarroll.com.
Pictured left to right: Samuel Knight, Louisiana Swashbucklers, Doug Gehrig, Calcasieu Parish McDonald’s, Ethel Precht, Gay Gehrig, Calcasieu Parish McDonald’s and Thomas Russell, Louisiana Swashbucklers. Volume 2 • Issue 1
RE/MAX REALTY PROS RECEIVE HONORS RE/MAX Realty Pros and its agents in Lake Charles received numerous honors at the RE/MAX Dixie Region Louisiana Awards Ceremony held recently at the Harrah’s Hotel in New Orleans. Suzanne McCoy and her Real McCoy Team were named the No. 10 team in the state in gross commissions earned. Barbara Diamond, Robert Denison, Analee Gregory, Suzanne McCoy and Jade Miles received the RE/MAX 100% Club Award and Ashley Matte received the RE/MAX Executive Club Award. All the awards are given by RE/MAX International based on their criteria. Robert Denison was also awarded the Cooperative Spirit Award by his peers at RE/MAX Realty Pros in Lake Charles. The Cooperative Spirit Award is voted on by the associates in the office based on helpfulness and camaraderie exhibited during the year by the recipient. RE/MAX Realty Pros received the award for the Third Highest Average Number of Transactions per Agent, with 21.7 transactions per agent in 2009.
Analee Gregory
Ashley Matte
Barbara Diamond
Jade Miles
Robert Denison
Suzanne McCoy
WOMEN & CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL EARNS AWARD FOR INPATIENT SATISFACTION Women & Children’s Hospital was recently recognized with an Excellence Through Insight Award for “Overall Inpatient Satisfaction” in the small hospital (less than 100 beds) category by HealthStream Research, the research business group of HealthStream, Inc. Women & Children’s Hospital was chosen for APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 7
receiving the highest ratings in inpatient satisfaction from among HealthStream Research’s clients, as well as exceeding industry standards. To qualify for an award, a hospital must have been a patient satisfaction-tracking client of HealthStream Research in 2009, scored in the 75th percentile or higher, and surveyed a minimum of 100 patients. A formal presentation of the award will be made during HealthStream’s Customer Summit 2010 in May. KEVIN COOLEY CELEBRATES 20TH YEAR WITH NORTHWESTERN MUTUAL Kevin B. Cooley, financial advisor, recently celebrated his 20th anniversary with Northwestern Mutual. Cooley joined the company in 1990 as a financial representative and has been recognized for achieving the National Quality award, Life Impact award and Million Dollar Round Table. Cooley is a native of Lake Charles and received a business degree from McNeese State University. He is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, Glad Tidings Church, and currently serves Kevin Cooley on the board for The Pioneer Club. He is married to Shari and they have one daughter, Isabella. For more information about Northwestern Mutual, log on to www.northwesternmutual.com. CAMERON COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTS MISSIONARIES Groups of Catholic high school students from Houston recently descended upon Hackberry in an effort to rebuild the community from the destruction left by Hurricane Ike last fall, coordinated by St. Peter’s Catholic Church. While in Cameron Parish, Cameron Communications pitched in with the donation of a large tent and monetary contributions to help defray the cost of the students’ stay. A majority of the donation went to the rental of portable shower units for the volunteers. CAMERON STATE BANK RECEIVES #1 RANKING Cameron State Bank, Lake Charles, was named overall best bank in Louisiana for excellent performance and soundness among banks with $50 million or more in assets for the 4th quarter of 2009, based on information that was compiled and reported in the Louisiana Bank Performance Report, which is published by Financial Management Consulting Group. Performance rankings for Louisiana banks are based on eight financial factors. Six of those factors are based on earnings or components of earnings. Additional components such as operating overhead, efficiency ratio, return on assets, and return on equity are also included in the evaluation.
GET THE DETOXIFYING BODY WRAP OF THE STARS AND LOOK 10-30” SLIMMER TODAY. GUARANTEED! $25 OFF 1ST WRAP! SERVICES: Age Reversing Face Taping.......2 for $125 Airbrush Tanning .........................$35 Tanning Beds ...............................$35/month Wellness Products Available
Went from a size 14 after her third child... down to a size 4...at Slender Solutions! Just imagine what we can do for you!
APPOINTMENTS ONLY 562-9400
1602 W. McNeese St. PAGE 8
APRIL 8, 2010
Credit Cards Accepted
Hattie McCoy, Jody Dominick, LaShonda Boutte, Michael Marshall and Shiu ‘Judy’ Chen (Leroy Riggs not pictured) L’AUBERGE DU LAC CASINO RESORT NAMES FEBRUARY FIVE STAR EMPLOYEES L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort recently announced its February Five Star Employees and Employee of the Month. The February Five Stars are: Hattie McCoy, a porter; LaShonda Boutte, a table games dealer; Jody Dominick, an engineer; Leroy Riggs, a Le Café cook; Michael Marshall, a Spa du Lac massage therapist; and Shiu “Judy” Chen, an Asia food server. Shiu “Judy” Chen was also designated as the February Employee of the Month and is now eligible to receive the coveted Employee of the Year award.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF SWLA HOLDS FIRST MEETING The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana recently held its initial Annual Meeting and is pleased to announce its Board of Directors and Officers for fiscal year 2010. The newly elected officers and directors are: Philip Earhart, chair; Greg Webb, vice chair; Lehrue Stevens, M.D., secretary; Dan Donald, treasurer; David Reinauer, past chair; Mark Boniol, Edwin F. Hunter, III, Larry Maynard, Reed Mendelson, Susan Blake Montgomery, Paul Pettefer, Frank Pruitt, Tom Shearman, Vic Stelly, Ulysses Gene Thibodeaux, Jonald Walker, and Mary Leach Werner. Lisa Verrette serves as president/CEO. The Foundation works with philanthropists and assists in fundraising campaigns to help improve the quality of life in SWLA. Based in Lake Charles, the Foundation serves Calcasieu, Beauregard, Allen, Cameron and Jeff Davis parishes. L’AUBERGE GM LARRY LEPINSKI MOVES ON Pinnacle Entertainment recently announced that Larry Lepinski, vice president and general manager for L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort, is leaving the company to pursue other interests. Paul Hutchens has been named interim general manager. Hutchens is currently senior director of finance at the awardwinning luxury resort. He joined L’Auberge in 2006 with more than fourteen years of property operations experience. The search for a new vice president and general manager to lead L’Auberge and its highly trained team members is already underway. Pinnacle Entertainment is seeking a candidate who can create a world class guest experience while boosting market share for the resort and who will have a strong community presence in Southwest Louisiana. AD AND PRESS CLUB ELECTS NEW OFFICERS The Ad and Press Club of Southwest Louisiana recently elected officers for its 2010 board of directors. Members and their responsibilities include Vera Hollier, president; Brett Downer first vice president; Pam McGough, second vice president; Leslie Harless, treasurer; Heather Fazzio, secretary; Cassondra Guilbeau, public relations; Shireen Santhanasamy, historian and scholarships coordinator; Tracy Beaugh sponsorships coordinator and Laura Heller, board member at large. The Ad and Press Club of Southwest Louisiana is a professional and social organization aimed at unifying members of the media, public relations and marketing community. The club’s active membership consists of individuals engaged in buying, selling, creating or producing advertising or those engaged in gathering, editing or reporting news or related fields. For more information, visit www.adpressclub.com. CSE MARKETING ATTENDS CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. Continued growth is the reasoning behind CSE Federal Credit Union’s participation in the 2010 CUNA Marketing and Business Development Conference. The marketing department traveled to Washington D.C. to attend this event, which set the standards of development for credit union awareness and the CSE brand. The Credit Union National Association’s Council of Marketing and Business Development strives to increase professionalism of credit union marketers and business development professionals. CSE Federal Credit Union was proud to have had the following representatives attend: Colleen Desselle, director of marketing; Megan Willis, marketing communications specialist; and Tova Oustalet, business development representative. COUSHATTA CASINO RESORT NAMES DAVID KASPAR DIRECTOR OF GOLF David Kaspar has been named director of golf at Coushatta Casino Resort’s award-winning golf course, Koasati Pines at Coushatta. In his new position, he will oversee all course operations, including pro shop retail sales, guest relations, and tournament activities. Kaspar has over 18 years of experience as a golf professional; he is well known in the Lake Charles area as a former general manager and director of golf for the Lake Charles Country Club. Additionally, he is a member of the board of directors for the Louisiana Golf Association, Gulf States Rules Committee, and a longstanding class “A” member of PGA of America.
David Kaspar
FIVE-YEAR MILESTONE REACHED AT WEST CAL ARENA West Cal Arena celebrated its five-year anniversary last month with events and activities for children and cowboys of all ages. Cameron Communications joined in on the celebration as a corporate sponsor, donating $1,500 to the Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 9
event. Rodeo activities were held all day, in conjunction with the grand finale of the Louisiana Christian Rodeo season. At the end of the evening, Cameron Communications sponsored and awarded one of the high-point belt buckles to one lucky winner. In addition to the belt buckle, Cameron Communications presented a check to the evening’s Grand Prize Winner, Joey Bergeron, for $1,000. Director of the West Cal Arena, Adrian Moreno and Trina Johnson, public relations coordinator for Cameron Communications, presented Bergeron with the check. TJN
Trina Johnson, right, Cameron Communications public relations coordinator, presents Grand Prize check to Joey Bergeron (center) at the West Cal Arena’s 5-Year Celebration. Also presenting the check is Adrian Moreno (left), director of the West Cal Arena.
MSU Cowgirl Kickers Auditions to be Held on April 10 Auditions for the 2010-2011 McNeese State University Cowgirl Kickers dance team will be held from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat., April 10, in the aerobics room of the recreational complex on the McNeese campus. All candidates must meet the academic standards for enrollment to the university to be considered for the Cowgirl Kickers. They are also required to complete an application with a $10 nonrefundable audition fee prior to the audition date.
Applications are available at the Cowgirl Kickers office in the McNeese Student Services office or online at www.mcneese.edu/kickers. In addition, there is an optional audition workshop from 6-9 p.m. on Fri., April 9, in the aerobics room of the recreational complex. There is a $10 fee. For more information, contact the Cowgirl Kickers’ office at (337) 475-5604.
TJN
“I was born and raised in Lake Charles but have lived in Texas for the past 8 and a half years. Your news magazine is the first in which I have been able to catch up on local news as well as seeing familiar faces. I always grab the Jambalaya News when I’m home visiting my parents and as now for example, they bring it when they visit. Again, just wanted to say I love reading your magazine. Please keep up the variety of events and age demographics covered.”
– Crystal PAGE 10
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Contraband Day's "Show Us Your Tan" Contest DarQest Tan is sponsoring the new and improved “Show us your Tan” contest at this year’s 53rd Contraband Days Festival, set for April 27-May 9. Two preliminaries will be held at The Frosty Factory on Fri., April 23 and 30 at 10 pm. The top five from each of the two preliminaries will
Volume 2 • Issue 1
compete in the finals, to be held May 8 at the Contraband Days Festival. First prize is $500. Potential contestants should contact Julie at DarQest Tan at 4740021 for applications and information. Participants must be 18 years or older. Sign-up hours are Mon.Fri. from 9 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sat. 10
a.m.-3 p.m. There is no entry fee. “Show Us Your Tan” sponsors include Contraband Days, DarQest Tan, Southwest Beverage/Budweiser, KISS FM and The Frosty Factory. TJN
TJN
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 11
Dang Yankee The
By Mike McHugh
Do You Suck the Heads? Almost immediately after moving here to Louisiana, I found myself taking to Cajun food like Tiger Woods takes to blondes. In retrospect, I should have taken to the Cajun music and dancing instead; it would have made a big difference in my constant struggle with the scale, in which I am now a severe underdog. I first arrived here in late winter, just in time for the beginning of crawfish season. My timing could
not have been more impeccable. Eating crawfish was not much of a stretch for me, since in my home state of Maryland, crabs are the big thing. In fact, crabs are so big in Maryland that there is not nearly enough supply from the local waterways to meet the insatiable demand. For this reason, they have to supplement the native catch with enormous supplies caught right here in Louisiana. For this reason, crabs are a major export product for the state,
greater even than other, betterknown exports such as hurricane evacuees. When I attended my very first crawfish boil, the thing that really struck me was how they serve the crawfish in those cardboard cartons that cases of beer come in. That was cool with me, and just to let you know how good a guy I am, despite my Yankee heritage, I made sure I drank plenty of beer that day to help assure an ample supply of serving platters for all of the guests. After all, somebody’s got to do it, right? In the midst of doing my best to perform this neighborly gesture, I found myself getting bamboozled into performing one certain activity that I believe is a rite of passage for any Yankee who finds himself transplanted to this part of the country. I was told in no uncertain terms that you ain’t a good ‘ole Louisiana boy unless you suck the heads. The native guests, relentless in their urgings, promised an endless list of benefits would accrue from the sucking of crawfish heads. These benefits included everything from an improved sex life, to looking good in camouflage overalls (without a shirt
even), to being better at arm wrestling, to weight loss. (That last one should have tipped me off.) So, aided by the effects of my charitable beer-guzzling activity that day, I dug into my own cardboard platter, now full of the ravages of my feast. I extracted said heads and sucked away with gusto. After all, went my reasoning, who doesn’t want to look good in a pair of camouflage overalls? I knew I’d been had well before the first guest was able to unclench his belly and pick himself back up off the lawn. I have been to many crawfish boils since that fateful day, and I have been watching carefully. I have yet to see one Louisiana native actually suck the head of a crawfish. This “suck the heads” thing appears to me to be nothing more than a means to deride Yankees and sell bumper stickers to tourists. But, you know, with the price of crawfish these days, it may not be such a bad idea to make sucking the heads a more common practice. They’ve gotten quite expensive lately, so much so that they are starting to put up little Pay Day loan shacks at the crawfish drive-throughs. So, to make it really worth the price they charge these days, you pretty much need to find some use for all parts of the crawfish. So, I say eat the tails and suck those heads. And I even have a good idea about what to do with the shells. In fact, it’s such a good idea that Tip is going to wish he’d thought of it for his column. My idea is this: they make an excellent substitute for those Styrofoam packing peanuts. I’m actually going to try that myself, and I know the perfect package to start with. I got a cell phone I need to ship back to the company I bought it from after spending several worthless hours on the line with their so-called customer service department trying to get it activated. I sincerely hope that this company, with the revival of nuclear power in these days of alternative energy, does not have a division that sells reactors. So, in honor of Earth Day, I’m going green with them and abandoning the Styrofoam peanuts in favor of the all-natural alternative of crawfish shells. And if they like to suck the heads, they’ll be in for a disappointment. There won’t be a drop of juice left after I’m done with them.
TJN
PAGE 12
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
By George “Tip” Cline
Saving our Downtown Briant Smith recently announced the demise of his Blue Duck Cafe, an establishment that raised the bar on local menus and appetites. We, along with many others, will miss his innovative style of culinary presentations. In a recent interview in the American Press, he illustrated some of the difficulties in re-energizing the downtown, along with the ramifications for downtown businesses. He was quoted as saying that there was a saturation in the number of downtown restaurants, and that people working out of the area won’t come to downtown for lunch. He also reiterated some of the struggling efforts of revitalization going back to the era of Mayor Jim Sudduth. We want to wish the Smiths the best in their future endeavors. This only goes to illustrate that our image of what downtowns should be are rooted in pleasant memories of times long past. In the 1930s, 40s and 50s, downtowns were the center of life and vitality because people lived, worked and played there. As populations began expanding, there was no room for building new housing as the area had already been built up and was in full use. This expansion required that people move out of the downtown, to the newer areas of the city. These new additions required businesses to support them. Grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants, etc., began to flourish in these expansion areas. The advent of shopping centers with unlimited free parking, convenient access routes and proximity to the newer residential areas led to the deterioration of the downtown of not only Lake Charles, but downtowns across the country. Don’t think that I am against redeveloping downtown. I suggest that our downtown should be a cultural, finanVolume 2 • Issue 1
cial, legal and civic center that can be utilized in many ways. I don’t suggest that downtown can recreate itself to become the center of everyday life as it was in the past. The preservation of historical and architecturally significant properties can and should fit well into a re-utilized downtown area. Businesses catering to the local worker population and the few residents living in the area will find their niche and be profitable. There must be easy access and ample free parking areas along with green areas for recreational pursuits. People must be able to feel safe, secure and comfortable while enjoying what downtown has to offer. There is no reason not to have judicial facilities located centrally, as they have traditionally been, and not spread all over the countryside. Activities such as Downtown after Sundown, the Charlie Sioux block party during Mardi Gras, pub crawls and art walks are examples of great uses of the area that are well-supported by our citizenry. The Civic Center and seawall improvements are wonderful places for families, friends, organizations and other groups to come together for all types of activities. The question we must ask ourselves is this: What will make downtown an area that we would want to go to? “If you build it they will come,” doesn’t work without building something that we all want to utilize. The requirements of easy access and a safe places to park are paramount. Private money goes to endeavors that will generate a return. It is the private sector that must make the decision to build and they will—when there is money to be made. Remember, government does not create wealth; it only spends the wealth that the private sector creates.
Huge Crowd for Banners Event It was gratifying to see the large attendance at the Banners Series presentation of the young illusionist Jason Bishop at the Rosa Hart Theater recently. It showed broad local support for the arts and humanities here; it showed the Civic Center can be well utilized and appreciated; and it showcased an amazing talent that will certainly go on to greater heights. Bishop has a great affinity for special children and gave a free performance here for 700 local children that included a pizza party donated by several of our local
GUYS!
businesses. Nice going, Lake Charles! The Perfect Shrimp Toast Had the occasion to visit an old favorite restaurant with a group of family and friends the other day. We went to Peking Garden out on Broad Street. I hadn’t been there for some time and had forgotten about their shrimp toast. Mr. Jay makes it an art form: his shrimp mixture is over an inch of goodness and is cooked to perfection. If you fail to order it on your next visit, you are missing out on real treat. Never have I had it better anywhere else. TJN
Looking for a haircut with a little more length? Then call Tracy at...
2406 Ryan St., Lake Charles • (337) 433-0760
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 13
4710 Common St., Suite A • (337) 564-5769 www.theporchcoffeehouse.com
oyle By Jim D
Life and Death and the Justice System—Part II Last time out, we examined the case of my client Amanda Hypes (now Kelly), and the horrendous fight to free her from the possibility of death in the state’s prison system. I had left off with the story of how the investigating officers restrained her from her children’s funeral. This was only the worst of the many abuses to which Amanda was subjected as a suspect mother in the deaths of her children. The horrendous rumor mill started by the sheriff ’s office was another, leaving the population of Rapides Parish convinced that this frail, childlike 29-year-old mother had somehow physically restrained three active children while she doused them with gasoline and set them alight. The explanation was much more prosaic, sad and horrible in its implications. George Barnes figured it out immediately. The three children almost certainly died from smoke inhalation in that upstairs bedroom. Then, as the house became more fully involved, their dead bodies fell to the ground floor when the wood beneath them was consumed, falling onto the bare springs of what had been their mother’s bed. When they did the autopsy, the children’s’ stomach contents showed rice and bread, the remnants of the last meal Amanda cooked for them, just as she had said she had done. This small point was one of the many reasons, as a parent, I believed her. A parent just simply does not lovingly fix a meal for her children, and then burn them to death two hours later. So-called “Doctor” DeHaan, the State’s retained expert, had no children, so he could not relate to these small pieces of evidence. What he did have was a solid-gold reputation, having written a book on fire investigation used by many schools in training criminal forensic scientists. But Dr. DeHaan lacked, shall we say, people skills. If you PAGE 14
APRIL 8, 2010
ever saw the character “Pat” from Saturday Night Live, you have seen John DeHaan. He looks, and sounds, exactly like that amorphous person. His testimony to a grand jury in April of 2002 clinched an indictment that put Amanda in jail for just over four years. We were able to get her out when we discovered that the prosecutor had, against the stated law of Louisiana and any sense of human decency, furnished prohibited grand jury material to Dr. DeHaan and other witnesses in the case, thus violating the secrecy of the grand jury and tainting the process which led to Amanda’s indictment. In addition to George, I retained two other expert witnesses on behalf of the defense. The most impressive was John Lentini. John is a long-time fire scientist who has been on national boards and has been utilized by Barry Scheck (you may remember him from the O.J. Simpson case) in cases analyzed by the Innocence Project; an organization Scheck created to investigate whether or not persons executed by the State went to their deaths innocent of any crime. One case worked on by Lentini, together with Doug Carpenter, a “big brain” scientist from Maryland I also retained on Amanda’s behalf, was the Texas execution of Curtis Willingham. Mr. Willingham went to his death maintaining his innocence. He had been convicted of setting an arson fire, in his house, to kill his children. Just like Amanda. He was convicted by fire marshals with high school diplomas using evidence of spalling and the spurious assistance of sniffer dogs. Just like Amanda. Mr. Willingham is dead. Amanda is not. But, if the State had had its way, tainted grand jury, dishonest expert witness and all, she would no doubt be facing that fate. Luckily for her, Mike Small got in the way. Volume 2 • Issue 1
Several parts of the case were positively surreal. I spent one extended drinking session in a bar in an Atlanta airport motel with a really fun person named Carla Boose. Carla has an awful job. She’s one of the sentencing experts used in death penalty cases. That meant she didn’t have to focus on whether or not Amanda was guilty. It was her job to keep her alive. Mike always said Amanda had about a 70 percent chance of being convicted and going to the death chamber if we had to try the case. I’m here to tell you, that kept me awake at night. Luckily, things took a turn for the better. With the assistance of Lentini, Carpenter and George Barnes, after the indictment was thrown out by the trial judge (an action ultimately upheld by the Louisiana Supreme Court), Judge Donald Johnson of Rapides Parish finally set a bond for Amanda on the theory that the proof against her was not great enough to support her remaining in jail without bond. The day after he set it, she was finally released, and she hasn’t served a day since. By the time the case made its way up to the Louisiana Supreme Court on these preliminary matters and back down again, Rapides Parish had put a new prosecutor on the case. The evidence facing this new prosecutor included a report from the amorphous Dr. DeHaan recanting his previous opinion. He now said the fire was not arson. I could have told him that. In fact, I did tell him that, in multiple ways, during a two-day examination to attempt to throw out his first opinion. I like to think it had an effect on his ultimate decision. When Dr. DeHaan recanted his testimony, that took the greatest pressure off Amanda and her lawyers, because she was no longer charged with murder. But it left the State in a bad position. Having staked out such a bold theory they couldn’t leave empty-handed without facing a public that was up in arms they were letting a murderess go free. Amanda wasn’t guilty of any murder, but in the eyes of the State investigators, she was. This is the point I am trying to make. The bare accusations of the powerful institutions of the State can make you seem guilty, even if you are not. We ran polling that showed complete saturation of knowledge about this case in Alexandria, and almost everybody that had heard of Amanda concluded she was guilty. That was not based on any evidence. But neither was the State’s case. It was based on the gut-wrenching Volume 2 • Issue 1
fact of the deaths of three children in a horrible way, three children who should have been protected by their mother. Amanda made a decision that many parents make, leaving her children alone for “just a minute” to run an errand. Usually it turns out okay. This time it didn’t. In almost every conversation I had with Amanda, two things were true: she felt horrendous guilt for the deaths of her children, and she had tremendous compassion for everyone around her. I have never had a conversation with her in which she did not ask about the welfare of my son Stratton, who was fighting his own medical problems during the time I was helping with her case. She always let me know Stratton was in her prayers. I hope the emotion of these events is coming through in my poor efforts to recreate it. This woman faced the real prospect of being put to death by the State of Louisiana for a crime she did not commit, just as Curtis Willingham was injected with lethal chemicals by the State of Texas for murdering his children, when he did not do it. The institutions of the State are powerful things to be arrayed against any individual, so don’t begrudge people when they have lawyers appointed for them that do their best to form a protective barrier between the power of the State and those who are presumed innocent. It’s nowhere near the same thing, but when Vice President Chaney’s daughter Liz and her conservative buddies started a campaign to tar and feather lawyers who had represented suspects in Guantanamo Bay, usually by appointment of the Federal Government, it really made me see red. Lawyers are supposed to represent the worst in society. If Amanda’s family had not found Mike Small, she would, in all likelihood, be sitting today on death row, innocent or not. The majesty of our system is that we do not allow such things to happen in our society. We don’t allow the mob, either through legal means or illegal, to lynch those persons unfortunate enough to be accused of a crime that they did not commit. We wait until the evidence proves their guilt, and then go forward. Amanda pled guilty to three counts of negligent homicide. In my conversations with her, I always found her to be remorseful and very sad about her decision to leave her children for “just a minute.” But I still cringe when I think what could have happened to her if we had not stood in the way. I hope you will think about it, too. See you guys on the flip. TJN APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 15
The League of Women Voters of Lake Charles celebrated a year of successes at its annual banquet, March 11, at Reeves Uptown Catering. More than 100 members and guests attended the event, which drew prominent citizens and elected officials, including Calcasieu District Attorney John F. DeRosier, the event’s featured speaker. DeRosier spoke about the abuse of pain management drugs and how to address this issue legally and legislatively. He also addressed drunk-driving penalties saying in the upcoming legislative session, he is backing a proposal for stiffer mandatory minimum sentences in third-offense or higher DWI cases. The event also recognized The League of Women Voters 20102011 Board of Directors: President Kay Andrews; First Vice President
PAGE 16
APRIL 8, 2010
Molly Morgan; Second Vice President Alfred Doucette, Jr.; Secretary Helen Curol; Treasurer Leslie Landry; and Directors Patricia Prudhomme, Francessca Howard, Dianne Dronet and Nancy Tower. The League of Women Voters is a multi-issue organization, whose mission is to encourage the informed and active participation of citizens in the government and to influence public policy through education and advocacy. The Lake Charles League provides non-partisan political information, a guide to elected officials, candidate forums, programs on current issues and other resources to help citizens participate in the political process. For more information, call (337) 474-1864, e-mail info@lwv-lc.org, or visit online at www.lwv-lc.org.
TJN
The League of Women Voters of Lake Charles announces its 2010-2011 Board of Directors: Kay Andrews, president, left; Leslie Landry, treasurer; Helen Curol, secretary; Alfred Doucette, Jr., second vice president; Molly Morgan, first vice president; Francessca Howard, director; and, Patricia Prudhomme, director. Not pictured are directors Dianne Dronet and Nancy Tower
Volume 2 • Issue 1
The
Life
To Foster a Child:
Do You Have What it Takes? By Sara Blackwell There are many children in the Southwest Louisiana area that need a temporary, stable home environment due to their unfortunate circumstances. When a child is removed from the home, foster care is required while the home situation is being resolved. According to the Department of Social Services Foster/Adoptive Parent Informational Handbook, “Foster care is a protective service for children and their parents who must live apart because of child abuse, neglect or special family circumstances requiring the need for out-of-home care.” If you’re interested in becoming a foster parent, there are minimum qualifications required. A candidate
must be at least 21, and can be married or single. You must be financially stable, which means that you must have sufficient income to meet the needs of your current household. Proof of income and a review of family expenses are required. No one in your household can have convictions for certain criminal offenses, and each member of the household 18 years and older will be fingerprinted for a criminal background check. You need to supply adequate space in your home for the child. He may share a bedroom with another child of the same sex, but no fostered child can share a bedroom with anyone over 18. You must also be in good physical and emotional health, and everyone in your home must submit a medical statement from a physician stating they are free from all communicable diseases. If you meet these requirements, the next step is to attend an orientation meeting for certification to become a foster parent. After orientation, you then submit an application to initiate the process. You and your spouse must then attend seven three-hour training sessions. A home study is then prepared, including interviews, home visits, safety and fire inspections, etc. After all of this is successfully com-
pleted, you are certified to become a foster parent, and a child is placed in your home on a temporary basis. Foster parents do more than care for their foster child. They are also responsible for advocating for the child, visiting her school and attending teacher-parent conferences. They must schedule and transport him to doctor visits and they must go with him to visit his parents and siblings. They are required to meet with her case manager once a month to discuss her issues. It is important to include your foster child into your family’s everyday routine to make him feel a part of your family. A daily board rate is provided to foster parents; however, you’re not paid for fostering. The board rate is for the clothing, food, hygiene products and small gifts for the child. Further, the Office of Child Services provides for medical needs such as doctor visits, therapy sessions and medication. A relative’s child can be placed in your home as a foster child if you are certified to be a foster parent and if the child is in the custody of the State of Louisiana. Finally, the foster parents can adopt a fostered child if the court terminates the birth parents’ rights or if the parents surrender their rights to the
child. However, the foster parent must file an application with the agency to adopt the child, and must meet all of the requirements for adoption. Michelle Duplantis, 37, a single mother from Lake Charles, has been fostering for three years. She is currently in the process of adopting her current foster child. The baby boy was 11 months old when he came to her after his mother basically abandoned him. Michelle finds the foster system challenging, yet rewarding. “Keep an open mind and stick with it, even when it gets tough,” she said. She found other foster parents to be a great source of encouragement and strength for her in the hard times. Many other parents have become foster parents due to Michelle’s recommendations and encouragement. If you, or someone you know is interested in foster care, please contact the Office of Community Service today. The upcoming training sessions in Lake Charles are Mon., April 12 at 6 p.m.; Sat., May 22 at 10 a.m.; Mon., June 7 at 6 p.m.; and Mon., June 28 at 6 p.m. The local Office of Community Service can be reached at (337) 475-3030 or toll-free at (800) 814-1584. TJN
BUY 1 GET 1
50% OFF!
AVEDA products
Take 20% OFF Any 1 Service
Hair Massage Spa Services Skin Care and more
4626 Nelson Rd., Lake Charles • 337.562.2040 Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 17
By Lisa Yates
Get the Scoop on Cold Stone Creamery Whether it’s a product, or an exciting event, there’s always something new at Cold Stone Creamery in Lake Charles. To get the “scoop,” The Jambalaya News visited with one of the store’s owners, Ann Marie Hebert. She said the most recent news is the “Cold Stone Academy.” Hebert explained her store at 3475 Nelson Rd. in Lake Charles was selected as the site to provide training for franchise operators from all across the nation. “The training period lasts for 10 days; so for those 10 days, participants will be staying at our local hotels and dining out at our restaurants,” she said. “It will provide a boost to the local economy.” No details have been released to the public before now, according to Hebert, but the new academy should be in operation very soon. “All of our paperwork has been approved and it’s going to happen within this year,” she added. ANOTHER LAKE CHARLES ORIGINAL Cold Stone Creamery’s Signature King Cake is another Lake Charles original.
PAGE 18
APRIL 8, 2010
Hebert created it here for her customers in Southwest Louisiana. Next year she is bringing it to New Orleans. “My mother (Delores Lawrence) and I came up with the recipe,” she said. “She would call up with ideas and we were back and forth on the phone.” She said it all started when she called the owner of the New Orleans store looking for a Cold Stone king cake. “I figured if anyone was going to have a king cake, it was going to be the store in New Orleans,” Hebert said. “I called the owner there, but he said they didn’t have one.” That’s when Hebert decided to create a Cold Stone Signature King Cake for her store in Lake Charles. “To introduce the king cake, we had a jazz band and blocked off the area around the store,” she said, adding some of her employees were dressed in costumes to entertain the children. “The kids loved it. We’re going to do the same thing next year. It’s going to be a standard for our store.”
Ann Marie Hebert, Owner/Manager Prior to Mardi Gras, Katy Corbello (Hebert’s daughter) brought samples of Cold Stone’s Signature King Cake to The Jambalaya News. Everyone LOVED it! “Our first ever ice cream king cake was a big hit,” Hebert said. “At 2 a.m. every morning I was up making king cakes. I couldn’t keep up with the demand.” When the owner of the New Orleans Cold Stone Creamery learned sales were phenomenal, he invited Hebert to bring her king cake recipe to the Crescent City. CUPCAKES FOR MOMS AND DADS If you’re looking for a unique gift idea for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, Hebert suggested a homemade treat from Cold Stone.
“The Saturday before Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, kids can come in and create their own cupcakes for their moms and dads,” she said. Although the company does considerable marketing activities, including community events and fundraisers, this is a first for Hebert’s store. “We’re doing cupcake birthday parties for kids,” she added. “We’re also doing more and more catering.” For example, Hebert said they recently catered an ice cream social at a local church. “We’ve also done field trips for small groups, where children will come and watch us make our ice cream,” she said. “We make our ice cream fresh on-site four days a week at the store.”
A LOT OF CHOICES From unique ice cream creations to smoothies, cakes and shakes – there’s a lot to choose from at Cold Stone. Hebert said Cold Stone Creamery recently unveiled a line of ice cream cookies, including Oreo Crème Filing cookie sandwiches. “It’s awesome,” she said. “We have double stuff flavor ice cream as well.” In the store’s gelato-style showcase, you’ll find about 12 different flavors of ice cream, including one that’s blue. Hebert said it is cotton candy flavored. “We’re the only store with cotton candy,” she said. “People love the blue color.” She said you’ll also find new flavors of sorbets for the summer at Cold Stone. What’s Hebert’s favorite ice cream flavor? “Coffee,” she said. “It’s awesome. It’s got the sweetness of ice cream and the caffeine of coffee. That’s because it’s made with real coffee.”
combination of “Mix-ins” – fresh fruits, nuts, candy, cookies, brownies – you name it. Hebert said the No. 1 Mix-in at her store is cookie dough. “We take the raw pucks, chop it up and mix it in the ice cream,” she said. She said the “Birthday Cake Remix” is her store’s best-selling Cold Stone Signature Creation. Hebert said it’s made with cake batter ice cream, rainbow sprinkles, a brownie and fudge. “Cake batter ice cream is actually made with cake batter mix put into it,” she said. “You can get vanilla or chocolate cake batter ice cream.” She said another local favorite is the “Cheesecake Fantasy.” It’s made with cheesecake ice cream, fresh strawberries and graham cracker pie crust. You can find a menu of Cold Stone Creamery Signature Creations online at www.allmenus.com/la/lakecharles/184835-cold-stonecreamery.com.
costumes to entertain children on the weekends. “One of our employees is even on a YouTube video tossing ice cream,” she said. “We try to have fun with it.” When Hebert was growing up, some of her fondest memories involved ice cream. “Ice cream was always fun,” she said. “It was always something special to go out for ice cream. Even we didn’t go somewhere, when we made ice cream at home it was a celebration.” Hebert said most of her store’s 11 employees are still in high school. She said students as young as 15 years of age can work, albeit for limited hours. “It’s not just ice cream, but what we are in the community,” she said. “We give children a chance at their first job. For most, this is their first job where they get a chance to learn work ethics and responsibility.” She said her own 15-year-old grandson, Justin Granger, will work at the store this summer.
SIGNATURE AND CUSTOM CREATIONS At Cold Stone, they call every ice cream they serve a “Creation” because each one is an original. It starts with the ice cream of your choice blended on a frozen granite stone with any
KEEPING ICE CREAM FUN Walking into a Cold Stone Creamery is not like walking into the typical ice cream shop. Expect a little show biz. Hebert said her employees will break out into song, or even dress in
COLD STONE GIVES BACK Whether it’s a fundraiser for a school or a charitable organization, or its national efforts in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Hebert said Cold Stone gives back to the community.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
“One of our projects was supporting the foster care banquet at McNeese,” she said. “We’ve also donated gift cards to special needs children at area schools.” She said other projects include providing pink sorbet to participants at this year’s Ethel Pretch HOPE Breast Cancer Walk, and donating ice cream cakes to inner city schools to reward students for doing good work. For more information, call (337) 477-4044, or visit Cold Stone Creamery at 3475 Nelson Rd. in Lake Charles. Hours are noon to 10 p.m., Mon.-Thurs. and Sun; and, noon to 11 p.m. Fri.-Sat. TJN
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 19
Winners were selected in the Lake Area’s first Picture Perfect Pet Photo Contest recently. The community was asked to vote on the most photogenic pet in a fundraising contest held at the Prien Lake Mall this past February. The contest was an official SPAY DAY 2010 event by the Humane Society of the United States. The $2,500 raised will be matched by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury for the Spay Neuter Voucher Program. This offers reduced-cost surgeries at five local veterinarian clinics for families on public assistance.
In the past three years, approximately 2,000 animals have been altered with the help of Bayou South Animal Hospital, Lake Area Animal Hospital, Gill Animal Hospital, SW La. Veterinary Clinic, and Reina Veterinary Clinic. There were two categories in the Perfect Pet Photo Contest. The winner for “Cutest Pet” is “Koal” who is a member of the Amuny family from Kinder. Koal’s owner states that he goes to work with her every day to Sulphur from Kinder, and also accom-
panies her wherever she goes around town. Koal sometimes meets and greets kids from the school crosswalk where his family owns a business. The winner of the “Dress Your Pet” category is “Dash,” who is from Missouri. His very proud Dad took his photos. They are new to the area, and appear to be best buddies. Dash has an assortment of pet names such as Pop, Popsicle, Shortie, Chicken Leg, and Mr. Dash. These two pets are very lucky to have homes, but millions of pets across the coun-
Straight Razor Cuts Balayage Highlighting Technique Color Correction Scalp Massage
Lindsay Duplechain Owner/Stylist Adrien Lyles Stylist
Neali DeRamus Perkins Stylist PAGE 20
APRIL 8, 2010
Zina Green Makeup Artist By Appointment
LOCATED IN HISTORIC DOWNTOWN 725 RYAN ST. • LAKE CHARLES (337) 436-5454 Volume 2 • Issue 1
try aren’t so fortunate. If you’re interested in purchasing a pet, please come to the Calcasieu Parish Animal Services facility and consider a shelter pet. When you adopt a shelter pet, you save two lives: the one you adopted and the one that will take its place. Any resident of Calcasieu Parish needing assistance with having their animal spayed or neutered can call Calcasieu Parish Animal Services for information on the Spay Neuter Voucher Program. These vouchers are only available for families on some sort of public assistance and the cost is $10 for a cat and $20 for a dog. Residents with an annual income of $35,000 or less can get a voucher and the co-pay is $25 for a cat and $40 for a dog. All pets must be current on rabies vaccination and licensed in Calcasieu Parish. People outside of Calcasieu Parish needing assistance should call the Spay Neuter Alliance
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Project (SNAP) at (337) 4777290, toll-free (877) 475-SNAP (7629) or visit animalangelssnap.org. There are no income requirements, and residents outside Calcasieu Parish are welcome. All pets must have a current rabies vaccination and if residing in Calcasieu Parish, they must also be licensed.
Koal, Winner of the “Cutest Pet” category
TJN
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 21
Karen Carr, Melanie Gentry, Dr. Thomas Royer, and Molly Hagen
By Maria Alcantara Faul
— Part 2 — THE MELTDOWN MOMENTS Registered nurses Molly Hagan, Karen Carr and Melanie Gentry are not only bonded by work, but also by a unique life experience. Not only have they have worked side by side at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital’s Surgical Department for a number of years, they were also members of the CHRISTUS Health Task Force that recently spent time helping the earthquake-ravaged island of Haiti. “On Jan. 12, God started a plan for me to go to Haiti,” said Hagan, a lifelong resident of Southwest Louisiana and a registered nurse for over 24 years. Her supervisor at CHRISTUS recommended that she apply for the team, but she wasn’t picked initially. Instead, she got her call the following day.
In the capital of Port Au Prince, the team saw its residents living in extreme poverty, suffering from rampant malnutrition and lack of clean water and electricity. “Each one of us had our own meltdown,” she said, recalling those emotionally draining days on the devastated island. Several days after arriving in Haiti, Gentry was preparing a woman who was suffering from preeclampsia for an immediate C-section. Just as she was about to start, a pediatrician crashed through the doors, holding a baby with a bowel obstruction. Molly Hagan quickly scrubbed in to work on the baby. “My baby’s mother was killed during the earthquake and the father was badly injured. The baby’s aunt and grand-
mother were taking care of her,” she said. After several hours of surgery, the baby died. Hagan’s heart was broken. Right next door, Gentry’s C-section mother had just delivered a beautiful baby girl. Gentry insisted that Hagan hold the newborn. As Hagan cuddled the baby, her sad heart was filled with joy. “Mothers are happy even in chaos, and you see something beautiful and wonderful even in the darkest hour,” Hagan said. Karen Carr, originally from Niagara Falls, N.Y., has been a nurse at CHRISTUS for 35 years. During her stay in Haiti, she tended to a very sick patient whose respiratory problems almost ended her life. Carr kept up with the woman’s progress, although their communication was
mostly through interpreters and facial expressions. “We were always glad to see each other,” said Carr. “I met her family and they were very nice people.” The woman was accepted to the University of Miami to undergo a surgical procedure that would help improve her breathing. On the day she was scheduled to leave for the States, Carr gave some of her belongings to the woman’s family to bring home, as they had so very little. “I made sure to send a note with the items, so that the guards at the exit to the compound would know that the
Melanie Gentry in the middle of the compound PAGE 22
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
items were gifts, and not stolen,” she said. Unfortunately, the note wasn’t enough. The guards thought that the woman’s family stole the items from Carr. “I tried to explain that the things were gifts, and to please allow them to leave,” Carr said. An intense argument erupted in Creole French and English, and Carr ended up in the middle. “I was scared and thought about leaving the scene,” she said, but instead, she continued to plead with the guards for the family. Frustrated, she finally broke down and cried. The guards eventually realized she was telling the truth and allowed the family to leave with the items. Born in Houston, and raised in Westlake, Melanie Gentry has been at CHRISTUS for 25 years, primarily as a surgical nurse. Her meltdown moment came when she and Hagan were on a trip to the supply tent. A young boy with a cast on his arm stopped them and asked for their help. “He must have been about 12 years old and spoke English pretty well,” Gentry said. The boy told them that his entire family had died in the earthquake and that he was living on the streets. He asked Gentry to adopt him and let him come live in the hospital tent until she could take him to America. “I was in absolute shock—I just knew I misunderstood him,” she said. She took him to the medical group’s Creole-speaking priest and told him that
Volume 2 • Issue 1
she thought the child wanted her to adopt him. “How do you feel about that?” The priest calmly asked her. “I must have looked like a guppy, opening and closing my mouth, in total vapor lock,” Gentry exclaimed. She finally recovered enough to say that she just couldn’t adopt the boy, but hoped he could stay in the compound. The priest reminded her that he couldn’t stay if he wasn’t a patient. Gentry’s heart fell to the ground. It took everything she had to inform the boy that she could not adopt him. When the boy heard the news, he simply turned away and walked out of the gate without looking back. “I was completely crushed, and had to call my husband Jim, crying,” she said. “A lot of nurses with the mission group have had the same kind of experiences with orphan children. Everyone is so desperately destitute. They have lost everything, and yet they are so sweet-natured.” Part 3: Lessons Learned
TJN
Nurse Molly Hagan cradles a new life.
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 23
One Month Level 1 Tanning Special
$2999 SULPHUR 190 N. Cities Service Hwy. (337) 626-0925 LAKE CHARLES 3113 Ryan St, #1 (337) 491-0925 4435 Nelson Road (337) 477-5014 4626 Nelson Road (337) 562-2040 www.ASTtanning.com
PAGE 24
APRIL 8, 2010
da Vinci surgery, sometimes called “robotic surgery,” isn’t new to Southwest Louisiana. Providing shorter hospital stays, less pain and minimal scarring, this minimally invasive technology has revolutionized surgical procedures such as radical prostatectomy in the treatment of prostate cancer. da Vinci prostatectomy has been the primary method of surgical control for prostate cancer at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital since 2006. Urological surgeon Farjaad Siddiq, M.D., is the medical director for Robotic Surgery at St. Patrick Hospital. He says that the da Vinci robot allows surgeons to access and see parts of the body as never before—without large, open incisions. “Traditional radical prostatectomy requires a four-to-six inch incision and commonly results in substantial blood loss, a lengthy and uncomfortable recovery, and the risk of impotence and incontinence,” he said. “By using the robotic-assisted surgical approach, surgeons are now able to gain access to the internal anatomy through five to six small incisions.” In robotic-assisted surgery, very small incisions called “ports” are used to place mechanical surgical tools into the body. These incisions are as small as the circumference of a pencil. The surgeon sits at a console, looking into a three-dimensional viewfinder that magnifies the surgical field hundreds of times. The surgeon performs the surgical procedure by using the controls on the console. These movements
are translated to the robot “hands” inserted into the ports. The computer-controlled arms are engineered with wrists that rotate 360 degrees. The robot hands follow every move the surgeon makes: cutting, clamping and sewing just as the surgeon would in an open incision several inches larger. Dr. Siddiq is fellowship-trained in laparoscopic and robotic surgery and has performed hundreds of open, laparoscopic and da Vinci prostatectomies, and says that da Vinci surgery provides better outcomes than the other methods of cancer removal. Patients undergoing da Vinci surgery also have much earlier and more predictable recovery of erectile function and urinary control. “Most of my patients have urinary control one to three months after surgery, depending on their age and urinary difficulties prior to surgery,” he said. Sexual function may be affected when the erectile nerves running along the outer surface of the prostate are damaged during surgery. However, the da Vinci surgical platform provides better precision in sparing these delicate nerves. “This allows many of my patients undergoing a nerve-sparing operation to have sex as early as one to three months after their da Vinci prostatectomy, something I never saw in my open surgery patients.” For more questions on da Vinci Robotics, visit www.roboticurologymd.com. TJN
Volume 2 • Issue 1
A Greener
W
RLD Sponsored by
Earth Day 2010
40 Years Later, Needed More Than Ever By Lauren de Albuquerque April 22, 2010 marks the 40-year anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, proposed the first nationwide environmental protest “to shake up the political establishment” and force the issue onto the national agenda. Denis Allen Hayes, the national coordinator of the movement, and his young staff organized the massive coastto-coast rallies. And massive it was. On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy environment. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests. The various groups that had been fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of the wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife all came together with one common goal. Since then, Earth Day celebrations have spread all over the world. Forty years after the first Earth Day, our world is in greater peril than ever. Earth Day 2010 is a pivotal opportunity for individuals, corporations and governments to join together and create a global green economy. One billion people in 190 countries are expected to take part in this year’s activities. A lot of these events will occur before, during and after the 22nd. There are a lot of positive things happening right here in Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas.
“Sprout Baby Food is the result of many years of research, development and most importantly, fatherhood. And I know that you and your baby will agree that my love of food and flavor comes through in every delicious bite.” —T.F.
10% OFF Volume 2 • Issue 1
Any Store Purchase Must Present This Ad.
20% OFF SPECIAL
Check out our featured product of the month
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 25
Residential Trash Bash April 17 On Sat., April 17, The City of Lake Charles and Team Green of SWLA will hold a Residential Trash Bash from 8 – 11 a.m. at the South Parking Lot of the Lake Charles Civic Center. They will take: • Anti Freeze • Automotive Batteries • Clothing, sofas, other reusable items • Mercury or any product containing mercury • Chemistry sets • Fluorescent light bulbs (long or curved) • Maze toys • Old alkaline batteries (purchased before 1990-check expiration dates) • Thermometers (silver liquid in tube) • Vials or jars of mercury-sometimes on necklaces • Miscellaneous trash • Motor oil • Paint: labeled recyclable and reusable; both latex and oil • Scrap metal • Tires (five tires only, under 400 lbs. per tire) For more information, call 4911481. Go to www.cityoflakecharles.com to see what trash will not be accepted.
KEM’S RESTAURANT Carving Station with Roast Beef and Ham on the Buffet Pork Loin • Baked Chicken • Yams • Green Bean Casserole Cabbage • Glazed Carrots • Rice Dressing • Bread Assorted Desserts (Cobblers, Cakes, Bread Pudding and Pies) Adults $16.95 plus tax Children under 12 $7.95 plus tax
Every mother will receive a special gift. Reservations can be made 337-527-0858.
PAGE 26
APRIL 8, 2010
A Downtown Earth Celebration! Come celebrate Earth Day on Thurs. April 22 from 4 - 6:30 p.m. in downtown Lake Charles. Local “Green” groups and businesses will be sharing their vision and resources with the community. A free concert will follow at 7 p.m. featuring recording artist Sean Johnson and the Wild Lotus Band in the alley next to the Yoga Center at 321 Broad St. Visit www.onegreenaction.com or yogalakecharles.com for more info. If your group or business would like to participate or help sponsor the event, call (337) 497-0017. Clean Up! Contraband Bayou Clean Bayou is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cleaning up the litter and pollution from the waterways of Southwest Louisiana that are threatening the quality of our lives. They are asking the community for help. Clean Up! Contraband Bayou is an all-day community grassroots effort to remove the litter on Contraband Bayou. Individual volunteers, volunteers with boats, organizations, and businesses are needed to come out and help them get the job done on Sat., April 24 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Check-in is required. Volunteers
must sign a waiver of liability to participate and receive tools, supplies, t-shirt, and lunch. Check in the day of the event is at 8 a.m. at Bowtie Marina, 1245 Giovanni St., Lake Charles. At registration, each person/team/boat will be assigned a section of the bayou to clean, and tools and supplies will be provided. Trash barges and boats will travel along the bayou to collect trash bags so volunteers won’t have to go back to Bowtie to dump bags. Support boats will also be in each section to provide water, snacks, supplies, and first aid. This is mostly a water-based operation, however, they will be able to transport volunteers to some land areas that only accessible by boat. Be advised that this is a dirty job, so you will need to come prepared and wear appropriate clothing, along with protective rubber gloves and sturdy closed-toed shoes or rubber boots. It may be a good idea to bring a change of clothes, shoes, and towels. Clean Bayou will provide refreshments and entertainment throughout the day. Lunch will be provided at The Landing from 11 a.m. -2 p.m. Richard Cole will be cooking Jambalaya for all volunteers at Bowtie Marina starting at 3 p.m., and there will be live entertainment. To register, or for more info, go to www.cleanbayouswla.org. Earth Week 2010 at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center Orange, Texas The folks at Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange have put together a wonderful week of events leading up to Earth Day weekend. If you’ve never been, now is the time to go! Tues., April 20 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. *Flowers, Art, and Hammers! All you need is a hammer, some flowers and paper or cloth. The artistic possibilities are endless as well as beautiful. 1 – 3 p.m. – *Make Recycled Bags Learn how to turn all of those plastic grocery bags into beautiful and functional carry-alls. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. – Star Party The Astronomical Society of South East Texas (ASSET) will be at the gardens with telescopes for viewing the night sky. Come and get a close-up glimpse of the moon, several planets, the Lyrids meteor shower and more.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Wed., April 21 9:30- 11:30 a.m. *Make a Flower Press Make a small flower press, then create something beautiful with previously pressed flowers. 1-3:30 p.m. – *Plant Propagation Join us to learn several different methods to propagate plants. Thurs., April 22 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. *Make Your Own Paper Learn how to recycle old newspaper and Christmas cards by making your own paper. 1 – 3 p.m. – *Composting 101 Learn why compost is great for your plants, and leave with plans to build your own compost bin! 4 - 4:30 p.m. – Butterfly Release Approximately 400 native butterflies will be released into Shangri La. Children 12 and under will get in free all day. The gardens will remain open till 6 p.m. this evening. Friday, April 23 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. *Colors to Dye For Come spin some wool and dye it using natural dyes made from plants gathered at Shangri La. 1 - 3 p.m. *Cooking from the Garden Learn delicious recipes that can be made straight from the garden! Saturday, April 24 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Eco-Fest This is an educational family event designed to combine learning and fun. There will be booths set up for organizations and companies to provide information about earth-friendly products, services, and opportunities. Enjoy boat rides on Adams Bayou throughout the day, along with music, games, skits, face painting, and more! Sunday, April 25 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. Stark Museum of Art There will be a screening of The Curious Mr. Catesby, an acclaimed film about an 18th century naturalist at the Education Center, 812 Green Ave. Museum tour and refreshments following. * RSVP required. Call (409) 6709799 and visit shangrilagardens.org for more info. TJN
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 27
NOW OPE MON N! .-FR 8 AM-
5PMI.
HELP US
SAVE THE PLANET
By Reducing Landfill Trash and Air Pollution!
Lake Charles has its own Recycling Center Sponsored by The Jambalaya News! Now accepting paper, aluminium, cardboard, paper bags, telephone books, plastic containers. Drop off your recyclables Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm or meet with Team Green Southwest Louisiana (an affiliate of Keep Louisiana and Keep America Beautiful) recycle trucks.
Is partnering with Amerimex Recycling
Because We Care About Your Family’s Future Located at 2120 Hwy. 14 For more information, call 491-0946 PAGE 28
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
What’s Cookin’ Rachelle’s Dining on the Bayou
e l l e h c Ra
ew The N
ng andi l e h at t
Jambalaya Pasta INGREDIENTS • 1 small onion • 1 green bell pepper, diced • 1 red bell pepper, diced • 3 stalks celery, sliced thin • 3 tablespoons garlic, minced • 2 sticks of butter • 1/2 cup flour • 2 cups chicken stock • 1 cup white wine • 1 cup diced tomatoes • 1 cup sausage, sliced • 1 cup grilled chicken, diced • 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, or to taste Volume 2 • Issue 1
Looking for waterfront dining, great food and fun? Then it’s time to try Rachelle’s, a new restaurant that just opened its doors in the old Bennigan’s location. Chefs Jim Green and Rachelle Neblett first teamed up around 10 years ago in Tulsa to open a catering and gourmet carryout business. After Rachelle moved to Lake Charles, Jim went on to cater as the executive chef at the William Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas. While there, he was given the opportunity to cook for such stars as Bono, Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt, Queen Latifah, Robert Pattinson and former Presidents Clinton, Carter, and Bush. Lucky for us, the two have reunited in Lake Charles, and are cooking up a tasty mix of Mediterranean, Southwest, and comfort food. Don’t miss their daily specials. The chefs say that everything they love to make won’t fit on just one menu! You can come to Rachelle’s by car or by boat and enjoy a relaxing meal overlooking Contraband Bayou, either indoors or outside. They are open for lunch and dinner, and the prices are reasonable. In honor of the one-year anniversary of The Jambalaya News, we are happy to present Rachelle’s own Jambalaya Pasta recipe. Let us know how you like it!
TJN
Chefs Jim Green and Rachelle Neblett
• 1 cup heavy cream • salt and white pepper to taste • 1 bunch green onions, chopped PREPARATION Sauté onions, peppers, celery and garlic in butter until translucent. Add flour and cook while stirring 2 to 3 more minutes. Add white wine and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Next, add sausage, chicken, cream and Cajun seasoning, Simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over penne pasta. Garnish with chopped green onions. Enjoy!
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 29
PAGE 30
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Amanda Venable, FFB customer service representative, explains the My First Bank Early Savings Program to seven-year-olds Ethan Richey and Isaiah Donald; and, six-year-old Madison Hilliard.
By Lisa Yates Photos by Michelle LaVoie When kids have cash or coins in their piggy banks or wallets, they usually want to spend it. Not six-year-old Madison Hilliard. She likes to save money. Why? “Because you can buy more things,” she said. Instead of wasting her money on little things, Hilliard saved up for something she really wanted. “A Barbie computer,” she said. “I started saving my report card money and tooth fairy money.” Leslie Harless, vice president and marketing director of First Federal Bank of Louisiana, believes the habit of saving starts early in life. She said her financial institution has stepped up to offer instruction teaching children to save. “We want to help young people learn the importance of saving for the future and to see how a bank operates,” she said. First Federal Bank of Louisiana answered the American Bankers Association’s call for bankers to Volume 2 • Issue 1
“Teach Children to Save.” During Financial Literacy Month, which is the entire month of April, First Federal will be partnering with local schools and other organizations to teach children the basics of money and saving. Harless said good saving habits will continue into adulthood. “The object of the ‘Teach Children to Save’ program is to raise awareness about the important role that banks and bankers play in helping young people to develop lifelong savings habits,” she said.
‘National Teach Children to Save Day’ This year, “National Teach Children to Save Day” is on April 27. On that day, financial professionals from First Federal will visit its Partner in Education, Reynauld Middle School, to talk about the benefits of saving. APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 31
Harless said First Federal will use this opportunity to share with young people, ages 11-14, the difference between needs and wants, ways to identify expenses and how priorities can influence spending. “The middle school lessons cover topics, including setting goals, budgeting, the difference between needs and wants, how to prioritize and make decisions about spending money, and more,” she said. She said helping to build a generation of saving consumers is one way of giving back to the community. Experts agree that whether the goal is saving for a college education, investing for the future, or becoming a savvy money manager, financial literacy is the foundation on which all security is built. The need for this firm foundation has never been more important than it is today, according to Harless. “I think everyone is having some difficulty with the economic situation of the country right now; and, the growing lack of financial literacy just compounds the problem,” she said. She said statistics provided by the ABA show only 14 percent of students have taken a personal finance course in school; and, only 48 percent of par-
ents have spoken to their children about the difference between needs and wants. Statistics also show that many Americans don’t even have basic skills in handling their own finances. For example, a recent survey from University of Minnesota found that 49 percent of adults and 94 percent of students surveyed don’t understand the basic concepts about money. The same survey showed that 94 percent of students turn to their parents for financial information. Also, only 29 percent of the parents surveyed have obtained education materials to help their children. First Federal Bank of Louisiana invites you to take an active roll in the “Teach Children to Save” initiative by visiting the official TCS Web site (www.teachchildrentosave.com) where you’ll learn to create savings plans, download newsletters and find out how to encourage the children in your life to become savers.
The Savers’ Pledge For 14 years, the “Teach Children to Save” program has partnered banks with students for lessons on the importance of saving. The program’s goal is to encourage bankers to reach 5
million students before the end of 2011, the 15th anniversary of “Teach Children to Save.” As part of the program, students take “The Savers’ Pledge.” Harless said it symbolizes their promise to save, open or contribute to a savings account, focus on needs instead of wants, and to encourage their friends to save. “It’s a certificate that is given to students that participate in the ‘Teach Children to Save’ program,” she said. She said students sign the certificate, pledging that they will:
S – Set aside at least $2 for every $10 they earn or receive as a gift; A – Ask parents or guardians to help them open a savings account; V – Vow to put needs before wants when spending; and, E – Encourage friends to save, too!
Three steps to begin saving According to the ABA Education Foundation, there are three steps to begin saving: set up a budget; start a savings account; and, make deposits regularly.
Harless said a budget is a plan that helps you keep track of the money you earn and the money that you spend. “Creating a budget keeps you from overspending and encourages you to save,” she said. She said the ABA Education Foundation has some guidelines to help even young children learn budgeting. For example, it suggests a good way to learn budgeting for young people is to have them divide their money into four jars labeled: sharing, spending, short-term saving and long-term saving. The ABA Education Foundation recommends the following guidelines for determining how much money to put in each of the four jars: 1. Sharing jar: Have children deposit 10 percent of their income, or $1 for every $10. Let them choose a cause they are interested in, such as helping local animals or supporting a local food bank, and donate regularly. Your children will feel good and the
Kids who open an account at FFB can earn free gifts with deposits. Visit www.ffbla.com for details. PAGE 32
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
charity will benefit from their generosity. 2. Spending jar: Have children deposit 30 percent of their income, or $3 for every $10. This money can be used at any time for small purchases, like a baseball or a CD. 3. Short-term saving: Have children deposit 30 percent of their income, or $3 for every $10. It may take them several months for larger purchases, such as a video game or an iPod, but its exciting when they reach their savings goal! 4. Long-term saving: Have children deposit 30 percent of their income, or $3 for every $10. This is where children will start to save for their futures – to go to college or buy a car. These expenses require a lot of planning and saving. Harless said once your children’s money has started to add up, help them to open a savings account at a local bank. She said the bank will make sure that their money is safe, and they’ll even earn extra money! “A bank is the safest place to keep your money,” she said. “The FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000 at insured banks and the bank pays interest on your balances on various types of accounts. You won’t get that protection when you bury it in the backyard or stuff it under your mattress!”
Harless said it’s easy to become a member of the “My First Bank” early savings program with First Federal. “The ‘My First Bank’ savings account is designed for children 17 years of age and younger,” she said. “They can open the account with $50, get a punch card and start earning punches with every $20 deposit. Once they have earned a certain number of punches, they can receive a prize. There is no monthly service charge and they are allowed three free withdrawals per month.”
‘My First Bank’ early savings program Lakenia Donald and her son, Isaiah, enter First Federal Bank of Louisiana.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
When children open an account at First Federal Bank of Louisiana, they get a free gift.
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 33
e h t n i o J es i t i v i t s Fe ! 0 1 l i r p Sat., A
Ethan Richey, 7, opens his first savings account at First Federal Bank of La. Also pictured is his mother, Sheree.
Celebrate the Grand Reopening at The Children’s Museum’s 22nd Anniversary Sasol Second Saturday Science Show
Join the Festivites Sat., April 1
“To Float or Not to Float? That is the Question!” At 10:30 a.m., children will learn about density and buoyancy through easy to understand demonstrations with colored liquids of different densities. A Cartesian diver will magically float and sink at the presenter’s command. Make your own Cartesian Diver!
Puppet Show At noon, The Junior League of Lake Charles will present their famous puppet show Perry Medix & the Sirens!
Remembering the Great Fire of 1910, Grand Opening of the Lake Charles Fire Safety Exhibit and Fire Safety Program At 1:30 p.m., we will have the grand opening of the brand new Fire Safety exhibit. Bryan Lavoi and other members of the Lake Charles Fire Department will talk to the children about the “1910 Fire” that destroyed downtown Lake Charles. Children will be able to tour a fire truck and learn about fire safety! They will get a firefighter’s hat and useful information! We will take this opportunity to thank the firefighters that helped extinguish the museum fire in April 2009. Afterwards, please join us in the party room on the first floor to celebrate our 22nd birthday with cake and refreshments from Coca-Cola!
Check out www.swlakids.org for more details. The museum is open Mon. through Sat. from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for children and adults.
She said deposits can be made at any branch location. Harless said children also receive a monthly statement to keep for their records. “It’s important for children to come into the bank for their deposits so they can become familiar with the employees and learn about how the bank works,” she said.
Seven-year-old Ethan Richey knows saving money is important. “So you can earn more,” he said. “I’m saving my report card money and tooth fairy money for Bakugan battle gear.” Another seven-year-old, Isaiah Donald is saving his money, too. “I’m saving for a big thing,” he said. “A Star Wars Lego.”
Compound interest
Set financial goals
Imagine you’ve just won the lottery and you are given the choice of two prizes: $1,000 an hour for 24 hours for 30 days, or a penny doubled every day for 30 days. Which would you pick? If you understand the power of compound interest, you’d choose the penny. The first prize would total $720,000, but the second prize would total a whopping $5,368,709.12! How is that possible? Harless said invest a little for a long time and you’ll end up with a lot. Compound interest is just that simple. “Compounding is adding the interest you earn on your account back to the balance, so that the next interest calculation is made on the principal plus the interest you added in,” she said. “So you are earning interest on the interest.”
Harless said it’s important for everyone to set financial goals. “It’s like the old saying, ‘most people don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan,’” she said. “Setting your financial goals helps you to achieve your independence.” For more information, call (337) 421-1397, or visit First Federal Bank of Louisiana at its main office at 1135 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles. For a list of offices, visit online at www.ffbla.com. TJN
Leslie Harless, vice president and marketing director of First Federal Bank of Louisiana PAGE 34
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Source: ABA
Allowance – an amount of money parents give children, often in exchange for completing chores around the house. Annual percentage rate – the rate of interest being charged for a loan over a year’s time. ATM (automated teller machine) – machine that accepts deposits and withdrawals, as long as there is money in the account associated with the card. Balance – the total amount of money you have in your bank account. Bank – a business that keeps money for customers, makes loans and provides other money-related services. Bank account – a safe place to keep your money. Bank statement – a monthly summary of the deposits and withdrawals associated with a customer’s bank account. Budget – a plan you create to control spending and manage your personal finances. Certificate of deposit (CD) – a type of investment that requires you to invest your money a certain length of time and guarantees the same rate of return (interest) for that entire time. CDs usually require a minimum deposit and they pay an interest rate slightly higher than a savings account. If you withdraw your money early, you pay a penalty. Check – a method of payment in which money is drawn from an account. Checking account – a bank account that account holders can write checks or use debt cards against to pay merchants. Collateral – a condition of some loans. A banker may require you to back up a loan with something of value. If you are purchasing a car, the car itself is collateral. Volume 2 • Issue 1
Compound interest – interest that is calculated not only on the money you originally invested, but also on any interest the investment has already earned. Credit – money loaned, usually for a fee that must be paid back. Credit card – a plastic card used to make purchases up to the credit limit, interest on the balance will be calculated from an annual percentage rate (APR). Credit card loans are not free money, but an unsecured loan. Credit history – a record of your borrowing and paying habits. Debit card – a plastic card that works just like a check, only the processing time is faster. Money spent is automatically taken out of the linked account, usually a checking account. If the account does not have adequate funds for the transaction, the purchase can be denied or accepted with an understanding that there will be overdraft fees. Down payment – a deposit you make on a large purchase. The down payment reduces the amount you need to borrow. Expense – money a person pays to buy something or pay for services.
Price – the amount of money required to purchase something. Principal – the amount you are borrowing on a loan or the original amount of money invested. Product – Toys, clothes, games and anything you purchase. Risk – the chance of losing your money. Saving – keeping your money for a future goal instead of using it to buy products or services. Services – People or companies who perform tasks for others. Example – water company providing you with water in exchange for money.
Unauthorized purchases – those purchases made by someone other than you, but with your debit or credit card, or stolen checks. If you can prove that you did not approve the purchases, the bank will refund your money. Unsecured loan – a loan not backed by collateral. A credit card is an unsecured loan. Want – something you would like to have, but do not need to live. Withdrawal – taking money out of a bank account. TJN
Secured loan – a loan that is backed up with collateral, such as a home or a car. Share – a unit of ownership in an investment or company. Spending – using your money to buy products or services. Stock – A certificate representing a share of ownership in a company.
Income – money a person earns or receives. Interest – the money a bank pays depositors for using their money, or the money a person a pays when borrowing money. Invest – to put your money into CDs, money market accounts, mutual funds, savings accounts, bonds or stocks to help your money grow in value and earn a profit. Money – paper and coins that are used to buy things. Need – something you must have in order to live.
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 35
The REAL ID system, what does it mean to you as a US citizen? The League of Women Voters’ April Luncheon will feature Rep. Brett Geymann discussing the Department of Homeland Security’s national identification proposal, “REAL ID Cards.” Noon on Friday, April 30th at Reeves Uptown Catering, 1639 Ryan St. $15 members, $18 non-members. RSVP no later than Wed., April 28th to info@lwv-lc.org or call 474-1864.
CAR Shopping made easy for any AGE We Finance Your FUTURE ... Not Your Past! LAKE CHARLES, LA 1200 E. Prien Lake Rd.
337 PAGE 36
APRIL 8, 2010
479-1021
SULPHUR, LA
2910 E. Napoleon St.
337
625-8714 Volume 2 • Issue 1
no, I wasn’t right for the part. But I kept bugging him until he let me audition, and I got a ten-second part that has grown into this new commercial for GOAUTOPLEX.COM. Q.) For your part in “Tax Max” you received an “Addy Award?” A.) Yeah, crazy, huh? (Laughs.) It was really unexpected. I appreciate Mr. Kenny Phipps incredibly and Autoplex Media Group, along with Judd Barres and Oran Parker at Sweet Spot who made “Tax Max” a hit. You know it’s a good commercial when little kids are jumping around at the Mall yelling “Tax Max is back!” Funny.
Q.) What about this new spot “24/7?” A.) You know it’s really amazing. Anyone can go to GOAUTOPLEX.COM morning or night and buy a car—really! Right there—buy a car. Shop, get qualified, look at the CARFAX, the whole thing. I’ve been there shopping myself. It’s really cool. Q.) What projects are you working on now? A.) I just got back from Hollywood, wow! Amazing! I went with my manager. I got my headshots done by Kenneth Dolin, and I audi-
tioned for a couple of independent projects. I will be one of the judges at the “America’s Next Top Model” contest April 7 at the Prien Lake Mall, hosted by FOX29/CW. And, I’m part of an ensemble cast in the play Working, which will be at the Ralph Squires Hall on the McNeese campus, April 25-29. The cast is great. Q.) Then what? A.) Stay tuned…(laughs). TJN An Advertorial Sponsored by
If you’ve been anywhere in Acadiana, watched television, or even been to the movies lately, there is one face that keeps popping up time after time—and it belongs to Jes Breaux. Seen in the “Tax Max” commercial for Autoplex, Jes can now be seen in his first solo advertisement for “GOAUTOPLEX.COM” in the new 24/7 commercial now airing. A shy Southern boy at heart, Jes was kind enough to visit with us. Q.) So, where are you from? A.) Right here (laughs). I’m a Lake Charles native. Q.) How did you get into acting? A.) I spent a lot of my teen years playing hockey, trying to get a scholarship to college. After I got injured, I was attending college in Baton Rouge. One day on campus, I saw an audition notice for a play and thought I would give it a shot. I wound up getting the lead. One night, while on stage, I realized that this was what I wanted to do…be an actor. Shortly thereafter, I applied for a theater scholarship at McNeese. I got accepted and came back home. Q.) Did you ever dream your break would come here in Lake Charles ? A.) Actually, no! But I’m a person who believes that the harder I work, the luckier I become. Good things happen wherever you are. Ask anyone— I’m pretty stubborn. Once I set my mind on something, I usually achieve my goals. Q.) How did it happen? A.) Last fall, a buddy I work with at a local restaurant told me that an agent from Big Easy Talent in New Orleans was scouting for actors here in Lake Charles. He came in one night to eat dinner and I asked if I could audition. At first he told me Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 37
By Phil de Albuquerque
I
t was January of 1984. The holidays were over. My family and friends threw me a party and wished me luck on my big adventure. I still couldn’t believe that I had been awarded a contract to join the circus. I flew into Sarasota, Florida, and drove to the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey winter quarters in Venice. This is where the Greatest Show On Earth creates its new show for the coming year. The sky was so blue and the sun was so bright—I felt like I was in heaven! I was really on a natural high. I found the famous circus train where I would be living for the next 12 months. It’s a mile long! I found the clown car and started looking for my room. We hadn’t seen the rooms while we were in Clown College, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. All I knew is this: I was a recent graduate of Michigan State University’s School of Engineering, and I had given up a wonderful job opportunity at General Motors to travel with the most famous and prestigious circus in the world! The world was my oyster– and I had reached out and grabbed it. There it was. The room with my name on it. “Here I am world!” I said to myself. “A star!” I opened the door and gasped. There had to be some mistake! It was the size of a closet. “Don’t worry,” said one of the other clowns who happened to be walking by, noticing that I looked like I was ready to faint. “You’re only in there to sleep. All the rest of the time, you’re per-
PAGE 38
APRIL 8, 2010
forming or practicing!” And he was right. Almost. I don’t remember sleeping that first night. I kept saying to myself “I have to get some sleep and be ready for rehearsal,” as my other self was saying, “You gave up a job at General Motors for this? You really are some kind of clown!”
On the Road It took a while for me to get used to my new lifestyle. At 8 a.m. every morning, the bus would leave for the arena. This is the same bus that traveled from city to city with us on the train on what we called a “flat car.” The bus transported us to and from the arena and also took us to the supermarket for groceries and to the local Laundromats so we could wash our clothes. There were three stoves and five refrigerators on the clown car for 23 clowns. There was no place for any tables and chairs, so you had to eat in your room. My room was about 3 feet wide and 6 feet long. Three cushions took up the entire room, with storage space under the end cushion. When eating or entertaining, I’d put the middle cushion in the storage area, and lift the middle section up to become a table. Not exactly the Ritz. There was also a type of
Volume 2 • Issue 1
snack car on the train that we called the “Pie Car,” where we could get hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, etc. for a reasonable price. Living on a train and traveling across the country was one of the most unique experiences of my life. It took me a while to learn to sleep through the night. I had to get used to my head hitting the wall to my left and then to my right as the rocking train barreled down the tracks to the next city. I think this is why I’m now such a sound sleeper. Let’s face it—if you can sleep on a circus train, you can sleep anywhere! During the day, we’d pass small towns, and folks would come out and wave to us. We’d all be in our rooms or outside between the cars and wave back. For some of the kids, it looked like it was the highlight of their year. When we arrived at our destination, the mile-long train would be broken up into about 4-5 sections. That’s how they got the bus, the elephants, the rigging and everything else needed for the show off the train. In most of the cities, the next day would be “parade day,” when we would parade through the streets to the event center. Locals would come from far and wide to see us walk with the elephants and show-
Volume 2 • Issue 1
peze Phil with two tra y to ad re girls and clown around. And what a show ng artist getti we gave them! start the show. In Peoria, Illinois, a couple of dyed-inthe wool circus fans ran up to me at the end of the parade and we became friends. Bill and Geri Stamm offered my friend Rick Cusolito and I a “real bed” and a “real shower” in their home for the duration of our stay. Somehow, they had heard that we don’t have showers on the train. That’s the truth. We would all have to wait until we got to the event center to shower. And the circus travels with around 300 people, so the hot water ran out pretty fast! I can count on one hand how many hot showers I had that entire year. Having Before friends like “Uncle Bill” and Aunt Geri” who opened up their home to us was priceless. Uncle Bill has since passed away, but I still keep in touch with Aunt Geri. We still laugh and reminisce about those wonderful days together. Sometimes, we would do something called a “Six-Pack,” which means we would do three shows on Saturday and three on Sunday. We would be so exhausted that often, at the end of the weekend, we couldn’t even tell you what city we were in. Once, a fan backstage asked me where we were headed next. I remember saying, “I don’t
After
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 39
even know where we are right now!” One morning, I awoke in my little room to find bugs crawling all over me. Turns out the train had parked near a garbage dump in Connecticut. I guess they wanted to be in the circus, too (maybe a flea circus? Pardon the pun!). It was all part of my adventure.
Only on the train to sleep or travel to the next city.
Circus Family ck Phil, Father Jagirl ow sh d an . Becky Galarza
The circus was like a family. For the most part, we all helped each other and looked after one another, especially the children of the performers. They had tutors and were kept busy, but they would occasionally get into mischief. We’d keep an eye on them and set them straight when we had to. The ringmaster, Denny McGuire, was a fun guy and always made us laugh when we were on the floor. Years later, Lauren and I went to a performance of The Big Apple Circus in Boston—and he was the ringmaster! It was great to see him and I was so glad that he was still performing. His wife and children traveled with him in a trailer, and he really loved his life. Rick Cusolito, one of my roommates at Clown College, was also given a contract that year. He became my best friend on the show and we did everything together—from partner-
ing in circus acts to exploring all the towns and cities that we visited. When I left the circus, I headed for Massachusetts instead of back to Michigan to work in his family’s business. That’s how I ended up in New England.
Things Happen… We had some things happen on the show that, unfortunately, weren’t a lot of fun. We did the same performance in every show. And audiences are pretty predictable; no matter what town we played in, people would laugh at the same things. So, when we were backstage, we could tell what was happening in the show by the response from the audience. One time, as I was running off the floor, the audience started laughing. And they weren’t supposed to. I dropped my props on the mat and ran out to see if everything was okay. Clown Colleen Linehan, who was walking on six-foot stilts, tripped on something and landed hard on both of her wrists. I quickly yelled backstage for help and rushed over to her. She was crying and in so much pain. We quickly took a board off one of the ring curbs, set her on it and carried her off. Colleen was transported to the nearest hospital and was out until her broken wrists healed. To this day, the crowd in Knoxville, Tennessee still thinks that it was all part of the show.
APRIL 20 & 21 Tuesday ★ 7:30 PM
Wed.
OPENING NIGHT TICKETS $11*
MAY 7 4:00 PM 7:30 PM
*(Excludes Front Row & VIP floor seats. No double discounts).
Great Tickets available at the Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office, charge by phone at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For information call (337) 491-1432 For Groups of 15 or more call 1-866-248-8740 or e-mail: groupsales@feldinc.com
Meet the stars an hour before the show at the All Access Pre-show – FREE to all ticket holders! PAGE 40
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
The crowds loved Mickey Antelek and his amazing chimps. But one night, Mickey had a heart attack and died right after the show. His wife, who was part of the act, tried to work with the chimps again—but they would not behave without Mickey. Soon after, they were given to the local zoo of the city we were in. Our top act was the late Gunther Gebel Williams, the animal trainer. I’m sure some of you remember hearing about him. He performed with horses, elephants and tigers and always put on an amazing performance. One night in Orlando, Gunther came out as he always did, standing on a horse with a tiger that he held by a leash. Something spooked the tiger and he jumped off the horse and ran toward the audience. Luckily, Gunther’s handlers got the tiger before he harmed anyone. That was the last time Gunther ever had a tiger on the horse with him. Then there was the time I was performing a gag near center ring during intermission when a lion casually strolled right past me. Yikes! I guess someone accidently left the cage open, and he decided to take a walk around the track. He was quickly restrained before anyone was hurt. In Detroit, a woman and a small child somehow got backstage. I happened to be walking past them as this woman took her child’s hand to pet a tiger. I dove for the child as the tiger was getting ready to swat the kid and have him for lunch. The mother looked at me like I was crazy. I escorted both of them back to the front and explained that these animals are trained – not tame. There’s a huge difference. Contrary to what you have may heard, the animals in our show are treated like royalty. They eat the best foods and they are well cared for. Anyone caught mistreating an animal is fired. And I’ve seen it happen. That year, we also lost Mr. Irvin Feld, the owner of the show who offered me a contract with the circus after seeing me perform at Clown College. Father Jack, who traveled with the show and said Mass for us every Sunday, had a special service for him in center ring before the next show. It seemed as if even the animals were quiet as we all paid our respects to a good man.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
The Season’s Over At the end of the season, Irvin’s son Kenneth asked me if I’d like to stay on another year. “No thanks,” I told him. “The world is out there waiting for me!” He laughed, and told me that I could come back anytime. ‘We’re always looking for good clowns,” he said. 1984 taught me a lot about life. I learned that cold showers and waking up with bugs on your bed isn’t the worst thing that can happen. I learned how dedicated people from all over the world can come together to make magic for audience after audience, day after day. I learned that there is no such thing as a “bad day” in the circus. You always have a smile and it’s always the best show you’ve ever done – you always give it your all. That’s what the audience paid for. “It’s show time!” we’d shout to one other as we headed out of the curtain. I enjoy talking to kids about my adventures, especially those who want to be a “star.” “It’s never as rosy being a star as you think it is,” I tell them. “Go for a dream, but always be grateful for what you have, and stop complaining about what you don’t have.” I let them know that they need to find time to help others as they travel toward their dreams. In order to receive a lot out of life, you need to give a lot. “If you want this much,” I say as I stretch out my arms, “You need to give at least this much!” You folks down here have given us that much, and we hope you feel we’ve given you back that much, too. As The Jambalaya News celebrates its one-year anniversary, I want to thank my wife Lauren and her entire staff for their hard work and dedication in making our paper such a success. We thank all of you— our friends, our readers and our advertisers—for your love, support, ideas and encouragement along the way. If I were asked to greet folks as they arrive here in Southwest Louisiana, I would recall that moment with the late Mr. Irvin Feld. I’d reach out my hand with a big, warm smile and say, “Welcome to The Greatest Life On Earth!”
TJN
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 41
ker n Shouma o d n a r B y B
The Rites of Spring Training It’s a bit strange.I mean, I like baseball and all, but you know you’ve got baseball fever when you’re sitting on your couch in the middle of the day watching two teams you could care less about play a Spring Training game that,
in the grand scheme of things, doesn’t matter. But for a baseball fanatic, watching a Spring Training game is exactly like a football freak watching those NFL pre-season games in August. After such a long, boring offseason, you take what you can get. And what you get with Spring Training baseball is pretty strange, too. Number one: I, a Boston Red Sox super fan, am sitting here
watching a New York Yankees game. And taking it to heart when Alex Rodriguez, who looks a little thinner this season…I don’t know why, hits an opposite-field solo home run off of Minnesota pitcher Brian Duensing (who?). Just now, the Twins sent Chris Cates, a rookie middle infielder, to the plate where he grounded out in his first at-bat of the game. What’s so weird about that, you ask? What if I told you Cates is 5-foot-3 inches tall and was the starting shortstop in the Florida State League
all-star game last season? My first thought upon seeing him (I Google-searched him later), was that it looked like they let the bat boy out there to take a couple of hacks. The first batter of the game, Minnesota’s Denard Span, fouled off a 3-2 pitch from Phil Hughes…right off his mom’s chest. Span, understandably upset he pegged his own mother in the chest, went charging into the stands to check on her. Once he determined she would be okay (she later returned to the stands, albeit in a seat a little further away
April 16 - Cowboy Baseball vs. UT-Arlington @ 6:30 pm April 17 - Cowboy Football Spring Game Cowboy Stadium, @ 1pm • Kids Zone presented by Grand Rental Station • Autograph Session after the game • Tailgaters are encouraged to come out and tailgate all weekend April 17 - Softball DH vs. A&M-Corpus Christi @ 1pm and 3pm April 17 - Cowboy Baseball vs. UT-Arlington @ 3pm April 17 - Cowgirl Kicker Crawfish Boil Tailgate area, Noon-4pm April 18 - Softball vs. A&M-Corpus Christi 12pm April 18 - Cowboy Baseball vs. UT-Arlington @ 1pm
Please contact the special services and equality office at least 72 hours before any home event to request accommodations for individuals with disabilities. This includes the need for materials in an alternative format such as large print or Braille, sign language interpreters, accessible seating, and accessible parking information. Ph: (337) 475-5428.
PAGE 42
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
from the action), Span came back to finish his at-bat. He struck out looking on the next pitch. Don’t feel too bad for Span for striking out, though. He’s already got a roster spot locked up and, honestly, the veterans just want to get their reps out of the way and go back to the hotel. But for the non-roster invitees, mostly young minor leaguers getting a chance to take some swings or pitch some innings against major league talent, Spring Training games are a huge opportunity to make a good impression on big league coaches and earn a big-league call-up. A couple of local guys, DeRidder native Josh Rainwater and Lake Charles’ Wade LeBlanc, made good impressions this spring and could be called up to the big show at any time. The Detroit Tigers thought enough of Rainwater (who became a free agent at the end of last season), to re-sign him to another minor league contract. Rainwater, a non-roster invitee who spent most of last season at Triple-A Toledo, repaid the Tigers’ confidence in him by quietly having one of the best springs of any pitcher on Detroit’s Spring Training roster. In seven games, Rainwater was 1-0 with five strikeouts and, most importantly, did not allow a walk or a run in any of his appearances. It was the kind of Spring Training performance the Tigers will remember the next time one of its middle relievers comes up injured this season. Rainwater has already been sent back down to minor league camp, but should be at the top of Detroit’s list for callups this season, a fine accomplishment for a kid who has toiled in the minors for the better half of a decade to even reach this position. He could have given up long ago— many guys would have—but he stuck with it, committed to improving and now has a legitimate shot at seeing the big leagues. LeBlanc’s situation is a little different than Rainwater’s in that LeBlanc has had a couple of callups to the big leagues with the San Diego Padres. LeBlanc has also had a strong Spring Training, posting a 4-0 record in six appearances and, like Rainwater, LeBlanc’s strikeoutto-walk ratio this spring has been
Volume 2 • Issue 1
excellent (17 Ks to 3 walks). That kind of control is crucial for LeBlanc and should stand out to the Padres. His fastball doesn’t have much zip on it (82-84 miles per hour) which means he must have pinpoint location on his changeup, considered one of the best in the game. Since his call-up last season, LeBlanc has blossomed in his role as San Diego’s fifth starter and, though he will probably begin the season at AAA Portland, he proba-
bly won’t stay there for long and should enjoy a lengthy stay with his parent club. It’s another thing to look forward to this baseball season: some of the Lake Area’s best ballplayers with the opportunity to make the major leagues. It would be great for local sports fans if one of them did make it to the show, but could both of them earn spots on bigleague rosters this season? Stranger things have happened.
Brandon Shoumaker is a graduate of McNeese State University and has covered sports for more than seven years for various publications. Coaches Brandon Shoumaker or parents with story tips may contact Brandon at bshoumaker@yahoo.com or send him a message on Twitter (@bshoumaker).
TJN
Louisiana Express Zydecane Travis Matte
Buddy Guy
SATURDAY, MAY 8 • 8PM TICKETS STARTING AT $20 TICKETS AVAILABLE AT LAGNIAPPE GIFTS AND SUNDRIES, DELTADOWNS.COM AND TICKETMASTER.COM • LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE • MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO ATTEND
Down 2 Earth Band Brian Best
APRIL 8 • 8P - MIDNIGHT APRIL 9, 10 • 8P - 1A APRIL 15 • 8P - MIDNIGHT APRIL 16 • 8:30P - 1A APRIL 17 • 8:30P - 1A APRIL 22 • 8P - MIDNIGHT APRIL 23, 24 • 8:30P - 1A APRIL 29 • 8P - MIDNIGHT APRIL 30 • 9P - 1A MAY 1 • 9P - 1A
ADMISSION IS FREE
*Must be 21 to attend all events. Some events may contain profanity or other content of an adult nature. Subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. Ticket price includes all taxes. Tickets available online at ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets including select Dillard’s, select Kroger’s, Be-Bop Records, Major Video, Peaches, Tower Records and Wherehouse Records & Tapes stores. To charge tickets by phone, call (800) 745-3000.
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 43
By Mary Louise Ruehr
Politicians Behaving Badly In recent years, Americans have been appalled by the behavior displayed by some of the people we’ve elected to public office. It isn’t partisan; their greed, arrogance, lust for power, and sense of superiority and entitlement indicate that a few of them are completely out of touch with how American people actually live. This is particularly blatant in The Politician by Andrew Young, former aide to Sen. John Edwards, who ran for president several times and was
Sen. John Kerry’s running mate in the 2004 election. The essence of this absorbing account is that Edwards had an affair outside his marriage, fathered a child he refused to acknowledge, and asked Young to claim paternity to keep Edwards out of trouble — which Young did — all while Edwards continued to run for president. What Edwards did is almost unbelievable. But where the book is compelling is in how Young allowed himself — and his wife — to be seduced
15% Senior Discount All Doctors’ Prescriptions Accepted Experienced Professional Staff • Most Insurance Accepted
PAGE 44
APRIL 8, 2010
into covering up for “the former friend and boss who had betrayed (his) devotion and trust.” Young was dazzled with Edwards the first time he heard him speak: “I noticed right away that Edwards had a gift.” Magazines called Edwards “the golden boy,” “Senator Perfect,” and even “the sexiest politician.” Convinced the senator “was destined to lead the party and the country,” Young became his “go-to guy” for all things and became like “family” to Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, even though “Gratitude was often in short supply with the Edwardses, as was empathy.” After the 2004 election loss, Young writes, “As the Edwardses’ lifestyle became ever more extravagant, I began to feel incredulous. His big issue was poverty, but he was flying around in a private jet, building a gigantic estate, drawing big checks from a hedge fund, and still getting $400 haircuts.” After Edwards met filmmaker Rielle Hunter in 2006, Young started suspecting the mysterious behavior of his boss. Many of the staff knew what was going on, and Elizabeth found out when she answered a “secret” cell phone hidden in John’s luggage. John
told his wife that yes, he had slept with Rielle, but just once; she was now Andrew Young’s girlfriend. Then he persuaded Young to back him up. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s cancer, diagnosed in 2004, had spread. Despite putting on a positive, united front to the press, John was saying behind her back that Elizabeth was dying, telling Rielle that when Elizabeth “was out of the way” they would be married. When Rielle became pregnant and the National Enquirer found out, Edwards asked Young to claim paternity and hide Hunter away until the presidential campaign was over. Young and his wife, who went along with this bizarreness, found Hunter to be “very demanding” and “self-indulgent.” She spent money without a thought: Rielle once called her spiritual adviser (each call was expensive) from a restaurant to see whether she should send her Reuben sandwich back to the kitchen. And when the Youngs took her to Santa Barbara, California to look at “nice houses in the $5,000 to $10,000 (per month) range,” the only one she approved was a virtual palace in ultra-wealthy Montecito at $20,000 per month. Where did all the money come from, you may ask. It came from heiress Bunny Mellon, 95, who believed in Edwards so much that she eventually forked over more than $6 million to his campaign, most of which went to the cover-up. The author gives us an inside look at how politics work and paints unflattering portraits of several other politicians, including Kerry. Edwards may be an extreme case of politicians behaving badly, but the fact that he got away with it for so long is an indication that much of his behavior was accepted as usual. I’m not sure Volume 2 • Issue 1
On the Republican side, maverick Sen. John McCain “was disgusted by Republicans in Congress and talk radio gasbags such as Rush Limbaugh.” But he also was known for “his legendary temper” and “his hotheadedness” and was “prone to outbursts of profanity.” Both he and his wife were rumored to have had affairs. (No evidence is presented for either charge.) What should have been the most fun story in the book — McCain’s selection of his running mate — is given rather short shrift. Although he had indicated that he was going to
pick Sen. Joe Lieberman, at the eleventh hour, he picked Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. She was the big “game changer.” In making his choice, the authors write, “McCain was flying by the seat of his pants,” because she had barely been vetted. McCain’s staff gave her a crash course in all things political and worked her too hard. She got frustrated, lost her temper, “shouted” and “screamed” at campaign staff, and when she threw a “hissy fit,” they began to worry that she was mentally unstable, even though her behavior was probably understandable. But
McCain never complained about Palin. And she gave his campaign the shot of energy it needed. The book is not about policy or party. It’s about personalities, egos, relationships, behaviors and a whole lot of swearing. And the reader will get a fascinating look at the inner workings of the “blood sport” of politics and how to run for office: appealing to voters, raising money, organizing staff and developing strategy. Copyright © 2009 by Mary Louise Ruehr. Write to OneForTheBooks@cheerful.com
TJN
which of the principals I’d slap first. The information in Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin was gleaned from interviews with more than 200 people between July 2008 and September 2009. Unfortunately, the book has no footnotes or other documentation. What it does have is plenty of juicy details about the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign. The book is dominated, as was the news at the time, by the overlong drama of the Democratic primary race. Sen. Hillary Clinton felt it was her time for the nomination, and Sen. Barack Obama, although younger, had a kind of once-in-ageneration charisma. The thing is, the two got along very well. Clinton’s problem was her husband; many thought Bill Clinton’s “personal life” could destroy his wife’s chance to be president, with rumors “rampant” regarding his “bimbo eruptions.” Obama was seen as the “alternative to Hillary.” But Obama had his own problems, and troubling facts emerged about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and other people from his past. This book also goes into the John Edwards affair, but because the authors are journalists, the reader gets a more objective view than in The Politician. Besides talking about the former senator’s “narcissism” and “burgeoning megalomania,” the book also reveals that, “for years (the staff had) been living an even bigger lie — the lie of Saint Elizabeth.” Although she was very popular with the American people, Edwards’ insiders saw in Elizabeth “an abusive, intrusive, paranoid, condescending crazy woman.” Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 45
Around Town With The Jam We Don’t Just Report It, We Support It!
Ready for a permanent home, these two cuties are wonderful indoor pets. Here’s Tigger, strong and handsome and always looking for some attention. His mother Nala is sweet and petite, and quite independent, but will come around for some love when she is ready. Both are declawed, front and back, with exquisite house manners. Naps are frequent and play is spontaneous. They are mature felines in excellent health. Please call 7948545 for more information. TJN The Jambalaya News sponsored two teams at the Bowl for Kid’s Sake benefit for Big Brothers/Big Sisters at the Petro Bowl. Front: Lauren and Phil; Second Row: Susan McHugh and Maxcito Trost; Third Row: Penny Miller from NAMI, Dang Yankee Mike McHugh, Monika Maerhofer, Faye Drake, Karla Tullos, Max Trost and Kalan Powers.
Lauren and Phil visit with Dianne LeFevre of Citgo at the League of Women Voters Annual Banquet held at Reeves Uptown Catering.
PAGE 46
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
U A B A F N OLY EARTH DAY - WORD SEARCH Y R R E N C E N E T M G E G
I
G T E R O E G A O T Y N N O N O L A U T N E M N O R L N
I
V N E
T D N O D M T M A S
O C R A C
I
E A P R
I
L
R T R E E P
I
A
N A G R O W A T O
C C O N S E R V A T
I
I
I O N R N
T W E N T Y T W O L A N T
I
N G R
I
N O H L A U S E O N P A E T
O P O T B C R N E T E G R W U M T C O C E Y T A E R L D O L
April Twenty Two
Environment
Mother Nature
T
Clean Up
Flowers
Organic
A G O O Y W N N E D L R N U O
Conservation
Garden
Pollution
C L
Earth Day
Global Warming
Recycle
Ecology
Green
Tree Planting
I
L M W T C C H E R B E S
L
L E
I
A N N V R A C T O P
W F C E
I
U E H L R
I
Y R N G
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.
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 47
Killin’ Time Crossword By Chris Hughes, Master Jeweler
– Genuine Pearls? If you rub a pearl on your tooth and it feels gritty like sandpaper, it’s usually genuine. Mild dishwashing liquid will clean your pearls – Remember to rinse thoroughly with warm water and air dry, or wrap them in a soft paper towel to dry. Benchworks provides inspection service at no charge, no matter where you purchased your jewelry.
238 W. Prien Lake Rd. (337) 478-0477
Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com (www.bestcrosswords.com). Used with permission. PAGE 48
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
r m ende's Museu l l E an en By D e Childr f th o r o ct Dire
Fantastic Mr. Fox (DVD, 20th Century Fox, 2009)
Are you cussin’ with me? NO! If you want a good adaptation of a children’s book, done in a quirky, stopmotion animation style that isn’t grotesque or suggestive, with top actors voicing over the parts, Fantastic Mr. Fox is a great cuss of a movie. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a story that will teach some profound life lesson, this is a terrible cuss of a movie. George Clooney was never so suave-tongued as he is playing the title role of a once-thieving fox turned
Volume 2 • Issue 1
family man. The voice of his foxy wife is no less than that of Meryl Streep, oblivious to his secret plan to return to crime. In Fox’s case, this means stealing chickens from local farmers. Of course, this movie is based on a children’s book, by the legendary Roald Dahl (Willy Wonka? Yes, that Roald Dahl.) So, you don’t just have farmers. You have three mega-farmers, Boggis, Bunce, and Bean. In a scene that parodies Clooney himself in Oceans Eleven, Mr. Fox decides to pull off a tripleheader, robbing all three. Eventually, the farmers, especially arch-villain Bean, go after Fox with an army of farm hands, and the whole community of wild animals gets involved. There’s all sorts of silliness that ensues, sort of on the level
of Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd. And that’s the key to watching this film. It’s silly and artistic, pure entertainment. Like this timeless, pointless dialogue from the movie: “Are you cussin’ with me?” “No! Are you cussin’ with me?” Seeing the previews for this movie and again when watching it, I kept asking myself, why? Why would someone make a film so tediously? And then I heard that director Wes Anderson was an auteur or artiste (French for “director”). Ohhhh. For those of us who are naïve about filmmaking, this means auteurs produce films that are creative rather than successful. For an artiste, Wes Anderson certainly doesn’t mind borrowing ideas. In fact, this may be the director’s greatest strength. Look for offhand and subtle visual references to classic video games, like Dig Dug, Mario Brothers, and even Doom. A lot of the music is country/bluegrass, which brings to mind yet another Clooney film, as well as an old TV show, Hee Haw. This brand of humor used to be called “corn,” and Fantastic Mr. Fox is nothing if not corny. If I had to make a prediction, I’d say this one will be around on kids’
video for years to come, destined to be another classic. There are good reasons for this. For starters, Mr. Fox is one of the few recent movies that entertain children without talking down to them. Meryl Streep and George Clooney bring the full force of their considerable acting skills to the table. Also, the pacing is not the usual breakneck run of a Saturday morning cartoon. There are pauses and stops among the action, in the dialogue, and built into the characters’ personalities. You can tell that the timing is well planned, deliberate. That’s not to say Mr. Fox is another Mary Poppins or Wizard of Oz. There’s no spoonful of sugar and no place like home, and no real moral taught here. But there’s plenty of shooting at animals, killing of squabs (don’t ask), and Mr. Fox’s tail gets shot off (a key plot element). But all the animals are dancing at the end, like so many movies today. Which is part of why kids will like it. Like the fadeout on an old beach song, when everyone starts dancing, it’s a clear signal to this generation that the movie is over, and I’m not cussin’ with you on that one. TJN
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 49
JR. WOMEN’S CONFERENCE AT MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY Start spreading the news! The Women’s Commission and MSU teamed up to host a day of success designed to help young women grades 9-11 to recognize and build on their own unique potential. Part of the excitement was the musical entertainment by the talented Eleisha Eagle, followed by a glamorous fashion show produced by Blaine Bourgeois of Synergy Salon. A promenade of girls waltzed down the runway in figure-flattering gowns provided by Mam’selle of Lake Charles and classy sportswear by the Gap. A combination of beautiful hairstyles, makeup and color captured the essence of each girl’s individual style. Va Va Va Boom! What a show!
Alicia Hoffman and Mathew Welsh
Princella Ryann, Jan Guiillory and Bernadette Seaberry
Verda Anthony and Vesta Drake
Sarah King and Marlee Henry
Courtney Langley and Alania Davis
Marie Zimmermann and Mary Childres
Mika Green and Heidi Holbrook
IMPERIAL CALCASIEU MUSEUM: GREEN MATTERS AND EARTH COUNTS Way to go “Green Team!” An extremely talented group of students and art educators from the Art Department of the Calcasieu Parish School System exhibited their masterpieces at both galleries in the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. In keeping with the themes “Green Matters” and “Earth Counts,” this unique project cleverly illustrates the importance of conserving our natural resources and reducing waste around the globe. So remember, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! Barbara and Catherine Breaux PAGE 50
APRIL 8, 2010
Jordan Hefler and Erin Fontenot Volume 2 • Issue 1
Jambalaya’s Katy Corbello with Cole and Tim Hebert
Melinda and Savannah Andrews
Sheldon and Noelle Hefler
TAVERN ON THE GREEN Irish eyes were smiling at the “Tavern on the Green,” a St. Patrick’s Day sham-rocking event held at the Gray Plantation Clubhouse. This year’s celebration was held in honor of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital’s 101st birthday and was hosted by the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation. Guests with champagne-filled glasses made several “Irish Toasts” while enjoying delicious Irish-themed food and desserts. The evening included a special presentation and an Ireland trip giveaway. All “Irish” hearts were happy tonight! Kay Barnette and Ginger Patton
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Allen and Gayla Abshire
Mary Kay and Mike Eason
Wendy Mann and Ann O’Reilly
Chuck Fellows and Grace Lacroix
Gary and Susan Shannon
Jessica and Kindall Pruitt, Chadd Cutsillger and Lindsey Felice
Louise and Lyles McDaniel APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 51
IOWA RABBIT FESTIVAL Rain or shine, the third weekend of March is when it’s happening! Over 20,000 people came to pass a good time at the annual Iowa Rabbit Festival held at the Lawrence Toups Memorial Park in Iowa. The fun included bands, craft booths, a whole lot of rabbits, great food, a huge carnival, parades, pageants and much more! ALL of the net proceeds are donated back to the community for the local youth. Next year, you need to hop on over to this festival where you’ll have a hare-raising good time! Megan McCain and Taylor Tullos
Meagan and Jared Laughlin
Roland Terrell and Kent Armentor
Jessica Rager and Marlee Henry
Malcolm Trahan and Jasmine Reed
Phone (337) 494-AMRI • Fax (337) 494-2694
2770 Third Avenue, Suite 125 • Lake Charles, LA 70601 PAGE 52
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
SPRING FLING SENIOR HEALTH FAIR Actions speak louder than words! Young-at-heart seniors attended the Women & Children’s Hospital Spring Fling Health Fair in the Contraband Room at the Lake Charles Civic Center. There were over 30 health and wellness exhibitors, free screenings, refreshments and door prize drawings. Men and women, ages 50 and over, were encouraged to become members of the WCH senior association’s “Senior Circle” program, which enables members to receive in-hospital benefits, hearing and vision discounts and opportunities to take exercise classes, travel and gain a positive outlook on life. With age certainly comes wisdom! TJN Rosalind and Kylie Thibodeaux
Bruce and Anna Broussard
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Geneva Billups, Tommie Sumpter and Lisa Roark
Rochella Fendly and Lindsay Chapman
Allison Ray and Nicole Cheramie
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 53
ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN APRIL 7-11 Lakeside Theatre presents Robert Fulghum’s All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten, a play comprised of stories from Fulghum’s first five best-selling books. Audiences of ages will enjoy this insightful and humorous perspective on everyday life, and the profound echoes that reverberate through it. Performances will be held on Wed., April 7, through Sat., April 10, at 7:30 p.m.; and, Sun., April 11, at 3 p.m. at Lake Charles Boston Academy of Learning located at 1509 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students/seniors and $5 for children under 10. To order tickets, visit www.lakecharlestheatre.com or call 540-6916. PIANO RECITAL WITH LINA MORITA AT MSU APRIL 8 The McNeese Department of Performing Arts will present a McNeese faculty recital with Lina Morita, Ph.D., assistant professor of music, on piano at 7:30 p.m. Thurs., April 8, in Ralph Squires Recital Hall. A native of São Paulo, Brazil, Morita received her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana University, Master of Music degree from Rice University and her doctorate from the Eastman School of Music in Piano Performance and Literature. Admission is $5 for the general public and free for McNeese students. For more information, call the McNeese Department of Performing Arts at 475-5028.
SOUTHERN EXPOSURE AT THE BLACK HERITAGE GALLERY NOW THROUGH MAY 28 The Black Heritage Gallery at 809 Kirby Street in Lake Charles, will host Southern Exposure, an exhibition featuring works of art by Southern University students and recent graduates, from March 22 through May 28. The exhibition is curated by Randell Henry, a 1979 graduate of Southern University and Associate Professor of Art. Featured in this exhibition are 14 artists, each with a unique creative vision that makes a positive impact in the world of art. This exhibit is in conjunction with the Spring Arts Walk. The opening reception is April 9, 5-9 p.m. and is free to the public. TEXTURAL RHYTHMS: CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AMERICAN QUILTS APRIL 9-MAY 22 The City of Lake Charles is proud to present “Textural Rhythms: Constructing the Jazz Tradition, Contemporary African American Quilts.” The opening reception will take place during Spring Art Walk Fri., April 9 from 5-9 p.m. at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition will hang in the second and third floor galleries through Sat., May 22. The exhibition includes work from some of America’s best-known African American quilters, and is part of a national tour over containing approximately 64 quilts from 55 artists of the Women of Color Quilters Network. Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are gladly accepted. For more information, call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com. ARTS AND HUMANITIES COUNCIL SAYS “LET’S DO LUNCH!” ON APRIL 14 On Wed., April 14, the Arts and Humanities Council has partnered with Domino’s Pizza to offer your choice of either a 12” pepperoni or cheese pizza for $10! If you live or work in the downtown area and purchase five or more pizzas, the council’s volunteers will deliver. Delivery must be arranged in advance; by April 9 at the latest. In addition to the hot, freshly baked pizzas, you may select from 20 oz. bottles of Coca Cola products. If you prefer to dine in, join us in Room 108. Otherwise, you may drive through, with volunteers on hand to make your pickup fast and easy. The council will use the proceeds to continue to provide programming support to the many non-profit and educational agencies in the Imperial Calcasieu Region. Please make your purchase in advance to assure availability. For more information, call (337) 439-2787 or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.
Lina Morita, Ph.D.
PAGE 54
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
ICM PRESENTS BOOGALOO 2010 APRIL 17 The Imperial Calcasieu Museum (ICM) invites you “Back to the Future” for Boogaloo 2010 on Sat., April 17. The lively fundraiser for the museum will be held at the newly restored Cash & Carry Grocery. Dress as your favorite personality from the 30s to 2010. While costumes are not mandatory, they sure are fun! Tickets are $40 for members, $50 for non-members. Sponsorships start at $250 and include a bunch of perks! Call the staff at ICM for more information at 439-3793. CMN DUCK RACE AT PRIEN LAKE PARK APRIL 18 Thousands of yellow rubber ducks will fill the Prien Lake Park waterway on Sun., April 18, as the Children’s Miracle Network Duck Race, presented by Cameron State Bank, makes its way back to Lake Charles. Festivities begin at noon. Pack your bag lunch and come enjoy an afternoon of family fun and activities. The ducks will be released into the lake at 2 p.m. The first eight ducks to cross the finish line will “waddle” away with fabulous prizes. Duck adoptions are $5 each and can be purchased online at www.duckrace.com/lakecharles or by visiting a Cameron State Bank location. Proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network. For more information, log on to www.duckrace.com/lakecharles or call (337) 491-7750.
friends and family to the 15th Annual Dutch Treat Community Luncheon on Tues., April 20, from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. at the Lake Charles Country Club Ballroom. There will be a vendor exposition from 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Entertainment will be provided by the Barbe High School Show Choir, and door prizes will be given away. The cost is $25 per person; vendor cost is $50 per table. To register, or for more information, go to: www.iaapmagnolia.org/apw10.html or call Nancy Borel at (337) 475-5083. MCNEESE THEATRE BAYOU PLAYERS PRESENT WORKING, A MUSICAL APRIL 21-25 Working, a Musical presented by the McNeese Theatre Bayou Players will be onstage at 7:30 p.m., April 21-24 with a 2 p.m. matinee Sun., April 25 in Ralph Squires Hall, Shearman Fine Arts Center. This unique and inspiring musical based on the book by Studs Terkel chronicles a day in the “everyday lives” of some uncommon common men and women, telling the story of 26 workers. Tickets are $20 for adults; $15 for McNeese faculty/staff, senior citizens and youth (K-12). McNeese students are admitted free with a current ID. The box office is open weekdays from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-noon. For reservations, call 475-5043.
IAAP’S 15TH ANNUAL DUTCH TREAT LUNCHEON APRIL 20 The International Association of Administrative Professionals would like to invite all administrative professionals, their bosses,
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 55
Tickets available through membership, Web site and at the door.
For information on 2010 events call (337) 475-5123 or visit www.banners.org
Bill Miller Fri, Apr 16, at 7:30 pm F.G. Bulber Auditorium McNeese Campus
Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company Fri, Apr 23, at 7:30 pm Rosa Hart Theatre Lake Charles Civic Center
Ji-Yong Sun, Apr 25, at 3 pm F.G. Bulber Auditorium McNeese Campus
Photographs from The Great Fire of 1910
‘DAY BY DAY’ AUTISM AWARENESS FUN DAY APRIL 24 The Provisional Class of the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. announces “Day by Day” Autism Awareness Fun Day on Sat., April 24 at the Prien Lake Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This is a free, funfilled event designed for families touched by autism. The goal is to bring together families as well as members of the community as a means of raising autism awareness. Activities include a clay modeling station, a pool of beans, a serenity tent, a gone fishing game, and a dress up station where children can have their picture taken. Recipes and samples of a gluten-free snack will be available. Three speakers will address a variety of topics related to autism spectrum issues. For more information about the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. visit www.jllc.net. FROM THE ASHES: THE GREAT FIRE OF 1910 APRIL 24 Lake Charles will commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Great Fire of 1910 on April 24. The afternoon will kick off at 3:30 p.m. with a ribbon cutting and dedication of the 1911 Memorial Plaza. Immediately following, a walking tour of the fire’s path will start from the plaza. The Calcasieu Historic Preservation Society will lead participants through five sites where history was made. “Architecture of Recovery” will be the topic of a lecture program to take place on the front steps of the Parish Courthouse at 5 p.m. The audience will then move across Ryan Street into the arts and cultural center for a reception sponsored by the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society. “From the Ashes: Commemorating the Great Fire of 1910” is an exhibition containing the plaza’s artifacts along with photographs documenting the fire. The exhibit will also feature a short documentary film entitled Great Fire of 1910. For more information, contact Arts & Cultural Events Director Denise Fasske at 491-9159. WHITE LINEN NIGHT APRIL 24 The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital invites you to don your favorite white attire and stroll the 700 block of Ryan Street for the second annual White Linen Night on Sat., April 24, from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. White Linen Night is an exceptional evening of art exhibits from local artists, specialty drinks, appetizers and desserts provided by various restaurants and caterers, and musical
PAGE 56
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
entertainment. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on a wide selection of silent and live auction items, as well as a chance to win a $500 grand prize— all for a tax-deductible donation of $100 per person. Tickets are available at the Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Gift Shop and through the Foundation office by calling (337) 494-3226. You can mail your check made payable to The Foundation at LCMH to 1701 Oak Park Blvd., Lake Charles, LA 70601. For more information, call the Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital at (337) 494-3226. THE FROG & TOAD SCHOOL PERFORMANCES APRIL 29 The Frog & Toad launches The Children’s Theatre Company’s Spring Season. Directed by Kerry A. Onxley, this family production will play for area schools on Thurs., April 29, at 10 a.m. Based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved characters, this delightful show follows two best friends, the cheerful Frog and the rather grumpy Toad, on a grand adventure through the swamp. The school performance will be held at the Central School of the Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby Street) located in downtown Lake Charles. Ticket prices are $7 per person with very limited seating. Schools interested in booking should contact the theatre at (337) 433-7323 or e-mail at mail@childrenstheatre.cc. For more information, visit www.childrenstheatre.cc
the Old Cash & Carry Grocery Store on Enterprise Boulevard in Lake Charles. All proceeds will go to support the programs of the 5,000 youth served in surrounding areas. There will be a wide variety of silent and live auction items to bid on. Tables and sponsorships and are still available. For more information, please call the BSA office at 436-3376. LAKE AREA LEGENDS ROAST MAY 1 Robert Hebert, McNeese State University’s soon-to-retire president , will be raked over the coals at the Ad and Press Club of Southwest Louisiana’s 2010 Lake Area Legends Roast. The roast is scheduled Sat., May 1, at the Isle of Capri Casino. The evening will begin with a cash-bar social hour at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the roast to follow. Tickets are $50 each and $400 for reserved tables of eight. Deadline to purchase tickets is April 28. Proceeds from the roast will be donated to a charity of Hebert’s choice, as well as to the McNeese Mass Communication Department and Sowela Technical and Community College’s Graphic Arts Department. For tickets or sponsor information, call the Roast hotline at (337) 583-4766or by e-mail at LakeAreaLegendsRoast@yahoo.com.
TJN
CALCASIEU BOY SCOUTS ANNUAL AUCTION APRIL 29 The Calcasieu Area Council, Boy Scouts of America will be hosting their Annual Fundraising Auction on Thurs., April 29, at
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 57
To list your event e-mail: lauren@thejambalayanews.com
The
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7
• She Craves/Forever
• Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 7 p.m. • Mike Lavergne/Benji Abshire/Wayne Mouille @
Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m. THURSDAY, APRIL 8
• •
• Various Artists @ Louisiana Railroad Days • • • • • •
Festival, DeQuincy, 5 p.m. Lesa Cormier & The Sundown Playboys @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. Dat Phan/Scott Henry @ Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7:30 p.m. Louisiana Express @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m. Keith McCoy & CEO @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m. Bayou Katz @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. Grievous Angel @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 10 p.m.
FRIDAY, APRIL 9 • Various Artists @ Louisiana Railroad Days
Festival, DeQuincy, 1 p.m. • Briggs Brown & The Bayou Cajuns @ DI’s Cajun
Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. • Jimmy Partin @ Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m. • Dat Phan/Scott Henry @ Coushatta Casino,
Kinder, 7:30 p.m. • Randy Travis @ Delta Events Center, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m.
• • • • •
Falls @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 p.m. Out Of Order @ Cigar Club, 9 p.m. Louisiana Express @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m. Ridin’ High @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m. Bayou Katz @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. Butt Roxx @ AJ’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 p.m. Matthew Moss/Kris Harper Band/Do Not Destroy @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 p.m. Hells Bells @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 11 p.m.
• Bayou Katz @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino,
Kinder, 9 p.m. • Blues Tonic @ The Buckin’ Bronco,
DeQuincy, 10 p.m. • Arizona @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du
Lac, 11 p.m. SUNDAY, APRIL 11 • Tom Brandow @ Jimbo’s The Spot, 3 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 SATURDAY, APRIL 10 • Various Artists @ Louisiana Railroad Days Festival, DeQuincy, 9 a.m. • Errol Jenkins & Louisiana Tradition @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. • Boyz II Men @ Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 7 p.m. • Evangeline @ KC Hall, Westlake, 8 p.m. • Bayou Heat Cajun Band @ Hawg Wild, Sulphur, 9 p.m. • Louisiana Express @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m. • Craig Mouton & Slingshot @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.
• Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 7 p.m. • Jason Stutes/Chris Dugas/Howard Elliot @
Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m. • Chris Shearman & Friends @ Luna Bar &
Grill, 8 p.m. THURSDAY, APRIL 15 • Don Fontenot & Les Cajuns de la Prairie @ DI’s
Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. • Joe Starr/Chipper Lowell @ Coushatta Casino,
Kinder, 7:30 p.m. • Zydecane @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs,
Vinton, 8 p.m. • Cold Sweat @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri
Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m. • Bernie Alan @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino,
Kinder, 9 p.m. • The Reds @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge
du Lac, 10 p.m. FRIDAY, APRIL 16 • Howard Noel & Cajun Boogie @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. • Adam Caldwell/Johnathon Johnson/Al White @ Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m.
PAGE 58
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
• Bill Miller @ Bulber Auditorium, • • •
• • • • • • •
McNeese State University, 7:30 p.m. Joe Starr/Chipper Lowell @ Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7:30 p.m. Zydecane @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m. Neal McCoy @ L’Auberge du Lac Event Center, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 8:30 p.m. RPM @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8:30 p.m. Mark Henry @ The Cigar Club, 9 p.m. BPM/The Botanist @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 p.m. ISIS @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. Tyler Read/Evangeline/The Armorist @ AJ’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 p.m. Twangsters Union @ Yesterday’s, 9:30 p.m. DJ Timbo @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 10 p.m.
• Al Roger & Louisiana Pride @ DI’s • • • • •
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21 • Mike Zito @ Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m. • Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar &
THURSDAY, APRIL 22 • Homer LeJeune & The Kajun Kings
SATURDAY, APRIL 17 Band/Lil’ Lo/Linda Toussaint R&B Band/Zydecane/Lil’ Nate and the Zydeco Big Tymers/and more @ Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, Noon • Paper Plains/Fresh Nectar/Moss & Fontenot Duo @ EarthFest 2010, Downtown Lake Charles, 6 p.m.
• • • •
FRIDAY, APRIL 23 • Briggs Brown & The Bayou Cajuns
• • • •
• • •
Grill, 7 p.m.
• • MBK/The Gator and True Reggae
Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. Joe Starr/Chipper Lowell @ Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7:30 p.m. Zydecane @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m. RPM @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8:30 p.m. ISIS @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. DJ Timbo @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 10 p.m.
@ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. Henry Basil/Shayla Rivera @ Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7:30 p.m. The Down 2 Earth Band @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m. Static @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m. Da Classics @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. Cam Pyle @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 10 p.m.
• •
@ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m. Rebecca Johnson/Travis Corbello @ Caribbean Hut, 7 p.m. Henry Basil/Shayla Rivera @ Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7:30 p.m. The Down 2 Earth Band @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m. Louisiana Express @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8:30 p.m. Jabarvy @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 p.m. Trigger Proof @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m. Colorcast Veteran @ AJ’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 p.m. Furr @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 10:30 p.m. Hipbootjoe @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac, 10 p.m.
SOCCER CAMP(Led by Alberto Maxwell) Ages: 5-12 • Cost: $25 Time: 8 a.m.-10 a.m., Monday-Thursday Session 1: June 30-July 2 at Combre Fondel Session 2: July 7-9 at St. John Contact: Albert Landry, Jr., (337) 990-0112 YOUTH FOOTBALL CAMP Led by former college and professional football players: Kip Texada, Tony Citizen, Michael Castille, Albert Landry. Ages: 5-17 • Cost: $40 Time: 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Monday-Thursday, June 7-10 Location: Lake Charles Multi-Sports Complex, 3210 Power Centre Parkway
Contact: Michael Castille, (337) 990-0112 YOUTH BASKETBALL CAMP Hosted By: Dave Simmons Ages: 5-11 • Cost: $25
***MIDNIGHT BASKETBALL*** 8 p.m.-2 a.m. • June 12-July 30 There will be age divisions: 8-10, 11-13, 14-16, and 17 and up! Pryce/Miller 216 Albert St., Lake Charles (337) 502-5231 Enos Derbonne Sports Complex 7903 Lake St., Lake Charles (337) 502-5214 *SECURITY & GUEST SPEAKERS WILL BE PROVIDED Volume 2 • Issue 1
Date: July 6-10 • Time: 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Location: Pryce/Miller Recreation Center, 216 Albert Street, Lake Charles Contact: Albert Landry, Jr., (337) 502-5231 TENNIS CAMP in conjunction with the City of Lake Charles. FREE!!!! CHILDREN ALL AGES June 21-25 • Location: Huber Park: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
TJN
MONDAY NIGHTS: Abita Beer Night
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS: Mondo Martini Night
THURSDAY NIGHTS: Be Well Night
Whether you are dining in or calling in for takeout, let The Luna Bar and Grill do all the work. Come in today for one of our specialty salads, stellar sandwiches, or exceptional entrees. We offer many choices for the health conscious individual. We’re locally owned and the best place in town for live entertainment, food, and drinks. Fri. Apr. 9 @ 9:00 SHE CRAVES & FOREVER FALLS Fri. Apr. 16 @ 9:00 BPM (reggae<rock) & THE BOTANIST (psychedelic rock) Sat. Apr. 17 @ 6:00 EARTHFEST - PAPER PLAINS, FRESH NECTAR & more Fri. Apr. 23 @ 9:00 JABARVY CD RELEASE PARTY! Sat. Apr. 24 @ 9:00 JABARVY & LINGUS
Contact: Albert Landry, Jr., (337) 990-0112 APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 59
c i t c e cl
E
Y N A P M CO By
rman
Be Leslie
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 festival concert prom r, coffeehouse o album director, mus ter, publicist, notes w ic trade riter, ar journalist, t entertain organization ist manager, ment at presiden torney, of the M t, and u Louisian sic Museum o president f musicall a. She prefers Southwest y eclectic a GRAM , and v ll things M Recordin Ys as a mem otes on the g Aca ber o reached at leslie@ demy. She c f the an leslieber man.co be m.
e But h ully. ant me to f w idisdidn’t e a pariah. eem to be departr prev i e h t s on d at becomtunately, I s nd politics ow Xgau’s r song ng to recor like u l a o f d i e s n Unfor n the tact always fol record were plan rip. Sound ould i ’t d d n ’ ave e a y l c e b h I h a t d nds h n e , and on this t record s the i a t r i , f s s i t . y v ore nd their kout for men nt advice gs sent b aptop CD nous l e a our m o excell ee recordin y car and me comme e least f nths or so e on the lo r m o o . b h s k n l m T i c l h ’ a rt b I Brisco six ng rotati each is wo , Vanessa Pylon, ished. will report own and es all n n i f e e e o b b band, s, and om kn critiqu ths ag , s, and player few mon New Wave e first full- y result t records fr asking for em a listen to osel I ge 80s e th rces s,” th ry. A n sou always giv ul it can be f any- ta y of the 19 of “Wave ster, her lo notw o n I y k ; f u I i a f l r H un pain ysel perc a cop , and ering or he find m o catch nt me lease by Su g project f nd e time I know howhere, wond the forest. e I h s t e r e e t h r in e g ea n tt atter w cians tryin Charles to becaus r work ou r tree fall i nship of length ated record ance/danc m ’t n i u y s u g o tr It doe n into mus from Lake should put yo er hears yo e the relati mate one, s- aggre for-Pylon, ve” songs. e late Rand o i g c u o v a t h h r t t e n n p n i i h i s W w e s r y d g y l ri on es fo is an alwa k. I was f sover, and d “Just” n urse, ay an chian Of co their work el themselv heir baby, g ppala ition to H rticipants i d in rare A “ t a brea ork for Pas ut John an nd workin d e n a t t o d a t p s u a , s o d n t n n r b a I b is a y lo eco otable r P f n New Y tmates be ers living California, io art everyone c omments a ctive criti- rd o o y h h a g co ru Bewle luster, bot are other n bands suc not egative c my se reggae sin cramento, iend’s stud const iewed a re de c , ’s r m n e t e i o c e o r a , r p l n t f f s n S v b u a e a s e S si Lewi uction in r way to a planning en w h player bme I r erform s), I m ol, ers, i r not ev The first ti ice, no les mpany pu ie live p s, Georgia mor Contr Of Numb , const ere on the e they were o o l l d e n s c a . V r e n e e r cism e Village record this guy, L tist] Ath he Olivia T e New Sou , Of Montr . who w oklyn whe w tracks. rk on our ’t a f h o r T s h c e e T e o i a as ayn rs, et ter, T in Bro wn some n time to w ’s union isn to (in mies for lif nt (“Who hate [our erhun rkley/Lil’ WJolly Begga lin, man e r d e e . ) h m D ” ene t . s r s e a a e lay do is is a goo e carpente , referring do he isB , vio opi ne dep Gnarl b Hay & T se of cello ith rock gu g, “Th cause th ewis said ld me licity n, and why re review c ted someo o u n e a o n L i o w B t i l b ’s ” m o , , e , and ercluster , crossed s pop sty Ber ch? No m once an music y right now day job. H genre y l t t p a I s e u c u e o i n d S s i g s m s u fm ug An lar dis so his bu and c d drums s s, but the aight in f his m n pissed of said o n i ” l g o d “Kin more tha dy, who ss, an ky folknes to hits str love nsidd rs, ba which en best bu ad to be co usi- ta at least fun ngs swing ry time. I I m h th or se so t eve ight until- default he n the same , he ce the unk pocke nd “The N o song, n a i n y n o t b i h t t a a -p is c tha lesser lig ermin e shekels e post isco Song” ot at all a d nding t h e t d a a d n nt, ere ou om eD “Peac the former eat bells s him s gious mame b ” cal fir , that cost at a presti , p d u Die ter with ig ed ul. t claim is band’s g o sell out. irst real the la all sorrowf hopes for ecause t f h y d n e e l m i h h t a , w hy lf not a d very hig gin with, b their rt hal probably w Christgau till e c a e n h b o nce c I Bob h is (he s ster to of Pylon si usic, u l c Whic illustrious ck Critics s r e Sup en a fan Pylon’s m d as , the rican Ro ale in hi n r e o e t i d e c e a I’ve b ork debut. be describ ing A-F s of Am down n t Y e s e p w b o e Dean usic on the who held ice for N ght ear llery i n m o , a ) m V e h s e t s c uid lage ot to wri rate ,” wa oting ga w hi mer G o he Vil n le pop Consu al seat at T rs, told me se he wor- i- “jang from the sh k I usually ilar i t u i r a f u a r e o e p c c t i y i l e e n y ad sim 0 b re ed s of th ten to. It h as far than 3 ends. Not nches in m urting d e n r u o o w s i o s u m my fr r, but any p d to li ’d be c electe and powe about would pull he knew I lder, even y their energ ubtle. ried I ut because e cold shou I could, nd of ts o s f b s h , e y t a l r l r m o y i a a o i rl t m cis espec ool,” with s brium tten as clea I do abou o ’m r I p C p “ u i o ay I’d wr ingle, t chor the w first s eady chan thing, rrows when why I feel a d n r y t ings a pogo- thing, ever about . the sl rote abou ed to d y d r r n i e o v w c “e re seem dn’t m n he He di artists whe in fact, he hem gleet ; from them draw
s e e r g e D o n N o i t a ar p e S of
PAGE 60
APRIL 8, 2010
Volume 2 • Issue 1
everything, everything, everything, everything is cool,” and their first album, “Gyrate,” featuring “Volume,” as in “turn up the . . . ” And if my recommendation isn’t enough, take that of Bill Berry, drummer for R.E.M., who, upon receiving word that his band had been named world’s best, told reporters that R.E.M. weren’t, but Pylon were. Both songs I loved from the get-go appear on the DFA label re-release “Gyrate +.” (www.superclusterband.com) The wife of an old friend has released an album of preschool children’s songs, titled “Didi Pop,” that I find charming and familiar in a sophisticated-rock-songs way. For a long time, everything purpose-made for small kids sounded treacly to me, and only a few rock bands made music you’d let your toddlers listen to. I, myself, am a fan of the TV band, The Doodlebops, who sing straightforwardly and as far as I’m concerned, not condescendingly, to children. In that same vein, “Didi Pop,” the alter ego of singer/writer/musician Deborah Poppink, passes the smell test, with fun, rocking, melodic songs that I’m going to pass on to some toddlers in my own family. “Didi Pop” Standouts are “Butt On The Bench,” “The Cool Alphabet Song,” and “Yellow Car,” but not one of the album’s tunes is a clunker. On the other hand, Deborah Poppink’s album for adults, “Chasing Lunatics,” isn’t doing that much for me. The songs are well-crafted, well-recorded, and Poppink’s used her considerable vocal and musical chops everywhere, but the material touches my head and not my heart, including the trance song “Hit Girl,” used on the “X-Files,” and the country-leaning upbeat “That Married Man.” Find them on Poppink’s Web site (www.deborahpoppink.com) to check out using your own taste. TJN
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 61
By Houston Jones
For the “new music” aficionado, this is Mecca. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, this is no ordinary music festival. South by Southwest Music Conference & Festival (SXSW, or “South By” to intimates) takes place every March, with more than 1,400 acts performing in 80 venues around downtown Austin over a four-day period. And these venues take every form possible: bars, dance clubs, restaurants, clothing stores, meeting rooms, tents and vacant spaces, to name a few. Having grown from 700 registrants the first year to around 12,000 today, the event is focused on entertainment and music industry professionals from all over the world. And it’s estimated that over 90 percent of these people are somehow connected to the music industry. It is a unique tool for creative people on both sides of the microphone to develop their careers and businesses. Networking opportunities for registrant badge-holders in and around the Austin Convention Center are endless! Originally, the bands playing were largely acts unsigned to music labels, but now, with changing technology and industry dynamics, most of the acts are on some kind of label or another. Today’s line-ups typically include a smorgasbord of underground bands that would typically only be heard on college radio stations and a couple of satellite radio stations (namely XMU and Alt Nation). In recent years, an appearance at SXSW has become a PAGE 62
APRIL 8, 2010
necessary rite of passage for any band looking to break out. There are always some mid-level bands and even older bands that are looking to jumpstart their careers or perhaps work a deal with a new record label. And with all major worldwide music media present, including a multitude of independent bloggers, this is the perfect venue to generate that all-important “buzz.” Examples of older acts looking for a new start this year included Cheap Trick, Stone Temple Pilots, Ray Davies (the Kinks), Smokey Robinson, Macy Gray and Hole. Younger, mid-level acts that made some noise included Muse, Spoon, Band of Horses, Jakob Dylan and Ozomatli. But as always, the real focus was on the hottest of the hot young bands: British acts Fanfarlo, The xx and Frightened Rabbit were atop that list; as were homegrown acts like Surfer Blood, The Soft Pack and Broken Bells. Louisiana was very well represented at SXSW, led by a plethora of New Orleans bands. In addition to the traditional NOLA sounds of Big Sam’s Funky Nation and old-timers Dash Rip Rock and Susan Cowsill, the Indie sounds of The Generationals and mynameisjohnmichael left a big impression as well. The Givers from Lafayette also made tremendous progress in getting their name out there and I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from them very soon. But let’s not overlook the business side of this event that I alluded to earlier. In addition to the back-room deal making that goes on everywhere, there are a multitude of afternoon day parties sponsored by various media, record labels and government entities both domestic and international. Then there is the conference side of the event: four half-days of panels with subjects ranging from A&R techniques, continuing legal education, demo listening, mentor sessions and several “social media”-related topics. There are also panels for the merely curious on topics like “CBGB Stories,” which included members of the Talking Heads and Blondie, to “Texas Nuggets: a History of Rock Music in the State.” And this year’s keynote speaker was Smokey Robinson, who spoke of his long and storied career in the music business. Now with all this fun, you’re probably wonder-
ing why in the world you wouldn’t go next year. Here’s the catch… Although all of the daytime shows are free, it often requires standing in line for a considerable amount of time with no guarantee of getting in. The nighttime shows are sometimes available for a $15 entry fee, but any and all of the “hot” shows will only be available to conference badge holders. So, if you want to be able to bounce from venue to venue with little or no standing in line, you’ve got to fork over $650 for a registrant’s badge. In addition, it involves taking three days off work (event runs Wednesday thru Saturday, inclusive), finding a place a stay, and paying $5+ per beer! Ouch! For a taste of what we experienced, here’s a list of songs that you should download as soon as you can. Hope you appreciate them as much as we did.
TJN
DOWNLOAD! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Fanfarlo – Harold T. Wilkins The xx – Crystallized Rogue Wave – Lake Michigan Broken Bells – The High Road Ra Ra Riot – Can You Tell The Middle East – Blood Surfer Blood – Swim Dr. Dog – Shadow People The Generationals – Nobody Could Change Your Mind Frightened Rabbit – Swim Until You Can’t See Land Real Estate – Beach Comber Local Natives – Wide Eyes Here We Go Magic – Fangela The Soft Pack – Answer To Yourself Washed Out – Feel It All Around Lissie – Everywhere I Go Avi Buffalo – What’s It In For
Volume 2 • Issue 1
Volume 2 • Issue 1
APRIL 8, 2010
PAGE 63