The Jambalaya News - Vol. 3 No. 16

VOL. 3, NO. 16 / NOVEMBER 3, 2011

• A Veteran’s Story • Mistletoe and Moss Preview

• Zeus Lake Charles: Where Hospitality is a Tradition

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

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

contents

On Cover: Executive Director Randy Robb, center, is flanked by Andrea Pelloquin and Deputy Director Anthony Ware at Chennault International Airport.

November 3, 2011 • Volume 3 • Issue 16

COVER STORY 19 Blue Skies for Chennault

publisher@thejambalayanews.com

NEWS EXECUTIVE EDITOR Lauren de Albuquerque lauren@thejambalayanews.com

CONTRIBUTORS Leslie Berman George Cline Dan Ellender Mike McHugh Mary Louise Ruehr Brandon Shoumaker Karla Tullos ADVERTISING sales@thejambalayanews.com

SALES ASSOCIATES Katy Corbello Faye Drake Lindy George Karla Tullos GRAPHICS ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Darrell Buck BUSINESS OFFICE MANAGER Kay Andrews

Legal Disclaimer The views expressed by The Jambalaya News columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Jambalaya News, its editors or staff.

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

Copyright 2011 The Jambalaya News all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

REGULARS 7 10 10 11 16 24

The Boiling Pot Adoption Corner Tips from Tip The Dang Yankee What’s Cookin’ Sports Report

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FEATURES 5 A Veteran’s Story 13 Bayou Biz: Mistletoe and Moss Preview 18 Exercise May be the Fountain of Youth

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ENTERTAINMENT 23 26 28 29 32 36 38 39

Family Night at the Movies Red Hot Books Funbolaya Society Spice Jambalaya Jam Local Jam Eclectic Company Killin’ Time Crossword

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18 13 We accept credit cards!

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A Note From Lauren An Eight Cat Night

Last night, when I got into bed, there were eight cats in it. My husband was in there, somewhere. Yeti was on my pillow. Pokie was curled up underneath it. Oscar was sleeping on Phil’s head. Cubbie was burrowed under Phil’s arm. Huck Finn and Jolie were cuddled head to head on his legs. Huck Finn cuddles with no other cats, so it was obvious this arrangement was an accident of sleep, and there would be hell to pay when he woke up and discovered another feline so close to him.

Muffaletta was lying on her back at Phil’s feet, paws curled in what I call the bunny rabbit position.

General Robert E. Lee managed to dive headfirst into my big leather purse where I’d left it at the foot of the bed, and there he remained, snoring loudly into it, butt in the air. The General is quite the character. He and Huck are mortal enemies and it’s a tricky situation when they’re both on the bed at the same time. They have to be kept separate.

The last thing you want at 2 a.m. is two cats growling on either side of

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you, pupils dilated and backs arched. It’s happened to me, more than once, and it’s really not how anyone should be awakened.

There were other cats around.

Smokey and Delilah were in the closet, maybe trying on my clothes.

I find them pulled off the shelves and hangers and scattered everywhere in the morning. The least they could do is fold them and put them back. The Evil Gatekeeper was wandering around looking for his next victim. Apollo was having a snack in the kitchen. Ghostie had found himself a big pillow on the bedroom couch. I think that’s it for last night.

One of my favorite bands when I was in high school was Three Dog Night. I always remember them saying that Eskimos sleep with their dogs to keep them warm. If it’s a really cold night, well, it’s a —- You get it, right?

Well, last night was an Eight Cat Night. It was chilly out there. But there was no need to turn the heat on, because as soon as I slipped under the covers, all these warm lit-

tle bodies starting inching towards me and before I knew it, I had instant heat on all sides. I wrapped my arms around Pokie. He doesn’t like other cats either and it takes an Act of Congress for him to get comfortable, but he gave into the warmth of my arms and the bed, and burrowed his sweet head into my neck. There is nothing more comforting than falling asleep to the sound of cats purring in contentment which, I admit, I had to strain to hear because of the General’s snoring.

And as I fell asleep, I remembered how it was when I was a child, when I wanted a pet so badly.

But all I heard, over and over again, was that my Aunt Jeannette was allergic to all animals and if I had one it would make her sick. She’d be sneezing and coughing and it just wouldn’t be fair to her. So instead, I had to make do with stuffed animals of all sizes, which I piled on my bed and cuddled with, night after night.

Now, all these years later, I have the real thing, little liv-

ing, breathing souls of all shapes and sizes, keeping me warm and loving me unconditionally, all through my nights and days.

This is MY house. And age has its privileges.

– Lauren de Albuquerque TJN

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In June of 1943, Johnnie Babin was 19 years old and working at a shipyard in Port Arthur, TX. He would have been exempt from the draft since his company built seagoing tugs that were used in the war.

Instead, Babin quit his job and came back home to Lake Charles to be drafted into the Army. When asked why, he simply said, “It was my duty and the right thing to do.”

After a two-week furlough, he left his family’s Shattuck Street residence on July 4 for basic training at Camp Wolters in Mineral Wells, Texas, outside Fort Worth. Babin entered as a “rookie” or private, and was promoted to corporal in less than five months. “I was in the infantry. I was a foot soldier. We called ourselves ‘gravel agitators,’” he explained.

From there, he went on to Fort Hood in Keillen, Texas, and became a cadreman, or instructor. “I helped train others to fight a war and shoot guns, “ he remembered. “Most important, I taught them discipline so they could carry themselves in battle.”

Two of the training regiments were called Hell’s Bottom and Killers Kollege. “They got you prepared for

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battle,” Babin said. “You crawled under barbed wire while being shot at.” At Ft. Hood, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant.

After about six months at Fort Hood, Babin went on to Fort Wolters in Muskogee, Oklahoma. “Wolters had just become an infantry replacement unit,” he said. “Before that, it was a tank destroyers unit.” There, he became a member of the 42nd Rainbow Division, 242nd Regiment and a squad leader for the Heavy Machine Gun unit. “The unit consisted of the squad leader, jeep driver, number 1 and number 2 gunners, and two ammunition bearers,” he said. “Six in all.”

OVERSEAS In November of 1944, Babin was sent to New York where he would then be sent overseas. “We were transported on trains as individuals,” he said. “We weren’t sent as a unit because they didn’t want the Germans to know that more men were coming. They separated the soldiers on to several trains.”

Babin’s fondest memory of New York is seeing “the great lady” (the Statue of Liberty) for the first time.

From there, Babin and his fellow soldiers boarded the General Black— the ship that took them to England.

“It was about a 12-day journey,” Babin remembers. “We had no idea where we were going, but we knew it was to fight the Germans.”

He said that the sea rations were the worst meals. “I hated green peas!” he laughed. When he eventually married, he told his wife to never put them on the table. “But I eat them now,” he said. bin After his ship Johnnie Ba ar. finally docked in w after the England, he was transported to Marseilles, France on another boat.

From there, the troops either marched across France or rode in jeeps to get to the Rhine River.

By the time Babin fought in his first battle, he was ready. “I had been in training,“ he said. “I was prepared for it.”

The first encounter he recalls was Dec. 7, 1944. “It was very cold; I don’t remember, but there might have been snow,” he said. “We slept in tents in total darkness. There were no lights, no smoking even, because

JOHNNIE A. BABIN Lake Charles, LA Army Company H 242nd Infantry Rainbow Division Sergeant Rhineland, Germany, and Central Europe 1943-1946 • WW II Victory Medal • Purple Heart • Good Conduct Medal • EAMETO Medal • ATO

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‘Bed Check Charlie’ (a German plane) could fly over and see you.”

One of his most profound war experiences was seeing and hearing a jet for the first time over the snow and ice. “It was a German jet and it was trying to bomb us,” he said.

“The bomb went off and we watched him turn around and come back. We tried to knock him out.”

Babin said his survival instincts came out during the war. “I learned to take care of myself,” he said. “I had no other choice.”

His unit chased prisoners behind the 3rd Army under General Patton.

“Patton’s soldier’s would win a battle and get the prisoners, and my unit would make sure the prisoners didn’t escape,” he said.

Babin was lucky to have served under Generals Eisenhower, Clark, Patton, Patch, and Bradley. “They were the five greatest men,” he said.

“They just were great, great people.”

Two battles in particular made the most impact on him. The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest battle

Origin of Veteran’s Day

fought in World War II. During that combat, his unit was ordered to hold the Alsatian town of Strasbourg at all costs. Several battles erupted through that conflict. And during the Gambsheim Battle in France, Babin lost his number 2 gunner. But he was the only one. “I never lost another unit member,” he recalled.

Babin was lucky to have escaped serious injury, although he did suffer from frostbite on his feet and was hospitalized in Lyon, France. He received the Purple Heart.

When the war finally ended in May of 1945, the soldiers knew a day ahead of time. “On the actual day, there were no more bombs, no more artillery,” Babin said. “No more. Just quiet.” Babin and his unit spent that night in Siegfried Bunker—a German bunker. Prior to that evening, they’d always slept outside.

After the war, he traveled to Paris and London for R&R, where he saw Big Ben and Hyde Park. He stayed in the Occupational Army until February of 1946. While in

Occupational Army in Austria, he got permission to go hunting for elk in the mountains. He also killed goats. “I shared the elk with the general population, and gave the goats to the German prisoners, who’d asked for them,” Babin said.

When he returned home, he bought a car and became a taxi driver, and eventually went to work in the garage at Gulf States Utilities, serving in the reserves for three years.

He eventually married and started a family. But he never forgot his time serving his country. Nor has he forgotten the many friends he lost overseas, whom he prefers not to name.

Babin’s war days taught him a lot of life lessons that, at the age of 88, he’s never forgotten. “Keep your nose clean,” he said. “Be disciplined.

Do as you’re told. If you have a job to do, set your mind to it and do what you have to do.”

Babin said the best thing about being a veteran is having served this

World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The actual fighting between the Allies and Germany, however, had ended seven months earlier with the armistice, which went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh

great country. “People that support or served our country are owed a debt of thanks,” he said. “And we have to remember that true heroes are still lying over there.”

Is there anything else he wants readers to know?

“We did the best we could, and we did great.” TJN

day of the eleventh month in 1918. Armistice Day, as Nov. 11 became known, officially became a holiday in the United States in 1926, and a national holiday 12 years later. On June 1, 1954, the name was changed to Veterans Day to honor all U.S. veterans.

The 2011 Louisiana Theatre Festival Nov. 5 The Louisiana Theatre Festival will be held on Sat., Nov. 5 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Central School of the Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby Street) in Lake Charles. The LTF is a one-day festival that provides young people with acting and technical theatre training, performance opportunities, and college audition skills. LTF is dedicated to lifelong learning in theatre offering challenging, innovative, high-quality classes to students of every cultural heritage, ability and level of interest.

Students in grades 6-12 from Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis parishes are invited to participate. No experience is necessary.

Registration for the festival is $30 per student and includes lunch.

For registration information, call (337) 377-2571 or visit the festival website at www.LTF.cc. TJN PAGE 6

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The

Boiling

P l

Please submit press releases to lauren@thejambalayanews.com

CITY HOLDS GRAND OPENING FOR RIVERSIDE PARK The City of Lake Charles recently held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for Phase 1 of Riverside Park, a 210-plus acre facility which is located along the east bank of the Calcasieu River and begins at the west end of Fitzenreiter Rd. Work recently completed at the park as part of Phase 1 construction includes: a picnic pavilion, fishing nodes, restrooms, a boat launch and dock, a fishing pier, gabions, minor surface grading, site furnishings, and an entry gate and landscaping. Riverside Park is a City of Lake Charles Park Bond project approved by the voters in Nov. 2006.

From left to right: Ricky Bellon, park director CCPD4; Cindy Koppenhagen, vice chairman; Darby Quinn, chairman; Steven D. Shows, architect, H. Curtis Vincent, architect; Shannon Spell, Police Juror, Ward One; Todd Fontenot, secretary. Photo by Barbara I. McCain.

NEW SOCCER COMPLEX IN MOSS BLUFF The Community Center and Playground District 4 of Ward One (CCPD4), members of the soccer community, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the Ward One Economic Development Board were on hand for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Jones Road Soccer Complex. The new complex is a 42-acre, soccer-only complex containing 7 full size collegiate regulation fields. The design has 850 parking spots, with 50 dedicated to Buddy Ball athletes on game days, concession stands, restrooms, playground equipment and a walking track. The plan has space available for additional parking and the infrastructure to add additional restrooms.

WCH WELCOMES JOSEPH O’DONNELL, MD Women & Children’s Hospital welcomes back Joseph O’Donnell, M.D., a board-certified general surgeon, to its medical staff. A Texas native, Dr. O’Donnell received his bachelor’s degree from Rice University in Houston and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, completing his surgical residency program at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston. Dr. O’Donnell has served the surgical needs of SWLA for more than 20 years. Among the procedures he performs are minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries that, for many, may mean less Dr. Joseph O’Donnell pain and a faster recovery. Dr. O’Donnell is currently accepting new patients. His office is located behind Women & Children’s Hospital at 4150 Nelson Rd., Building G., Suite 3. For an appointment, call 562-3732.

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From left to right: Nora Popillion, Delta Downs promotions manager; Angie Herr, Council on the Aging, Inc.; Robin Abshire, Southern Home Health; and Carol Core, Delta Downs director of operations.

DELTA DOWNS DONATES TO MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel has made a $3,600 contribution to the Meals on Wheels program. Administered by the Calcasieu Parish Voluntary Council on the Aging, Inc., the Meals on Wheels program provides senior citizens with a hot, nutritious noon meal, Monday through Friday, 250 serving days per year.

SWLA IMAGING ACQUIRES LATEST IN MRI TECHNOLOGY Southwest Louisiana Imaging is proud to announce the addition of a Computer Aided Detection Visualization System, DynaCAD for Breast & Prostate. DynaCAD is a powerful, easy-to-navigate digital imaging system, which allows physicians to perform comprehensive analysis of breast & prostate MRI studies. After a patient has undergone a breast or prostate MRI, DynaCAD will allow our physicians to quickly process and manage large volumes of images. This technology then allows them to synchronize patient studies for easy review while providing complete, extensive summary reports NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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that highlight all crucial aspects of the study. For more information, call 4397778 or go to www.swlaimaging.com.

I would like to thank all of you for your support. I am grateful for the many kind words for myself and the employees of the assessor’s office. We are indeed humbled by your tremendous support. It has been a long, interesting and at times a difficult journey. I have however, met some of the most amazing people and renewed many friendships along the way. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the years ahead. My office team and I will remain, as always, committed to the citizens of Calcasieu Parish. We will continue to focus on assessing property in the most fair and equitable manner possible. My office will continue the improvements we began last January when I was appointed to the position of Calcasieu Parish Assessor. As your newly elected assessor, my team and I will continue to be accessible to every citizen of the parish.

From left to right: Tommy McClelland, MSU athletic director, Coach Brendan Guilroy, MSU track coach and Billy Navarre.

BILLY NAVARRE GIVES BACK TO MSU On Oc. 8, Billy Navarre purchased a raffle ticket from the MSU track team for “Split the Pot” at the MSU football game. Mr. Navarre’s name was drawn, and he won $2,500. He has donated that money back to the MSU track team to help with expenses of equipment and travel.

From left to right: Kevin Downs, Sausage Link (3rd place); Darby Guillory, Jr., Famous Foods; (1st place) and Lane and Laurie Sonnier, Sonnier’s Sausage & Boudin (2nd place).

SWLA BOUDIN WARS WINNERS ANNOUNCED The first Southwest Louisiana Boudin Wars took place as part of the Great Acadian Awakening on Oct. 11 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Within two hours, the public tasted, voted and cast over 550 ballots to crown the Boudin Master of Southwest Louisiana. The title of Boudin Master went to Famous Foods, with Sonnier’s Sausage & Boudin coming in second and The Sausage Link winning third place.

CAPITAL ONE ANNOUNCES OFFICER HIRINGS Capital One Bank recently hired two officers in the Lake Charles area. Aaron LeBoeuf was hired as assistant vice president and business banker. A native of Sulphur, he received a bachelor’s degree in business management from MSU and Aaron LeBoeuf Cory Leger has more than seven years of banking experience. In addition, Cory Leger was hired as assistant vice president and associate business banker. A Lake Charles native, Leger received a bachelor’s degree in finance from MSU and has more than four years of banking experience.

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WCCH DIABETES EDUCATION PROGRAM MERITS ADA RECOGNITION The West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital diabetes self-management program in Sulphur has been awarded continued recognition from the American Diabetes Association. This program offers high-quality education services to the patients it serves. The ADA Education Recognition effort is a voluntary process that assures approved education programs have met the National Standards for Diabetes Self-Management Education Programs. Programs that achieve recognition status have a staff of knowledgeable health professionals who can provide state-of-art information about diabetes management for participants. For more information on the diabetes education program offered at WCCH, contact Leslie Petross at (337) 527-4282.

years. This is the second year in a row that two locals have been inducted. Last year’s inductees were Elridge Handy and the late Thomas Simon.

From left to right: Donita Helms, LCCB; Julie Ragusa, L'Auberge VP of marketing and ballet board member; Lady Holly Hathaway, LCCB; Keith W. Henson, L'Auberge VP and GM; and young dancers from the cast of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

L’AUBERGE DONATES TO LCCB L’Auberge Casino Resort recently presented a $5,000 donation to the Lake Charles Civic Ballet in support of the organization’s upcoming season.

The ballet was founded in 1968 and plays to over 25,000 Louisiana students each year.

Children pictured, left to right: Latroy Proctor, Reese Broussard, Josiah Stelly and Bethany Coleman. Adults, left to right: T.S. Cooley principal Fritzi Fralick , PTO member Michelle Williams, PTO President Claudia Kennedy, PTO secretary Kathryn Cormier, PTO vice-president Amber Lavergne and Nissan of Lake Charles owner John Stelly.

JOHN STELLY DONATES $5,000 TO COOLEY ELEMENTARY John Stelly, owner of Nissan of Lake Charles, recently presented a $5,000 check to T.S. Cooley Elementary. The money is being used to purchase ten iPads for first grade classes at the school. The iPads have special elementary school applications for math, reading and science. Stelly, who said he is honored to invest in the educational future of local children, was recently recognized as Philanthropist of the Year by the local Family and Youth Organization of Southwest Louisiana.

SHUFF, BROWN INDUCTED INTO SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME. Harley Shuff and Percy Brown, both of Lake Charles, were recently inducted into the LA ASA Slow-Pitch Softball Hall of Fame. In the1980s, Shuff played for three major teams that won five state championships in a row and two regional championships. He also played in numerous national tournaments. Brown has been involved with softball in the area for the last 40-plus years, and was one of the most well-liked and respected umpires around. He was also involved in numerous local and statewide tournaments over the

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WHS Beta Club members who recently participated in Girl Talk are Alex Widcamp, Kassidy Conrad, Lauren Fuselier, and Sami Rathjen.

WESTLAKE HS BETA CLUB MENTORS ARNETT STUDENTS Westlake High School Beta Club is joining forces with S.P. Arnett Middle School in a program called Girl Talk: a student-to-student mentoring program that pairs middle school girls with high school girls who serve as mentors. The mission of the program is to help young teenage girls build selfesteem, develop leadership skills, and recognize the value of community service. Girl Talk is a 501(c) national non-profit organization that establishes positive weekly student-to-student mentoring programs. For more information, visit www.desiretoinspire.org. TJN

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By George “Tip” Cline

Meet Bruce!

Bruce is my name and having fun is my game! I’m a young Black Lab, under a year old. I love to go on adventures and play with other dogs, kids and toys! I am house-trained and I’m quite the smarty-pants, because I already know basic commands: sit, stay, come, and lay down. I love hanging out with my foster mom at her horse barn and going on runs with her—but I’m also OK with being alone. To find out more about me, contact Kayla at (337) 287-3552.

An application can found online at www.4PawsSocietyInc.com and faxed to 558-6331 or e-mailed to fourpawssociety@aol.com. A vet reference and home visit are part of the adoption process. If you live outside the general area a “virtual” home visit can be done. Hurry, I’m waiting!

TJN

• Certified dietary manager and registered dietition • Physical, occupational and speech therapists • Skilled nursing and rehabilitation services • Free housekeeping and laundry services • Rehab gym with recumbent trainer • On-site cinema and chapel • Full time social worker • In-house salon

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS When I passed by Prien Lake Park the other evening and watched the joggers, dog walkers and others at play, I couldn’t help but think of all the recent improvements in our local recreation areas. I previously mentioned the new Dog Park at the Darbonne Complex on Lake Street, which I use quite often with my own best friend. Now, Tuten Park is being revamped to add a nature center facility that is soon to be reopened.

The new Riverside Park on the west end of Fitzenreiter Road abutting the Calcasieu River has completed its first phase and will continue to add amenities to make it the jewel of the northern portion of Lake Charles’ recreational facilities. The Bord du Lac Park improvements have made the Civic Center area more attractive for fresh-air activities, with more to come when Millennium Park is rebuilt.

There are many other recreational and park complexes scattered around the parish that offer opportunities for sports activities and other forms of relaxation. There is nothing better than gathering on a pleasant sunny afternoon with family and friends to enjoy nature, a frosty cold beverage, and something tasty on the grill.

AQUATIC BLIGHT It’s been reported that Terrebonne Parish is starting a campaign to end aquatic blight. They’re in the process of entering into a cleanup contract to remove abandoned boats in their parish bayous. Forty-three rotting boats have been identified in their area that need to be taken out of the local waterways.

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I am not sure of the numbers in Calcasieu Parish, but they are there.

The Terrebonne Parish president remarked that these sunken boats were a scourge to their area and were reflecting badly upon its people. We have similar situations in our area that demand similar attention. I commend Terrebonne Parish for taking the initiative to make their area waters clear of eyesores and hazards.

We should, at the very least, follow suit.

SUPERMARKET ROUNDUP In response to a request from a regular reader, I was requested to put filet mignon (that wonderful portion of beef tenderloin that is the most tender of all the meat cuts) in the shopping comparison. Not all stores featured USDA choice grade beef, but that is indicated in the listings that follow.

The comparisons are for Wed., Oct. 26 and are from prices posted where the product is placed for sale at Albertsons, Country Club Road; Market Basket, Lake Street; Kroger, McNeese Street; and Walmart, Nelson Road.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce, 10-ounce bottle: Albertsons, $1.99; Kroger, $1.99; Market Basket, $1.79; Walmart, $1.74.

Grapefruit, per each: Albertsons, $.88; Kroger, $.69; Market Basket, $.89; Walmart $.72.

Kellogg’s Pop Tarts, 14.1 ounce box of Blueberry (8): Albertsons, $2.39; Kroger, $2.33; Market Basket, $2.27; Walmart, $2.12.

Filet Mignon, per pound: Albertsons (USDA Choice), $16.99; Kroger, $11.99; Market Basket, $13.99; Walmart (USDA Choice), $12.98. TJN

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Sponsored by

Dang Yankee The

VP, then don’t bother. The VP at one company where I worked once screwed up the coffee maker so bad that the security guard wouldn’t even drink from it.

• Only use the office’s standard brand of coffee. Just because you like some exotic variety that smells like it came from the bottom of a stagnant peat bog, it doesn’t mean your coworkers will enjoy it as well.

• This one is for offices that use a shared spoon in lieu of stirrers. If the water in the spoon cup looks like the scene of an incident involving BP, don’t

wait for someone else to change it.

• Oh, I almost forgot; the true cutoff time for making a new pot is when the Coffee Cop stops checking.

Don’t ask when that is exactly. It depends entirely on how his day is going.

If these rules seem so utterly confusing that you just want to forget it and buy your coffee, you are by no means alone. What do you think causes people to spend the equivalent of a Porsche payment every month at Starbucks? TJN

By Mike McHugh

The Coffee Cop Like many people, I work in an office, and like most offices, we have a coffee pot. The coffee pot is essential to the functioning of an office; without one, there would be no office gossip. And without office gossip, there would be no reason for coming to work, except to steal pens from the supply cabinet. (Note to my employer: I do not steal pens. High-speed, color printers, maybe; but not pens.)

Despite the advantages, I often wish that my office didn’t have a coffee pot. Sure, it would give me a good excuse for sleeping on the job, but that is not all. What’s worse is all the rules of coffee pot etiquette that no one seems to know, but everyone is expected to follow. Try asking a coworker about it. It’s as useless as trying to get a straight answer about the Tax Code from the IRS help line. In the latter case at least, I could look it up myself, and within enough time to avoid a late filing penalty that would instantly solve the nation’s debt crisis.

This is not so with the Office Coffee Code. What we need here is for Juan Valdez to descend from the top of some Andean mountain, bearing in hand the Ten Commandments of Coffee, neatly inscribed on an interoffice memorandum. Then, maybe, we could all get some work done instead of complaining about who used the last of the creamer without informing whoever is responsible to buy more. (And who is responsible, anyway? Doesn’t the creamer just spontaneously materialize?)

Even the simplest rule is not so simple when you really break it down. Take, for instance, what most would agree should be the First Coffee Commandment: “If thou doth takest the last cup, thou shalt make a new pot.” Sounds pretty straightforVolume 3 • Issue 16

ward, right? But what if it’s 4:30 in the afternoon? Surely, there must be a cut-off time, but when?

Finding answers to such grave questions is difficult. Office workers spend so much time grieving over them that they barely have time to update their Facebook status. This is why every office needs what we had at my workplace back in Yankee Land: namely, a Coffee Cop. The Coffee Cop is a co-worker, always self-appointed, based on his extensive knowledge of the full, unwritten Coffee Code of Ethics. He will gladly enlighten you of its precepts—once you have been found in violation. And don’t worry; he will find you, for a greater sleuth has never been conceived in the history of crime literature. Our Coffee Cop could sense when the pot was as much as a half-teaspoon short of a full cup, even if he was out on vacation. In no time, the kitchen would be cordoned off, evidence carefully gathered, and a full investigation launched. He would personally visit each office suspect, feeling every mug to see which was the warmest. He would never fail to get his man.

Most of my co-workers despised the Coffee Cop, but I tried to learn as much as I could from him, if only to get my picture off the mailroom bulletin board. And although I never accomplished that goal, I did attain some degree of enlightenment into the arcane world of coffee pot protocol. So, as a service to my faithful readers, I’d like to share some of what I’ve learned, in the following “Dang Yankee’s Rules of Coffee”: • If you don’t know how to operate the coffeemaker, then learn.

Ignorance is no excuse if you are below the level of a VP. If you are a NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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By Lauren de Albuquerque One of the many things I love about y’all is your love for our furry friends. Phil and I have always worked closely with the various animal rescue groups here, and we’ve never met such dedicated folks. They sacrifice countless hours of their precious time to try and give every stray dog and cat in the Lake Area the homes they need and deserve. Unfortunately, despite everyone’s best efforts, many still end up euthanized. And this is an ending that we don’t want.

That’s why we were cheered to see so many supporters and vendors come out for the first Woofstock 2011 at the Lake Charles Civic Center, organized by the LaPaw Rescue Group and spearheaded by Claire Whitlock. Phil and I were judges for the doggie contests, held at The Jambalaya News tent. We handed out awards for best smile, best ears, longest tail, and more!

All the dogs had their day—and so did all the dog (and cat) groups who came out to have fun. The tireless Ms.

Gizmo won first price for best ears at Woofstock!

The L’Auberge Bloody Mary.

Whitlock is already planning Woofstock 2012. We’ll be there!

Calcasieu Parish Animal Services had their Howl-O-Ween party and costume contest a week later, and more doggies came out, dressed in their spooky best. Assistant Director Tiffany Gardner and her employees and supporters put on a great event, and a lot of happy dogs ran away with some neat prizes. People stopped by to get their photos taken with their pets in the pumpkin patch, dogs kicked up their paws in the park, and the best news yet—over 10 cats and dogs were adopted that day! Keep up the good work, Tiffany!

In the midst of all the Halloweening, it was also time for Rouge et Blanc, which is always a sellout. It was a perfect day to sip wine, nibble on delicious food from the best restaurants in town and chat with just about everyone you know, because just about everyone you know

was there! The next day we attended the Bubbles for Banners brunch at L’Auberge. I tried ox tails for the very first time, and I wasn’t disappointed.

The meat just fell off the bone! Lots of wonderful dishes and desserts prepared by L’Auberge’s chefs. Especially amazing was the L’Auberge Bloody Mary, which is unlike any Bloody Mary you’ve ever had.

Friends of Central School are still recuperating (joyously!) from the huge crowds who showed up to their first ever Haunted House on Halloween Eve. Kids enjoyed facepainting, balloon animals, spooky stories, a wonderful performance of Thriller, and even juggling and entertainment by Phil as Chico the Clown.

It all culminated in a bonfire at the end of the evening. A suggestion: Next year, start charging admission.

Nothing exorbitant, but Central School needs the money. TJN

Phil, Susan Reed, Bobbie DuBrock and Cynthia Tomlinson.

PAGE 12

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Bayou

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Biz

With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s time to think about getting gifts for the special people in your lives. Does the thought of fighting all those crowds make you cringe?

Then look no further than Mistletoe and Moss. You’ll find something for everyone on your list while donating to some great causes. And by the time Black Friday arrives, your shopping will be done!

Mistletoe and Moss is the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc.’s premier fundraiser. Essentially, it’s a marketplace of vendors, both local and outof-state, that comes to the Lake Charles Civic Center right before the busy holiday season begins.

Since its inception, it has evolved into so much more. The first holiday market was held in 1993 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. Now in its 19th year, Mistletoe and Moss conVolume 3 • Issue 16

‘Tis the Season... for Mistletoe and Moss

tinues to support the projects that enrich the lives of those in the community.

“Mistletoe & Moss is the best in holiday shopping,” said Vikki Shearman, committee chair. “And the bonus of people attending the market is that all the admission tickets and raffle tickets sold fund the community projects of the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc.” The League also raises funds from the rental of the booth spaces, and the fees for the special events that go on during the four days of the market.

The money generated from Mistletoe and Moss, along with the other funds raised through Marshes to Mansions cookbook sales and other events, helps fund many community projects. They include Done in a Day, The Junior League’s Kids in the Kitchen, Life Lessons 101, That’s My Bag, HELPing Hands, Liberty Belles and Lego Motion.

During the last five years, volunteers performed over 120,000 hours

of community service, and the League funded over $600,000 in community projects and volunteer training. Through their projects, they were able to help 3,750 individuals in the community with issues such as childhood obesity, poor nutrition, literacy, and women’s health Planning and preparing for the event is a yearlong process, and begins as soon as the last market is over.

“It’s thrilling to work with such a wonderful committee and the entire League to bring the 19th annual Mistletoe & Moss Holiday Market to the Lake Area,” Shearman said.

“We’ve been training and working (and having fun) since the end of last year’s market.”

A lot of volunteer hours are put in by the dedicated and talented Mistletoe and Moss committee. And, the entire NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PAGE 13

membership (including Actives, Provisionals and Sustainers) contributes to make sure the event is extra special.

Shearman is excited about the items that will be raffled off this year.

“First prize is a three-day trip for two at Lake Austin Spa Resort. Second prize is an Apple iPad donated by Capital One Bank, and third prize is a Ladies Fragrance Basket donated by Dillard’s.” Tickets are only $5 for a chance to win one of these great prizes.

“I’d like to thank all of the companies and individuals who have donated to Mistletoe & Moss to help make it a success,” Shearman said. “They’ve donated food for the merchants, advertising for the market, silent auction items and much more.”

This year, some favorite special events will return to Mistletoe & Moss.

“At the Preview Party Gala on Nov. 16, partygoers will be entertained by The Boomerang Experience, dined by local restaurants and caterers and can bid on silent auction items,” Shearman said.

The following day starts with the Preferred Shoppers Breakfast, where you can hit the aisles before the crowds arrive and enjoy a delicious catered breakfast by L’Auberge.

“During shopping hours Fri., Nov. 18, local school choirs will be singing for shoppers,” she said. “That night, we’re planning Ladies Night, which will be catered by Coyote Blues and Amber’s Cake Creations and we’ll award door prizes. Ticket-holders will also receive free gift wrapping for items bought at the market that evening.”

On Saturday, Nov. 19, Donuts with Santa returns in the morning, followed by Cookies with Santa in the afternoon. Children will get to see Santa and take a picture with him in his sleigh.

Tickets are available at the Civic Center Box Office, the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc.’s headquarters at (337) 436-4025 or at www.jllc.net.

While online, view the list of merchants and other info. TJN PAGE 14

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Mark your calendars for the 19th Annual Mistletoe and Moss Holiday Market. A holiday tradition in the Lake Area, this year’s market will feature over 80 merchants from around the country, showcasing apparel, gifts, and accessories for women, men, and children; specialty foods; and seasonal, as well as year-round, decorative items and home furnishings.

But it’s not just the unique shopping that brings people back year after year. The Market also features great food from local eateries and festive holiday entertainment from local schools and groups that will be sure to get you into the Holiday spirit!

Get a jumpstart on holiday shopping at the Preview Party Gala featuring cuisine from the finest area restaurants plus cocktails, auction items and live entertainment on Wed., Nov. 16, from 7–10 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person.

Hit the aisles before the crowds and enjoy a delicious catered breakfast buffet at the Preferred Shoppers Breakfast. This event takes place Thurs., Nov. 17 from 9-11 a.m. Tickets are $25 per person.

Don’t miss Shopping with the Choirs on Fri., Nov. 18, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. General admission. Get in the holiday spirit to the sounds of local school bands and choirs. Raffle tickets are for sale for $5.

Continue your holiday shopping Friday evening from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Ladies Night. Grab your girlfriends for a night of food, fun and hasslefree shopping! This exciting night will include delicious hors d’oeuvres catered by local restaurants along with a complimentary margarita. Get your gifts wrapped for free while you enjoy the entertainment. Feeling lucky? Door prizes will be awarded! Tickets are $25 per person.

Set your alarm clocks and bring the kids for Donuts with Santa on Sat., Nov. 19. There will be seatings at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. and Cookies with Santa at 2 p.m. Your children will be the first in town to tell Santa what’s on their wish list—and even get their picture taken with Santa and his sleigh!

Tickets are $10 per person (children 1 and under free—no stroller fee).

Make sure you catch the holiday spirit with the sights and sounds of the season at this year’s Mistletoe and Moss Holiday Market! General Marketplace hours are Thurs., 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Fri., 10 a.m.–9 p.m.; and Sat., 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is $8 per person, and children eight and younger get in free. On Thurs., Nov. 18, there will be no stroller fee. Threeday shopping passes are available for $20. For more information on event availability or admission, contact the Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. office at (337) 436-4025 or visit www.jllc.net.

All proceeds benefit community projects sponsored

by The Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. • 2 general admission tickets = an autistic child can practice social skills through Lego play.

• 2 raffle tickets = 6 pediatric patients at Moss Regional receive dental kits.

• 4 Donuts or Cookies with Santa tickets = 6 children will receive Christmas presents from our Joy Drive.

• 3 preview party tickets = a foster child receives a personal care package. TJN

Volume 3 • Issue 16

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What’s Cookin’ If you’ve been a patron of the Zeus Cafe in Lafayette, then you’re already familiar with the Zeus standard of quality. When Rosemary H. Schuh, along with her son and partner Pablo Mejia III, decided to open Zeus Café in Lake Charles, they wanted to offer this area the same type of experience that Zeus Cafe Lafayette is known for.

Although neither were born in Lake Charles, they have come to appreciate the Lake Charles community and what it has to offer. Schuh’s brother and his family have lived in the Ragley area for over 40 years, and her husband Larry Schuh has been an associate professor of art at McNeese State University since the early 80s.

Not unlike many people from South Louisiana, Schuh loves to entertain and cook for family and friends—and her son Pablo likes her to cook for HIS friends as well. “Zeus Cafe is an extension of our family, and we consider everyone who enters to be our friend,” she said.

“Zeus has allowed us to meet and interact with new people while introducing them to our wonderful food.”

Being from South Louisiana, Schuh and her son both know what good food is all about. “’Where Hospitality is Our Tradition’ is our motto and everything we do is based on this belief,” she said. They love owning the business together. “We get energized from the challenge of this adventure,” she added.

At Zeus Cafe Lake Charles, you’ll enjoy healthy, fresh and flavorful food in a unique and exotic family atmosphere. You’ll find a wide selection of items on the menu, including seafood and vegetarian dishes.

“We also have a mighty fine steak dinner,” Schuh said. “If it’s your first time here and you’re not sure what to order, your server will be more than happy to give you a small sampling of our chicken shawarma and our gyro to help you in making your decision. We also have a full-serv-

Zeus ribbon cutting with Mayor Randy Roach.

PAGE 16

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Pablo Mejia III and Nidal Balbeisi ice bar along with a good selection of wine, which complements our menu.” For a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage, try their Lebanese tea. “It was such a hit at the Women’s Conference that we now sell it by the gallon!” Schuh said.

There’s lots going on at Zeus.

“Hummus Happy Hour” is from 3-7 p.m. Mon.- Fri. With any drink order, you’ll receive a complimentary hummus appetizer, which can be served plain or topped with gyro meat or chicken shawarma. Celebrate fall with the “Zeus Patio Party” every Sat. night with live music on the patio from 7 p.m. to closing. DeRidder native David Locklear will be the entertainment for the entire month of November. This up and coming local boy plays guitar and writes his own music—so stop by for a listen!

And don’t forget the belly dancers— they’ll entertain you on Thurs., Fri. and Sat. nights.

“A new feature is our ‘Office Party Giveaway Contest,’” said Schuh. “Leave your business card, and once a week, we will have a drawing to win a party tray sent to your office for lunch.”

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Speaking of party trays, spice up your game at home or on the field with the “Football Special” trays.

Choose from sandwich trays and hummus trays for $10 (classic hummus, spicy hummus, and new herb hummus) and meat trays for $7.25, $14.50, and $29 for ¼ pound, ½ pound, and one pound of meat.

Zeus also offers catering for any party, large or small. “With the holidays coming, don’t be a slave to the kitchen,” Schuh said. “Let us do some of the work for you. We can provide food, belly dancers and servers, which will keep your work to a minimum. Call and ask for Amy or Garrett for more information.”

Zeus Café 409 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., closed on Sunday.

Reservations accepted for any size group. They will be closed for Thanksgiving, but will reopen on Black Friday. For more information, call 439-7099, e-mail zeuscafe.com or check them out on their Facebook page! TJN

The History of Zeus In the early 1990’s, Nidal Balbeisi left the chaos of the Middle East to make a future in the United States. While attending LSU in Baton Rouge, he began working as a waiter and fell in love with the restaurant industry.

He and his wife Kefah decided to open a restaurant that offered healthy, fresh and exciting food that highlighted Greek and Lebanese cuisine while making guests feel as if they were part of their family. They opened the first Zeus in 2002 on Pinhook Road in Lafayette. The community embraced the Balbeisi family and crowded the restaurant for a taste of their Mediterranean dishes. They became known for their hospitality, which inspired the motto, “Where Hospitality is a Tradition!”

Currently, Nidal and Kefah own and operate two Zeus Express locations and two full-service dine-in locations. Additional locations in Carencro, Lafayette and of course Lake Charles are owned and operated by Zeus licensees. TJN

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PAGE 17

Baby boomers popularized tennis and skiing in the 1970s, aerobics and jogging in the 1980s and yoga in the 2000s. Baby boomers are now in their golden years. The oldest boomers turned 65 this year.

“If I had to put a label on the boomer generation, I’d say it’s ‘getting physical’,” said GIGI Kaufman, of GIGI’s Fitness Centers of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital. “Olivia Newton-John had the right idea! This generation has kept moving and invented new ways to stay active, and many of them are reaping the rewards.”

Evidence is backing up the intuition of the boomer generation: Regular exercise has an enormous effect on the ability to age well. “If I had to choose one thing that came closest to the fountain of youth, it would have to be exercise,” said James Fries, MD, a pioneer researcher on healthy aging at Stanford University.

A 21-year study by Fries’ and his colleagues at Stanford followed middle-age members of a runners club and compared them with non-exercisers. As they aged, the runners continued to stay active and independent for 16 years longer than the other group.

Exercise maintains healthy blood vessels for good circulation in the body and the brain. It helps people manage weight and cope with stress; it keeps bones, muscles and the heart and lungs strong.

PAGE 18

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Poor balance and flexibility are often the culprits to loss of independence. Falls and broken bones can sideline senior adults. “Strengthening exercises can significantly increase flexibility and balance,” Kaufman said.

Activity also keeps the brain sharp. Studies show that being active in midlife and beyond can delay symptoms of dementia. Regular walking helps delay or prevent the brain shrinkage that heralds the onset of dementia.

Strength training should be included in every senior adult’s exercise routine, said Kaufman. “It’s a vital factor in keeping bones strong and healthy, maintaining, and in many cases, improving flexibility, not to mention warding off health concerns.”

Staying strong becomes more important as the years go by. “Instead of slowing down, now is the time to make more of an effort to keep moving,” she said. “The basic movements of life, such as carrying groceries, lifting a grandchild, getting up from a low sofa, or climbing a few stairs don’t have to set you back. Take control of your body and start the process of getting stronger.” TJN

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Pictured: Executive Director Randy Robb, center, is flanked by Andrea Pelloquin and Deputy Director Anthony Ware at Chennault International Airport.

Chennault means jobs.

That’s the theme of every workday at Chennault International Airport, which has a nearly quarter-billiondollar impact on the Southwest Louisiana economy each year.

Chennault was once a shuttered Strategic Air Command base that had little more than weeds and drag racers. Today, it celebrates its 25th year as a busy, job-generating industrial airport that serves civilian and military aircraft as well as non-aviation customers.

It’s an economic powerhouse that produces good-paying jobs by landing quality tenants.

“We have about $232 million a year in economic impact to the local community,” said Randy Robb, Chennault’s executive director since 2008. “The jobs that are created out here are quality jobs.”

Northrop Grumman and Aeroframe Services maintain, repair Volume 3 • Issue 16

and overhaul aircraft at the sprawling facility. Louisiana Millwork distributes doors, windows, mouldings and other products to retailers in the region. Million Air is a fixed-base operator that welcomes everything from visiting charter jets to military pilots who stop in to refuel.

People might not realize it, but Chennault’s skies stay busy every day.

Chennault sees about 3,200 operations each month — takeoffs, landings, “touch-and-go” operations and the like. It may be a cargo plane, a military aircraft, a private jet or — as seen in just the past few months — even a zeppelin or vintage warplane.

The key tower clearances, of course, are the aircraft that come in and out for on-site renovation and repair. More than 1,100 people work at companies located at Chennault, generating an annual payroll of $67.3 million.

According to a McNeese State University study, Chennault has had

an economic impact of $5.5 billion over its 25 years, supporting 2,977 jobs in the Southwest Louisiana region.

Jobs are the key for Chennault’s latest growth.

The next big step is the upcoming construction of an $18.5 million, 112,000-square-foot hangar to expand Chennault’s work capacity.

Gov. Bobby Jindal was on hand recently to tout the project, saying the new hangar will help bring 500 new jobs.

“We must continue to do everything we can to create good paying jobs right here at home, right here in Southwest Louisiana,” the governor said in announcing the project. “And that is why the facilities at Chennault also need to grow as well.”

Chennault is moving swiftly to meet that need. Construction on the new “Hangar H” will start at the turn of the year and be completed by the end of 2012.

“This airport has been bursting at the seams with work,” Jindal said.

“With this investment, more facilities will become available for current and prospective tenants, providing space for the continued growth of aviation maintenance operations that will position the airport to attract hundreds of new jobs to the area.”

Chennault’s new hangar will have four open bays that are large enough NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PAGE 19

Left: Operations Director Cortez Gallien, left, and Maintenance Director Mike Nelson talk about Chennault's 10,700-foot runway as a Floridabound military jet stops for fuel.

Right: Finance Director Loretta Hanks, who has been at Chennault for 14 years, reviews some statistics.

to handle larger, widebody airplanes, such as the Boeing 747, Boeing 777 and Airbus A340.

The project also includes 6,000 square feet in office space, roads and utility access.

Hangar H is only the latest growth in what has been a busy time at Chennault.

A new administrative building has been completed for Aeroframe, which grew to the 300-job mark this summer and plans to reach 600-plus jobs by 2013.

Also, Chennault is working with the FAA to widen the taxiway so that it could be used as an alternate runway.

Chennault generates revenue from the rent it collects from tenants, but public funds are essential to facilitate economic growth. That support comes from the federal government, the Louisiana Economic Development Department, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and the City of Lake Charles.

“We’re fortunate to have a powerful partnership with the federal, state, parish and city governments to move Chennault forward,” Robb said. “The city and the parish have been incredible partners for just about everything that we’ve done here. The state has been very good, too. I’ve never seen a partnership like I’ve seen here between the state, the parish and the city.”

That kind of cooperation puts more people to work.

“The new hangar, for example, will expand our capacity for aviation maintenance and repair, paving the way for more than 500 new jobs. And thanks to Secretary (Stephen) Moret PAGE 20

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

and the leadership within Louisiana Economic Development, Chennault will continue to grow in terms of facilities, services and high-quality tenants.”

MEET THE CHIEF Robb has adopted the motto “People Serving People” in leading Chennault — and it’s a phrase he often invokes.

Robb, who keeps his office door open and a photo of a jet on the wall, is a former U.S. Navy pilot who advanced to administrative posts before taking leadership roles in the private sector.

He served as vice director of operations for the U.S. Southern Command, chief of staff for the U.S. Second Fleet, Carrier Air Wing commander aboard the USS America and executive officer of the USS Saratoga.

He commanded a 180-member fighter squadron during the first war in Iraq and was named Naval Aviator of the Year in 1982 for his performance during the raids in Libya. He also was a successful restaurant owner while on active duty.

Since completing his Navy career, he has served as port director of Freeport Grand Bahama, general manager of the Grand Bahama Ship Repair Facility, operations director at Grand Turk Cruise Center and transportation director of North Carolina Global TransPark.

At Chennault, Robb has assembled a diverse management team.

His deputy director, Anthony Ware, is a retired Navy SEAL with credentials in aviation management and development. Robb and Ware are assisted by Andrea Pelloquin, who has 17 years of experience at Chennault; Loretta Hanks, the finance director, who has been on staff for 14 years; and Mike Nelson and Cortez Gallien, two Chennault veterans who are in charge of maintenance and operations.

In addition to Chennault’s regular staff, retired legislator Gerald

Theunissen, former American Press editor Brett Downer and veteran ad man Peter O’Carroll serve in advisory capacities for funding and marketing.

At weekly strategy meetings, Robb leads an around-the-table discussion with his team on topics that range from new revenue streams, to current projects, to community service efforts. Maintenance, marketing and growth are planned and reviewed.

Executive Director Randy Robb, left, and Deputy Director Anthony Ware say Chennault's annual impact on our area's economy is estimated at $232 million.

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Overall, Chennault is governed by a public board, the Chennault Industrial Airport Authority. Local businessman Gary Gobert raps the gavel as chairman, and oversees commissioners who have various expertise in economic development, business, law and real estate: Larry Avery, Charles Dalgleish, Jane Dufrene, Kenny Nabours, Russell Tritico and Jonald Walker.

Photos by www.monsoursphotography.com

CHENNAULT’S FEATURES Chennault’s runway is rare in size.

Few are bigger. It’s 10,700 feet long and 200 feet wide — and the concrete is poured 17 inches thick. It’s so huge, it can handle every type of aircraft built today — and was even available to the space shuttle as an emergency landing site.

The sheer size of the runway and surrounding acreage are what make Chennault so marketable to potential tenants.

Economic incentives also land tenants and jobs. Chennault is an enterprise zone, meaning businesses can get tax credits as well as certain exemptions from state and local sales taxes on building materials and equipment. It’s also a designated a foreign trade zone, which means imported parts are not subject to taxes, duties or quotas.

Chennault also promotes its access to rail lines, Interstate 10, its mid-country location, Lake Charles’ deepwater port and Louisiana’s right-towork status.

Another marketing point is Chennault’s neighbor, Sowela Technical Community College, which Robb called “a great partner in attracting sophisticated technology industries.”

Students at Sowela can learn aviation maintenance and then step right next door into jobs.

Sowela, in fact, tailors training programs to meet the needs of Chennault tenants — something it has done since the formation of the airport 25 years ago.

In addition to meeting current employment needs, Chennault also addresses the future workforce. Ware, the deputy director, is the force behind Aviation Career Education (ACE) Camp, a summer program for high school students that gives an on-site view of potential aviation careers.

This past summer, ACE Camp students learned about aircraft maintenance, safety, airport design and other topics.

HIGH-TECH TENANTS Northrop Grumman has been busy with the U.S. Air Force’s Joint STARS aircraft for 12 years. During that time, the Chennault site has repeatedly ranked as the most productive plant in the Northrop Grumman family of companies and has enjoyed the lowest employee turnover. Chennault is currently in the process of modifying the site for the transition to a new Joint STARS aircraft platform.

Joint STARS is an airborne battle-management and command-and-control aircraft that is built

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PAGE 21

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from a commercial jet.

“It is the most advanced targeting and battle management system in the world,” according to Northrop Grumman.

Specifically, it tracks and targets hostile ground movements, communicating real-time information through secure data links with Air Force and Army command posts. The system also can be used for peacekeeping and crisis management purposes.

Aeroframe, a commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company, has operated at Chennault for more than a decade. After just 18 months of operation, Aeroframe became the largest Airbus MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) service in the Americas, and continues to grow its customer base at the Lake Charles facility. Aeroframe began with three people and now has hundreds of employees on site — continuing to grow despite economic times that have created the most difficult period in the history of the aviation industry. Its main customer is FedEx. Million Air, meanwhile, is Chennault’s fixed-base operator for charter operations and business and general aviation services.

Louisiana Millwork, a major manufacturer and supplier of building materials, has come a long way since its days as a start-up company in 2000. Louisiana Millwork needed space for manufacturing and warehousing for distribution. At Chennault, it found the right space at the right price, and it now supplies many products to independent lumber retailers and building-material companies throughout Louisiana and East Texas.

Airport Authority has placed it on the March 24, 2012, election ballot for approval by voters parish-wide.

“The millage that will be on the ballot is not a new tax. It’s not a tax increase, either. It’s a renewal,” Robb said. “It’s the same level of funding as our current level.”

RICH HISTORY The airport is named for military aviator Lt. Gen. Claire Lee Chennault, who commanded the Flying Tigers in World War II. Chennault grew up in Louisiana, studied at LSU and went on to be honored with a Life magazine cover, postage stamp and a memorial on the grounds of the Louisiana State Capitol for his military achievements.

After Chennault’s death in 1958, the then-Lake Charles Air Force Base, part of the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command, was renamed in his honor. The old base closed in 1963, ending more than 20 years of various military flight operations in Lake Charles. The site was largely inactive until 1986, when the property was consolidated, renamed Chennault International Airpark — later “Airport” — and given millions of dollars in construction and infrastructure improvements to launch the aviation maintenance industry in Southwest Louisiana.

Claire Chennault’s portrait hangs today in the Chennault headquarters — a salute to the past as the airport is busy building its future. TJN

PUBLIC SUPPORT Public funding at many levels supports Chennault’s efforts. Locally, a key part of that funding is a 10-year, 5.45-mill parish-wide property tax in Calcasieu Parish.

That millage is up for renewal soon. The Chennault International PAGE 22

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

r m ende's Museu l l E an en

By D e Childr of th r o t c Dire

Moneyball (Columbia Pictures, 2011) Around 2002, Billy Beane was the general manager for the Oakland A’s baseball club. Not having a budget like the New York Yankees, he couldn’t afford the popular players.

So he came up with a different approach.

That’s the background for the unlikely likeable Moneyball. In the interest of saving you time, I’ll let you know this is not your typical sports movie.

Volume 3 • Issue 16

Sure, it’s got dramatic game play and team building, but there’s also a 12year-old girl in a music store, singing a song she wrote for her dad. We have a first base player who has never played first base, and a young economics graduate from Yale trying to explain baseball to a star hitter.

And if that’s not enough, there are scenes of Oakland that proved to me some places out West are much less beautiful than good old Southwest Louisiana.

So just sit back and enjoy the show. Brad Pitt plays Billy, although another actor plays Beane’s younger self in flashbacks of his short career playing professional baseball. It turns out Billy was one of many rising stars that fizzled out before he got started. I was expect-

ing a movie of goofy misfits coming together as a team, sort of a Longest Yard of baseball. Instead, we find ourselves looking into the heart and soul of a guy who the sport has swept up and left in the back corner, now manager of the poorest team in the country. His boss, the owner of the A’s, doesn’t care about winning the World Series. The guy just wants people to buy hot dogs and make him a profit. The trouble is, that’s not what Billy wants.

In one of a number of great scenes, he’s trying to trade a couple of players to the Cleveland Indians, when a heavyset college type (Jonah Hill) whispers something to an assistant manager and blows the whole deal. Later, Billy confronts the young man and finds out that he has some crazy ideas about baseball. Billy listens. He can’t afford to buy star players, so he buys the kid’s contract.

Together, they build a team centered on statistics: draft players who can get on base and get runs.

It turns out that no one in baseball runs a team this way. They all go after stars. Billy’s team is cheap.

All of his players have flaws. But they have the ability to get on base, even if it’s by getting a walk.

The story could have been mundanely told. Instead it’s beautifully told. In fact, if I had a complaint, it’s that some of the scenes in Moneyball seem over directed, as if we’re supposed to see every scene as key to the whole movie. But you can’t deny that the movie sports some extremely subtle humor with commentary perfectly sprinkled throughout.

I’m mainly a guy who watches only Houston Astros baseball, and then only when they’re winning.

Thankfully, you don’t have to be a baseball fan to appreciate the human drama in Moneyball, the drama that comes from trying to reach a goal while trying to figure out what that goal is.

These days, to be rated PG-13, a movie has to be either violent or have vulgarity. The couple of four letter words I heard seemed out of place, put in specifically to get the mature rating. Moneyball proves that you don’t have to have the charm of Brad Pitt to make it in baseball. But if you want to be a success, you may need to redefine what the word means as you go. TJN

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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Sponsored by

ker n Shouma

By Brando

Boycott a Bowl Game Recently, it seems that just about everything I think or write about these days has some connection to a television show that I’ve seen or absorbed through some kind of subattentive osmosis.

Writers are, by and large, supposed to synthesize what they experience out in the world and filter that

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

experience through other experiences into something meaningful. Some writers find inspiration in autumn leaves or chilly weather.

I’ve got Bravo Channel’s “Work of Art: The Next Great Artist.”

Of course, as the writer, I have to filter this through other experiences into something meaningful. This means I will tell you a little story.

Imagine, if you will, you are an artist working in a group of other artists. Each of your fellow artists have been recruited to join the group based on their unique and prodigious talents; maybe some of them won

awards for drawing in high school or had a painting commissioned by their hometown library. Either way, you are in pretty talented company.

And imagine that your colony is overseen by a master artist and funded by a generous patron of the arts.

The master is paid by the patron to supervise and coordinate your group’s artistic efforts. The patron allows you to live in a beautiful loft for free, pays for the master artists’ services as well as for other masters to come in and teach you wonderful things you never knew about art.

Now, let’s say for the sake of argument there are hundreds of other

artist colonies out there and that, at the end of the year, the colony that produces the best artwork earns a million-dollar prize.

You work hard throughout the year and you create works of amazing beauty, grace, precision, and power and you and your group win the prize. The work is auctioned off to the highest bidder and earns the colony even more money and the master artist is happy with you artists and the patron is happy with the master. Everyone is happy.

But now, say you and your fellow artists see none of the prize money.

And say you can’t sell any of the beautiful work you did while working for your colony. Your work is clearly

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better than most any other artist in another colony but the patrons get together and decide it would be unfair if you got paid for your work while everyone else did not.

And, should you be injured in a freak X-Acto knife accident and rendered unable to work ever again, you will not only be denied compensation but you’ll also be summarily replaced.

Do you have all that in your mind? Welcome to the life of an NCAA football player.

Of course, big-time college football is more complicated than what I’ve laid out here, but you should get the general idea. These kids are out there sacrificing their bodies for a game they love to play and they are getting almost zero in return. A college scholarship, you say? Please.

We’ve known for decades that bigtime college athletics are riddled with players who can’t even read their own names much less pass college algebra.

Now, in the months since scandals at Miami, Ohio State, and Auburn rocked the college football universe, university presidents and NCAA administrators (no players allowed) are meeting to discuss the possibility of helping players out.

Their oh-so-generous offer: $2,000 stipends; less than $40 a week. The NCAA will be making upwards of $750 million in new television deals alone this upcoming year.

NCAA President Mark Emmert should be embarrassed.

I mean, what is it going to take to get the presidents and athletic directors to understand that $40 a week isn’t going to buy off the players’ silence? What will it take to get them to include the players on the obscene profits of college football? Yahoo!

Sports’ Dan Wetzel had a pretty good idea.

He says boycott a bowl game. And I agree with him 100 percent.

But, which one? No one is going to boycott the National Championship Game or the Rose Bowl. And the teams playing in the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl (Conference USA vs. Sun Belt) likely aren’t among the highest-earning programs.

One good choice would be the Belk Bowl in Charlotte. It’s an Atlantic Coast Conference-Big East matchup, so you’ve got some pretty big earners there (Clemson, which played in this bowl last year, earned $57 million from athletics in the 2009-10 fiscal year). And the game is played in Bank of America Stadium, so score an indirect point for the Occupy folks for the players’ protest.

But an even better target would be the Franklin American Mortgage Volume 3 • Issue 16

Music City Bowl. Here you have the ACC vs. Southeastern Conference (last year North Carolina and Tennessee played; a combined estimate of $150 million in athletics revenues) with the SEC representing the biggest and most profitable conference in the country. Combine that with a large fanbase (likely angry if their team boycotts the game), ESPN forced to scramble for coverage, and a mortgage company sponsor.

Imagine the chaos, the debate, the fallout. Arkansas or Florida or Tennessee players decide you know

what? We’re not playing until we have a voice and are represented at the table. What is the bowl commission, most of them gorged on graft, going to do? What is the NCAA going to do? Put in Vanderbilt as a replacement?

What a statement a team could make this way.

To paraphrase the words of “Work of Art” judge Simon de Pury: It would be bold.

It would be brave.

It would be amazing.

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

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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By Mary Louise Ruehr

Take Two: The Sequel is Even Better Than the Original You’re reading along in a book with characters you just love, and the book abruptly ends. Wait! I love these people. What happened next? I want more. Oh, there’s a sequel — Ahhh!

That’s what happened when I read Shanghai Girls by Lisa See. The story begins in China in 1937, when sisters Pearl and May, 21 and 18, live with their parents in Shanghai, “the Paris of Asia.” The girls pose for the popular “beautiful girl” calendars, posters and ads found throughout the city. Pearl, the taller and more somber of the two, is in love with Z.G., the painter who

has chosen them as his favorite models.

The girls are pretty happy until one day their father suddenly announces that he has arranged for the two girls to marry a rich man’s two sons and go to America with them — in other words, he has sold the girls to pay his debts. “But then isn’t that the kind of thing Chinese parents have done with worthless daughters for thousands of years — abandoned them, sold them, used them?”

The dutiful girls go through with the weddings, but try to stay in Shanghai. When China and Japan go to war and bombs fall in the streets, the girls decide America may not be so bad, after all. Their journey there is a long and harrowing one.

The story follows the struggles of Pearl and May in America, where baby Joy is born. We watch Joy grow up and go to college, where she falls in with a group of Communist students and decides to move to China, to help with the revolutionary efforts there. The book doesn’t end; it just stops. Luckily, there’s a sequel, Dreams of Joy, which starts just where book one leaves off.

It’s 1957, and Joy is 19. She has left for China, followed by Pearl, who wants to save her from the danger she knows the naive girl will encounter there.

In Shanghai, Joy tells us, she steps “into a sea of people who look just like me. … This is more Chinese than I’ve seen altogether in my life. A wave of pleasure ripples through me.” But there’s incredible culture shock waiting for her. She is confused by all the local dialects and finds it hard to get by. But she locates family friend and artist Z.G., who takes her under his wing and gets permission for her to accompany him into the Chinese countryside, where he’s teaching art lessons to the peasants, and where Joy decides to stay.

Joy falls in love with China, with the people in her commune, with their earnest revolutionary zeal: “This

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

is everything I imagined the New China would be: rosy-cheeked peasants helping one another and sharing the benefits, the sun warming my back, the sound of cicadas and birds accompanying our songs.” She seems to think it will be a wonderful fairy tale. The bureaucracy, however, is hard to deal with.

Meanwhile, Pearl is also dealing with the Communist bureaucracy, trying to move about the Chinese countryside so that she can find Joy. And the people of China are forced to endure the programs of Chairman Mao’s Great Leap Forward, which are doomed to be a massive failure, leading to crop loss, famine, and many deaths. (For example, he makes them work crushed glass into the soil as a “nutrient.”) To save Joy’s life, Pearl puts herself in danger, leading to a pulse-pounding chase, treachery and sacrifice.

This is a story of family that offers quite a few surprises. The book has a strong sense of place, letting me very much have the feeling of being “in” China. I must say, I enjoyed the second book even more than the first, but Girls explains everyone’s motivations in Dreams, making the characters more believable and relatable.

Alexander McCall Smith is a prolific author with several popular series, and now he has a new one. Corduroy Mansions is the first entry in a series Volume 3 • Issue 16

that fans of his 44 Scotland Street books will likely enjoy. The title refers to the nickname of a four-floor apartment building in London and the quirky residents who live therein.

The story focuses around William, 51, a wine merchant whose son, Eddie, 24, lives with him. William would like his lay-about son to leave the nest, so he devises a clever plan: “Eddie could not abide dogs,” so if William can acquire one, he figures Eddie will move out in disgust.

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The wonderful little dog he finds is a Pimlico terrier named Freddie de la Hay, who is the real star of the books.

Other characters include the girls downstairs, a smarmy member of Parliament whom even his mother can’t love (deliciously named Oedipus Snark), the manager of a vitamin store who keeps trying to get people to undergo colonic irrigation, a confused young man who thinks he may be straight after all, a photographer, a psychoanalyst, a literary agent and more. There is a whole lot going on here, most of which is wonderfully silly. I found myself laughing often.

Book two, The Dog Who Came in from the Cold, begins a few months after the end of book one, and this one has even more for dog lovers, sharing Freddie’s view of the world. Angelica Brockelbank of MI6 confides in William that the nation needs to borrow Freddie to perform a special secret service, spying on a Russian. But when the Russians discover a microphone in the dog’s collar, Freddie goes “missingin-action” and William must rescue him. This time we get intrigue, romance, a spy named Sebastian Duck, New Age con artists, a yeti with a Belgian accent, a venture capitalist, and an herbalist with a Sudoku remedy.

Again, I think I liked the second book even better than the first, but

don’t skip the great fun in the first.

Smith’s writing style, which varies from series to series, is here much like a cross between P.G. Wodehouse, Carl Hiaasen and A.A. Milne: It’s British and silly, with delight in the details, and yet there’s a gentleness to it. At the end, everything is nicely wrapped up — well, almost everything. There’s certainly plenty for the characters to do in a third book. I, for one, can’t wait.

Copyright © 2011 by Mary Louise Ruehr. TJN

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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Brought to you by Melanie Perry, Agent 108A Executive Drive, Moss Bluff, LA 70611 BUS: 337-855-7768 www.melanieperry.net State Farm, Bloomington, IL

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

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

ETHEL PRECHT HOPE BREAST CANCER WALK The 8th Annual Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer Walk was a huge success. Over 2,500 families, friends and breast cancer survivors came out, with the generous proceeds going to local breast cancer survivors. Along with supporters, there were music, food, vendors, sponsors and pets, all gathered on the Lake Charles Civic Center grounds for the grand start of the 3K walk. A big shout-out to our community for tying breast cancer survivors together one ribbon at a time!

Sabrina and David Martinez with Jack and Abby Rowland

Brandi Gallien and Patty Kelly

Darby Spillane and Mica Fontenot

Tara Hebert and Kimberly Brunick

Donna Whitlow (Survivor), Michele Nelson and Paige Dohmann

Laura Watkins, Tamara Fontenot and Sarah Funderburg

Betty, Kimberly and Sailor Scott

MSU HOMECOMING Lake Charles residents, Cowboy fans and McNeese alumni had several homecoming festivities to get fired about prior to kickoff Saturday! With the annual homecoming parade followed by a pep rally in Cowboy Stadium, student tailgating, a firework display and more, this highspirited blue and gold crowd was in for a fun ride! Then it was time to huddle up for some Cowboy football action as the Polks faced the Bearcats. Halftime ceremonies included the introduction of the 2011 Homecoming Court and a show-stopping performance by the MSU Marching Band and Cowgirl Kickers! Hats off to a week of fabulous fun, friends and Geaux Blue excitement!

Heather Morssey and Megan Anderson Volume 3 • Issue 16

Leah Moore and Will Hetzel NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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Hannah Patterson, Josie St. Dizier and Mattie Ogea

Kadence Pickle and Jacod Patterson

April, Devan and Kenedee Narcisse

WOMEN’S FALL CONFERENCE The SWLA Women’s Commission held its Fall Conference at the Lake Charles Civic Center. It was a great opportunity for inspiring women to reach out to one another and to educate, empower and network with others in the community. A variety of workshops were offered throughout the day to bring fun and build self-esteem. Over 148 vendors set up shop in the Market Place for women to explore a variety of options to help improve their quality of life! This year’s keynote speaker was Vicki Lawrence from “Momma’s Family.” She really had a way of lifting the spirits of every woman in the room. You rock, ladies!

Laura Carpenter and Kristin Holz

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Scott and Kim Derouen

Sandy Peck and Connie Pascale

Beth Dawdy and Debbie Comeaux

Ashley Forman and Tabitha Bateman

Carl Comeaux and Megan Domingue

Angel Mefford and Cheryl Bertrand

Becky Dickinson, Anne Monlezun and Julie Daigle

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

REBUILDING MILLENNIUM PARK Ahoy, Mates! The “Shiver Me Timbers” project is well on its way as construction crews and city workers have laid down the foundation and structure for the new park. A flood of eager volunteers launched the first day of a 10-day, two-phase plan, putting hammer to nail at 8 a.m. sharp. The volunteers, sponsors, and citizens who are helping to rebuild Millennium Park for the little mates of SWLA are the people who really are making a difference in our community!

TJN Tracie Koonce, Lane Letlow and Tina Matte

Henry Tezno and Koby Green

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Debra Vaughan and Lisa Verrette

Edward McGinnis, Danny Zimmerman and Steven McDaniel

Barbara LeBlanc, Sally Walls and Janice Ackley

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fundraising efforts for missions and vocation with Jitterbug & Grub! Dinner, dancing and fun festivities featuring Barry Badon and the Bayou Boys Band, a delicious jambalaya dinner and an exciting silent auction. It will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Carlyss from 611 p.m. Cost is $20 per person. Advance tickets are available at St. Theresa’s Church office or by calling Janet Gautreaux at 583-4837 or Angie Clark at 583-4010.

SHANGRI LA STAR PARTY NOV. 3 The Astronomical Society of Southeast Texas will be at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center for a Star Party on Thurs., Nov. 3 from 6:30-9 p.m. Members will be on hand with more than 20 telescopes to allow visitors to enjoy the night sky. This event is free to the public and children accompanied by an adult are welcome. The gardens are located at 2111 West Park Avenue in Orange, Texas.

‘MERRY CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!’ OPENS NOV. 4 For millions of Americans, it really isn’t Christmas until they have watched A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once! The City of Lake Charles will host the latest traveling exhibition from the Charles M. Schulz Museum, which examines the making of the animated classic and celebrates the anticipation, joy, and pitfalls of the holiday season.

The exhibition consists of 50 Peanuts daily and Sunday comic strips and over 50 vintage Peanuts-themed seasonal novelties.

A video features Charles Schulz, producer Lee Mendelson, and animator/director Bill Melendez detailing the sometimes magical and often madcap making of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The exhibit will open with a reception from 5:30-8 p.m. on Fri., Nov. 4 in the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition will run through Jan. 28. For more information, call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com.

JITTERBUG & GRUB NOV 4 The Missionaries of LaSalette will kick off their Third Annual Missionaries of LaSalette 2011

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PORCH READING SERIES NOV. 4 On Fri., Nov. 4t at 7 p.m., the First Friday Reading Series returns with a free reading by J. Bruce Fuller and C.S. Carrier, both of the Ph.D. program in poetry at University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The reading series, cosponsored by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, is held at the Porch Coffee House & Café in Lake Charles. It occurs on the first Friday of each month and presents a wide range of published poets from across Louisiana. The Porch Coffee House & Café is located at 4710 Common Street in Lake Charles. For details, contact the Arts Council office at 439-ARTS or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.

RUN FOR THE SON NOV. 5 Take part in this year’s 5k Challenge or 1 Mile Fun Run on Nov. 5 to benefit the LaSalette missionaries. You can register on race day beginning at 6:30 a.m., but pre-registration is encouraged to guarantee Run for the Son T-shirts. Participants may register online at www. imathlete.com. All ages are welcome. Pre-registration for adults is $20 and $25 on race day. For children under 12, pre-registration is $14 and $20 on race day. Cash prizes will be awarded. The race begins and ends at Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Sulphur. Donations for both events are needed. Please consider helping to make this event a success with a monetary contribution, silent auction items, or volunteer to help or plan to attend. For details or to make a donation, contact AunJelle LaFleur at 842-5879 or Angie Clark at 583-4010.

BILLY JONAS BANNERS CONCERT NOV. 5 Billy Jonas, a percussionist known for high energy family entertaining with an environmental message, will give a special one-time-only performance at 3 p.m. Sat., Nov. 5, in the Jean Lafitte room of the Lake Charles Civic Center. The audience will have the chance to recycle shoes, cell phones and coats at the same time. Jonas performs on homemade and recycled object instruments as well as traditional American, Middle Eastern and African percussion instruments. The concert is part of an “Early Bird” membership drive for the Banners Cultural Series. Two free tickets will be given to everyone who joins the Banners Series

Volume 3 • Issue 16

before Nov. 4.

Membership information is available on the website at www.banners.org or by calling 475-5123. Individual tickets will be available at $20 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets must be purchased by 5 p.m. Nov. 4. No tickets will be sold at the door.

LC VETERANS DAY ACTIVITIES NOV. 5 The Mayor’s Armed Forces Commission and the City of Lake Charles will host the City’s annual Veterans Day observance activities beginning with the Veterans Day service at Veterans Memorial Park on Sat., Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. The annual Veterans Day parade will follow the service at 11 a.m. The parade will roll on Pine St. heading east, south on Ryan St., west on Broad St., and north on Lakeshore Dr., concluding at the corner of Lakeshore and Pine. Business organizations or individuals interested in participating in the parade must fill out a parade application no later than Fri., Nov. 4 and return the application to: Office of the Mayor, City Hall, P.O. Box 900, Lake Charles, LA 70602; or fax the application to 491-1206 (no fee for entry in the parade). Entry forms can be picked up from the brochure rack on the first floor at City Hall, or call 491-1201.

CANDYLAND FASHION SHOW NOV. 5 Candyland Fashion Show and Auction will be held on Sat. Nov. 5, from 1-3 p.m. at Treasures of Marilyn’s in Lake Charles. The event will feature children’s fashions in a runway show as well as a family-themed silent auc-

tion. Finger foods and lots of candy will be served. All proceeds benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased by calling 877- 753-9990 or by emailing cassondraguilbeau@gmail.com or pprudhomme@lphi.org.

Shrek the Musical

‘FAMILY DAY IN THE PARK’ NOV. 5 On Nov. 5, the FDP committee will be hosting its annual “Family Day in the Park”’ at Lock Park on Ryan Street in Downtown Lake Charles. Enjoy a day of unity with other families of different cultures and nationalities in SWLA. There will be fun, food, fellowship and entertainment. Kid Games will be sponsored by the City of Lake Charles. For more information, call 425-6865 or 457-6231.

SHREK THE MUSICAL NOV. 6 DreamWorks Theatricals and NETworks Presentations, LLC are pleased to announce that Shrek The Musical will play the Lutcher Theater in Orange, Texas for two performances only, Nov. 6 at 3 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and are available at www.lutcher.org or by calling the Lutcher box office at (409) 886-5535.

Lake Charles Symphony Cordially Invites You to Our

Holiday Gala Fundraiser DECEMBER 15TH

6:00 p.m. Cocktails & Hors d’oeuvres 7:30 p.m. Concert with soprano Kellie Rumba At the Shearman Fine Arts Center, McNeese State University, Lake Charles, La Tickets are $100 per person Contact the Lake Charles Symphony Office for ticket information at (337)433.1611 or visit our website at www.lcsymphony.org *Black Tie Event

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PAGE 33

BAYOU PLAYERS PRESENT DOG SEES GOD NOV. 9-13 McNeese State University Theatre Bayou Players present Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead by Burt V. Royal at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 912, with a 2 p.m. matinee Nov. 13 in the Shearman Fine Arts Theatre. Royal has imagined Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” gang during the teenage years. CB’s dog dies, which has him begin to question the existence of an afterlife. His best friend is stoned, his sister has gone Goth, his ex-girlfriend has been institutionalized and his other friends are too inebriated to give him any advice. But a chance meeting with the target of this group’s bullying sets in motion a friendship that will push the bullies’ limits. Ticket prices are $15 for adults, $10 for McNeese faculty/staff and senior citizens, and free for McNeese students with a current ID. For tickets, call 475-5043. This production has strong language and content and no children under 17 will be allowed in without a parent.

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

VETERAN’S DAY AVENUE OF THE FLAGS NOV. 11 See patriotic spirit in all its glory at the Orange Grove/Graceland Cemetery in Lake Charles. Casket flags line the drive through the cemetery in honor of fallen men and women. The flags will be on display from 8 a.m. 5 p.m. on Veteran’s Memorial Day. In addition to the memorial flags, the Avenue of Flags also features a history circle where replicas of eight previous United States flags are flown. Call (337) 437-7807 for more information.

NEWCOMERS CLUB LUNCHEON NOV. 14 Dr. Laurie Weiss will be the speaker at the monthly meeting of The Newcomers Club of the Lake Area on Mon., Nov. 14, to discuss her new book, 99 Things Women Wish They Knew Before Saying I Do. Lunch is $15.

Annual membership dues are $25. Membership forms to be completed by all new and returning members will be available at the luncheon, or through the website at www.lakecharlesnewcomers.org. Please register by Thurs., Nov. 10 to lakecharlesnewcomers@yahoo.com or by calling Deb Haack at (337) 475-2847.

CLUE AT WESTLAKE HS NOV. 17 Westlake High Theatre and Director Kerry A. Onxley present the comedy mystery, CLUE. The internationally popular board game comes to life on stage featuring all of the famous characters. The plot includes six possible weapons found in six rooms, all of which have all the suspect’s fingerprints on them. A fast-paced recounting of their movements leads to a hilarious conclusion! This comical performance will be at Westlake High School’s state-of-the-art theatre located at 1000 Garden Drive in Westlake on Thurs., Nov. 17 at 7 p.m. School performance is at 10 a.m. Tickets are $7 per person and may be purchased by calling the box office at 217-4950.

S

estlake H CLUE at W

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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ICM’S UPSCALE ATTIC SALE NOV. 17-20 It’s time once again for the Imperial Calcasieu Museum’s Upscale Attic Sale! On Thurs, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m., there will be a private preview party for museum sponsors and benefactors. Fri., Nov. 18, 9-11:30 a.m. will be the “Preferred Shopping Hours” for museum members only. Doors will open to the general public at noon. The sale will continue through the weekend from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sat. and noon-3 p.m. Sunday. Use this opportunity to take advantage of these one-of-a-kind, gently used antiques! The ICM is located at 204 West Sallier St. in Lake Charles.

SWLA HEART WALK NOV. 19 More than 1,500 Southwest Louisiana residents are expected to take steps to improve their heart health on Sat., Nov. 19 when they participate in the American Heart Association’s Start! Heart Walk on the McNeese State University campus—Quad. The annual event, which raises funds to fight heart disease and stroke, America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, begins at 8 a.m. The non-competitive, three-mile walk includes teams of employees from local companies, along with friends and family members of all ages. A one-mile route is also available for survivors who choose this shorter distance. For more information, call the SWLA American Heart Association at (800) 257-6941, ext 6174 or visit swlaheartwalk.org.

BAYOU CLASSIC CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP NOV. 19-20 The 6th Annual Bayou Classic Christian Fellowship of SWLA will be held Nov. 19-20 at Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lake Charles. The 2011 parade kicks off the event at 11 a.m. on Sat., Nov. 19. Parade line-up will began at 9:30 a.m. at the MLK Center on Simmons Street. The Career and College Fair and Talent Showcase follows the parade. Students will have an opportunity to explore career areas and receive post-secondary information from Louisiana colleges in a fun setting. The Talent Showcase is open to all churches and community groups. The public is invited to the 11 a.m.

Sunday worship service, which concludes the weekend fellowship. For more information, call Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church at (337) 436-6627.

KENNY ROGERS CHRISTMAS & HITS DEC. 9 Music icon Kenny Rogers will be celebrating 30 years of performing his Christmas & Hits Tour at the L’Auberge Event Center on Fri. Dec. 9 at 8:30 p.m. with a festive show featuring holiday classics and his biggest hits. Rogers is known for creating an inviting atmosphere with this critically acclaimed performance, which has become a holiday tradition in its own right since its start 30 years ago. Tickets go on sale Nov. 11 for $45/55 (stadium/floor) at www.ticketmaster.com or the L’Auberge Business Center.

TJN ogers Kenny R

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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

The

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 • Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

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

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3 • Don Fontenot et Les Cajuns de la Prairie @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4 • Howard Noel & Cajun Boogie @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Lesa Cormier & The Sundown Playboys @ Aucoin’s Cajun Restaurant, Hayes, 7 p.m.

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

• Category 6 @ Yesterday’s, 8 p.m.

• Craig Morgan & Slingshot @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5 • Briggs Brown & The Bayou Cajuns @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Lesa Cormier & The Sundown Playboys @ Aucoin’s Cajun Restaurant, Hayes, 7 p.m.

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

• Paul Gonsoulin @ Huddle Up Sports Bar & Grill, 8 p.m.

• Another Run @ My Place Bar, 8 p.m.

• Dax Riggs/ HEADmine @ Luna Live, 8 p.m.

• James Dupre @ Yesterday’s, 8 p.m.

• Kris Harper @ Cigar Club, 9 p.m.

• Gregg Martinez & The Delta Kings @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 6 • The Highwaymen @ Rosa Hart Theater, Lake Charles Civic Center, 4 p.m.

• Bernie Alan @ Yesterday’s, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 • Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

• X-It 43 @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10 • The Hotel Cazin Band @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Warren Storm/Willie T & Cypress @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

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

• Fiasco @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 • Mack Manuel & The Lake Charles Ramblers @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

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

• Wayne Toups @ Yesterday’s, 8 p.m.

• DJ Dustin Royer @ Big Kahuna’s, 9 p.m.

• Zydecane @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• The 94s @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.

• Red Moped @ Luna Bar & Grill, 10 p.m.

• Fiasco @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12 • Scotty Pousson & The Pointe aux Loups Playboys @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

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

• Tin Can Phone/Stiff Necked Fools @ Luna Live, 8 p.m.

• Travis Matte & The Kingpins @ Yesterday’s, 8 p.m.

• George Lopez @ L’Auberge Event Center, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 8:30 p.m.

• Zydecane @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 9 p.m.

• Chubby Carrier @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.

• Twangsters Union @ Sugar Shack Lounge, Leesville, 9:30 p.m.

• Fiasco @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 13 • Foret Tradition @ Yesterday’s, 5 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16 • Alvin Touchet @ OB’s Bar & Grill, 7 p.m.

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

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17 • Travis Benoit & Allons Dancer @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

• Bradley Venable & Kick Back @ Mikko, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 7 p.m.

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

• Hillcrest @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18 • Briggs Brown & The Bayou Cajuns @ DI’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 6:30 p.m.

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

• Paul Gonsoulin @ Huddle Up Sports Bar & Grill, 8 p.m.

• LA Express @ Gator Lounge, Delta Downs, Vinton, 8 p.m.

• Willie Nelson @ The Pavilion, Coushatta Casino, Kinder, 9 p.m.

• X-It 43 @ Linda’s Lounge, 9 p.m.

• Da Classics @ Caribbean Cove, Isle of Capri Casino, Westlake, 9 p.m.

• Hillcrest @ Jack Daniels Bar & Grill, L’Auberge du Lac Casino, 10 p.m.

TJN

Volume 3 • Issue 16

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

PAGE 37

Leslie B e four dec rman’s career in ades, an music folksing er, mus d includes stin spans ic teach ts as a booker, e c tival dir oncert promote r, coffeehouse r e notes w ctor, music jou , publicist, fesriter, ar rnalist, trade o album tist ma na rg tainmen anization pre gerwwwww, sid t a the Mu ttorney, and ent, enterp sic Mu seum o resident of Louisian f a . musicall She prefers Southwest y GRAM eclectic, and v all 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. , n r a e y ’s a in pl rhoff mMitte ite mandol ful and co and e s c i a u de, ra gh er nei Lake exq cking off g egrass mo . He played olinist h r o u r ) l o e d n b n m n I k m o a . n Klez each so olos i eat m my m lady ( s in Long B staff carry n- plex s ful tones in the late gr ill Monroe, d l o t e i n o u tl ai mour y tribute t luegrass, B gers were a the lit rrounding king the w h to eager d a B y d u f s c fin a s i h o u f t s t w r d r r a i r o b bo at his was nat nd c isting he h i t I a g ps i , s y s r l b i e o l a eed zz cho and p a s Char tters of cr ttle girl tw j s d i n h . a s a i ,a deftly the string elly showed n’t strictly e ing pl d the tiny l ant. ibrary re n S L r o ere n Th u e c r a i a o l u , t bl ers rist J solos that w r, Klezmer. s ably e res each Pub osse, whe o sit a h t t i u d n G B a t e p y u t t t r g w o ’s s ar om Lon t ma sek, prefe al t a In the ng of my m ers would ut advance in sever , or for tha Kenny Ko ulmane safe d a , a s b o r h s m h , g e S l t l ra t first vorite re free s been oncer rm of blueg usual fidd ent by Jake ing musica rld ha varieties fo t’s one fa ost of the c , the seats a handed ou r ’s y v o p r e u w c s o i e r . gr m ts” o ance z 57 voice for th ay fo ts are pe tha that th bbed ose “krekh a human lly trained n to d ating ticke concert d ere all the Now er, the Hein stern Euro us cala u s h t e h n e ica lik iviEa ,w ly w .O al s ezm dt circ Ment nded just tt is a class reat sensit of gener first served oys, not on s on every for Kl music from s, one par y to you) fi d u e g e , m n n s rifs so ader Lever rinetist of the engine come tt and the B were tushi me lateco Jewish ariachi hor ani (Gyp crooning, a a e s l l o e e e e c s m d r r v h o i e m n y g e t d r a e v , R h B e. nin Le , an ed All s or ora n, t art part n e h r i e p p i g n s s k a a w d e a a d finess h e i kP t n l d c n d o n awar fluidity, a cision and on the fol id chairs le window heir wheel liope, one part Ti the Jewish music has d e t d s b r n f r n a f h , of a ty a nd with p d sang, a dling, ts sounds o le and thei find work nd avail ade do wit ers. nights itterh d in, y n M a a a k d b a p l h b i r h m r r c a F w hi ne he le the ers 53 pa er the peo retty muc New York n all joi ually f their ack on ika,” w t a tab i v p Event Tumbalala avorite, we seats o the Crab Sh early to ge the music where d, you can er band, in week, and f “ e t s; e ajun a At song s mother’s glish. the C evito comes of all age e restauran ou roame in a Klezm least once that. Thos t n o o g i t n h e g h E i h n y you’v the famil 6:30, but t e time Ba m was dish and s self-taug ught his pr the playin ig cities, at e often tha lecture g o b r , o d r m ces in Yid ris Miller i chops bro to play at an amon start until 5, and by th h of the ro tothe onths concerts ues to dan never a is ’t c t e sh, m n Ch u s a s e e m do ond , but h ana Kingfi 01, so you ’s g up e jams, som nge from synagog ou c n n y e i o s l i l d i e d n f r y i a t s a a th th acco nd, Louis tival in 20 b of it. He g gigs r strations a ial events, nd them. for start kicks out d over for the entryw s o a c s i n e ous b eux Jazz Fe excellent j also playin Root eady turn ers crowd outside. demo gs and spe going to f e schedule r n t e t r a e t e l n m t n , i e m m a ’r e High a o o in ; n co tre ec M has wedd here you uch the sa Louisian r e’s do e of his qu t the Barbe ile lat d on the s advised to fresh h h w t w o w s o m , o e w l c n k rch ie bu us un e, ing kno pretty outhw ance f nterp rmonica, erian Chu a fine ill aro I was ther n a fabulo while e c m e d That’s sicians in S nts make d are held h a t n t h a ht ow by ost ng mu le and First Pres and forem he nig uld scarf d t everythi snag the aura ial dances and the d t n T s d u i e j f r a C c l and first t abou cky to halls, family so I co d nd so Schoo director is early latter of jus d, I was lu fore 6. An d where or diners a ters, church ajun, you raded l n e e p f C iller t 6-string chora t.

M fried g to the ba front just b s so crowd , space munity cen lezmer or usic is so k s ith hac d a in K m vocali the Crab S al duties w sard, guilisten en table up ming. It w -builder an at com hether it’s urself; the ove. c t o o p n o c o o A v vr us like. W an’t help y ust got to m lf at gigs by in last o owds kept e, accordio ejeune, wh om rench ayer Tim B Ellender co F n c r r L a j n u f e t j c l s y u y n et p e r le ay Ca the reall ous you’ve ound my in Lej n legend I layed fidd oom r Mou c bass gwriter R hit “Don’t L e v i r r f t m i E z t c I t e c e f , o p r l l a i e th infe nny d son kett cently the K t and lend o ccord of the rist an Wilson Pic ol You,” Da ve, But re verett and ir special b acked n of a e to jam, sa n the side a t o s p o F roo he ow , the t Le om the ered t reen Grass anceable g e room had c ner table d Margo performing egrass) in c Library d s s a r m d n i ( lu blueg ge. I The G id down a r played so on the his di me.

Boys er meets B York) Publ is Miller an meets ckled onsta his a s e l i r d n r e t n r m i h w e m u r m e e r z h t g C P lez be Co (N tri ate lin ed Kle by t e K s d w h c e pa y d a c e e h n o a n s h h p e a e t b u w c j C t x n , B a In ne usi u inu nd ett’s onfurius u a r m m e d Long unity room ring the C nes in Caju v n 0 n e u a 1 j t a d C tL ut rte wicke that took C , drawn-ou ed Margo ssist Marty levator abo e music sta ty, comm Roots (cov popular tu med, tiny h p t i e a e l h p s o d m b t i e u d a l n o n t j c te m f id me o th but once ant, as Bayo ith old a h) in the g with and in en. His s ddle t , w estaur s notch g alternatin other dim bull fi show time ncentration front, and Engli Charles) r e dancing w e n o i o h e e h r bow from som listened t befor gathered c . in wit Frenc Street (Lak hack, whe s andol with s ew S e l e f d h m b c a . , s a a s o r o d r runs i could have But I had d p y r e e d s B to ss C u could fing f pla the road Jack a n f i t.

I s P o i an . , d e h h s n e r n e sio ll nigh TS to see, Sabi t thing yo re cramm audienc es, and rry Mitte ’s not on f bassist a y a t l a p e g C h a d o e s t h n o B a A i m w o l c i n t n u the e fire erflow p. h inderella a shows stic d s whe ukone Both for their ov legal for th in my e Boy a, the acou Jorma Ka ne/Starshi C h t a t n all un ris rpl ow rely i a T d a t m i t A s b d u o s n o o g n t e H o o a l t y and effers ang in ce up ith ais Casad out of the J and w only boun ing to not b d broke I coul seats, hop

nd a a h ,S n e s w l o a D V n O e i g Boo

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NOVEMBER 3, 2011

Volume 3 • Issue 16

so I dashed out, fingers popping, two-stepping to the car, and zoomed off to the Railroad Avenue theater.

Later that night, after some fine Rogers and Hammerstein songs that I didn’t remember came from “Cinderella,” there was still time for a little lagniappe, so I dropped into Sha Sha’s just as Southbound – Brian Racca on lead guitar, Eric Sylvester on acoustic rhythm guitar, Don Zimmerman on bass, and Billy Hammond on

drums – were winding up their show. As I walked in, the quartet were well and truly rocking “The Weight,” one of my favorite numbers by The Band. They closed the night with Creedence Clearwater’s “Cripple Creek,” because it’s “our” (Lake Charles’s) song. Whooooeeee!!! There were only a handful of us left in the bar, all on the shady side of youth, but there we were, belting out the words, and dancing. Next time, I’ll go see them first! TJN

Speak Up and Speak Out! www.lwv-lc.org email: info@lwv-lc.org (337) 474-1864 The Equal Rights Amendment www.equalrightsamendment.org/overview.htm, first proposed in 1923 to affirm that women and men have equal rights under the law, is still not part of the U.S. Constitution. The ERA was passed out of Congress in 1972 and has been ratified by 35 of the necessary 38 states. Ratification of 3 more states could make it possible for the ERA to become the 28th Amendment.

DID YOU KNOW that Louisiana is one of 15 unratified states?

Killin’ Time Crossword

Crossword puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com (www.bestcrosswords.com).

Used with permission.

Volume 3 • Issue 16

NOVEMBER 3, 2011

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