The Jambalaya News - 01/16/14, Vol. 5, No. 21

January 16, 2014 • Volume 5 • Issue 21

715 Kirby St. Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-436-7800 Fax: 337-990-0262 www.louisianajam.com Publisher Phil de Albuquerque phil@louisianajam.com Executive Editor Lauren de Albuquerque lauren@louisianajam.com

On cover: Kenny Bergeron of the Southwest District Livestock Show & Rodeo

COVER STORY 22 SW District Livestock Show and Rodeo REGULARS 4 We Are SWLA! 6

Hospital Roundup

10 The Dang Yankee 10 Adoption Corner 11

Tips from Tip

Contributors Nicole Shuff Arabie Julie Bergeron George Cline Dan Ellender Jamie Gaines Braylin Jenkins Mike Louviere Mike McHugh Roger Miller Mary Louise Ruehr Karla Tullos David Yantis

12

Huntin’ Tales

14

Soul Matters

15

Stir Dat Pot!

Sales sales@louisianajam.com

20 Can I Keep My Toddler from Getting Sick?

Graphics Art/Production Director Burn Rourk

38 Rhinestones and Glamour: Mardi Gras Queens 2014

Art Assistant Sarah Bercier Associate Photographer Johnny Owens Cajun Pirate Photgraphy Business Office Manager Jeanie Taggart

4

FEATURES 8 J.B. Watkins: Man of Vision 17

OLQH New Year’s Resolutions

18 Comforting a Colicky Baby

THE SPICE OF SWLA 24 Debbie Reynolds: Unsinkable 26 Events Guide 27 Family Fun Night at the Movies 28 Lake City Beat!

10 17 22 24

30 Red Hot Books Legal Disclaimer The views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.

32 Nightlife Guide

Louisiana Jam is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, 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. Louisiana Jam cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Copyright 2013 Louisiana Jam all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

39 Funbolaya

02 JANUARY 16, 2014

36 Society Spice

38 Vol. 5 • No. 21

A Note From Lauren Sazerac Heaven There are so many good things about Louisiana. That’s why we started The Jambalaya News in the first place—to talk about all the great things about this great state.

We’ve been here 10 years but we’re always discovering something new. Sometimes, it can be bad, like flying palmetto bugs and hurricanes. But the good definitely outweighs the bad. Heck, if roaches and storms of vast destruction haven’t scared us off, nothing will.

I discovered something fabulous recently that I just had to share with all of you: the Sazerac.

The Sazerac is the oldest cocktail in the United States. Pre-Civil War, to be exact. Its creation has been credited to a Creole apothecary who moved to New Orleans from the West Indies and set up shop in the French Quarter in the early 19th Century. I’d heard about it, but never had the pleasure of trying it until we went camping.

Yes, I came upon an elegant cocktail while camping. See? This state is full of surprises. We spent a weekend with friends in St. Martinville this past fall and found this amazing drink at the Alligator Bar, just a few miles down the road from our campsite.

The bar gets its name from the alligator skin that covers the top of

Vol. 5 • No. 21

the bar. It’s in a lovely restored old building that should be haunted if it isn’t. But that night, the only spirits we were interested in were on the cocktail menu.

I actually didn’t order the Sazerac at first. I went for a Marie Laveau Something or Other. Our friend Rex Royer ordered the Sazerac. Once it arrived, it wasn’t very impressive. It was in a rocks glass with a twist. I was glad I ordered my Something or Other.

But then I tried it. Suffice to say that Mr. Royer, gentleman that he is, realized he would not get his drink back and, cavalierly admitting defeat, agreed to a trade. I got the better end of the deal.

How do I describe the taste of the Sazerac? First, let me tell you what goes into it: • 3 oz. rye whiskey • 3/4 oz. simple syrup • Peychaud bitters to taste • absinthe or absinthe substitute • Lemon twist for garnish The tricky part is how you use the absinthe or its substitute.

You’re supposed to swirl it around in a chilled glass to coat the inside, then discard it.

The taste is heavenly. It’s rich, warm and goes down smooth, leaving the incredible aftertaste of the absinthe. A slow-sipping, end-ofthe-day, just-want-to-chill-out kind

of cocktail that is perfection itself.

So, I found my favorite drink in my favorite state. And no surprise, it’s the official State Cocktail.

After that, of course, I went on a quest to see who else can make a good Sazerac. It’s a slightly complicated process, and I don’t have the time to deal with concocting my own.

I tried the Hotel ZaZa in Houston’s version, and was disappointed.

It was too sweet—almost as if they left the absinthe in the rye instead of discarding it. Thumbs down. Next stop on the hunt was Gaido’s in Galveston on Thanksgiving Day. When I asked the waiter if the bar made Sazeracs, he said he would ask. It turns out they didn’t—but as luck would have it, another waiter overheard my question and said he would make it! It did not disappoint—it was perfect.

The bartender watched the process and made the next one—and failed miserably. The waiter had to step in once again. What a guy.

Recently, we attended a meeting in Lafayette. I quizzed a few people there and was informed that the Blue Dog Café had the best Sazeracs in the city. Unfortunately,

by the time we arrived, it was closing time. Undaunted, I remembered a wonderful tapas restaurant downtown called Pamplona that had the most amazing bar. They just had to know how to make a good one. So off we went. And yes, they did. Score! Even better, our friend ordered one at my urging, and for some reason that left me baffled, didn’t like it. So it became mine. Double score!

Of course, New Orleans is the place to go for a Sazerac, but we haven’t been since I discovered it. I can’t wait. And notice I don’t mention any Lake Charles locations.

That’s because I haven’t looked for one here yet. I have a few places in mind. If anyone out there has a recommendation, please email me. In the meantime, my buddy Rex Royer claims he’s perfected this cocktail. If he can mix drinks as well as he can cook, I may not have to look very far.

Lauren de Albuquerque

JANUARY 16, 2014 03

Georgia Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in International Affairs in 2010, and he received his Juris Doctorate from the LSU Hebert Law Center in 2013. Flynt received a Bachelor of Art in English Literature and Art History from LSU and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the Loyola College of Law in New Orleans.

Livestock Show & Rodeo Top 20 Event The Southeast Tourism Society recently honored the Southwest District Livestock Show & Rodeo as a Top 20 Event for the first quarter of 2014. The event will be held January 30—February 1 and is celebrating its 75th anniversary. “The Greatest Show on Dirt” will feature rodeo performances, livestock shows, Queen’s Pageant, stick-horse rodeos and more. The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau is a member of STS, an organization that promotes travel to and within the Southeastern part of the United States.

McNeese T-Shirt Contest Design Winner

McNeese President Dr. Philip Williams presents Ogawa with the first T-shirt. McNeese Photo

Ayumi Ogawa, a visual arts junior with concentrations in graphic design and drawing from Japan has won the 75th Anniversary T-shirt Design Contest for the McNeese State University celebration that kicks off this year. Ogawa received a $100 McNeese bookstore gift card for her winning design and the first T-shirt hot off the presses. The contest was open to all students and entries were reviewed by a panel of judges selected by the Office of the President.

Gingerbread House Contest People’s Choice Winners The annual Gingerbread House Contest People’s Choice winners were announced recently.

In the Children’s Division, visitors and fans selected Jamie Robert’s class at J. I. Watson Middle School. In the Adult Division, the gingerbread house by Rebecca Foy with the Isle of Capri Casino Hotel earned the most votes.

Police Jury Elects New 2014 Officers

Rebecca Foy with her winning gingerbread house

Stockwell Sievert Announces Promotion, New Associate Attorneys The Stockwell Sievert Law Firm in Lake Charles is pleased to announce Dallas Kingham, senior associate attorney, is joining the firm’s partnership. He earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government, Magna Cum Laude from McNeese State University and his Juris Doctorate and Bachelor of Civil Law from LSU Hebert Law Center in 2005. Justin C. Ward and Miller M. Flynt have recently joined the firm as associate attorneys. Ward graduated from the University of 04 JANUARY 16, 2014

Angie Manning, CVB, presents award to Mike Wittler, president and Blain Crochet, VP of the Southwest District Livestock Show & Rodeo.

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury elected Dennis Scott as president for 2014 and Tony Guillory as vice-president, both by acclamation. Scott succeeds Shannon Spell, and Guillory succeeds James Mayo. Scott represents District 6 Tony Guillory of the Police Jury and is currently Dennis Scott serving his second term. He is the owner of Scout Metal Construction, Inc. and Airport Storage Center, Inc. Guillory represents District 4 of the Police Jury and is serving his second term. Mr. Guillory is the owner of Royalty Limousine and also works for the State Farm Insurance Agency.

Local McDonald’s Manager Recognized Donald Quebodeaux, general manager of McDonald’s Broad Street location in Lake Charles has been recognized among the corporation’s top managers across the country by receiving the Ray Kroc award, a performance-based award named after McDonald’s founder. Quebodeaux has been with McDonald’s for 24 years. A selection committee of representatives from the corporation’s operations, training, and human resources staffs observed and evaluated each award nominee using a variety of techniques, including mystery shoppers. McDonald’s Vol. 5 • No. 21

Isle of Capri Donates to Toys for Tots The employees of the Isle of Capri’s Community Aces community outreach program collected and donated 444 toys to U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation. General manager Paul Hutchens, along with Isle employees were on hand to make the presentation to John Lamar, Local Community Organizer of the Lake Charles “Toys for Tots” chapter. of Southwest Louisiana (10 restaurants throughout Calcasieu Parish) is dedicated to serving and assisting the Southwest Louisiana community. For more information, visit www.mcdswla.com.

10 Depot Director. SOWELA is a member of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.

Vance Schmidt Joins CENTURY 21 Bessette Realty Vance Schmidt has joined the CENTURY 21 Bessette Realty, Inc. team as a Realtor. A life-long DeRidder resident, Schmidt is now assisting clients in all aspects of buying and selling residential and commercial real estate in the Lake Charles and DeRidder areas. He has vast experience in the portable building manufacturing industry, as well as a sales, service and business management background. He can be reached at (337) 401-1693 or at vance.schmidt@century21.com.

David Tracy, Northrop Grumman Lake Charles KC-10 Depot Director, Dr. Neil Aspinwall, Chancellor, SOWELA; Marty Thompson, Director Lake Charles Site Management; Randy Jolly, SOWELA

L’Auberge Donates to Toys for Tots L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles donated more than 600 toys to the Marine Corps’ Toys For Tots program. The toys were distributed to families in Southwest Louisiana.

PPG Donates $4,000 to SWLA On the Move Campaign

Delta Downs Donates to Local Non-Profits A community holiday tradition returned to Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel as the Vinton property hosted the Sixth Annual “Trees of Hope” holiday display and awarded $10,000 to local nonprofit organizations. The annual competition invites non-profit organizations from Southwest Louisiana and Southeast Texas to decorate 12-foot trees, which are then displayed in the Promenade at Delta Downs. The public votes for their favorite to decide the winner. First place and $5,000 was awarded to The American Cancer Society; second place and $2,500 went to Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA; and BeauCARE, Inc. took third place and $1,000.

PPG representatives presented a check in the amount of $4,000 to Alliance President and CEO George Swift and Avon Knowlton in support the SWLA Alliance Foundation’s Leader in Me Program.

This donation is the 2013 installment from PPG to the program, which nurtures the innate abilities within elementary students to be responsible, involved, confident, and collegial. In 2012, PPG committed to contribute a total $22,000 over four years to help bring the program to local elementary schools.

SOWELA Receives Donation from Northrop Grumman Southwest Louisiana Technical Community College received a $15,000 gift from Northrop Grumman to help fund scholarships in the college’s Aviation Maintenance Technology Program. “Northrop Grumman takes great pride in being able to partner with SOWELA and the Lake Charles community,” said David Tracy, Lake Charles KCVol. 5 • No. 21

Gil Leger, Janell Johnson, David Sebold, George Swift, Avon Knowlton, and Vincent Canzano.

JANUARY 16, 2014 05

Memorial for Women is one of only 41 hospitals nationwide and the only hospital in Louisiana to be designated a Center of Excellence. A hospital or surgical center can be recognized as a Center of Excellence once it has combined efforts with an accredited AIMIS surgeon and meets AIMIS standards. Memorial for Women exceeds the national average for open versus minimally invasive hysterectomies. More than 80 percent of hysterectomies performed at the hospital in the past two years were minimally invasive. The national average is around 20 percent.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Named Consumer Choice for Fifth Consecutive Year National Research Corporation recently announced that CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital has been named a 2013/2014 Consumer Choice Award Winner for the fifth consecutive year.

The categories evaluated for the award are best overall quality, doctors, nurses and image. Winners are determined by consumer perceptions on multiple quality and image ratings collected in the company’s Market Insights Survey. This study surveys over 270,000 households in the contiguous 48 states and the District of Columbia. From the households surveyed, hospitals named by consumers are analyzed and ranked based on their Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, with the winning facilities being ranked the highest.

Memorial for Women Named Center of Excellence Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women has been designated a Center of Excellence for minimally invasive surgeries by the American Institute of Minimally Invasive Surgery (AIMIS).

06 JANUARY 16, 2014

Jones Named WCCH Safety Award Recipient West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital recently named registered nurse Michael Jones as the recent recipient of its Safety Award. The award, which honors employees for their promotion of safety and safety awareness in and around the hospital, is distributed to those employees that demonstrate extraordinary awareness and action in minimizing potential safety risks.

Michael Jones

Free Health Screening Feb. 1 The Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana and the City of Lake Charles will offer a free health screening on Saturday, February 1, from 8 a.m. - noon at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Local hospitals CHRISTUS St. Patrick, Lake Charles Memorial, West Calcasieu Cameron, and Women & Children’s

Vol. 5 • No. 21

are partnering to offer this annual, comprehensive wellness screening program and provide 1,000 free health screenings.

Participants must fast with nothing to eat or drink for at least 4 hours before the screening and should take any morning medication with water or black coffee. Information will be available on eligibility for Medicaid and Medicare services. Wait time will be minimal and participants can arrive at any time during 8 a.m. noon to take advantage of this valuable free screening.

Dr. Brad LeBert Relocates ENT Practice Local Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist Dr. Brad LeBert has relocated his medical practice to 501 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive (second floor)

in Lake Charles. Dr. LeBert, a Lake Charles native, specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat, as well as related structures of the head and neck. In his new practice, ENT & Allergy Clinic, Dr. LeBert will continue to offer cutting-edge ENT care, along with a wide range of allergy testing and treatment options to the residents of Southwest Louisiana. To make an appointment, call (337) 312-8564.

Dr. Brad LeBert

SOWELA’s Practical Nursing Program: Pinning Future Caregivers Practical Nursing Class 138 of SOWELA was honored in a pinning ceremony held at the First Baptist Church of Westlake. The SOWELA Nursing Program experienced a 72 percent increase in enrollment between fall 2012 and fall 2013. Just in time for this tremendous growth, the College is scheduled to open the new Allied Health and Nursing building in the spring of 2014. This facility will house state-of-thescience simulation labs and instructional space, which will allow for an expanded menu of program offerings. For more information about SOWELA, visit www.sowela.edu.

MM2U Foundation Provides the Gift of Music

Hattie asked, “Can I hug my violin?” Kendrick exclaimed, “I am playing higher notes with my new trumpet!”

John said, “I can’t let go of it” about his new violin. Such are the responses of students in southwest Louisiana upon receiving refurbished musical instruments from MusicMakers2U (MM2U). Their “new” instruments were provided through the generosity of donors who no longer have a use for them.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

The MM2U Foundation was established in August 2013 as a non-profit organization created to provide students with the gift of music. The premise behind MM2U is that many school students have a desire to play a musical instrument but no means to obtain one. At the same time, many instruments have been silenced as they sit on closet shelves or in attics collecting dust. By pairing donated instruments

with students desiring to play them, MM2U restores sound to the instrument and a voice to the student.

MM2U is made aware of students desiring to play through their educational instructors who are integral players in the program’s success. Once MM2U accepts an instrument, it is professionally cleaned, refurbished and repaired before being assigned to a student. Since MM2U’s short inception,

30 instruments have been donated and 10 pairings completed – all prior to publicly announcing MM2U’s formation.

For MM2U to grow, contributions are being requested for instrument donations.

Financial support is also needed to clean and refurbish the instruments. For more information, contact Eva LeBlanc at (337) 244-9314 or by emailing musicmakers2U@ gmail.com JANUARY 16, 2014 07

The history of Southwest Louisiana around Lake Charles is a combination of folklore and truth. It is documented that the pirate Jean Lafitte used the waterways to evade pursuers and possibly bury treasure.

The Attakapa-Ishak tribe lived here. The U.S. Army had a cantonment on the shore of the lake. But after the War Between the States, settlement of the Lake Area began in earnest.

The boost in development came in 1883 when Jabez Bunting Watkins paid his first visit to Lake Charles. Born in Pennsylvania on June 15, 1845, he graduated from the University of Ann Arbor, Michigan with a law degree. He settled in Lawrence, Kansas and established the Watkins Bank and the Watkins Mortgage Company. A lawyer, entrepreneur, promoter and developer, he was widely diversified in his investments. As he spent time in Lake Charles, he found an area ripe for many opportunities.

Watkins had offices in London, New York, Texas, Illinois,

08 JANUARY 16, 2014

Nebraska, the Dakota Territory and Kansas. He had access to investors with vision that equaled his, and he was sure he could attract enough money to make the small village on the shores of the lake an area of commercial development, rice production, and farming.

He also envisioned shipping products by rail and water.

Shortly after arriving in Lake Charles, Watkins established the North American Land and Timber Company and sold $2.5 million in stock to English investors. He used the money to eventually buy 1.5 million acres of land. His goal was to attract colonists from the northern United States, France, and Holland.

Watkins knew that to attract colonists, he needed to establish credibility. So, he recruited successful businessmen and educators who would share his vision, visiting various universities and cities to find the men who would meet his criteria.

Frank Shutts was a civil engineer who later established the

Shutts Engineering Firm. Professor Seaman Asahel Knapp, an agricultural specialist and one-time president of Iowa State College of Agriculture was brought in to teach farmers how to successfully farm their land.

Frank Roberts, a financier and a graduate of Ames College helped get the area financially sound. Grant Mutersbaugh established a lumber-planing mill.

Watkins brought in heavy equipment to dredge ditches, dig canals, and build levees to turn unproductive marshland into productive farmland. Rice paddies were built, and land was drained and graded to produce other crops. He hoped that the thousands of acres he turned into farmland would entice farmers from Holland and the Midwest to come to Southwest Louisiana.

In 1887, he purchased the New York American and published editions in New York and Lake Charles, heavily promoting the opportunities in the area. By the end of 1887, the Watkins Syndicate, as it was being called, was ready to start selling land.

Professor Knapp was enlisted to subdivide the land into five and ten acre farms.

They were all located between two and five miles from town.

The farms were offered for a cash payment of $200 down, with the balance to be paid in installments. There are no

records available for the total cost of the farms.

Lake Charles became the best-advertised city in America after Watkins spent over $200,000 in a national advertising campaign extolling the opportunities in Calcasieu Parish.

According to an article in the Lake Charles American Press, Watkins hosted 30 newspaper owners and writers from major cities in the east and central United States to promote his land reclamation efforts and to bring in investment capital. The article claimed that there were over 40,000 copies of the New York American distributed monthly.

In 1888, he relocated his paper and renamed it the Lake Charles American.

Watkins’ marketing efforts were non-stop. In 1893, he built an exhibition car, filling it with Southwest Louisiana products and sending it through Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois. Hundreds of people were attracted to the area as a result of that car. And during the World’s Fair in Chicago, the North American Land and Timber Company distributed 500,000 copies of a brochure describing the opportunities in Southwest Louisiana.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Rail Service Watkins knew that railroad service would expand the opportunity for growth. He wanted to build a railroad to compete with the Southern Pacific monopoly linking Lake Charles to Kansas City, Missouri, hoping to charge more favorable rates for shipping.

In 1888, Lake Charles Mayor A.L. Rein issued an order for an ad valorem tax vote. If the election were successful, the proceeds would be used for construction of the Kansas City, Watkins and Gulf Railroad branch into Lake Charles. The vote passed and the section was completed and later became part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

By 1893, the Kansas City, Watkins, and Gulf Railroad was extended 100 miles from Lake Charles to Alexandria. A proposed section from Lake Charles to Cameron was never built.

Ten years later, another northsouth rail line terminating in Lake

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Charles was constructed, financed

by Holland stockbrokers. Two new towns sprung up and were given the Dutch names of DeQuincy and Deridder. This line later became part of the Kansas City Southern Railroad.

Watkins was also one of the first to suggest that there could be a deepwater port at Calcasieu Pass.

Since water rates to New Orleans were high, he felt that establishing a port here would attract business to the area. In 1913, a port was opened at Lake Charles that would grow to become the 11th busiest port in the nation.

When Watkins first arrived in Lake Charles in 1883, the population was about 100. By the end of the decade, thanks to his vision and efforts, the population had increased 400 percent. Up until his death, this man of vision divided his time between Lawrence, Kansas and Lake Charles. He died in Kansas in 1921.

JANUARY 16, 2014 09

Formal Repercussions It’s Mardi Gras season again. How do I know? I need no other sign but to see my wife rummaging through the closet, looking for stuff to wear to the balls that are on our calendar. She’s got more evening gowns in there than Absolut has vodka flavors.

Yet, still she can’t seem to find anything appropriate.

She claims some no longer fit her. She wore others last year and fears that people will remember. Like they keep notes on that sort of thing.

(Editor’s Note: We do.) Then, there were a few other gowns that she claimed she couldn’t wear because she didn’t have shoes to match. I fail to see the importance of her gown matching her shoes. She and the shoes part company as soon as the band strikes up the first number. Maybe the gown police are on stakeout under the table taking notes on the

shoes as well. (Editor’s Note: We are.)

Another gown is white. She can’t wear that, she says, because white is reserved for the King and Queen. She unknowingly wore white to the first ball we ever attended, and the reaction was as if she’d worn a fur coat to an animal rights gathering.

And so we have half a closet’s worth of evening gowns for which my wife has no further use. Give us a few more Mardi Gras seasons, and we’d have to give the whole bedroom over to gown storage and sleep in the closet.

It’s a good thing I don’t need much closet space for my formal wear. Being a guy, my requirements are meager.

All I need is one pair of black trousers, a matching jacket, some black shoes, and a single white shirt that I send off to the cleaners in between weekends.

Toss in a black bow tie and vest and a guy is set for the whole dang season.

Just white and black; that’s it. We’re like a bunch of male nuns. But that’s okay. Guys have no need to worry about matching colors or what goes with what or whether our outfit is in or out of style. And seeing how some of us dress for golf outings, that’s probably a good thing.

With ladies, however, it doesn’t end with the gown.

There’s also the accessories.

My wife has so much jewelry that I’m surprised it hasn’t drawn the attention of a firebreathing dragon like the one that stole all the gold from those dwarves in “The Hobbit.” Sometimes, on the night of a ball, I’d wish a dragon did steal it, for it would preclude her spreading them all out on the bed and asking me, of all people, which pieces would

be most appropriate. I, for one, would rather confront such a dragon than one of the gown squad, should my selection fail to pass muster.

Dragons, I think, could at least be reasoned with.

As for me, I’ve got just one pair of cufflinks. There’s no decision involved. I used to have shirt buttons that matched, but they disappeared a long time ago. I can only last in a monkey suit for so long, and so when I get home after a ball, I peel off my shirt like I’m Clark Kent in a phone booth. Some of those buttons are probably now in orbit.

And the gown squad, I’m sure, is tracking their coordinates.

Mike McHugh is in his fifth year as a contributor to The Jambalaya News. He has a new article every week, all of which can be found on his website, thedangyankee.com.

Featured by LAPAW Rescue • Contact us at www.lapaw.org Rascal found his way to safety after his owners moved and left him behind. Still a young dog (around two years), he managed to fend for himself pretty well. He is playful and friendly with other dogs. Great with older children, he has not been tested with children under 5 years of age. He is current on shots, 10 JANUARY 16, 2014

neutered, micro-chipped, and heartworm negative. Please consider giving this guy a permanent home. He needs a securely fenced yard since he has a need to “explore.” He uses a doggie door and is house and crate trained. He would love to have his own person and maybe a doggie friend to spend time with him. He is also doing pretty good learning to be a

lap dog! Help him start 2014 in a stable, loving home with someone to call his own. For more information or to set up a time to meet this great little guy, email lapaw@bellsouth.net or call (337) 478-7294.

Can’t adopt? Consider fostering. Can’t foster? Consider sponsoring! LAPAW dogs (and cats) can be seen at www.lapaw.org.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

accolades, but to point out that it can be done simply and effectively with some modification of behavior. I admit there are times that a cold beer can sound attractive on a weekday or a glass of wine would compliment a meal but I have found it relatively easy to follow my program and I have really stayed on my agenda. I even enjoy my wings on Tuesday (in moderation of course).

A Healthy New Year for Me! There is only one way to lose weight: Consume less calories than you expend, plain and simple. It does not matter what constitutes the calories you consume (not discussing healthy here, just weight loss alone), just taking in less of them than your body uses. You could take your calories in hog lard and you would lose weight if your activities burn up more than you take in. South Beach, Atkins, whatever, the math winds up to calories consumed as opposed to calories utilized. Health effects are a very different matter and obviously need to be brought in to consideration but realizing the basic premise gives true light to the process of weight loss.

The reason I began this column with the above is that at the end of last summer, I encountered an experience that caused me to reflect upon my own girth. We had attended an event held by one of the organizations my wife supports, and I wore my “fat” black pants--which wound up girdling me before the evening was over.

The following day, the scales at the gym indicated a body mass well in excess of what sanity would permit and I realized a change had to be made.

I decided that I would eliminate consuming any beer, wine or other spirits on weekdays. Additionally, I would endeavor to pay attention to what, in general, I put down the ole pie hole. In the past four months, following the guidelines I laid out, I have lost 27 pounds.

I write this not to look for Vol. 5 • No. 21

Clear American Drinking plain bottled water to me is a bore. I will enjoy a glass of ice water when dining but continually sipping on bottled water during the day just does not work for me. One additional item that I have found to help in my personal pursuit of weight loss is a no-cal, no carb, no sugar, no sodium, carbonated beverage called “Clear American” that I purchase at WalMart (aka: “The Great Satan”).

This 1-liter drink costs 68 cents (even less in a case of a dozen) and accomplishes a couple of things for me. It has a fruity, pleasant taste which helps to satisfy taste bud cravings and it gives me a “snack” to consume while watching TV or just enjoying a pleasant conversation in the evening hours.

I prefer the Cherry Limeade (does Sonic come to mind?) and their watermelon flavor is really good. There are about a dozen other flavors to choose from. By not consuming “empty” calories (i.e., those that have no nutritional value), they do not have to be burned off. It puts me on the positive side of my game plan. I also munch on celery sticks when I really feel the need to chew.

This is not an attempt to establish the “Tip Diet” or to give any health advice. I offer nothing other than a recounting of my effort to be able to be comfortable in my “fat” pants and maybe additionally, some lesser sized ones as well.

This column does not lend itself to a food shopping survey, but we’ll have one for you in the next issue.

JANUARY 16, 2014 11

The Perfect Hunt

What makes the perfect waterfowl hunt? The most ducks? The most ducks and geese? The right people? The right retriever? A day when everything goes right? Some combination of the above?

After thousands of days afield, I have my answer.

12 JANUARY 16, 2014

The most ducks day goes to Dr. Joe Gray Taylor, Sr., Joe Gray Taylor, Jr. and I on opening day of the second split in 1970. We were hunting my rice field blind a few miles southeast of Lacassine in Ardoin Cove. It was like being in the center of a waterfowl

tornado: pintails, gadwalls, widgeons, mallards, wood ducks, mottled ducks, spoonbills, et al. I told Joe Sr., whose water fowling experience was limited, that we were going to take turns with only one shell in our shotguns and only shoot drakes. That was one of those rare times my friend and major professor was at a loss for words. Even the future two star general Joe Jr. did not have much to say. However, that hunt wasn‘t perfect.

Three years later, I am hunting the same blind but this time, I’m with Major George Kuffel and Joe Taylor, Jr. and it snowed the whole time. I’d never hunted while it snowed.

George grew up in snow country so he wasn’t as enamored with it as the two locals were. We weren’t in a vortex of waterfowl that morning but we were on the receiving end of a veritable cornucopia of ducks. I hadn’t known how colorful drakes were against a white background. I also learned some colorful Yankee commentary to describe how Cajuns drive in the snow from North Dakotan Major Kuffel.

But nope, not that one.

Years later my BFFL Big Charlie and I and his brother-

in-law “Jock” hunted a blind I’d named Xanadu after the pleasure palace of “fire and ice” in William Taylor Coleridge’s poem. Not bad for a blind off the Hackberry Salt Ditch, south of the Intercoastal and the Gray Estate’s Goose Lake. We’d limited out on mallard and pintail drakes along with 15 geese, six of them speckle bellies. The kicker that day was that Jack Duke, Jr., who hunted that day with Judge John Hood at what we called The Poacher’s Blind northwest of us, was all fired up. Jack was sure he had finally had a better hunt than I. John, whom I grew up with as our Dad’s were best friends, knew better.

“Jack, if he’s waiting at the trail for us smoking that silly pipe and drinking coffee, you didn’t beat him.” John said.

And I was waiting at the cut. The bull sprigs were in a pile with the six greenhead drakes forming the outside and the nine Snow geese were piled under a separate slicker, with the half dozen white fronted geese on top. But my best hunt of all came later.

Dr. Ken Harper and I and my Golden Retriever Prez had been sent to the blind Vol. 5 • No. 21

of last resort and the longest run at Lacoste Lodge.

It was 30 minutes in my 25 horsepower, Onan-powered 16-foot aluminum mud boat.

And at number 8, you just never knew. It should have been the best spot there. The pond itself was full of widgeon grass, millet, and wild rice. The Sabine Reserve lay directly across the canal where you parked your boat before the short pirogue ride to the blind. We got there about ten minutes early and were set up just as light blessed the dawn and the first shots of the day whisper-boomed faintly in the distance. Eleven minutes later, there were 20 teal down and Prez was methodically retrieving the birds from the farthest ones out inward. Even the game wardens, who had secretly filmed our hunt while hidden in the cane some 50 yards away complimented us on out hunt. And not breaking the limit. But no, not my best waterfowl hunt.

Charles Donaldson, a friend from my college days, and his close friend Wayne Walker were down at Lacoste Lodge for a midweek hunt.

Charles’s blind number 4 was in the northeast corner of our lease. With a north wind, the birds would be coming directly into the gap in the decoys. It was a guide’s holiday for me as Donaldson stood to guide his mud into the chilling wind most of the way with Wayne and I on the middle seat facing him huddled out of the cold. Prez was curled on the bow and oblivious to the cold. The mud boat easily turned into the boat hide and we disembarked, handing the blind covers back and into the boat. Prez unloaded last and took his position on the dog hide. We were set and didn’t have long Vol. 5 • No. 21

to wait. Just when there was enough light to shoot, a flock of Green Wing Teal streaked overhead, out over the pond, and swung back into the wind and the decoys.

“Take ‘em!” I shouted, guns boomed, and it rained teal.

Eight shots and eight teal were down. The rest of the morning went like that. What

came by set their wings and swung in flashing white against an azure sky and with my whistle and soft “quack” and a “tickie, tickie, tickie” feed call, they banked their wings and sailed on a whisper to us. Then six white-fronted geese cackle-called across the marsh and I cackled back and we conversed until they too tumbled from the sky.

Without discussion, we gathered our gear and game and loaded the mud boat.

It was then that I noted the serene countenance of my middle-aged friends, the boys that had grown up together to be men. They had shared their hunt and friendship with me. I have never had a finer moment or known a better hunt.

JANUARY 16, 2014 13

A Knock at the Door?

God is Trying to Get Your Attention Often, God’s knocking is a light tapping in our spirit. But other times, when we are inattentive, He may use a pounding fist of adversity to turn our focus to Him. He knows what He is doing in your life through the distress you are facing. Never delay in responding to His call.

When He allows difficulties in your life, seek Him. Give Him your full attention, respond to His commands quickly, and listen to His message for you.

Have you ever been stuck in decision-making mode? Your heart tells you one thing, while your mind tries to keep you safe. You need directions to get there.

There are times when you’ve been consumed with your decisions, feeling as if you were spinning out of control because you haven’t made the right plans. We all get so wrapped up in making deci-

sions based on endless lists of whys and why nots that we never allow any space for new opportunities or potential.

Instead, we live in a world of what ifs.

We love our safe routines.

Our same thoughts and habits filter through our everyday existence. We can either let these thoughts and beliefs, based on our past, direct our lives or we can put new life into them.

Your heart wants to step in. The decision is up to you.

Now, the battle between the heart and the mind begins.

Rebel and resist and the majority of time, resistance wins.

It might be time to awaken your heart.

Decisions that are made with your heart wide open allow you to begin developing trust. In doing this, a new way of thinking forms about selflove. Trust then emerges where there was once only emptiness.

Big changes in your life seem a little less frightening as you begin tuning into the part of yourself that always has your greatest interests in mind.

When you first begin to make decisions from that deeper part of yourself, you will feel major resistance. The feeling of uncertainty is simply the mind trying to fight your decision. Your decision might go against the majority of your friends and family, but if it feels right, then it’s what you have to do.

Inner trust takes time and can only grow through action.

Your life’s path can only unfold by looking at the realities of your life. Bringing your heart back to life awakens the fire within that has more force than all of the willpower you could ever understand. You have removed the lid to the box that was hiding your heart.

Lasting change takes time.

Change isn’t easy. We resist change. We fear change. We ignore change. We have to be willing to commit to it.

Ask yourself: •Where is this feeling coming from?

•Am I doing this because I feel it’s what I should do?

•How does my decision make me feel?

Asking these questions allow your mind and heart to work together. When you look into your heart and really listen to it, you’ll start seeing patterns, and you’ll see if you’re living truthfully.

Decisions will begin to show

up as a feeling. You’ll need courage to let this deep feeling flow through you. Beware of the emotional fireballs that will try to knock you down.

You have to fight them and really know without a doubt that if you don’t get back up, they will lead you where you don’t want to go.

A deep feeling feels like love.

It’s not heavy or sudden fear, deep unknowing, or nervousness. It shows up differently for everyone. That’s where the trust comes in. You must learn to trust what you feel. If doubt enters, that’s not trusting.

The choice is always yours to make. Discounting these feelings as stupid, childish, or impossible devalues your own potential and self worth.

Before you start to tell yourself why you shouldn’t, take a step.

See what happens. Be brave!

This is a new path for you.

Don’t ignore the deep feelings that surface. Recognize them. Take action and follow through. You are now on your way to learning how to listen to your heart. That feeling is called trust.

God allows struggle into our life to turn our attention to Him. And while it can be painful to endure, it leads us into a deeper relationship with Him and saves us from future destruction.

I thank God for knocking me all the way down to the floor. He got my full attention.

Copyright 2014 © Nicole Shuff Arabie ~Soul Matters~ All rights reserved.

End of the Human Race Feb. 8 Fusion5 will be hosting its second annual Zombie Run fundraiser on February 8 at Camp Edgewood.

What’s a Zombie Run, you ask? It’s unique and a lot of fun! Runners will be outfitted with flag football belts.

The flags are their “lives” and they can purchase extra flags for $5. As they run through the 5K course in the woods, “zombies” will be stumbling along trying to take their “lives.”

Runners must finish the race with at 14 JANUARY 16, 2014

least one flag on their belt in order to be considered for prizes. If you lose all of your flags, you will be considered “dead,” but are still encouraged to finish the race, although you will not be eligible for any prizes. All zombies are eligible for prizes, as well. Following the last designated run, there will be a “Brain Bash” with music provided by Lucy in Disguise as well as food and beverages free to all participants.

This year, the race has been opened up to runners ages 12 years and up as long as the minor runs with an adult.

Registration cost is $55 for runners and $25 for zombies.

All money raised goes to Fusion5, SWLA’s young professionals organization to provide better events and more speakers for their members.

For more information, go to www. endofthehumanrace.com or “like” them on Facebook.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

course with good old Louisiana rice and some shrimp or a nice redfish, flounder, trout or whatever you have handy.

Here’s What You’ll Need

Corn Maque Choux As I was walking around my local grocery store I spotted some fresh corn. The first thing that came to mind was Corn Maque Choux.

I love this dish because it is always so bright and colorful and can be used as a side dish or it can stand on its own. I prefer to make mine a little extra buttery and serve it as a main

Vol. 5 • No. 21

1 stick of butter (real butter) 1 cup chopped onion ½ cup red bell pepper ½ cup green bell pepper 2 cups of corn 4 strips of bacon (chopped) Some chopped parsley 1 tablespoon minced garlic Salt, pepper and hot sauce to taste

Here’s What You’ll Do In a saucepan, melt half the butter and add everything all at once. Cook down, then add the rest of the butter and let it simmer. That’s it! While that’s all going on, make yourself some rice, cook up some fish or shrimp and enjoy... …and don’t forget to Stir Dat Pot!!

Corn Maque Choux

JANUARY 16, 2014 15

16 JANUARY 16, 2014

Vol. 5 • No. 21

s ’ r a e Y w e N

s n o i t u l o Res

Our Lady Queen of Heaven School Kindergarteners Share Their Thoughts

What is a New Year’s resolution?

Ally Johnson: “A resolution is doing something good.”

Rylee Keating: “To do something different, like grown-ups want to lose their pounds. It’s still New Year’s and I’m excited ‘cause of the countdowns and all of that.”

What are some of your New Year’s resolutions?

Christian Williams: “Going to church with my family.”

Ally Johnson: “To watch the news with my puppy Rosie”

Vol. 5 • No. 21

From all the students at OLQHS – we would like to wish you a Happy New Year!

Rylee Keating: “To play with my friend Emerson after school.”

Abbie Snider: “To play every

day with my cousin, Katie Elizabeth, after school and to spend time with my family!”

Drake Hinton: “Trying to

do my homework all by myself, to watch TV with my dogs and hide in tents, and being nice and playing with friends in my class.”

JANUARY 16, 2014 17

There’s nothing unique about a wailing baby, but when their cries stretch out over a span of several hours, it can feel like a relentless battle of wits between baby and parent. You rock them, burp them, change their diaper, and they just keep crying. And crying. And crying.

This is the mysterious condition known as colic.

18 JANUARY 16, 2014

“Many parents are tempted to diagnose their crying baby with colic, but there are certain standards that pediatricians look for when determining if the infant actually has the condition. We look for a ‘three’ pattern: Is the baby between three weeks and three months old?

Does the baby cry harder than expected for more than three

hours a day? For more than three days a week? At least three weeks in a row? If so, that’s a pretty strong case for colic,” said Julie Babineaux, MD, pediatrician with The Pediatric Center of Southwest Louisiana and medical staff member of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital.

According to Dr. Babineaux, colic is usually at its worst when babies are around seven weeks old. The condition typically goes away by 14 weeks.

For a weary and defeated parent, however, those weeks can feel like decades.

“It’s extremely tiring and frustrating to care for a colicky baby. Parenting an infant is stressful enough, but when you can’t seem to alleviate the crying, that stress level can quickly skyrocket,” Dr. Babineaux said.

“That’s why it’s best to see your pediatrician if you’re concerned about your child’s behavior. The thing to remember is that colic is normal.”

The root cause of colic is unknown, but some believe it could be caused by an infant’s underdeveloped nervous system or their general sensitive temperament. “Infants are still learning to control their bodies and behaviors,” said Dr. Babineaux. “As they mature, they have more control over their functions, which is why colic generally disappears at a certain age.”

Although belly problems can cause a baby to wail and cry, colic isn’t caused by gastrointestinal issues or any other health condition. With gastro problems, the crying usually subsides after treatment. But the hallmark symptom of colic is forceful crying that seems to have no obvious source.

“This is what makes it so challenging. Parents do everything they can think of to make

their baby more comfortable, but it doesn’t work,” Dr. Babineaux said. “It’s not the baby’s fault or the parents’.” Colicky crying is often accompanied by clenched fists and stiffened legs.

Some babies may arch their backs or pull their legs up. The best way to respond is to try to comfort the baby as much as possible -- which is typically how parents react. “You can also be proactive to try and prevent the episode.”

Pay attention to your infant’s patterns. If the baby cries most at certain times of the day, try holding the baby more before that time hits. According to Dr. Babineaux, you can also lower lights, keep noise levels low and limit the number of visitors or distractions that your baby will experience during the “fussy time.”

“Being proactive can have positive effects on the baby’s behavior,” Dr. Babineaux said.

“If and when the crying starts, try taking a ride in the car or bringing the baby near a monotonous droning sound, like a ceiling fan. Sometimes the constant and predictable sound can be comforting.”

Most importantly, however, parents should remember to take good care of themselves. Colic tests the levels of parental frustration, but being stressed and tense will do little to ease the situation.

Dr. Babineaux suggests that parents elicit the help of family and friends for times when they feel overwhelmed.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Pediatric Clinic Reopens at Moss Memorial Milk is an important part of your toddler’s diet because it provides calcium and vitamin D, which help build strong bones. Children under the age of two should drink whole milk for the dietary fats needed for normal growth and brain development.

When your child turns two, you can probably switch to low-fat or nonfat milk, but you should discuss this with your doctor before making the change.

Transition him to a cup between 12 and 18 months of age. Don’t cut out bot-

Vol. 5 • No. 21

tles all at once. It’s better to slowly start eliminating them from the feeding schedule, beginning with mealtime. Offer whole milk in a cup after she’s started her meal. If you are breastfeeding, only offer milk in a cup and avoid the bottle altogether.

Cow’s milk is different from breast milk or formula, so your child may not like it at first. If so, you can mix whole milk with the formula or breast milk and gradually modify the mixture so that it eventually is all cow’s milk.

The Pediatric Clinic at the W.O. Moss Memorial Health Clinic reopened to the public recently. The clinic was closed due to state budget cuts in March of 2012 when the clinic was a part of the state-run W.O. Moss Regional Hospital. It has been run at the Memorial/Louisiana State University Health Science Center Family Medicine Clinic since that time.

The Pediatric Clinic is now open at the Moss Memorial Health Clinic on Mondays from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon. A sickle cell anemia clinic will be held at the clinic every third Tuesday of the month from noon to 4 p.m.

Long-time pediatrician Dr. Patrick Unkel will head up the clinic with the assistance of doctors of the Memorial/Louisiana State University Health Science Center Family Medicine Residency Program.

“Each time I am out there I will have at least one or two residents with me,” Dr. Unkel says. “What they do is, they see the patients, they present their findings, then I go in and see the patients.

So every patient they see, I see.”

The Moss Memorial Pediatric Clinic will accept all pediatric patients regardless of their financial situation.

It is located at 1000 Walters Street in Lake Charles. To contact the clinic, call (337) 475-8066.

JANUARY 16, 2014 19

The weather has been more than erratic in Southwest Louisiana this season. Today, it’s 80 degrees—but the temperatures are supposed to plummet in a few days. Can you keep your toddler from getting sick?

Unfortunately, that’s really not possible. Since many common winter viruses are airborne, if your child takes a breath within 4 to 6 feet of someone who’s sick, she can easily catch the virus herself.

To make matters worse, most winter viruses are contagious before symptoms actually develop. So letting your child play with a seemingly healthy friend doesn’t guarantee anything.

Bundling him up doesn’t really help much, either. Studies have shown that exposure to cold or damp weather doesn’t increase a child’s likelihood of catching a cold.

Still, there are a few simple steps you can take to help protect against germs.

Make sure she washes her hands!

This is the most effective way to get rid of germs, so make sure she washes her hands with soap and warm water after using the toilet, before meals, and after coming in from outside. Make sure you wash up, too, especially before preparing food. You don’t need to invest in an antibacterial soap—any soap removes germs from the skin’s surface. Carry some hand sanitizer for those times when you’re out of range of a sink. (Only for yourself—never for babies or toddlers!)

Teach your child not to touch his eyes or nose.

When you rub your eyes or nose, you’re depositing germs directly onto your mucous membranes, where they’re immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. So remind him not to touch his eyes or rub his nose, and show him how to use a tissue—not only for teary eyes, but also when he sneezes or coughs. The latter won’t prevent him from getting a virus, but it will help keep him from giving one.

What’s the sick-kid policy at daycare?

Hopefully, it’s reasonable. Most facilities require a sick child to remain 20 JANUARY 16, 2014

at home until the symptoms subside.

If obviously ill children are at the facility, then you have a problem—and it may be time to switch facilities if things don’t change.

Get your child vaccinated You can help protect your toddler from some viruses and bacteria by making sure his immunizations are up to date. The more common type of vaccination is the flu shot, but a nasal spray flu vaccine is also available to certain people. Ask your child’s pediatrician for the best option.

Boost his immunity naturally Offer your child a variety of healthy foods so he gets the nutrients he needs.

Make sure he gets plenty of sleep and lots of physical activity every day.

If Your Child Gets Sick Colds are most contagious during the first few days, so it is important to look out for the symptoms: a stuffy or runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat, a cough, and a headache.

Your child may run a mild fever.

Symptoms can continue for up to ten days. If your child does not seem to be improving, make an appointment with his pediatrician.

The cold and flu are both respiratory illnesses caused by different viruses, so telling them apart can be tricky. Your child may have the same symptoms as a cold, but will feel worse. She may also be very tired, experience body aches and stomach symptoms and have a fever. The flu can be diagnosed by a doctor and may be treated with antiviral medication.

Vitamin C may help to relieve symptoms or lessen the duration of a cold. Since stuffy noses cause the body to lose water, your child needs plenty of water and juice to remain hydrated. Small but healthy meals and snacks are important, even if she is not hungry. Chicken or vegetable soup, rice, and pasta are all good sources of energy and nutrition. Use a humidifier or vaporizer if his nose is very stuffy. You can give your child the appropriate dosage of acetaminophen (Tylenol) to relieve fever or aches and pains. Never give aspirin to children or teenagers who have symptoms of the flu, especially fever, without consulting a doctor.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Vol. 5 • No. 21

JANUARY 16, 2014 21

By Jamie Gaines Kenny Bergeron isn’t the stereotypical professional.

When the Baton Rouge native leaves for work, he doesn’t wear a coat or tie, his hours aren’t 9 to 5, and he doesn’t head to a corner office. When Bergeron clocks in, he literally takes the bull by the horns.

As a professional bullfighter, Bergeron routinely jumps into a rodeo arena to distract bucking bulls and clear a path to safety for competing riders – whether they are thrown off or willingly leap off – when their ride is over.

All too often, this means Bergeron has a close encounter with a raging bull.

Success in the arena has earned him consecutive nominations as the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) Bullfighter of the Year since 2008. His missteps have earned him three plates in his foot, temporary paralysis from a facial injury, and an assortment of other breaks, bumps and bruises.

To maximize safety – and minimize injuries – PRCA rodeos require bullfighters to work in teams of two.

“It’s comforting to know that if you get in a bind, someone you trust is there to have your back,” he

22 JANUARY 16, 2014

said.

Later this month, Bergeron will jump into the arena for the 75th Annual Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo, with performances scheduled for 7:30 p.m.. on Thursday, Jan. 30 and Friday, Feb. 1, and again at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

Professional rodeo competitors, including pro world champions and national finals contestants from across the nation, will vie for $250,000 in prizes.

The annual livestock show, which hosts more than 2,500 4-H and FFA exhibitors and awards more than $50,000 in scholarships, begins Tuesday, Jan. 28.

During the four performances, Bergeron and Darran Robertson of Weatherford, Texas will look bucking beasts in the eyes and defy the odds to avoid thrashing hoofs and hooking horns.

Bergeron began bullfighting professionally in 2001, but has been around rodeo all his life. His father was a bullfighter “…before I was born,” and both his father and uncle were stock contractors, providing bucking bulls and bucking horses for rodeos.

“Bullfighting is very much

’ game,”” said id th a young man’s the 35-year-old Bergeron. “I look around at the guys (who rodeo), and they’re 20, 21-yearold kids. I’m getting up there.”

Ironically, Bergeron was only 15 when he took his first hooking, or hit from a bull.

“My uncle put on a rodeo in Waterproof, Louisiana, but there was only one bullfighter,” said Bergeron. “I told him I was going to do it. He told me I wasn’t.”

When his dad found out that he had indeed entered the fray, “he said, ‘You’re not doing that again until you graduate high school.’”

Despite his dad’s edict, Bergeron nearly cancelled his date the night before prom for an opportunity to fight bulls.

His dad held his ground; Bergeron had his first paying rodeo the following October.

Rodeo is a year-round sport, and Bergeron now spends 36 weeks a year on the road, traveling from one rodeo to the next, doing what he loves. When he’s not traveling, he lays his hat in Mowata, Louisiana.

“Mowata is a farming community located between Crowley and Eunice,” said Bergeron. “There’s a Catholic

h h and d a grocery store, t church and not much more. I’m related to most of the people there.”

Now a father himself – his daughter Addison is 7 years old and his son Grady is 3 – Bergeron has some definite opinions about rodeo as a way of life for his own children.

“I thank God for putting me here doing exactly what I enjoy every day of my life,” he said. “But I would not want my kids to rodeo.”

It seems even poppas don’t want their babies to grow up to be cowboys.

Tickets for the Southwest District Rodeo performances are $9, $14, and $19 for children 12 years of age and under, and $12, $17 and $22 for adults. Children three years and younger are admitted free. Coupons for $1 off the price of a child’s ticket and $4 off the price of an adult’s ticket are available at all Jeff Davis Bank locations. The coupons cannot be used with any other discount or promotion. Admission to the livestock show is free.

Tickets are currently available at Boot Barn, Cotton’s Western Wear, and Patton’s Western Wear; Burton ColiVol. 5 • No. 21

seum; and Ticketmaster.

For more information about the Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo, call (337) 944-9710 or visit www.lakecharlesrodeo.com.

Participants Sought for Western Heritage Parade The Western Heritage Rodeo Parade will begin at 4 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30, at the corner of LaGrange and Patrick streets, traveling south at Ryan and ending at McNeese Stadium.

The parade is the prelude to the biggest show on dirt – the 75th Annual Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo – and the culmination of the annual Western Heritage Week-Long Trail Ride, which begins Saturday, Jan. 25.

This year’s parade Grand Marshal is actor-turned-artist Buck Taylor, who is easily recognized after more than 50 years in movies and on television. One of Taylor’s watercolors, which celebrates the heritage of the American West, has been chosen for the Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo’s 75th anniversary commemorative poster.

Taylor may be best remembered for his role as Newly O’Brien, gunsmith-turned-deputy during the last eight seasons of the television series Gunsmoke (1955 to 1975); as Turkey Creek Jack Johnson in Tombstone (1993) starring Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer; or as Wes Claiborne in Cowboys & Indians (2011), starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde.

But Taylor didn’t limit himself to Westerns. He also had recurring

Vol. 5 • No. 21

roles on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, Combat!, Barnaby Jones, General Hospital, Dallas and T.J. Hooker, and appeared in the Lonesome Dove television miniseries.

But it is his recurring role as artist that most occupies Taylor now. His private commissions hang in the Loomis Fargo and DeLucca Liquor headquarters, as well as the Franklin Mint, John Wayne Enterprises, and American Quarter Horse and National Ranching Heritage museums. In addition, his work is in the hands of private collectors, such as Sam Elliott, James Arness, Roy Clark, Val Kilmer, Roger Staubach, and Powers Booth.

The parade and trail ride are open to the public and, like trail rides in the Old West, both are family affairs.

While there are no age restrictions to participate in the trail ride, there are very specific rules, including a western attire requirement that all participants, “whether a horse, mule, rider or wagonrider…,” must follow. Registration forms and a fee of $20 per person are due at the beginning of their ride. The fee covers the necessary permits to ride within city limits.

Horseback riders and riding clubs are asked to contact Glen Daigle at (337) 802-8168 for more information about participating in the trail ride or the parade.

All others are invited to participate in the parade at no charge and are asked to call Blain Crochet at (337) 802-4879 or visit www. lakecharlesrodeo.com for more information.

JANUARY 16, 2014 23

“My mother wanted me to enter this beauty contest. Miss Burbank. I really didn’t even want to do it.” The night of the event, Reynolds wanted to back out, but her mother insisted she follow through. “That’s how I was raised,” she says. “You don’t start something you can’t finish. You keep your word.”

That didn’t stop the exuberant teen from enjoying herself, however. “I knew I wasn’t going to win, so I really didn’t care,” she says. “I was supposed to wear high heels. I didn’t have any, so I just went barefoot. I acted up and had fun.”

Of course, Reynolds went on to win the pageant—and the attention of two talents scouts who happened to be in the audience that evening. “My whole life was changed,” she says. “Just like that.

And really, acting wasn’t anything that I wanted to do. I had no dreams…I just wanted to be a gym teacher!”

Before she knew it, Warner Brothers Debbie Reynolds had arranged with Gene Kelly in for her Singin’ in the Rain to have (1952) a screen test, and she ended up signing a contract with the studio.

“My parents thought it was all a bit silly,” she laughs.

“They didn’t raise me to be an actress.” But they allowed her to pursue this opportunity that had basically fallen in her lap.

“I’d had no formal training before all this happened,” she says. “No dance or singing lessons.

Nothing. But I caught on fast.

By Lauren de Albuquerque

She sounds exactly the same as she always has.

Her voice has the same inflections, the same tone. She’s 81, but you’d never know it when you hear her speak. When I express my amazement, Debbie Reynolds laughs, and says, “Well, I’m the same person, dear. Just a little more wear and tear.”

This legend of the silver screen was relaxing in her home in Palm Springs when I called her.

She’ll be bringing her show to the L’Auberge Casino Lake Charles on Friday, January 17. This will be her first visit to our area. “It’s so difficult to get here, with all the connections, that I’m just going to charter a private plane,” she tells me.

Born Mary Frances Reynolds, in San Antonio, Texas, Reynolds and her family moved to California when she was still a child, and where she was discovered in true Old Hollywood style. “I was sixteen,” she remembers.

24 JANUARY 16, 2014

In those days, the studios trained their actors. They looked for young talent. It was the Golden Era of Hollywood, and it was great fun.” She sighs. “That time will never come again. I feel so sorry for the young people trying to make it today.”

Initially, her career got off to a slow start. Warner Brothers did not renew her contract the following year, but the best was yet to come. Movie mogul Louis B. Mayer expressed an interest in the ingénue, and she signed on with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

By this time, her name had been changed from Mary Frances to Debbie. And her acting career began in earnest. She had a few bit parts, and then, was cast in the movie that would make her a star.

Singin’ in the Rain was a lighthearted musical starring screen greats Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor. Reynolds says that performing with the two seasoned dancers was a daunting experience, and someone with less self-esteem may have given up. “I kept telling myself that I could do it, and thought of it as an exciting challenge,” she remembers. “I basically lived at the studio. I slept on a couch in my dressing room.

We worked six days a week, practically around the clock. We had Sundays off. That was it.”

Reynolds admits that she was intimidated by Kelly. “He was an older fellow, and he was…tough,” she says with some hesitation.

“But Donald was closer to my age, and I felt so much more comfortable with him. He was a big help to me.”

She remembers blood in her shoes after one particularly grueling number. And practicing, practicing, practicing. But it all paid off. Singin’ in the Rain launched her career. And what a career it has been.

One of my favorite movies from childhood is How the West was Won. It was released in Cin-

erama (a curved screen, threeprojector process), which made it all the more powerful. It was one of the last epic films the studio ever made in this format. And it still holds up, after all these years.

“You know, it took two years to make,” she tells me. “And it was so physically demanding! That scene on the rapids, for example—we were freezing. We were in and out of those streams. But I’m always up for a challenge, and I loved being on location. We filmed in such beautiful places.

And it was such a great cast!

Gregory Peck (who played her riverboat gambler husband), Karl Malden, George Peppard… It was a wonderful experience.”

But there were some not-sowonderful experiences that Reynolds had to suffer through, such as the collapse of her marriage to Eddie Fisher, who left her for her close friend, Elizabeth Taylor. For years, she was considered “the scorned woman,” although it has been reported that they made up before Taylor died. Other husbands followed who drained her financially. She’s had to declare bankruptcy. But all these years, later, she’s still going. Unsinkable, if you will, like the character she played in The Unsinkable Molly Brown, for which she received an Academy Award nomination.

Nothing seems to keep her down.

“You know, I was an innocent,” she says. “I assumed that if you worked hard and loved what you did, you’d be on easy street. I realized later that it doesn’t always work that way. But I’ve learned to just take life as it comes. Now that I’m older, I’m more relaxed, more accepting. I just have to go with it.”

Debbie Reynolds and musical comedian Stephen Sorrentino will be appearing at L’Auberge Lake Charles Casino Resort on Friday, Jan. 17. For ticket information, go to www.ticketmaster. com or www.llakecharles.com.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

The Importance of Like Totally Being Earnest Jan. 17-19

Pitcher Perfect Exhibit, Stark House Opens Jan. 18

Don’t miss The Importance Of Like Totally Being Earnest, which will be held at ACTS Theatre at the corner of Reid and South Railroad Streets in North Lake Charles. Performances are Jan. 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. and at 3 p.m. on Jan. 19. Tickets are $15 for all three shows and may be purchased online at www.actstheatre.com, by telephone at 337-433-ACTS (2287) or in person at the box office the day of the show.

You use them for lemonade or iced tea, and sometimes place a bouquet of flowers in them. They’re pitchers, and you have a chance to view seldom if ever seen vessels from the 1800s to today. Bring the family to the Carriage House of The W.H. Stark House in Orange, Texas to see the exhibit and enjoy making a pitcher of your own. Got to www. whstarkhouse.org or call (409) 883-0871.

Central Gulf Coast Boat, Sport & RV Show Jan. 17-19 Find everything from boats, RVs and jet skis to golf carts at the Lake Charles Civic Center Jan. 17-19.

Visit the indoor Fish-O-Rama, where you can test your fishing skills and catch rainbow trout for dinner. Also, be sure and stop by the world’s largest mobile aquarium and don’t forget to meet Liz from the Swamp People! Fri. 1-8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.

- 5 p.m. Adults $7; children 6-15 years $2; children 5 and younger free. (337) 436-4355.

Cajun Dance Jan. 18 Come pass a good time with Ellis Vanicor and the Lacassine Playboys at the CMFA Building, 3481 E. Prien Lake Rd. $7 per person, 7-11 p.m.

No ice chests, please.

Sulphur High School Photography Exhibit Jan. 23-Feb. 20 This exhibit features photography from local high school students. A fun art exhibit for all ages! Henning Cultural Center, 923 South Ruth Street, Sulphur. Mon - Fri. 10 a.m.5 p.m., Sat., 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Free admission. (337) 527-0357.

‘A Neil Diamond Tribute’ Jan. 24 If you love romance, magical surprises, comedy and Neil Diamond music, you will love “A Neil Diamond Tribute” by Diamond look and sound-alike Keith Allynn. One performance only at ACTS THEATRE in Lake Charles on Jan. 24. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are on sale at Moss Bluff Flower and Gift Shop, Lakeshore Medic Pharmacy and at the Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office or online at www.actstheatre.com. All tickets are $20. For more information, call 337-433ACTS.

Makers Family Day At the Stark Museum Jan. 25 Discover your inner artist at Makers Family Day at the Stark Museum of Art in Orange, Texas.

Try your hand at easel painting or create a sketch in the galleries.

See special exhibitions of student artwork, go on a scavenger hunt and enjoy story time. Light refreshments, tours and many more activities in store for the whole family.

This event is a great way to learn how art is made and to create your

Friday, January 17: Playdough Join us in the ArtSpace from 3:30-4:30 p.m. and build something fun with Playdough!

Monday, January 20: Dove of Peace Workshop Paint a dove, which symbolizes “peace” in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Class begins at 11 a.m. and is limited to 20 children.

Friday, January 24: Swirl’n Spin Art Join us from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the ArtSpace and experiment with exciting designs using our Swirl’n Spin art machine!

Friday, January 31: Pasta Necklaces Make your own fun pasta necklace in the ArtSpace from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad Street downtown Lake Charles.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7.50 for children and adults. Call 337-433-9420 or visit www.swlakids.org.

26 JANUARY 16, 2014

Vol. 5 • No. 21

own! Free admission. Go to www. starkmuseum.org or call (409) 8862787).

Building, 3481 E. Prien Lake Rd.

Krewe de Autre Chance Fundraiser Dance Jan. 25

The Home Builders Association of SWLA’s 23rd Annual Home Show will be held Jan. 25-26 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. An event for the entire family, it will feature a Children’s Corner with coloring and face-painting activities. There will also be food booths at the event.

The show will be open from 9 a.m.

Enjoy a fun evening of dancing to Cajun Soul featuring Rickey Menard and Ron Granger. $10 ticket at the door includes free chicken and sausage gumbo and potato salad. BYOB, ice furnished. Starts at 7 p.m. CFMA

2014 Home Show Jan. 25-26

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (20th Century Fox, Samuel Goldwyn Studios, 2013) Meet Walter, who works at LIFE magazine. He’s a little graying guy who lives alone and is trying to meet a girl on eHarmony.

Walter has this problem: He’s a daydreamer. With his vivid imagination he can zone out when walking down the street, riding in an elevator with coworkers, wherever.

(Do you think he would notice if I threw a paper clip at him? Probably not. Try it.)

In all of his fantasies, Walter is the hero. His imaginings are about as outlandish as you can think of, the kind of stuff you see in movies.

Wait. This is a movie, right?

At LIFE, Walter works with Vol. 5 • No. 21

photos used for the magazine articles. Today, he’s supposed to deliver to management a special photo from his idol, photographer and worldhopper Sean O’Connell. And this isn’t just any photo. It’s intended for a very important cover of the magazine.

But the photo is missing from the packet Walter receives in the mail.

What follows is a detective hunt and journey to find this überphoto. Not only does Walter risk being fired if he can’t find the picture, but he desperately needs to impress his incredibly annoying boss. There you have it, a perfect setup for a predictable

to 5 p.m. Jan. 25, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 26. Admission is $5 per person. Children 12 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult. (337) 478-7893 or homebuildersla@bellsouth.net.

SWLA Alliance’s Annual Banquet Jan. 28 The SWLA Alliance’s 110th Annual Banquet will be held on Jan. 28 at the Lake Charles Civic Center. movie. But hold on.

Just because a story is predictable doesn’t make it bad. Look at Groundhog Day, Hamlet, or any movie you watch over and over.

Execution, how much care is put into its making, has a lot to do with our enjoyment of a movie.

Through skillful manipulation, fantasy and reality get blurred (just a little) which makes us, like Walter, just a little confused.

The original story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, was published in The New Yorker in 1938. It’s a scant six pages long, yet it’s one of the most famous stories in American literature, written by humorist and cartoonist James Thurber.

Everyone has wanted to make it into a movie, and Danny Kaye starred in a version in the ‘40s. But the original story is barely a sketch of the main character. He could be anyone. And that’s the point.

Ben Stiller, who directed and starred in our current version, is perfect for the role. He’s short, quiet, and sort of disappears in a dress shirt. But maybe, somewhere deep down, we identify with Walter Mitty. We long to be the hero everyone talks about. Who doesn’t get excited when they’re

This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. James Canton, a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. For over 30 years, he has been predicting the key trends that have shaped our world. Individual tickets will be $70 and placed in open seating, but organizations who reserve tables (8 seats) will receive preferential table placement and signage at $560. To register, go to www.allianceswla. org/. mentioned on Facebook? And we all deserve the attention. Still waters run deep and all that.

This beautiful little movie that Stiller has made is like a jewel.

Every person in it has significance in Walter’s little life. His runaway imagination, which would seem to be his main problem, is eventually proves to be his best quality, a positive asset. Filled with some outlandish special effects (not too many) and some jaw dropping scenery (a lot, a whole lot), The Secret Life is a fable for those of us who always thought about doing things but never got around to it.

Humor in the movie is typical Stiller, deadpan mixed with physical comedy, and it works.

The laughs are only part of the story, though, as Walter careens through his life, trying to make sense of it all.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is rated PG for a bar scene. Kids will really enjoy some radical skateboarding and the inclusion of action toys in one scene. Oldsters will appreciate a cameo by Shirley MacLaine as Walter’s aging mother. Add a little romance, action scenes, the little guy taking on the big guys, and you’ve got a perfect family movie. Enjoy!

JANUARY 16, 2014 27

The Ten Tenors on Broadway Jan. 30 Bringing rock and classical music together, and having created a sound that is uniquely theirs, Australia’s “Rock Stars of the Opera” return offering a special treat consisting of a wonderful collection of Broadway’s greatest hits. Expect the contrast of raw power and soothing beauty in this special evening of the best of Broadway presented by Australia’s hottest tenors. Performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 at the Lutcher Theater in Orange, Texas.

Tickets range from $40-$55. For more information, go to www. lutcher.org.

SW District Livestock Show and Rodeo Jan. 30 - Feb. 1 Don’t miss the 75th Annual Southwest Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Burton Coliseum Complex! There will be four rodeo performances as well as a trail ride parade and stick horse rodeo.

The district livestock show will be held at the Burton Coliseum during the week of the rodeo. Pick up your discount coupons at all Jeff Davis Bank locations! For all the details, go to www.lakecharlesrodeo.com.

Lake Charles Symphony Bingo Feb. 8 Don’t miss “Beethoven, Buffet and Bubbly!” Play Bingo with the Lake Charles Symphony at the Lake Charles Country Club on Sat., Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. Music will be provided by the Lake Charles Symphony Ensemble. Tickets are $50 per person or $200 for a half table of four. Reservations needed

by Jan. 30. (337) 433-1611, www.lcsymphony.com.

28 JANUARY 16, 2014

New Year, New Potential!

Happy New Year to you and yours. I am very excited to be starting a new year that holds so much potential. I look at the new year as a mind reset, and while I personally do not establish any resolutions, I do set goals and begin planning ahead for the entire year. Even if everything does not go quite as planned, I am happy knowing that I did strive to do more than the year before and that I am successful.

Speed Dating Night at 3Topia At the end of 2013, I attended 3topia’s Speed Dating Night for a second time as promised. In my past column, I shared my experience of just observing speed dating. It seemed like a great way to mingle, possibly discover a new friend or maybe something more, and challenge yourself to be daring. Well, my second time around turned out to be that and so much more.

Let me first say that bringing along at least one friend, preferably one of the opposite sex, is probably one of the smartest things you can do. A friend can serve as a buffer and someone to take a breather with.

Three friends, two of them female, came along with me. We were able to unwind and work out our nervousness prior to the start of the event, which helped.

We filled out our information sheet and submitted it to the staff. We then had to select our name for the evening. The staff encourages attendees to not use their real name on their sticker, so people usually choose a pet’s name or some other made-up name.

One of my friends suggested I choose Mr. 337. We then enjoyed our complimentary glass of wine or beer, and laughed until the fun began.

All of the women were asked to take a seat at their designated station, which allowed the men to rotate after three minutes of talking. At this particular event, there were a few more men than women, which means that a few had to sit it out in the lounge area or “bull-pen” as it has become known, during one of the rounds. I can honestly say I enjoyed the company of each woman I met. Of course, some of them were a little more enthusiastic than others.

Most of the women reacted to my name; they were intrigued and wanted to find out more. Choosing that name was probably not the best idea, since I then had

to explain why I chose it, which then led to them asking what I do job-wise. That was not my ideal question to begin with, but I did tell most of them what I do.

One of the attendees was friends with me on Facebook, so when I sat down, she immediately told me that she already knew about me. Being completely honest was hard for me to stomach at first, but then I viewed it as a positive, because it allowed me more time to get to know her.

The attendees’ ages ranged between early 20s to early 50s. There were a variety of races, socio-economic backgrounds, etc., which made the event even more worthwhile. I should probably note that the threeminute time period goes by very quickly. Often, it feels like it is not enough time.

You are provided a list of questions ranging in topic and are strongly encouraged to stick to the questions rather than create your own. For the most part, my speed-dating partner would ask me to start and most of them admitted they had not even looked at their list of questions. One of the questions was, “If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive who would it be? Another: “If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?” Those two alone can tell you so much about someone.

I am very glad I participated and might consider doing it again. What I love most about the entire experience is how many of my Facebook friends took interest in what I was doing. While I was in the bull pen/lounge area I posted, “I’m enjoying speed dating way more than I expected,” which resulted in nearly 40 likes and lots of questions.

After it was over, you could either stay and mingle and participate in karaoke hosted by the DJ known as Cornbread, or go about your night. Later, the owners look at your scoring sheet and notes to see if there is a match. If so, you are contacted via e-mail.

Look up 3topia on Facebook, like their page and keep your eyes peeled for the next Speed Dating event.

As for whether or not I get a call back, well, that’s the part of the research that goes into the vault.

Along the Dirt Road Update I would like to update you on the film Along the Dirt Road which will be filmed in the SWLA region and is an adaptation of Terry A. O’Neal’s novel Sweet Lavender. Open auditions were held during the first week of January in Lake Charles and Lafayette. The panel included author, poet, screenwriter and producer Terry A. O’Neal, Along the Dirt Road lead actor Camryn Levert, director and filmmaker Shelly “THE ARTIST” Hollis and producer Michael O’Neal. We interviewed some area residents who auditioned, and all of them said they felt comfortable during the audition.

We look forward to the next phase of the film process and will continue to keep you updated. For more information, visit www.alongthedirtroadfilm.com I would like to take a moment and thank Phil and Lauren de Albuquerque once again for allowing me to contribute to The Jambalaya News. I truly love the Lake Area community and my love continues to grow for Southwest Louisiana. I would like to invite you all to Luna Live on January 29 at 6:30 p.m.. for the launch of Bray J, the name I go by on my online show “LA On Air with Bray J,” featuring DJ TySki. Happy New Year and let’s continue to support Louisiana wholeheartedly!

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Vol. 5 • No. 21

JANUARY 16, 2014 29

Memoirs of Women There is nothing like reading a memoir — getting inside someone’s life through their own words. Here are two that truly moved me. Both open a window into another culture and are well-written and easy to follow.

Waiting to Be Heard is Amanda Knox’s account of what happened to her when she went to Italy at the age of 20 to study the language. The Seattle native worked three jobs and saved all her money for the trip and living expenses so she could study in a small town in Italy for nine months.

When she arrived in Perugia, a college town about halfway between Florence and Rome, she sublet a room in a rented house with three other young women. One was Meredith Kercher, 21, a fellow student from England. She was friendly, and she and Amanda got along well, having much in common.

Then Amanda met a nice, gentle Italian guy named Raffaele Sollecito. She only knew him for one week before Meredith was found murdered.

During the investigation 30 JANUARY 16, 2014

into the murder, Amanda, who is not stupid, did some really stupid things. The police targeted her as a suspect because she didn’t react to Meredith’s death with tears, as the others did, but rather with shocked silence. One of the police officers asked her, “Do you just not care that someone murdered your friend?”

She was so naive with the police that once she started talking, she wouldn’t shut up: “I was sure you had to prove your innocence by talking. If you didn’t, it must mean you were hiding something.” She tried to be as cooperative as possible. “I would have said that my innocence was so obvious no one could possibly miss it.”

Then, of course, there was the language barrier; she wasn’t aware that some American expressions had different meaning to Italians: “By that time, my Italian was fine for exchanging pleasantries over a cup of tea. But in no credible way was it strong enough, after only six weeks in Italy, for me to be defending myself against accusations of murder.”

“I didn’t -- or couldn’t -- grasp how much trouble I was in,” she writes. The police “decided almost immediately that Raffaele and I were guilty and then made the clues fit their theory.” Amanda and Raffaele have always insisted that they are innocent.

Even after she was arrested and strip-searched -- “clawing through my hair to get to my scalp and inspecting the bottoms of my feet” -- she still didn’t understand that she was the No. 1 murder suspect. She thought the police were somehow protecting her, because that’s what they had led her to believe.

Then there’s the press. Private details from her journals were made public, and “Things that never happened were reported as fact.”

The cogs of the Italian court system grind very slowly. She spent two years in prison before the end of her trial, which resulted in a guilty verdict and a sentence of 26 years for both

Raffaele and Amanda. Then they spent another two years in prison waiting for their appeal, which they won.

Full disclosure: I followed this story in the news very closely, and I never thought she was guilty. The story created by the Italian police just sounded ludicrous to me.

Whether you believe her story or not, her book will make you glad you’re in America.

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban was written by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb. Malala is my new hero.

Young Malala grew up in Pakistan and loved going to school. But when the Taliban took control, they stopped allowing girls to be educated.

Some of the girls continued to attend school in secret, and Vol. 5 • No. 21

Malala and her father spoke openly about the need for girls to have an education.

One day in October 2012, when she was 15, a terrorist stopped the school van and demanded to know which girl was Malala, then fired three shots, wounding her and two other girls. She was shot in the head, but survived.

Writing from the new home she and her family share in England, Malala tells the reader about her family, her village, and her values (“I just want every girl to go to school.”). She describes some of the elements of her culture: “In our society, marriages are usually arranged by families.”

Girls are “expected to cook and serve our brothers and fathers.”

She also gives a rather complete history of Pakistan that includes the move toward fundamentalism and away from women’s rights. The Taliban launched an organized cam-

Vol. 5 • No. 21

paign with its own website and pirate FM station from which they brainwashed the population. Many of her descriptions of the fundamentalists sound like religious fundamentalists in America: they “preached that the earthquake was a warning from God. If we did not mend our ways ... more severe punishment would come.”

The historic and political accounts are understandable and the writing is often lyrical: “Since the time of the Taliban our school has had no sign and the ornamented brass door in a white wall across from the woodcutter’s yard gives no hint of what lies beyond. For us girls, that doorway was like a magical entrance to our own special world.”

Now, she has become the international spokesperson for the education of women. She is the youngest person ever nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The book is filled with quotable phrases: “There are two powers in the world; one is the sword and the other is the pen.

There is a third power stronger than both, that of women.”

I have to say, she is an inspiration. You should hear her speak. You should read her book.

Copyright © 2014 Mary Louise Ruehr.

JANUARY 16, 2014 31

Thursday, Jan. 16 Rox @ Mikko Live “Block Party” w/ Cajun, Zydeco Swamp Pop, R&B, & Country 7 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Corey Ledet 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles “Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St., Lake Charles DJ JOSE MATA 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Friday, Jan. 17 Street Side Jazz Band 7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill 719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles Charles Mann 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake BB and Company 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive Vinton

32 JANUARY 16, 2014

Brian Moore 9 p.m. @ Cigar Club 1700 E. Prien Lake Rd. Suite 5, Lake Charles Dirty Word @ Mikko Live 9 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Watchers 10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St., Lake Charles DJ JOSE MATA 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Saturday, Jan. 18 Ty Phillips and Southwind 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake BB and Company 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton Boomerang 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles Dirty Word @ Mikko Live 9 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Boomerang 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive Vinton

“Saturday Night Party Time” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar 12 - 2 a.m.

5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Mike Dillon Band 10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St., Lake Charles

DJ JOSE MATA 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Sunday, Jan. 19 Street Side Jazz Band 11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill 719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Tuesday, Jan. 21 Karaoke w/ DJ David Verrett 8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Wednesday, Jan. 22 Karaoke 2014 @ Mikko Live 8 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder “City Heat” every Wednesday 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove Ladies’ Night 5 p.m - Midnight Free drinks for ladies only! @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake “Comedy Night” 10-12 Comedians Josh Hessier, Leo Morgan, & Nick Cronan 8:30 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles William Christian 8 p.m. @ Cigar Club 1700 E. Prien Lake Rd. Suite 5, Lake Charles

Thursday, Jan. 23 Bernie Alan @ Mikko Live “Block Party” w/ Cajun, Zydeco Swamp Pop, R&B, & Country 7 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Vol. 5 • No. 21

Ganey Arsement 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles “Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St., Lake Charles DJ Crush 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Friday, Jan. 24 Street Side Jazz Band 7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill 719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles Brad Brinkley and Comfort Zone 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles Richard LeBouef & Two-Step 9 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Nanoviser 10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St., Lake Charles DJ Crush 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles “Back to School Glow-Out” 10 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club 5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Saturday, Jan. 25 Pookie Marceaux Band 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Kevin Naquin & Ossum Playboys 9 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Sunday, Jan. 26

RKW Show Live 9 p.m. @ Cigar Club 1700 E. Prien Lake Rd. Suite 5, Lake Charles

Tuesday, Jan. 28

Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles “Saturday Night Party Time” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar 12 - 2 a.m.

5329 Common St., Lake Charles The New Form w/ Bryce Cormier plus Rootbeer & Mermantau!

10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St., Lake Charles DJ Crush 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band 11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill 719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Karaoke w/ DJ David Verrett 8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Wednesday, Jan. 29 Karaoke 2014 @ Mikko Live 8 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder City Heat every Wednesday 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove Ladies’ Night 5 p.m. - Midnight Free drinks for ladies only! @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake “Comedy Night” 10-12 Comedians Josh Hessier, Leo Morgan, & Nick Cronan 8:30 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles

JANUARY 16, 2014 33

Thursday, Jan. 30 Joe Harmon & the Harmonics 7 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Herbi Stutes and the Grand Shin 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave, Westlake

Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St., Lake Charles “Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St. Lake Charles

DJ CaGe 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Area Code 9 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr. Kinder

Friday, Jan. 31

Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St. Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band 7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill 719 Ryan Street Lake Charles Joe Harmon and the Harmonicas 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave. Westlake LA Express 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive Vinton

34 JANUARY 16, 2014

The Scorceses 10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St. Lake Charles DJ CaGe 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles

Vol. 5 • No. 21

THE LAKE CHARLES SYMPHONY

PLAYS BINGO Beethoven, Buffet, and Bubbly The Lake Charles Symphony announces its second annual Champagne Bingo Fundraiser at the Lake Charles Country Club, Sat., Feb. 8 from 11 a.m.

– 2 p.m. (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) Guests will be invited to enjoy a glass of champagne punch or sparkling beverage as they listen to the sounds of the Symphony’s string trio, composed of Heather Ritchie, violin; Sheri Greening, cello; and Jay Ecker, bass. A lunch of finger sandwiches, seafood and chicken crepes, and mini quiches will be followed by an assortment of petit fours.

Then, grab your bingo cards and get ready for fun, as Joey Frazier takes over to call the games. Exciting prizes donated by local businesses will go to the winners of eight bingo games. Between the games,

Vol. 5 • No. 21

door prizes will be given out to many lucky guests. Individual tickets are $50; half tables of four may be reserved for $200; and a full table of eight may be reserved for $400. Reserve tickets by calling the symphony office at 433-1611 or by going to www.lcsymphony. com. Proceeds are used for the symphony’s educational and outreach programs.

JANUARY 16, 2014 35

GREAT RUSSIAN NUTCRACKER BALLET RETURNS

Ryan Cating and Rachel Sinclair

Carol Martin and Sara Dennison

Morgan Miller with Ava and Briana Staggs

The Moscow Ballet returned to Lake Charles with the Great Russian Nutcracker right after Christmas, and what a gift it was for Lake Charles! Performing before a large crowd in the Lake Charles Rosa Hart Theatre were 60 local dance students selected by Moscow’s Audition Director Ekaterina Uksusnikova through auditions at the Sarah Quinn Jones School of Ballet.

It was a beautiful performance with magnificent stage settings. Bravo!

Mia and Jenny Wilks

Amy Joy Jimney, Alison Cox, Anias Jimney and Amanda Cox

JAZZ IN THE ARTS CONCERT It was an afternoon of jazz at the Ben Mount Auditorium at Central School as Carl Richards and Jarius Daigle, along with vocalist Lindsey Papion and the Jazz in the Arts Rhythm Section took to the stage with a stimulating, crowd-pleasing performance. The silent auction benefitted the Central School Scholarship Fund.

Take a bow, you were fantastic!

Chester Daigle, II and Stephen Maybank

Myrna Freeman and Nancy Lawrence 36 JANUARY 16, 2014

Stacy and Tony Guillory

Bernett Walker and Santana Parrish

Elizabeth Medwick, Grace Smitherman, and Sarah Medwick Vol. 5 • No. 21

JEN KOBER HOMEGROWN COMEDY Jen Kober was back for the holidays with a bang!

Performing at Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill, she packed the house and had the crowd rolling with laughter. Her fresh stand-up comedy never fails to entertain. Cheers, Jen and thanks for a hilarious night!

Angela Stutes and Terra Gauthreaux

Cynthia Henton and Kayla Ball

Karen and Kayla Hooper, Carrie Rodriguez and Melissa Hooper

Meghan Burgin and Amber Corliss

Sylvia Gary, Autumn Darbonne and Rebecca Grice

HOLIDAY PLAY AT THE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM During holiday break time, the Children’s Museum of Lake Charles was filled with kids enjoying the spirit of Christmas! With three stories of exhibits, kids explored the Louisiana Wetlands, shopped at Sonny’s Market, got friendly with Maya, Lola and Iggy at the Nature Center, and made snowflakes! Always a fun place to visit!

Caelen, Portia and Emma Studebaker

Aurora, Alexander and Alistair Pierrottie Vol. 5 • No. 21

Museum Assistant Director Allyson Montgomery and Jasmine P. Washington

Jack and Lela Duhe

Margaret and Lucy Landry with Debbie Howrey JANUARY 16, 2014 37

By Jackie Bergeron With the Mardi Gras season officially here, my senses are filled with yummy aromas of King Cake, the sounds of Louisiana’s unique music, and the glitter and shine of krewe costumes big and small. And no celebration would be complete without a queen (or seven) to rule them all.

On January 11, I was honored to attend the 32nd Annual Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana Queens Pageant. As I stood in the dressing room inhaling hairspray and watching young ladies of all ages prepare to compete for the coveted title, I realized that these ladies are following a 31-year tradition, and with the crowning of each new queen, history is being made. We see them everywhere on Mardi Gras weekend, smiling and waving while managing to always look beautiful, no matter the weather or event. But, do you know how the pageant began and the major role the queens play once the season comes to an end? My goal is to

38 JANUARY 16, 2014

enlighten our community about the pageant’s dazzling history and the role our Miss Mardi Gras plays throughout the state and abroad.

It all started with the crowning of the first Miss Mardi Gras in 1983, Christine Campbell and the first Junior Miss Mardi Gras, Wendy Derouen, who won her title in 1986. Over the next seven years, as the celebration and pageant gained popularity, four more categories were added. With the turn of the century came even more pageant prestige with the addition of two more added divisions.

From 2007 to 2013, the celebration was reigned over by eight queens between the ages of five to 24 and from all corners of our five parish area. A special few were lucky enough to capture the crown more than once. The ladies who have held the title of Miss Mardi Gras will tell you that the end of their reign is difficult and therefore, they could not wait to be able to compete again.

Maddy Gaspard, 2013 Miss

Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana, decided to compete for the title last year because she “liked the idea of representing an organization that brings families together,” and noted that the organization is very family oriented with the planning of their events. She remembered her crowning moment as being surreal. “I kept thinking ‘Is this really happening?’” she said with a big smile. “I couldn’t believe it!”

She said the one moment from the year that stood out in her mind the most was today. “Walking into the Mardi Gras Museum and looking at all the history, and listening to Charmaine (Anderson, 2013 MS Mardi Gras) talk about her experiences and how much this year meant to her really meant the world to me.”

Gaspard spent her last day with visiting queens from around the state at a queen’s luncheon at Sha Sha’s restaurant and then a trip to the Mardi Gras Museum before returning to the civic center for refreshments and the pageant. With

her reign coming to an end, she left this piece of advice to the 2014 Mardi Gras Queens, “Go to everything! Focus on Mardi Gras and all the events because it goes by so fast. Stop and enjoy the little moments.” Gaspard and her sister queens crowned seven successors throughout the day, concluding with the crowning of the 2014 Miss Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana, Emily Hebert of Iowa. Hebert and her court will reign over the Mardi Gras festivities February 28March 4.

But when the krewes put their floats in storage and ball captains begin preparing themes for the next season, the Mardi Gras queens will begin their journey.

They will travel the state promoting Southwest Louisiana and our carnival traditions while basking in all the wonderful things our state has to offer.

Hebert will attend the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals Annual Convention in February 2015 in Baton Rouge to compete for the Queen of Queens title as well as attend the Mardi Gras Celebration and Ball in Washington DC. But right now, the queens are preparing for the season to come. They will ride in the parades, dance off awardwinning gumbo, delight in fun and games at Children’s Day, and take their grand entrance at the Royal Gala. If you see them at the celebration, ask them for a dance, a bead, a picture and share some King Cake with them. And hopefully, you will learn how special each of these young ladies are and why they were chosen to represent our community and the second largest Mardi Gras celebration in the state. Until then, let’s eat, let’s dance, and let’s pass a good time! It’s Carnival Season!!

Vol. 5 • No. 21

Blizzard Cold Fireplace Frost Hibernate

Hot Chocolate Icicles Mittens Shovel Ski

Skating Rink Sled Snowball Fight Sweaters Winter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players take turns connecting two dots.

When you make a square, put your initials in the box and take another turn. When all dots are connected, the player with the most boxes wins.

Vol. 5 • No. 21

JANUARY 16, 2014 39