Contraband Days Guide

Lagniappe 9.75” w x 14” h 4C FP 4C

April 18, 2013 LAGNIAPPE

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GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION SATURDAY, MAY 4, 10-3PM • MEET & GREET WITH ROLAND MARTIN

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LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE • APRIL 18, 2013 • VOLUME 31 NUMBER 8

36 24 “WE DON’T QUIT” • An inside look at the Open Door Program, a faith-based non-profit organization dedicated to helping incarcerated women make a smooth transition back into society and into a better life.

27 A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO HOPE • Brad Goins explores the St. Nicholas Center, where an comprehensive and unique therapy approach is helping to give autistic children and their families hope.

31 FINANCIAL PLANNING • Planning ahead is the key to avoiding common roadblocks to small business success. Also, creating a positive workplace can boost employee productivity and why paying yourself first boosts your savings.

36 CONTRABAND DAYS • Lagniappe gives you the rundown on all things Contraband, including the musical acts, special events and the full schedule.

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50 AUTOMOTIVE • Today’s vehicles come with high-tech features for greater safety, comfort and entertainment. But there are some drawbacks to all of that high-tech wizardry.

Also: High mileage vehicles, getting a car loan and more.

Lagniappe Magazine Serving SWLA Since 1983 Publishers Bob Hartnett Greg Pavlovich Editor Brad Goins Associate Editor Karla Wall Assistant Laura Landry Layout & Design Mike Manis Advertising Sales Tanya Alsobrook Patty Hebert Chester Rogers Classified Manager Kenny Pierce Distribution Manager Edward Frazer Contributing Writers Jeremy Alford Dr. Dale Archer Duane Bergeron Angie Dilmore Todd Elliott Rocke Fournet Arthur Hebert John Maginnis Nola Mae Ross Rick Sarro Chuck Shepherd Vic Wukovits Office Phone (337) 433-8502 Office Fax (337) 433-8964 Mailing Address PO Box 3292 Lake Charles, LA 70602 Shipping Address 2906 Deaton Street Lake Charles, LA 70601 Editorial e-mail edit@thelanyap.com Advertising e-mail ads@thelanyap.com Classified e-mail class@thelanyap.com Lagniappe Magazine is published the first and third Thursday of each month.

Manuscripts, photographs, comments and queries are invited. Return postage must accompany all materials submitted if return is requested. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Opinions presented by the columnists in this publication do not necessarily express the views ofLagniappe Magazine.

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departments 6 9 10 12 15 16

Up Front Out & About Pierre Sez Weird News Tech Bytes Taking Charge

19 20 21 62 64 65

News Roundup LA Politics File 13 Lake Area People Band Schedule What's Happening

68 69 70 72

Reel Talk Mounted Memories Sarro On Sports Classified

COVER PHOTO OF LAUREN MILLER BY EMILY FUSELIER PHOTOGRAPHY. FASHIONS PROVIDED BY FRANKIE & CO. April 18, 2013

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front Le Fou Cajun musician, singer and songwriter Zachary Richard just performed at the Louisiana Crossroads series in Lake Charles. While I didn’t get to review his new CD Le Fou before the show, I did the next best thing — review it in the very next issue.

For years, Cajun music has been moving in a multi-genre direction. Le Fou is a big step in that evolution. In fact, I’d say this disc sounds as if it’d be more accessible to rock and folk fans than any other multi-genre Cajun release I’ve heard.

vocal delivery. This song has a sound very much like that of traditional French chansons, or of the guitar songs Antonio Banderas plays in Robert Rodriguez movies. This chanson sound dominates Richard’s album, where the melodies are long and slightly intricate, rather than short and simple, like rock music hooks.

Now, a bit more about those blues elements. They’re present right at the beginning of the CD with “Laisse le vent souffler,” a blues rocker with blasts of accordion, hearty rock guitar and a vocal delivery that’s almost wild. You’ll notice distinctive blues riffs right away in “Le Fou” and in “Crevasse Crevasse,” a traditional blues number with a harmonica accompaniment (delivered by Richard).

For those who want something a little livelier, there’s the country rocker “Sweet Sweet” and “Bec de la manche,” a very traditional Cajun barnburner powered by an accordion that drives like an accelerated piston. Roddy Romero is the one giving the accordion the workout on “Bec.” Richard has a talent and gift for melody. Complement that with musicianship that’s very tight, and you have a CD with no flab in it.

An insert includes the lyrics, which are all in French, along with notes on some songs.

To purchase the disc, go to zacharyrichard.com, where you can buy an autographed copy of the record for $20. There are also Richard records going back as far as 1977, as well as copies of his children’s books about a Cajun turtle.

Warren

About half the songs on the record are downtempo. Richard’s first ballad comes early on, with the sad, dirge-like title track. It’s built around long, elaborate fiddle solos and a mandolin backing by Eric Sauviat. Like several cuts on the disc, this one has solid blues licks worked into it. (More on the blues element below.)

A second strong ballad is the impressively soft and delicate “La chanson des migrateurs.” Again there’s a fiddle solo, but this one is drawn out, with a few notes sparsely played. The background is that of acoustic guitar picking done by Richard. (Note that two guitars account for the entire instrumentation for this ethereal song.)

Another noteworthy ballad is “Original ou caribou,” with its especially impassioned

Back in my Illinois days, my best friend was Greg Demirdjian, who hailed from Chicago (or Chi-town, as nobody up there calls it). Greg and I started a cult based on the Idon’t-give-a-damn working style of Tom Brokaw. We created a drink called the Brokaw and went around to local bars teaching bartenders how to make it. (The Brokaw is a Manhattan with a shot of tequila thrown in.)

Greg has just written his first novel, titled Warren. This review is my contribution to the promotion of it. (I asked Greg to name the three biggest influences on his writing. He said, “Goins, Haydn and Brokaw.” That was a lot of help.)

In Warren, the reader learns about the characters almost entirely by means of what they say. Physical descriptions of characters are kept to a minimum.

The book concerns a Chicago crew made up of loafers, slackers, hangers-on and misfits, most of whom met during the war in Grenada. The narrator, Warren, describes himself as “lazy or half-assed” and “moping around life like a broke-ass Charlie Brown.”

Other members of the crew include the cantankerously humorous Breakfast and Ed the Head, who is, somehow, just a head. There are two Ernest Hemingway lookalikes: Bernie and Ernie. Bernie is supposed to maintain Hemingway’s boat Pilar.

Hemingway is one of the big motifs in the book. Both a human character and a talking fish in an aquarium sometimes call the writer “Hemingwhy,” which, in a screwball comedy way, prompts some other character to say, “Hemingway, not Hemingwhy.”

The most interesting character of the bunch is surely the mysterious and sophisticated Lord John Bronson, who runs something called the Hot Farm that rises out of the water in the middle of Lake Michigan. At the Hot Farm, children from the Amazon use magical shrimp to produce high quality food.

As you may be guessing by this point, the story of Warren includes many surreal inci-

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dents that are introduced and described in a perfectly realistic way. (Granted, the protagonist Warren does sometimes express amazement or finds himself rendered speechless by the goings on.) In its free and easy surrealism, the narrative has something in common with the stories of such experimental American writers as Richard Brautigan, such magic realist writers as Garcia Marquez and the tall-tale narratives of everything from Don Quixote to A Confederacy of Dunces.

The language in Warren is direct and easy to read, although never minimalist in the manner of the frequently mentioned Hemingway or of his linguistic heir Brautigan. But the book has some simple sentences that contain outlandish metaphors in the trademark style of Brautigan. For instance, we’re told at one point that “Mr. Breakfast goes into a rope-knot and semi-colon diatribe.”

And when the “Amazon Kids” ingest special turtle eggs, they “get special strength and ‘jungle cartoon’ visions that last about 20 minutes.” In these sentences, the surrealism becomes part of the very language of the book.

Breakfast claims that “Everything Lord John Bronson does makes sense.”

If that’s true, Bronson is in stark contrast to the many counter-intuitive and irrational elements of the story. One thing’s for sure: Bronson’s “Hot Farm” is the most fascinating concept in the book.

As Breakfast describes the operation, Lord Bronson “fills holes and voids with stuff that’s already lying around. He fixes problems with other problems … He finds a void, or in this case, a surplus, and puts a Lord John Bronson tweak on it: micro greens into macro greens, Asian carp into living fertilizer, empty buildings into condos.” And Breakfast tops off that description with another Brautigan-style metaphor: “Great Lakes into great ideas.”

I don’t know whether Lord Bronson’s Hot Farm is supposed to signify or symbolize or mean anything, but it’s certainly a rich metaphysical concept that’s a great pleasure to think about.

Even though Warren’s story is whimsical, there’s plenty of good material about the human condition in it. There are Warren’s revealing descriptions of himself. There’s also an occasion when he notes that the woman who works the register at the Fat Chinese restaurant “looks like she’s having a pretty rough go at life.” And Lord Bronson, who lost his son at a young age, says “it’s a sad world and sometimes you have to keep busy and keep moving to keep from being sad.”

One way to keep from being sad is to read this very funny novel. Warren is a delightful book with plenty of laughs and an enjoyable story that’s unusually absurd and ridiculous — a very satisfying read.

To get your copy, visit Lulu.com and search for Warren by Gregory A. Dimirdjian.

The price is $13.95.

Cloverleaf Barber and Beauty Supply

Serving SWLA Since 1973 Philip and Donna Hale, owners of Cloverleaf Barber and Beauty Supply, have spent 40 years building a reputation and a loyal customer base in the Lake Area. That success and longevity, they say, is the result of careful attention to service, and treating their customers as they themselves would wish to be treated.

Cloverleaf offers a full line of hair and beauty products including shampoos, hair sprays, curling irons, hair dryers, hair colors for men and women, flat irons, clippers and shears, tonics for men, Rolfler products, perms and fanciful rinses.

Cloverleaf also sells and services clippers and sharpens blades and shears. Stop in to see their new line of flat irons and check out their new product lines: Diamond Shine and Kera Pro! Fantastic selection, service and prices ... all with no club to join!

Stop in and let Philip and Donna how you why Cloverleaf’s customers have kept coming back for all these years. Cloverleaf is open Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm.

2705 South Ruth Street • Sulphur • (337) 528-2923

About Town The short horror film East Stackton, which was shot in Southwest Louisiana in 2011, is available for digital download. The film was written by Sean Farina and Lake Charles resident John Veron while the two were living in Los Angeles.

East Stackton can be purchased at www.eaststackton.com/buy for $4.95. That price includes a short on locations that explains why the film was shot in Southwest Louisiana.

“Before making this movie, I’d never been to film school or even worked on a movie,” says Veron. “My director had been a production assistant on some small productions in New Orleans, but that’s it. We were both complete greenhorns, learning as we went. continued

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UP FRONT continued “If we can do it, so can other people.

With all the people from California coming to Louisiana to make films, the time is ripe for some homegrown cinema of our own.

The process of making the movie was long; [it was] two years from shooting our first scene to being 100 percent done, but we got it done.”

East Stackton tells the story of Carroll Whitfield, who’s played by Lake Area native Jared Bankens. Whitfield travels to East Stackton to check out the business at a branch of the House and Home hardware store chain. In fine horror film form, he suspects the townspeople are hiding something from him and determines to get to the bottom of the town’s secret — without arousing the suspicions of the town’s mayor, played by local actor Gary Shannon, or sheriff, played by local actor Mike Mayo.

(Shannon was the star of the excellent feature-length horror movie Mercy, which was filmed in Lake Charles several years ago.)

For more information about East Stackton, contact Veron at 323-543-5374 or john.sternmac@gmail.com.

RIP Jess Franco I learned from one of my tumblr buddies that Spanish director Jess Franco died April 2. This is a monumental loss for horror movie fans, and especially for lovers of what’s called Eurohorror or Eurosleaze.

Franco’s movies were a unique mix of low-budget horror, surrealism and personal tales of alienation and anguish. This was especially the case in his masterpiece

Female Vampire, in which almost every character expresses a sense of feeling lost or left out of things and of not fitting into the world as it is.

Franco plays a philosophizing forensics expert in Female Vampire. Franco appeared in most of his films, often as someone who’s mute. There’s a mute character in many Franco films. (The vampire in Female Vampire is mute, but we hear her thoughts in a voiceover. Franco’s wife Lina Romay played the unusually amorous — and deadly — vampire.)

Franco was born Jesus Franco in Madrid, Spain, in 1930. He began making movies in Paris at the beginning of the 1970s when France dramatically relaxed its laws about nudity in film.

Some considered Franco the sleaziest of all the well-known European horror film directors. But his scripts were consistently intelligent. For a time, his movies were on the Catholic do-not-watch list (as were the works of fellow surrealist director and Spaniard Luis Bunuel).

Franco helped himself get a reputation by bringing in movies on time and underbudget. He was to directing what John Carradine was to acting; Franco directed more than 180 films. His Barbed Wire Dolls and Devil Hunter were popular at grindhouses in the U.S. (The latter was one of three Franco movies banned in England.)

Franco was 83 when he died. He made his last three films at the age of 75.

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OUT & ABOUT arthur hebert

Mr. Bill's 397 520 Highway 397, Lake Charles, 337-721-7010 • Open TuesdaySaturday, 10 am-9 pm Price range: $2 to $22 This is the third incarnation of the original Mr. Bill’s. Previous ones were in Moss Bluff and Sulphur. This one seems to have taken. It’s situated in the same building as a truck stop casino, like the Harry’s on Hwy. 171. If you don’t mind mirrors, this can be a decent place to eat with friendly service.

On my first visit, I went for the oyster poboy with onion rings. The oysters were huge — the size of hardballs, and fried to perfection. Put on toasted bread with the fixings it was delectable. The onion rings were of a medium cut and also well fried.

This made for a good combination. The oysters were just warm in the middle, and I loved the crispy/creamy texture with the oyster flavor. I do love oysters, and these were great.

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The oysters were just warm in the middle, and I loved the crispy/creamy texture with the oyster flavor. I do love oysters, and these were great.

On my next visit, I had a plate lunch.

That day the cooks were preparing meatballs and gravy, along with another choice.

It was a no-brainer for me. I can tell a lot about a venue from the way they fix meatballs or meatloaf. The meatballs, too, turned out to be hardball-sized. They were almost all meat, with some vegetable seasonings. They were tender, with good flavor. This shows that the cooks know not to work the meat too much, as it would come out dense and inedible if they did. The brown gravy and rice were delicious, and the greens added a vinegary/bitter note that complemented the meal.

The last time I went in, I had a hamburger with cheese, bacon and sautéed onions with sweet potato fries. The fries were the size of normal French fries, and they were good. I prefer them over regular fries. The hamburger patty was placed on a standard toasted bun and piled up with sautéed onions, cheese and some excellent bacon. I could tell it was a hand-formed patty, and it was cooked just right. I love a good burger, and this is one of the best.

While the menu is not very extensive, it covers all the bases, and it provides great flavor. This is a handy stop if you’re in the area and are hungry for comfort food.

Arthur Hebert’s food and restaurant blog is www.swlaeats.blogspot.com April 18, 2013

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Some Real Shockers In Recent Election De recent elections for Lake Charles City Council and udder offices caused me to lose a few bucks to my stockbroker friend Max. One uf de biggest shockers wuz City Council member Marshall Simien from District A bein’ trown into a runoff. Simien figgered to go back in without much problem. In fact, he haz been mentioned to take de place uf state Rep. A.B. Franklin when Franklin term limitz out.

Franklin likewise wuz a city councilmen who moved up to state Representative when Wilfred Carter termed out and den ran for District Judge. But Simien haz a way to go befo tinkin’ about bein’ a legislator. Folks tell me he has a hard race on his hand in de runoff wit’ Mary Morris.

In de firs’ go round, Simien led wit’ 38.5 percent uf de vote an’ Morris wuz right behind him wit’ 36 percent; Kecee Lewis had 26 percent. De runoff iz set for May 4. An’ we should point out dat dar ain’t gonna be nuttin’ else on de ballot. Talk about a low turnout.

Anudder Shocker City administrators had been pretty confident goin’ into de election on April 6 about a proposal dat would have made it possible for de city to dedicate part uf a motel tax to buildin’ a hotel next to de Civic Center. De tax mechanism iz known az a TIF. But folks wuzn’t in any kinda mood for anyting wit de word “tax” in it an’ voted it down by 200 votes.

Mayor Roach sed on KPLC afta de vote day probably hadn’t worked as day should have for de passage an’ sed one uf de good tings about Lake Charles iz dat leaders could sit down an’ work out alternative plans to make tings happen.

When you look at all de good Mayor Randy haz done to improve downtown since he haz been mayor, you know he haz plans for sometin’ else to make dis convention hotel work. It should be noted dat dar wuz some pretty strong oppozition to de measure. But we haven’t heard de last uf dis yet. Like Jim Serra sed in one uf dem A Better SWLA editorials, we are encouraged that de city an’ de developers have listened an’ are already workin’ on plan B.

Sulphur Stadium Shot Down

By Two Votes Anudder real shocker wuz de folks uf Sulphur votin’ down a millage for a new football stadium to replace Matt Walker stadium. Sulphur … dat’s right … de former high school football powerhouse … dar folks sed NO. Now my fran Lelan sez dis would have never happened durin’ de days when Shannon Suarez wuz coach. An’ we agree.

Now de turnout for dat vote wuz small, wit’ only 1,200 uf 21,000 turnin’ out. De result wuz close: 612 no and 610 yes.

Now dars lots uf finger pointin’ az to why folks voted it down. An’ I would venture to say we will see dis proposal come before de voters again. Dars no question dat a new stadium is needed. But will Sulphur voters have a different tune next time?

Championships Comin’ To Area Again dis year, Sulphur will host de Louisiana High School Athletic Assoc. softball and baseball championship games. De girls’ softball, known as Fastpitch 56, will feature de top teams in all classes, wit’ several area teams havin’ a good chance uf winnin’.

Dis is de 13th year Sulphur haz hosted de event, an’ crowds continue to grow every year. De Convention & Visitors Bureau sez dis haz a huge economic impact on our area, wit’ 21,000 folks attendin’. Mamas and pappas and relatives from all over de state come to see de girls play.

Den de follerin’ week, Sulphur will again host de baseball championships for de boys in class 4A, 3A, B and C. Again, some local schools have a real good chance uf bein’ champions. Sulphur haz dat deal for two mo years, an’ hopes to get de res’ uf de classifications in future years.

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Again, we say lots uf good, but lots uf work for dis kind uf stuff to happen an’ to be a success. When you see a CVB member or someone from de Sulphur Parks and Recreation, take a minute to thank dem for all dat day do to bring events like dis to our area.

Let’s Get Movin’ On Cove Lane Agreements have been reached wit’ a buncha different bodies to get de money to build a Cove Lane exchange dat would help ease some uf de traffic on Nelson Road.

How dis will affect 210 traffic comin’ from de east iz still a mystery to me, but nonetheless, de exchange will be built.

De port, de city, CVB an’ udders have given dar okay to make dis happen. DOTD needs to get on de stick on dis one to have it ready for when Ameristar opens or you gonna see a logjam like you ain’t never seen before.

It was a good job by Mayor Randy an’ Parish Administrator Bryan Beam to make dis happen.

It’s Like De WWF If you watch pro rasslin’ on TV, you see dem rasslers look like day wanna kill each udder, an’ den day all buddies afta (off camera uf course). We see de same ting happenin’ wit’ Jindal an’ hiz sales tax increase plan.

Jindal wuz paradin’ trewout de state sayin’ how dis would be good for us. An’ when he saw he didn’t have de votes, he crawfished out uf it an’ trew it on de legislators — jus’ like he did hiz education “improvement” plan. Afta he railroaded what he could through, he threw up hiz hands and gave it to de legislators to fight over.

Me, I tink dat wuz hiz plan all de way wit’ both de education brew ha ha an’ dis sales tax ting. In udder words, trow up a trial balloon an’ see what happens. If it works, it wuz hiz idea an’ it wuz great. If it doesn’t, just blame de Legislature.

We wuz talkin’ at de Ceegar Club de udder day about how lame duck governors an’ presidents usually don’t do very much in dar second term. Jindal can’t be accused uf dat.

He’s still movin’ at a record pace. Jus’ folks are now wise to hiz moves an’ his ratin’ wit’ de public iz startin’ to show it. Saw a report recently dat showed hiz favorable ratin’ down to 35 percent from a high uf 58 a few years ago.

Who Iz Special Interest???

Whenever politicians use de words “special interest,” we should be wise to step back an’ ax what are de politicians’ special interests an’ who iz chunkin’ in de money? Take for example de “Believe in Louisiana” group dat iz payin’ for de advertisin’ tellin’ you to get on your legislators to kill de income tax an’ increase de sales tax.

When you look at de folks dat have put up de millions uf dollars for dem TV spots, you gotta wonder what iz dar special interest. ATT, Bollinger Shipyard an’ a whole buncha udders have given money for dis advertisin’ campaign. You can see de complete list at campaignmoney.com.

One dat caught my eye wuz Advocates for School Choice out uf Washington, D.C., which is kicking $225,000 into the kitty. Do you smell somethin’ here?

Awwww, Come On Mary Earlier dis month, de U.S. Senate barely passed a bill dat would stop de United States from enterin’ into de United Nations Arms Trade Treaty. Among some uf de provisions of dis bill would be an international registry uf all guns and ammo. Allowin’ de United Nations to control shippin’ uf small firearms would have meant adios to a whole bunch uf well known brands, like Beretta. De bill to keep dis from happenin’ passed 5346.

Votin’ against de bill wit’ all de bleedin’ heart anti-gun liberals wuz our own Mary Landrieu. Tink her opponents ain’t gonna remember dis when she runs for reelection to de Senate in 2014?

It’s Catchin’ On Me an’ Sedonia went to Casa on Friday at noon, az we’ve been doin’ for many years, dis passed week. An’ we uf course both had on our blue and gold as did a lot uf udder customers at de restaurant. De Blue and Gold Friday ting appears to be catchin’ on.

Show your support folks; wear blue and gold on Fridays.

Deep Taughts While Watchin’ Baseball At Alvin Dark Field 10) How come de scoreboard don’t work?

9) Why iz USA Today pickin’ on de Honey Badger?

8) How high iz my light bill gonna be dis summer?

7) What kinda bacon will our legislators bring home dis session?

6) Will de Tigers baseball team lose anudder game dis year?

5) Easter iz gone and we got warm weather. Why are crawfish prices still so high?

4) Why do all dem grocery store chains have de same ting on sale at de same time?

3) Astros winning on de road. Can Major League Baseball change dar schedule to all road games?

2) Why does pro basketball playoffs have to last until July?

1) Can de Swashbucklers make it trew de season?

Final Shot I axed my fran Lefty if he watched de Masters Golf Tournament on TV. He sed he tried, but golf tournaments an’ fishin’ shows are better dan Ambien for puttin’ him to sleep. Dat Lefty, he should open one uf dem sleep clinics.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.

April 18, 2013

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WEIRD NEWS

chuck shepherd • illustrations by felix falgoust

Oops!

College basketball player Shanteona Keys has made free throws at a 78 percent rate for her career. But on Feb. 16, one of her free throws fell eight feet short of the rim. It was called the worst collegiate freethrow attempt of all time by sports commentators who viewed the video of the shot.

Keys explained to Deadspin.com that she always

brings the ball close to her face when she shoots. “My fingernail got caught on my nose, so I couldn’t follow

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April 18, 2013

through correctly.” Her Georgia College (Milledgeville, Ga.) team lost to rival Columbus State, 70-60.

Snail Mail: There’s An App For That A start-up company in Austin, Texas, promises to take its customers’ incoming U.S. mail three times a week, photograph it and deliver it back to the customers via mobile phone app, for $4.99 a month. The company, Outbox, provides some valueadded services, such as removing the customer from junk-mail lists and paying bills.

Outbox’s unorthodox business model assumes that a growing number of people absolutely hate opening, filing or discarding pieces of paper. Co-founder Will Davis told CNN in February that at least he doesn’t fear competition: “No one is crazy enough to do what we’re doing.”

The Continuing Crisis — Professor Peter Froehlich, who teaches computer science classes at the highly competitive Johns Hopkins

University grades on the curve. One clever student tried to persuade the entire class to persuade everyone to do no work at all on the final grade. Thus the highest grade would be a zero, and, it was thought, everyone would get an A. Of course, if a single student broke ranks, everyone except that student would receive an absolute zero. Fortunately for the students, the class held together, and a shocked professor Froehlich gave everyone an A. — Thieves broke into the home of Earlie Johnson in Muskegon, Mich., and made off with several flat-screen TVs. What really irked Johnson was that they also stole his entire collection of DVDs of the films of every African-American porn star since the 1970s. “I’m not no scum bag guy, pervert, or nothing like that,” he told WZZM-TV. “I just thought it was cool to own my own porn collection. It keeps my relationship fresh and tight.” As news of Johnson’s misfortune spread, several adult video

companies donated DVDs to help restore the collection.

Ouches Between 2002 and 2010, a total of 17,600 patients came to U.S. hospital emergency rooms reporting injuries from trouser zippers. Seven authors took credit for the report, which was funded by a National Institutes of Health grant.

They found that zipper wounds account for onefifth of emergency penile injuries.

Fine Points Of The Law Even though the British government refused to grant trademark protection to the Italian maker of “Jesus Jeans” because it would be “morally offensive to the public,” the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had no such qualms and approved the application in 2007. Since then, according to a February Wall Street Journal story, the company has prevented a dozen other companies from using such clothing names as Jesus First, Sweet Jesus, Jesus Couture and, most recently, Jesus Surfed.

Family Values — Robert Burton, 34, got a 15-year prison sentence for forcing women into prostitution. Evidence included a police report quoting Burton’s 7-year-old son, who was in the car with Burton and two women when Miami police stopped them.

The kid identified the women for police by saying, “Those are my daddy’s hoes.”

week, England’s Mid Devon District Council decreed in March that no street name could contain an apostrophe. That meant, for example, that St. George’s would be have to become St. Georges.

Outraged grammarians swung into action, and the council quickly reversed itself.

Least Competent Criminals Jarad Carr, 37, was arrested in Chippewa County, Wis., in March after he persisted in demanding a refund for the computer printer he said he had bought at a Wal-Mart. An employee who examined the printer noticed a sheet of paper was still inside. On it were two counterfeit $100 bills. The employee called police, who arrived while Carr was still haggling for a refund.

Not The Sharpest Knife In The Dishwasher Paul Masters, 47, was charged with the burglary of a Roses department store in Lexington, Ky., in March. He entered through the roof. Such burglaries are common, but almost always nighttime jobs. Masters, though, dropped in just after lunchtime. After police swarmed the store, he fell through a drop ceiling and was arrested.

— Rachel Hope and Parker Williams decided to have a child together even though neither one has romantic feelings toward the other. They say their relationship is like a business relationship. They do their respective biological duties separately and each does half the child-rearing.

Said another parent in a similar relationship: “When you think about the concept of the village, and how the village was part of child-rearing for so many cultures ... it makes total sense.”

People Different From Us A Brooklyn, N.Y., high school teacher, Ronald Grassel, finally relented and submitted himself to a psychiatric evaluation that had been ordered in 1997 after he angrily dumped teachers’ union literature in his principal’s office. Grassel had refused the exam and been benched.

For 14 years he was neither fired nor paid while he filed a series of unsuccessful legal actions to overturn the decision.

According to a March New York Post report, when he finally submitted to an exam in 2011, he was declared fit, and in September 2012 was back on the job.

Perspective Dutch-based artists Lernert Engelberts and Sander Plug told The New York Times that they recently created a concoction to call attention to our desire for artificial scent. Noting the deluge of new industry creations in 2012, Engelberts explained, “Our point is, why do you need nearly 1,400 new scents in one year?” The pair created Everything, which they claim contains a bit of every one of the year’s fragrances they were able to obtain (including Fame by Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend). They dumped the fragrance into one bottle and left it to marinate. Then they offered it for sale for $39,000.

Readers Choice — A judge in Racine, Wis., granted bail for Tyree Carter, 20, for his March arrest for lewd and lascivious conduct in the Racine Public Library. Among the conditions of Carter’s release was that he “stay out of all the libraries on the face of the Earth.”

— In a ruling that lasted less than a April 18, 2013

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The Fiscal Hawks Are The Most Organized Opposition The Jindal Administration Has Ever Encountered, At Least Inside The Rails

A HANDFUL OF PESKY Republicans, a few years ago, gave way over time to a larger flock of angry birds that eventually became known as “the fiscal hawks.” There is a Crowe in the Senate and a Dove in the House, but neither flies with the hawks, who built nests in the Capitol last year in hopes of returning to roost there permanently.

Some of the eggs they laid have already hatched to reveal the Budget Reform Coalition (the new, official name of the hawks).

The nonprofit’s ranks are taking flight this year in search of tighter fiscal management, or at least better fiscal management than what the Legislature has exercised recently. The group has also become more aggressive at questioning the budget priorities of Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The coalition gets the opportunity to prove itself this year. Its multi-part legislative package is co-authored by 34 representatives, roughly half the number of Republicans in the lower chamber and about a third of the House’s total membership.

While the coalition needs more votes than that to succeed, it is easily the most organized opposition the Jindal administration has ever encountered among lawmakers.

The hawks are showing some political flare, having recruited three Democrats to join their ranks — Reps. Jeff Arnold of New Orleans, Mike Danahay of Sulphur and Gene Reynolds of Minden.

Somewhat out of place on the hawks’ co-author list, however, is Ways and Means Chairman Joel Robideaux, R-Lafayette, a reliable Jindal ally and author of the governor’s controversial (and wildly unpopular) tax-swap plan. Also on the co-author list is GOP Caucus chairman Lance Harris, RAlexandria, who has shown an independent streak since he arrived at the Capitol a year ago.

Harris has grown increasingly critical of the governor, most recently for trying to can the higher education commissioner through back channels.

Robideaux, meanwhile, may be trying to show some independence. He recently told the Baton Rouge Press Club that he would, as chairman, advance Jindal’s taxswap plan when his committee is ready, not in the two-week timeframe proffered by House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, Jindal’s top legislative ally.

Elected in 2004 as the rare independent, Robideaux parlayed an unsuccessful run for speaker, and a party switch to 14

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April 18, 2013

Republican, into his Ways and Means gavel last year. A lone wolf for most of his political career, Robideaux could still break either way now: becoming a company man for Jindal for the next few years or reclaiming his independence.

Other forces are at work in the House.

With 24 of the House’s 105 votes, the Black Caucus also needs allies to create huge policy shifts, just as the budget coalition does. Rep. Katrina Jackson, DMonroe, who chairs the Black Caucus, is co-sponsoring a set of the budget coalition’s bills. Those bills, which would increase transparency and prioritize spending, suggest that fighting Jindal’s budget policies has crossover appeal.

Don’t be fooled. The coalition’s stance against using one-time monies for recurring expenses is unlikely to receive much support from the Black Caucus. Many of its members favor using nonrecurring cash to keep critical services afloat, although the New Orleans contingency may side with the coalition on this issue, because some of that one-time money ($100 million) the governor is trying to “sweep” comes from the Morial Convention Center.

The budget coalition has secured partnerships with five other Democrats, in addition to Jackson, to co-author specific bills from its package. But only 34 representatives, mostly Republicans, have offered blanket support.

It will be interesting to watch any power struggle in the coalition. Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, is officially the coalition’s chairman. But press releases rarely go out without a secondary quotation from another member. And some members claim ownership of certain issues.

For example, Reps. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, are heading up a lawsuit seeking an injunction against Jindal’s budget for the use of one-time money and contingencies.

Henry and Rep. Joe Harrison, RNapoleonville, have also struck out against the governor for his proposed transfer of $20.6 million from an artificial reef fund.

For now, it appears the hawks know how to organize themselves and share the spotlight. They know how to form allegiances and identify crossover issues.

Depending on the success of their outreach campaign in the coming weeks, we’ll know if they’re also able to raise money.

But to truly succeed, the budget coalition will need to figure out one more thing: the Louisiana Senate, which, for now, appears to be a hawk-free zone.

TECH BYTES

vic wukovits

Achieve Inbox Zero With Mailbox What is inbox zero? For those of us who live and die by the digital word, it’s a state of pristine bliss, where not a single email remains in your inbox. To achieve such a state of being takes serious dedication, effort and persistence. A single sick day can set you back significantly. And a vacation? Well, that’s practically disastrous.

Certain email clients make the path to inbox zero much easier than others. On the iPhone, there hasn’t been much progress with the default Mail app.

Organizing emails with it can be quite cumbersome.

Now there’s an alternative that really makes easy pickings of your email in your quest for inbox zero.

Mailbox (www.mailboxapp.com/) is now available for the iPhone … sort of.

It’s the first app you can download that has a waiting list.

After the initial release in February, the app started putting users who downloaded it in a queue. The company that created Mailbox, Orchestra, says the waiting list allowed for the server load to stay manageable given the special nature of the way in which the app helps users reach inbox zero.

Evidently their idea seemed pretty strong, as Mailbox was acquired by cloud storage giant Dropbox by March.

defer it, drop it” to help people maintain empty inboxes. With swipe gestures, your finger puts the message in the trash, archives it, defers it, or puts it in customizable to-do lists. With these four simple choices, you can quickly push through the throngs of emails that arrive constantly, clogging your inbox.

Back to the waiting list thing — when I downloaded the app, I had 400,000 people in front of me, which seems like quite a number. That said, it

took about a week and a half before I was able to get started.

I experimented with one of my personal accounts that had 7,000 emails I needed to sort through. I was able to achieve inbox zero in about 3 days — not that I spent all my waking hours doing it.

Granted, most of my emails had been read and dealt with, so I didn’t need to peruse each and every one. But I considered the whole process pretty painless.

Another caveat about Mailbox is that

it only works for Gmail accounts currently. But as a heavy Gmail and Google Apps user, this worked perfectly for me.

Mailbox plans on integrating other email platforms in the future, and if the popularity of this app is any indication, they will go far.

Mailbox is a great app: it is free and easy to use and it will change the way you use email on your phone. Once you hit that inbox zero, you won’t look at email the same ever again.

The big feature that Mailbox brings to email management is the ability to hit the “snooze button.” When you “snooze” an email, you are given the choice of when to be reminded so that you can easily group your emails into pockets of productivity. This method of deferring emails works great for me; I typically address my email tasks first thing in the morning over coffee, yet I get emails all day long. While some necessitate a timely response, a large percentage can be postponed until I can deal with them in bulk.

The CEO of the company, Gentry Underwood, states “We want to decide ‘Do I need to reply now?’ ‘Can I deal with this later?’ or ‘Should I get it out of the way and never deal with it again?’”

The system Mailbox employs makes it easy to do exactly these things.

Mailbox uses gesture-based controls to organize the emails you receive, implementing a system of “do it, delegate it, April 18, 2013

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TAKING CHARGE

dale archer, MD

Throw A Party: She’s Gone Dear Dr. Archer, I’ve been with a woman for eight years. We’ve been on and off. She’s broken up with me several times to date other men, and I’ve caught her several times lying to me, saying she wasn’t going somewhere. Then I’d see her there.

We’ve both called each other names we’ve regretted. I gave her an engagement ring and asked her to marry me, to which she said yes, with the understanding we would go to counseling. I started going to church with her.

We’ve always had problems when alcohol was involved, so I stopped drinking liquor and started drinking wine. However, every time she drinks, it’s a problem. She always criticizes me, saying I’m angry and jealous. I tell her I’m not.

She says everything is my fault, and I apologize for things even when I’m right just because I love her.

Recently, she decided she didn’t want to be engaged. Then she said she was dissatisfied with the ring I gave her and didn’t want to wear it. Not only did she not want to wear it, but she wanted two karats or more. So she

traded the ring I gave her for a bigger ring.

I became bitter and walked all the way home in below-zero weather. She never even came to see if I wanted a ride.

When I got home all her things were gone. She never called, but did email me that she wanted the bottle of

My question is why you would want to marry a lying, manipulating, accusing, argumentative and materialistic bitch?

Excuse the lack of PC here, but I couldn’t think of a more descriptive word.

{

16

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tequila she forgot.

She recently sent me another email saying this dysfunctional relationship was over. Hmm, I thought we were engaged.

She’s always playing with my emotions. She says I’m a bad person when she never admits to any wrongdoing on her part. I’m confused and hurt. What should I do to make this better?

Danzel

Dear Danzel, Throw a party with your best friends, drink the bottle of tequila she left and give thanks this toxic relationship is over!

Face it, all the counseling in the world isn’t going to turn this relationship into a loving, mutually respectful and healthy union.

My question is why you would want to marry a lying, manipulating, accusing, argumentative and materialistic bitch?

Excuse the lack of PC here, but I couldn’t think of a more descriptive word. I can’t fathom why you would want this horrific relationship to be sealed in marriage, though surely a divorce would eventually (and mercifully) come.

Tupac Shakur said it well: “You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks or even months overanalyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together; justifying what could’ve, would’ve happened ... or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move … on.”

My best advice is to accept the return of the ring and move on. If she refuses to give the ring back, cut your losses, let it go and move on, move on, move on!

Consider it a gift to yourself. Good luck.

Dr. Archer Dear Dr. Archer, My boyfriend and I have been see-

ing each other for three years. The problem is he blows hot and cold, and sometimes withdraws for no apparent reason.

There are times when he can be very loving, attentive and make me laugh. Then there are other times when we can be sitting in the same room and I barely notice he’s there because he goes deathly silent on me.

During these times I can sit on one end of the sofa and he’ll sit on the other end and not even touch me. He becomes emotionally distant, though he tells me he’s fine and I have nothing to worry about. When I talk to him, he gives me a normal reply but doesn’t make it long enough to continue the conversation, so I simply give up.

The other day he came over to my place and just sat there, watching TV in silence, hardly saying a word. When I asked if he was OK, he simply said “yes” and continued watching. I had to force a conversation.

The next day when he came to pick me up for work, the silence continued; we’ve been driving to work in silence for the past few days. He’ll greet me with a smile, but that’s it. I feel emotionally abandoned and unwanted when he does this.

This is nothing new, but it’s some-

thing I don’t think I can get used to. I talked to him about it, but he assured me it was nothing to worry about. For the next few weeks he was attentive, but then slowly crawled back into his shell of silence again, then became affectionate, then got silent again. It’s been a pattern during these three years, like a light bulb that keeps going on and off.

Sometimes I think it’s because he’s bored with our relationship or he’s seeing someone else. Otherwise, why would he just withdraw from me for no tangible reason? He doesn’t look depressed or as if he has problems.

Either way, it’s exhausting trying to strike up a conversation with someone who clearly doesn’t want to talk much.

What do you think causes this sort of behavior, and how do I deal with it?

If it makes your analysis of his behavior any better, he is extremely sensitive; tends to withdraw every time I try to talk to him about something. I’m not happy about the way he acts like the victim, making it difficult for me to communicate whatever problem is at hand.

Kimora Dear Kimora, If you’re not happy with the way your boyfriend acts, why would you still be dating him after three years of very predictable behavior? You see a problem, yet he obviously doesn’t.

Dating isn’t about changing someone or altering your behavior to better fit with someone else. Dating is a social interaction, allowing a couple to get to know each other better and determine if they’re compatible.

I’m not going to analyze your boyfriend on the basis of a short letter.

Some men are upbeat and happy most of the time; some are quiet some of the time; and some, like your boyfriend, simply have their moments of being quiet.

This is neither right nor wrong. It’s simply who they are.

There are two quotes that come to mind. Britney Spears said, “When you’re comfortable with someone you love, the silence is the best. And, that’s how me and J. are. When we’re in a room together, we don’t have to say anything. It’s for real.”

The other is from Pulp Fiction, when Mia (Uma Thurman) tells Vincent (John Travolta) “Don’t you hate that?

Uncomfortable silence. Why do we feel it’s necessary to talk about bull in order to feel comfortable? That’s when you know you’ve found somebody really special. When you can just shut the hell up for a minute and comfortably share a silence.”

He’s comfortable enough with you not to speak. For your part, if you feel abandoned and unwanted when you’re with someone who isn’t talking, then obviously this isn’t the man for you.

What’s most important is the love, respect and trust you have for each other.

All the best, Dr. Archer Dear Dr. Archer, I’m concerned about my middle school son, who has OCD. He’s currently at a heightened level and one of the highest in his young life. He may be ADHD — primarily inattentive type.

He’s seen counselors off and on.

He’s currently with a psychologist practicing CBT/ERP and is on medication.

He has school support and IEP. But he only attended school one day this week, due to high stress.

I’m taking this one day and one hour at a time, but it’s complicated.

I’m a crutch for him. He doesn’t want to return to school until he feels the full effects of the medication, whenever they might be. No learning is happening.

He resists doing any school work at home. Last year was a tough year academically, and he’s learned how to avoid what should be done.

I’m contemplating my options, such as home schooling. But I’m concerned about his anxiety and about the possibility that I may never get him back to school. There’s also the humiliation of putting him back in school and his being distraught with the ongoing questions from classmates.

I’m just winging it for now. I hope the medication and therapy click in soon and I don’t run into truancy issues. Thank you for your time.

Tricia Dear Tricia, I believe your plans are reasonable.

Make any necessary adjustments to start homeschooling your son until his medications and therapy start working. Set a date for his return to school — three months should be about right. Then he should return to school.

You must be strong, or he’ll abuse your willingness to be easy on him. He must understand that if he doesn’t do the work required at home, then he’ll return to school, no questions asked. If this happens, make sure you stand firm, or he’ll know you won’t stand by your word, which will only create more problems.

It’s mandatory that you speak with his treating doctor to make sure he agrees. If he feels differently, then discuss the options. He’s the treating doctor and should know your child well; I’m just going by a letter.

Dr. Archer

Dr. Dale Archer is a board certified psychiatrist who founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Southwest Louisiana.

He is a frequent guest on Fox News, CNN Headline News and other national TV programs and the author of the New York Times bestselling book Better than Normal. Visit DrDaleArcher.com.

April 18, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

17

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LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS CHARTER ACADEMY SITE PURCHASED The Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy is purchasing a $1.2 million, 10acre tract at the corner of East McNeese Street and South Park Drive on which it will build a $10.5 million school.

Construction should be complete in time for the 2014-2015 school year, and will be paid for with tax-free bonds.

The charter academy is now located on Power Centre Pkwy.

Sasol Purchases Main Element of Expansion Plan Sasol has purchased main ethylene compressor trains, a key element of the $21 billion announced investment at its facility in Westlake.

There are three compressor trains, and each is a different size, ordered from MHI Compressor International Corp.

While the construction schedule for the projects will be developed during front-end engineering and design, operation of the ethane cracker is expected during 2017.

The compressor order is the latest of a series of announcements by Sasol, which

will invest $16 billion to $21 billion in the integrated gas-to-liquids and ethane cracker complex in Westlake. The investment is expected to create more than 1,200 direct jobs, with salaries averaging $88,000, plus benefits. The project will be one of the largest foreign direct investment manufacturing projects in the country’s history, state officials have said.

Sulphur To Help With Cove Lane Project Members of the City Council unanimously agreed to allocate a portion of their future gaming revenue from the Ameristar Casino to the Interstate 210 Cove Lane project.

Iowa, Vinton and DeQunicy have already agreed to allocate a portion of their revenue, as have the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, Port of Lake Charles, Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City of Lake Charles and Pinnacle Entertainment in an intergovernmental cooperative agreement with the state Department of Transportation and Development to contribute $20 million to the project. DOTD officials estimate the

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project will cost $80 million. The department will front $40 million of the cost, and Ameristar Casino will pay $20 million.

Collectively the small cities will contribute about $1 million to the project over a fiveyear period, or $232,000 annually.

The city of Sulphur is estimated to get $232,105 a year in gambling revenue from Ameristar — $98,245 of which would be contributed for five years, leaving the city with $133,860 annually.

DEVELOPMENT Large developments on property off East McNeese Street and on Graywood were approved by the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission recently.

Commissioners voted unanimously in support of the annexation of 277 acres of land off East Prien Lake Road which is going to be converted into a housing and business development similar to River Ranch in Lafayette.

Company officials told the American Press that they intend to break ground on the project this year. The City Council will vote on the annexation on June 5.

Commissioners also approved the property

being zoned as residential. Traditional neighborhood development principles will be planned into the new community.

Morganfield Development is the project’s name.

Doug Burguieres, assistant director of the city’s Planning and Development office, recommended the zoning designation after reviewing the preliminary plans.

Commissioners learned that the Willow Brook neighborhood project, which will be near Graywood, was also moving forward and needed their attention. Thirty acres of land will house 138 new singlefamily homes.

The subdivision will be located on the west side of the 5800 block of Gray Market Drive. The developer told the commission that homes will meet Greywood standards and be 1,600 to 2,500 square feet. No date was offered as to when building would start.

DEPLOYMENT “The strength of a nation is in its Army; the strength of an Army is in its soldiers, and the strength of its soldiers is in their families,” Col. Robert Craft said Wednesday during a farewell ceremony.

The ceremony was a send-off for troops in the 336th Financial Management Command. The unit of 38 soldiers is being deployed to Afghanistan for nine months.“I’m proud and humbled to lead this team of soldiers; we have a really strong team,” Craft said. “These families are loaning me their soldiers for the next (nine) months and I appreciate the support for the soldiers.”

More than 100 people attended the event, which Craft described as a time full of “mixed emotions.”

“We’re sad to leave our families, but we’re excited because we get to go practice the skill set that we’ve trained so hard for,” he said. Mayor Randy Roach declared April 10 as 336th Financial Management Support Center Day in Lake Charles.

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LAGNIAPPE

19

LA POLITICS

john maginnis

Jindal Sticking To His Goal The fundraisers leading up to it and the big parties kicking it off haven’t changed, but the first days of this legislative session could hardly be more different from last year’s. At this point in the 2012 session, Gov. Bobby Jindal had lawmakers in lock step on a forced march toward passing his major education bills in an unheard of three weeks.

Unheard leading into this session was any enthusiasm for the governor’s massive tax swap proposal. When legislative leaders announced they were putting the plan on hold, it was a polite way of saying it was cold dead.

In the governor’s opening address to lawmakers, his surprise announcement that he is scrapping his plan was merely acknowledging reality.

“I am going to park my tax plan,” Jindal said, but then he gave the wheel to the Legislature. Noting that several legislators had filed bills to phase out the income tax, he said, “So let’s work together to pass a bill this session to get rid of our state income tax.” He is sticking to his goal, but he is leaving it up to the Legislature to figure out how to do it.

His is an interesting exercise in leadership, and it provides him some political cover. There are two bills filed to phase out the personal income tax, but, like the governor’s plan, neither includes a way to pay for the loss of the tax.

If the Legislature is supposed to take up the repeal quest from here, first it should determine why the governor got nowhere with it. For starters, despite his speeches, Jindal never established the problem in the minds of most voters.

Come the May 15 filing deadline, more citizens will be getting modest state income tax refunds than will be writing big checks. The blood lust citizens had for the personal income tax was satisfied with the repeal of the progressive Stelly tax plan in 2008. Legislators say they have heard few complaints since.

Last month, the governor interrupted his statewide tour bashing the income tax in order to herald IBM’s decision to locate its regional software development center in Baton Rouge, creating 800 highpaying jobs and forming an invaluable partnership with LSU’s computer science department. It’s the biggest private deal

for the capital since Mr. Rockefeller chose to locate his Standard Oil refinery there over a century ago. Jindal and his economic development secretary Stephen Moret are to be congratulated. Their argument, however, that the tax code is so dysfunctional rings a bit hollow if it did not chase off Big Blue.

One reason the governor was unable to gain traction with his plan was that its numbers kept moving. The Public Affairs Research Council calculated that it would fall $500 million to $650 million short of being balanced. A clergy group used the administration’s own spreadsheet to show that its plan left out the proposed tax on services in figuring the effect on low-income groups.

The final straw may have come when the administration bumped the proposed sales tax rate from 5.88 percent to 6.25 percent. With the Jindal plan shelved, we might never know what it would have cost in terms of increased sales taxes, for lawmakers show no interest in pursuing that course.

Not all parts of the governor’s plan should be scrapped. What needs fixing

more than the income tax is the sales tax.

Gov. Jindal acknowledges that the biggest complaint of business owners already here is that Louisiana is one of only four states without a centralized tax collection system, without which companies have to file and pay taxes in every parish where they make sales. A virtual centralized system, which the governor has proposed, would remove a major impediment to business and put the state in compliance with pending federal legislation to tax Internet sales, which is only fair and is going to happen one day.

Back on the income tax, if the governor cannot offer a total solution to replace lost revenues from the income tax repeal, he should not be disappointed in the Legislature, or blame it, for not coming up with an answer of its own. If he wants to work with legislators, they could still simplify the tax code by getting rid of inefficient sales and income tax exemptions, which, combined with a tobacco tax increase, could enable them to lower income taxes a point or two. That would mark real progress without more political games.

IT'S TIME FOR ________ TO WALK THE PLANK! BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF ... THEN FILL IN THE BLANK • By George Edmond Smith, M.D., M.Ed.

S

ince 1958, once a year, the city of Lake Charles returns to the rollicking, swashbuckling days of the pirates and buccaneers who once sailed the area’s lakes, rivers, and bayous. Legend has it that the French gentleman pirate Jean Lafitte buried his contraband treasure somewhere along the Southwest Louisiana’s plentiful waterways. The celebration of this historic figure and his adventures has grown into a thirteen-day extravaganza of unmatched festivity. Personally, I don’t particularly look forward to this time of the year because my sick patients get sicker. They

George Edmond Smith, M.D., M.Ed.

seem to throw all of their progress in educational health and discipline out the window and allow their bad habits to return. They gain weight, their blood pressures go up and when they come in to see me, they feel guilty ... and we start over again. Simply put, frustrations on both sides are heightened. Instead of relapsing, why not have your bad health habits walk the same plank of the notorious Lafitte?

As a medical professional, I understand that bad habits are addictions and are subconscious behaviors formed through repetition.

People who have harmful habits are aware of the consequences and risks to their well-being.

Many of them know loved ones who get irritated and annoyed being around them. But as long as they are reluctant to give up their bad practices, they allow their mental condition to have control over their lives. Unfortunately, during the festivities, we see the good habit of abstinence wane. It becomes only temporary, and they slip back into their harmful habits.

My goal is to have my patients quit altogether, and to have their bad habits walk the plank for the last time and let them sink in the rolling rivers and be gone forever.

Some of these harmful habits are: smoking, having stress from borrowing money or living

beyond your means, procrastination, overeating or food addiction, being idealistic and not realistic, not willing to set goals and do the work to get fit, compulsive shopping, binge drinking, gambling, and drug addictions.

These are just a few, and there are many more.

The aforementioned are listed for their untoward effects on your health.

So how do you break your bad habits?

First you must understand that there is an underlying emotional attachment to habits.

You must let go of this emotional attachment.

Identify the triggers. You don’t overeat, smoke or do dumb habits all the time.

Something has to trigger you to automatically get into it. The next time you feel the urge to do it, pause and become aware of when and how the trigger shows up. Pretend these triggers are the “devils” attempt to keep you sick and feeling bad. Instead do what “God” would have you do to stay healthy and happy with yourself.

Look for your underlying intention.

Ask yourself what you are really trying to lose or gain by submitting to these bad habits. Is it your intent to feel bad, guilty and frustrated with yourself and for giving in? Find the inner motivation that is causing you to repeat your undesirable behaviors. Do you really like and approve of who you are as a person? Ask

yourself this: "If I don’t give in to these stupid habits, am I going to be in pain or will I feel good because I resisted?”

See the benefit of getting rid of the habit. What kind of image do you see if you no longer have the harmful habit? What kind of improvement in your health can you see if you make a change?

Affirm your “New” self-image. Make a conscious effort to see your new image each time you feel like repeating your old harmful habit. You are telling your subconscious mind to cancel the old thought patterns and override it with the patterns of the person you would like to become. Take charge, and direct your mind to change its thought patterns. Develop different thinking and simply “smirk” at the devilish triggers and resist temptation.

Many of my astute readers will recognize my suggestions as principles of “Cognitive Behavior Therapy,” and, you would be correct!

My point is: I want you to achieve medical wellness in Southwest Louisiana. It starts with mind reprogramming. Since you’ll be attending the Civic Center area during the festivities, and while you observe the mayor, or who ever else walks the plank, resolve to have your bad health habits accompany them into the sea.

Lakeside MedicalWellness Clinic LLC

625-5050 LAKESIDE WELLNESS MEDICAL CLINICIS NOW ACCEPTING NEW PATIENTS WITH MEDICARE AND MEDICAID E-mail : familymdedmond@yahoo.com

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FILE 13

brad goins

World History In 10 Books This isn’t an attempt to provide a sketch of history from its beginning up to, say, the election of the first black president to the United States. First, I don’t think such a thing would be very interesting. Second, there are others who could do it much better than I. I think the history of all times tells two big stories: the stories of conflict and of extremity.

One thing that makes conflict important is that it creates the story of history. Without conflict, there is no story. Nations and cities are never really at peace. If they were, they would have no history. There is no golden age on earth. Someone who believes there was one may be a fine fellow, but he will never make a historian.

People find themselves caught up in many kinds of conflict. I think the most common and historically influential conflict is between those who have power and those who lack it. This conflict ranges from those bucking a powerful government bureaucracy with a devoted military to those jockeying for status in a refugee camp. People can also be in conflict with circumstances (say, financial ruin), events (the end of a term in office), their emotions (an

affair that distracts from matters of state) and their mental state (Hitler struggling to make military strategy in the face of paranoia, mania and wishful thinking).

Another great story of history is the way in which people from all walks of life deal with extremity. You can imagine it easiest with refugees, or in some situations, slaves or prisoners. A person trapped in sub-zero temperatures; a person with no apparent access to shelter or water or food; a person with no protection against bacteria — such is a person in extremity. A person who prefers taking refuge in a vice, a fetish, a debilitating eccentricity, an inclination to violence, excessive drinking or gambling rather than doing the things his peers expect him to do is in a state of extremity.

This introduction is probably too vague to mean much. For that reason, I end it and present 10 books that provide plenty of specific examples of human conflicts, human extremity and the multitude of ways in which historical figures (and ordinary people) have dealt with both. I’ll cover the first five books in this issue; the next five next time.

1. Japan at War: An Oral History by Haruku Taya and Theodore F. Cook (The New Press, 1993)

If I could recommend only one history book, it would be this one. No other book I’ve read goes further in depicting human beings in extreme situations.

It’s hard to say whether more Japanese soldiers or refugees tell their stories or have their stories told here. When they’re in

(Part I)

extremis, they face the same catastrophes: dehydration, typhus, dysentery, lack of food and starvation, severe infestation by lice.

And there’s the threat of violent treatment by soldiers — as a rule, by soldiers who are on their side.

In a rough sense, when it comes to this degree of extremity, a veteran soldier has something of an edge over an affluent mother with child who suddenly finds herself a refugee with no family or friends at her side.

Still, as the book demonstrates, regardless of the individual’s background, a certain set of behaviors increases the chance of surviving extremity. Survivors tend to be those who make decisions and take action quickly. Decisions are made without much deliberation; often on the spur of the moment. Decision is followed immediately by action.

Those who ask for what they need have an edge. A mother may ask a soldier she assumes to be hostile for water for her child. The soldier very well may give it to her, even if he does so grudgingly.

The book covers the entire scope of Japan’s involvement in the war, starting with the country’s flirtation with modern Western movements in the 1920s and ending with postwar malaise and disillusionment. continued

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story as great as it is.

Since you weren’t ever taught any of this in school, you’ll need to read this book if you want to know the outrageous story.

2. The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried To Steal The Country

by Laton McCartney (Random House, 2008)

Those who feel that powerful politicians are corrupt and self-serving and rarely have any thoughts of the public good will find their worst fears confirmed in this book.

While President Warren G. Harding was getting smashed nightly at his private bar and brothel in Washington, he may or may not have known that members of his cabinets were exchanging hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes with big oil men (including John Sinclair, who eventually did hard time for his bribery).

Once John Law got involved, a host of affairs, fetishes, perversions and embezzlements came to light. Before it was all over, there’d been at least one murder and one suicide with a third mysterious corpse thrown in for good measure.

Note that this scandal wasn’t in any way considered catastrophic or a wake-up call for much-needed change. It was a blip in the national party of the Roaring ‘20s.

Harding’s successors shared his economic and political stances. Nothing changed.

And that’s one of the things that makes the

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3. Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story by Kurt Eichenwald (Broadway, 2005)

We don’t want to pretend that history asserts that all the mayhem is caused by political leaders. There are always CEOs and executives. (And we don’t even get to bureaucrats in this column.)

This history of the Enron debacle is the most consuming narrative on this list.

Eichenwald (who also wrote the business scandal history The Informant) makes his story good by telling it from the personal standpoint of the main players.

Especially powerful is the beginning of the book, in which Jeff Skilling feels the immense burden of being the only one who knows Enron will go under within a week.

For Skilling, the week unfolds as if he were in a nightmare, with each day bringing more disastrous news than the day before.

When he winds up on the floor in a fetal position, we know we’re seeing a portrayal of human frailty at its most fundamental.

This all too human preamble is followed by 800 pages of kooky ideas, boneheaded business moves, colossal embezzle-

ment and adolescent machismo, all of it accompanied by vast profits and unanimous adulation from the business community.

The historical lessons: executives are every bit as dumb as everybody else and they can hurt you as much as politicians can.

However freaky you may imagine the culture of North Korea to be, you will fall short of imagining what’s described in this book. Demick explains that the country’s leader-worship worked well enough during the North Korean economic miracle of the 1960s. But once the national revenue was dedicated to the country’s ridiculously large nuclear program, money became worthless, food supplies dried up and even affluent people found themselves starving.

In this narrative, we encounter professors and doctors who eat the bark off trees or mix dirt with flour in the struggle to survive extremity. Even soldiers sometimes fail to get adequate amounts of food.

Former executives bake cookies to sell on the black market so they buy enough rice to survive.

How is it that such a regime isn’t overthrown? You’ll find yourself wondering that as you read the pages of this mind-boggling volume. History teaches that any government can concoct the most hare-brained scheme imaginable and the citizenry will buy into it. However, extreme lack of food does eventually result in a loss of belief (but not necessarily in an uprising).

In the first part of our historical excursion, we’ve looked at the often destructive work of political leaders, inept military strategists and unethical corporate executives. In the second half, next issue, we’ll look at the somewhat more inspiring history of humankind’s constructive creative work.

4. The History of the Franks

by Gregory of Tours (Penguin Classics, 1976; originally written in the 6th century AD)

This one takes us to France deep in the period we now call the Dark Ages. It’s a story of many, many kings, queens, princes and princesses, many of whom have the same name or similar names.

Almost all these members of the royalty are driven by the same desire: to move higher on the ladder of royalty; to become the king or queen and then to take over the kingdom of someone else. They’re all battling each other all the time, using sex, deception, clumsy or sophisticated trickery, violence, threat, kidnapping and murder to get the job done.

And all the while, there is great talk of Christianity. The land is immersed in the relatively new Christian faith, and when kings meet, they discuss fine points of dogma at length.

This book is included because it demonstrates that a culture that was mainstream at the time was radically different from ours. Its people saw reality in a way fundamentally different from the way in which we see it. Throughout this long narrative, there are references to or stories of miracles thought to have happened in the area in recent years. The historian (and, I think, the people as well) believed these miracles had occurred just as they believed that the trees had grown and the kings went to war. If they didn’t really believe in the miracles, they surely convinced themselves did.

To get immersed in such a dissimilar reality can give a reader an almost dreamlike sensation. The experience provides one with a healthy antidote to the comfortable certainty of one’s peers that there can be only one reality, which is reality as they’ve been taught it is.

5. Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

by Barbara Demick (Speigel & Grau, 2010)

A reality that deviates in essential ways from our own can exist throughout an entire country in the present. That’s the message of this Samuel Johnson Awardwinning book about the singular universe of North Korea.

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The Open Door Works To Bring Female Prisoners Back To Their Communities And Families

By Angie Dilmore

“It’s amazing the people you meet in jail,” says Lorna Stevens, who’s been visiting inmates at the Calcasieu Parish Women’s Correctional Facility for nine years now.

Prior to her involvement with prison ministry, Stevens never gave a second thought to inmates, let alone considered the possibility of helping them. Once she witnessed positive changes in the women she mentored, she knew her efforts were worthwhile. “We make the investment, God gives the grace, and they do the work.”

Incarceration is a tough sentence. How well does jail time prepare prisoners with the skills they need to make it out in a world that requires day to day performance in a regular job? What about relationships that require adults be sober and calm-headed?

For what they lack when it comes to getting by in the world outside of prison,

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female inmates can turn to The Open Door, a faith-based non-profit [501(C)(3)] organization that’s been serving Calcasieu Parish for nearly a decade. Stevens is presently a mentor with the group.

The Open Door works both with inmates, under the direction of Chaplain Willie Brown Jr., and those who’ve been released from jail. The group mentors and offers education, support and spiritual programs in the Women’s Correctional Facility, which Stevens says is sometimes called “100” because it houses up to 100 women.

In stark contrast, the incarceration area for men houses up to 1,200. This 12 to one ratio between men and women means that priorities and resources are invariably geared towards male prisoners. That’s one reason The Open Door

focuses on female prisoners. While there are other groups that work with inmates, The Open Door is the only group in the area that works with women inmates both on the inside and outside after release.

The Open Door coordinates its work with such groups as the Calcasieu Sheriff’s Dept., the 14th Judicial Court District Judges, the Dept. of Corrections and other prominent organizations in law enforcement and the justice system.

While female inmates are in jail, The Open Door matches them with female mentors from the group. A mentor can begin to introduce some structure into the lives of inmates who’ve carried the chaos of their troubled environment into the tense atmosphere of prison.

“They need someone to show them the way,” says Stevens.

The Open Door also helps get women ready for case management — the management of their transition from jail to everyday life. Part of the process is to make sure the transition is acceptable to the woman’s probation officer, who helps ensure that the former prisoner meets any requirements that were imposed on her by a judge. For example, the ex-prisoner will be required to obtain a job. She may be required to take a course in life skills. If she’s had substance abuse problems, she may be required to participate in NA or AA. And she must report to her probation officer monthly.

The Open Door helps these women set goals for themselves in order to change their lives and the lifestyles of crime to the lives of law-abiding productive citizens. The Open Door is a resource center

for other programs that are available in the area.

When the process is complete, the former prisoner has a skill that can be marketed in the everyday world.

For the group’s children’s program Mommy Reads, The Open Door volunteers make recordings of a mother reading a children’s book aloud. Then both the book and the recording are given to the mother’s child.

Such programs are part of the effort to rebuild and strengthen the family in preparation for the jailed mother’s ultimate departure from jail and return to her community. Children are thrilled to get the recordings and books. And the contact between family members and The Open Door staff helps to ease the transition. “It starts a healing process to talk to children and caregivers,” says Stevens.

Children can also benefit from The Open Door’s partnership with Grace Camp, a 5-day camp run at Ouachita, La. All the campers are children of offenders; some are themselves offenders.

Stevens recalls spending time in one camp cabin where all eight boys had had a “run in with police.” The children were as young as 9 years old.

“We try to teach them that they’re a child of God; [that] they have a purpose,” says Stevens.

After attending Grace Camp twice, young people can progress to Teen camp.

Education Some of the requirements can be daunting for the women, many of whom haven’t made it through the 7th grade.

Many educational needs of inmates and former inmates are met through The Open Door’s Bridges to Re-Entry and Literacy programs, which provide instruction for women in areas as diverse as reading and anger management. The Open Door refers clients to Gwyn Guidry, with the Louisiana Workforce Center, who teaches a weekly class in employment skills, in particular, job interviewing and résumé writing.

The program works with the Literacy Council of Southwest Louisiana to help inmates prepare for the GED test.

“Getting a GED is life-changing” for the women, says Stevens.

And then there’s education about substance abuse. Three of four women released from the Women’s Correctional Facility have a substance abuse problem.

They’ve grown up in environments where many of the key adults in their lives were substance abusers.

For this great need, The Open Door offers A.C.T.S. — the Alcohol/Chemical Treatment Series. While the ex-offender is in this 12-week course, probation fees are waived by Probation and Parole.

A.C.T.S. uses faith-based instruction about what drugs do to the mind and body, the effects of withdrawal, and the workings of particular drugs that are frequently abused. The program takes a holistic approach that views substance abuse as both “a spiritual malady” and “a

biological process.” Students are taught alternatives to substance abuse for problem-solving.

The ultimate objective is to prepare individuals and families for the interpersonal relationship challenges associated with recovery from substance abuse and enable the healing that must take place within the family and the community.

Other Programs And then there’s The Open Door’s work with Patriot Dogs, which provides rescued dogs to U.S. veterans. Exoffenders in Calcasieu Parish are taught the skills of dog training and grooming.

After a former prisoner has prepared a dog, it’s assigned to a returning vet.

Stopping The Revolving Door In a broader sense, what The Open Door is trying to do, says Stevens, is stop the process of incarceration from going on “generation after generation” — trying to stop what’s sometimes called “the continued

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revolving door.”

Most of the prisoners The Open Door works with grew up in environments of physical, marital, sexual or substance abuse. The role models in their lives were sometimes unemployed and engaged in illegal activities.

In spite of the effects of generations of abuse, most prisoners are worthy people who can be salvaged with attention and care. Today, Stevens looks back on the first time she went inside a prison to mentor. “I realized these are just people.

It could have been any one of us if we’d grown up under the same circumstances of poverty, unemployment, and incarcerated family members.”

In the prison, she was impressed by the fact that all the women she talked to had experienced extreme poverty. Their criminal behavior, she says, “is a direct result of poverty.”

At times during the course of her work, she’s felt frustrated. “It’s frustrating to see people we’ve worked with return.” But, she says, “We don’t judge them. We offer them grace. We offer them direction.”

‘Let People Know’ The Open Door effort started nine years ago, when Stevens worked in a different prison ministry. She was doing little more than baking cookies for prisoners, and felt that it must be possible to do something more for them, and for female prisoners in particular.

Stevens brought the matter to the attention of Rev. Betty Northern, the minister of the United Methodist Church in Westlake. Northern put Stevens in touch with the founders of The Open Door: Lisa Sobers, Connie Durio of the Dept. of Corrections, and Linda Brown, who is currently president.

Stevens says that at present, the two major goals of The Open Door are “to create awareness and let people know we’re in the community.” Because the

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group is non-profit and volunteer, its opportunities to promote itself to the public are limited. Many in the area have never heard of it.

A Volunteer Effort Except for the group’s secretary, everyone who works for The Open Door works on a volunteer basis.

Volunteers “can help the community,” says Stevens. “They don’t have to go inside the prison. There are lots of ways they can help. They can volunteer time or funding.” (The Open Door receives no federal or state funding.)

Everyone can participate in an upcoming fundraising event for The Open Door. It’s the fourth annual Hogs & Dogs Ride, which will take place Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Registration is from 8 to 9 a.m.

There will be a $25 donation per rider and $10 donation per passenger. Lunch and a t-shirt will be provided (with a passenger shirt for $10).

There will also be a community event and auction. 4 Paws Society adoptions will be available. A highlight of the event is a Dog Pageant. Categories include formal, sport and “look-like-myhuman.” There is a $15 entry fee per dog. It all happens at the University United Methodist Church at 3501 Patrick St. in Lake Charles. If you need more info, call 436-6700.

Offices of The Open Door are housed in the Cornerstone University at 1605 Broad St., Suite 19.

“We serve a big God, we really do,” says Stevens. “He’s been blessing our ministry with volunteers.”

For nine years, this motivated group has been working with an extremely demanding population — and getting results. Far from being tired or discouraged, Stevens seems enthused about the group at this point. “When things get tough, we don’t quit.”

C

ould there be an epidemic of autism among children of the United States?

Michelle Mudd of the St. Nicholas Center for Children thinks there is.

She draws her conclusions from research and statistics reported by the Centers for Disease Control, which announced last month that 1 in 50 school age children in the U.S. have an autism spectrum disorder. That’s a dramatic increase from last year’s 1 in 88.

“The word epidemic is not too strong,” says Mudd, who is executive board mem-

ber and press liaison for the group. “If you don’t know someone with autism, you will,” adds Christy Papania Jones, who founded the group as part of her efforts to improve the skills of her own autistic child.

Many think the 1-in-50 incidence is largely due to the fact that more and more people are becoming aware of autism and conditions that resemble autism, and, as a result, autism is given as a diagnosis more and more often. While there is certainly some truth to this, any way one looks at it, a 1-in-50 incidence of anything looks a lot like an epidemic. continued

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In many cases, children with autism who start off developing speech just as other children do regress and become virtually nonverbal by the age of 2. Parents don’t know how to begin coping with the problem.

“Parents are blown away by the diagnosis” of autism, says Mudd. They may not know much about the condition, which, according to Jones, has “no known cause; no known cure.”

Until recently, parents in the Lake Area were often at a loss about where to turn for help when their very young children began to regress rapidly and were eventually given a diagnosis of autism.

All that changed in 2007 when the St. Nicholas Center for Children was founded. Even though the enterprise has been in existence only a few years, its leaders aim

for the program to become the standard for the treatment of children with autism in Louisiana.

Jones says that before the center

The combination of therapies creates a good option for parents who are at risk of being overwhelmed by the challenges of raising an autistic child.

opened, parents of children with autism in the area felt “hopeless.” Today, says Mudd, the St. Nicholas Center has become “the state model of an all-inclusive pediatric model for children with autism … It’s a comprehensive approach to helping children reach their full potential.”

What makes the approach comprehensive and unique in Louisiana is that each child receives four different kinds of therapy from four different therapists.

Children get speech, occupational and physical therapy. They also receive ABA: applied behavior analysis.

ABA is a behavioral approach that “decreases problematic behaviors [such as tantrums and inattentiveness] and increases skill acquisition,” says Jones. It is, she says, a matter of “shaping behavior.”

The combination of therapies creates a good option for parents who are at risk of being overwhelmed by the challenges of raising an autistic child. The multi-faceted approach creates “a one-stop shop that makes it easy” to get the therapy that’s needed, says Mudd.

With the fine-tuned approach, parents or caregivers of children with autism can ensure that the youths get the necessary care right here “instead of flying to Boston” or some other place that’s developed an elaborate care program for children with autism.

GETTING STARTED St. Nicholas is geared toward early intervention. That’s appropriate for a condition that often presents itself by the age of two. The center is “more early intervention than wait and see,” says Mudd; early intervention is “when you see improved outcomes.”

When children with autism come to the clinic, they may be barely speaking or not speaking at all. They may avoid eye contact and refuse to communicate with others.

When children come to St. Nicholas, the therapists endeavor to show them that “communicating with another person gets you good things,” says Jones. “When I look at you, good things happen.”

“They become verbal,” says Mudd.

“That’s huge.” Mudd relates the story of an occasion when office staff were gathered around a four-year-old child when he said, “I love you” to this father for the first time in his life.

Of course, the variety of therapies at St. Nicholas, and the overarching use of ABA, ensures that children get the right treatment even if their dominant behaviors aren’t verbal. For instance, a child who has trouble balancing; sits or stands in a slump; or finds it difficult to sit in a chair for any length of time may derive the most benefit from physical therapy.

The therapeutic approach is tailored to the child. Therapists give each other goals for the children they treat. Parents also suggest goals for children. “They all improve,” says Mudd.

HOW DOES THE THERAPY WORK? Rachel Wright, a board certified behavior analyst who works at St. Nicholas, begins her therapy with a child by determining whether the child can request an item or say he wants an item. Can a child, for example, indicate that he would like to inspect a toy train?

Wright calls such requesting “manding,” and says manding is the “root of verbal behavior.” When people want something, they indicate, in one way or another, that they want it. Children with autism lack that fundamental skill.

Wright’s challenge, then, is to find a toy or activity the child likes, then “get him to ask for it, vocally or by sign.” For some children, just moving toward an object can be a form of manding.

As therapy progresses, the child will eventually learn to describe the toy he wants even when the toy isn’t in the room and can’t be seen.

In some cases, the child already has what he wants. Perhaps when he first comes to St. Nicholas, he brings a single object that he holds onto for dear life and won’t release. In such a situation, Wright tries to introduce herself into the child’s 28

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self-absorbed experience gradually. She may ask such questions as “Can I stand next to you? Can I touch it?”

Eventually, she’ll reach the point that the child will let her hold the object briefly. Wright’s then careful to give the object right back. It’s a way of providing positive reinforcement for the desired behavior.

Wright says children with autism are known for engaging in “self-stimulatory behavior” for long periods. One example is spinning. Again, the therapist works to become part of the child’s experience. For instance, a therapist might say something such as “You think spinning is fun? Let me spin you in this chair and you’ll see how fast you can spin.”

“You have to find what’s extremely motivating [to the child],” says Wright. “All plans are individualized. ABA is not a cookie cutter [approach to therapy].”

An autistic child will invariably have a “high-interest area.” The child may be intensely interested in dinosaurs, video games or the workings of car engines.

Mudd gives the example of a boy who knew everything there was to know about squids.

Such a child will gradually be taught that it’s fine to talk for a minute or two about a squid. But at that point, it’s appropriate to stop and ask the other person a question such as “What are you interested in?” Children gradually learn that most

St. Nicholas is kicking off its capital campaign for the new location. The theme is “Open the Door To Hope.” Naming opportunities are available.

people don’t want to hear about a squid — or whatever the favorite subject is — for, say, a solid hour.

Wright thinks the quality of therapy at St. Nicholas benefits from the experience of the therapists in child care or health care. She notes “the value of strong arm muscles” for team members. Very often, therapists get right down on the floor and work with children at eye level. “We look like children at our sessions,” says Mudd. “It’s beautiful.”

To demonstrate the degree to which therapists and parents interact on behalf of a child, Wright tells of a time when 18 people — the majority of them relatives — showed up for a meeting about a single child.

The strong display of support and interest on his behalf made a powerful impression on the child. “He basically taught himself how to read,” says Wright.

That was quite an improvement on the child’s initial visits to the center, when he liked trains, not books. Wright learned this the hard way one day when he threw a toy train at her head.

‘THESE PRINCIPLES CAN BE APPLIED TO ANYONE’ Why do children with autism engage in behaviors that to many seem self-defeating? In a certain sense, the child is doing these things for the same reason efficiently functioning adults do things. The child

wants attention; wants to escape a demand that’s being made of him; wants to get access to something; or wants to stimulate himself — wants diversion or amusement.

The children’s behaviors may seem inefficient, but the desires motivating the behaviors are universal. The techniques of ABA that work with children with autism can be applied to any person who’s engaging in a behavior that’s inefficient or undesired. “These principles can be applied to anyone,” says Jones.

PROGRESS After sufficient progress is made, St. Nicholas works with schools to incorporate children into classroom activities.

At St. Nicholas, a child begins at Tier 1, a stage at which the therapist and the child work one on one.

The child will then progress to therapy in which a second child or therapist is introduced. This is done to enable the child to keep completing his task even when there’s distraction. Such a child is moving up to Tier 2, where he will work with a group.

By the time he reaches Tier 3, the child is preparing to be “school ready” — to be able to do the tasks required of him in a typical classroom. Once this has been done successfully, the child becomes a Tier 3 Master.

For children who avoid the basics of communication, work with a group is an important developmental stage. St. Nicholas involves children with autism in social skills groups when they’re ready.

Children who don’t have autism volunteer to be peers for the social skills group. As a continued

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result of the experience, the children in the group will “learn to appreciate all kinds of people.”

‘GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING’ The present office at the intersection of Broad and Ryan Streets (above 505 Bazaar) has both the architectural complexity and immense activity of a beehive.

“It’s not a boring setting,” says Jones.

She’s not just referring to the activity. The space is honeycombed with theme rooms.

Walls are decorated with art work and posters, and there are toys with bright colors everywhere. There’s always something to keep the sight engaged and get the children accustomed to distractions.

Jones notes that children with autism need “sensory integration.” They need to bring their senses of hearing, touch, smell and taste in sync with the world around them. What might strike some adults as near-sensory overload at St. Nicholas may be just the thing that will engage an autistic child.

The setting has obvious benefits for children with autism. But it does have one deficit. It is simply too small for the job to be done.

The St. Nicholas Center has been obliged to move four times since 2007. These frequent moves have been necessitated by growth in what Mudd calls “three awesome things” — the number of students, staff and types of therapy.

Right now, the former Planet Pets on Ryan St. is just bare walls inside.

But work is progressing.

Jones hopes to see the staff in the new location by the beginning of September.

At the Broad and Ryan location, St. Nicholas is now servicing 65 children: its maximum capacity for the setting. “We have had many families on our waiting list due to lack of space,” says Mudd.

The present location has 6,500 square feet. But the center is in the process of relocating yet again — this time, to the site of the former Planet Pets (14,000 square feet) and RayGym (10,000 square feet).

Phase 1 of the reconstruction — a complete interior demolition — is complete.

Right now, the former Planet Pets is just bare walls inside. But work is progressing.

Jones hopes to see the staff in the new location by the beginning of September.

St. Nicholas is kicking off its capital campaign for the new location. The theme is “Open the Door To Hope.” Naming opportunities are available.

The St. Nicholas Center is a non-profit 501c3. Although the center has received some grants, most funding comes from program income and gifts from people in the community. Families can get involved in fundraising efforts.

To date, says Jones, the center has had “very successful fundraisers.” It hopes to continue this tradition with its fifth annual marquee fundraiser — A Brewer’s Plate, which will take place on Saturday, May 18, at 6 pm. A crowd of 400 is expected to attend at this year’s venue, the historic Cash and Carry.

Those in attendance will enjoy a sixcourse dinner with a premium beer pairing. There will be live music by The Flamethrowers, and an auction. Attire will be “dressy casual.”

Tickets will be sold for tables of 10; each seat will be $100; a table of 10 will be $1,000. Sponsorships are available.

For information, call 491-0800.

These two major developments for the Center are taking place in tandem with Autism Awareness Month in April. “It’s a very exciting time,” says Mudd. “Great things are happening.”

‘THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO’ The St. Nicholas Center for Children has provided a wide variety of options for parents of children with autism, developmental delays and neurological disorders.

“Once you understand [the condition], there is something you can do,” says Jones.

Treatment at the center is available on a sliding scale. For those who have insurance, the center will bill insurance companies. Most companies do pay for treatment for autism. Under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, all companies will have to cover the treatment by 2014.

The St. Nicholas Center for Children is located at 314 Broad St., suite B, in Lake Charles. You can reach the Center at 4910800 or saintnicholascenter@gmail.com.

If you’d like to learn more, visit the Center’s Web site at stnickcenter.org.

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Pay Yourself First Reach Your Goals By Saving Regularly

problem will probably grow worse with time.

Taking control of your finances creates a sense of empowerment that will reach into every area of your life. The freedom that comes from knowing that you and your family will be provided for regardless of what may come up cannot be expressed in words. It is something you will experience for yourself when you make the decision that being financially independent and secure is more important than impressing your neighbors with material goods.

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oney, like water, expands to fill the container in which it is placed. If you lack an objective set of financial goals for your life, you probably reach the end of each month and find yourself broke. You vow that next month will be different, but it never is.

This scenario is certainly one with which millions of people can identify.

Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way. One of the most powerful and effective strategies for building wealth is to pay yourself first.

START WITH YOUR MONTHLY BILLS When you sit down to pay your bills, the first check you write should be to yourself. Decide on an amount you can commit to for at least six months, and immediately pay that “bill” by depositing the money into your brokerage, mutual fund or retirement accounts. You must do this even if you cannot afford it.

HONOR YOUR WORD

Then, pay your other bills as usual. If you find that you do not have enough money to cover all the expenses, write down the amount you are short and then find a way to raise the money. If this means you have to recycle cans, switch to an off-brand cereal, work a few extra hours, or cancel your magazine subscriptions, do it.

Think it sounds too hard? If so, you must answer this question for yourself: Is the pain of giving up your “perks” greater than the pain of being in financial bondage? If it is, you need to resign yourself to remaining in the same financial situation for the rest of your life. In fact, if you are prone to using debt as a means of upgrading your lifestyle, the

Once most people have given their word to someone, they are careful to keep their promise. They have no qualms, however, about lying to themselves. In order to be successful, you must honor your commitment. You cannot cut yourself any slack. As soon as you miss one “payment,” odds are you will miss another, then another, until you have stopped saving altogether. The secret to success in this game is not so much the amount of money you are investing, but the persistence with which you are doing it.

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Attn: Bosses Boost Productivity Through Positivity

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illions of people wake up each morning and grumble about the day ahead. They follow through on tasks obligingly but grouchily, all the while counting down the minutes until 5 pm. And even though their to-do lists may get done, a disgruntled attitude — even a wellbehaved, quiet one — benefits no one, especially not the people in charge. If you want a strong bottom line, the bottom line is this: You have to create an atmosphere of positivity, creativity, engagement and wellbeing.

“If you want your employees to work as hard as possible and share a mutual mission to make your company great, they should come to work encouraged, motivated and inspired — not expending all their energy waiting for Friday,” said Keri Forbess-McCorquodale, director of the Solutions Employee Assistance Program.

“Too many supervisors make the mistake of assuming that employees should work to their greatest productivity without any encouragement or inspiration from the top, but that’s just not how it works. People work better when they’re happier, and part of the role of a supervisor is to make sure that their employees stay motivated, because that’s how everyone benefits.”

There are some practical aspects of work management that make a job appealing — things like benefits, health insurance, salary and so on. But then there are the less-tangible aspects of a strong workplace, and that’s where management can get creative and provide an equally competitive benefit.

For example: e-Bay encourages its employees to take time to decompress during the day, and even provides a prayer and meditation room solely for that purpose. At FactSet Research Systems in Connecticut, employees are encouraged to work from home, and are also given free lunches.

“No matter how big or small your business is or what industry it falls under, there are opportunities to create a positive work environment,” ForbessMcCorquodale said. “The place to begin is open communication, respect and fairness.

You presumably have hired a team of adults, so they should be treated as such.

Surveys have shown that micromanagement is considered one of the most counterproductive traits in a manager. You have to trust and respect your employees enough to believe they’re doing a good job without supervisors breathing down their necks. A positive workplace begins with attitudes. Workers should feel safe, appreciated and respected.” continued on page 35

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Plan Ahead Avoid Roadblocks To Small Business Success

I

t takes good financial management, salesmanship and marketing skills to develop your home business to the point where it’s ready to take public.

There are plenty of resources for entrepreneurs who want to discover new ideas, advice and inspiration; one of these is Inc. Magazine. Around this time of year, Inc. Magazine produces an annual list of the top 500 fastest-growing private companies. This year, a staggering 61 percent of the listed companies were started at home, and 16 percent initially had less than $1,000 of capital. It goes to show you how much an entrepreneur can accomplish with an idea whose time has come.

Of course, good ideas are not enough to turn a $1,000 investment into a million-dollar enterprise.

According to the Women’s Online Business Center of the U.S. Small Business Administration, these are some of the most common roadblocks to small business success in the startup phase: Dramatic change in day to day life. There is an adjustment from being an employee to being an entrepreneur.

You might find yourself putting in many more hours than you ever did at a conventional job, so the biggest casualty may be your sleep.

Balance between career and home.

Home-based business owners who are also responsible for the upkeep of a house and the well-being of their family will find that they have too much on their plate. They may not be able to grow their home business as quickly as they would if they were childless. On the other hand, they may not have chosen this great entrepreneurial adventure if they didn’t have a burning desire to be home with their kids.

Neglect of records, finances. If you are not using a financial program like Quicken or QuickBooks, you might try one or the other. It can save you a lot of heartache, time and money. If you have financial software and can’t find time to use it, try hiring a bookkeeper or accountant. Their service can be of great help.

Insufficient time to do it all. Just as you budget your finances, you should also create a budget for your time. Make a list of all your tasks (both business and personal) and note which ones you must do yourself, which ones can be postponed or performed less often, and what tasks can reasonably be assigned to a spouse, kids or an outsource. Instead of trying to do it all, focus on doing what’s possible.

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POSITIVITY continued from page 32

According to research conducted by the American Psychological Association, nearly two-thirds of surveyed American workers said their work lives had a significant impact on their stress levels. One in four had called in sick as a result of that stress, considering it a “mental health day.”

“Even the most positive of workplaces can be stressful; however, there are ways to manage that stress to benefit the employee, which in turn benefits the company as a whole,” Forbess-McCorquodale said.

Gallup has done extensive research on the dynamics of effective organizations and found substantial proof that businesses that understand the connections between health and well-being and worker stress have more productivity than companies whose policies don’t reflect such an understanding. The findings indicated that companies operating under an umbrella of positivity have happier employees and consequently, more successful organizations.

Forbess-McCorquodale provided the following tips on how supervisors and business owners can create a positive work environment: • Praise in public, but criticize in private. “Publicly ridiculing or correcting someone serves no purpose but to embarrass them and show others that you have little integrity,” Forbess-McCorquodale said. “It only causes more negative feelings.” Instead, use constructive criticism — and do it in a private meeting.

• Provide notes of encouragement.

Employees who feel recognized and praised are far more likely to do a better job, according to Gallup. Recognize them for their achievements.

• Have regularly scheduled meetings that allow everyone to have a voice. One way to make employees feel respected is to show that their opinion matters. As often as possible, institute changes your staff recommends.

• Consider treating the team to lunch. “If you feed them, they will be happy,” Forbess-McCorquodale said. You don’t have to buy 20 pizzas every day for lunch, but a free lunch or free treats now and then never hurt.

• Include fun on the schedule. Fun and work do not have to be exclusive concepts. Get together on a Friday afternoon to play a board game or have a silly contest among employees.

SMALL BUSINESS SEMINAR The Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese will present a free seminar on financing a small business Thursday, April 25, 5-7:30 pm, in Room 121 of the Burton Business Center at McNeese State University.

Topics will include business planning, financing and small business resources.

Pre-registration is requested. For more information, contact the LSBDC at McNeese at 475-5529, or email LSBDC.MSU@lsbdc.org.

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THE LATEST LAFITTE: KEN SAVANT Ken Savant has been a member of the Buccaneers since 2003. In his years with the group, he’s served on the board of directors as social chairman, secretary and president. He’s presently serving as re-enactment chairman.

Savant believes that the highlights of being a Buccaneer are the time spent with other Lafittes and Buccaneers who are promoting Contraband Days, as well as time devoted to the Buccaneer organization and tourism in Southwest Louisiana.

He feels that being selected Jean Lafitte is the greatest honor a Buccaneer can receive.

Savant was born and raised in Lake Charles. He graduated from Lagrange High School and later from Sowela Community college.

After spending four years in the U.S. Navy, he returned to Southwest Louisiana and went to work at PPG Industries as a maintenance electrician. He was

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employed there 30 years. During that time, he served 25 years in safety and health.

He held the position of OSHA coordinator for 20 years. He retired in 2007.

He spent several years on the board of directors of PPG Friends. During this time, he volunteered throughout the community. He remains a member of local lodge 470 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace workers.

He was on the board of directors of the Volunteer Center of Southwest Louisiana for three years. During this time, he portrayed Papa Noel as he visited schools and presented gifts to the children. Savant has served six years on the church council of St. Joseph’s Chapel in LeBleu Settlement.

He and his wife, Denise, have been married for 41 years. They have two daughters, Nikki Poole and Lori Johnson, and seven grandchildren, Rebekah, Ryan, Robyn, Candice, Landon, Isaac and Meghan.

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CONTRABANDS From country rock to Cajun and everything between, this year’s Contraband Days festival will deliver a musical lineup that is sure to please everyone. Here are this year’s major headliners.

THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS FRIDAY, MAY 10, 10 PM

The Kentucky Headhunters is an American country rock band founded in 1968 as Itchy Brother. The original group comprised brothers Richard Young (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Fred Young (drums), along with Greg Martin (lead guitar, vocals) and Anthony Kenney (bass guitar, vocals). The group began performing as The Kentucky Headhunters in 1986, adding brothers Ricky Lee Phelps (lead vocals, harmonica) and Doug Phelps (bass guitar, backing vocals) to the membership.

The Kentucky Headhunters has released seven studio albums, two compilations and 20 singles, of which the highestpeaking is a cover of the Don

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Gibson song “Oh Lonesome Me,” which the band took to No. 8 in 1990. In addition, the band has won three Country Music Association awards, an Academy of Country Music award, and a Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, won in 1990 for ‘’Pickin’ on Nashville’’.

CHARLIE WORSHAM FRIDAY, MAY 10, 8:15 PM

See Charlie Worsham on a stage, and you immediately understand what he understood from the beginning: It’s where he’s meant to be. For him, music wasn’t just a thing, it was the only thing. “I kind of feel like I didn’t have much choice. The songs ... the playing ... those were the only things that ever really kept my attention.”

As a ridiculously talented instrumentalist and student of great songs, Worsham developed a unique modern country sound built around the traditional acoustic instruments he grew up playing.

Starting in his hometown of Grenada, Miss., Worsham was always out playing. From the Opry at age 12 to the local Missionary Baptist Church to the backroad blues joints he wasn’t even supposed to know about, much less play in, wherever he found a stage, he played. And when he wasn’t playing, he was listening to everything from Don Williams to Tom Petty to Earl Scruggs. With his energy and showmanship onstage and his understated Mississippi “yes, sir” and “no, ma’am” offstage manner, it’s easy to understand why so many in Nashville’s music community are rooting for him.

After studying at Berklee School of Music in Boston, Worsham moved south to Nashville. For the last two years, he’s divided his time between writing songs, being an in-demand studio musician for other artists, and playing his music live — sharing stages across the country with Taylor Swift, Miranda Lambert and others. Worsham is currently writing and recording his major label debut album for Warner Music Nashville. continued on page 43

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Contraband Days Pullout Guide For the latest, log on to contrabanddays.com or call 436-5508. For daily carnival ride specials, call Todd Armstrong Shows at 702-350-1850.

Note: Concerts and events are free with $5 gate admission. *indicates additional cost for special attractions

TUESDAY, APRIL 30 • 8 am: Louisiana Music Educators’ Association — Choral State Competition - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 • 8 am: Louisiana Music Educators’ Association — Choir State Festival - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show

THURSDAY, MAY 2 Family Day - National Day of Prayer (Alcohol-Free Evening) - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Aussie Kingdom • 8 am: Louisiana Music Educators’ Association — Choral State Competition • 11:30 am: Profit and Loss Association Luncheon, with speaker Dennis Swanberg — LCCC Coliseum • 4 pm: Festival Gates Open * Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides - Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

by Lloyd Lauw Collision Center - Pirate Marketplace * Emerson Pony Rides Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum: • 6:30 pm: Audio Adrenaline Kings & Queens Tour Kid’s World Stage:

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• 5 pm: Steve Gryb: “The Pied Piper Of Percussion” • 6 pm: Power Church • 8 pm: Steve Gryb: “The Pied Piper Of Percussion” • 9:30 pm: Steve Gryb: “The Pied Piper Of Percussion”

FRIDAY, MAY 3 • 8 am: Louisiana Music Educators’ Association — Choir State Festival - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Aussie Kingdom - Redfish Tournament • 3 pm: Spike And Splash Volleyball — Corporate Four On Four — I-10 Beach • 4 pm: Festival Gates Open - Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

by Lloyd Lauw Collision Center Pirate Marketplace • 5 pm: Spike And Splash Jet Ski Arrival At Seawall *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides • 8 pm: Spike And Splash Athletes Social — VIP Tent Activities: • 5 pm: Lake Charles Cannon Firing To

Protect The City — Seawall • 6 pm: Buccaneers Begin Shore Landing — Seawall • 7 pm: Jean Lafitte and Buccaneers Force City Mayors To “Walk the Plank” — Seawall • 7:30 pm: Contraband Days/Banner Series Presents Lynn Trefzger, Ventriloquist — Rosa Hart Theatre Outdoor Stage: • 7 pm: Ronnie “Rude” Perkins • 9 pm: Midnight Star

SATURDAY, MAY 4 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Aussie Kingdom - Redfish Tournament - Spike N Splash Volleyball — I-10 Beach • 10 am: Festival Gates Open - Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

by Lloyd Lauw Collision Center Pirate Marketplace • Noon: *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Activities: • 6 am: “Tour Lafitte 2013” Registration

and Packet Pick-Up — LCCC Grounds • 7:30 am: “Tour Lafitte 2012” Start — LCCC Grounds • 8:30 am: Spike And Splash Volleyball — Player Check-in • 9 am: Jet Ski Motos Begin • Spike And Splash Volleyball — Professional Play Begins • 9 am-noon: Registration and WeighIns for the 25th Annual Contraband Days Armwrestling Tournament • 11 am: Spike And Splash Volleyball — Special Contest On Center Court • 1 pm: 25th Annual Contraband Days Armwrestling Tournament • 2 pm: Spike And Splash — Freestyle Watercross • 3 pm: Spike And Splash — Pro Volleyball Semifinals • 4 pm: Spike And Splash — Amateur Team Finals - Spike And Splash — Athletes Meet and Greet Social • 5 pm: Spike And Splash — 30-Minute Autograph Session • 6 pm: Spike And Splash — Amateur Awards Ceremony • 7 pm: Spike And Splash — Athlete Social, VIP Tent Outdoor Stage: • 3-4:30 pm: Matt McElveen And The Kids • 5-6:30 pm: Mark Reeves and Twisted X • 7-8:30 pm: Shailee Cole • 9-11 pm: Larry Tillery

SUNDAY, MAY 5 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Aussie Kingdom • Noon: Festival Gates Open * Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Galley Alley Food Booths Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored by

Contraband Days Pullout Guide For the latest, log on to contrabanddays.com or call 436-5508. For daily carnival ride specials, call Todd Armstrong Shows at 702-350-1850.

Lloyd Lauw Collision Center - Pirate Marketplace Activities: • 10 am: Spike And Splash Volleyball — Co-Ed Amateur Team Contests Begin • 10 am: Contraband Days Pirogue Building Contest — Pirogue Building And Launch Begins — LCCC Grounds • 11 am: Spike And Splash — Pro Beach Volleyball Finals • 11 am: Spike And Splash — Pro Watercross Racing Championships • 3 pm: Awards Ceremony For Watercross And Volleyball — Pit Row • 3 pm: Bed Races Start — LCCC Grounds • 4:30 pm: Pirougue Race Starts — Seawall • 5:30 pm: “Show Me Your Dinghy” Contest and Parade — Seawall Outdoor Stage: • 4-5 pm: Rusty Metoyer Zydeco Krush • 5-8 pm: Chris Ardoin

MONDAY, MAY 6 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show • 6 pm: *Todd Armstrong Carnival

TUESDAY, MAY 7 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show • 6 pm: *Todd Armstrong Carnival

WEDNESDAY, MAY 8 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show • 6 pm: * Todd Armstrong Carnival

THURSDAY, MAY 9 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Rock The Dock Finals - Aussie Kingdom • 4 pm: Festival Gates Open Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

by Lloyd Lauw Collision Center - Pirate Marketplace *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Activities: • 7 pm: Rock the Dock Finals

FRIDAY, MAY 10 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Scott Firefighter Challenge • 4 pm: Festival Gates Open - Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

By Lloyd Lauw Collision Center - Pirate Marketplace • 5 pm: *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Outdoor Stage:

• 6-6:45pm: Jo-El Sonnier • 6:45 pm: T Graham Brown • 8:15-9:15 pm: Charlie Worsham • 10-11:15 pm: Kentucky Headhunters

SATURDAY, MAY 11 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show - Aussie Kingdom - Firefighters Challenge • 10 am: Festival Gates Open - Galley Alley Food Booths - Galley Alley Dining Area, Sponsored

by Lloyd Lauw Collision Center - Pirate Marketplace • Noon: *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides Activities: • 8 am: Contraband Days 5-Miler, Presented by The Lake Area Runners — Capital One Building, Downtown Lake Charles • 10 am: 15th Annual Contraband Days Car Show, Sponsored by O’Reilly Auto Parts • 2-5 pm: Strut Your Stuff Power Boat Exhibition • 5:30-7 pm: Contraband Days Boat

Parade • 9 pm: 56th Annual Fireworks Party (Invitation Required) — LCCC Buccaneer Room And Third Floor Balcony • 10:15 pm: Contraband Days Annual Fireworks Spectacular Ninth Annual Bar-B-Que Cookoff: • 7 am: Check-in • 9 am: Chief Cook Meeting • 11 am: Judging of Seafood • Noon: Judging of Chicken • 1 pm: Judging of Ribs • 2 pm: Judging of Boston Butt • 4 pm: Award Presentation Outdoor Stage: • 1:30- 2:30 pm: Ganey Arsement And The Lakeside Gamblers • 3-4 pm: Ivy Dugas And The Cajun Cousins • 4:30-5:30 pm: Jamie Bergeron And The Kickin’ Cajuns • 6-7 pm: High Performance • 7:30-8:30 pm: Damon Troy • 9-9:45 pm: Jo-El Sonnier • 3-10 pm: Tiki Island Radio — Renn Loren And Tiki Town Castaways, Dani Hoy, Matt Haggatt, Davis McKenney Kid’s World Stage: • 10 am: Registration for Children’s Pirate Costume Contest • 11 am: The Buccaneer’s Pirate Costume Contest for Children

SUNDAY, MAY 12 - Nancy Melton And Friends Watercolor Show • Noon-8 pm: *Todd Armstrong Carnival Rides (Mother’s Days Special —TBA)

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CONTRABAND MUSIC JO-EL SONNIER

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 6 PM The music of Jo-El Sonnier is a way of life. He occupies a significant place in the rich artistic landscape of this country. His fans are undeniably dedicated, and the music industry elite — Dylan, Costello and Hank Williams Jr., to name a few — admire his work to no end. He is a “musician’s musician” with a wonderful gift for entertaining.

Known for his incredible stage performance, Sonnier has performed all across the world; in 28 countries and in 49 states, including the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Edmonton Folk Festival to performances throughout Europe, South America and Japan. Sonnier is backed by six accomplished musicians which form the band called Louisiana Pride.

Sonnier gives 100 percent at every show. “I perform every show as if it was my last,” he says, “and it doesn’t matter to me if there are only 25 people or 25,000 people in the audience — I still perform the same way.” continued

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CONTRABAND MUSIC T. GRAHAM BROWN

MIDNIGHT STAR

There is only one T. Graham Brown. He is a journeyman and songwriter whose blue-eyed soul sound defies musical boundaries. He’s penned several hit country songs, and has garnered 10 Top-10 hits, a CMA Award, and a long list of national radio and television ads.

When Brown arrived in Nashville from his native Athens, Ga., in 1982, he quickly found work as a studio singer making demonstration tapes. He was quickly signed to Capitol Records. His first single release, “I Tell It Like It Used To Be,” stymied country radio DJs, but they played it anyway, and it became a hit. He followed it with “Hell And High Water,” “Come As You Were” and “Darlene.”

All became huge country hits, and Brown and his band, affectionately known as the Rack Of Spam, hit the road and haven’t looked back since.

And the hits kept on coming. “Brilliant Conversationalist” not only scored on the country charts, but its accompanying video garnered airplay on VH-1. His version of Otis Redding’s “Dock Of The Bay” became a hit in Germany, while “Rock It, Billy” was a success in England. He was nominated for Country Music Association awards in 1987, 1989 and 1990, and won in 1992 for the Vocal Event of the Year with George Jones and others on “I Don’t Need Your Rocking Chair.”

In 1998, Brown’s single “Wine Into Water” not only inspired the lives of countless individuals but went all the way to the top of the Christian Country Music chart, and was awarded the No. 1 independent music video of the year.

Brown’s talents as a commercial jingle singer are in constant demand. He has sung on numerous national commercials for products including Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Budweiser, Ford Trucks, Harrah’s Casinos and 7-Up. He has earned recognition in the Commercial Hall of fame in Chicago as the face and voice of Taco Bell’s “Run For The Border” campaign for four continuous year.

Brown’s latest release “The Next Right Thing” was rated among the top 5 country CDs by the USA Today, and The Chicago Tribune rated it the No. 1 Country CD of the year. Brown’s “Live At Billy Bob’s” has just hit the streets.

Formed at Kentucky State University in 1976, Midnight Star began as a selfcontained party band in the P-Funk/Earth Wind and Fire mode, and quickly earned a strong reputation throughout the world. A 1978 New York City showcase inspired Solar Records chief Dick Griffey to sign the group, and early 80’s albums like The Beginning, Standing Together and Victory gave the band a chance to hone their chops. Everything came together with the Certified Double Platinum Plus album “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” which established Midnight Star as world-renowned songwriters, producers and entertainers.

The groups passion and love of music, and their strong desire to keep their fans satisfied, has led to streams of top 10 and No. 1 hits. It began in 1983 with dance-floor smashes like “Freak-a-Zoid,” “No Parking on the Dance Floor,” “Wet My Whistle” and the lovers’ ballad of the mid-´80s, “Slow Jam” that, to this day, no one can get enough of.

The “Planetary Invasion” LP of 1985 took them to No. 1 with “Operator,” and the sizzling “Curious.” In 1986 Midnight Star struck gold with the chart buster “Midas Touch,” and the title cut from the Headlines LP. The year of 1988 rowed them to the top once again with the No. 1 “Don’t Rock the Boat” (which featured rapper Ecstasy of Whodini), and the top 10 “Snake in the Grass” from their selftitled CD. Midnight Star broke into the ´90s with the smash “Do It (One More Time),” from their “Work it Out” CD, which also featured the sultry ballad “Red Roses.”

After extensive international touring, some of the band’s members decided to

FRIDAY, MAY 10, 6:45 PM

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FRIDAY, MAY 4, 9 PM

CONTRABAND MUSIC pursue other projects. “Deep down, everyone had the intention of getting back together again,” says vocalist/guitarist Melvin “McArthur” Gentry. “I’ve been behind the scenes a little bit, doing production projects on Toni Braxton, Shanice Wilson and others.”

Vocalist and keyboard player Boaz Watson has worked as McArthur’s production partner. He has also co-written songs with renowned songwriter/producer Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, including hits for Toni Braxton and After Seven. He has served as musical arranger for two Toni Braxton tours and as musical director for the Babyface tour. Boaz is also musical director for MTV’s Babyface Unplugged concert and CD featuring Stevie Wonder and Eric Clapton, and Edmonds’ live performance on the 1998 Grammy Awards.

Beautiful lead singer Belinda Lipscomb took her talents to the theater, with lead roles in several musical comedies and gospel musicals. “I’ve been honing in on who I am and where I want to go,” says Lipscomb. In addition, Lipscomb sang on several national radio and television commercials, including a series of spots for the popular Caribbean resort Sandals.

So what can the audience expect from Midnight Star today? Lipscomb says, “We will hit the stage with the high-energy performance that we are known for, remembering all the things that were so special about the group — letting everybody’s light shine.”

Boaz sums it up by saying “We’ve all been able to go out and have our individual successes, and we’ve learned different things. We’ve brought these experiences to the group, and now we can enhance the talents that Midnight Star already had, and make our music more exciting than ever.” continued

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CONTRABAND MUSIC THE AUDIO ADRENALINE KINGS AND QUEENS TOUR (FEATURING AUDIO ADRENALINE, GROUP 1 CREW, SEVENTH DAY SLUMBER, AND MANIC DRIVE)

MAY 2, 6:30 PM, CONTRABAND DAYS FAMILY NIGHT Since they became a band in the mid ´90s, Audio Adrenaline has sold over three million records, has garnered two Grammy Awards (for Best Rock Gospel Album of the Year for “Until My Heart Caves In” and “Worldwide”) and multiple Dove Awards. The band has achieved 17 No. 1 singles, was awarded CCM Song of the Decade for “Big House,” and their 1996 album “Bloom” received RIAA Gold certification.

In 2007, Audio A’s lead vocalist Mark Stuart had to step down due to a medical condition called spasmodic dysphonia (involuntary muscle spasms of the larynx). The band chose to disband, turning their energies to their Hands and Feet Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing long-term, family-style care for orphaned and abandoned children of the world with the love of Christ.

In 2012, prompted by a series of conversations with noted CCM artist manager Wes Campbell (Newsboys), Mark Stuart and Will McGinniss re-launched Audio Adrenaline, in partnership with Campbell and his agency, First Company Management. Together, they invited former DC Talk vocalist Kevin Max to be the new frontman for the band, and rounded out the new lineup with several CCM veteran musicians.

Original band members Mark Stuart and Will McGinniss are still very much a part of the re-formed band.

McGinniss continues his role as the band’s bassist, while Stuart is very much a part of the overall band management, writing for the new album as well as serving as Hands and Feet Project’s executive director.

With Max as lead vocalist, CCM vets Dave Ghazarian (Superchick) is on guitar, Jared Byers (Bleach) on drums, and singer-songwriter Jason Walker plays keys and backing vocals.

Audio Adrenaline’s label debuted with Fair Trade Services in March, 2013. Net proceeds from album sales will go to Hands and Feet Project, the ministry that was founded by Stuart and McGinniss in 2004. continued

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HYDROSEEDING

HYDROMULCHING EROSION CONTROL MATTING COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL APPLICATION

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CONTRABAND MUSIC JAMIE BERGERON AND THE KICKIN’ CAJUNS SATURDAY, MAY 11, 4:30 PM

On any given weekend, you’ll find the Kickin’ Cajuns performing at most festivals, corporate events and clubs. A veteran EMT-Paramedic with Acadian Ambulance, Jamie Bergeron is a life-saver, singer-songwriter and accordion player. The group’s fans, both young and old, are some of the most devout you’ll find ... they’re always at the shows, buying CDs, T-shirts, and whatever else they can get their hands on.

The band’s got four CDs in their catalog, and are appearing all across the country. Even the Discovery Channel has featured their music on the popular “Great Biker Build Off 2” series, and the Food Network has also featured the band, as have many other networks and shows. For more information, visit the band’s website at kickincajuns.com.

HIGH PERFORMANCE SATURDAY, MAY 11, 6 PM

In 2009, “La renaissance de la salle de danse” was ushered into the Louisiana music scene with the birth of High Performance. Listen to their “Live From Breaux Bridge” (vols. 1 and 2) albums, and you see that a high performance is exactly what the band delivers. Just three short years after the release of those albums, the boys are back for their very first studio project and, like all things that get better with time, the band has become impressively well-seasoned. High Performance’s 2012 album project, “That’s What Makes The Cajuns Dance,” is sure to inspire you to get off the couch and go tear up the dance floor one more time.

GANEY ARSEMENT AND THE LAKESIDE GAMBLERS SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1:30 PM

Growing up in Lake Charles, Arsement was surrounded by a variety of musical influences such as Cajun, Creole, Zydeco, Blues, Country and Western, and Texas Swing. Despite growing up nearly 100 miles from the hub of Cajun Country, the music he creates is, without a doubt, Cajun.

For nearly 20 years, Arsement has been involved in the Cajun music scene. In 1996, he joined the Grammy nominated group The Basin Brothers, and played bass with them for nearly two years. In late 1997, he joined Balfa Toujours, a group founded by the daughter of the world-famous Cajun fiddler Dewey Balfa. It was with this group that Aresement had the opportunity to tour the world. During his time with Balfa Toujours, he played traditional Cajun music in 43 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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FESTIVAL ADMISSION & PARKING

AUSSIE KINGDOM

One-day admission is $5, children 5 and younger are free. Gate passes (available for a limited time) are $13 for the entire festival ($10 for pass, $1 processing fee and $2 ticket leap fee; passes available online at contrabanddays.com).

Presale gate pass for the entire festival are $10. General parking is $2 per day.

Aussie Kingdom is bringing the Australian outback to Contraband Days. There will be three educational and entertaining stage shows per day. You’ll see, touch and hold kangaroos, wallabies, walleroos and other native Australian wildlife.

TOUR LAFITTE JEAN LAFITTE (LANDING) EXPERIENCE With a Jean Lafitte Experience Pass ($100), you can join Jean Lafitte and his band of Buccaneers as they land in Lake Charles for Contraband Days. This special event pass grants the holder access to ride in the procession that brings Jean Lafitte to his eventual capture of the city. Pass also grants the holder complimentary beverages during the landing event. Restricted to those ages 21 and up.

The annual Contraband Days Tour Lafitte bike race will take place May 4.

Registration packet pick-up will be at 6 am; the race will start at 7:30 am. Riders will have a choice of five routes (60 miles, 50 miles, 40 miles, 27 miles and 10 miles) with fully stocked breakpoints along the way. For registration forms or more information, visit tourlafitte.com.

SPIKE AND SPLASH VOLLEYBALL TOURNEY BARBECUE COOK-OFF The Contraband Days Barbecue Cook-Off will take place Saturday, May 11.

Teams will be submitting delicious entries in four categories, including chicken, ribs, Boston butt and seafood.

There will be a $250 prize for the first place winner in each category, and a $750 prize for the overall winner, who must have competed in all four categories to qualify. Prize amounts are subject to change according to number of entries.

Proceeds will benefit the Ulster Project. Entry forms are available on the Contraband Days website’s event application page.

The EVP Beach Volleyball Tour presents the Spike and Splash Volleyball tournament, to take place Friday, May 3 through Sunday, May 5.

For more information on these and other festival events, call the Contraband Days office at 436-5508, or visit contrabanddays.com.

CONTRABAND DAYS FIVE-MILER The Lake Area Runners will host the annual Contraband Days Five-Miler Saturday, May 11, 7:30 am, starting at the Capital One Building.

Pre-Packet pickup is at TriRunning during normal business hours on the Thursday and Friday before the race.

ARM-WRESTLING The Contraband Days Arm Wrestling Tournament will take place Saturday, May 4.

The tournament is hosted by The Compassionate Friends of SWLA, a grief support group for families who have lost a child.

PIROGUE CONTEST The Contraband Days Pirogue Contest will take place May 6.

Pirogue construction will be from 9 am-4 pm, and the pirogue race will begin at 4:30 pm. Teams must be registered by Wednesday, April 25.

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High Tech Driving Today’s Vehicles Are Teched Out For Safety, Entertainment And Comfort ...

But Does All That Gadgetry Make You Vulnerable? By Karla Wall deer, person or another car — and display the image on the windshield. Such precollision systems can increase available reaction time for nighttime drivers driving at 60 mph from 3.2 seconds to a full 15 seconds.

The new Buick Regal goes so far as to offer Adaptive Cruise Control, which senses traffic in front of the car and adjusts vehicle speed accordingly — even stopping the car when necessary and accelerating again.

VISIT AN AUTO DEALER’S showroom today, and you’re more likely to discuss things like smartphone and bluetooth connectivity, keyless ignition, display touch screens, voice activated radio controls, USB ports, back-up rear-view cameras, and adjustable seating and pedal placement memory settings than you are engine power, anti-lock brakes, acceleration rate, four-wheel drive and transmissions.

Today’s new vehicles come with all sorts of high-tech goodies to keep you safe, keep you on the right road to your destination, keep you and your passengers entertained, warn you when the vehicle needs maintenance and when tire pressure is low, and much more.

CONNECTED, INFORMED AND ENTERTAINED

SAFETY FIRST Most of the high-tech wizardry in today’s new cars is geared toward keeping driver, passengers, and other drivers on the road safe.

The Electronic Stability Control device, for example, standard equipment since 2012, uses computers and independent brakes on each wheel to take over and “steer” the car in the event of a skid, or to prevent a skid and a rollover.

Adaptive headlights pivot in the direction the driver is turning so that the driver can see around bends sooner.

Digital and infrared blind spot detectors on rear view mirrors can signal a driver when a vehicle is in the driver’s blind spot.

Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems read tire pressure, and alert the driver when the pressure is low. The monitoring system communicates via radio frequency transmitter to a control unit that sends commands to the central car computer.

The controller area network bus (CAN), which allows electronics to communicate with each other through the on-board diagnostics system, triggers a warning on

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the vehicle’s dashboard.

Lane departure warning signals can let a driver know when his vehicle has made an unintentional lane departure when the turn indicator is not activated.

The device will cause the wheel to vibrate when the vehicle leaves the lane, activates an alarm, and may even apply the brakes to keep the vehicle in its proper lane.

Precollision systems can warn you of fast-approaching non-moving objects up ahead, such as parked cars or a deer standing in the middle of the road. Cameras look for objects and traffic up ahead, and cameras mounted in steering wheels can even analyze your face to determine whether you’re aware enough and responding adequately to traffic and non-

moving objects.

Subaru’s EyeSight pre-collision system, which utilizes two cameras mounted in the center upper-edge of the windshield, can also pre-charge or apply the brakes when it spots a non-moving object ahead. The EyeSight system is now available on Subaru’s 2013 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon.

The EyeSight system can even override the driver, cutting the throttle if the system detects an obstacle but the driver continues to push the gas pedal.

Night vision infrared can look beyond the headlights and display images on a dashboard screen. Infrared systems in today’s Lexus models can detect heat hundreds of feet ahead of the car — a

Of course, onboard navigation systems have been in use for a few years now, but next-generation systems will have 3-D overviews of a driver’s route and destination, and provide real-time traffic reports from other drivers, with navigation systems communicating with each other — a wireless network of cars sending information to one another.

Nav systems can also utilize satellites to guide you into parking spaces, including parallel spots. Sensors around the car detect objects and, with the electric power steering engaged, the system actually pulls the car smoothly into the space without the driver so much as touching a finger to the wheel.

It’s the driving dilemma of the 21st Century: How do you allow a driving public that finds it impossible to put down a cell phone or iPad to remain connected and still be safe on the road? The answer: bluetooth connectivity, voice activated control and integrated iPod connection.

Microsoft has come up with the idea of SYNC, a multimedia hub that uses wireless technology to connect mobile mp3 devices and cell phones using simple voice commands.

Bluetooth connectivity allows for hands-free phone use, and going about 20 continued

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HIGH TECH DRIVING

steps further, smartphone connectivity allows drivers control of radio, start the ignition, adjust climate control, turn the lights on and off, and lock and unlock the doors — from anywhere on the planet.

DVDs for passengers have been around for a few years, especially in minivans. Passengers can watch a movie, using headphones, while the driver and front-seat passenger can listen to the radio. Today’s minivans even allow frontseat viewing of a dvd on the display touch screen — when the vehicle is in park.

New vehicles are equipped with USB ports that allow for the addition of keybords to the onboard in-dash computer screen, allowing for the writing of emails an surfing the net.

HOW SAFE ARE WE, REALLY? The bulk of the technology integrated into today’s vehicles is there to keep drivers and passengers safe, and on one level, it does make today’s cars safer than ever before. But all of that gadgetry can also make driving more unsafe than ever.

Take, for instance, and especially, onboard computer screens. Going through a touch-screen menu on a seven-inch screen while driving at 75 mph isn’t exactly safe. A recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study conducted by Virginia Tech showed that 80 percent of vehicle collisions involved dri-

With infotainment systems and toll booth transponders, information about your driving habits and destinations can be electronically stored. ver inattention within three seconds of the event.

A car traveling at 40 mph covers almost 60 feet per second. That means a

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driver who lets his attention wander from the road for two or three seconds can cover as much as 176 feet — lots of room for tragic error.

While Nav systems can get you to your destination, they, too, can take attention away from the road, whether to read the display or change the setting.

Features such as adaptive headlights and pre-collision systems can make drivers overconfident, feeling that they don’t need to be as attentive or as defensive while driving. If you know your vehicle’s computer will take over in the case of a skid, you’re less likely to slow down on a slick road, for example. If you have adaptive headlights, you’ll tend not to reduce

your speed so much around curves and corners.

Beyond taking your attention away from the road and potentially making you less careful, vehicle technology can leave you vulnerable in a few other important ways.

First, obviously, is that that wonderful new ride with all the bells and whistles — the doors that open and close automatically with just the touch of a door handle or the push of a key fob button, the electronic power steering, the computerized engine — relies on technology for everything — throttle, transmission, brakes. And that technology can fail, as any computer user knows. Repairs are costly and complicated — and there’s no “jerry rigging” the vehicle to limp it into the nearest mechanic.

All of this technology also makes it easy to become lax about regular maintenance. Tire pressure indicators, for instance, are set to go off at 20 to 25 percent below the recommended threshold for re-inflation, says Ron Fogal, general manager of Pumpelly Tire Center.

“We find most customers tend to rely on their computerized tire pressure indicators to maintain their tires,” he says. “But you should have your tires checked monthly. You need to stay ahead of maintenance, and let those indicators be a second line of defense, not the first.”

More troubling, with the advent of smartphone technology, the same technology that allows you to adjust settings, start the car or set the climate control

from your cell phone from anywhere also means that someone else with the knowhow to hack computers can take over your car’s systems remotely Researchers at the University of South Carolina and Rutgers University, according to CNET News, tested two tire pressure monitoring systems and found they were able to turn the warning lights on and off from another car traveling at highway speeds from 12 feet away, using low-cost equipment. It’s not unthinkable that drivers could be forced to pull to the side of the road by a hacker turning on the low-pressure tire warning.

Researchers at the University of Washington and the University of California, San Diego, again according to CNET, tested the ease of compromising onboard diagnostics systems by connecting a laptop to the system’s port and then controlling it via a second laptop in another car. They were able to remotely lock the brakes and the engine, change the speedometer display, turn on the radio and heat, and honk the horn.

Experts are quick to point out, however, that the threat to drivers is minimal.

First, there’s no financial gain in hacking into a vehicle’s system. And there’s no single computer “platform” used in cars, as there is in personal computers. There’s no Windows program for cars, so a hacker would have to have knowledge of many different systems in order to cause any mischief.

And automakers are keeping security

car to auto manufacturers. And last year, GM, which installs OnStar navigation systems in its vehicles, proposed asking its customers to agree to let GM sell information gathered from OnStar customers — current customers as well as past customers, those whose subscriptions to OnStar had ended. According to USA Today, GM does not sell its information — the proposal was killed thanks to public outcry. But it does check batches of vehicles to gain information about whether they’re running smoothly, ostensibly to keep abreast of problems and make improvements.

MIXED BLESSING?

in mind. Ford, for example, uses several security measures in its SYNC connectivity program, according to CNET, including only allowing Ford-approved software to be installed at the factory, and setting the default security to Wi-Fi Protected Access 2, which requires users to enter a randomly chosen password to connect with the Internet. It also uses two firewalls — a network firewall similar to a home Wi-Fi router and a separate CPU that prevents unauthorized messages from being sent to other modules in the car.

PRIVACY ISSUES In this computerized world, privacy has almost become a thing of the past,

even when you’re driving your car.

With new infotainment systems, as well as after-market additions such as tollbooth transponders, information about your driving habits and destinations can be electronically stored.

Going a step further, all vehicles may soon be equipped with “black-box” accident data recorders, similar to those on airplanes. The system can retain information such as how hard you braked, your car’s speed, and whether or not you were wearing your seat belt. According to a recent USA Today report, 98 percent of new vehicles already have the technology.

Navigation and infotainment systems can be used to relay information about a

Technology has been both a blessing and a curse, most people would agree.

While none of us would give up cell phones or forego the constant checks on Facebook, email and our favorite Interneet sites, some say, with justification, that it’s leading to an impatient, over-sharing society in which privacy is less and less important, or even possible.

And the technology in vehicles, too, is a double-edged sword. While those wonderful gadgets make driving and traveling in a car safer and more pleasant in so many ways, they also come with some serious drawbacks.

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No Probs Getting A Car Loan With No Problems GETTING A CAR LOAN with less than perfect or even no credit can be difficult, but it’s not impossible.

One of the most obvious things you can do to assist you in getting a car loan is to save up a down payment. The larger your down payment is, the better your chances of getting a loan. A down payment shows your commitment to the purchase, and shows you have some hard work invested.

Once you have your down payment, you are ready to start your car purchasing journey. Begin by gathering some documentation, then ask for help from family and friends, and, finally, ask the bank or car dealer for a loan.

CHECK WITH A BANK OR CAR DEALERSHIP Start at the bank or credit union where you have an active account. They will have easy access to your account history, and will be more likely to give you a loan if you have a prior relationship with them. If you do not have a bank account, set one up as soon as possible. You are more likely to get a better deal at your bank than a car dealership.

However, if your bank is unable to help you, try the car dealership. Whether you are at the bank or the car dealership, have the documentation you gathered from the list above ready to go.

ASK FAMILY AND FRIENDS FOR HELP Family and friends are a great place to start when looking for help financing a vehicle without credit. If they do not have the ability to give you the full loan, it might be possible to have them co-sign on a loan. A co-signer is an individual other than the borrower who signs a promissory note, and in so doing assumes equal liability for it. To put it simply, you are using someone else’s

credit score to purchase your vehicle.

The bill comes to you, and if you don’t pay, the cosigner has to pay, or their credit will suffer. A late payment will not only damage your cosigner’s credit but also your relationship with him or her. If you do get the full loan from someone you know, lay out a solid plan of repayment so the situation is less likely to get sticky. Agree to a set interest rate and time frame of repayment. Print out an amortization schedule (bankrate.com has a free calculator).

Always make your payments on time, and do your best to pay off your loan early.

GATHER DOCUMENTATION A major factor in getting approved for a car loan is your credit history. If you do not have a credit history, the lender is going to look in other places to verify if you can afford the payments and confirm the likelihood you will repay your debt. Gather the following documentation to substantiate your history.

• A copy of your bank statement.

• Documentation of any reoccurring bills, such as a utility or phone bill.

• Proof of employment history (multiple pay stubs should work).

It’s important to have all the above documentation. Credit history is not required to open a bank account, but it will confirm that your account is in good standing. Utility and phone bills are also easily set up without credit history, and can provide proof to the lender that you can pay a reoccurring bill on time. A source of steady income is also important. The longer you have been with a single employer the better, because longterm employment proves to the lender that you can hold a job.

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Teched-Out Rides A Look At Ten Teched-Out Vehicles For 2013 LAPTOP ONLINE MOBILE technology magazine recently released its list of the top 10 high-tech cars of 2013. Here are the vehicles that made the high-tech list.

DODGE DART This version of the Dart features Dodge’s Uconnect smartphone integration system, which allows you to make calls, listen to texts and stream music from your Android or iOS device. Wi-Fi capabilities allow you to set up your own private network within a 150-ft. range.

The car also features a 7-in. reconfigurable digital instrument cluster with navigation, speedometer, driving efficiency and vehicle status modes.

TESLA MODEL S The Model S is a performance-focused electric car capable of going from 0 to 60 in 5.6 seconds. It also happens to pack one of the slickest interiors in the business, featuring a completely digital

layout (as opposed to physical instrument clusters). The massive 17-in. touchscreen display provides info on navigation, media and climate control. It’s WiFi ready, so you can log on as long as the

car’s in park.

HONDA ACCORD The 2013 Accord boasts a styling makeover, as well as the new Honda-

Link infotainment system, which allows you to access your smartphone’s calling, texting and music features via Bluetooth or USB tethering. And with Harman’s continued

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TECHED-OUT RIDES TOYOTA AVALON Aha Internet radio integration, you can also access Web-based radio, scour news stations, get Facebook updates, and search for places to eat using Yelp — all via Aha’s various audio stations.

The 2013 Avalon is one of the most teched-out cars Toyota has ever produced. Fitted with Toyota’s Entune infotainment system, the Avalon gives drivers access to Bing Local Search, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, Pandora and more.

The Avalon also features the eBin, a compartment specifically made to hold your smartphone when it’s connected to your car, and hide its tangle of wires.

MERCEDES BENZ GL-CLASS SUV

2013 LEXUS LS The new Lexus LS’ technology package features a 12.3-inch multi-display screen that will let you view a large map for navigation while simultaneously selecting music, adjusting climate controls and making phone calls. All of these features can be accessed via steering wheel-mounted controls or through Lexus’ next-generation Remote Touch interface.

If you choose the Lexus Enform with App Suite, you’ll be able to connect your smartphone to your LS 460, as well as access such apps as Bing local search, Facebook Places, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, Pandora and Yelp.

Mercedes’ all-new GL-Class SUV features the new mbrace2 infotainment system. The vehicle uses an in-car 3G data connection to provide access to a host of Mercedes-developed apps, including Mercedes-specific versions of AP News Feed, Facebook, Google Local Search and Yelp.

The GL-Class also offers users the ability to connect their smartphones via Bluetooth or USB in order to make and receive calls, listen to text messages and stream music.

FORD FUSION ENERGI Ford has completely reinvented the Fusion for 2013. In addition to a new exterior and interior design, this plug-in hybrid features Ford’s Sync and MyFord Touch systems, complete with an 8-in. touch screen in the vehicle’s center stack and Ford’s SmartGauge configurable displays surrounding the speedometer.

Because the Fusion Energi is a hybrid, Ford includes its EcoGuide cluster option, which provides users with the ability to track their overall driving efficiency using Efficiency Leaves. The leaves give drivers a general idea of how efficiently they are driving.

CADILLAC ATS At the heart of the ATS is its 8-in. touch screen, which comes complete with haptic feedback and proximity sensors that detect when your hand is approaching. Powering the touch screen is Cadillac’s CUE (Cadillac User Experience) system, which allows you to control your smartphone, check the weather, search for directions and view important driving information on your windshield via the ATS’ heads-up display.

BUICK ENCLAVE AUDI A4 The A4 got some serious tech upgrades for 2013, including the Audi Connect system, previously available only on the high-end A8 and A7. Audi Connect uses an onboard T-Mobile 3G connection to give users access to Google Voice Local Search, Google Maps and Earth, and Internet radio. You also get Wi-Fi hotspot functionality for up to eight devices, real-time local weather, travel info and news.

The A4’s MMI Navigation Plus system features a 7-in. display, 40GB hard drive, and Audi’s Nvidia Tegra-powered MMI interface, which features handwriting recognition.

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Buick’s best-selling luxury crossover is teched out for 2013. The Enclave’s new IntelliLink infotainment system sports a 7-in. touch-screen display; Bluetooth and USB smartphone integration; access to Pandora, SiriusXM and Stitcher; and an optional rear-seat DVD system.

But the Enclave’s biggest enhancement is its revolutionary “front center side airbag.” Located between the driver and front seat passenger, the air bag automatically deploys during a side collision, creating a barrier between the driver and passenger that helps prevent injuries.

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The stylish three-wheeled Can-Am Spyders are grabbing attention. Spyders look like a cross between a motorcycle and a trike. They’re in a class of their own.

“It’s not a motorcycle,” says Chaz Rice of Can-Am, a division of Bombardier Recreational Products, which manufacturers the Spyder. “It doesn’t handle like a motorcycle.

There’s no leaning. With the roadster, it’s a totally different adventure.”

But the vehicle has at least one thing in common with a traditional motorcycle. “It’s still wind in your face!” says Rice.

Spyders, which cost anywhere from $17,000 to $30,000, garner a lot of attention on the road. Owners say they get stopped all the time by other drivers wanting to know more about the vehicle.

The Spyders, which were first released in 2007, are available in two models: the RS, which is designed to be sporty and is ideal for a single rider, and the RT, which is designed for touring and has a large seating area for the driver and a passenger.

Entry forms can be picked up at any O'Reilly store or visit www.contrabanddays.com

‘THE GRACE FACTOR’ Even people who’ve never driven a motorcycle might be attracted to the Spyder. The untraditional third wheel creates enhanced stability and smooth riding.

“Spyders are just so safe,” says Len Damouth of Cowtown USA, a Cam-Am dealership. “The grace factor is there.”

Damouth is also president of SpyderFest, an annual event held in Cuba, Mo., every April for Spyder enthusiasts. About 1,200 Spyder owners are expected to attend this year’s event.

They come from all over the U.S., Canada and Europe.

He says Spyder drivers do more steering and less leaning than they would when they drive a motorcycle. Some drivers, especially those who are used to riding motorcycles, need a little time to get used to the way a Spyder handles, continued on page 61 April 18, 2013

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Major Mileage Plan Ahead And Follow These Tips To Hit Major Mileage Milestones HAS YOUR CAR RECENTLY celebrated a mileage milestone? Cars are better-designed and more technologically advanced than ever; every car should make it to 60,000 miles, and the majority of them will make it to 120,000 miles and quite possibly beyond. But instead of cupcakes and party favors, your mechanic hands you a laundry list of maintenance items that need to be taken care of. Do you really need to do all of them?

Within a generation, cars went from being something that a weekend tinkerer could fix to being so complicated that most mechanics need a specialized degree to work on them. Because most people don’t understand what’s going on under the hood, any suggestions from your mechanic for additional work may seem like a greedy grab for more money.

Perhaps the best place to start is your owner’s manual. Every car comes with one, and every car owner should spend a few hours perusing it. Cars nowadays are individualized, so blanket statements — such as “get your oil changed every 3,000 miles”

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As is the case with your own health, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to keeping your vehicle running well.

— no longer apply. Consult your owner’s manual to see your car’s recommended oil change schedule.

Another major factor that influences when and what your car needs done is the conditions in which you drive it.

Conventionally, it’s recommended that you replace the air filter in your car once a year, or every 15,000 miles. Though that’s a good practice for city drivers, if you go offroading or drive on a lot of dirt and gravel roads, you’ll need to replace the air filter much more frequently, possibly even every three months or so.

That said, your car should be on a

maintenance schedule. Keep up with the oil changes; get the tires rotated and balanced; check the fluids regularly. Find a mechanic you trust, and go to that person for everything. Loyalty is occasionally rewarded with discounts, and having a comprehensive history of your car’s maintenance in one place can be helpful.

So do you specifically need a 60,000mile checkup? Again, cars and technology have advanced so much recently that conventional wisdom no longer applies. So check your owner’s manual, or check with the dealership or directly with the maker.

Internet forums also can be a gold mine for maintenance-related queries.

However, most auto makers do recommend you get a 60,000-mile checkup. In addition to the usual fluids and tire check, many cars will need spark plugs replaced and the timing belt replaced or adjusted at that mark. Think of it this way: Your car is now middle-aged and needs a thorough physical. All the systems should be checked thoroughly and fixed accordingly, including the brakes, suspension, steering, fuel sys-

tem, engine, exhaust and cooling. This can be major maintenance, so plan ahead financially and get an estimate.

If your car left 60,000 miles in the dust long ago, then you need to be even more fastidious with your maintenance schedule.

Just as older humans need to go to the doctor more frequently, your car will need your mechanic’s help more than ever in its twilight years. Every 15,000 miles or so, you should be heading to the mechanic for minor tune-ups, but once you cross the 120,000-mile mark, you’ll need to have your mechanic check every major system.

Once again, spark plugs and the timing belt are likeliest to have worn out, but everything should be monitored. At this point in your car’s life, your mechanic may try to start selling you on high-mileage oil.

Most mechanics recommend it for cars with more than 100,000 miles. What is it?

Oil that has a few additives to help aging engines. Is it worth it? The jury is still out, but at $15 more than standard oil, it is considered by most consumers to be marketing hype.

SPYDER

continued from page 59

but many drivers don’t need an adjustment period at all.

“After the first week of riding it, you’re ready to cross the country on it,” says Damouth, who adds that motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists like the ride. “It’s a quick learn.”

Spyders have a push-button electric start; a traction control system that senses a loss of traction and reduces engine RPM until the grip is back; and a stability control system that monitors handlebar and throttle positioning and corrects if there’s a problem.

They also have antilock brakes, which help the Spyders during what the company calls “aggressive braking situations.”

The brakes also give the vehicles a shorter stopping distance compared to most cars. Wheel sensors detect that a wheel might lock during braking. If that happens, the sensor device rapidly engages and disengages the brake to allow the driver to steer in the direction he wants to go.

Spyders have more amenities than traditional motorcycles, including storage for groceries and cup holders. There is no kickstand.

MAINTENANCE Oil changes, tune-ups and other services are typically done at the shops that sell the Spyders.

Rice recommends that Can-Am dealers do the maintenance on the vehicles. However, he says many owners can do some of the work on their own if they want to.

Maintenance “is no different than a normal motorcycle.”

As for fuel efficiency, Spyders aren’t as efficient as traditional motorcycles because they have the extra wheel and the extra storage.

But Damouth says that overall, drivers are pleased with their miles per gallon, which can range from the mid-20s to the upper 30s.

Towing Tips Towing A Trailer Safely Behind Your Truck IF YOU OWN A PICKUP truck, chances are good that you’ll eventually tow a trailer behind it. Use these basic tips to get started.

BEFORE YOU TOW Read your truck’s owners manual to determine the pickup’s maximum load limit and to find out if the manufacturer has included any special notes associated with towing.

Make sure your trailer hitch is appropriate for the item you want to tow.

Check tire pressure on the tow vehicle and the trailer, and make sure all lug nuts are tightened correctly (find the specs in your truck’s and trailer’s owner’s manuals).

After connecting the trailer wiring to the truck, check to make sure all lights are working and (if applicable) that the electric trailer brakes are operating as they should.

Put a light coat of grease on the trailer ball before connecting the trailer’s tongue to it.

Be sure the trailer tongue is locked or latched securely on the hitch — without excessive play or looseness between the two.

Connect safety chains from the trailer to the tow vehicle.

Adjust the exterior rearview mirrors so you can see the sides of the tow vehicle and the sides of the trailer. I like to point the mirrors down slightly so I can see where the tire is in relation to the pavement lines, but it’s critical that you have a good view of vehicles behind and beside you. If you cannot see past the trailer, get different mirrors.

LOADING A TRAILER Your owner’s manuals are a good source of information for weight distribution instructions, but in general, balance weight from side to side and along the length of the trailer. Secure cargo to keep it from shifting.

If your loaded trailer isn’t level with the ground, check your owner’s manual (again) to find out if its alignment is acceptable.

PULLING A TRAILER Connecting a trailer to your truck changes just about everything about the way it drives. It takes a harder push on the accelerator to get the truck moving, a greater distance to get it up to speed, and an extended distance to stop the truck when you hit the brakes.

These changes mean you have to be more ready than ever to avoid cars that pull out in front of you or a ball rolling into the street (possibly with a child not far behind).

But since quick braking can cause jackknifing, and abrupt steering changes can make the trailer sway, it’s important to train yourself to look as far ahead as possible so that you can anticipate what might be in your path, and make slow and steady movements to handle the problem.

Slow it down in congested areas (slowing down should improve your fuel mileage). Put more space between you and the vehicle ahead of you than you normally would. Watch what’s happening several cars ahead.

Pass only on straight-aways. Allow more distance between you and potential oncoming traffic and make sure there’s enough room to pull back into your lane after you pass.

You’ll also need to be prepared to make wider turns. When you are pulling a trailer, remember that as you go around curves and corners the trailer’s wheels will not track the same as the tow vehicle’s — they will track tighter.

ENJOYING THE RIDE The demand for Spyders is increasing. “We’re pleasantly surprised with the reaction in the marketplace,” says Rice. “It’s simply about riding reinvented. It’s for someone who’s always wanted to go on a motorcycle but has always been intimidated.”

He estimates one fifth of Spyder owners are women. Another big demographic? Many owners are baby boomers. Still, no matter their sex or their age, Spyder enthusiasts enjoy the ride.

“It’s just getting out there and grabbing the motorcycle experience,” says Rice. “Going out and having a new adventure.”

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WCCH Opens OBG-1 West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital recently opened OBG-1 of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, formerly OBG-1, a local obstetric and gynecology clinic. The clinic is located at 1200 Stelly Ln. in Sulphur.

The clinic will remain under the medical direction of Ben Darby, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN, and Scott Bergstedt, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN. Allison Hansen, CNM, certified nurse midwife, will also provide services at the clinic.

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am-4:30 pm. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 312-1000.

Jr. League Pledges $80,000 For Leader Program The Junior League of Lake Charles has pledged $80,000 to the Southwest Louisiana Alliance Foundation to implement The Leader in Me program at Maplewood Elementary School in Sulphur.

The program is an innovative, schoolwide model that emphasizes a culture of student empowerment and helps unleash each child’s full potential. The process is based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, and uses age-

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appropriate material to teach skills that build self-esteem and leadership capacity in every student as part of their established curriculum. Schools who use the program have shown improvement in test scores, fewer disciplinary problems, and greater parental involvement.

To learn more about the League’s programs through donations and sponsorships, visit www.jllc.net, follow the organization on Facebook, or call 436-4025.

Delta Downs Donates To United Way Delta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel recently made a contribution of more than $58,000 to the United Way of Southwest Louisiana.

Delta Downs and its parent company, Boyd Gaming, have a long-standing relationship with the United Way. Boyd Gaming founder Sam Boyd began working with the United Way in the 1950s, and the company has played a leading role in supporting the organization in each of the communities where it does business.

CNT Featured In Web Video Series The Creole Nature Trail All-American Road (CNT) was featured in the first-ever segment of American Detours, a national video web series that features classic American cars on classic American routes.

The video, at AmericanDetoursTV.com, debuted April 15.

In November 2012, the CNT competed against scenic routes from all over the country in online voting to be chosen for the video web series.

For more information, contact Anne

Klenke, Creole Nature Trail/adventure tourism director for the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 502-4347 or aklenke@visitlakecharles.org.

Arts Council Grants The Arts Council of SWLA has announced the grant awards for the 20132014 Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Arts Funding Grant.

This competitive grant program is funded annually by the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury and administered by the Arts Council. The program’s purpose is to expand the accessibility of the arts by providing arts organizations and community groups the opportunity to develop arts programming within Calcasieu Parish.

Seventeen grants were awarded to projects and organizations in Calcasieu Parish, including F.G. Bulber Youth Orchestra, Dancing Classrooms, Cajun French Music Association of Lake Charles, Lake Charles Film Festival, Louisiana Choral Foundation, Lake Charles Civic Ballet, BayouCon 2013, Bayou Writers Group, Lake Charles Community Band, Imperial Calcasieu Museum, Downtown Lake Charles Crawfish Festival, Friends of Central School, Art on Wheels, Black Heritage Festival, Children’s Theater Company, Culture Fest, and the DeQuincy Railroad Museum.

Arthritis Treatment Seminar West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital will host a free seminar on arthritis treatment Thursday, April 25, 6 pm, at L’Auberge Casino Resort’s Event Center.

The seminar will feature several Center for Orthopaedics physicians. Dr. John Noble will discuss hip arthritis treatment and replacement; Dr. Geoffrey Collins will discuss shoulder arthritis treatment and replacement; Tyson Green will discuss ankle arthritis treatment and surgical options; and Steven Hale will discuss knee arthritis treatment and knee replacement.

Refreshments will be served.

Educational material regarding different treatment options will be available. Seating is limited, and pre-registration is requested.

To register call 527-5459 or visit centerforortho.com.

Coca Cola Donates To MSU Lake Charles Coca-Cola Bottling Co. recently donated $10,000 to McNeese State University for endowed student scholarships.

The company has established six endowed Coca-Cola scholarships through the McNeese Foundation, bringing its total donations to $90,000.

L’Auberge Hosts Empty Bowl Event L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles recently hosted the fifth annual Empty Bowl dinner benefiting the Salvation Army. The in-kind donation of $16,845 consisted of ballroom space and food and beverage donations.

The Empty Bowl dinner reminds attendees of members of the community in need. Ceramic bowls crafted by local artists are donated and attendees enjoy a variety of soups cooked by local restaurants.

lake area

people

Lewis Named Sales Coordinator Melissa Lewis has been appointed the new residential sales and leasing coordinator for W.G. Realty Company, LLC, the real estate agency responsible for leasing and selling property in Walnut Grove, a new traditional neighborhood development in Lake Charles.

A native of Moss Bluff, Lewis earned her bachelor’s in marketing from McNeese State University. She is licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission and is a member of the Southwest Louisiana Association of Realtors. She previously worked in real estate marketing with NAI Lake Charles.

FBI National Academy at Quantico, Va. He was one of 268 law enforcement officers who participated in the academy.

The program involves 10 weeks of advanced investigative, management and fitness training for selected law enforcement officers with proven records as professionals in their agencies.

Miller has 14 years of law en-

Lewis

Carlson

forcement experience. He has been employed at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office since 1999.

Baggett Is MSU StudentAthlete Of Year McNeese State senior guard Ashlyn Baggett has been named the Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year

Avery

Miller

for the third consecutive year.

The Iota, La., native is the first women’s basketball player to garner the honor three times.

Ashlyn is a graduate student pursuing her master’s in health and human performance. She maintains a 3.77 grade point average.

Carlson Joins LCMH Jessica Carlson recently joined the staff of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital as employer health and wellness manager. She will be responsible for implementing health and wellness programs not only for employees of Memorial, but for those of various local industries and businesses.

Carlson has nearly 10 years of experience in the health care industry. She earned a degree in marketing from McNeese State University. She then spent several years at Christus St. Patrick Hospital, where she worked in the fields of customer service training, fundraising and marketing. Prior to joining the Memorial staff, she served as community relations specialist for SouthernCare Hospice.

Avery Appointed To Seafood Board Larry Avery, co-owner of Gulf Island Shrimp Seafood and Big Easy Foods, has been appointed to the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

The board’s purpose is to help strengthen and revitalize the Louisiana seafood industry, to identify threats, and execute strategic plans to overcome them.

Avery is a lifelong resident of Sulphur. Prior to his current business ventures, he launched Aquatec Engineering and Supply, an enterprise with 12 locations throughout the country; and Neighborhood Mini Storage, which has five locations. He remains involved with the family’s other businesses, Avery Archives and AGNG, a real estate development business. Avery also serves as president of the Board of Commissioners for Chennault Airport Authority.

Miller Graduates From FBI Academy Jeffrey B. Miller, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office assistant warden for the Calcasieu Correctional Center and CPSO Honor Guard team member, recently graduated from the 252nd session of the April 18, 2013

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THURSDAY, APRIL 18

Cigar Club Second Nature Coushatta Isis Delta Downs Crossroads Dharma Hippie costume party, DJ show Isle of Capri The Kadillacs L'Auberge Jack After Dark DJ San-D Yesterdays Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie

THURSDAY, APRIL 25

FRIDAY, APRIL 26

SATURDAY, APRIL 27

Coushatta Brade & Hurst Dharma Open mic w Blakcard ATM (8 pm) Isle of Capri Brandon Ledet & Creole Touch; Ryan Bunch L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Cage Luna Live TBA

Cigar Club RKW Live Coushatta No Idea Delta Downs Mikko Live Big Poppa Lee & The Southern All-Stars Dharma Patrick Sheng & The McNeese Jazz Combos Isle of Capri Kris Harper & Matt Moss; Dog Hill Stompers L’Auberge Event Center Terry Fator; Hillbilly Picnic w DJ Eric Scott Yesterdays Bag of Donuts

Cigar Club TBA Coushatta No Idea Delta Downs Big Poppa Lee & The Southern All-Stars Dharma Dolo Jazz Suite-Houston Edition Isle of Capri Ryan Harris & Killin’ Time Band L’Auberge DJ Cage Texas Longhorn Reed Planchard Yesterdays Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners

karaoke

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SATURDAY, APRIL 20

Cigar Club Tom Brandow Coushatta Isis Cowboys Club 7 Radio Delta Downs Crossroads Dharma Bujie & The High Rise, Certain Satellites, WTWWS Isle of Capri Alex Rossell; Charles Mann L’Auberge Jack Goes Country Johnny Gates & The Invite w DJ Eric Scott Luna Live The Dubonauts Yesterdays Mark Reeves & Twisted X

Coushatta Horace Trahan Dharma Open mic w Tony James Isle of Capri Black Tie Affair; Streetside Jazz L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ San-D Luna Live TBA

Annie's 9pm Friday; Saturday Bourbonz 8pm Tuesdays Chicageaux Bar 8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday Club 90 8pm Saturday Coolers Thursday Crickets 8:30pm Friday DeQuincy VFW 7-11pm Friday; 6-10pm Sunday

FRIDAY, APRIL 19

Dirty Rice Saloon 7pm Thursday Frosty Factory 9pm Thurs thru Sat Handlebars Club Tuesdays & Thursdays Huddle Up Thursdays Isle Of Capri 8pm-Midnight Wednesday Kaw-Ligas Tuesday thru Saturday Mike's Place 8pm-until M,W,F Linda's Lounge 8:30-11:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday; 9-1 Saturday Neighborhood Bar 7pm Thursday No Name Lounge 8-Mid Friday, 7-11pm Sunday Old Town Tavern Fri/Sat Nights

R-Bar 8pm Friday Sam's Cove 9pm Thursday Shorty's Ice House 9pm Friday Slim's Yesteryears 9pm Thursday Spot Bar & Grill Fridays Sports Pitt 8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday Sulphur VFW 9pm-Mid Saturday Tiki Bar 8pm Friday Texas Longhorn Club 9pm Thursdays, 1am Fridays Fax listings to 433-8964 or edit@thelanyap.com

SPRING ART WALK

WILD BEAST FEAST The Lake Charles Symphony will host its annual Wild Beast Feast fundraiser Saturday, May 4 at Burton Coliseum, the first time the event has been held at the Coliseum.

The food tasting will begin at 5 pm. A live auction will follow, with auctioneer Charlie Willis, and live entertainment by Chester Daigle and City Heat will continue until 10 pm.

Approximately 30 chef teams will prepare wild game and seafood dishes.

Teams will include volunteers from local businesses and industries, local restaurants and catering businesses, and outdoorsmen. Food is prepared on-site, with the audience invited to watch the chefs in action. Attendees will be able to sample as much as they like of the many food items. Beer, wine and specialty drinks will be available for purchase. Attendees can vote for their favorite team by dropping money into the team’s basket. The team with the most money in their basket at the end of the night will win the People’s Choice Award.

Advance tickets are $35 for adults, and $10 for children ages 7-17, and free for ages 6 and younger. Tickets at the door will be $40 for adults and $15 for children ages 7-17. Advance tickets are available at the symphony office, Gordon’s Drug Store, Bella Cose, or online at lcsymphony.org.

UPCOMING BANNERS EVENTS Musician Pokey LaFarge will be in concert Saturday, April 20, 7:30 pm, in McNeese’s F.G. Bulber Auditorium as part of the McNeese Banners Series.

Of the many roots musicians traveling the world and spreading the early American music tradition, LaFarge is next in line to make a significant impact on music enthusiasts everywhere. From St. Louis, Mo., this group’s creative mix of early jazz, string ragtime, country blues and western swing rings true and fine, making it among the most innovative of all the purists performing American roots music today. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $5 for children 18 and younger.

Admission is free for McNeese and Sowela students with ID. The McNeese Banners Series will also present a lecture by National Geographic and Smithsonian expert lecturer Karin Muller Tuesday, April 23, 7 pm, in F.G. Bulber Auditorium.

Muller is a Swiss-born author, filmmaker, photographer and adventurer who set out to travel the world’s historic highways. Her lecture, “Perilous Journeys,” is a high-energy, multi-media look at Muller’s travels through war zones and communist countries, and her life among the Maasai and the Bushmen of Africa, as well as other cultures from Cuba to Sudan, Vietnam, Japan and South America.

The McNeese Banners Series will also present Ruthie Foster in concert Saturday, April 27, 7:30 pm, in F.G. Bulber Auditorium on the McNeese campus.

Foster delivers a combustible blend of soul, blues, rock, folk and gospel. In addition to leading her own band and touring with it around the world, Foster has also collaborated on stage and in the studio with a diverse list of artists including Warren Haynes, Big Head Todd, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Ruthie Foster Bibb and Paul Thorn. She’s a regular favorite at festivals such as the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Monterey Blues Festival, Merlefest and the Kate Wolf Festival.

Tickets are $20 for adults, and $5 for children 18 and younger. Admission is free for McNeese and Sowela students with ID.

The Arts Council of SWLA’s annual Spring Art Walk will take place on Friday, April 26, 5-9 pm.

The free event focuses on artist exposure by concentrating the region’s talent into a few square blocks within the Charleston Cultural District. Coffee shops, businesses, restaurants and vacant buildings will be transformed into pop-up galleries for the evening, complete with live music and vendors in the street, low cost pedi-cab rides, art battles, and interactive activities throughout downtown.

Residents and visitors will be able to tour historic downtown properties and businesses while enjoying refreshments and the best of Southwest Louisiana art.

The Art Battle, in which teams of artists compete to create a mural in one hour in front of a live audience, will make its return to the Art Walk. Mediums and styles will range from ink and brush to traditional oil and acrylic, and even graffiti. The audience will be able to watch the entire creation process, then vote with tip money to choose a winner, whose mural will be featured as public art at Central School.

Due to the popularity of the Art Battle, this year will bring the event’s first Student Art Battle, specifically designed for teams of student artists in grades 48. It will take place in front of 1911 Historic City Hall.

Interested artists wishing to participate in Spring Art Walk can download registration forms at www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.

Maps of participating locations and artists will be available on the Arts Council website, as well as at each venue during the event.

For more information on venues, artists and activities, visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org or call 439-2787.

POTTERY DEMONSTRATION 1911 Historic City Hall will host a free pottery demonstration April 20, noon-2 pm. For more information, contact Denise Fasske at 491-9159 or dfasske@cityoflc.us.

CHILDREN’S MUSEUM ANNIV. CELEBRATION The Children’s Museum will celebrate its 25th anniversary April 27.

Admission is $7 for adults and children over 23 months; $6.75 for military personnel, and $5.75 for seniors. For more information, call 433-9420.

ROLLER DERBY Lafitte’s Ladies will take on the Mississippi Rollergirls April 27 at The Grindhouse, 932 Enterprise Blvd., suite C. Doors open at 6 pm, and the game begins at 7 pm. Tickets for adults are $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Tickets are $6 for children under 10.

STATE SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP The LHSAA Fastpitch 56 State Softball Championship will take place April 26-27 at the Sulphur Parks and Recreation’s Frasch Park Softball Facility. For more information, call 721-3040.

ALZHEIMER SUPPORT GROUP MEETING The Alzheimer Support Group will hold its monthly meeting April 23, 5:30 pm, at Kingsley Place, 2420 Country Club Rd. The group meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. Admission is free. For more information, call 478-4030 or email LakeCharles-CRD@emeritus.com.

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Mountain and River

LCLT TO STAGE ‘HOT L BALTIMORE’ The Lake Charles Little Theatre will stage Hot L Baltimore at 813 Enterprise Blvd. Performances are scheduled for 7:30 pm April 27 and May 3, 4, 10 and 11; and 2 pm April 27, and May 5 and 12.

Admission is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $10 for students with ID. Season memberships are available for $75 for adults and $60 for seniors. For more information, call 433-7988.

WINDOWS ON THE WEST Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center will host an exhibition, “Window on the West: Views from the American Frontier,” opening April 26 and running through July 20.

The exhibit opening will be held April 26, 5-9 pm, during Spring Art Walk.

A collection of Arthur J. Phelan, the exhibit is an examination of Western American art. It reflects the humble beginnings of America and the untamed land of its earlier inhabitants. The exhibition will include more than 60 works from artists who all share the rare characteristic of being one of the first to set eyes on the vast, untouched land of Western America. Viewers will receive an up-close look at the grandeur of the West, the pioneers and their settlement.

Historic City Hall is open Monday-Friday, 10 am-5 pm, and Saturday, 10 am-2 pm. Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

For more information, call 491-9147 or visit cityoflakecharles.com.

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MOVIES UNDER THE STARS The spring Movies Under the Stars series will continue April 19 with a showing of The Muppets at 7 pm at Prien Lake Park.

The film tells the story of a greedy tycoon who threatens to shut down the old Muppet theatre. He’ll have to face Kermit and three Muppet fans determined to get the old gang back together in time for one incredible show.

The series continues April 26 with a showing of Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol at 7 pm, also at Prien Lake Park. Ethan Hunt and his new team go rogue when their organization is shut down after being framed in a bombing at the Kremlin. With no help or backup the team chases a dangerous terrorist from Russia to Mumbai in a spectacular array of action scenes and special effects.

Admission is free. Seating is first-come, first-served, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs, blankets and refreshments. Snacks can be purchased at the show. Showings will be canceled in the event of inclement weather. For more information, call 721-3500.

TUTEN PARK ARBOR DAY CELEBRATION The City of Lake Charles and Friends of Tuten Park will host the second annual Arbor Day celebration at Tuten Park Saturday, April 20, 10 am-2 pm at the park, located at 3801 Nelson Rd. The free event will include games, entertainment, educational projects and fun hands-on activities for the entire family. Activities will include workshops on how to create bird feeders and planter boxes, tree experiments, leaf art, interactive musical demonstrations with wood instruments, as well as free ice cream.

The City of Lake Charles reTREE LC project will give away 400 trees at the event as part of the Apache Foundation Tree Grant Program. For more information, call 491-1283.

DINNER AT MI CASA FUNDRAISER CTC TO STAGE THE HOBBIT The Children’s Theatre Company will stage a school performance of The Hobbit Thursday, May 2, 10 am, at the Central School Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby St.).

The play, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, tells the story of a young and extremely reluctant Hobbit who leaves home and sets off with a band of adventurers to slay a dragon and recover an enormous treasure.

Tickets are $7 per person. Seating is limited. Schools interested in booking should contact the CTC at 433-7323 or visit childrenstheatre.cc.

DUTCH OVEN COOKOUT The Southwest Chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society, Le Chien Cookers, will hold its monthly cookout Saturday, April 27, 10 am-2 pm, at Sam Houston Jones State Park.

This month’s cookout will feature potatoes. Participating chefs will use outdoor cooking techniques to turn out tasty potato dishes. All are invited to come cook, or just come to eat and bring an item for the buffet style dinner.

Members of the Le Chien Cookers will be demonstrating Dutch oven cooking techniques throughout the day and will be available to answer questions for those interested.

The local chapter meets on the fourth Saturday of each month at Sam Houston Jones State Park.

For more information, contact Dwayne or Randy at 302-5025 or 912-9394, or visit ladutch.com. You can also check the local group out on Facebook or at LeChienCookers.com.

Sam and Denise Hebert are hosting Dinner at Mi CASA Sunday, April 21, to support Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and the abused and neglected children they serve. The dinner is presented in partnership with the culinary team of Coushatta Casino Resort.

CASA recruits and trains volunteers who are appointed by Family and Juvenile Court Judges to advocate for the best interests of children who have been removed from their homes because of abuse and neglect.

Coushatta’s culinary team will be preparing the meal. During cocktail hour, guests can wander about the property to find grilled oysters, lobster, shrimp, prime beef and blackened foie gras sliders, an assorted domestic and imported cheese display with assorted breads, fresh tropical fruits, fresh tossed pastas with local array of specialties and sauces, and butler-passed hors d’oeuvres.

Dinner will begin with crawfish bisque, then a shrimp and crab martini presented with micro greens and remoulade sauce. That will be followed by grilled bone-in filet of beef served with rosemary roasted red potatoes and sautéed baby vegetables. Dessert will be creamy Creole cheese cake topped with Louisiana strawberries and a crispy toasted pecan cookie.

Tickets are $150 per couple. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit fyca.org, or contact Roxanne Camara at 436-9533 or roxanne@fyca.org.

MSU BIG EVENT McNeese State University will hold “The Big Event” April 20 to allow the community to help McNeese students complete job requests received from area residents. Tasks include painting, fixing fences, weeding, gardening, cleaning gutters, clearing out sheds, moving firewood, etc. For more information or to fill out a job request, call 475-5605.

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REEL TALK

duane bergeron

Jurassic Park 3-D Jurassic Park has returned to theaters, this time in 3D, to honor the film’s 20th anniversary, and it is definitely worth the effort to view it again.

Jurassic Park is one of those films that has the best of everything Hollywood has to offer. One of the greatest directors in film history, Steven Spielberg, helmed the project, which was based on the best-selling novel by the late Michael Crichton. It also had the best special effects team ever assembled at that time. The end result: The movie grossed $356 million domestically, and has become one of the great film classics.

Another element that made Jurassic Park such an overwhelming success was its topic — namely, dinosaurs. Films featuring dinosaurs have fascinated movie audiences going all the way back to 1933, when the original King Kong thrilled audiences of that era. Earlier productions featured the special effects talents of the legendary Willis O’Brien, and later Ray Harryhausen. Jurassic Park surpassed their efforts with the presentation of the most realistic dinosaurs ever viewed on a theater screen. Jurrasic Park, along with Terminator 2, released two years before, introduced the era of computer-generated images, which revolutionized digital imagery. While such

opticals are taken for granted today, these two films pushed the boundary of special effects; much as the original Star Wars did in 1977.

The storyline for Jurassic Park is a streamlined version of Crichton’s novel.

In brief, multi-millionaire John Hammond (Sir Richard Attenborough) has opened a biological preserve on an island near Costa Rica. When an employee is killed in a freak accident, Hammond’s investors become concerned about the project. To placate them, Hammond recruits paleontologists Ellie

Universal Studios, Rated PG-13

Satler (Laura Dern) and Alan Grant (Sam Neill) to investigate and set the investors’ minds at ease. Also recruited is Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum), a mathematician who specializes in chaos theory.

Satler and Grant are shocked to discover the park contains cloned dinosaurs.

All goes well, at first. But when Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), a computer programmer who steals embryos for a competing firm, sabotages the security system, all hell breaks loose. The dinosaurs are able to break free of their paddocks,

and the prehistoric creatures run amok in the park.

As much as Jurassic Park is remembered for its extraordinary special effects and extremely thrilling scenes, it is also a cautionary tale about ethics in scientific research. If the scientific power of cloning could bring dinosaurs back to life from paleolithic DNA, should it be done? The narrative in both the novel and film explore the pros and cons.

Jurassic Park is an excellent example of style and substance in filmmaking. From Spielberg all the way down, the cast and crew contributed in giving film audiences one of the great modern cinema masterpieces. And for those concerned about what 20 years can do to a film, there is no need to worry.

The digital restoration of the prints make Jurassic Park seem new again. The effects still hold up well after the passage of two decades. The 3D effect provides outstanding visual enhancement in which the dinosaurs seem even more real than they did in the feature’s original theatrical run.

This is one 3D re-release that is worth the time and price of admission.

Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to see the adventure that was 65 million years in the making.

Accidents • Wrongful Death • Serious Personal Injury Criminal, Domestic Law Cases

Larry A. Roach (1932-2003) Barry A. Roach • Larry A. Roach, Jr. Fred C. "Bubba" LeBleu • David M. Hudson

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2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196

MOUNTED MEMORIES

rocke "soybean" fournet

Prime Time It’s prime time to catch the biggest fish of your entire fishing career. We’re in the middle of the spring spawn, when the heavy sows venture into the shallows to deposit their eggs. It’s consistently when the majority of big fish are successfully caught each year. It’s an exciting time to be on the water, when the very next cast could result in your personal best fish. It serves as motivation to spur you on to keep on chunking.

Reports of saltwater action in Big Lake have been totally awesome. Redfish

Traveling buffleheads.

activity, in the vernacular homeboy of Cajun Phil Broussard, “has been plumb stupid.” Also, the big trout have been very active lately, offering local die-hard anglers a rare opportunity at a doubledigit trout. There are beaucoup trout available in the 3 to 6 pound range. If you’ve ever gone toe to toe with one of these big trout, you will definitely appreciate their incredible strength and endurance. It’s a proven fact it’s the most fun a coonass can have with all his clothes on.

Phil’s number one son Kevin has been regularly scorching them in Big Lake. Limits of redfish and speckled trout with a few flounder for lagniappe haven’t been uncommon lately. Back at the dock, it’s mid-morning, just in time for brunch, and life in Louisiana is good.

Freshwater fishing locally has been equally as strong. Toledo Bend has already weighed in a bumper crop of lunker springtime bass. The window of opportunity for a giant bass is right now.

Reliable old Toledo Bend is as good a place as any in the country for that very special fish of a lifetime.

To the delight of local anglers, someone flipped a switch and Lacassine Reserve is back on. After severe drought conditions for years, the future for this freshwater impoundment didn’t seem too bright. But the marsh bass that call this

A 10-plus pound bass caught at Lacassine Reserve by Mark Monceaux.

place home evidently fared better than expected, as more than a few double digit hawgs have been caught already. With extensive stocking programs supplying smaller fish, the future is bright for upcoming years.

Lacassine is close; it provides a vast fishery that’s just a hop and a skip away from home. This scenic marsh provides an awesome backdrop with a huge variety of plants and animals. Catching fish could be considered some sweet lagniappe.

Featured in the photo corner is a trio of slick bufflehead drakes. These birds were bagged by a man who truly enjoys his duck hunting, Bill Williams. They have come full circle. Bill scored these mounter-friendly birds when he was hunting the frigid Great Lakes. He shipped the birds overnight to Lake Charles, where we mounted them in a group pose.

These magnificent little ducks that bring so many so much joy have travelled an itinerary across the country. They were harvested in Michigan, shipped south to Louisiana, mounted, and then shipped east to Florida, where they will roost on the wall in Bill Williams’ new home.

C’est bon!

Please don’t litter. Happy Spring fishing!

April 18, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

69

SARRO ON SPORTS

rick sarro

Phase One There wasn’t much time for Matt Viator and his McNeese football coaching staff to stop and smell the roses over the last 5 to 6 weeks. A big part of spring is consumed with laying a new foundation for the football season ahead.

I would think there was a bit more urgency with Viator, his coaches and players this spring as compared to others. The fact that the Cowboys are now three years removed from their last Southland Conference Championship is part of the equation. During those three seasons, McNeese wasn’t playing football beyond Thanksgiving, meaning they were home for the playoffs.

That would put any red-blooded, highly competitive coach like Viator in a mindset that time on the practice field, even with the season some three and a half months down the road, can’t be wasted.

When spring drills began, the Cowboys had a laundry list of things to work on, questions to answer and holes to fill.

Not everything is completely settled over the course of spring workouts. It’s phase one of a process that will take the Cowboys deep into August camp and even into the first couple of games to find solutions, plug holes and set the course for the 2013 season.

Tops on the must-do list was evaluating the returning talent and skill sets of the offensive linemen. The Cowboys are returning just one starter in senior Arinze Agada. He’s an All SLC talent to build around. But that’s still a lot of wide bodies to find as new first stringers.

That’s where the urgency comes in.

An offensive-minded head coach like Viator sleeps much better with an experienced O-Line on the roster. There may be some late nights in the Viator house between now and September.

It’s not only starters who were auditioned, but critical backups as well.

Offensive line coach Rob Sale, entering his second year, inherited a senior-laden line last season. It was anchored by Alec Savoie, Miguel Gauthreaux and Taylor Johnson. A lot of work, drills, position changes and film sessions were logged over spring in the early phase of this reconstruc-

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April 18, 2013

The defense finished the spring looking strong; Stroud has grown into a efficient, confident quarterback.

tion project to not only replace the aforementioned players but also find a new starting center to replace Carson Chaisson.

Sophomore defensive linemen Nick Gorman and Quentin Marsh were shifted from one side of the ball to the other in hopes of finding a new center (Gorman) and new guard (Marsh).

In the early spring scrimmages, the offense moved the ball at will and racked up some gaudy touchdowns. But as spring wore on, the defense, led by All-SLC defensive back Terence Cahee, safety Ryan Bronson and defensive end Chris Loveless, moved the execution needle back toward its side of the field and showed the offensive coaches there is still much work left to be done.

For the second straight spring, the Cowboys quarterback position wasn’t a question mark, as Cody Stroud displayed vast improvement last season on several fronts to make him the clear starter going into his senior season. He lowered his touchdown to interception ratio, increased his passing efficiency and completion percentage and scored more points. The offense gained more yards and Stroud reduced the number of sacks by more than half.

Every now and again, Stroud will lay a 300-yard passing game on an opponent, but normally he won’t wow you with stats and game-changing plays.

What McNeese needs from Stroud is to be consistent, protect the ball, stretch out possessions with first downs, make good reads on critical throws and be the offensive leader on the field and in the locker room.

Stroud won’t leave many awestruck with his athletic prowess, strong arm passes or elusive scrambling skills. He isn’t an over-the-top talent that can singlehandedly win games and automatically propel McNeese back into being a conference contender. He’s grown into a confident quarterback who can manage a welldesigned game plan and win games by avoiding turnovers and executing three to four key plays during critical drives.

That’s boring in some eyes but steady and productive in others.

Back-up quarterbacks Tyler Bolfing and Leon Blouin won’t push Stroud for the job unless an unexpected breakdown or

break-out occurs at the position.

The Cowboys had a difficult time putting together your standard scrimmages over spring due to having numerous starters and key players out with minor but nagging injuries. The running backs were hit with more than the usual bumps and nicks.

The good news was that senior tailback Javaris Murray bounced back from an early spring injury and performed well.

Veteran senior Marcus Wiltz stayed healthy and ran well, and practice squad running back Jared Williams made enough strong runs to garner some attention and reps come August.

McNeese won’t have a shortage of capable tailbacks with speedster Kelvin Bennett (nursing injury most of the spring) along with transfer Jontrey Tillman (University of Houston) fighting for playing time with veterans Wiltz and Murray.

Tight end Nic Jacobs, who transferred in after being a part-time starter at LSU, showed he can move defensive lineman with his size and blocking abilities, but didn’t see many balls thrown his way over spring.

Expect that to change when August rolls around and game planning begins.

Defensive Coordinator Mike Collins saw an experienced D-Line put in some good work and experience some improvements over spring. Senior defensive end Chris Loveless seems to be re-engerized.

He will have to up the ante to keep up with junior defensive end Everett Ellefsen, who had a breakout all SLC season.

March and April saw a lot of players in and out of the secondary in the search for new blood to replace three starters in the defensive backfield. That search will continue into August camp, but there’s no shortage of willing and capable backups and redshirt freshmen from last season.

If you haven’t erased parts of last season from your memory as yet, you might recall some hair-raising, adventurous plays on special teams. There were back-break-

"Striking Out" Jean Breaux connected on field goals of 23, 32 and 53 yards in the sprong game.

ing long kickoff and punt returns at the worst of times. There were blocked and missed field goals that stunted momentum.

It’s safe to say that special teams got some much-needed attention coupled with the need to usher in a new first team place kicker for the departed Josh Lewis. Punter Jean Breaux was impressive in the springending Blue and Gold game, connecting on field goals of 23, 32 and his longest, of 53 yards.

When was the last time you saw a McNeese kicker split the uprights from beyond 50 yards?

Prior to last season, Viator was busy recruiting and signing up new assistant coaches, accounting for the biggest staff shake-up of the head coach’s tenure.

Offensive line coach Rob Sale, defensive backs coach Chris Hampton and running backs coach Slade Nagle have had a full year of player analysis, game planning and communication. Year two will be a major plus as they’ve settled into their roles.

Viator’s spring was busy with player evaluations, offensive tweaks, time management, solutions to special team breakdowns and worries about avoiding serious injuries so far out from the real season.

He doesn’t spend an unhealthy amount of time thinking about past results he can’t change, as in two 6-5 seasons in 2010 and 2011 and last year’s 7-4 record.

Entering his 8th season as head coach, Viator knows all too well that questions and comments will be raised about three straight years out of the SLC title hunt and out of the post-season. You don’t have to tell him about coaching on the hot seat. He was raised in the business of hot seats: up years, down years, comfortable seats and chairs that may get a little prickly.

As someone recently said, “Winning takes care of everything.”

You don’t win games in the spring, but if things go well, the roses sure smell a lot better.

I enjoy watching Major League Baseball. I pull for the Houston Astros, but they seem to always struggle.

One of the greatest baseball players in major league history was Reggie Jackson, nicknamed “Mr. October,” because of his great play late in the season.

He still holds many records. One of the many great things about Reggie is that he was not afraid of failure.

Here is an interesting fact: Reggie struck out 2,597 times in his major league career. That comes to one strikeout for every four times at bat.

But he continued to step up to the plate game after game. Over the years Reggie ended up breaking so many hitting records. But he claims that he could not have done that without all the strikeouts.

Now here’s an important fact of life that we need to remember. It’s very simple. You have to swing the bat or you are never going to hit the ball! If you don’t swing with all you have, you will never hit the ball over the fence.

The great men and women of the Bible were not afraid of failure.

Moses, Ruth, Abraham, Sarah, David, Elijah, Elisha, Peter, Mary, Paul, Jesus.

The list could go on for a while. They gave it their all, risking failure.

The distinguished British leader William Gladstone once said, “No man ever became great or good except through many and great mistakes.”

Today, don’t be afraid to fail. Let’s step up to the plate and swing for the fence!

You are invited to worship at First Methodist: Sundays, 8:30 & 10:45 AM Corner of Broad and Kirkman Radio broadcast: Sundays, 8:00AM on 100.5FM

April 18, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

71

LEGEND

LANDSCAPES Licensed & Insured

337-499-4664 Commercial & Residential • Landscape Lawn Care • Hardscape Seasonal Bedding & Clean-Ups • Maintenance stuff 4 sale

classified 337-656-2928 ®

GoMinis of SWLA Lake Charles

MOVING? REMODELING? NEED ADDITIONAL STORAGE?

8' X 20' 8' X 16' 8' X 12'

COWBOY'S TOWING & RECOVERY 24-HOUR TOWING 4125 E. HWY 90 • LAKE CHARLES

337-656-2928

YACHT CLUB JOIN THE LAKE CHARLES YACHT CLUB! All boats welcome, on water clubhouse, sailboats. Call 337-474-0730 Today!

Ship to Shore k1018 _________________

help wanted NOW HIRING! HELP WANTEDSALES AGENTS needed for new company! 50% commission. Call or e-mail Mrs. Travis Perkins for details at 866-6916499 ext. 902 or travislperkins@ gmail.com k0816 _________________

Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition.

Bonded. Insured.

License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

Clean Used Cars Great Condition

GREAT DEALS ON WHEELS 2008 Ford Crown Vic loaded, like new $4995 2006 Chrysler Sebring Convertible .....$4995 2003 Grand Am extra nice clean.............$3595 1999 Mazda 626 extra nice clean ............$2995 1998 Chevy Malibu loaded, great car....$2595 1997 Grand Prix loaded, nice .................$3595 1995 Ford Aspire 4 door, economical ....$2595 1994 Toyota Camry loaded, nice ..........$2995 2002 Silverado super nice, clean ............$4995 2000 Dodge Durango excellent ...........$2995 1999 Dodge Ram uper clean..................$2995 1998 Jeep Cherokee loaded, nice ........$3595 1998 Ford Ranger loaded, clean ...........$3595 1997 Chevy Silverado ext cab.............$3595 1996 Ford Explorer super clean ...........$3595

Old Town Rd. & Hwy 171 Lake Charles, LA

439-8899

Info or Estimates: 526.2533 72

LAGNIAPPE

April 18, 2013

CUSTOM BUILT CABINETS AND FINISH CARPENTRY

1997 MUSTANG V6 CUSTOM PAINT! Loaded, automatic, from California! $5000 negotiable.

337-515-6945 _________________

For all your interior woodworking needs!

announcements

. Call Pete Leger 337-515-3272

PIANO LESSONS

gp 0202

PIANO LESSONS AGES 6 TO ADULT. CALL 625-5397 ph0401 _________________

PLACE YOUR AD CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

PARTIN JEWELRY REPAIR 34 Years Experience Jewelry Repair & Custom Jewelry Work

LAKE CHARLES AUTO PARTS

• Oil changes, tire rotations, 15k service, belts, hoses, coolant service, power steering flush,brake flush, light engine repair, tune ups, check engine light on, air conditioning service, disc and drum brakes.

• Engine Performance • Engine Repair • Brakes • Steering And Suspension • Manual Drive Train • Heating And AC • Electrical Repair And Diagnosis • DEQ Emissions Safety Inspections • State Inspections

announcements

NEW TO LAKE CHARLES! "Your Honest Hometown Family Owned Repair Shop" We offer fair labor rates, honest diagnosis and service. We don't just want your business, we want to earn it along with your trust. Complete Automotive Repair and Maintenance on cars and light trucks, with specialization on Domestic. Small or Large Repairs and Service.

QUICK SERVICE All work is done in store by me Located inside Bodin Jewelers 3133 Ernest Street (East of JCPenney) OPEN: Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat.

436-6535 Call anytime 842-9184 Bring in this ad and receive

Rickey Partin

15% OFF

any repair work!

announcements

services

stuff 4 sale

stuff 4 sale

announcements

ELECTRICIAN

PIANO LESSONS

LANDSCAPING

GARAGE SALE

SALVAGE

SEAWARD ELECTRIC, LLC-Licensed, bonded, and insured.

"Our prices won't shock you, but our quality will" Call 337249-6443 k0906 _________________

PIANO LESSONS AGES 6 TO ADULT. CALL 625-5397 ph0401 _________________

RESTAURANT LOCATION!

services

DOMESTIC AND COMMERCIAL HELP

Gaspard's Cleaning We do cleaning and run errands, i.e. grocery shopping, doctor's visits. etc.

Insured & Bonded

433-2867 302-2949 g0613

services BOAT & RV STORAGE BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________

announcements DJ SERVICE N O N - S T O P MUSIQUE- DJ for weddings, birthdays, clubs, reunions. New Year's and Mardi Gras parties, large or small venue.

Old/new school, R&B, rap, blues, zydeco, and karaoke, ADJA certified, competitive rates.

Call Ron at 337-3091412 k1004

pets DOG GROOMING NOW AVAILABLE AT BARK PARK Two professional groomers are here to serve you.

Boarding and day care are also available. Ask about our other wonderful services to pamper your pooch .

Located at 4121 Nelson Rd. or call 478-4300 k0816

SHEAR PAWFECTION PET GROOMING 2924 Summer Place Drive, Sulphur, off Houston River Road, call 337-528-5910.

Appointment only.

"Where All The Pampered Pets Go!"

services CONTRACTORS

services CONTRACTORS HOUSE LEVELING, HOUSE LIFTING. CALL ONE STOP CONSTRUCTION. Sill and truss replacement, foundation repair, general remodeling, etc.

References available, free estimates, licensed and insured. All work is warrantied. Call us at 337-309-7301. k0920

services UPHOLSTERY BOAT UPHOLSTERY and top repairs, motorcycles, convertible and more. AAA Glass & Upholstery, 1810 E. Prien Lake Road or CALL 337-564-4125 k0816

services SALES RED & BLEACH STAIN REMOVERS, CARPET DYES, CERAMIC TILE CLEANERS. Powerful truck mounts and portables. We manufacture all. NAMCO. Call Ron or Brian. 1800-634-5816 ph _________________

announcements

J O S E P H ’ S LIMESTONE Limestone or Calbase $160 for 2 tons; $250 for 4 tons; and $350 for 6 tons. Also 4 yards of sand or topsoil for only $125, or 14 tons of bottom ash for $300. Ponds dug and excavation work completed.

We do dozer, tractor, and concrete work as well as house pads, culvert installation and even demolition.

Best prices, hauling available every single day. Free estimates! Call 437.1143. n0816

announcements RV PARK/LAKE SPRING IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER, that means camping season in SWLA! 25 minutes north of Lake Charles, Longville Lake Park110 acre scenic stocked pond with boat launch. Full RV hookups available. Call or come by for your campground reservations! 337-725-3395 7115 Hwy 110 East, Longville, LA. k1220

_________________

HAIR SALON COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile.

Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0906 _________________

services BOAT & RV STORAGE BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________

services A/C & HEATING CONTACT ALL SEASONS AIR & HEAT in Lake Charles.

We offer sales and service for all makes and models of heaters and air conditioners. Our team of contractors provides residential and commercial heating and cooling services. Call today! 337855-1446 k1220

_________________

PLACE YOUR AD CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

FALL LANDSCAPE PACKAGES for every budget! We use state of the art software to show you what your landscape can look like. $100 OFF any new landscape project when you mention Lagniappe! SWLA Lawn and Landscape Licensed, Bonded, Insured 337-625-5625 K1018

_________________

services ELECTRONIC E X C A L I B U R INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS - "If it's electronic, I can fix it"Excellent service at an exceptional cost. Full on-site services for all your technology needs!

Excalibur ITS.com or call Ivan at 337-912-1490 k1220 _________________

stuff 4 sale TRAILERS

Trailers Aluminum, Steel, Horse, Stock Motorcycle, Cargo, Gooseneck, Bumper, Lowboy, Equipment

GARAGE SALE! Saturday, March 16th from 7am-2pm Appliances, Baby items, books, mens & womens clothing/accessories, scrapbook items, shoes, miscellaneous 2703 Bank St. Lake Charles

OVERKILL SALVAGE "If it's sunk, we can get it up!"

Call Today!

337-309-7301 k0920

VERY HIGH TRAFFIC LOCATION ON HWY 171 IN MOSS BLUFF! Adjacent to Bronco Stop. Full kitchen, dining area, tables, drink machines & more. Call Wali today and open your dream restaurant! 337-244-4423 gp _________________

services ELECTRONIC E X C A L I B U R INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Systems-"If it's electronic, I can fix it"Excellent service at an exceptional cost. Full on-site services for all your technology needs!

Excalibur ITS.com or call Ivan at 337-912-1490 k1220

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services LAWN & GARDEN S&S LAWN CARE for your mowing and trimming needs call David at 337-884-0342 or 337-588-4000 k0517 _________________

services FENCING FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates.

Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________

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Southwest SW Manufactured HOMES & RV'S Housing, Inc.

services HOME REPAIR ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, siding, mobile home skirting, licensed and bonded.

Call Jimmy today at 337-499-7807. ph _________________

NEW • USED • REPOS • SALES & SERVICE

LAND/HOME PACKAGES

ZERO DOWN TO QUALIFIED BUYERS

Mark Pedersen Equipment Co. 337-436-2497 an

Corner of Hwy 90 and Hwy 171

www.swhomeslc.com 436-5593

services LAWN & GARDEN

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HINTON AND MOSS LAWN SERVICELicensed, bonded, and insured. Residential and commercial. Free estimates, call 337515-5255 k1004 _________________

Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition, Crane Work, Debris Hauling.

Bonded. Insured.

License AR 1604 337-884-6881

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PERSONAL TRAINING

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Erick FranklinHead Trainer at The Gym. Offering customized workout plans for Jr. High to College aged athletes looking to improve.

Strength & Conditioning, Wide Receiver Training, Agility & Conditioning classes available, including many more!

AFFORDABLE RATES. 337-660-5717

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Kat’s Kracklins

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“The Best In Town”

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• Full Breakfast Menu

• BBQ Dinners

• Plate Lunches

• Burgers and Po-Boys

• Pork Chop

• Sweet Potato Fries

Sandwiches

• Boudin

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529 W. 18th • 494.7460 ?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@ ?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@e?@@@@@@@@?e@@@@@@@@

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g0502-2012

k0816

services

stuff 4 sale

LAWN SERVICE S & S Lawn Service ~ For mowing and trimming, and all your lawn and garden needs; both commercial and residential. We are licensed and insured, and welcome free estimates. For a yard your neighbors will envy, call David at 884.0342 or 588.4000 k1018 _________________

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Start an Exciting Career in Emergency Communications Entry Level $24,900 year w/benefits Apply at 911 Hodges Street, 2nd floor.

Equal Opportunity Employer April 18, 2013

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services

announcements

MISC. SERVICES

HAIR SALON

Sell that Junk Car for Cash! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed.

Call now at 526.9533. k1018

NEW! CUSTOM CABINET SHOP Custom Countertops Affordable Pricing Professional Custom Woodwork Entire Lake Charles Area

302-6903 PLACE YOUR AD CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile.

Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0816 _________________

3 ACRES ELEVATED LAND GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD $37,500 PER ACRE OR MAKE OFFER

DOWN ON THE BAYOU

RARE COINS Gold & Silver Coins Currency Mint & Proof Sets All Coins Graded w/Photograde I BUY COLLECTIONS

KEMBLE GUILLORY CALL 802-5402

SOUTH LAKE CHARLES 478-2386 884-2386

PLACE YOUR AD CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

services FENCING FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates.

Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________

Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Bonded. Insured.

License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

real estate MOBILE HOMES

services PLUMBING RAPHAEL BENOIT CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS - Home improvements, Remodeling & Additions. New Home Construction. Serving SWLA since 1993.

Call Raphael Benoit at 337-802-6522 k0816 _________________

MOBILE HOME TO BE MOVED. 3/2, BO over $8,000. Camper for rent. All bills paid. 2 acre lot south of Lake Charles. 477-6243 or 564-5859 gpnmr _________________ PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY class@thelanyap.com _________________

PAPER HEROES Buying U.S. Coins & Currency

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MAGIC THE GATHERING TOURNAMENTS HELD WEEKLY

services CONSTRUCTION

BOUCHER & SON'S CONSTRUCTION ~ YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT COMPANY! Give us call for all your construction, carpentry, painting, and damage repairs. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured.

Member of the Better Business Bureau.

Give Tom a call at 337-474-2844 (office) or 337-842-1455 (cell) AND SEE HOW AFFORDABLE UPGRADING YOUR HOME CAN BE! 474.2844. k0313 _________________

services SALES NEED PART-TIME, NEAT, AGGRESSIVE SALESPERSON. Draw plus commission, plus gas. Flexible working hours. Call today 1-800-6345816, ask for Ron Wiggins. ph _________________

478-2143 3941 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Larry A. Roach, Inc. A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION

Accidents • Wrongful Death Serious Personal Injury Criminal, Domestic Law Cases

k1220

Laundry W rld Larry A. Roach (1932-2003) Barry A. Roach • Larry A. Roach, Jr. Fred C. "Bubba" LeBleu • David M. Hudson

2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196 74

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Do Your Laundry in 4 Minutes!

2 minutes to drop off 2 minutes to pick up 4319 Common St. • 474-8748 2501 Hwy 14 • 433-7503

Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available PUT US TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!

announcements WE WILL BUY! SELL THAT JUNK CAR FOR CASH! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed.Call now at 526.9533. k1018 _________________

services AUTO REPAIR

YOUR SOURCE LAWN & GARDEN TIRES 477-9850 478-6565 527-6355 "People you trust, products you depend on"

services KNOX FENCE

PERSONAL TRAINING Erick FranklinHead Trainer at The Gym. Offering customized workout plans for Jr. High to College aged athletes looking to improve.

Strength & Conditioning, Wide Receiver Training, Agility & Conditioning classes available, including many more!

AFFORDABLE RATES. 337-660-5717

FLIGHT TRAINING! VISION AVIATION, LLC; LICENSED INSTRUCTOR(S).

Fly to new heights with our one of a kind “Discovery Flight” to see the sights for only $65!

Makes a unique and adventurous gift. Gift Certificates available now. Call and reserve your fun at 478.7722. k2013apr

Don’t blend in, make your home stand out with a customized fence.

Choose your own design or one of ours. We also do chainlink, ornamental, aluminum and iron fencing. Can install electric or solar gate operators. Call for a free estimate. Licensed and insured, 20+ years of experience.

Ask for Steve at 337.540.6973 k0621

JUNK CARS SELL THAT JUNK CAR FOR CASH! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! Call now at 526.9533. k1018 _________________

classified FULL-TIME SATELLITE TECHNICIANS NEEDED for well-established company.

Paid training, $500 sign on bonus, paid weekly.

Call Josh @ 888-959-9675 or submit resume to careers@satcountry.com

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

services DOORS

FINANCING AVAILABLE!

WHY PAY MORE FOR DOORS 800 instock Doors Windows & More. 489-4313 csta15 _________________

2002 1999 2004 2004 2005

Cash for Junk Cars Need Extra Cash?

WE ARE NOW BUYING CARS • TRUCKS VANS • ATV’S • MOTORCYCLES

services BOAT & RV STORAGE BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________

CHEVY SUBURBAN Pewter, 3rd row, runs great, financing available!

GMC YUKON Silver, come see it, financing available, call Luke Papania 302-2912 OLDS ALERO Silver, 97k, runs great, come drive it!

PONTIAC GRAND AM Pewter, 101k, come drive it today!

SUZUKI FOREANZA Silver, 124k, great gas saver, come drive it today!

These & more quality vehicles...

Call Luke Papania today at 302-2912!

803 E. McNeese • 337-562-9211

Also Motor Homes, Trailers and Farm Equipment. Not running? You can still make $400 and up! Get your yard cleaned up while deciding how you’ll spend your extra money!

CALL 526-9533

classified k0621

HWY 90 CONSIGNMENT STORAGE Cars • Trucks • Boats • RV's Mobile Homes • Vans Safe and Secure Storage forThose Big Items in Your Way! CONSIGNMENT: Your items can be put up for consignment to make that extra money when you decide you no longer need storage for you item. Good prices, and large customer base to purchase any items you store with us.

Call now and make some room OR some cash for your items: 337.526.2533

FULL TIME SATELLITE TECHNICIANS NEEDED for well-established company.

Paid Training, $500 sign on bonus, paid weekly.

Call Josh @ 888-959-9675 or submit resume to careers@satcountry.com April 18, 2013

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HOUSE LEVELING

classified

LIFTING AND MOVING GUARANTEED 2-YEAR WARRANTY FOR ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS! Foundation Repair • Concrete Slab Stabilization Licensed, Bonded and Insured • References

CALL ONE STOP www.onestophouseleveling.com

337-309-7301

LEGEND LANDSCAPES Licensed & Insured For ALL your landscaping needs!

Call 337-499-4664 announcements

real estate

DINING OUT

MOBILE HOMES

SHOP A-LOT DELI NOW SERVING OYSTERS! Drive-Thru Daiquiri Window Longer Dining Hours M-F 10AM-6PM SAT 10AM-4PM

2707 HAZEL 433-2135

MOBILE HOME TO BE MOVED. 3/2, BO over $8,000. Camper for rent. All bills paid. 2 acre lot south of Lake Charles. 477-6243 or 564-5859 gpnmr _________________

services SALES NEED PART-TIME, NEAT, AGGRESSIVE SALESPERSON. Draw plus commission, plus gas. Flexible working hours. Call today 1-800-6345816, ask for Ron Wiggins. ph _________________

THE

TRANSMISSION SHOP We work on all transmissions!

5817 Common Street Lake Charles 337-540-3795 337-540-6908 C. Scot LaFargue Owner

announcements RESTAURANT LOCATION! VERY HIGH TRAFFIC LOCATION ON HWY 171 IN MOSS BLUFF! Adjacent to Bronco Stop. Full kitchen, dining area, tables, drink machines & more. Call Wali today and open your dream restaurant! 337-244-4423 gp _________________

classified

Call Samantha @ Rhino Real Estate

337-304-6686 337-433-9434 Our Address: 1027 Enterprise Lake Charles, LA 70601 1010 Enterprise Blvd.-$179,000 3 bed/2 bath. Wood floors, fireplaces, sits on four lots. Great commercial potential with plenty of parking, updated electrical and plumbing.

2 New Lots For Sale-Drive by 709 16th Street for the low price of $9,000 or see the Dovick Rd. lot with more space, only $19,000.

Charming Home In Sulphur-$55,000. 3 bed/1 bath located on close to a full acre. Go by and have a look at this ideal family home at 1301 Sherwood, call for appointment viewing.

738 Kirkman St.-4 bed/3.5 bath around 3500 sq. feet, Bonus 1000 sq. feet on 3rd floor ready to finish out. Features FOUR fireplaces! Wood floors, updated kitchen and baths, pocket doors, walk-in closets, new paint, electrical and plumbing for $269,500.

759 Louisiana Ave-House with 4 apartments which bring in $1600 income sitting on an acre downtown. House has lots of potential, negotiable $249,900. OWNER FINANCING AVAILABLE. 2203 Walker St. Westlake. 3/2 1650 living, 2 big living areas.

New paint throughout, new carpet in bedrooms and wood vinyl in living areas. $145,000 115 Orchard 2/2 1750 living, 1/2 acre in the middle of town.

2 car garage, crown molding, ceramic throughout.

Everything remodeled! This one will go FAST, A MUST SEE! $164,500

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TARVER FORD: Committed To Customers And Community

BY CARLA FASADE Phillip Tarver, owner of Lake Charles Toyota, purchased Shetler Ford on Beglis Pkwy. in Sulphur three years ago. Since then, the dealership's new and pre-owned inventory has tripled, and it's also experienced a triple-digit sales increase since it opened.

keep track of their customers long after the sale, making sure things are going well with their vehicles, making sure they remain happy to be part of the Tarver customer family.

That kind of commitment from the sales staff makes sense, says Arrington, because Phillip Tarver is committed to his employees.

"He's very family-oriented," says service manager Rusty Stroderd, who's worked with Tarver for nearly 25 years. "He allows you to take time for your family whenever you need to.

And he never expects you to do anything he's not willing to do himself."

ship's reputation on. You have to deliver the goods, and Tarver has a huge selection of new and Certified Pre-Owned vehicles to choose from.

"You'll find it all here," says Arrington. "Four-wheel-drives, SUVs, trucks, small fuel-efficient cars — everything, across the board."

The fact that the dealership was select-

Limited Warranty. Customers receive a free vehicle report, and 24-hour roadside assistance.

On The Grow

According to general manager Todd Whittaker, Tarver Ford is closing sale soon on the property it's currently leasing, meaning the dealership is "completely committed to this location and to Treated Like Family Sulphur."

The reason for that kind of success?

Purchasing the property Tarver Ford treats its customers like family, also means the dealership can and word has spread about the dealership's expand and renovate, says way of conducting business.

Whittaker, and plans for a huge "We take care of our customers like expansion will be undertaken in they've never been taken care of before in the very near future. their lives," says Tarver Ford sales manager "We're going to add five Mike Arrington. "Phillip Tarver has been in new sales offices, which will Tarver Ford's managers, pictured from left to right: the car sales business for over 25 years, and Part Of The allow us to significantly increase Parts Manager Robbie Louviere, 14 years experience; Sales Manager his reputation for customer service has built Community our sales staff," says Whittaker.

Jared Bertrand, 14 years experience; Service Manager Rusty Stroderd, The lot will be expanded, as up over time."

Tarver's generosity isn't 24 years experience; Sales Manager Mike Arrington, 20 years experience; well, making room for an Maintaining that legendary customer limited to his customers and his General Manager Todd Whittaker, 27 years experience; and Finance Director John Howell, 20 years experience. increased inventory and hedges service is the number one goal of Tarver employees. The dealership is will be built to easily direct trafFord's experienced management team, also, says manager Jared which includes parts manager Robbie Bertrand, undertaking a "grass roots move- ed as a Ford Certified Pre-Owned dealer- fic into and out of the dealership. "(The hedges) will make it a little less Louviere, service manager Rusty Stroderd, ment" to give back to the community. ship says a lot, according to Arrington. sales managers Mike Arrington and Jared "As an example, about a year ago the "There are only a few dealerships confusing for people driving into and out of Bertrand, general manager Todd Whittaker dealership bought a huge outdoor grill and selected as Certified Pre-Owned dealers," the dealership," Arrington says. and finance director John Howell. Tarver a trailer to haul it with," says Bertrand. "We he says.

The parts and service department, Ford's sales staff of 14 goes out of its way go to a football game for each high school What does Certified Pre-Owned mean which already goes the extra mile, even to treat customers well during the sale, and — Barbe, Sam Houston, Sulphur, you for customers? For one thing, says offering four diesel mechanics, will also Tarver's family-oriented name it — at least once Arrington, each Ford Certified Pre-Owned undergo a huge expansion. The current approach means that throughout the football vehicle undergoes a rigorous 172-point canopied entrance, explains Louviere, will they're not forgotten season. We cook and inspection, "everything from brakes to be enclosed to create more office space for after they drive their give away barbecue, windshield wiper blades." Stroderd says the service dept. Several new service bays new vehicle off the lot. crawfish, what have you. "Every pre-owned vehicle also undergoes will be constructed.

Customers receive free It's our way of being rigorous mechanical inspections as well, Tarver Ford is also extending their oil changes for life, says involved in the commu- and they also come with our famous four parts and service hours to include Saturday.

Arrington, as well as nity — of giving back." month, 4,000 mile limited powertrain war- "It's just another way for us to extend supefree state inspections. ranty." rior customer service," says Louviere.

Certified And Tarver sales reps And with Ford's Certified Pre-Owned Tarver Ford offers a huge selection of Fleet Manager Morris Helmer, Pre-owned warranty program, you can drive off in a vehicles, an experienced and caring staff, a 24 years experience, is pictured with Being nice guys to pre-owned vehicle with complete confifriendly environment and a commitment to Grass Roots Development Manager deal with, however, isn't dence. Ford offers a 12-month, 12,000-mile its customers and community. Stop by to Shawn Fontenot. enough to build a dealer- Comprehensive Limited Warranty on all see what Tarver Ford can offer you.

Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, as well as a For more information or any questions seven-year, 100,000-mile Powertain about this Tarver Fordvertorial, call (337) 625-3030. You can visit them online at www/tarverford.com or follow them on Facebook.

CONVENIENT LOCATION: Tarver Ford is located at 930 Beglis Parkway in Sulphur.

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I-10, Exit 27 Lake Charles, LA • 1-800-THE-ISLE (843-4753) www.isleofcapricasinos.com © 2013 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Fan Club and FanPlay are registered trademarks of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Valid only at Isle of Capri® Casino Hotel Lake Charles.

All promotions subject to change without notice. Must be 21 or older and a Fan Club member. See the Fan Club for details. Isle of Capri employees and their immediate family members are not eligible. Disregard if prohibited from visiting Louisiana casinos.