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September 19, 2013

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October 3, 2013

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LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 3, 2013 • VOLUME 31 NUMBER 19

26 26 CREATIVE, COLLABORATIVE, LOCAL In its 45th year, the Lake Charles Civic Ballet stays true to its original priorities.

Brad Goins reports.

31 SWLA STEAKS The Lake Area’s finest steaks are depicted and described in mouth-watering detail. Choose your favorite or try them all.

34 REAL ESTATE Local Realtors and developers explain what they’re doing to prepare for the new housing that the coming economic boom will require. Angie Kay Dilmore reports. Also, a unique fundraising idea for the Calcasieu Women's Shelter and a look at the deck that Tony Cornner and his son built.

34 56 HEALTH CARE REPORT In a special section on the new health care plan, Lagniappe spells out the specifics of the state’s new plan and explains that its top “navigator” is one of the Lake Area’s own.

82 PAY FOR PLAY: THE TIME IS NOW Sports guru Rick Sarro

Lagniappe Magazine Serving SWLA Since 1983

explains that it’s time — time to pay all top NCAA players.

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 Rose Sauls Distribution Manager Edward Frazer Contributing Writers Jeremy Alford Dr. Dale Archer Duane Bergeron Angie Kay Dilmore Todd Elliott Pierre Fontenot Rocke Fournet Arthur Hebert John Maginnis Rick Sarro Chuck Shepherd Vic Wukovits

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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 10 14 16

Up Front Pierre Sez LA Politics Tech Bytes

18 20 22 24

News Roundup Weird News Political Notebook File 13

77 What's Happening 80 Mounted Memories 82 Sarro On Sports 91 Uncle P's October 3, 2013 LAGNIAPPE

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up

front My Excuse

So, you see, if you just crunch the numbers right, we’re still No. 1.

The Up Front column is going to be a little weak this time around. The Up Front office staff has been bustling away as usual the last few weeks. But yours truly has spent much of the time at home battling whatever kind of illness is caused when a bayou goes for months without rain. I’m calling it grisgrisitis until I think of a better name.

If I’m lucky, I’ll get well in time to get my flu shot.

So for this issue, I’m easing my already low standards. The first stuff I see on the IntraWeb is what’s going in. Don’t worry! You’ll like it!

What’s New With Poor People?

Gov. Bobby Jindal got a mighty nice headline in Washington on Sept. 19. It read “Louisiana school voucher fight: Justice Dept. vs. poor.” The problem was the headline ran not in the Washington Post, but in the Washington Times, which is the farright newspaper nobody reads.

The Times was a little slow starting to play on this particular string, which Jindal’s latest PR stooge — I think his name is Gleason or something — has been plucking away on at a frenetic pace for a month or so.

It would be wonderful if life were so simple and clear-cut that everything was a matter of big bureaucrats versus poor kids. Be that as it may, courts may find that Jindal’s move violates federal desegregation laws and declare it unconstitutional. If blanket emails could trump federal courts, Bobby Jindal would be considered one of the great political successes of the country.

No Respect For Novelty There was some not so good news for Jindal in a just-released Public Policy poll that showed him attracting just three percent of potential Republican voters in New Hampshire. Of course, we’re not so close to the next presidential election that people have to get really worried about numbers. On the other hand, high numbers never hurt fund-raising yet.

Much worse than this was the fact that Rick Santorum finished at the very bottom of the pack with 2 percent. Few politicians can lay down a rant like Santorum can.

You may remember that Santorum was the candidate who stated in 2010 that even married people shouldn’t have sex unless they’re intending to create a pregnancy. I still think telling people that they can’t have sex is the most novel approach to running for office I’ve encountered. It would be a pity to be without that novelty in the months of debates that are lying in wait for us.

Still No. 1 Good news! Louisiana does not have the highest poverty rate in the country!

Mississippi has the highest percentage of poor — 22 percent according to the new report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Louisiana comes in No. 2 — or No. 49 if you’re one of those people who insists on seeing the glass as half empty.

There was some reason to see the glass as half full on this one. Julia O’Donoghue of the Times-Picayune reported that if one averaged the poverty rates from 2010 through 2012, Louisiana came out on top, with a tad over 21 percent living in poverty.

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October 3, 2013

Conservative Liberal Bias While I was trolling the state news headlines in my daze of illness, I noticed this gem: “CASSIDY GAVE TO CAMPAIGNS FOR LANDRIEU, DEMOCRATS [sic] RECORDS SHOW.” The reference, of course, is to Louisiana Congressman Bill Cassidy.

Usually a headline like this would indicate that a Tea Partier is running against Cassidy, who is considered, by everyone who isn’t a Tea Partier, to be a conservative Republican. But in this case, the headline was run by the Nola Defender, which promises its readers “BLOOD • ALCOHOL • CONTENT.” It appears that Cassidy did contribute $500 to U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu more than a decade ago. He also gave $2,000 to former Gov. Blanco. He’s contributed other small amounts to Dems over the years.

Turns out that in this case, there is, in fact, a Tea Partier involved. It’s Col. Jim Maness, who’s running huge ads that juxtapose photos of Mary Landrieu and Bill Cassidy. Under each photo is the tagline “Mary.” In short, Maness is arguing that the conservative Cassidy is the equivalent of Mary Landrieu.

Under all that is a big photo of Maness wearing a gimme hat. Brief political note: it may take more than a gimme hat to beat Mary Landrieu.

Again, Tea Party candidates target conservative Republicans and argue that they just aren’t conservative enough. Now, this might work in Louisiana, which seems to inhabit a political world of its own. But nationwide, in 2012, the “he’s not conservative enough” approach put an awful lot of Democrats into elected office.

Louisiana Vindicated Louisiana has been vindicated as a fashion-conscious state. Finally!

It happened just the other day, when shopping site Tanga held its “Cool In Camo” sale. The site declared that camo clothing was “Fall’s coolest trend.”

Featured in the sale were such camo styles as the “Woodland Camo Long-Sleeve Tee w/Gold Foil Star ($5.99),” “Girl’s Subdued Woodland Camo Vintage Capris ($10.99)” and “Tricolor Camo Capri Pants by Rothco ($10.99).”

It’s going to take some time for camo to complete its conquest of the fashion world. I admit it stung a little when Stella McCartney gave a thumb’s down to my camo tuxedo tee shirt design. And no, I didn’t appreciate it when Donatella Versace told me I’d be the first to know if she ever got a yen to go deer hunting.

I think the thing is we’ve got to start small. I’ve been wearing my handdesigned camo tidy whities for a year now. So far, not a single deer has detected my presence in my bedroom.

Keep Your Bride From Becoming A Zombie Since I wasn’t able to generate the usual amount of prose for this column, I decided to compensate by writing about some topic that has nothing to do with any kind of news: the history of cinema. I can’t cover the whole topic in the amount of space I

have, so I’ll just cover part of the topic: lessons we learn from movies.

Here’s an example. While I was sick, I got to watch World War Z on DVD. I figure just about everybody has seen this movie. As a result, we now know what to do if most of the people in the world are infected by a zombie virus.

But have we forgotten the lessons we learned from old movies that we might not have seen in a long time? What about Killers From Space from 1954? From that movie, we learned what to do if space aliens use earth radiation to create giant grasshoppers and roaches that they use to kill earth people. What we do, in that situation, is turn off the power for the entire region for 10 seconds. It’s that simple.

Here are the lessons from some of the other old movies I saw during my illness.

Film: Two Thousand Maniacs (1964) Catastrophic problem: You’ve been invited to a centennial celebration for a little town called Pleasant Valley.

Solution: Don’t go.

Film: Santa Clause Conquers The Martians (1964) Catastrophic problem: The Martians have kidnapped Santa Claus.

Solution: Don’t worry. Santa is capable of making enough toys for both Mars and Earth.

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Film: White Zombie (1932) Catastrophic situation: You’re getting married in Haiti. Someone may kidnap your bride and turn her into a zombie.

Solution: Don’t let anyone hand flowers to the bride during the bridal procession.

Film: One Body Too Many (1944) Catastrophic situation: You’re stuck in an eerie old mansion with a bunch of creepy people. You see the butler (Bela Lugosi) stick a bottle of rat poison in his pocket. A few minutes later, he offers you a cup of coffee.

Solution: Enjoy the coffee. The butler took the rat poison because he actually intends to poison some rats.

Film: Beast From Haunted Cave (1959) Catastrophic Situation: You’re holed up with a vicious criminal gang in an isolated cabin in the mountains. Suddenly, you’re all threatened by a 12-foot-high spider.

Solution — SPOILER ALERT!!!! — Shoot the giant spider with a flair gun.

October 3, 2013

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ALUMS ESTABLISH FUND FOR LAGRANGE ATHLETICS A group of LaGrange High School supporters donated $15,250 to announce the kickoff of the LaGrange Athletic and Educational Fund.

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October 3, 2013

SASOL DONATES TO CCOA Sasol North America recently donated $14,461 to the Calcasieu Council on Aging (CCOA). Because of the group effort of ECHO employees, Sasol’s contribution will assist with the annual Fans for CCOA drive, which provides box fans to seniors in Calcasieu Parish in preparation for the summer heat.

The Calcasieu Council on Aging is a nonprofit service organization that helps older adults maintain their independence in their own homes by providing support, services, education and recreation. For more information on CCOA, visit calcoa.org.

On hand for the check presentation was Tony Carter, S&B safety; James Boudreaux, Sasol behavior based safety facilitator; Trent Hastings, ECHO Project Coordinator; Jackie Green, CCOA executive director; Jim Reeves, S&B project manager; and Chris Gibbons, Sasol ECHO project manager.

DELTA DOWNS DONATES TO FAMILY, YOUTH Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino recently donated $5,000 to The Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. The donation will go towards an endowment to benefit the programs of Family and Youth.

NAVARRE DONATES TO WCCH Billy Navarre recently donated $30,000 to West Cal Cam Hospital in appreciation of the outstanding care they have given him over the past year.

Navarre donated the money in the names of Dr. Brian Stewart, J.W. Peloquin, Dr. Muhammad Khan, Janie Fruge, Tiffany Martin and Yaritza Torres.

LCMH EMPLOYEES DONATE TO HOSPITAL Employees of the Lake Charles Memorial Health System donated $75,000 to Memorial’s third I Gave a Day campaign.

Three-hundred employees at Memorial, Memorial for Women, Memorial Specialty Hospital and the W.O. Moss Memorial Health Clinic donated money equivalent to a day’s pay to the hospital’s foundation.

The money will fund the David B. Usher Reading Room, which will be located above Cafe Bon Vie in the Memorial Hospital atrium. Construction is set to start the first week in September, with the room opening to the public in October.

MSU ALUMNI ASSOC. FUNDS SCHOLARSHIPS The McNeese State University Alumni Association recently donated $35,000 to establish the McNeese Alumni Association Scholarship no. 6 and the McNeese Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship no. 7 through the McNeese Foundation.

October 3, 2013

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I’m Happy You’ve seen de television commercial for Fed Ex about folks at dat company who are all happy because dar product got delivered to dar customer az promised. So de customer iz happy an’ all de employees say, “I’m happy.”

Well, I’m happy I finally fount somebody who could set de record straight on dis Cove Lane project. Dat somebody iz my fran Slim. Slim haz been around de political arena for a long time, an’ is real good at readin’ political officials to determine what‘s actually goin’ on.

So my fran Max de stockbroker an’ me recently went to lunch wit’ Slim. Afta watchin’ him eat lettuce and not much else, I realized why day called him Slim yet nobody ever called me or Max Slim.

Anyway, we had lots uf questions for Slim about de Cove Lane project, and uf course Max an’ me, we had tons uf opinions about Cove Lane, none uf which we wanted to keep to ourselves.

Now understand Slim ain’t wit’ de Highway Dept. or anyting like dat, but he’s in de know. So here’s what he sed. It opens access to 210 East at Nelson without southbound blockin’ traffic flow. Slim sez de plan also calls for reroutin’ Prien Lake Road around de Target shoppin’ center. Slim sez all dis will work. Dat’s good enough for me.

Havin’ heard de opinion uf someone who haz no rooster in dis fight, me, I’m convinced it will be good for Lake Charles, so I’m happy. Az for Max, well, he’s never happy, az is de case wit’ some Lake Charles residents who are never happy. But as for me, after learnin’ what dis project will do to Nelson Road traffic, me, I’m happy.

Show Me Sometin’!

Jim Serra — dat fella what gets on Channel 7 about once a week an’ yaks about sometin’ dat’s botherin’ him — had a good commentary recently about de Mardi Gras Boardwalk project. He expressed hiz doubt dat we will never see anyting developed by dem folks on de old Harrah’s site. Like Serra sed, all we have iz “vague promises.”

Meantime, de site continues to look like most uf central Detroit — not a very pretty site for folks comin’ into de city. We agree wit’ Serra on dis Mardi Gras promise parade.

It’s time for dem New Awlins folks to get off de stick, an’ it’s time for de City uf Lake Charles to hold dar feet to de fire.

Dat Dog Ain’t Gonna Hunt A buncha folks from de Moss Bluff an’ Westlake area gaddered recently to hear de DOTD present three options for improvin’ Highway 378 through Westlake into Moss Bluff. One plan haz de road goin’ trew Sam Houston Jones State Park.

Needless to say, dat got de dander uf some uf de folks at de meetin’ up. We’d like to remind folks dat den Gov. Kathleen Blanco once had a plan for a golf course dat would take up a portion of de park. But Vic Stelly an’ a few udder area politicians went to Baton Rouge an’ had one uf dem “come to Jesus” meetings wit’ Blanco an’ dat’s de las’ you heard uf dat.

One ting about politicians — day may be influenced by lobbyists, but when de folks dat elect dem scream loud an’ clear, de voters will win every time. An’ besides, DOTD has no intention uf goin’ trew de park. Dar always trowin’ up trial balloons like dat. But de fact remains dat sometin’ needs to be done about improvin’ dat stretch from Westlake to Moss Bluff.

Air Show Organizers Flyin’ High It had been a long time since we had had an air show at Chennault. An’ judgin’ from de huge crowds dat showed up for dis year’s show, we gonna see shows for years to come.

Now, just like Contraband Days an’ lots uf udder outdoor activities, de weather haz a great deal to do wit’ how much uf a crowd you gonna draw. An’ dis year, de Air Show folks wuz blessed wit’ great weather except for the last 30 minutes on de final day. We applaud de organizers an’ sponsors an’ all de folks who volunteered to make dis anudder great event in Lake Charles.

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October 3, 2013

Charter Checkup Like mos’ men, me, I don’t wanna see what’s on TV; I wanna see what else iz on TV. My wife Sedonia gets so mad at me for flippin’ trew de channels.

It wuz while flippin’ dat I came across Louisiana Town Square on de Public TV station. De folks on de show wuz discussin’ charter schools in our state. Here’s some numbers trown out on de program. We have 100 charter schools in our state. Uf de 600,000 students in our state, 10 percent attend charter schools.

A national organization claims children in charter schools in our state learn better dan dem what’s not in charter schools. (How day measure dat one, I don’t know).

An’ here’s one statistic dat floored me … in de las’ 8 years, our state haz gone from 42 to 100 charter schools.

Now in dis show, dar wuz folks dat were for charter schools, an’ uf course dem dat wuzn’t. Debbie Meaux, president uf de Louisiana Assoc. uf Educators, wuz singin’ her same old song about charter schools takin’ money from public schools. Draw your own conclusions about dat statement.

Locally, we’ve seen lots uf parents tryin’ to get dar children into de charter system.

But to be fair, we haven’t had de charter system around in our area long enough to see if it’s better or worse dan de alternative. Time will tell.

Outdoor Writers Meetin’ Means A Bunch At de time uf dis writin’, de Southwest Louisiana Convention an’ Visitors Bureau wuz gettin’ ready for anudder big event comin’ to our area: a meetin’ uf de Southern Outdoor Press Assoc. De group haz held dar convention in our area before, an’ since dar back, guess day liked it here.

Now dem folks dat belong to dis group include magazine writers, photographers, radio hosts, and television show producers. Considerin’ dat dem men’s and women’s articles appear in Field & Stream, USA Today, DU Magazine an’ many udder media outlets, one can see how important dis iz to our area.

Uf course de tourist bureau realizes any article or program dat mentions SWLA iz one day don’t have to pay for. So if you see folks walkin’ around wit’ a SEOPA name tag on, make dem feel at home. We’ve got a great story to tell to de rest uf de United States, an’ dem writers an’ TV an’ radio people are de ones who can tell it.

A Great One Haz Left Us Ask anyone who had de good fortune to play football at LSU under Paul Dietzel an’ day will tell you how great a man he was an’ how many a kid he turned into a great football player an’ more important, a good man.

Dietzel, who coached de first national championship team for LSU in 1958, came up wid de idea uf havin’ three groups uf players on his team. The White Team wuz de best unit. The GO team wuz de back-ups, and the third group were de Chinese Bandits.

Now, de Bandits were made up of cast-offs an’ even a former equipment manager.

But de Bandits became so popular dat football players from colleges trewout de country, some starters on big-name football teams, would call Dietzel axin’ to become a Chinese Bandit.

Dietzel passed away recently at de age uf 89. He will be remembered for years to come.

Media Hounds All Over De Place If you’re like me, you can’t open your computer witout havin’ an email from Jindal, Landrieu or Vitter tellin’ you how great a job day are doing. Now Jindal haz taken to de TV airwaves to tell us how Obama iz trying to tell you what insurance to buy an’ where to send your kids to school. Considerin’ hiz voucher program an’ state medical program, it looks to me like dat’s what he (Jindal) iz tryin’ to do also. But I guess dat’s different.

Guess Jindal ain’t too pleased wit’ hiz 35 percent poll numbers, so he decided to get on TV. Meanwhile, Vitter keeps tellin’ us how great he is an’ how he’s anti-Obama an’ Landrieu keeps tellin’ us how great Obamacare iz gonna be.

Imagine next year, when we have statewide races. Facebook an’ Twitter will be full uf political ads. Lord help us all.

Deep Taughts While Watchin’ Wheel Uf Fortune 10) Why don’t Pat an’ Vanna ever age?

9) How many uf dis year’s Astros “rebuildin’” team will be around next year?

8) Will McNeese be able to regroup an’ win de Southland Conference Championship?

7) How long will all dem ceegars I got for my birthday las’ me?

6) Will dat new Indian restaurant by McNeese serve boudin wit’ curry in it?

5) Why can’t I catch on to dis Texas Hold Em’ poker.

4) Bein’ as I got all dem KD’s gift cards for my birthday, wonder if folks know where I get breakfast?

3) How come T Claude’s 3-day drunk iz now in its 7th day?

2) Iz coach Les or coach Nick goin’ to Southern Cal? 1) When day gonna bring rasslin’ back to de Civic Center?

Final Shot Lefty sez hiz wife likes her dog mo dan she likes him. He sez she kisses de dog but pats him on de head.

‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.

October 3, 2013

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TAKING CHARGE

dale archer, MD

Gut Bacteria Transplant Recent scientific studies indicate that gut bacteria may play a pivotal role in brain chemistry and mental health.

More specifically, the right type of “healthy bacteria” in your gut may treat or prevent depression and anxiety.

In research circles, the gut is often referred to as the “second brain.” There are over 100 million neurons in the gut (more than the spinal cord or peripheral nervous system), and many contain the exact same neurotransmitters as the brain.

We know that the gut and mood are related — think butterflies in your stomach when anxious or a knot in your stomach when stressed out. This link is via the vagus nerve, a direct neuronal connection between the gut and the brain. In fact, vagus nerve stimulation via an implanted electrode treats depression.

What’s new and exciting now are studies that indicate that bacteria in the gut are doing far more than simply digesting food and maintaining a healthy immune system.

Don’t be put off by the term “bacteria” and assume that it’s a bad thing.

Actually, there are over 100 trillion microorganisms living in the gut — vast-

ly more than the number of cells in your whole body. These bugs weigh about five pounds, the same as your brain, and perform a multitude of functions, much like other organs in the body.

Transplantation of good, healthy bacteria from one person’s gut to another is quick and inexpensive via endoscopy, colonoscopy or enema. This is essential-

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October 3, 2013

Could weight loss be next? A fascinating study looked at identical human twins, where one was thin and the other obese ...

ly a “stool transplant,” but is more accurately known as fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT). FMT is currently used to treat life-threatening infections with a 90-percent cure rate, and is being studied as a possible treatment for inflammatory bowel disease.

Could weight loss be next? A fascinating study looked at identical human twins, where one was thin and the other

obese. Their gut microbiota was transferred into specially bred mice who did not have their own gut bacteria.

Remarkably, the mice who received bacteria from thin subjects stayed thin, while the recipients from the obese twins became fat.

As for the psychiatric possibilities, there was a recent study of calm vs. anxious mice. Fecal microbiota transplanted from an anxious strain of mice made a calm mouse very anxious. Not only that, but transplant of the gut content from the calm strain helped to relax and increase the confidence of the anxious strain. In this case, behavior wasn’t dependent on genetics or brain chemistry, but rather the bacterial composition of the gut.

UCLA recently looked at 36 women without psychiatric symptoms. Twelve women ate fermented yogurt with probiotics (so called “good bacteria”), 11 ate a non-fermented milk product, and 13 received no intervention whatsoever. By measuring brain activity via functional MRI, they found the women who ate the fermented yogurt registered brain function changes in areas associated with emotion and sensation when exposed to pictures showing angry or frightened faces.

This is the first human study to

show an interaction between probiotics and the brain. Larger and more complex studies are in the works, but the National Institute of Mental Health has called for grant submissions to further investigate this potentially game changing concept.

Humans are, by cell count, approximately 90 percent bacteria. As microbial research continues, we’re finding these little bugs play a much bigger role in our lives than we could ever imagine. Our mental and physical health may well be not just encoded in our DNA, but determined by our bacterial makeup as well.

The next treatment for depression or anxiety may well focus on the bacterial composition of the gut as opposed to brain chemistry. Stay tuned.

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 him at DrDaleArcher.com.

LA POLITICS

john maginnis

'Old Vitter' Driving Them Crazy It seems just like old days to see Sen. David Vitter driving his colleagues in both parties crazy.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called the junior senator from Louisiana “an anarchist,” and even Republican colleagues were dismayed at Vitter’s having blocked a bipartisan energy efficiency bill until he gets a vote on an amendment that no one else wants to even discuss.

Vitter’s amendment has nothing to do with energy but everything to do with the Affordable Care Act, and the pocketbooks of most people who work on Capitol Hill, from senators to the file clerks in their offices. It would require members of Congress and their staffs to get their insurance through the new health insurance exchanges, without the federal employee benefits they now receive.

The provision was included in the 2010 health care law, but its effect was largely nullified by a subsequent administrative rule. Vitter called it “outrageous” that federal bureaucrats could make an act of Congress go away, but nearly all congressmen and their staffs were relieved it did.

So Vitter is singularly forcing the issue by holding up passage of an energy

efficiency bill that has broad bipartisan support by senators. They hail it as the most significant piece of energy legislation since 2007. But it has to get past Vitter.

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called Sen. David Vitter “an anarchist.” It seems just like the old days.

Even Republicans resent his tactics. If his behavior is rewarded, inevitably others will do the same to get their way, which could quickly render Congress, already incapable of governing, unable to manage its business.

Since any discussion of Vitter in Washington eventually gets back to his sex scandal in 2007, Democratic leaders found this an appropriate time to revisit the topic. Reportedly, legislation was prepared that would deny federal health care benefits to members when there is “probable cause” to believe they had solicited prostitutes.

Anyone who thinks this ploy is going to shame David Vitter into backing down just don’t get him. Vitter likely calculated the Democrats’ response and figured that their pettiness might elicit a modicum of public sympathy for himself. In any event, he doesn’t seem bothered.

Regardless of what people think of him inside the Beltway, or outside it, Vitter’s position is very popular, especially in places where Obamacare is very unpopular, like Louisiana. Even many supporters of the new health care law think it’s only fair that Congress be treated like everyone else who has to use the healthcare exchanges, which began operation Oct. 1.

But popular is not necessarily right, and Vitter’s amendment is not fair. Losing those benefits would cause only a financial inconvenience for most congressmen, many of whom are very wealthy. But to the people on their staffs, losing health care benefits they are currently receiving can put a hardship on a family in the range of $5,000 to $10,000 per year.

Vitter’s argument is that the law will directly cause many employers to drop their company insurance plans, thus forcing their workers onto the insurance exchanges. Even if that happens, it is a dangerous precedent to penalize members of Congress for the laws they pass, except

at the ballot box. Congress, of course, is to blame for adding the provision to the law in the first place. As for their employees, besides the fact that they didn’t vote for the bill, it’s wrong to treat one group of government workers differently because they had the nerve to go to work for the U.S. Congress.

The senator has not provoked so much angst and anger since the uproar he caused in the state Legislature in the 1990s in his drive to enact term limits and to expose abuses in the Tulane scholarship program. That “old Vitter” — the one willing to alienate nearly all his colleagues on popular political causes that brought him glory — submerged when he entered the U.S. Senate in 2004. As an eager GOP team player, he alienated only Democrats but didn’t mess with the institution itself.

Until last week.

The sudden re-emergence of the “old Vitter” is taken as one more sign that he doesn’t plan to stick around Washington past the 2015 governor’s election. Burning bridges there helps him to build new ones back home — to bring him to power. In the meantime, he can endure some raised voices from colleagues and cold stares in the hallways. He won’t care what politicians and staff think of him if he becomes governor, for then whatever he thinks will be all that matters.

IS IT OBAMACARE OR IS IT OBAMA? WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING PEOPLE?

T

he words of President Andrew Jackson, addressing Congress in the early 1800’s: “All Indians should go west, where they might combine into a singled state free from white people and to attest the humanity and justice of this white government ...”

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

A retort to this, by John Ridge (who represented the concerns of the Indian Nation) was “General Jackson has time to crawl and hide in the luxuriant grass of his nefarious hypocrisy.” This bickering back and forth by the populous and the disenfranchised Indian began long ago in the late 1400’s when early settlers and separatists from Europe first met the future Native Americans. The pilgrims first said they would not be like the early Spaniards who enslaved and abused the Indian. This later proved to be a hypocritical endeavor. Is it possible the same dynamics are in play here, with our black president and a white republican party who would cast blame and filibuster until blue in the cheeks and allow our nation to be shut down?

Look! Know this:

By George Edmond Smith, M.D., M.Ed. Obamacare won’t affect me anyway because it seems I’m one of the few doctors other than some of the hospitals who provide care to poor and state-funded healthcare recipients. In a “nut shell,” this is what the fuss is all about: 1.) All people must have health insurance; 2.) The government will pay for poor people’s health insurance; 3.) The problem is that government is broke; 4.) So, massive welfare programs (where wealth is redistributed from the top wage earners to non- or low-wage earners) will be established.

Folks, this is what it’s really about!

Rich people don’t want to lose any of their wealth. “Poor people are the new present day Indian,” in which we see the same old argument by the haves for the

have-nots.

60% of those in Southwest Louisiana are either poor, uninsured or on Medicaid, so what’s all the fuss about, anyway?!?

Let these politicians argue all they want to cast illogic messages to the people and make the last stand against a black president. Instead, people in Lake Charles and Sulphur should be protesting at the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge to allow doctors like me to be properly reimbursed financially so more doctors will want to care for Medicaid patients. Write letters to your government representatives stating how unfair it is to have poor people leave this area to travel to Shreveport, New Orleans and to others parts of the world to get the medical help they need.

It’s not about Obamacare, it’s about the rich maintaining their wealth and the poor staying poor!

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TECH BYTES

vic wukovits

The New iPhones It’s that time of year again, and on Sept. 20, Apple released the latest iPhone to the world. This year, we got a little something different, as two different models were released: the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c. The successor to the iPhone 5, the iPhone 5s is the next iteration showcasing a few new features.

The iPhone 5c is a new “sidegrade,” replacing the iPhone 5 in the line-up.

The iPhone 5 will no longer be sold, but the iPhone 4s will still be available.

Confused yet?

While Apple took some heat, with critics panning these new devices as lessthan-stellar updates, sales hit new records on release day, and over the weekend. Apple sold over 9 million units in three days, making their stock prices rebound after an initial slump.

While the innovations might not be the stellar leaps people expected, there are some new features that these devices bring to the table.

I opted to update to an iPhone 5s, which is now available in three colors: gold, silver and “space gray.”

While I had wanted a gold model, the local Verizon store received no stock; it seems that there is a temporary shortage on this color, with auctions on eBay selling the gold iPhone 5s for astoundingly ridiculous prices. I

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saw one such auction top $10,000.

With my new “space gray” model in hand, I proceeded to dive into the most noticeable new feature: the fingerprint scanning home button. Once configured, this new security measure allows you to use your thumb (or any other finger) to unlock your iPhone 5s. It can also be used for iTunes and App Store purchases. Configuration is simple, and this feature works as advertised. I use this to unlock my device every time. I even find myself trying to unlock my iPad with my thumb and chuckle.

Of course, hackers were quick to find a way to circumvent this type of security measure, but the procedure is by no means simple or readily available, so security-conscious folks shouldn’t naysay this new feature.

Another upgrade to the iPhone 5s is the A7 processor, the first 64-bit chip in a mobile device. While initial speculation wasn’t positive, real-world testing has revealed performance increases of double to triple that of the iPhone 5. This also improves battery life on the iPhone 5s, one of the most beleaguered issues with the older model.

The camera is another area of improvement, but rather than an increase in megapixels, the iPhone 5s has a larger sensor, which will greatly improve lowlight pictures. The flash is now a dualLED, which provides more realistic lighting. Another enhancement is auto image stabilization that utilizes a compositing method for the best image possible. For video, the camera can now record at 120 frames-per-second, allow-

ing for slow motion video captures at 720p, a feat that most DSLRs can’t accomplish.

Replacing the iPhone 5 is the iPhone 5c, which is essentially the same phone albeit with a plastic back, available in white, yellow, pink, blue and green.

Apple has introduced this device at a lower price point to increase their market share, and the bright colors should attract a younger audience. Currently, the iPhone 5s is outselling the iPhone 5s by a margin of 3 to 1, but only time will tell how this “little brother” will fare in the long run.

Both devices ship with iOS 7, the latest version of the mobile operating system. This update brings quite a few changes and I’ll dive in and take a closer look in my next column.

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and pedestrian path.

The proposal for the bridge includes two options for bike and pedestrian traffic: a shared-use path for cyclists and pedestrians, and a pedestrian walkway and bike lanes in the same direction as automobile traffic.

PJ Approves Continued Funding Of Truancy Center

LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS Pearl Watson Recognized As Blue Ribbon School Pearl Watson Elementary was recently named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. The school was the only one in SWLA to be recognized, and one of only six Louisiana schools.

The Department of Education recognizes schools based on their overall academic excellence or for making progress in improving student achievement levels.

Port To Conduct Ship Channel Traffic Study The Port of Lake Charles has hired a consulting firm to conduct a traffic study for the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

The study is being done in preparation of the more than $40 billion of increased economic development on the channel.

The study will estimate the increase in vessel traffic, the timing of the projected increase and the constraints limiting channel safety and efficiency.The study will take about four months to complete, and the results will be made

available to the public.

Citgo Fined For Pollution Violations Citgo Petroleum Corp. has agreed to pay a $737,000 fine and install pollution controls at two of its refineries for alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. The settlement, filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, resolves an EPA complaint that between 2007 and 2008 Citgo’s Lake Charles refinery produced fuel that exceeded its annual average emissions life for mobilesource air toxins, including benzene.

Citgo will install carbon adsorption systems on two fuel storage tanks at its Lake Charles facility.

Charter School Bonds To Be Sold The Louisiana Public Facilities Authority recently authorized the sale of up to $20 million in bonds for the Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy in Lake Charles. The bonds were offered for sale beginning on Oct. 1.

The funds will be used to purchase

property near the intersection of E. McNeese St. and South Park Dr. and to finance the construction of a new charter school facility on the site. Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy has spent the last two years in a temporary building next to the Lake Charles Charter Academy.

Shrimp Processors’ Request For Higher Duties Denied Shrimp processors have lost a call for higher duties on frozen shrimp imported from China, Vietnam, Ecuador, India and Malaysia.

The U.S. International Trade Commission rejected the proposal 4-2, saying the Coalition of Gulf Shrimp Industries failed to present strong evidence that the imports were seriously damaging the processors.

Bike, Pedestrian Path Proposed Plans for the proposed bridge over Contraband Bayou that would connect Nelson Rd. with Sallier St. include a bike

Calcasieu Parish police jurors recently approved a contract that provides $189,000 in state funds to continue operations at the parish’s Truancy Assessment and Service Center, which is designed to help at-risk students in grades K-5.

The contract between the truancy center and the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement provides the funding needed to serve 33 schools throughout the parish. According to Bill Sommers, Calcasieu Parish juvenile justice assistant director, 340 students were referred to the TASC in 2012.

In addition to paying for operating expenses, some of the funding is set aside to give students school uniforms or supplies.

Former Aeroframe Employees File Suit Twelve former employees have filed suit against Aeroframe in state district court, seeking compensation for lost wages.

The suit alleges that all of the employees are owed at least two weeks’ wages and vacation time, as well as premiums paid for health insurance whose coverage stopped in July.

Washington-state based Aviation Technical Services is also named as a defendant in the suit, which claims the company engaged in unfair trade practices that forced the closure of Aeroframe.

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October 3, 2013

OB Care Makes Changes To Staff OB Care has made changes to its staff to better accommodate patients. The OB Care staff includes three doctors who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology and two nurse practitioners.

Ob/Gyn physicians are Armand Grimshaw, MD; Gisele McKinney, MD; and Joseph Semien, MD. Nurse practitioners are Tammy Gillett, APRN, NP; and Anna Marchantel, APRN, NP. The clinic’s comprehensive services and skilled medical team will guide women through their pregnancy, delivery and postpartum journey.

OB Care, located at 1420 18th St. in Lake Charles, serves the residents of Calcasieu, Cameron, Allen, Beauregard and Jefferson Davis Parishes. OB Care accepts private insurance, Medicaid or self-pay, and works with expectant moms to develop an affordable payment plan.

WCCH Named Healthy Worksite West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital has recently been recognized as a GoldLevel Fit-Friendly Worksite by the American Heart Association for helping employees eat better and move more.

Gold-level employers are those who offer activity and healthy eating options, and also promote a wellness culture among employees.

New JD Bank Branches In Lake Charles JD Bank recently opened two new branches in Lake Charles, expanding their network to a total of 20 branches across southwest Louisiana.

The two new full-service branches, located in the Morganfield development and on Big Lake Road, broke ground in winter 2012 and opened ahead of their expected fall 2013 date.

The Big Lake branch is located at 4904 Big Lake Road and the Morganfield branch is located at 4989 E. McNeese St.

Hobo Hotel Fundraiser Hobo Hotel for Cats, the only nonkill cat and kitten shelter in Lake Charles, will host its second annual Magnificent Meow Mile fundraiser this fall.

The event began with a kick-off party in late Sept. at Central School in Lake Charles. The walk will occur Nov. 2 at the Prien Lake Mall.

The fundraiser will benefit Hobo Hotel, a local non-profit cat and kitten rescue group. The goal of the event is to collect a symbolic mile of quarters as Hobo the cat walks the “mile.” If enough quarters are collected to measure out the length of one mile, the organization will have raised just over $15,000 to help provide rescue cats and kittens with needed medical supplies, food and shelter. For more info call 439-2428.

October 3, 2013

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19

WEIRD NEWS

chuck shepherd

Seriously?

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"With its neatly cut lawns and luscious tropical vegetation," wrote a BBC News reporter in July, Miracle Village, Fla., is an "idyllic rural community" of 200 residents. About half of these are registered sex offenders who are attracted to the settlement near Lake Okeechobee because laws and ordinances elsewhere in Florida harshly restrict where they can live. Other residents might have been apprehensive in 2009 when a pastor started the local rehabilitation ministry. One even called it a "nightmare on Elm Street." But no one could recall a single impropriety involving an offender. Lately, 10 to 20 applications for residency arrive each week. These are screened to keep out diagnosed pedophiles and those with a history of drugs or violence.

tion. These proposals have already drawn criticism from the Government Accountability Office because they would replace many on-site USDA inspectors with employees of the foodprocessing plants.

— It was tough for performance artists Doug Melnyk and Ian Mozdzen to defend their controversial show at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival in July. Wrote one reviewer: "What I saw on the stage were not one, not two, but three mayonnaise enemas. I do not need to see any more mayonnaise enemas for the rest of my lifetime." Explained Melnyk, to a Canadian Broadcasting Corp. reporter in July, if all you're trying to do is "figure out what people want and you make it for them, that's not art. ... You're just a shoemaker."

Can't Possibly Be True

Unclear on the Concept

— Dana Carter's debut as principal of Calimesa Elementary School in California's San Bernardino County was quite inauspicious, as parents objected to his policy of requiring kids to drop to one knee when they addressed him. One parent said her daughter was forced to kneel while she waiting for his attention; she was only able to rise when he lifted his arms. Carter said he would discontinue the policy. He insisted he had instituted it for "safety" and not because he imagined himself as royalty.

—The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture announced recently that it would exempt four Chinese companies from USDA inspections of their processed chicken exports. The changes are part of the department's money-saving streamlining, which also cuts back on domestic regula-

— In August, the Mother Nature Network website showcased an array of camping gear designed for the daintiest of those who are "roughing" it. The Blofield outdoor couch inflates in minutes to produce a facsimile of a Las Vegas lounge sofa. The Rolla Roaster's 42-inch-long steel fork assures elegance (and evenness) in marshmallow-roasting.

For fashion-conscious backwoods women, Teva makes high-heeled hiking sandals ($330). The mother of all Swiss army knives, by Wenga, has so many gadgets that it suggests a parody of a Swiss army knife. To be a camper is to sleep in a tent, though — and why not the trailer-mounted Opera tent, including hardwood floors and a wine cooler?

— A July direct-mail campaign by Canada's Conservative Party that was

intended to show concern for the disabled population began with a wave of brochures, "Supporting Jobs for All Canadians" (meaning the disabled as well). The brochures featured the wellknown wheelchair symbol and a message in a series of Braille dots. However, the brochure was useless to blind recipients, who could neither see the dots nor read them, as the dots were printed on a flat surface.

— By her own admission, Joan Hoyt, 61, of St. Louis, has difficulty writing, is easily distracted, needs frequent breaks, and "reads about 2 1/2 times slower than her peers." Still, she wants to be a lawyer. She filed a lawsuit against the Law School Admission Council for special accommodations to take the standardized admissions test after the council offered to grant her "only" 156 extra minutes for the exam.

She also demanded a room by herself with a "white noise" machine and the ability to bring a computer and food and drinks to the exam. States have made similar accommodations for bar exams.

But in those cases, the applicants have endured the intellectual rigors of law school.

ing production in favor of trendier dolls, such as those modeled after Twilight characters. Yang is protective of his collection of more than 6,000 Barbies, which dominates his row house. He estimates the collection has cost him $400,000 since he took up the obsession at age 13. He said his parents have come to accept his passion, but acknowledged that he had a few ex-girlfriends who felt "insecure" around his supermodels. Yang owns about 3,000 non-Barbies. On his last trip to New York, he bought 65 more dolls.

the huge backlog of unaddressed Dept. of Veterans Affairs disability claims, with veterans facing waits of many months or years. Nonetheless, the department is so proud of reducing the backlog that it’s begun to issue bonus checks to bureaucrats who meet the department's numerical goals in case-reduction. One Washington Post story reported that the backlog reduction likely resulted from quickly approving the easier cases. The roster of serious or complicated cases continued to grow, along with appeals of decisions that were too hastily made by department employees.

Perspective It’s now well-known that America's “wounded warriors” are victimized by

Undignified Deaths (1) A 40-year-old woman was killed in a near-head-on collision in August in Spring Lake, Fla., while she was joy-riding on a back road at night on her dirt bike. She was accidentally hit by her husband, who was also joy-riding, in his all-terrain vehicle, and who also died. (2) A 50-year-old man in Berne, N.Y., was killed in August when he was driving an all-terrain vehicle. He virtually decapitated himself on a nearly invisible wire strung across a road as one of a series of booby traps he had installed to protect his marijuana plants.

Weird News Classic (November 2010) About 20 percent of Japan's adultvideo market is now "elder porn," with each production featuring one or more seniors. Shigeo Tokuda, 76, is among the most popular. He told Toronto's Globe and Mail in October, 2010, that he still "performs" physically "without Viagra," in at least one role a month opposite much younger women. His wife and adult daughter learned only two years ago, by accident, of his late-onset career, which began at age 60 when a filmmaker hired him for his "pervert's face.”

Tokuda figures the "elder porn" genre will grow with Japan's increasing senior population.

Inexplicable Two onetime roommates at the University of Michigan announced they have developed a smartphone app to accommodate people who seek an easy way to share leftover food on restaurant plates. Using smartphones' location service, one diner could offer to clean another's plate or have a stranger rush to his own table for scraps. "We're not gonna make millions," one of the developers told NPR in July.

People Different From Us Jian Yang, 33, a media executive in Singapore, told Reuters he was concerned about the diminishing respect the Mattel Corp. is giving Barbie by reducOctober 3, 2013

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21

john maginnis What’s Next For Budget Reform Group?

For starters, the organization will continue to be referred to as the Fiscal Hawks, whether its membership likes it or not.

“It’s funny,” said Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington. “We never asked to be called that.”

Second, the coalition may be inching toward a 2014 agenda that includes the drafting of their own appropriations bills, including a fully functional alternative to House Bill 1, the heart of the state’s annual spending plan.

But first they’ll have to meet. The coalition, which is made up overwhelmingly of fiscally conservative Republicans, hasn’t sat at the same table since the session ended, nor has it made any official decisions.

Still, it has been in the headlines recently, beginning with one story in The Lens that suggested a new alliance had been forged between the coalition and Democrats, and ending with another in The Times-Picayune that quoted lawmakers who called that description a “mischaracterization.”

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October 3, 2013

The latter story was fueled by antiDemocratic remarks from House GOP Chairman Lance Harris of Alexandria that seemed to address the angst expressed last session by Jindal Republicans.

Another founding member of the coalition, Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, admitted their war against onetime money in the budget was won last session with the help of Democrats and, if the battle continues to be issues-driven, that working relationship may need to continue. “We’re not against working with anyone,” he said.

Schroder agreed, adding, “If we don’t do that, Louisiana loses.”

The news stories in The Lens and Picayune, however, may have made that task more difficult. “It forced Republicans and Democrats a little further apart,” Schroder said.

What hasn’t changed about the coalition is its leadership structure, or lack thereof, with no clear chairman or director.

Schroder plays the role of “cat herder” or whip. The coalition usually doesn’t meet without his ringing a bell or two. He said meetings will likely commence in

jeremy alford

November.

“Everyone is doing their own little things,” he said.

Geymann, meanwhile, plays point on policy and Rep. Cameron Henry, RMetairie, does the same, although in an unofficial capacity. He’s the one working on the alternative budget idea that will eventually be presented to the whole group.

“If the House can come up with its own budget, we can see where all the money is. It’s the next logical step for us,” he said, adding that the coalition wants to have a fleshed-out document in hand before it approaches Republicans in the Senate.

Hawks Could Claw At NGOs, Too Treasurer John Kennedy’s ongoing work to shed light on the millions of taxpayer dollars directed to nonprofits with little to no accountability hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Hammond attorney and popular blogger C.B. Forgotston is on part 27 of his online opus pulling back the curtain on all

the non-governmental organizations, or NGOs, that were identified by Kennedy as not being in compliance with financial reporting rules.

Now lawmakers are beginning to take notice as well. Rep. Dee Richard, an independent from Thibodaux, tells LaPolitics he’s currently drafting legislation that would eliminate all NGOs from the appropriations process. “We really need to do something about this,” said Richard.

“Right now we’re trying to figure out whether it needs to be done by a constitutional amendment.” Richard has stood with the Fiscal Hawks in the past, his partner on the bill, Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, is part of the group’s leadership structure.

Other lawmakers are said to be working on proposals for the 2014 session, too, or at least investigating the issue closely.

These lawmakers include Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge; Appropriations Chairman Jim Fannin, R-Jonesboro; and Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge.

Kennedy said he’s been hearing from lawmakers on a regular basis and believes there are several avenues available to them.

“But they need to be careful. Not all NGOs

are bad,” he said, citing councils on aging as an example.

Lawmakers might want to abolish NGOs altogether, he said, and maybe create a prioritization schedule or require that each one is voted on separately. “If voted on separately, I can only assume that things like the Purple Circle Social Club wouldn’t pass,” Kennedy said.

Robideaux, Arnold Eye Future Two term-limited state representatives are looking to move beyond the State Capitol.

Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers, the dean of the House, who was first elected in 2002, is expected to announce his challenge to New Orleans City Councilwoman Kristin Palmer in District C in the February primary. The majority-black district spans the river from the West Bank to the French Quarter and nearby neighborhoods.

Rep. Joel Robideaux, R-Lafayette, will likewise be politicking on the West Bank in late September for a fundraiser at Mardi Gras World, as he considers running for mayor-president of Lafayette Parish in 2015. “I am trying to get support outside of the usual suspects,” he told LaPolitics.

The term-limited state rep is well-positioned to do just that as chairman of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee for another two sessions.

because the bill didn’t cut food stamps enough. Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans, also voted no because he thought the targeted reduction was too much.

Voting to pass the bill were Reps. Rodney Alexander, R-Quitman; Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette; and Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.

As it stands now, both the House and Senate seem to agree on eliminating $4.5 billion in direct cash payments to farmers and replacing that with a crop insurance program. Both also seem to be offering protections for rice and sugar, which had gross farm values in Louisiana last year of $371 million and $586 million, respectively, according to the LSU AgCenter.

International trade rules are causing soybean farmers, who produced a crop val-

ued at $700 million in Louisiana last year, to question some of the planting decisions Congress is making. Plus, the sliding price of corn, valued at $602 million in 2012, is making many in the Bayou State industry nervous as the Farm Bill’s expiration date approaches.

A program for wetland restoration hangs in the balance, too. In its two decades of existence, the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Wetlands Reserve Program has restored more than 2.6 million acres of wetlands habitat across the nation. If there’s no Farm Bill, the program will vanish.

While an extension will surely soothe nerves, state Agriculture Commission Mike Strain has said the industry needs the stability of the usual five-year Farm Bill.

Without it, banks might start second-guessing loans, and farmers could cut back on new investments.

They Said It “I would be crazy not to look at it.”

—State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, RShreveport, on his consideration of a run for the U.S. Senate “If Grover Norquist can’t figure out which Louisiana district has a special election coming up, he definitely should not have a say in our elections.”

—Louisiana Democratic Party Executive Director Stephen Handwerk on a press release from Americans for Tax Reform, which Norquist leads, mistaking the 6th Congressional District for the 5th.

Bill Comes Down To Food Stamps Again Most folks don’t realize that what’s included in the federal Farm Bill has the potential to affect practically all aspects of Louisiana life, from the cornfields in the north and sugar cane in the south to insurance for all of the crops in between.

In spite of that, last years pattern is being repeated, and the only thing that really matters are food stamps.

Congress couldn’t come to an agreement in 2012 on a new Farm Bill because the House wanted to cut more from the food stamp program than the Senate; so they simply extended by 12 months the entire bill, which was slated to expire Oct. 1.

Congress seems no closer to a Farm Bill agreement than it was a year ago, and the same expiration date is approaching.

Should Congress allow the Farm Bill to expire, federal law would revert to 1949 guidelines effective Jan. 1, which would, in turn, force prices for milk and other commodities to skyrocket.

The House’s next move involves voting on a proposal to cut as much as $40 billion from the food stamp program over the next decade. It’s expected that the vote will only lead to conference negotiations with the Senate, which has already passed a Farm Bill that cuts food stamps by $4 billion.

Many analysts are already predicting another one-year extension, with hopes that a new five-year Farm Bill can be brokered by the end of the year.

To Extend Or Not To Extend?

The political posturing on the Farm Bill puts Louisiana’s House delegation in the hot seat. Earlier this summer, the last House version, which failed, created interesting coalitions with its proposed $20 billion cut to the food stamp program.

Reps. John Fleming, R-Minden, and Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, voted against it October 3, 2013

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FILE 13

brad goins

The New Wagon Rut I don’t think anybody would call what’s going on in the big little town of Wagon Rut an economic boom. But some new businesses are opening, and folks are starting to take note.

The business enterprise that’s getting the most attention in Wagon Rut is the brand new Coonass Construction Co. The company’s huge corrugated tin building is topped by the highly visible neon sign that flashes out CCC’s unorthodox slogan: “Why Use A Redneck When You Can Use A Coonass?”

I went inside the new building and asked the manager, “What’s the difference between a coonass and a redneck?”

He said, “the Sabine River.”

“English” Billy Boynton, who spends so much time in Wagon Rut that he’s rumored to live there, went to the opening reception of the Coonass Construction building. It was an enjoyable event, marred only by the collapse of the ceiling of much of the reception area.

“English” Billy scurried around the premises until he found a few old 4 by 4s that he shoved into the broken ceiling so that it could be temporarily propped up.

There’s nothing Cajun about “English” Billy, but if there were, his quick and clever action on this occasion would count as a sterling instance of Cajun ingenuity.

It turned out a small porch with a roof had been built right outside the reception area. Somehow, the roof was built with no pitch. As a result, each time it rained, water collected on the porch roof, then ran down the interior wall connected to it. The repeated soakings ruined the wall’s studs, which had been set three feet apart to begin with.

Repairs have been made and business is fine. The store is running a sale on used jack-posts. Supplies are limited.

A less well-publicized new business in Wagon Rut is the Front Yard Used Autos operation. This innovative business venture started when a few clever neighbors realized that every yard in a block-long stretch of road was filled with vehicles.

The rules of the new operation were simple. If a customer wanted a particular vehicle, he went to the front door of the house in the yard where the car was parked and asked about the price.

The only cars that weren’t for sale were those that were being repaired.

Front Yard Used Autos owners made sure that cars under repair were always surrounded by groups of young men in tshirts and gimme caps holding cans of beer, looking down on the auto engine and saying things like, “That’s a carburetor all right.”

“Yep, that’s the carburetor.”

“Yeah, I think it is.”

“It’s the carburetor.”

“Yep.” Even these under-repair vehicles could be bought if a customer wanted one bad enough. Sometimes, a customer approached a car being repaired and asked one of the beer drinkers “How 24

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much?” To this question, the beer drinker replied, in a very loud voice, “Well, uh, hell, uh, yeah, uh, well, why not? I reckon we could work something out.” At that point, everyone around the vehicle broke out in the sort of hearty laugh such humorous statements warrant.

This business venture could have had a real chance for success. Unfortunately, the combined weight of the vehicles caused all the front yards to collapse in a single night. What remained was 16 houses surrounded by, well, big holes with vehicles at the bottom of them. But homeowners are still thinking like entrepreneurs and trying to figure out what sort of tourist attraction might be formed out of the series of vehicular holes.

A more successful new business venture in Wagon Rut is the Front Porch In The Carport Co. This business capitalizes on the idea that the accouterments of the traditional bayouland front porch could be placed in the driveway.

This move, it is suggested, would provide variety for those who’d grown weary of the front porch experience.

A few residents have been skeptical, arguing that all the

Front Porch In The Carport Co. does is set up eight folding chairs, a cable spool and an industrial waste can in the carport and deliver a bill for $2,500.

But the owners of Front Porch In The Carport argue they provide a muchdesired public service that consumers are willing to pay for. It’s going to be hard to refute the argument. Receipts from Front Porch In The Carport owners prove that nearly half the population of Wagon Rut has already purchased a “carport front porch.”

While the revenues of small businesses may go up and down, Wagon Rut will always be able to rely on what is both its commercial and social center: Trey Trey’s Mudbogging Emporium.

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The rules of the Front Yard Used Auto operation were simple. If a customer wanted a particular vehicle, he went to the front door of the house in the yard where the car was parked and asked about the price.

The Emporium is keeping busy the same way it has for an astonishing four consecutive years — with business innovation. Just for starters, the store recently introduced its new, first-in-the-country ATV-wide aisles.

“Customers can now drive their ATVs right into the store, through the concession stand, into bathrooms — even into the supply closets, if they feel like it,” said proud owner Buster “Ambully” Higgs III. Customers on the Emporium’s trademark Muddancing Floor have been told that even they must make room for ATV drivers.

Also big at Trey Trey’s is the popular new feature called Just Mud — an enormous cement pool (30 feet in diameter) filled with wet mud kept at body temperature. Rumors are that the mud has a strongly aphrodisiac effect on customers.

But so far, there haven’t been any complaints or any arrests.

Of course, Just Mud is always popular. But the Thursday night Mudbobbin’ For Beers event remains the biggest moneymaker in Wagon Rut. Plans for a Mudbobbin’ For Beers Fest continue to be bandied about. Insurance issues remain a primary concern.

Of course, Trey Trey’s trademark Drive-Thru Mud Spray-On has been around for a couple of years now.

Although the Spray-On was designed to coat ATVs with mud, it’s almost as common to see a truck come through the drive-thru as an ATV. “That’s a little funny, since it costs twice as much to get a truck ‘mudded.’ We call it ‘mudded,’” says Higgs. “ATV drivers pay $10 for a mud spray-on; for trucks it’s $20.”

“I’ve been working on a beer-mud spray-on,” says Higgs. “Of course, the vehicle would be covered in mud and smell like beer. But it’s slow going.

We’re having some chemical problems.

And beer is expensive. But we gone get there. We just barely got our ATV-wide aisles finished.”

One innovation in the hot spot is a new third floor that will be devoted entirely to wenches. Expect completion by late 2022 or early 2023.

It looks as if even the arts may be getting a toehold in the business scene of the new Wagon Rut. “We can’t allow ourselves to forget the arts,” says Amateur Porn and Gigging Committee member Dusty “Gamebred” Buell. As you may have heard, the Amateur Porn and Gigging Committee serves the same function as a Chamber of Commerce in Wagon Rut. Wagon Rut just received a grant from the Texas Commission of the Arts to start a new arts-oriented business venture: the Book On A Shirt store.

The shop’s only been in business a month, but owner Donny “Dogman” Devereux thinks he can already spot some trends. “Most people just want the cover of the book on their T-shirts. You know, they want the cover of Twilight or Fifty Shades of Whatever or the owner’s manual for the 2013 Ford F-150 SVT

Raptor 4X4. You know, the popular books.

“But a few people want quotations from books on their shirts. So far I’ve put on ‘You are every dream I’ve ever had’ from The Notebook; ‘Dreams are more powerful than facts’ from Everything I Needed In Kindergarten I Wanted; and ‘Dream happy dreams,’ from Eclipse.

Man, I wish I could buy stock in this dream stuff. Talk about a market trend.”

When he was asked if he might one day sell three-dimensional books made of paper and ink in his store, Devereux laughed and said, “Gotta admit I never thought of that one. It’s a pretty good funny, though. Come to think of it, we might put those Twilight novels in a couple of years down the line. We’ll see if there’s any demand for them.”

Of course, if anyone in Wagon Rut wants to buy three-dimensional books, the Yankee Paul “No Nickname” Emerson still sells them out of his basement. Through the entire month of October, he says, he’s having a sale on “all the writings of the Bronte sisters.”

I’m doubtful the basement will be able to hold the crowds that’ll show up for that one. Of course, if you want to buy romances, Christian fiction or books by Ann Coulter, you can skip the trip to Emerson’s place; he doesn’t sell those kinds of books. La di da.

Boone yelling at Ignatow, “Come back when you grow up!”

Of course, the biggest business challenge to the area is the recent loss of one of Wagon Rut’s commercial anchors: Shane’s Boudin and Dutch Pornography Hut. The Amateur Porn and Gigging Committee is working feverishly to get “The Hut” back in operation.

“We’ve done everything we can to help Shane get back on his feet,” said committee member Jarvis “Shotgun” Hoggins. “I even offered to hold his Dutch pornography for him during this difficult transitional time. But Shane likes to go it on his own. I think he’s having some real trouble with his grease trap.

“It’s not all about business,” said Hoggins. “Most of us grew up taking our

sweethearts hut dunking [dunking links of deep-fried boudin into headcheese dip]. These are memories we can’t afford to lose.”

So, it’s not all rosy for the Wagon Rut economy. But if anybody knows about business, it’s “English” Billy. He says business in Wagon Rut is good. “I can sell anything here. Anything.

“I mean, just look around you, mate.

The place is poor and dirty, but it’s full of Hummers and Escalades. I had a bloke tell me the other day that his Hummer was his Jesus Hummer. So I showed him a bookmark I’d made by laminating a picture of Jesus I clipped out of a Jehovah’s Witnesses tract. He gave me $20 for it without thinking twice. I think I could have gotten $25.

“When I’m making my pitch, all I have to do is throw in some statement like, ‘but it may be more than you can afford.’ That’s it; I feel money in my palm immediately. A friend just paid off a debt with a truck-full of VHS tapes of Charlie’s Angels episodes. I guarantee you I will sell every one within a month.

They say there’s no such thing as a sure thing, but this is a sure thing, mate. You think maybe you’d want to buy one? I can give you 10 percent off right up front.”

This, then, is a brief tour of the little big town of the new Wagon Rut, which is hoping that with future big business success, it may one day enjoy prosperity that rivals that of Snake’s Belly.

Of course, Wagon Rut’s longtime center of the high arts — the Duck, Fish, Dog And Bayou Paintings Store — is doing a brisk business, as always.

Owner Beau “Cree Cree” Moutree has recently added paintings of American flags, crosses and fleur de lis. And he’s anticipating a big change — the addition of paintings of people.

“I’ve already commissioned some paintings of a guy in a duck blind and an old lady basting a turkey. We’ll see how they do,” says Moutree. “The arts change, and we must change with them.”

Of course, not all business ideas are going to click — even in the new Wagon Rut. When young entrepreneur David Ignatow approached the Amateur Porn and Gigging Committee about getting a grant for a shop to sell educational toys, he first had to explain to the group what an educational toy is. When committee members came to understand what Ignatow was talking about, they started snickering and, very shortly later, broke into open laugher, with outspoken committee member Gunner “Skin Stapler” October 3, 2013

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By Brad Goins

A

s the Lake Charles Civic Ballet moves into its 45th year, it keeps “a very clear vision of creativity …” says longtime supporter Kelley Saucier. “What is most interesting about the Civic Ballet is that they create their own work from the ground up.”

From the beginning, such creation required a variety of art forms — dance (of course), but also new choreography, costumes and settings, lighting schemes, photography and, at times, original musical scores.

And because the work was indeed done from scratch, it was necessary for local artists to be the creative forces and to collaborate as they created.

This vision of local artists collaborating to create entirely new ballets that use a variety of art forms was called “total theater” by Lady Leah Hathaway when she brought the ballet to life 45 years ago.

The idea of a total theater that seamlessly blended a number of the arts was one that was in vogue in the U.S. and Europe at the time. Lady Leah, who was Lake Charles theater pioneer Rosa Hart’s last student, may have inherited notions of the concept from her teacher. It’s said

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that Hathaway used to sit for hours, just listening to Hart talk about theater.

The total theater approach of collaboration on the part of a diverse group of artists in behalf of a public performance was still an innovative idea in 1968 — especially for a midsized city deep in the South. The insistence on working with and appealing to local talent was also innovative.

All these elements are still crucial to the mission of the Ballet 45 years on. The Ballet remains “a platform for Louisiana artists, choreographers and dancers, and a medium for building dance in the area,” says Saucier.

“As an arts organization, you really need to work with others to survive these days. It makes it more interesting. By bringing multiple artists to the stage, you broaden your reach.”

Saucier talks about using this firmly established but flexible approach to take the Ballet to “the next level.” This level would, she thinks, be one of “more collaboration, diversifying, but also remaining true to those classical roots.” (Later in the story, we’ll see how the Lake Charles Civic Ballet company continues to use its thorough training in classical ballet and thoroughgoing reliance on classical music to create new and intriguing ballet works.)

The Local Angle Trying to organize a full-scale ballet strictly by local means in a place like Lake Charles must have been an invigorating prospect 45 years ago. Then, as

be just 3 years old.

To see school children of 3 — or of any age — perform ballet with a symphony “is not common for a town this size,” says Saucier.

Lady Holly Hathaway, the Ballet’s artistic director and creator of much of its choreography, finds her own artistic drive enhanced by the efforts of young, local dancers to stay the course. “They’re dedicated athletes,” she says. “They work through blisters and sore muscles.”

Lady Holly’s vision of the sort of creative work taking place at the Ballet is Rudolph 1968.

today, the approach also happens to coincide with fundamental values of the Lake Area’s culture. Lake Charles, and surrounding areas, like to keep things local. They like to see the local boys and girls make good.

So it pleases local audiences that at Civic Present-day Rudolph.

Ballet productions, it’s a Romero & Romero Photography matter of “Southwest Louisiana creating things right here,” as Saucier puts it. “The only place you can see it is right here.” in sync with that of her mother Lady “It is local dancers,” says Saucier. Leah, who was, of course, the Ballet’s Even when the Ballet performs the most first artistic director and also did extenestablished works from the repertoire, it sive choreography. “The Ballet was creatdoesn’t call in ballet troupes from ed to enhance the creative ability of peoHouston or Atlanta. The dancers you’ll ple in the Lake Area,” says Lady Holly. see in this Christmas season’s Rudolph There is, she says, “a wealth of talent in will be locals — 200 of them, in fact. The Southwest Louisiana … To use that is so youngest local ballet dancer on stage will much fun. It fuels my creativity.”

She hopes that young people in the audience who see what their peers can accomplish will be inspired to become active in artistic endeavors themselves, whether as a dancer or as some other artisan.

Assemblé Both in its name and its content, the Civic Ballet work Assemblé is an ideal example of the collaborative, multi-genre approach that makes up “total theater.”

Of course, “assemblé” is a ballet step in which the feet come together.

But it also signifies an “assemblage” of art forms. In the Civic Ballet productions titled Assemblé, local creative figures from a variety of artistic backgrounds come together to make what Saucier says is “truly a multi-faceted creative project.”

A perfect example is “The Fable” episode from last year’s Assemblé. The score was written by late local composer Keith Gates. The three instrumentalists of the small musical ensemble were seated on stage. This minimal musical accompaniment was mirrored by “sparse, beautiful light” by longtime Ballet lighting supervisor Denver Kaufman. Just in case all this wasn’t striking and quirky enough, a large scale papier mache elephant (designed by Fred Stark) moved here and there on stage.

Lady Holly created the original choreography. continued

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Founders Debi Buras White and Lady Leah Lafargue Hathaway enjoying working on costumes.

Other new, multi-genre approaches to ballet will come together in the next assemblage of works that will make up the Ballet’s second “Assemblé,” which will be performed in March, 2014, at the Rosa Hart Theater.

Entirely new will be a ballet based on the upcoming children’s book The Tortoise and His Hair by local author Eloise Huber. The score was composed

by Sulphur native, and current Loyola student, Theresa Romero (whose father, Danley, is photographer for the Ballet).

Although Lady Holly will create the choreography for this piece, she has “just gotten started,” she says.

Current and long-time technical director Fred Stark giving instructions on stage.

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What she’s waiting for is Romero’s completed score. “I’ve got ideas about where I’d like it to go,” says Lady Holly.

“Part of the fun of it is to see what the musician is going to do with this.”

There will also be a novel approach to a ballet standard. While one of the traditional classical scores for Cinderella will be used, the version will be an hourlong selection, rather than one that consumes an entire evening. Lady Holly will do some of the choreography for this segment.

Ensuring that the assemblage will be plenty eclectic, there will be a selection of dances by Bob Fosse, whose choreography Saucier describes as “very, very stylish and cool.”

The new Assemblé program is still very much a work in progress. An Assemblé show takes an entire year to prepare. Lady Holly spent some of her summer watching guest choreographers do staging for the Fosse numbers.

She seems to be especially excited about a portion of the show titled “Louisiana Saturday Night” in which Chris Miller and Bayou Roots play roots (pardon the redundancy) music from the area.

“It’s all original choreography,” says Lady Holly. “It’s fun for the musicians and the audience alike.” Given the nature of the music, she anticipates such audience interactions as humming and clapping along. continued

Even when the Ballet performs the most established works from the repertoire, it doesn’t call in ballet troupes from Houston or Atlanta. The dancers you’ll see in this Christmas season’s Rudolph will be locals — 200 of them, in fact. The youngest local ballet dancer on stage will be just 3 years old.

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Rudolph Part of the 45th anniversary celebration is the performance of the ballet’s popular Rudolph ballet — a work that premiered in Lake Charles in 1968.

That first-year production was a good instance of local artists collaborating towards an end. Denver Kaufman, who is in now in charge of Rosa Hart Theater, worked with Tommy Johnson, Jimmy Dupuis and Lady Leah to build the original set for Rudolph in 1968. Hathaway even did some of the construction herself.

Kaufman recalls this early ballet as a work that was entirely Lady Leah’s.

Of course, she did the choreography for the ballet. Kaufman and Johnson did the original lighting.

Although the Ballet doesn’t perform Rudolph every year, because of its seasonal nature; its popularity; and its family-friendly content, the ballet is performed often. “It’s such a fun Christmas event,” says Saucier. “Kids love it. It’s just very Christmassy.”

Part of the 45th anniversary celebration is the performance of the ballet’s popular Rudolph ballet — a work that premiered in Lake Charles in 1968.

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Cinderella will be part of Assemblé 2014 with the Lake Charles Symphony.

Photo by Romero & Romero Photography

The Lake Charles Civic Ballet works to continue to make the work new and relevant. For instance, the Ballet’s board now sees Rudolph as an opportunity for the Ballet’s educational outreach effort to convey a lesson about bullying to local students, who are often treated to performances by the Ballet.

The board, which now numbers almost 40, has prepared lesson plans about the aspects of bullying in the Rudolph story and about ways to prevent and stop bullying. These plans can be found at the ballet’s Web site, as can a list of reading materials about bullying compiled by a local teacher.

Performances of Rudolph won’t begin until December 14. But if you’d like information about tickets, or more information about the troupe’s history, the ballet’s web site — lakecharlescivicballet.com — is full of information. Note in particular the Ballet’s extensive blog.

An ‘Unbelievable’ Accomplishment Because Saucier has been so enthusiastic about the Lake Charles Civic Ballet for so long, she’s perfectly serious and calm when she says, almost nonchalantly, “All it takes is time, money and more volunteers.” There isn’t even a hint of a joking tone.

Still, she’s aware of the scope of what’s been done. Saucier thinks it’s “unbelievable” for a ballet with such a broad artistic agenda “to still be here.”

Forty-five years is enough time for a group to build a legacy. Saucier notes that the Ballet has had two generations of artistic directors with the same family roots.

Remaining faithful to the original artistic goals, and continuing to keep everything local, are other features of the legacy that all those affiliated with the Ballet can be proud of.

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We’ve all heard the economic forecasts.

Lake Charles sits on the cusp of a major industrial boom. We know such expansion will increase our overall economy, but how will it impact the real estate market?

BY ANGIE KAY DILMORE

BRACING FOR HOUSING GROWTH

I

ndustrial expansions will require a larger workforce, which inherently means an influx of more people to our area. More people necessitate more housing. Are we prepared?

Realtors, developers and community planners overwhelmingly say “No.” But they’re working on it.

The Southwest Louisiana Task Force for Growth and Opportunity (AKA the Go Group) consists of many area leaders volunteering on several different sub-committees with the goal of successfully steering the five-parish region through this anticipated transition. Several members of this group spoke at a recent Better Business Bureau B2B breakfast meeting and shared details of the projected effect on the area housing market.

Based strictly on preliminary calculations, they estimate our community may grow by 50,000, requiring 20,000 new homes — all within the next several years. The Go Group takes these expected changes to the Southwest Louisiana community very seriously, and works diligently to plan for, navigate and facilitate a smooth transition. It intends to prevent this industrial boom from turning into an economic bust.

“This is our opportunity to either leave a legacy, or leave a mess-up,” said Hal McMillin, chairman of the Go Group.

The group is currently looking at what needs to be done in regards to water, sewage, roads and general infrastructure to accommodate the anticipated influx of people. McMillin also emphasized the importance of quality of life for our residents. Adequate housing is a primary factor in this equation.

Realtors agree that several area industries expect to grow, and more people will be needed to meet the demands of construction and the increased workload.

But the specifics of when the community will begin tangibly seeing changes are anyone’s guess. Predictions range from one or two years up to a decade. Local economist Michael Kurth told the Board of Realtors at a recent luncheon meeting that it could take six to eight years before the work at these industries is completed and the community realizes the full impact of the changes.

Some real estate agents and developers eagerly anticipate the projected population growth. Others are more cautious and worry that contractors may overbuild, especially in the rental markets, creating a glut of housing in the future.

City planners, business leaders and organizations such as the Go Group recognize that by some estimates, a total of 47,000 new jobs will be required for the industrial expansions, but only 19,000 of those new jobs will be permanent posi-

tions. Thousands of workers will be needed during the initial construction phase of the expansions, but when the work is finished, they’ll move out of the area. The key for the city and surrounding areas is to know how to effectively house the temporary workforce without creating an overabundance of permanent housing. Many of these transient workers will arrive in their own camper trailers, creating a need for more temporary RV parks. Others might stay with family or friends. But if enough temporary housing isn’t created, the workers may occupy the bulk of our area hotel rooms for several years.

For certain, these upcoming changes, whenever they occur, will affect the real estate market at every level: residential, rental, and commercial.

Tony Cornner, associate broker for Century 21, works primarily in residential real estate. He said the current market is stable and doing well, but he expects a shortage within the next year or two.

“With the amount of inventory we have, and considering the number of people we’re expecting, I don’t think it’s going to be enough,” he says.

Cornner says there are currently 700 homes for sale in southwest Louisiana.

Prior to Hurricane Rita, there were over 1,100. There simply aren’t as many homes on the market. This generally results in higher home prices.

“Housing prices depend on supply and demand,” Cornner explains. “If we lose the supply and demand increases, the prices go up. The same thing happened after Hurricane Rita. People paid more for homes during that time because there were fewer homes for sale.”

Cornner feels that the newcomers will move to all areas of southwest Louisiana — the city, South Lake Charles, Westlake, Moss Bluff, Sulphur, Iowa, LeBleu Settlement. “It’s all going to grow,” he says.

Can developers, contractors and builders keep up with this unprecedented increase in housing demands?

“I think that instead of a shotgun blast, it’s going to be more like a trickle,” said local contractor and developer Mike Dupin. “At first, it will be slow, and then gradually pick up momentum.

“I’m anticipating a lot of tract builders to come in. They’ve already infiltrated the area. Tract builders come in and buy up large areas of land and can quickly develop 20 houses at a time.

“A lot of the smaller companies like myself, we just take what [business] we can. I have seen an increase in housing.

But I think it’s a little too early to increase the number of homes we’re building.

Though I have, in anticipation, bought some land for future development, and nine lots in existing subdivisions.

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“That’s going to be the key — where are we going to build these houses? The wetlands are an issue. I don’t think it’s so much can we meet the demand to build them, but where we’re going to build them. Infrastructure takes a long time — to get roads, electric power and permitting taken care of.”

What other factors might affect the residential real estate market in the near future? Finance rates, while still low, are nonetheless on the increase. Also, new flood zone mapping and government flood insurance mandates could make some properties cost prohibitive for some home owners.

Rental property Realtors are currently at 96- to 97-percent capacity. “We find that we have no problem renting units that are in good condition in Lake Charles,” said Steve Floyd, co-owner and broker with Ingle Safari Realty. “If a unit isn’t rented, it’s because we’re rehabbing it. I think we’re already seeing an increase in the number of people looking for rental property. And more are expected, putting pressure on the rental market to meet the increased demand.

“Yes, I’m concerned about a shortage. This is the biggest thing that has happened in my lifetime and will ever happen in anyone’s lifetime in this area. It’s huge.

Unbelievably big. Of the various expansions that are slated, the Sasol expansion is the second largest project that has ever happened in the United States, in terms of capital — $21 billion. It’s the biggest thing that has ever happened in Louisiana.”

The key for the real estate industry, especially in terms of rental property, is to

know where to accurately draw the line between permanent and temporary housing.

Commercial real estate is the first sector to realize growth in a period of industrial expansion. Matt Redd, business director for NAI, Lake Charles, said, “There are a lot of service companies that are inquiring about properties for warehouse and office space. As they get their contracts with growing area industries, they are buying or leasing buildings from us.”

Redd expects to see even more growth over the next two years, and he is concerned that the commercial real estate market is undersupplied.

“The service companies that are already here want to expand into larger facilities to handle the expected increase in workload,” he says. “New engineering and industrial supply companies as well as contractors are coming into our market.”

The overall impression from Realtors and developers is that no changes are going to happen overnight. Yes, our economy will grow and adjust. Industry in the area is expanding and our population will likely increase, requiring more housing and serving as a boon to the real estate market. But those in the housing industry expect a gradual transition.

In the meantime, the folks involved with the Go Group and other city officials plan to work hard to “future-proof” our economy and community as a whole.

“We want to be ready. We want to be proactive,” said McMillin. “We see this boom as a positive thing. This is an exciting time. But we want to make sure we’re ready.”

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Local Real Estate Agent Tony Cornner Has Been Working On His Dream Home. He Began With A Stunningly Beautiful Deck On The Water.

BY ANGIE KAY DILMORE

BUILDING A DREAM

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any people consider building a home part of the great American dream. In Southwest Louisiana, that dream often includes a home on one of our many waterways. A home in such a location provides easy access to boating, fishing, and recreation.

Tony Cornner, a local real estate broker with Century 21, has been working on his dream home for the past two and a half years. He started the process by buying a double lot on River Mist Drive in the Southpark Manor II subdivision in Moss Bluff.

“We bought this property from Sonny Mathis and I had a vision of what I wanted to do,” says the 47-year-old Moss Bluff native. His vision includes an elaborate 200-foot-long deck along the narrow bayou that meanders through the neighborhood and connects with the West Fork of the Calcasieu River. “It’s really peaceful here,” he says.

The deck work is nearly complete, and the family has already enjoyed bringing their jet skis to the site and eatcontinued

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DREAM continued ing crawfish at the covered picnic table.

Within a couple of months, Cornner plans to begin work on a 4,200-square-foot home, complete with a pool and outdoor kitchen.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES The road to a dream can often be rocky, fraught with problems and setbacks. Cornner’s first challenge was to dredge the one-foot deep waterway, which was essentially only a drainage

water was the next major challenge. It took several months for Cornner to renew his confidence, but he persevered and started over. This time, he incorporated additional drainage and expects the wall to remain secure. “We’ve made it through several hard floods and it’s holding.”

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Tony’s son Jarren, a 20-year-old McNeese State University student, has been Cornner’s greatest asset.

“He’s wonderful.

He’s helped me through the whole process,” Cornner says with pride. ditch initially, to a depth of six feet. He hired Dean West and his track hoe to help with the work. Then Cornner built a bulkhead to shore up the bank.

“We put the wall up, but we had problems with it. One night, we had about five inches of rain. The water tore the bulkhead into the water.” All their hard work washed into the ditch.

Fetching the bulkhead out of the

Cornner has done the majority of work himself, including building the deck and walls and landscaping with plants and grasses. He’s had help from his brother Dennis. And his wife Sandra provides support and basic cheerleading.

But his son Jarren, a 20-year-old McNeese University student, has been Cornner’s greatest asset. “He’s wonderful. He’s helped me through the whole process,” Cornner says with pride.

“You probably don’t realize how much it means to you until you’re almost finished. While you’re working on it, you might not think it’s worth that much, but it’s made us real close. He’s been with me working on it since the beginning. It’s not typical of a young man his age. He’s very respectful, and I think he’ll do very well in life.”

The Cornners have another older son who lives out of town.

BUILDING A NEIGHBORHOOD Cornner is president of the homeowners’ association at Southpark Manor II. There are currently three homes in the neighborhood. Five more, including the Cornners’, will be built within the next year or two.

As president, Cornner has taken it upon himself to do some neighborhood improvement projects, such as planting Japanese Clumping Cane, which will eventually form a privacy hedge along the highway.

He originally purchased three lots on the subdivision. He sold one, and considered selling these other two, but he’s put so much work into the double lot, he’s decided the property is home, and he’s excited to build on it for himself and his family. “We love it here,” he says. “We love Moss Bluff.”

What's Hot In Home Features And Design

BY ELIZABETH JARON

CURB APPEAL TIPS

T

o understand home buyer trends today, it’s almost easier to look at what is not hot, at what buyers don’t want to buy. There’s a lot about the 1980s that many people don’t remember fondly, such as a lot of the music — and most of the homes built in that decade. In fact, homes built from 1970 to 1999 are often passed over for older or newer homes. All of which means doing your best Nancy Reagan impersonation and just saying no to: — shag carpeting — avocado-colored appliances — walnut cabinets and baseboards — formica counters — gold-toned trim

The three hottest trends in homes are: Pre-WWII. These homes can be Victorians such as Italianates or Queen Annes, Arts and Crafts bungalows, Tudors, Colonials, California Missions, Greek Revivals — almost any type of architecture with Old-World style, charm and character. The exteriors are frame and wood, covered in stucco or brick and stone.

Mid-Century Homes. I cringe when I hear that term. I can’t help it. But it’s an accurate term for homes built between 1945 and 1965. While Cape Cods fall into this category, the period is better known for its sleek 50’s-style, modern homes such as those built by Frank Lloyd Wright and Wright-inspired builders such as

Streng and Eichler. Many of these midcentury homes have flat or shallowpitched roofs, geometric shapes and triangular windows, cantilevered construction and open floor plans.

Mediterranean. These homes incorporate Spanish or Italian details, boast stucco exteriors and tile roofs, and are mostly multi-level. The entrances are grand and generally covered. Homes feature archways throughout and rounded wall corners. Patios sport columns and are filled with rustic terra cotta pottery. You’ll see lots of wrought iron accents; interior floors are ceramic or Travertine; and dramatic staircases are located most often near the front of the home. Although you will find these homes constructed in the early

1920s, most often you will find this style copied by tract home builders after the year 2000.

KITCHENS Popular kitchens are either original period details — pure and unspoiled — or totally and completely modern.

Herringbone floors; peach, pink or blue four-inch bathroom or kitchen tiles; art deco light fixtures; and antique Wedgewood or O’Keefe and Merritt stoves are among the original features buyers crave. Never the twain shall meet in between, which means no wallpaper, no blue-and-yellow ducks with white neckribbons parading on borders, and no boxed ceiling lights.

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Fontenots To Open New Home For A Tour To Benefit Women's Shelter

BY KARLA WALL

SHARING WITH THE COMMUNITY

T

he beautiful new home of John and Jodi Fontenot, located on West Prien Lake Road on a large lot with a stunning view of Prien Lake, was 10 years in the planning, and now that it's nearly completed, the couple wants to share it with the community.

"It's a beautiful new home, with a beautiful view," says John. "God has blessed us with it, and we want to share it."

And they want to share it in such a way that the community will benefit.

On Friday, Oct. 25, the Fontenots, owners of Gulf Coast Carpet And Decorating Center, will open their new home to tours, by appointment only, from 7-10 pm, to benefit the Calcasieu Women's Shelter. Those wishing to view the home will be asked to donate a minimum of $100 per couple to the shelter. continued

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SUPER SAVINGS!

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"This area was no. 1 in domestic violence in the state," says Fontenot.

"Now we're no. 2 or 3. The Women's Shelter has 33 beds for women and children who are victims of domestic violence — who are battered, beaten and raped. At any one time, the shelter is taking care of 20-30 such victims."

A tour might be worth it even if it weren't to support such a worthy cause.

The Fontenot's 8,400 sq. ft. home has taken two years to build. The Fontenots completed the property's boat house and lived in it (it's a one-bedroom house) while the main house was being built.

The home has five bedrooms, and "lots of living areas," says Fontenot.

There are two indoor living areas, and a large outdoor living area and kitchen in the back. It boasts six bathrooms, three

kitchens, and three laundry rooms. There are also multiple garages.

The home's decor reflects the Fontenot's love of travel. The house is full of unique and historic items that the Fontenots have long been accumulating specifically for their new home.

"We've planned for this house for 10 years," says John. "We've been buying things for it for 10 years and putting them in storage."

There is a unique chandelier the Fontenots purchased in Italy in 2007.

The dining room is decorated with pieces purchased on a trip to Africa. There are antique reclaimed doors salvaged from Hurricane Katrina's aftermath in New Orleans. Some of the ceilings are crafted from 200-year-old cypress purchased in Sunset, La. "The house is full of old furni-

ture, old glass and old wood," says Fontenot.

It's a house built for entertaining, and the Fontenots are already planning to host events. They'll host Christmas parties this year for both the Lake Charles Rotary Club and the Better Business Bureau. They'll also host a Mardi Gras party in January.

To arrange a tour during the scheduled hours, call John Fontenot at 3047606.

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FINDING A REAL ESTATE AGENT

F

inding a good real estate agent or broker is essential to a painless real estate transaction. The saying is “20 percent of the agents do 80 percent of the business,” and it’s true.

The question is: How can you find a good real estate agent?

The best agent for you doesn’t necessarily work at the largest brokerage, close the most transactions or make the most money. The best agent for you is an experienced professional who will listen to you and conduct herself in an ethical manner, and who knows your market.

REALTORS VS. AGENTS All Realtors are licensed to sell real estate as an agent or a broker, but not all real estate agents are Realtors. Only Realtors can display the Realtor logo.

Realtors belong to the National Association of Realtors and pledge to follow the organization’s code of ethics, a comprehensive list containing 17 articles and underlying standards of practice, which establish levels of conduct that are higher than ordinary business practices or those required by law. Less than half of all licensees are Realtors.

SEEK REFERRALS Most real estate agents stay in business because satisfied clients refer them to friends, family, neighbors and coworkers. Ask the people around you who they have used, and ask them to describe their experiences with the agent.

Successful agents make customer satisfaction their number one priority and put their customers’ needs before their own.

Try to find an agent who goes above and beyond her responsibilities. She’ll be the agent whose praises your friends sing loudest.

LOOK FOR THE SIGNS Pay attention to the listing signs in your neighborhood. Make note of the day they go up and when the sold sign appears. The agent who sells listings the fastest might be better for you than the agent with the largest number of “for sale” signs. Results speak volumes.

SURF THE WEB There are plenty of websites that will refer agents to you, but that’s no 44

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assurance of quality. The agents they refer are those who have paid the website owners a fee to be listed in their directory. A better bet is to Google the top real estate companies in your area, go to those websites and look up profiles of individual agents at offices near you.

Look for customer testimonials.

GO TO OPEN HOUSES By going to open houses, you can meet real estate agents in a non-threatening working environment and interact with them. Collect business cards and make notes on them. If you’re thinking about selling your home, pay attention to how the agent is showing the home. Is she polite and informative; does she appear knowledgeable? Does she hand out professional-looking promotional material about the home? Is she trying to sell features of the home? Or is she sitting in a corner reading a book, ignoring you?

CHECK OUT PRINT ADS Real estate agents run real estate ads for two purposes. The first is to sell specific real estate. The second is to promote the real estate agent. Look in your local Sunday newspaper for ads in your targeted neighborhood. Then look up the websites of the agents who are advertising. These agents could be specialists in your neighborhood. Call and ask them about their experience.

GET PRO RECOMMENDATIONS Ask other real estate agents for referrals. Agents are happy to refer buyers and sellers to associates, especially if the service you need is not a specialty of the agent who is referring you. Some agents specialize in residential re-sales, while others work exclusively with new home builders. Other agents sell only commercial or investment property. Mortgage brokers are also a resource for agent referrals, as many brokers have firsthand knowledge of exceptional agents.

Pros tend to refer pros.

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For years, the South Lake Charles Kiwanis Club has held a Christmasthemed arts and crafts show in November as its yearly fundraiser. This year, the organization decided to try something a little bit different.

On Thursday, Oct. 10, the group will host an event featuring live and silent auctions; a raffle; live entertainment; and free wine, hors d’oeuvres, soft drinks, beer and coffee.

The event will take place at the Chateau du Calcasieu Event Center, located in the old United Furniture Building at 932 Enterprise Blvd. Hours are 6-9 pm.

Auction items will include: • A non-professional guided speckled trout fishing trip for three to Big Lake.

• A two-hour airboat ride for two in a South Louisiana marsh • A Cajun Microwave with MSU Cowboys and Miller Lite logo • Two rounds of golf at Gray Plantation • Two rounds of golf for four at Koasati Pines continued

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• Two rounds of golf at the Lake Charles Country Club • Two rounds of golf at the National Golf Club in Westlake • Two LSU football tickets and parking pass for LSU vs. Furman homecoming game Saturday, Oct. 2 • Four tickets to an LSU basketball game, for seats in the lower bowl (below the concourse) • Season tickets for MSU basketball • Two tickets for the following MSU Cowboy football home games: Oct. 19 vs. Sam Houston (homecoming game); Nov. 2 vs.

Southeastern. Includes parking passes in Lot A for both games and a McNeese gift basket.

• Wharf Party (including speckled trout dinner, fishing under the lights on Prien Lake, snacks and beverages, televised LSU or McNeese game) for four people on a Saturday in November • Airplane rides (introductory/sightseeing flights) for one passenger • Evening at the Keith Duplechain home, including margaritas for four • $1,000 towards granite installation by Surfaces • Vallier gift certificate • Dinaire 54-in. octagonal poker table set with four chairs • He Neng “Two Sisters” framed print • Lina LeKinff watercolor original painting framed print • Echo gas powered blower • Two hours of tennis lessons at Lake Charles Racquet Club • 10 x 20 storage unit at NPFR or Parish Rd. (six months) • Necklace from Diamond Durrell’s • First Federal Bank of Louisiana gift basket

•

THANKS FOR KEEPING US #1 FOR 43 YEARS!

PORTABLE BUILDINGS

337-625-4579 WWW.ELLENDERSPORTABLEBUILDINGS.NET 48

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• Two LSU hand-carved photo albums • Small cheese tray • Assorted jewelry • Wine basket • Cakes for a year from Pronia’s • Safe (combination and key).

Entertainment will be provided by local DJ group Deep South Productions.

Proceeds from the event go to fund Kiwanis of South Lake Charles’ community projects, which include shopping sprees for needy children; Christmas and Thanksgiving baskets; the Bring Up Grades program; and work with the Boys and Girls Village, American Legion, Salvation Army, Children’s Miracle Network, Family and Youth Counseling, Calcasieu Women’s Shelter, Abraham’s Tent, St. Nicholas Center, Boy Scouts, NAMI, Harbour House, Sowela and other organizations.

“Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles has been a longtime friend and supporter of the mission of Family and Youth,” says FYC president and CEO Julio Galan. “Over the years, members of the club have voted to financially contribute to The Children’s Advocacy Center, Court Appointed Special Advocates and Youth Leadership Development, all programs of Family and Youth. Their financial contribution over the years has directly affected children’s lives.

In addition, several club members share their time and talents, as they serve on the board of directors and help support events to bring awareness to the issues affecting children and families.

We enjoy our long-standing partnership, and we applaud their commitment to making our community a better place for all.”

Prizes, entertainment, food, a great time ... all to support a great cause. Don’t miss the Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles’ “Fun” fundraiser. For more information or tickets, call Mickey Connor at 337-540-6734.

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THE MYTHS AND LEGENDS BYWAY

BY LORI V. DARBONNE

S

tories of this once lawless territory called the “No Man’s Land” still abound through its still rough timber lands.

A trip across the lands of Beauregard, Vernon and Allen Parishes will demonstrate to travelers how these lands prospered through times of intense rivalry when justice didn’t always prevail and lumber was king.

Travelers will be mystified by the tall tales of the Myths and Legends Byway.

The drive takes in the locales of true stories, legends and shoot-outs between gunslingers.

Beginning in Southwest Louisiana at the Texas state line, the byway travels through mostly flat land that was originally

settled by the Atakapa and Coushatta Indians. Later, the area’s abundant forests led to the creation of sawmill towns.

Today, visitors will find pine forests, farming markets, rodeos and friendly people who are ready to share their stories.

Here’s a small sample of what you’ll find along the way:

BURR FERRY TO DERIDDER Start your drive in the small community of Burr Ferry, which lies on the Texas/Louisiana border. Here you can see remnants of breastworks built during the Civil War. The byway heads south on Highway

111, passing the Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area, then turns east at US 190.

A good stopping point is DeRidder, a charming town with a lot of history. Its once lawless boundaries created the need for a 1914 building — the only Gothic-style “hanging jail” in America. Proof of its ghostly haunting can be seen by visitors who stop by the Beauregard Museum and view the ghostly image of the old jailor standing on the building’s porch, wearing a white bibbed shirt and blue jean overhauls. Legend has it that every morning, the jailor is seen standing on the porch, drinking his coffee and smoking his pipe and watching as the traffic of horses and buggies pass by — proving that indeed ghosts do exist.

The Beauregard Parish Museum, housed in a former railroad depot, is filled with local artifacts; it’s especially noted for its more than 3,000 dolls.

Legend has it that a little girl named Lois Loftin had no dolls when she was growing up, so she began accumulating them as an adult and left her collection to the museum.

Other historic buildings in this part

of the byway include the First National Bank in DeRidder, with its 1930s lobby, which looks as if it were specifically designed for a heist by John Dillinger.

If you’re into fast horses and fancy roping, check out the action at the Beauregard Parish Civic Center Covered Arena, which hosts rodeos year round.

DERIDDER TO OAKDALE Along this stretch of the byway, discover a rural community rich with farming, and nature in its purest form. Look for blueberry farms, watermelon stands, mayhaws, fresh figs and country eggs. Often, you’ll see free mustard and turnip greens.

Beautiful wildflowers, such as the purple verbena and red clover, are spread in vast arrays over the countryside. continued

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Along Highway 112, make the Talbert Pierson Cemetery stop and discover the custom of above-the-ground grave houses. Stories of settlers from years past claim these unusual shelters were built to protect the bodies of their loved ones from wild animals.

The primitive one-room church nearby that had an attendance of 11 still has services on Sundays.

Also, stop in Sugartown — the first permanent settlement in Southwest Louisiana — and take the one-mile forest walk.

If you’re looking for further outdoor recreation, consider the Kisatchie National Forest — Louisiana’s only National Forest. Historic sites, such as Fullerton Sawmill, as well as sites that include hiking, biking and horse-back trails; good fishing spots; and camping and group picnic areas; can be found throughout the park.

You may catch a glimpse of the Red Cockadad Woodpecker, an endangered species, or hike the low-land bogs to see wild orchids and pitcher plants.

A bit further on is Elizabeth — once a busy sawmill town. The town’s city hall is housed in a historic hospital building.

Near Elizabeth, visit the West Bank Wildlife Management Area, where you can stretch your legs and do some birdwatching. Take note of the orchards in this area, where lemons, peaches, blueberries, pecans and muscadines are grown.

The byway ends in Oakdale, where the recently opened Leatherwood Museum, housed in a circa-1880s building, contains historical artifacts of the region’s timber industry.

Cap off the drive with a visit to the Hardwood Mill Restaurant, known for its hardy home-cooked meals and beautiful original wooden interior walls.

MERRYVILLE Continue driving down Highway 111 from Burr Ferry (rather than heading east at US 190); this will bring you to the town of Merryville. Here the grave of Leather Britches Smith, a famed outlaw gunned down in 1912, can be found.

Sites to see include the Merryville Museum and Burks Log Cabin. In 1883, the cabin was moved to Merryville, where it’s situated in front of the museum.

A rich abundance of artesian springs can be spotted throughout this quaint historic town. Merryville sits on one of the world’s largest underground aquifers.

Just north of Merryville is the Clear Creek Wildlife Management Area. In winter months, northern wildlife can be seen arriving in search of warmer climates. Wild turkey are plentiful in Clear Creek’s rolling hills.

These are just some of the stops along this byway route. Drop by one of the area’s welcome centers to discover the special events happening throughout the year.

Soon the state will feature a byway website that travelers near and far can use to enjoy information and images of these countryside road trips.

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VISIT DERIDDER have a question, teaching fundamentals as needed for the whole group.

“This class will be for people who are already drawing/painting in any medium but feel the need for assistance.

“From time to time, we will work on one subject as needed to help the entire group learn such fundamentals as mixing your own color, learning a new medium, etc.”

Lessons will be structured according to the interests of those who attend.

RealArt is located at 108 West First St. Hours are Wednesday through Friday 11 am-5 pm and Saturday 11 am-3 pm.

You can get more info on RealArt, or RAD, at 462-8900.

GOURD ART DISPLAYED The RealArt Gallery and artists’ center in DeRidder is now exhibiting art that’s been made with gourds, including pumpkins, squash and melons.

The eight artists whose work is featured in the show were selected by the Louisiana Gourd Society. They’ve used a variety of art media in their works.

Artists featured are Margaret Brinkhaus of Sunset; Nedra Denison of Belen, N.M.; Shelia Guidry of Corpus Christi, Texas; Mary Martinez of Zwolle; Sonia Matthews of Evangeline; Janet Schlauderaff of Lumberton, Miss.; Barbara Seegraves of Lake Charles and Karen Willingham of Lafayette.

RealArt also hosts ongoing art classes on Wednesdays from 9-11 am. Fee is $5 per session.

Classes will be taught by local retired art teacher and artist Sharon Harris. Harris says that “people who want to work on any project can bring it to the classroom and work on it. I will help them when they

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UPCOMING EVENTS — Oct. 10: Downtown at Sundown at Amerisafe Pavilion; gospel night; free nachos.

— Oct. 17: Downtown at Sundown at Amerisafe Pavilion; Grabow Riot performs; free hotdgs.

— Oct. 18-20: “Endless Nightmares” haunted house (call 375-1339 for info); “When Bull Frogs Sang Opera” at the Wooten Theatre (call 462-2751 for info).

— Oct. 24: Downtown at Sundown at Amerisafe Pavilion; Beauregard’s Courtesy performs; free hamburgers.

— Oct. 25-26: “Endless Nightmares” haunted house (call 375-1339 for info); “When Bull Frogs Sang Opera” at the Wooten Theatre (call 462-2751 for info).

— Oct. 31: “Endless Nightmares” haunted house (call 375-1339 for info).

— Oct. 31: Trick or Treat on the Trail in the Park in West Park.

— Nov. 16: The Big Barn Jam in the Beauregard Covered Arena. The Kentucky Headhunters are headliners; half a dozen other acts will perform. Adult tickets $15.

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One Thing’s For Sure — The New Health Care Act Is Complicated. This Nuts-And-Bolts Guide Should Make It A Little Easier To Understand • By Alvin Langdon

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IT’S THE BIGGEST STORY in health care and politics in a decade. The Affordable Health Care Act — widely known as “Obamacare” — is in effect now. Additional provisions of the act will take effect next year.

While discussion of the act is heated and divisive, everybody seems to agree on one thing: the new act is complicated.

As you read this guide, you’ll notice that much of the plan is based on suppositions, hypotheticals and conditionals. This thing should enable that thing to happen; if that thing happens, this other thing should happen in turn. It’s not known yet whether all these plans will work as they’re designed to. We may understand a great deal more about how this plan actually works in a year or two.

Until then, we’re faced with the reality of the plan as it will go into operation in the coming weeks. The following guide is meant to give readers some degree of introduction to the new program. Every effort has been made to make the language objective, informative and easy to understand.

eligibility for coverage is.

Navigators should be able to give consumers the information they need to resolve such issues.

CAN YOU GET HELP FROM YOUR INSURANCE AGENT RATHER THAN A NAVIGATOR? Agents and brokers can help people sort out their options in the new insurance marketplaces. The rules for agents and brokers are different in each state. They

all must go through the same training as navigators.

WILL NAVIGATORS BE ABLE TO HELP ALL THOSE WHO NEED HELP? The answer to that question is not yet clear. The work of navigators is a political issue in the continuing battle over health care reform.

At least 17 states have set up their own rules for navigators or are consider-

ing doing so. Some states are requiring navigators to be licensed or certified, and several have approved rules limiting the guidance they can give to consumers. See the story on Louisiana’s plan elsewhere in this issue for particulars about what navigators you can turn to in Louisiana.

WILL YOU PAY MORE OR SAVE ON INSURANCE PREMIUMS? If you don’t get health insurance through an employer or continued

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO RIGHT NOW? Most people won’t need to do anything because they have health insurance through their employer or the government. But people who do decide to use the insurance marketplaces set up by the new health care act may find them complicated.

There are many helpers who can guide confused parties through the process. Some work for the marketplaces and some don’t.

Of particular importance is a group of helpers called “navigators.” Navigators work for the new insurance marketplaces.

They can teach you about the marketplaces and help you enroll. Navigators will be available in all states.

The navigator program helps anyone who wants to get insurance through a marketplace. The goal of navigators is to help consumers understand the basics of the insurance program; how it works; and how they enroll in the marketplace.

Navigators will be required to take 20 hours of training. They must be impartial and are not allowed to recommend specific plans.

SHOULD YOU GET HELP FROM A NAVIGATOR? Anyone can visit a marketplace and buy coverage on his own. But the process is complicated. Help from navigators could be useful.

Consider this instance. Some consumers will need help figuring out whether to take a federal subsidy (financial aid) when they pay their premiums or later, as a rebate when they file their taxes.

Another potential source of confusion about how the new plan works is family relationships. For example, a couple with children from another marriage may need help to figure out just what their October 3, 2013

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IT’S TIME

TO GET YOUR MAMMOGRAM. Early detection is a powerful tool in the fight against breast cancer. Mammograms can find suspicious lumps even before they can be felt, and if diagnosed early, a woman with a cancerous lump has a much better chance of surviving breast cancer. The American Cancer Society recommends an annual mammogram for women over the age of 40.

Have you scheduled your mammogram?

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital is offering a 20% discount during October on digital screening mammograms. Appointments are available Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Thursdays until 7 p.m.

Call (337) 527-4256 to schedule yours today.

Radiologists’ fees are billed separately from the hospital and are not included in the discount.

701 Cypress Street, Sulphur

wcch.com

buy insurance on your own, by next year, the health insurance marketplaces should be able to save you money if you purchase health insurance.

The new health insurance exchanges are intended to create marketplaces where individuals and small businesses will have the same bulk purchasing power as large employers. Those who participate in the marketplaces will be able to shop for coverage. They can choose from a range of public and private insurance options, picking, if they choose, the one with the best price.

It is thought that exchanges could number in the millions. Given the bargaining power of such a potentially large group, it is thought that insurers will have an incentive to be competitive on benefits and price to attract more customers.

Another benefit for insurers, it is believed, is that the immense size of the marketplaces will spread financial risk among the healthy and the sick.

longer be legal for insurers to turn anyone down or charge one applicant more than others for a health plan because of a medical condition.

COULD YOU BE PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET? Insurers will be able to charge more for coverage for some characteristics, such as age, a smoking habit and geography.

Old people can be charged rates as

much as three times those of young people. Smokers may pay 1.5 times more for their health plan than those who don’t use tobacco.

Rates will also vary depending on where you live. Under the law, insurers will be allowed to charge more for people who live in areas where medical costs are high.

One of the biggest concerns about potential rate increases under the act is that limits on how much insurers can charge old people will cause premiums

for young people to skyrocket. Some critics have argued that such increases will keep young, healthy people out of the insurance pools, and that this will cause costs to rise.

Most people buying plans through the state-based insurance markets being established will qualify for financial assistance to help pay for the cost of their coverage. Individuals earning nearly $46,000 and families of four earning up to $94,000 a year, will qualify for a tax break that continued

WILL THERE BE ANY REGULATION OF THE DEGREE TO WHICH INSURANCE COMPANIES RAISE THEIR PRICES WHEN THE NEW PLAN GOES INTO EFFECT? Under the current system, state insurance commissioners have varying degrees of authority to challenge insurance company rate increases. With the new plan, any insurance company that wants to raise its individual and small group rates by 10 percent or more must disclose the proposed increases to the public and provide a sound actuarial justification for the increases.

The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) will provide $200 million in grant funds to help states develop programs that will make insurance pricing transparent to consumers and stop unreasonable premium increases.

Rate reviews will be conducted at the state level, except for cases in which the state doesn’t have sufficient resources to undertake reviews. In those cases, the HHS will conduct the review.

WHAT ASSURANCE WILL HEALTH CARE REFORM PROVIDE TO MAKE SURE PREMIUMS ARE AFFORDABLE? In 2014, tax credits will be made available to help pay for health plans purchased through the health insurance plan.

Individuals who make $43,000 or less, or a family of four making less than $88,000 annually, will receive government subsidies for insurance premiums.

They may also be eligible for reduced copayments, coinsurance and deductibles to help with the cost of coverage. There will be exemptions for financial hardship.

WILL ALL PREEXISTING CONDITIONS BE COVERED? The new law guarantees health insurance coverage to anyone who applies. Starting January 1, 2014 it will no October 3, 2013

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should lower the cost of coverage. In some cases, actual rates may be higher.

But the financial assistance plan is designed to compensate for the costs by means of the subsidies.

IF YOU DON’T BUY INSURANCE, CAN YOU JUST PAY THE PENALTY AND SIGN UP FOR INSURANCE IF YOU NEED IT? In 2014, people who choose not to buy health insurance will be charged a penalty of $95 or 1 percent of their annual income, whichever is higher. The penalty will grow over time.

It’s thought that some people may decide to pay the penalty instead of purchasing coverage, and that they may simply wait until they become sick to sign onto a health plan.

Open enrollment periods are designed to discourage people from taking this option. In most states, you’ll be able to buy insurance through your state’s new marketplace at some time between October 1, 2013 through March 31, 2014.

If you don’t sign up for insurance, you’ll be locked out of the market until the following year. If you become sick during that time, you’ll be left to pay for your medical care on your own.

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DOES HEALTH CARE REFORM INCLUDE PROVISIONS TO REWARD GOOD HEALTH BEHAVIORS, SUCH AS FITNESS, WEIGHT LOSS AND REGULAR PREVENTIVE SCREENINGS? Yes. One way the new law rewards people for healthy behaviors is through employer-sponsored wellness programs.

Common wellness programs offered by employers will address such topics as smoking cessation, nutrition, disease and stress management.

By 2014, the law will allow employers to increase employee incentives for participating in wellness programs from the current 20-30 percent of the total premium. For employees, that can translate to reduced insurance premiums, reduced co-payments and deductibles or gift cards.

entire law or even of specific consumer protections in it, such as preventive care, is considered unlikely.

IS EVERYTHING IN THE PLAN IN LIMBO? Because the House of Representatives has voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, some citizens believe the health care reform law was overturned and access to free preventive care has been lost.

Lawmakers can hold up money for some aspects of the health care reform law that have yet to be implemented.

However, at this time, a repeal of the

WHERE CAN YOU FIND A LIST OF ALL THE PREVENTIVE SERVICES THAT ARE COVERED? Routine doctor visits, such as annual checkups, and well-baby and child visits, must now be covered by your insurer if they aren’t already. Also covered are flu shots and a number of vaccinations, including those for hepatitis A and B, human papillomavirus (HPV), measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, and diphtheria.

Blood tests to identify diabetes, blood

DO ALL HEALTH PLANS HAVE TO PROVIDE FREE PREVENTIVE CARE? No. Insurance plans that were already in place when the health care reform became law on March 23, 2010, are considered grandfathered and won’t be required to comply with a number of provisions of the new law.

However, the expectation is that most health plans will lose their grandfathered status due to significant changes in their benefit design by 2014. These plans will be required to comply with all aspects of the new law.

pressure and cancer screenings, smoking cessation treatment, screening for depression and diet counseling are also covered, with no deductible, co-payment or coinsurance required.

You can find a full list of preventative services insurers must cover under the new law on the page that concerns covered preventative services at healthcare.gov.

WHERE CAN YOU GO TO FIND HELP RIGHT NOW? Start at healthcare.gov, the federal government’s web site for information about the new insurance marketplaces.

You can also call the federal government’s help line, 800-318-2596, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

You can also go to localhelp.healthcare.gov, which gives you a list of groups that can help near your home. Just enter your zip code or city and state. Hospitals, clinics, religious organizations and community groups are expected to sponsor events where “assisters” in the new plan will be present to answer questions.

And, again, look over the story on Louisiana’s new health care plan elsewhere in this issue.

Fight like a girl.

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LOUISIANA'S HEALTH PLAN The Basics • By Brad Goins EACH STATE WILL HAVE its own version of the new Affordable Health Care plan. If you’re a Louisiana resident, this guide should give you the info you need to start making decisions about the state’s version of the plan.

Like every other state, Louisiana will have its own marketplace for health insurance. (These marketplaces are also sometimes called exchanges.)

The marketplace will enable citizens to shop for and buy insurance. The marketplace is mainly for people who don’t have insurance, people who aren’t insured by their employer, people with pre-existing conditions who may have had trouble getting insurance before and some small businesses that will benefit from its provisions.

The federal government will operate Louisiana’s health insurance marketplace.

than 30 and healthy. These plans cost less up front, but don’t give you as much coverage. They generally require you to pay more out-of-pocket costs.

Companies may offer several plans in the same metal level. The plans and premiums would vary based on the deductible amount, co-payments, coinsurance and other factors.

You must have at least a bronzelevel plan to meet minimum requirements under the Affordable Care Act and avoid the penalty for not having health insurance.

A Platinum Plan, for which one pays 10 percent and the plan pays 90, is not available in Louisiana.

When You Can Enroll

Who Sells The Insurance?

You can enroll from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2013. Coverage will begin in 2014.

If you want your coverage to begin Jan. 1, 2014, you’ll have to sign up by Dec. 15, 2013.

Five companies submitted plans for the Louisiana Marketplace: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, Coventry, Humana, Vantage and Louisiana Health Cooperative.

Louisiana’s Plans, Benefits And Costs

What's Covered

Companies can offer four types of plans: bronze, silver, gold and platinum.

These “metal level” plans all have the same benefits. What differs is how much they pay on average toward the costs of the services the plan provides.

— Bronze Plan: You pay 40 percent and the plan pays 60.

— Silver Plan: You pay 30 percent and the plan pays 70.

— Gold Plan: You pay 20 percent and the plan pays 80.

Catastrophic plans may be available, especially for those who are younger

Tobacco Surcharge Louisiana allows insurance companies to charge tobacco users 50 percent more than non-tobacco users.

All plans in the state must cover the same package of benefits, which are called essential health benefits. In Louisiana, these benefits include: — Outpatient services, such as doctor visits or tests done outside a hospital.

— Emergency services.

— Hospital stays.

— Pregnancy and baby care.

— Mental health and substance abuse services, including behavioral health treatment.

— Prescription drugs, including generic and certain brand-name drugs, continued

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except fertility drugs, oral contraceptives and growth hormones.

— Rehab and habilitative services and services that help people with developmental issues. This includes services for people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

— Lab tests.

— Preventive and wellness services, along with services that help people manage chronic conditions.

— Services for children, including dental and eye care.

Some services that are not included are those for infertility, long-term care and cosmetic surgery.

Make sure to read the summary of benefits of the plans you are considering to see if they include the coverage you need.

Financial Aid You may qualify for a subsidy: money to help pay your health insurance premium each month. The subsidy, which is available on insurance bought in the state’s health insurance marketplace, may be sent directly to your health insurance company. In general, you’ll be eligible for a subsidy if you’re single and make $45,960 or less a year, or if you have a family of four and make $94,200 or less a year.

Depending on your income, you may also qualify for cost-sharing subsidies that will reduce your costs when you receive medical care. Note that costsharing subsidies are available only with silver plans.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) provides coverage for children of some families who have a low income but aren’t eligible for Medicaid.

Navigators Navigators are people who will teach you about the marketplace and guide you through your decision about health insurance. They are supposed to be fair and impartial helpers. They can’t take money from insurance companies.

These organizations are approved to operate navigator programs in Louisiana: — Southern United Neighborhoods (with $486,123 grant money for the project).

— Martin Luther King Health Center ($81,066).

— Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center ($1,099,985.80).

— Capital Area Agency on Aging, District II ($100,000).

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LOUISIANA'S TOP NAVIGATOR Brian Burton Of Maplewood Is Heading Up Louisiana's Navigator Effort • By Brad Goins CENTRAL TO THE NEW health care act will be the role of people who are called “navigators.” These are individuals who are specially trained to answer questions about the new health care act and help people fill out insurance forms when such help is needed.

Navigators are impartial advisors. They don’t work for or represent any private insurance companies.

Brian Burton, a 15year resident of nearby Maplewood, will head up Louisiana’s navigator effort. He’s affiliated with the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center.

He’s recently been splitting his work time between Lake Charles, Lafayette and Baton Rouge.

Burton is quick to note that the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center is primarily an office for recordkeeping and such. It isn’t really set up for individuals who have insurance questions that relate to the new health care act.

Burton recommends that those who do have such questions and don’t have an insurance agent follow the developments at lahealthcarenav.com. This site will inform users about when navigators will be coming to their areas to deliver presentations.

“Everything we [that is, navigators] are going to do is through outreach,” says Burton.

Right now, he says, “each region is going through a process to continnued

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find out where the uninsured or underinsured are.” Burton and his crew will work with faith-based and other organizations in these areas to ensure that navigators travel to the organizations and hold meetings at which the pertinent information about the new health care act is explained.

“We take something that’s complex and make it simple,” he says.

In addition to the organizations noted above, navigators will be trying to connect with universities, health care centers and FQACs (Federally Qualified Health

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Centers). Navigators will also focus on rural areas that are short in formal organizations. Again, they will seek out the places where there’s a concentration of people who are uninsured or underinsured.

Those who feel they’re “falling in the gap” when it comes to getting information about the new plan may want to request a presentation by navigators.

When they give presentations, navigators will make appointments with individuals in the audience who feel they need additional help with the insurance process and

will then return to the area at the time of the appointments. Using laptops and other equipment, navigators will guide individuals through the insurance application process.

Burton thinks that “it will take an hour to an hour and a half per person” for those who meet with navigators at the personal appointments. Because the process does take time, navigators will give personalized advice by appointment only.

Burton thinks that many young people or older people who are computer savvy

will simply go on the Internet themselves and sign up for the insurance policy they prefer. They’ll never seek advice from navigators.

If you feel that you do need advice, and if you don’t have an organization or insurance agent you can turn to, you may want to follow Burton’s advice and follow the schedule of area meetings at lahealthcarenav.com. If you aren’t computer savvy, ask your local librarian or someone who is to help you get to the web site.

Precht Foundation Support Group The Ethel Precht Breast Cancer Foundation is expanding its services, now offering a monthly support group for breast cancer survivors. The group meets on the third Thursday of every month and is open to all breast cancer survivors, along with their families and friends. There is no charge to attend.

Jan Blake, a breast cancer survivor and board member of the Ethel Precht Breast Cancer Foundation, conducts the meetings. Each meeting includes guest speakers who promote awareness, support breast cancer survivors, and answer any questions. For more information, email supportgroup@ethelbreastcancerwalk.

History Of The Making Strides Walk

Ethel Precht Breast Cancer 3K Walk

In 1984, Massachusetts cancer survivor Margery Gould Rath wanted to find a way to celebrate fellow cancer survivors by raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Working with a committee of fellow survivors and other volunteers, “Margie” created a “move-along-a-thon” called Making Strides Against Cancer to bring people together in an event to move the fight against cancer forward. The first event, held in Boston, drew 200 participants and instantly became an annual city tradition.

In 1993, the event officially became known as the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, attracting 4,000 walkers at events in Boston and in Manchester, New Hampshire. Since then, Margie’s vision has inspired 8 million walkers to participate in Making Strides events in more than 270 communities across the country, raising more than $460 million to fight breast cancer. Margie remained a dedicated Making Strides volunteer until she lost her battle with cancer in 2001.

The Ethel Precht Breast Cancer 3K walk will be held Oct. 19 at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Registration will begin at 7 am; the ceremony will begin at 8:30 am; and the walk will begin at 8:30 am.

The walk is an annual event that provides an opportunity to honor breast cancer survivors, raise awareness about steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of getting breast cancer, and raise money to help the American Cancer Society fund. The ACS fund is used to fund breast cancer research, provide information and support, and give access to mammograms for women who need them.

While supplies last, participants will receive a T-Shirt with their donations. The deadline for early pick-up of T-Shirts is Friday, Oct. 4. For more information, call the walk line at 905-0327.

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Make a Pink Breast Cancer Ribbon Lapel Pin The pink ribbon lapel pin has become a powerful symbol to increase awareness about breast cancer, and it’s easy to make for yourself and your friends.

During Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and throughout the year, people wear pink ribbons to honor survivors, remember those lost to the disease, and to support the progress we are making together to defeat breast cancer.

Wear a pink ribbon throughout the month of October and join in the fight against breast cancer. Here’s how to make your own pink ribbon lapel pin; there’s no sewing required.

Finished size: 1 in. by 5/8 in.

You will need: • Three inches of pink ribbon, a quarter-inch wide • One small safety pin • Needle and small length of pink thread (optional); you can also attach the pin using the small safety pin mentioned above, or double-stick tape.

Directions: Cut a 3-in. length of ribbon, snipping both ends at an angle. Lay the ribbon out horizontally, with the shorter edge on top. Hold down the ribbon’s midpoint. Grasp the left end and fold so it points down and slightly across the midpoint. The fold can be a soft curve or a crisp line.

Fold the right end in the same way so the ribbon crosses itself about a half inch below the fold.

Where the ribbon crosses, use the small safety pin to hold the ribbon in place, concealing the pin behind the ribbon. This same pin can be used to attach the ribbon to a collar or lapel. You’ll need to remove the pin from the ribbon, saving the fold, then work from inside your shirt to pin on the folded pink ribbon.

Options: The ribbon can also be sewn together where it crosses by machine or by hand with a few stitches of pink thread. You can also use super-strength glue to hold the ribbon together; then double-stick tape or a safety pin can hold it to lapel.

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GOV. BOBBY JINDAL may call the lawsuit brought by President Barack Obama’s administration against the state’s voucher program “cynical, immoral, hypocritical and more,” but he’s got to love the big guy for it.

Had the U.S. Justice Department not intervened, Jindal’s already-embattled scholarship program may have shriveled and faded in years to come, under funding pressure from the Legislature and legal challenges from school boards and teacher unions.

Instead, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder snatched it from oblivion with the high-profile lawsuit that the governor is turning into a higher-profile political issue.

State courts had already limited the future of vouchers in Louisiana with rulings that barred the use of public education dollars through the Minimum Foundation Program. Unable to get into the MFP piggy bank, Jindal had to scrape together $40 million in this budget to fund private school vouchers for 8,000 students, or about one percent of 700,000 public school students. Given those pressures, prospects for the future growth of the program were limited, as was its political value to Jindal, until the feds’ legal threat arose.

How great an actual threat federal action poses is questionable. The Justice Department seeks to block only vouchers for 2014-15 that would negatively affect the racial balance in 22 school districts under desegregation orders. With the vast majority of vouchers going to AfricanAmerican children in minority schools graded D or F, the feds could point to only a few instances of white children getting vouchers to leave majority black schools.

Only 570 current vouchers are in question, or less than one-tenth of the students receiving scholarships. If the suit posed any problem for Jindal, it was that it was not that big a problem to make a good political issue out of, until he went to work on it.

The governor put his feud with the feds in the national spotlight, by taking it to their home turf. In a speech last week to the National Press Club, only blocks away from the Justice Department, the governor accused the president of trapping poor students in failing schools in order to curry favor with the national teacher unions.

“There’s not a chance that the president or the attorney general would send their kids to these schools,” he said.

Then, in a Washington Post op-ed piece, he used the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech to the march on Washington to turn the civil rights table on Obama by describing the suit as “a complete rejection of King’s dream.”

Republican heavy hitters rallied to the cause, with Speaker of the House John Boehner and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the leading GOP voice on education reform, joining Jindal in demanding that Justice drop its suit.

Oh, but not quite yet, for Jindal is not through with his counter-offensive. He recently spent $500,000 from his campaign

account on a statewide television buy to drive his message home to anyone who has not heard it. The ad starts with a montage of the many recent national news clips of him speaking out against the suit. Then he says “The federal government in Washington is out of control. Now they want to run our schools. The know-it-alls in Washington think they know better than Louisiana parents.”

In the ad, Jindal also takes a quick snipe at Obamacare, in order to not miss out on that ongoing fight. But among

Republicans, everybody and their doctors are already attacking the Affordable Care Act. On the voucher front, Jindal now stands out on the national stage.

That’s ironic, for against the backdrop of the governor’s record on education, vouchers hardly stand out. He has brought about more change by supporting the ongoing expansion of charter schools and by setting up a more rigorous teacher evaluation system. But plenty of Republican governors, even President Obama, favor those initiatives. On vouchers, though, the

president and the governor strongly disagree. Now, the Obama administration has singled out Louisiana with its lawsuit, and Jindal has eagerly answered the challenge.

Recent polls have showed Jindal’s approval ratings to be as low as Obama’s are in Louisiana. The governor’s call to arms against federal intervention, backed with a half-million dollars in message ads, can only improve his standing with the voters. If he makes that work, the governor should thank Obama, for he could not have done it without him.

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1970S MSU FOOTBALL STANDOUTS HONORED

Five McNeese football standouts from the 1970s are among the 67 being recognized by the Southland Conference on the 1970s Football All-Decade Team as part of the league’s year-long 50th anniversary commemoration.

Those Cowboys named to the team are defensive backs Billy Blakeman and Charles Jefferson, offensive linemen James Files and Ray Martin, and tight end James Moore.

Blakeman played for the Cowboys from 1970-73, and earned first-team all-conference honors in 1973. He set a single-season school record with 10 interceptions in his freshman season in 1970, a record that still stands today, and is the school career record holder with 25 picks, which also ranks as the second most in conference history. He is a member of the McNeese Athletics Hall of Fame.

Moore played for the Pokes from 1969-72, and was a first team Associated Press All-American his senior season. His 76 receptions is ranked second on the McNeese all-time career tight end receiving list, as well as his 1,124 tight end receiving yards.

He’s also ranked 16th on the school’s all-time receptions list. He is a member of the McNeese Athletics Hall of Fame.

Files earned multiple first-team all-conference selections in 1973, 1974 and 1975, and earned Associated Press All-American honors in 1974 and 1975. During his four-year career, the Cowboys won 28 games under head coach Jack Doland.

Files was drafted in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is a member of the McNeese Athletics Hall of Fame.

Jefferson helped guide the Cowboys to the 1976 conference championship, the first of a league-record 13 titles, and the inaugural Independence Bowl — a 20-16 victory over Tulsa. He earned first team all-SLC honors in ‘76 and ‘78, and led the

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team in pass interceptions three straight seasons from 1976 to 1978. His 19 career picks currently ranks tied for second on the McNeese all-time list. Following McNeese, Jefferson was drafted in the fourth round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos.

Martin played four seasons for the Cowboys, from 1976-79, and was named team captain in ‘79. He also earned first-team all-conference honors in 1978 and 1979, while picking up All-Louisiana honors in ‘78. His blocking skills played a big part in McNeese leading the conference in scoring offense with a 25.0 ppg average.

During his career, the Cowboys won 33 games, two Southland Conference championships, and played in two Independence Bowls — 1976 and 1979.

MSU HOMECOMING PARADE The 2013 McNeese State University Homecoming Parade will take place Thursday, Oct. 17, 7 pm. Deadline for entries is Oct. 11.

Line-up for the parade will begin at 3:30 pm in freshman parking Lot A near Cowboy Stadium. The parade will start at the intersection of Ryan and East LaGrange Streets, turn south on Ryan and travel to McNeese Street, and turn east on McNeese and travel to Cowboy Stadium, where it will disband for the homecoming pep rally and fireworks display.

The theme for this year’s parade is “Cowboy Strong.” The Cowboys will play the Bearkats of Sam Houston State University Oct. 19, 7 pm, in Cowboy Stadium.

Entry fee is $50 per unit. For more information or to register an entry for the parade, contact the McNeese Office of University Services and Campus Life at 4755706 or visit mcneese.edu/homecoming.

HOMECOMING GAME VS. SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS SATURDAY, OCT. 19 7:00 PM COWBOY STADIUM The SLC schedule begins Oct. 5 at Central Arkansas, who have beaten the Cowboys the last three years by a total of 8 points. A critical open date follows on Oct. 12, and then it’s an Oct. 19 homecoming showdown with twotime defending SLC champion Sam Houston State at Cowboy Stadium. This will be a telltale test on whether McNeese is truly back, and just how far the team has closed the gap with the surging BearKats.

Sam Houston has defeated McNeese the last two seasons by an average of 28 points.

A road trip to Nicholls State will fall on Oct. 26. The Cowboys will be at home against Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 2; away to Stephen F. Austin the following week; home again for Northwestern State on Nov. 16; and a season finale in Beaumont at Lamar on Nov. 23.

Of the three teams that have given McNeese problems of late (Sam Houston, Central Arkansas and Southeastern), two of the three will travel to Lake Charles. Overall, that tilts the schedule in the Cowboys’ favor.

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KEY TO THE GAME: STOPPING FLANDERS Each Bearkat football game this fall it seems Sam Houston running back Timothy Flanders breaks another record.

The two-time All-America selection’s current season rushing total of 766 yards in five games leads FCS football nationwide.

He has risen to prominence in the race for the 2013 Walter Payton Award.

The Payton Award honors the top offensive performance in FCS football.

Flanders was a finalist for the honor in both 2011 and 2012.

Flanders’ latest accomplishment was a 280-yard rushing performance on 32 carries in Sam Houston’s 49-34 victory over No. 2 ranked Eastern Washington Sept. 28.

Those yards made the senior from Midwest City, Okla., the first Southland Conference player to total 5,000 career rushing yards.

The league voted Flanders "Offensive Player of the Week" for the second time this season (and seventh of his career). He also was named as FCS national player of the week by three national web sites.

“It feels good. I’m very humble and very blessed,” Flanders said. “It’s a team effort. You go back and watch most of those long gains and its downfield blocking by the receivers that’s making my job easier. The offensive line is great and our defense does a great job of getting us back

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on the field. Our running game opens up the passing game and (Brian) Bell does a great job throwing the ball.”

Flanders holds 31 Sam Houston school records and nine Southland Conference marks. He now ranks No. 12 all-time in FCS career rushing touchdowns and stands as only the 22nd running back in FCS history to rush for 5,000 or more career yards.

“They’ve been playing football in this conference for 50 years. It’s great that a

guy that’s such a team player gotten all these records,” SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said.” The offensive linemen that played with him over the years, quarterbacks, receivers, anybody that’s been involved in the scout team take a part in this record that he just established for them.

I’m very proud of that.”

The Bearkat offensive is keenly aware each time Flanders is close to history.

In the Incarnate Word game when the senior running back took over as the Southland’s all-time ground gainer, the group discussed going to “get this one for Tim” when the drive began following an interception. It took just two plays and 41 seconds to get Flanders to the end zone.

“I remember running down. We all ran down, gave him a high-five to congratulate him,” sophomore offensive lineman Zachary Stevens said. “It was just a great moment for him and for our team. It might not seem like it, but that record means a lot to the offensive line because just knowing that we helped him do that. It’s a great moment for all of us.”

A younger offensive line with Matt Boyles the only senior in the group has found that Flanders has helped their transition into starters go a lot smoother.

“It’s great. Our offensive game is centered around the running game,” Stevens said. “Having a guy like Tim in the backfield and having the running backs that we do have, they complement us. Sometimes

we might not look good but they make us look good. Having guys like Flanders and Richard Sincere who can spring free and break one for six, or get us the first down whenever we need one, it just makes everybody look better. He’s a great player to have back there.”

Flanders has a penchant for stepping up in big games, including the last two national semifinal games when he rushed for a combined 518 yards. Saturday’s performance was no different as he posted his second highest single game rushing total ever and scored twice against the Eagles.

“He’s a great player,” Fritz said. “He’s got to be one of the best running backs in the nation; I don’t care what level you’re talking about. He’s done it day in, day out, game in and game out. I think everybody in the ballpark and my daughter sitting over there knew Tim was going to get the ball every time out toward the end of the ballgame and he still made yards. He’s an excellent ball player and he deserves all the accolades he gets.”

An amazing aspect of Flanders’ career marks is the large amount of games where he has given way to his backups with the contest’s outcome already in hand.

Flanders has not had a carry in the final quarter in 14 of the Kats’ last 33 games. In his three-year career, he has sat for a total of 24 quarters, the equivalent of six games.

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lake area

people

Miller Joins Dermatology Associates Lee Miller, MD, a board certified dermatologist specializing in Mohs micrographic surgery, is now practicing medicine with the Dermatology Associates of Southwest Louisiana.

Miller, a Lake Charles native, is a graduate of Barbe High School. He completed his undergraduate studies in biological engineering at Louisiana State University, and received his medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport, where he also completed an internship in internal medicine. He performed his residency in dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston Salem, N.C., where he served as chief resident. He most recently completed a fellowship in procedural dermatology at Scripps Green Hospital in La Jolla, Calif.

Whatley Joins WCH, Lake Area Family Medicine Family medicine physician Joshua Whatley, MD, has joined the medical staff of Women and Children’s Hospital and Lake Area Family Medicine.

Whatley joins Dr. Carl Nabours at 4150 Nelson Road, Building G, Suite 2

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Miller

Whatley

on the WCH campus.

A native of Iowa, La., Whatley received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport, and completed his family medicine residency training and internship in Lake Charles through LSUHS-New Orleans. He is a member of the Louisiana State Medical Society and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Foreman Named Humanitarian Of Year Howard Foreman recently received the Humanitarian of the Year award from Family and Youth.

Also honored at the annual meeting were Morgan Davis and Lindsey Landry as Youths of the Year, and the Family Festival Poster Contest winners.

Foreman is a graduate of Vinton High School and Southern University with a degree in safety and physical education. He is retired from Citgo Petroleum Corporation, where he worked as a pipefitter and boilermaker. For more than 52 years, he dedicated many hours as a Boy Scout Leader. Presently, he volunteers with Calcasieu Council on Aging, NAMI, Women and Children’s

Foreman

Kelley

Borel

Schwarzauer

Tungsten

Hospital, Team Citgo and the CASA program at Family & Youth.

Davis is a 2013 graduate of St. Louis Catholic High School, where she served as an Ambassador of St. Louis, as well as senior senator on the student council. She was also a member of the St. Louis Junior Classical League, Drama Club, and varsity softball team.

She received the Mayor Community Commitment Award, and was elected to first Team All-District in 4A Softball.

Landry graduated this year from Alfred M. Barbe High School, where she held the office of student council executive president. She also served as District VI president of the Louisiana Association of Student Councils.

neuroscience association and neurosurgery board review meetings, and is a member of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

Kelley Joins St. Pat Neurological Assoc.

Mindy Schwarzauer has been appointed as the 2013 president of the Arts Council of SWLA board of directors.

Schwarzauer, who has served on the board since 2008, is the graphic designer and art director of the O’Carroll Group and lives in Lake Charles.

The board also approved a new slate of executive committee members, including James Babin of ASI Office Systems as first vice president, Kristin Broussard of L’Auberge Lake Charles as

Brian Kelley, D.O., recently joined the staff of Christus St. Patrick Neurosurgical Associates.

A 2007 graduate of the Oklahoma State University College of Medicine, Kelley completed both his internship in general surgery and residency in neurological surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He has served as the featured speaker at multiple

Borel Receives Care Help Scholarship Hailey Borel was recently awarded the Care Help Community Scholarship.

Borel will attend McNeese State University and study to be a veterinarian.

Care Help’s scholarship promotes students who show promise of continued academic achievement and who have a financial need.

Schwarzauer Named Board President

second vice president, Matthew Welsh of American Heart Association as treasurer, and Laura Moreau of the Calcasieu Parish School Board as secretary.

Six new board members were appointed to the board: John Day of Knights of Columbus, Clair Hebert of Entergy, Rachel Hungerford of the Calcasieu Parish School Board, Missy Abraham, Carma Manns, and Lance Thomas of From the Attic: Home and Seasonal Decor.

RAbate Named Kiwanis Trustee Eva Abate, a member of the Southwest Contraband Kiwanis Club and an LPL Financial Advisor, was installed as trustee of the Louisiana-MississippiWest Tennessee District of Kiwanis International. Abate is a life member of Kiwanis International, the division coordinator of the Eliminate

Francis Promoted At LC Coca-Cola Ken Francis was recently appointed vice president of sales at Lake Charles Coca-Cola Bottling Company United.

Francis, a Jennings native, joined Lake Charles Coca-Cola in August of 1997 as a route merchandiser. He has held several positions during his 15 years with the company, including on-premise sales representative, business development and distribution manager.

Guillory Appointed To Committee Calcasieu Parish police juror Tony Guillory was recently appointed to the Community and Economic Affairs Steering Committee of the National Association of Counties.

The appointment includes membership on three subcommittees: Housing, Economic Development and Workforce.

Guillory, who represents District 4, is currently serving his second term on the Police Jury. During his tenure, he has been an active member of various parish committees, and also serves as a liaison to numerous special service districts, boards and agencies throughout the region.

Kaszeta Joins MSU Volleyball Staff Former Lake Superior State University head women’s volleyball coach Ben Kaszeta has recently joined the McNeese volleyball staff as an assis-

tant coach.

Kaszeta is a native of Rochester, Mich., and a graduate of Eastern Michigan University. He spent two seasons (2011, 2012) at LSSU. He also served as volunteer assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University from 200910, and was the head coach at Mott Community College from 2007-09. His club experience includes the USA Volleyball Lakeshore Region High Performance team (2009-10), Huron Valley (2008-11), Michigan Elite (200408) and Oxford Heat (1998-05).

McCorquodale Appointed To Board Local attorney Rob McCorquodale has been appointed to the Louisiana Bar Foundation Board of Directors.

McCorquodale serves as in house counsel for the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and of counsel to the Stutes and Lavergne Law Firm. He is a long-standing member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar and Louisiana State Bar Associations. He served as a Lake Charles City Councilman from 2001-05, and was president of the council for the last year of his term. He is also a pastpresident of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, a charter member of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Foundation and

serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of SWLA.

Myers Joins Century 21 Bessette Jackie Myers is now a licensed Realtor with Century 21 Bessette Realty.

Myers, a resident of Lake Charles since 1989, is originally from Ft. Worth, Texas. She holds an undergraduate degree in finance and brings 21 years of experience in the banking industry to her new position.

Robert Joins Heart Of Hospice Rev. Jody B. Robert recently joined the staff of Heart of Hospice as community relations manager and chaplain.

Robert has 15 years of experience in the health care industry as administrator, community relations manager, business development manager and chaplain.

Snow Joins Cowgirl Basketball Staff Former Tulane basketball standout Tyria Snow has been named an assistant coach on the McNeese Cowgirls basketball coaching staff. Snow replaces Pauline Love, who left the Cowgirls to take an assistant coaching position at her alma mater, Southern Miss.

Snow, a native of Shreveport, was a four year letterwinner for the Green Wave and was a member of the 2010 NCAA Tournament team and the 2011 and 2012 WNIT teams. She was also a member of the 2009-2010 Conference USA regular season and tournament championship teams. While at Tulane, Snow played in 117 career games, scoring 457 points. She had 254 assists, 224 rebounds, 122 steals and 17 blocks. She ranks 18th in Tulane career history in assists, is tied for 19th in games played, tied for 21st in steals and 23 in assists per game (2.2).

Family Fest Poster Contest Winners Kennedy Pousson, a student at A.A. Nelson Elementary, was named the winner for the Family Festival Poster Contest. Her art will be used on posters and t-shirts to promote the Family Festival in August.

Second place winner was Lamont Smith of Frasch Elementary; third place winner was Sophie Stine from Our Lady Queen of Heaven School.

Center For Ortho Expands Athletic Training Team Center for Orthopaedics has recently added five new members to its athletic trainer staff.

Ariel Greene, ATC, LAT, is a graduate of Kinder High School and McNeese State University. Greene is currently completing coursework to earn a Master of Science degree with a concentration in exercise physiology. She’s a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Assoc. and licensed by the state of Louisiana.

Arkansas native Lauren Knight, MS, ATC, LAT, holds an undergraduate degree in athletic training from University of Central Arkansas and a Master of Science degree in exercise physiology from McNeese State Lauren Knight, Jason Rodriguez, Ariel Greene, University. She’s a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and is Jessica Veillon, Travis Theriot and Lindsey Wells. licensed by the states of Louisiana and Texas.

Travis Theriot, ATC, LAT, is a recent McNeese State University graduate and Jennings native. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training. He’s a BOC certified athletic trainer, and is licensed by the state of Louisiana.

Jessica Veillon, ATC, LAT, is from Westlake. Veillon earned an undergraduate degree in athletic training from McNeese State University. She will graduate with a Master of Science degree in exercise science from the University of LouisianaMonroe in December. She’s a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and is licensed by the state of Louisiana.

Brenham, Texas native Lindsey Wells, ATC, LAT, graduated from McNeese State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training. She is a BOC certified athletic trainer and a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Assoc.

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THURSDAY, OCT. 3 Coushatta Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band Dharma Open mic House O’ Soul Tweet Up Isle of Capri Bernie Allen Band L’Auberge DJ Sno Luna Live TBA

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 Coushatta Private Party Dharma Open mic 8 pm House O’ Soul Tweet Up Isle of Capri Static L’Auberge DJ San-D Luna Live TBA

karaoke Annie's 9pm Friday; Saturday Bourbonz 8pm Tuesdays Chicageaux Bar 8pm Thursday, Friday, Saturday Club 90 8pm Saturday Coolers Thursday Crickets 8:30pm Friday Crystal's Tuesdays, Chad Evans DJ'S Bar Moss Bluff 9pm Friday

FRIDAY, OCT. 4

SATURDAY, OCT. 5 Cigar Club Spanky Coushatta Crossroads IV Dharma McNeese Hard Bop Combo w Brad Walker Jazz Quartet House O’ Soul Patrick Henry Live Isle Of Capri Dog Hill Stompers L'Auberge DJ Sno Loggerheads Reed Planchard Luna Live The Dubonauts Yesterdays Champagne Room

Cigar Club Spanky Coushatta Wayne Thibodeaux Cowboys Club 7 Radio Dharma Lake Charles Film Fest kick-off party (7 pm) Isle of Capri Joe Harmon & The Harmonics L’Auberge DJ Sno Loggerheads Tom Brandow Luna Live Fayuca Yesterdays BB & Co. Yesterdays LA Express, BB & Company

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 Coushatta No Idea Cowboys Club 7 Radio Dharma Foxy & The Highhats, Mad Maude & The Hatter, Stoop Kids Isle of Capri Pookie Marceaux Band L’Auberge DJ San-D Luna Live Scott Biram Yesterdays Louisiana Throwdown w Jamie Bergeron & Keith Frank

DeQuincy VFW 7-11pm Friday; 6-10pm Sunday Dirty Rice Saloon 7pm Thursday Frosty Factory 9pm Friday & Saturday 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

SATURDAY, OCT. 12 Cigar Club TBA Coushatta No Idea Dharma Dolo Jazz Suite No. 7 Isle of Capri Live Band L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ San-D Loggerheads City Heat Luna Live TBA Yesterdays Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners

Old Town Tavern Fri/Sat Nights R-Bar 8pm Friday Sam's Cove 9pm Thursday 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

LEIGH ANNE TUOHY KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT WOMEN’S FALL CONFERENCE

Leigh Anne Tuohy

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The 2013 Women’s Commission Fall Conference will take place Thursday, Oct. 17, 8 am-4 pm, at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Leigh Anne Tuohy, the woman who inspired the movie The Blind Side, will be keynote speaker at the commission’s Fall Women’s Conference.

Portrayed by Sandra Bullock in the movie, Leigh Anne Tuohy is the real life mom whose family adopted homeless teenager Michael Oher.

Tuohy is also the author of two inspirational books: In A Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Joyful Giving, co-authored with her husband Sean Tuohy, and Making It Happen.

Tuohy owns Flair 1, an interior design firm, with her mother and partner, Virginia Roberts. Her work has been featured on HGTV and in numerous publications. Tuohy’s firm has designed for a long list of celebrity clients.

For more information, call 802-3458.

FESTIVALS ACADIENS ET CREOLES

HALLOWEEN HAUNTED SHIP The Halloween Haunted Ship aboard the USS Orleck will be open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, starting on Oct. 4. Gates will open at 6 pm, with ship hatches opening at 7.

Ticket sales will close at 11 pm. General admission is $12; a $25 fast pass is available.

The Orleck is docked at 604 N. Enterprise Blvd.

For more info, call 214-7447 or email info@ussorleck.org.

The Festivals Acadiens Et Creoles will take place Oct. 11-13 in Lafayette.

The event’s Festival de Musique will showcase the best of Cajun and Zydeco music beneath the spreading oaks of Girard Park.

Now in its 36th year, the festival was originally designed to educate young people about the traditional values of Cajun culture.

The festival will feature five different stages. The music at the Scene Ma Louisiana will begin Friday, October 11 at 5 pm. Scene Ma Louisiana acts will include Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie with Joel Sonnier; the Dog Hill Stompers; Kevin Naquin and the Ossun Playboys; Courtbouillon; Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys; Wayne Toups and ZydeCajun and many others.

In the Salle de Danse venue, performers will include Richard LeBoeuf and Two Step, T.K. Hulin and Smoke, Walter Mouton and the Scott Playboys and others. A French Mass will be performed 9:30-10:30 am on Sunday, Oct. 13.

At the Scène Mon Héritage venue, performers will include the Lost Bayou Ramblers, Corey Ledet and His Zydeco Band, Chris Miller and Friends, Horace Trahan and the Ossun Express and the Pine Leaf Boys.

The Louisiana Folk Roots Atelier venue will feature a children’s camp; Zydeco keyboard performances; a presentation on the life of Boozoo Chavis and a presentation on the roots of swamp pop. Performers will include Chris Miller, Horace Trahan and Brandon Ledet and Creole Touch.

The Jam des Amis Tent will host such performers as the UL-Lafayette Traditional Music Ensemble, Sheryl and Russell Cormier and Brandon Ledet.

The Craft Fair will take place at Girard Park on Oct. 12-13.

The Bayou Food Fest will feature dozens of vendors of Cajun and Creole food. No ice chests will be allowed. For safety purposes, open fires/pits, glass containers, bicycles, skateboards, RVs and pets are also not allowed. For more info, visit festivalsacadiens.com.

CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR OPENING INFO!

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SHANGRI LA ORCHID FESTIVAL Lemon Chiffon Orchid

Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange will host its fifth annual Orchid Festival Oct. 5-12.

The event will include daily tours of the exhibition greenhouses; a lecture; and orchid-related workshops on subjects such as

orchid anatomy and orchid repotting.

A variety of orchids will be available for purchase at Shangri La’s garden store, and members of Stark Cultural Venues will be offered exclusive pre-sale opportunities. In addition, both the Stark Museum of Art and The W.H. Stark House will host orchid-related exhibitions.

Shangri La is located at 712 Green Ave. in Orange. Hours are 9 am-5 pm Tuesday-Saturday. For more information, call 409-670-9799. Information and a printable itinerary is available online at shangrilagardens.org.

VINTON HERITAGE FESTIVAL The Vinton Heritage Festival will take place Oct. 12, 9 am-9 pm, in downtown Vinton.

Admission is free. No ice chests or alcoholic beverages allowed. For more information, call 589-7453.

WOOFSTOCK SWLA Woofstock SWLA will take place Oct. 12, 9 am-3 pm, at the Burton Coliseum Complex.

Admission is free. Visitors are invited to bring their dogs.

CAL CAM FAIR The Cal Cam Fair will take place Oct. 16-19 at the Cal Cam Fairgrounds in Sulphur.

Gates open at 4 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, 5 pmmidnight on Friday, and 10 ammidnight on Saturday.

Admission is $2 adults; small children admitted free. -For more information, contact Jan Nelson at 527-9371.

The Cal Cam Fair Pageant will take place Oct. 15 in the Sulphur High School Auditorium. The pageant will begin at 3 pm; the Miss Cal Cam Fair pageant will begin at 4 pm.

LA. CROSSROADS CONCERT SERIES The Louisiana Crossroads Concert Series will continue with a concert featuring Marc Broussard, Roddie Romero and special guests on Wednesday, Oct. 23, 7 pm, in the Ben Mount Auditorium at Central School.

Marc Broussard will be accompanied on stage by Roddie Romero, whose band, the Hub City All-Stars, recently garnered a Grammy nomination for its double record, The La Louisianne Sessions.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA office, located on the second floor of Central School, by calling 4392787, or online at cityoflakecharles.com.

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ACTING WORKSHOPS

AGENT ORANGE TOWN HALL MEETING

The Henning Cultural Center will host acting workshops for children ages 6-12 on Tuesdays, Oct. 15 and 22, Nov. 5, 12 and 19.

Workshops will take place 5:30-7 pm in the cultural center, located at 923 Ruth St. in Sulphur.

Seating is limited. Cost is $75 for the five-week series.

Applications can be filled out through Oct. 14 at the center, open 10 am-noon and 1-5 pm.

For more information, call 304-0288.

The Fournet/LaFleur Ch. 215 of Vietnam Veterans Of America will hold a town hall meeting to discuss the exposure of Vietnam veterans to Agent Orange, and how that exposure might affect the children of those vets. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, 9 am-3 pm, at W.B. Williamson American Legion Post 1, located at 1530 9th St. in Lake Charles.

Veterans, along with their spouses, children and grandchildren, are invited to discuss past and future health issues related to Agent Orange and other chemicals during the Vietnam War. Forms for the Child Birth Defect

CASA VOLUNTEER TRAINING

Registry will be available.

To pre-register, call Sandy Morgan at 431-7179 or Sandra Lopez at 8242119.

LITERACY COUNCIL MUSICALE 2013 The Literacy Council will host Musicale, its annual fundraiser, on Sunday, Oct. 13, 5 pm, at the Central School Arts and Humanities Center.

The event will feature music by Southwest Louisiana natives Marcia Ball and Wendy Colonna. There will also be a special performance by The Lake Charles Dance Academy under the direction of Colleen Cannon Benoit.

Proceeds will benefit the Literacy Council’s educational programs for adults, children and families.

A $10 donation is requested for general admission. VIP tickets are $100 and include reserved seating and dinner prepared by Nic Hunter, owner of Harlequin Steaks and Seafood. Other local vendors will be selling refreshments. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For more info, call Tamika Williams at 494-7000 or 1-888-LITSWLA, email twilliams@literacy swla.org, visit literacyswla.org, or check out the Literacy Council’s Facebook page .

Court Appointed Special Advocates will hold volunteer training sessions Oct. 5, 12, 19 and 26, 9 am-4 pm, at Family and Youth, located at 220 Louie St. in Lake Charles.

CASA volunteers serve as child advocates, appointed by a Family Court judge, who speak for the best interests of abused and neglected children.

For more information, email sue@fyca.org, or call Family and Youth at 436-9533. Potential volunteers from Allen or Jefferson Davis Parishes can email judy@fyca.org or call 824-8036.

RAGLEY HERITAGE, TIMBER FEST The 15th annual Ragley Heritage and Timber Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 19, beginning at 10 am, at the Historical Square Pavilion.

The event will feature live music, as well as demonstrations of quilting, spinning, corn grinding and wood making. There will also be antique cars and tractors on display. Plenty of food will be available for sale. Kids’ activities will include train rides, illusion shows, balloon animals, a bounce house, a 16 ft. slide, and oxenpulled wagon rides. A silent auction will be held at 10:15 am.

The live music lineup will include The Beauregard Community Band, Ramblin’ Cajuns, Elsye Mae Sonnier, The Arenos and the Mark Reeves Band. Admission is $5 per car. For more information, call 725-3324.

COMMUNITY BAND REHEARSALS The Lake Charles Community Band has resumed rehearsals, to be held on Mondays, 6:30-8 pm, in the auditorium of the Lake Charles Boston Academy, located on Enterprise Boulevard.

The band’s next performance is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 27, 3 pm, at the Indian Bay Pavilion in Prien Lake Park.

No auditions are required for participation. For more information, contact Emma Vincent at 528-2215 or 478-9442.

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MOUNTED MEMORIES

rocke "soybean" fournet

It’s Hunting Season!

Hunting season is officially here.

Teal season kicked it off, albeit with somewhat spotty success rates. The flyby-night teal were literally here one day, and gone south by the very next hunt.

Predictably, a north wind pushed through late, forcing some birds down, and that salvaged some hunters’ shooting.

Summer is doggedly hanging on, with highs still topping 90 degrees. But have no fear; relief is on the way with more bearable weather forthcoming. It’s just a matter of time.

That same recent north wind benefited some of our many die-hard local fishermen. The Gulf beaches were the hot spots as the wind pushed the surf down and allowed for the water to clear.

Beaucoup schools of speckled trout and redfish followed the baitfish right up to the beaches, where anglers were ready and willing. Whether by boat or wadefishing, it was prime time for some of the absolute best fishing that occurs along the Gulf Coast.

Archery season for whitetail deer in select areas is underway, and it’s a good time to score before these magnificent animals become aware of man’s presence and really get sneaky. For now, it’s quickie early or late hunts when the heat is at least bearable. But it still feels great

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just to get out in the great outdoors.

There isn’t a bow hunter in the bunch who isn’t looking at the weather map and praying for the next cool spell.

Squirrel season is up next, for all those who worship their hardwood bottoms. Many a hunter has cut his teeth with a scattergun, learning the basics of hunting and trying to outsmart these wily critters.

Aaron Peloquin and his youngster Collin will be impatiently waiting on first light, just as always, on opening

day. Collin is an upcoming all-around athlete who loves his time in the woods with his old man. It’s a time-honored tradition.

Now that Collin has scored a squirrel or two of his own, he is beginning to get the hang of it. It takes skill and patience to outsmart a wild squirrel; both are great virtues worth learning. Now that Collin is producing, Aaron has to hunt harder and resort to his many bags of tricks to keep up with the youngster.

This is a good problem, and he would

have it no other way.

There is nothing that compares to sharing a cool, crisp morning in the majestic confines of mixed hardwood forest with your son. The sights and sounds make the trip alone worthwhile.

This is the essence of quality time.

Hunters everywhere are shaking off the dust and preparing for a new and exciting year. It is a special time that we all look forward to with anticipation and dreams of great hunts. Always remember the golden rule of treating others as you wish they would treat you. There is plenty of room for all, so please give other hunters a wide berth. Also, do not litter, and strive to leave your path as you found it — au natural!

Always practice gun safety, and take only ethical, high-percentage shots. All game animals deserve it.

Never, ever point a weapon, unloaded or not, in the direction of another person. It is a simple rule that way too many don’t follow. Outdoor television shows that film successful hunters with their bagged game and a firearm pointed barrel-first right at them set a dangerous example. They need a lesson in gun safety 101!

Be safe, and happy hunting!

JD BANK IOWA INVITATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY MEET 2 Mile • Sept. 25, 2013

Laura Lewing

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Jaqueline Rushford Morgan Foreman

LAURA LEWING JAQUELINE RUSHFORD MORGAN FOREMAN ASHLYN DEROUEN HAILE GILROY HALEY SANDERS BRIANE MILLER LINDSAY DESANTIAGO KIMMIE RUSHFORD ALLISON HILL HEIDI ZAUNBRECHER COURTNEY TOUPCIK BOBBI THOMPSON SHEREEN TAHA YENIFER FLORES BROOKE POOLE MARIS NIXON BAILEY HARTWELL ADELAIDE HOLLIER MADDIE LECHTENBERG ALLIE RAMSEY MIKAELA DARCE HEATHER VOGEL DARIA JINKS BRACEY LINSCOMB ERIN MOSS ALEX NATALI MGAN BLANEY ELLEN BRILEY MALLORY BEAVERS

ST. LOUIS DERIDDER BARBE S. BEAU BARBE SULPHUR DERIDDER DERIDDER DERIDDER SULPHUR BELL CITY DERIDDER BARBE BARBE BARBE BELL CITY ST. LOUIS BELL CITY S. BEAU ST. LOUIS S. BEAU BELL CITY ST. LOUIS JOHNSON B JOHNSON B SULPHUR SULPHUR BARBE ST. LOUIS S. BEAU

12.40 12.53 13.02 13.17 13.20 13.42 13.49 13.58 14.04 14.06

McNEESE COWBOY 5K GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY STAMPEDE 5k • Sept. 28, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

AUSTIN, ADAIZA BREAUX, STEPHANIE LEWING, LAURA FOREMAN, MORGAN STARK, TARYN BENNETT, MARISSA BELL, MACAILA EDDY, EBENAE DANIEL, HANNAH GILROY, HALIE WINSTEAD, MORGAN CUERVO, MARIANA SIMS, BRITTNEY RHODES, HANNAH CAMPBELL, AMBER WEAVER, CRISANNA STAPLES, SYDNEY SANDERS, HALEY FUTCH, LACEY BERNARD, BREANNA TARPLEY, MARY BETH CLEMENT, CARLIE CHAMPAGNE, HEATHER BROU, DANIELLE ZAUNBRECHER, HEIDI THOMPSON, BOBBIE REED, BRITTICA HARRIS, TIYANNA STEPHENS, SHAYLEE GARDON, CARLY AARON, EMMY DAIGLE, MEREDITH FLORES, YENIFER HARRIS, LATOYA RUNNELS, MEGAN MOSS, ERIN DARCE, MIKELA HEBERT, RACHEL PHILLIPS, HANNAH TAHA, SHEREEN MYERS, MARCELLA PRICE, JENNA VOGEL, HE ATHER SM ITH, RACHEL NIXON, MARRIS POUSSON, EMMA DUPRE, HALEY HOTARD, LACEY SCARBOROUGH, FALYN GUILLORY, MADDIE

GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1 RUSTON 2 ASCENSION CATHOLIC 3 PINEVILLE 4 BARBE 5 CHOUDRANT 6 ANACOCO 7 ST. LOUIS 8 SAM HOUSTON 9 SULPHUR 10 BELL CITY 11 JOHNSON BAYOU

GIRLS TEAM RESULTS 1 DERIDDER 2 BARBE

RUSTON ASC. CATH ST. LOUIS BARBE RUSTON CHOUDRANT PINEVILLE RUSTON PINEVILLE BARBE RUSTON ASC. CATH. ANACOCO RUSTON CARENCRO CHOUDRANT ANACOCO SULPHUR CHOUDRANT ASC. CATH. PINEVILLE H ATHAWAY SAM HOUS. ASC. CATH. BELL C ITY BARBE PINEVILLE RUSTON ANACOCO PINEVILLE CHOUDRANT ASC. CATH. BARBE RUSTON ANACOCO SULPHUR BELL C ITY PINEVILLE BARBE BARBE SAM HOUS. ANACOCO ST. LOUIS CHOUDRANT ST. LOUIS SAM HOUS. ASC. CATH. CHOUDRANT SAM HOUS. SAM HOUS. 39 85 89 106 110 129 194 199 226 238 338

20:16.26 20:45.27 21:22.96 21:35.79 22:04.19 22:13.40 22:14.91 22:53.66 23:04.24 23:07.00 23:17.61 23:20.03 23:29.96 23:32.98 23:35.56 23:36.50 23:36.70 23:37.22 23:43.79 24:12.21 24:17.02 24:28.91 24:31.94 24:46.29 24:53.80 24:57.74 25:04.47 25:11.66 25:16.76 25:16.79 25:26.45 25:28.53 25:45.07 25:56.09 25:59.59 26:02.87 26:03.86 26:10.08 26:11.60 26:13.41 26:14.42 26:18.64 26:25.56 26:27.69 26:30.62 26:35.18 26:39.82 26:43.60 27:09.52 27:10.32

McNEESE COWBOY 5K BOYS CROSS COUNTRY STAMPEDE 5k • Sept. 28, 2013 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

RICHARD, AUSTIN QUINLAN, BRIAN CAPELLO, ZACH TERRAZAS, NICK RICHARD, HAYDEN ROBERTS, JAKE BAKER, DOUGLAS SIMS, LANDON BRASTROM, PAUL HOOD, JESSE SMITH, BRANDON DAVISON, JAMES TURNIPSEED, SAM RICE, ZACK ANDERSON, NATHAN COCHRAN, COLTON HOOGERWERF, BRADLEY FARRIS, CAMERON CAPELLO, TREY ZERINGUE, JORDAN LEWIS, AUSTIN DAIGLE,THOMAS GR IFFIN, MYLES NEWMAN, JACKSON WILLIAMS, MICAH COSCIO, BRENT CORNWELL, JULIAN LANDRY, ALONTE REESE, WILL GOODLEY, JAYLIN MIGUEZ, NEIL WILLIAMS, AUSTIN UPSHAW, BEN ROWLAND, DEVIN MYERS, MATTHEW CANTU, DAVID BROWN, STRACK DOWLING, CALEB MURRAY, ALEX BAGGETT, JIMMY TRAPPEY, DANIEL OUBRE, LEE HEBERT, BLAKE POOLE, TYLAIR SMITH, E.M. COUCH, BRANDON AMMONS, JOHN GROVES, WILL ROMERO, GAREN MOUNCE, MATTHEW

BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1 HOUSTON STRATFORD 2 ASCENSION CATHOLIC 3 RUSTON 4 PINEVILLE 5 ANACOCO 6 BARBE 7 CHOUDRANT 8 JOHNSON BAYOU 8 ST. LOUIS 10 BELL CITY

STRATFORD STRATFORD ASC. CATH. STRATFORD STRATFORD STRATFORD STRATFORD RUSTON STRATFORD ASC. CATH. RUSTON RUSTON ANACOCO PINEVILLE CHOUDRANT SIMSBORO BARBE PINEVILLE ASC. CATH. ASC. CATH. PINEVILLE ASC. CATH. RUSTON PINEVILLE RUSTON ANACOCO SULPHUR ACADIANA ANACOCO BARBE JOHNSON B. ANACOCO CHOUDRANT RUSTON HATHAWAY BARBE ST. LOUIS SULPHUR ANACOCO ST. LOUIS CARENCRO ASC. CATH. JOHNSON B. BELL CITY PINEVILLE PINEVILLE ST. LOUIS BARBE JOHNSON B. ANACOCO

15:43.73 15:55.12 16:08.67 16:36.88 16:49.65 17:01.23 17:04.64 17:14.37 17:22.17 17:31.42 17:34.65 17:40.02 17:51.67 18:01.33 18:02.33 18:08.11 18:16.59 18:17.77 18:18.59 18:27.13 18:34.64 18:37.03 18:43.17 18:51.17 18:52.23 18:52.42 18:58.22 19:11.38 19:15.13 19:20.58 19:21.16 19:23.65 19:28.59 19:30.21 19:42.62 19:48.70 19:52.41 19:59.45 20:08.01 20:10.23 20:11.14 20:13.63 20:22.49 20:36.21 20:39.16 20:48.88 20:58.63 21:02.89 21:12.24 21:21.42

18 71 77 113 127 164 206 210 210 266

Michael Buisson Bradley Hoogerwerf

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

MICHAEL BUISSON BRADLEY HOOGERWERF JULIAN CORNWELLL ANDY HILL JAYLEN GOODLY BRENNAN LEBLANC STRACK BROWN CALEB DOWLING BRADY EVERETT NEAL MIQUEZ BLAKE HEBERT DARIUS DENSON WILL HUDGKINS BLAKE LAVERGNE PHILLIP JOHNS NARVEY SIMS TRISTAN TRAHAN CEDRIC COASTON BILLY NIK -DAVID CANTU JIMMY BAGGETT LEIGHTON KILMER KIRK POULLARD TYLAIR POOLE -GAREN ROMERO ASHTON ARDOIN FORD FETZER RYAN WOODS

Julian Cornwell

ST. LOUIS BARBE SULPHUR SULPHUR BARBE IOWA ST. LOUIS SULPHUR DERIDDER JOHNSON B JOHNSON B DERIDDER ST. LOUIS BELL CITY DERIDDER ST. LOUIS JOHNSON B DERIDDER SULPHUR

10.21 10.22 10.48 10.51 10.52 11.15 11.18 11.19 11.23 11.24

The start of the girls' 5k at the McNeese Cross Country Stampede Sept. 28.

Some top area finishers are pictured below. Girls: Morgan Foreman, Barbe (4th), Laura Lewing, St. Louis (3rd) and Haley Sanders, Sulphur (18th).

Boys: Julian Cornwell, Sulphur (27th) Bradley Hoogerwerf, Barbe (17th) and Jaylin Goodley, Barbe (30th).

BARBE ST. LOUIS CROWLEY CROWLEY BELL CITY JOHNSON B BELL CITY BARBE DERIDDER

BOYS TEAM RESULTS 1 ST. LOUIS 2 SULPHUR

Race results provided by meet hosts. Places with no name/time shown at Iowa meet refer to names/times not kept due to participating school entering less than the five runners necessary to score as a team. Only top 10 times provided for Iowa meet. Top 30 finishers shown for Iowa meet (53 girls, 60 boys competed). Top 50 finishers shown for McNeese meet (82 girls, 81 boys competed).

October 3, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

81

SARRO ON SPORTS

rick sarro

Pay For Play I am not sure what the NCAA or its Division I member schools and university presidents have been waiting for.

They (BCS conference schools) have the money; the need is there; the positive ripple effects would far outweigh any negatives; so let’s figure out the equation and pay college athletes already.

It’s no secret that many powerhouse football and basketball programs have been paying star players money on the side for decades now. Right or wrong, whatever side of the fence you fall on, $100 handshakes have been a part of college athletics.

And it didn’t take Sports Illustrated’s recent five-part series on Oklahoma State football to remind us of that.

SI’s series of reports headlined “The Dirty Game” outlined alleged payments to OSU football players, fake jobs for money, the ignoring of drug use among certain players and fraudulent academics. It went to the next level with allegations of athletic department hostesses having sex with blue chip recruits while they were on their campus visits.

It was just the latest exposé of the socalled ugly underbelly of college sports. If even some of the accusations about Oklahoma State are true — and I surmise some are and some not — it runs a close second to the University of Miami scandal of money, drugs, agent parties and prostitutes orchestrated by now jailed Hurricane booster Nevin Shapiro.

Would a stipend payment system end all of the aforementioned shenanigans?

Obviously not, but it would go a long way toward the creation of a fair and equitable solution to the larger issue of the NCAA and the larger conference schools of the BCS getting fat happy rich off the backs and sweat of their scholarship athletes.

Subsidies to the tune of a few hundred dollars a month would give athletes more willpower to just say no to unscrupulous agents offering cars, jewelry and thousands of dollars. These payments would surely weed out transgressions and pocket-stuffing by over-zealous boosters that no one knows about.

The NCAA has had several multi-billion dollar television deals for its major football programs, along with a separate billion-dollar pact for the NCAA basketball tournament commonly called March Madness. That name is spot-on, because it’s sheer madness that none of these ridiculous riches ever comes close to the players who are the stars of the show.

I still believe, even on the biggest stages of college sports, these players are amateurs; only a very small percentage will ever see a professional pay check for their athletic skills. But the world of collegiate athletics, and the proliferation of broadcast, cable and internet coverage and demand for content, have changed so dramatically that we can’t compare the players and product of even 10 years ago.

We are awakened and lulled to sleep every day and night with reality television, ESPN, EPSN II, ESPN-U, ESPN Classic, the CBS and NBC Sports Networks and the recently launched Fox Sports 1 Network.

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The days of a couple of college football games broadcast every Saturday afternoon have been gone for over 20 years now. National and regional television outlets have time to fill and time to sell to advertisers, and they want and need the enterprise of college sports to make money.

Notice I used the words product, advertising and enterprise. It wasn’t by accident, because they best describe bigtime college athletics. It’s a business, and has been for a long time now, but unfortunately, the worker bees who produce the product are still being told it’s a game and not a business.

The players aren’t saying, “we’re mad as hell and we’re not taking this anymore,” but I think they are starting to wise up and recognize the power at their fingertips. This is especially the case every time they play an NCAA-sanctioned EA Sports college football or basketball video game and recognize their likeness on the computer screen.

Reform is coming to the NCAA and to college sports, and it’s coming fast.

Former UCLA basketball star Ed O’Bannon’s precedent-setting multi-billion-dollar class action lawsuit against the NCAA for using his likeness in video games without being paid has moved up the ranks of several federal courts and is gaining momentum. The case against the NCAA is compelling, and the case could end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The O’Bannon lawsuit’s been ongoing for several years, and the former Bruin and NBA star is in it for the long haul. He got sick of it and decided not to take it anymore.

The NCAA and its well-heeled schools could be on the hook for billions in compensation and damages to current and former players if they lose in federal court.

Can you say settlement?

All this leads back to the central question of how to share the wealth. A fiveyear (including a red-shirt season) full-ride scholarship to LSU, Alabama, USC or Duke just doesn’t cut it any longer: not when Oklahoma State, a mid-level football power in the Big 12, grossed over $40 million last year. The University of Texas, with its own Texas Longhorn television network carried by ESPN, will make north of $110 million this year.

LSU, Florida, Ohio State and Michigan — to name a few — will fall somewhere in between.

What the NCAA and its Division I schools feared the most is happening. The players are organizing.

The National College Players Assoc. is now in place and educating athletes outside of their normal classrooms. Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA football player, is president of what he calls an “advocacy group.”

Next time you see a close up of a player’s wristband, look for the letters APU. Huma and the NCPA are encouraging players to support the movement of “All Players United” by writing it on their armbands.

Johnny Manziel won’t be confused with Norma Rae anytime soon, but APU

will be an effective and clear message to the NCAA that change is needed and expected.

NCAA president Mark Emmert has already gone on the offensive. At a recent membership meeting in Grapevine, Texas, Emmert said he expects “a lot of change” in the governance structure of Division I sports in the coming year. The NCAA’s annual convention is in January, and new proposals that could go before the full membership next summer are being discussed.

Emmert didn’t say whether stipends for players were part of the discussions; he said he expects passage of a totally different governance model for Division I. Read between his words.

If a vote next summer doesn’t result in some form of stipend payments or additional financial help, then APU may turn into a much larger and more vocal stance from a more educated and united group of players.

The winks and whispers about the NCAA splitting its Division I ranks into two separate groups of schools have moved into full forward mode. At that Texas meeting, a packet was handed out to more than 100 faculty athletics representatives that explained how the FBS schools and conferences that have similar and common goals (big money in the bank and powerful conferences with TV deals) could break away and form a new Super Division, leaving the smaller FBS leagues like the Sun Belt and WAC to fend for themselves.

In short, the practice of paying some college athletes and not others will be problematic and could face legal challenges. Do you pay only the players in the revenueproducing sports of football, basketball and, in some cases, baseball? Will the smaller non-revenue-producing sports and women’s teams be in jeopardy? How would any stipend proposal play in the realm of Title 9 and equality in women’s athletics?

Those answers will come once the NCAA and the larger FBS/BCS conference schools begin to live and play in the here and now.

In reality, maybe 50 to 60 of those larger, well-financed programs will be able to afford subsidies of any kind. In that same reality, those are the football and basketball programs by and large that are a part of those billion-dollar television bonanzas.

Fair or not, those are the schools and teams that should enact player payments.

A sliding scale between the gross revenue totals of the targeted football and basketball programs might work.

Exhibit A: State University, which produces $30-40 million in annual football revenues, allocates $500 per month for 8 months of a calendar year for each of the 85 scholarship players. Can each of these high-grossing programs afford $340,000 a year? I would think so. That’s an extremely low percentage of the total kitty.

Exhibit B: University of XYZ, which generates $15-20 million in annual basketball revenues, would allocate $300 a month for the same 8 months of a calendar year for its 15 scholarship players. It comes to $36,000 a year. Georgetown and Arizona can swing $36,000 for their student athletes, who make the schools millions with or without a Final Four appearance.

Opponents beat the drums about crossing the line between amateurs and paid professionals. When football powers like Oregon, Oklahoma and Florida State rake in $50 million a year and then attract mil-

lions more from ultra-rich alumni and boosters in the form of donations and endowments, I say those lines have already been blurred.

The question of fairness comes from the sheer reality of the budgets and small revenues, when FBS schools like U.L.Lafayette and Louisiana Tech or FCS teams like McNeese or Northwestern State can’t afford stipends for players.

Admittedly, their athletes work just as hard and long as players from larger programs.

Capitalism then goes to work. If enough dollars aren’t produced, then payments aren’t made.

Believe me, the buffets and training facilities at Stanford look a lot different from the ones at Sam Houston State and Austin Peay. Oracle and Google have a few more perks than your local computer/software outlet on Main Street.

People against paying players cite the fact that a four-year academic scholarship at Notre Dame or Georgia might be worth upwards of $300,000. But you have to factor in just how many of these players actually finish with a four year degree. How many lose their scholarships on the whim of a coach who decides the player isn’t producing any longer?

A player who commits and signs with a school should be guaranteed that scholarship until he or she earns a degree. There could be some exceptions, such as violating team rules of conduct, academic failures or conviction for a crime.

I’d like to believe most schools honor four-year scholarship commitments to players. There are many stories of beleaguered players who suffered numerous injuries and took two to three years to finally dress out and compete. The team and athletic department hung in there and supported those athletes.

Let’s be real. It doesn’t always happen, but it should.

My gut instincts tell me the majority of football and basketball coaches would support monthly payments to their players because they know what these athletes endure and sacrifice to wear those school colors.

My gut also feels the majority of athletic directors and university presidents would have to be convinced this is the right thing to do.

Former Tennessee and current Houston Texans All Pro running back Arian Foster admitted to receiving small amounts of money during his senior season in 2008 while playing for the Volunteers.

Foster’s admission was made during the filming of the documentary Schooled: The Price of College Sports. During his interview, he referred to the NCAA as a “bully” and didn’t apologize for accepting a few dollars.

“I really didn’t have any money. I had to either pay the rent or buy some food.

You’re not going to convince me that there is something wrong with it,” Foster said.

I’m convinced it’s wrong for the NCAA and many of its athletic powerhouse schools flush with cash not to offer a few coins to the ones who deserve it the most.

Get Rick Sarro’s perspectives on sports on Soundoff 60, which airs Monday through Sunday nights at 9 pm on Suddenlink Channel 60 and Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10 am as well.

October 3, 2013

LAGNIAPPE

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3 ACRES ELEVATED LAND

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

CORPORATE LEASE, WEEKLY, MONTHLY OR YEARLY Approx 3500 sf, 4BR, 3 BA, minutes from beach, L'Auberge and boat launch. Fully furnished, turnkey, large patio, bbq pit, fenced yard,. 713-829-2974, ask for Ron Wiggins. ph

services HOME REPAIR ALL TYPES OF ROOFING, siding, mobile home skirting, licensed and bonded.

Call Jimmy today at 337-499-7807. ph _________________

Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available PUT US TO WORK FOR YOU TODAY!

k1220

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"

announcements

services

NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCT OR INVENTION? Have 20 connections in China and Vietnam for manufacture of new products. Let us know what you have or need. Call Bryan or Ron today 1-800-634-5816. ph _________________ TRACTOR AND FORKLIFT WORK. Bush hogging, box blade, disk. Call today 337-749-2069 or 337802-8182 n0804 _________________ SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT KNOWING YOU ARE SMART! PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! _________________

KNOX FENCE Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition.

Bonded. Insured.

License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012

services DOORS WHY PAY MORE FOR DOORS 800 instock Doors Windows & More. 489-4313 csta15 _________________

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

announcements RETAIL / OFFICE RETAIL OR OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE. "Single or double available. Includes conference room usage, kitchen, 2 handicap accessible bathrooms, parking in front and behind building. 154 W. McNeese. Call Denise today for details! 337-474-3406 ph

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PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL KENNY AT 433-8502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________

PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! _________________

VARIETY MOTORS CLEAN USED CARS

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 _________________

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 _________________

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!

announcements

CALL 526-9533

WE WILL BUY!

classified k0621

‘05 Dodge Neon ...............3,900 ‘00 Nissan Frontier ..........3,900 ‘03 Dodge Durango .........2,550 ‘99 Chevy Tahoe Ltd., .....3,250 ‘96 Mercedes Benz L200 2,900 ‘00 Honda Civic ..............3,900 ‘03 Crown Vic .................4,900 ‘01 Pontiac Grand Prix ....3,900

‘02 Toyota Camry ............4,900 ‘98 Buick Regal ...............3,995 ‘99 Saturn 2-dooR ...........2,500 ‘02 Isuzu Rodeo ...............3,550 ‘02 Dodge Caravan ..........2,900 ‘04 Ford Taurus ...............3,350 ‘07 Chevy Malibu ............5,550 ‘02 Ford Ranger 5-Speed .3,995

All New Car Trade-Ins! 1825 Kirkman St. • 337-912-2713

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 _________________

announcements

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.

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 k0816 _________________

Call now and make some room OR some cash for your items: 337.526.2533 October 3, 2013

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THE

TRANSMISSION SHOP We work on all transmissions!

5817 Common Street Lake Charles 337-540-3795 337-540-6908 C. Scot LaFargue Owner

Laundry W rld Do Your Laundry in 4 Minutes!

HOUSE LEVELING

337-309-7301 announcements RETAIL / OFFICE

NEW PRODUCTS NEW PRODUCT OR INVENTION? Have 20 connections in China and Vietnam for manufacture of new products. Let us know what you have or need. Call Bryan or Ron today 1-800-634-5816. ph _________________

ph

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announcements DINING OUT

SHOP A-LOT DELI Drive-Thru Daiquiri Window Longer Dining Hours M-F 10AM-6PM SAT 10AM-4PM

2707 HAZEL 433-2135

PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! A lot of people are paying way too much for classified advertising. Don't be one of them! CALL LAMONT AT 660-8877 TODAY class@thelanyap.com _________________

Tues-Fri 10am-5pm • Sat 10am-3pm

Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available

409-385-0906 Furniture • Glassware • Lamps • Mirrors • Dishes Iron Bed (full) • Wooden White Slat Bed (full) And So Much More!

Owner: Sibyel Balla • 2012meandyou@gmail.com

Bryan's Plumbing, LLC Owner - Bryan Granger 30+ years experience 757 Grangerville Rd. Bell City, La, 70630 k0816

337-598-2586

MOBILE: 802-2465

classified

Call Samantha @ Rhino Real Estate

337-304-6686 337-433-9434 Our Address: 1027 Enterprise Lake Charles, LA 70601 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.

2 Acres behind Apostolic Church on Gulf Highway. $35,000 Manufactured homes welcome 715 Magazine St. $179,000 3/2 move in ready, 2300 square feet

MOBILE HOMES

7653 Clara Dr $169,000 3/2. On almost an acre. Split floor plan, granite, large master bath and closet

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 _________________

for classified advertising. Unless you like to, of course. Save some money! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY class@thelanyap.com _________________ LAGNIAPPE

Antiques & Collectibles

real estate

PLACE YOUR AD HERE AND START GETTING RESULTS! Don't pay too much

88

Me & You

4319 Common St. • 474-8748 2501 Hwy 14 • 433-7503

services

RETAIL OR OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE. "Single or double available. Includes conference room usage, kitchen, 2 handicap accessible bathrooms, parking in front and behind building. 154 W. McNeese. Call Denise today for details! 337-474-3406

337-802-9333

418 N. 4th Street • Silsbee, Texas

CALL ONE STOP www.onestophouseleveling.com

3PM-7PM WEEKDAYS SAT. 8:30AM-UNTIL

2 minutes to drop off 2 minutes to pick up

LIFTING AND MOVING GUARANTEED 2-YEAR WARRANTY FOR ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS! Foundation Repair • Concrete Slab Stabilization Licensed, Bonded and Insured • References

MCNEESE PLAZA SALON HAIRSTYLIST NEEDED

October 3, 2013

1117 Common St. 3/2.5 $210,000 almost completed new construction Westlake land-14 acres on a canal with dock, utilities run and ready for a new house. 500 square feet building included $350,000.

Moss Bluff lot in established neighborhood with storage building, $35,000.

Bobby Lafleur Auto Sales 2610 Kirkman • 721-7707

ALL VEHICLES ARE NEW CAR DEALER TRADE-INS 2000 Dodge Caravan, white, very clean ...............................$2,900 2001 Mazda 606, leather, ..........................................................2,900 1999 Nissan Altima, very nice, ................................................2,900 2000 Ford F-150 Ext. Cab, bed cover, nice .............................3,900 2003 Dodge Grand Caravan, maroon, nice ............................3,900 2000 Chevy Tahoe, third seat ..................................................3,900 2005 Saturn, only 85,000 miles ................................................4,900 2005 Hyundai Sonata, low miles, ............................................4,900 2005 Dodge Crew Cab, 20-in. rims, .........................................5,900 2005 Dodge Durango, third seat .............................................6,900 2005 Honda Accord, 4-door, automatic, .................................6,900 2005 Pontiac Grand Am, only 56,000 miles ............................6,900 2005 Chevy Suburban LT, maroon .........................................7,900 2005 Chevy Tahoe LS, green ...................................................7,900

Lake Charles • 721-7707

Transform Your Patio, Walkway, Driveway, Living Areas, Pool Deck and More!

View our virtual portfolio online at www.creativeconcretebyron.com

We can stamp or stain any pattern and any color for permanent beauty!

CALL US TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION!

855-8333 540-0943 Ron Guidroz, owner LICENSED, BONDED AND INSURED October 3, 2013

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Southern Hugs If you’re in the vicinity of my age you might have a similar memory of first-time realizing that a lot of people in America don’t hug each other.

I know. Kind of like my grandfather, getting his head around the idea that man really had landed on the moon. Just didn’t seem possible.

It starts with Momma. Southern mommas, they got the hugging gene, bad. Crying, get hugged, sad, get hugged, going to school, get hugged, just got home from school, get hugged, happy, get hugged, cute-as-a-bug, get hugged, just being alive and somehow related, you’re gonna get hugged.

Next to baby aspirin and kiss-‘n-make-it-all-better southern mommas think hugging cures just about anything. Stung by wasp, stepped on glass, failed by friend, Momma’s got just the right hug for that…

Sibling discord, y’all hug and make up. Third cousin ain’t seen in ten years and-what’s-your-name-again, gotta hug. That’s Southern. Them two arms open up and it’s just automatic with us. God bless the South and the stork that put me here. I’d have been a misfit Yankee.

An anthropologist is the one that should write this section. Ain’t none around; I’ll try to channel one.

We’re humans, but at core we’re still wired like the rest of nature, to always be on guard. The act of opening up the arms reveals the unprotected torso, where all those vital organs dwell. To hug is to offer vulnerability.

It’s an offer of trust, and trust is a victory over the natural-us.

Hurt me if you will. I’m taking a chance on you. I think my hug is of greater value than what you can gain by taking advantage of my hug.

Sure, there are phony hugs. Like limp handshakes, a un-meant hug makes you just wanna shake your shoulders and pretend it never happened.

Ahhhh, but there’s the good ones… Southerners can’t imagine not being able to say the good things with hugs: I’ve known you since way back; I like you; I love you; I’m sorry we got crossways; how can I ever thank you enough; I’m so sad for you; here we are again after all these years…

Not everybody is good with words. Hugs give us a language of squeeze and cling and hold and pat that say things we don’t know how to say.

There are Great Hugs. I’ve had a few. I had a cousin hug me, she latched on for a good solid minute, just wrapping me in her happy-to-seeme, her sadness-for-what-I’d-been-through. There’s not a chance that a

1,000 hours of conversation would accomplish what that hug said.

Nobody hugs like a woman. I’ve had women that loved me, and we’ve gone our ways, but I remember certain hugs, when they squeezed me until love was running through me like Christmas morning and I still believe in Santa.

I say, let’s hug, just because. They are around us, poor things, these people who grew up elsewhere, grew up in cold families formed from cold cultures, and they don’t know it, but they got short-strawed in the affection department. It’s one of our gospels, the good southern hug. It’s our duty. To whom many hugs were given, many hugs are required.

If you’re in the vicinity of my age you might have a similar memory of first-time realizing that a lot of people in America don’t hug each other.

I know. Kind of like my grandfather, getting his head around the idea that man really had landed on the moon.

I vote for honest hugging. Let’s hug-like honest, let’s hug-love honest, let’s O-God-I-missed-you honest. There’s a bunch o’ billions of us on Earth, and only we few millions are Southern Americans; let’s take advantage of our cultural right to hug like there’s an angel present at every hug, reporting on sincerity.

This edition of Uncle P’s Bedtime Stories is brought to you by Eightyone, where we are in full favor of any tool that allows us to say You Matter.

Some of the best hugs are up ahead. Heaven, hugs with O! Now I see!

(Uncle P can be reached at 81creativity@gmail.com).

October 3, 2013

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Friday, October 18 9:00pm Event Center Tickets are $10 with Fan Club® card and $15 without Fan Club card. Tickets are available online or at the Banana Cabana gift shop.

I-10, Exit 27 Lake Charles, LA • 1-800-THE-ISLE (843-4753) www.isleofcapricasinos.com © 2013 Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Fan Club is a registered trademark of Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. Tickets are non-refundable. Must be 21 or older.