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LAGNIAPPE MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER 21, 2013 • VOLUME 31 NUMBER 22
32 32 MAXIMUM SECURITY GOLF The only U.S. golf course located on prison grounds is in Angola, in the midst of the country’s largest maximum security facility. If you make the cut, you can play … for 10 bucks. 39 EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE In a new column, Lagniappe looks at everyday people who’ve done something amazing in the course of their lives. 40 BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY ROUNDUP The Mexican Legislature may soon allow the U.S. to invest in Mexican oil. What could it mean for SWLA? Also, what’s it like for people in the Lake Area who work on the holidays?
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65 SPOTLIGHT ON SULPHUR A special section looks at this growing city’s historical beginnings, its crucial early figures and the surprising number of big attractions it offers today. 82 GIFT GUIDE Lagniappe begins its annual guide to Christmas gifts by looking at this season’s hot toys and gifts that are ideal for the lover of the outdoors.
Lagniappe Magazine Serving SWLA Since 1983 Publishers Bob Hartnett Greg Pavlovich Editor Brad Goins Associate Editor Karla Wall Assistant Laura Landry Layout & Design Mike Manis Advertising Sales Tanya Alsobrook Patty Hebert Chester Rogers Classified Manager 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 Calvin Tyler 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 of Lagniappe Magazine.
Visit us online! BestofSWLA.com
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departments 8 10 16 18 21
Lake Area People Up Front Pierre Sez Economics, Etc. Taking Charge
22 24 26 87 88
LA Politics Weird News File 13 Bands What's Happening
91 92 93 94 103
Reel Talk Mounted Memories High School Cross Country Sarro On Sports Uncle P's
COVER: Pappy Sylvester tends the flag as Derek Smith drains a tough uphill putt. Fran Stout lines up her putt as Bill Turner looks on. Photo by Jesse Hitefield. 4 LAGNIAPPE November 21, 2013 www.BestOfSWLA.com
27 tables. The expected completion date is summer 2014.
Salvation Army Needs Bell Ringers
MSU Alumni Pavilion Being Built Construction is underway on the new 4,709 square-foot Robert Noland Alumni Pavilion, in the Alumni Grove directly south of the Stream Alumni Center at McNeese State University. Construction on the pavilion began in August, after years of planning by the McNeese Alumni Assoc. Board of Directors. The $650,000 project is funded primarily through the generosity of Lake Charles businessman Robert Noland. Additional funds were received from the McNeese Alumni Assoc., the student Campus Development Committee and the PetroChem Athletic Booster organization. The building, designed by architect Randy M. Goodloe, AIA, and being built by John D. Myers and Associates, has been designed with the option of being enclosed and used as an indoor multipurpose facility in the future. It will feature air-conditioned restrooms, a concession area, a storage room, televisions, audio/visual equipment, large ceiling fans and McNeese ironwork. The pavilion will also be able to seat 270 people at
The Salvation Army of Southwest Louisiana is looking for people to ring bells for its red kettle projects. The kettles will be set up at area Wal-Marts, Sam’s Club, Prien Lake Mall and other locations in the Lake Area beginning Nov. 29. Kettles will be in place until Dec. 24.
from 10 am-8 pm. To volunteer, contact Joyce VanDenberg, volunteer coordinator, at 721-8068 or joyce_vandenberg@uss.salvationarmy.org.
Charter Schools Receive Books Lake Charles Charter Academy and Southwest Louisiana Charter Academy recently received a donation of 1,600 new books from the Toys for Tots Literacy Program. The donation will significantly aid the efforts of both schools to fulfill reading goals for the 2013-2014 school year. Donations of age-appropriate books are always welcome at the charter schools, and donations to the Toys for Tots program can be made by going directly to the Toys for Tots website.
Preservation Groups Merge
The red kettle project is the Salvation Army’s biggest fundraiser. Among the projects funded are the men’s housing/homeless shelter, several youth programs, and social services to people in need. Individuals, civic organizations, sports teams, scouts, and church or school groups are invited to participate. Groups are asked to ring for one day
The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society (CHPS) has merged forces with the Southwest Louisiana Historical Assoc. (SWLAHA), founded in 1953 to promote the study of history in Louisiana with emphasis on the history and heritage of Southwest Louisiana. Under the banner of the Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society, the aims and goals of the once-sister organizations will be better served with the combined resources in the new merger. CHPS has been instrumental in many historic and preservation issues since its founding, including the research and development of historic districts, heritage programs for schools, architec-
tural preservation and resource information, and informal signage. The CHPS Landmarks program recognizes and documents historic properties. The Calcasieu Historical Preservation Society will continue to host the websites of the merged organizations, with improved online links and connections. For info about history and preservation in Southwest Louisiana, visit calcasieupreservation.org or swlahistory.org.
Richard Family Endows MSU Scholarships The McNeese Foundation recently received A $1 million memorial gift to endow academic scholarships in the name of Cameron Parish native and businessman Leslie R. Richard. Richard was well known to many as one of the organizers of Cameron State Bank. He served as Cameron Parish deputy sheriff, and also as chief tax assessor for many years. He also became involved in several businesses, including the insurance business, providing local services to residents of Cameron Parish.
Cops And Jocks Funds Scholarships Cops and Jocks has donated $30,000 to the McNeese State University Foundation for the Don Dixon and Alan Heisser Academic Scholarship no. 2 and the Don Dixon and Alan Heisser Law Enforcement Scholarship no. 6. The funds for the scholarships were raised at the recent Cops and Jocks golf tournament, held at L’Auberge Casino Resort.
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opportunity to present a resolution like other districts have done, Savoy said.
Ground Broken For Worker Housing Project
LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE PAST TWO WEEKS
Sowela Gets Donation For New Student Union Sowela Technical Community College recently received a $60,000 donation from the Captain Daniel and Katarina Moeling Goos Foundation to go toward the construction of an $8 million Student Union building. The Goos Foundation is the initial Lake Charles donor to give to Sowela’s capital campaign, providing nearly $1 million in local matching for the building to be constructed in 2015. It’s part of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System’s ACT 360 program, which gives an 8-1 match in funding for the student union facility at Sowela’s main campus, as well as a $10 million facility at Sowela’s Jennings campus.
Sewer Tax To Be On April 5 Ballot Residents in Calcasieu Parish’s unincorporated areas will be able to vote on April 5 whether to approve a new 20year, quarter-cent sales tax that will partially fund a $110 million sewer expansion plan. If approved, the sales tax would
generate about $4.3 million each year for the sewer expansion plan. Other funding sources include $56 million in parish gambling funds over 10 years and nearly $12 million in state capital outlay money.If the tax is approved, the existing road and garbage tax being levied in Wards 2-8 will be reduced from 1.5 cents to 1.25 cents. Residents in Ward 1, including Moss Bluff and Gillis, do not pay that particular tax.
state cash, which can be used to draw down federal matching money to eliminate the deficit. The Medicaid forecast also notified lawmakers of a separate $104 million shortfall in the pharmacy program, but the issue is more of an accounting adjustment since DHH has identified drug rebate dollars to fill the gap and simply needs legislative approval to spend the money.
State Faces Medicaid Deficit
CPSB To Slow Common Core Implementation In Louisiana’s Medicaid program is Parish Schools
facing a $50 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2013-2014. Despite the gap, DHH Undersecretary Jerry Phillips said he doesn’t expect any cuts to fall on services or the health care providers who care for Medicaid patients. Instead, he said the department will ask lawmakers for dollars to close the hole in the spring legislative session. To avoid cuts, lawmakers and Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration will need to come up with about $19 million in
The Calcasieu Parish School Board recently voted to slow the implementation of Common Core requirements in the district. Superintendent Wayne Savoy said he wants teachers to adapt to the standards before they are assessed on them. Savoy said the state is moving too quickly in its implementation of the standards and its judging of schools and effectiveness. He said he wants to be sure that everything is fair. The School Board’s recent action will give him an
Ground was broken recently for a $70 million housing facility to be built on port property to meet the area’s projected workforce demands. Greenfield Logistical Solutions of Louisiana LLC will build the facility on 200 acres of port land at 1100 James Sudduth Parkway. The construction of the temporary employee village, named Pelican Lodge, is expected to create 400 jobs. By mid2015, it could be home to as many as 4,000 construction workers. Plans for the complex include a baseball field, basketball courts, and several different dining options. The plan includes daily meals, and transportation to and from work for residents. GLS is looking at having five double-decker buses that can transport 80 people per bus. Unit fabrication will be done in Houston, and the facility will be set up in Lake Charles in three phases. The facility is a collaborative effort of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, Sowela Technical Community College, McNeese State University, state legislators, the port, the parish and the city of Lake Charles.
Northrup Grumman To Hire 80 By Jan. Northrop Grumman’s Lake Charles Maintenance and Modification Center will hire at least 80 people by January. The company is seeking new employees to help perform additional maintenance on aircraft refueling tankers known as the KC-10 Extender. The company will interview students who complete an apprenticeship program that Sowela Technical Community College started recently.
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Johns Named Contraband Days Director Nathaniel Johns was recently named executive director of the Contraband Days Louisiana Pirate Festival. A graduate of McNeese State University, Johns studied management and marketing. He spent the last 10 years working in management, marketing and public relations in Lake Charles and Dallas, Texas.
Spencer Earns Numerous Honors For Performance Against SFA McNeese State senior kick returner/wide receiver Diontae Spencer was recently named national Performer of the Week, National All-Purpose Player of the Week, National Kickoff Returner of the Week and National Punt Returner of the Week by the College Football Performance Awards organization for his performance in the Cowboys’ recent win over Stephen F. Austin. He received an honorable mention National Wide Receiver of the Week from the CFPA. In addition to his CFPA awards, Spencer was named the Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. He was also named the Sports Network Special Teams National Player of the Week. Spencer had one of the best individual performances in Cowboys’ football history in the game against Stephen F. Austin. During the game, Spencer tied or broke 11 school, Southland Conference and Football Championship Subdivision records.
Rainey Receives Fulbright Award Dr. Steven Rainey, assistant professor of geography at McNeese State University, has been selected for a Fulbright Award to teach and conduct research for a semester in Brazil at the Federal University of Rondonia in Porto Velho. Rainey will spend the spring 2014 semester teaching seminars on geographic information systems and cultural and political ecology in the UNIR geography graduate program, and working with members of the graduate faculty to develop future collaborative research projects. Rainey received his bachelor’s and master’s from the University of Texas at Austin, and his doctorate from Louisiana State University. He has been a faculty member at McNeese since 2001. This is the eighth Fulbright to be awarded to a McNeese faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts.
St. Pat Physicians Head Dubuis Facility Christus St. Patrick Hospital/ Imperial Health pulmonologists Johnny Belenchia, MD; Albert Chinn, MD; and Luke Williams, MD, have assumed med8
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ical directorship of Dubuis Lake Charles, a long-term care facility located in Christus St. Patrick Hospital.
ArtsFest Winners Announced The winners of the 2013 ArtsFest Art Contest have been announced. The annual ArtsFest was held Oct. 26. In the first- to second-grade category, first-place winner was Gavyn Duraso of Western Heights Elementary. First place in the third- to fourth-grade category was Madeleine Fitkin, a student at Frasch Elementary. First place in the fifth- to sixth-grade category was Devin Tone of W.T. Henning Elementary. The winners will receive a 31-piece drawing box set, donated by Walmart.
Jordan Named SLC ‘80s Player Of Decade Buford Jordan has been named the Southland Conference’s 1980s player of the decade in conjunction with the league’s release of the 1980s All-Decade Team recently as part of its year-long 50th anniversary commemoration. The team includes outstanding student-athletes from its member institutions from the 1980 season through 1989. A three-time All-Southland first-team selection (1981-82-83), Jordan became the league’s first-ever 4,000-yard rusher, and was the Southland’s 1981 and 1983 season rushing leader. He was the 1980 Freshman of the Year in the conference, and was the 1981 Offensive Player of the Year. He was also the Southland’s 1981 scoring and all-purpose yardage leader. After initially playing in the USFL, Jordan enjoyed a seven-year career with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Twelve other former Cowboy standouts join Jordan on the team. They include: Daryl Burkel, Tony Citizen, Lonnie Collins, Robert Davenport, Rusty Guilbeau, Flip Johnson, Glenn Koch, Bret Martin, Keith Ortego, Leonard Smith, Stephen Starring and Don Stump.
Magnolia Names LC Team Magnolia LNG recently announced the management team for its Lake Charles-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility. The company appointed Ernie Megginson vice president of development. Megginson has assisted in the development of the Magnolia LNG project since October 2012. He previously managed the proposed LNG import project for the Jamaican Government, and provided consulting services through his company, Megginson and Associates. James “Jim” Schulz has been named engineering manager. From 2005 to 2008, Schulz was project director for Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass LNG terminal. He has worked on a number of LNG and energy-related projects since 1978. Komi Hassan was appointed environ-
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Whitten
mental, health and safety manager. Hassan provided environmental engineering consulting services while employed with Ecology and Environment. Before he joined Ecology and Environment, Hassan worked with the Bioengineering Group and Shaw Environmental and Infrastructure in Baton Rouge.
Whitten Joins Century 21 Bessette Barry Whitten, a licensed Realtor, recently joined Century 21 Bessette Realty. Whitten holds a degree in fine arts from Northwestern State University. Originally from Houma, Whitten has lived in Lake Charles for eight years. He entered the real estate field in 2010. He is licensed to sell residential and commercial real estate. Whitten specializes in listing and staging homes.
Ferguson Joins Skinner Olivia Ferguson recently became an agent of Candice Skinner Real Estate. A Southwest Louisiana native, Ferguson’s father was a home builder. In her new position, she hopes to focus on innovative marketing ideas and the use of advanced technology.
Two Named To All-SLC Basketball Team McNeese State junior guard Kevin Hardy and junior forward Desharick Guidry have been named to the 2013-14 All-Southland Conference men’s basketball preseason second team. Guidry and Hardy, who are both Lake Charles natives, earned honorable mention all-conference last year for the Cowboys, who finished 14-17. Guidry led McNeese with 12.6 points and 7.5 rebounds as a sophomore. He ranked 14th in the conference in scoring and was 7th in rebounding. He scored a career-high 34 points after knocking in a career-best 13 field goals against Nicholls in the regular-season finale. Hardy, who was a member of the alldefensive team in 2013, was third on the team with 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds. He led the team with 4.5 steals per game. He enters the season ranked 10th on McNeese’s all-time list, with 94 steals, and 22nd with 171 career assists.
Republican Group Elects Two Karen Drewett was recently elected chairman of the Calcasieu Republican Parish Executive Committee. Drewett, a CPA, is the senior vice president and senior commercial lender for Iberia Bank. She serves as the chairman of the Memorial Hospital Foundation Board. She is the president-elect of the Lake Charles Symphony, the treasurer of the Calcasieu Community Clinic and a board member of the newly formed group Music Makers. Harry P. Fontenot Jr. was elected
Drewett
Fontenot
vice chairman of the Calcasieu Republican Parish Executive Committee. Fontenot is an attorney. He is the deputy district defender for Calcasieu Parish. He serves on the Contraband Days board and the board of the Southwest Louisiana Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children. He serves as the Shrine Center attorney. Fontenot is also a past master of Sulphur Lodge, a member of Vinton Lodge, a member of Sulphur Sunrise Rotary, and a member of the NRA.
Schwarzauer Named Board President 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 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.
MSU Runners Honored Nine former McNeese State runners and a coach were recently named to the Southland Conference All-Time Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Honor Roll team. McNeese runners selected for the team include Larry Cuzzort, David Kohrs, Tom McGrath, Pat McSweeney, Pat O’Callaghan, David Rooney, Joshua Sawe, and Sarah Salmon and Sita Waru. Coach Bob Hayes was selected as one of the league’s all-time best coaches. Each of the Southland Conference men’s and women’s meet champions is included on the Honor Roll. McNeese has two runners who were league repeat champions — O’Callaghan in 1975 and 1976, and David Kohrs in 1977 and 1978. Kohrs also participated in the 1975, 1976 and 1978 NCAA Championship meets. O’Callaghan helped lead the Cowboys to the 1973 and 1976 NCAA Championship meets. He also participated in the 1974 NCAA Championships. He set a Southland Championship record for a 10,000-meter course in 1975, with a time of 30:19.
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front ‘Louisiana Purchased’ I guess I shouldn’t be publicizing another Louisiana periodical in this column. But, as we all know, the Times-Picayune has had a run of bad luck recently. It’s finally gotten some good news with the positive press its new “Louisiana Purchased” feature has received. To make Louisiana Purchased, Times-Picayune staff compiled a database of the amounts of money donated to Louisiana politicians by 741,000 contributors. Now, I’m guessing all this info could have been found somewhere on the Internet by anyone who searched hard enough. One of the ideas behind Louisiana Purchased is that with all the contribution info in a single place, it’ll be easy to find out what politician got money from whom. To make your search as easy as possible, the Times-Picayune has set it up so that you don’t have to know a politician’s full name. A fragment of a name should do. You can also search by donor name, city and ZIP code. This means that, for example, you could type in “Ji” and “70601,” and find out what contributions Gov. Bobby Jindal got from central Lake Charles. You should also be able to look up any donor who’s contributed to a La. politico. Turns out Michael Bloomberg contributed to several BESE candidates. Now why would that be? Politics is interesting. The theory behind Louisiana Purchased is that you can figure out things about politicians by knowing who’s contributed to them. Once you’ve figured something out, you can comment on Louisiana Purchased by using the hashtag #LApurchased on Twitter. The Times-Picayune benefitted by breaking some big stories in the course of undertaking this project. For one, the newspaper compiled a list of the biggest donors in Louisiana politics. The list is called the Top 400. These 400 big dogs account for a full third of all the political contributions made in the state. The newspaper also determined that people representing Alexandria construction magnate Bryan Bossier contributed $95,000 to Jindal in one day. Readers can judge for themselves whether such practices are virtuous. But, as the Times-Picayune points out, the practice is not illegal. In all fairness, for politicians at the gubernatorial level (or higher), such contributions are more the rule than the exception. Now whether that’s a desirable state of affairs is, again, a matter for readers to decide for themselves. To use the Louisiana Purchased database, get on The Google and search for the phrase “Database: Search Louisiana campaign finance contributions.”
Hollywood South Every time I read about Michael Caine starring in a movie, my first reaction is astonishment at the fact that he’s still alive. But even though he’s 80, he’s not afraid of South Louisiana heat. He’ll soon be participating in a film shooting in New Orleans. Since the shot won’t begin until the Spring, you know it’ll be hot. In fact, I learned, Caine’s already been in one film shot in New Orleans — Now You See Me. In this new project, Caine will star with Samuel L. Jackson in the movie Harry and the Butler. Jackson is almost an old hand in New Orleans filmmaking, having already performed for Quentin Tarentino’s Django Unchained and Spike Lee’s Oldboy (the latter of which hasn’t been released yet). In Harry and the Butler, Jackson will play a former master jazz musician who’s fallen on hard times and become homeless. After he gets a large inheritance, he decides to hire a struggling butler to serve him. Enter Caine. It’s no surprise people are calling N.O. Hollywood South. The big hit Ender’s Game was shot there. Stars who will show up to work in the city in coming months include Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum (for 22 Jump Street); Will Smith (for Focus); Ryan Reynolds (for Selfless); and Bruce Willis (for The Prince).
The Louisiana Poetry News A recent email from a Lafayette organization invites “all female-identified poets to compete in the 2014 Women of the World Poetry Slam qualifier to represent the Lafayette Poetry Committee in the Women of the World Poetry Slam in Austin, TX!” The invitation ended with the sentence “Thank you very much for you’re support.” (In the email, there was no period at the end. For this column, I added one for the hell of it.) An email from the very same sender arrived the very next day. In requesting that the recipient vote for a certain person for “Poet of the Year,” the sender wrote, “When you have submitted you’re vote Invite you’re family & friends to do the 10
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same.” I’ve quoted that verbatim. These word’s I’ve quoted sound’s like those line’s in one of those love song’s. That tells you right they’re your dealing with reel poetry hear. I wonder what kind of poem’s these female-identified poet’s write and what their like. I also wonder which females identified them (the poet’s, I mean). Reckon what it pay’s to be a gindure identifier. May be you gotta be a poet to know that. Or at least you gotta serve on the committee. Promoting Punctuation It must be getting close to Christmas because yours truly has started getting a catalog a day in the mail. One titled Signals promoted a T-shirt that reads: LET’S EAT GRANDMA. LET’S EAT, GRANDMA. COMMAS SAVE LIVES.
They Want To Do What To The Halls? Walk through Books-A-Million or Walgreens or, I guess, just about any big store in the Lake Area, and you’ll wonder how anything more could possibly be done to market Duck Dynasty accessories and knock-offs. But more is being done. For instance, there will be a Duck Dynasty Christmas CD. I’m not pulling your Polaroid about this. As cynical as I am, I never saw it coming. If you want to hear the Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas CD, you can do so — and right now. I read that one edition comes with a 64-page booklet. It’s impressive that some group of people managed to cover the subject in 64 pages. “Duck the Halls.” You’ve got to admit that’s witty. Maybe that explains why the show’s so popular. I mean, you wouldn’t really expect to find wit in rural north Louisiana, would you?
You think this stuff is selling? A Nov. 4 Google search for the phrase “Duck the Halls” returned 11,100,000 hits. “Camouflage and Christmas Lights” — the title of a song written by somebody named Reed Robinson — probably says about all there is to say about this CD, which appeared at just the right time to allow for two full months of marketing.
Adventures Of The Defender Of The Realm Louisiana has no monopoly on kooky, vocal eccentrics. If there’s any need to be reminded of that, the case of a Tennessee lawyer who’s started calling himself “Captain Justice” should do the trick. It just makes the story funnier to know the attorney’s name is Drew Justice. Tennessee assistant D.A. Tammy Rettig filed a motion in an effort to stop Justice from calling prosecutors “the government” in court. Wrote Rettig: “The State has noticed in the past few years that it has become commonplace during trials for attorneys for defendants, and especially Mr. Justice, to refer to State’s attorneys as ‘the Government.’ The State believes that such a reference is used in a derogatory way and is meant to make the State’s attorney seem oppressive and to inflame the jury.” Justice apparently saw the whole thing as an opportunity to act out and make some funnies in the process. He wrote that, in fact, he should be called “Captain Justice,” “Defender of the Innocent” or “Guardian of the Realm.” Whatever client he has should be called either “Mister,” “the Citizen Accused” or “that innocent man.” And he added that instead of “the defense,” the term “the continued
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Tweet Of The Issue
Resistance” should be used. As you might expect, the state’s prosecutors weren’t overly pleased by Justice’s response. In this unintentionally humorous bit of understatement, one said, “We’re a little disappointed at the response that talked about ‘Captain Justice, Defender of the Realm.’ From my perspective, it seemed a little bit — I don’t know what the right word would be.” Prosecutor, I think the word you are groping for there is “cuckoo.” I also think, though, that the real problem might be you are trying to think of two words, and those would be “clown shoes.” As I read this story, I wondered whether Justice was at all concerned about job security. (In other words, did he feel the Bar might not exactly be crazy about the Defender of the Realm thing?) But the judge ruling on the prosecution’s motion won’t be troubling Justice. He ruled there was nothing illegal about calling the prosecution “the government.” Act loopy enough in public and you will get attention. When I read this story, it had managed to make its way to the No. 2 slot in Google’s National news section.
Michelle Goldberg @michelleinbklyn15m Yes, if we are sadists who hate the young. RT @BrookingsEd NYT Room for Debate: Should High School Last Six Years?
News Flash “American Schools Are Failing Nonconformist Kids” — headline in The New Republic, Nov. 6.
I Wrote Something Bad For A Good Reason Sometimes I don’t have room to get an item into an edition of Up Front, but the thing is so good I just can’t let it go. That was the case with a recent quotation of Director of Intelligence James Clapper reported by NBC. The intro to the story read: “Intelligence chief Clapper says U.S. doesn’t spy on anyone ‘except for valid foreign intelligence purposes’ and doesn’t break the law.” That got me thinking. Eventually, I was inspired to make a few declarations of my own. Here they are: If at any time in the past I have done any cruel or unkind or hurtful thing to any person, I have not done this thing except for a really, really, really, REALLY good reason. I mean it. Also, if at any time in the past I have done anything to any person that broke the law I promise that whatever I did did not break the law. If you have any questions, direct them to the Office of Don’t Look At Me.
Person In The News In a recent press conference, Lagniappe magazine editor Brad Goins announced that he would resign from his position at the end of the year in order to join the Rat Pack.
“I want to go hang with Frank and Dino and Sammy,” said Goins. “I want to chill with hep cats like Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford. I want to drink beer on ice and smoke cigarettes. I want to wear cardigans. I want to have dinner with mobsters. I want to be interviewed by Mike Douglas and sing duets with Vicki Lawrence on TV. I want to be introduced to Angie Dickinson by a craps dealer. It’s time. “I figure some of the Rat Packers are getting a little older now and are cutting back on the number of their performances. I think I can take up the slack and inject some energy into the scene. “You can help promote my venture into Vegas by telling your friends to ‘Fly with Go-Go!’ It’s best the swingin’ daddyos and laddyos in Vegas hear about my arrival before it takes place. I don’t want to harsh the mellow of the scene by taking it by surprise. “Well, I think it’s going to rain. I’m scramsville, Charley. Time to hit the road to dreamland.” 12
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South LC Could Learn From Sulphur A few months ago, de folks in Sulphur tried to pass a tax to improve de Sulphur High School football stadium. Only 6 percent uf de voters in de taxin’ district turned out to vote, and de measure got beat by two votes. Dis time around, de shakers and doers in Sulphur had dar act togedder. Day spoke to community groups, had news coverage, had advertisin’ in newspapers an’ on de radio … even yard signs. You might say day ran it like a person runnin’ for political office. Day had dar act togedder an’ it paid off. Dis time around, de number uf folks who voted doubled an’ de measure passed 1,685 to 796. … or 68 percent for an’ 32 percent against. Now, a 12 percent turnout ain’t nuttin’ to be proud uf, but compared to de 6 percent, it’s a big improvement. In politics, it’s known az gettin’ out de vote. When you consider only 25 percent turn out for big elections, 12 percent ain’t bad. Meantime, a South Lake Charles measure to improve schools got beat 742 no an’ 697 yes … only 52 votes difference. Only 5.5 percent uf registered voters in dat School Boad district voted. De measure would have provided money for improvements, equipment and repairs at schools in de district, which include Barbe High and Elementary, and Dolby, Prien Lake, S.J. Welsh, St. John and Nelson Elementary. Maybe if de South Lake Charles group tries to pass de tax again, day gonna call some politicians in dat district to help get de measure passed.
Where’s De Maintenance? De problem schools like Sulphur High an’ schools in South Lake Charles have faces public bodies trewout our state. Day get a vote to build a buildin’ or buy equipment, but dars no money appropriated for maintenance. An’ day gotta come back for mo money. Sometimes tax payers vote for dat tax an’ sometimes day don’t. Wouldn’t it mean a better use uf tax dollars if a clause wuz written in de measure to OK de buildin’ or equipment an’ include a part about maintainin’ what’s bein’ voted for? De issue iz, you know it’s gonna get broke, so why not plan for de fixin’ uf what gets broke? But den again, you talkin’ about de gubment, an’ you know how dem gubment folks tink.
Big Shocker In North Louisiana Back in August, Congressman Rodney Alexander announced he’d had enough uf Washington politics an’ wuz quittin’ to take a job with de Jindal administration. Fourteen candidates jumped in de race to replace Alexander. Political experts figured state Rep. Neil Riser, who had de support uf de Jindal camp, would be de next congressman. He made de runoff, leadin’ by 12 percent Monroe bidnessman Vance McAllister. He outspunt McAllister by 200 grand an’ even brought in some Washington heavyweights to say what a nice guy he wuz. Now McAllister, who iz sed to have mo money dan Carter haz liver pills, spent $800,000 uf hiz own money. In de final days, McAllister put a TV spot on showin’ Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson sayin’ he supported him. When de dust had cleared, McAllister had boorayed Riser 60 percent to 40. WOW … dem political scientists are still scratchin’ dar heads on dat one. De question iz, iz dis what we gonna see in races next fall when all de congressmen an’ Sen. Landrieu run for reelection? We should mention dat District 5 is one uf de poorest in our country, an’ iz 60 percent Democrat. But two Republicans make de runoff, an’ an outsider whips a shure shot? Ain’t politics wonderful?
Duncan In. More To Come. One ting for shore about dis area … dars eider an’ election goin’ on or dars talk about who’s gonna run for de next election. Elections are set for some judgeships in April uf next year, an’ so is de race for mayor uf Sulphur. 16
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Mayor Chris Duncan announced recently he wuz in de race for reelection for a second term. Prior to dat, he’d served on de Sulphur City Council for six years. One opponent, Clofa Boudreaux, has already announced he’s runnin’ an haz even had a jambalaya fund raiser. Udders are expected to jump in, includin’ former mayor Ron LeLeux, da feller dat Duncan beat to become mayor. Still udders are considerin’ de race. We’ll keep you posted. You can bet dar will be fireworks before it’s over. Like Huey Long once sed, Dis will be a better show dan de circus.
Gettin’ Ready For De Workforce A major step wuz taken recently to provide housin’ for de many folks who’ll be comin’ to dis area to work. Groundbreakin’ ceremonies wuz held at a site near Jim Sudduth drive dat will house many uf de folks dat will be workin’ at SASOL an’ udder industries in our area. Company spokesmen spoke uf a complete facility wit’ medical folks on hand an’ bus transportation to take workers to an’ from de industries. If you watch de History Channel, you may have seen a story about how folks in South Dakota wuzn’t ready for all de folks dat moved in to work on a pipeline dere. Looks like we won’t have dat problem here.
Big BP Money: Pelican State Gets De Mos’ De Gulf states wuz recently awarded $113 million az part uf de BP spill settlement. Now dis is only a small part uf de $2.5 billion de oil company an’ Transocean wuz fined by de feds. An’ mo money from de National Fish an’ Wildlife Foundation. But for now, our state got $67.9 uf de $113 million, or better dan half. Our state will use de money to fight coastal erosion, which, az we know, iz hurtin’ fishermen, shrimpers an’ oystermen bigtime. Mo money from de settlement iz expected in March uf next year. It took time to get dis money flowin’, but you know how it iz when you dealin’ wit’ de federal gubment.
High School Playoffs A Real Jambalaya Public schools wuz complainin’ a whole bunch dat private schools wuz dominatin’ all de football in our state, an’ dat public schools couldn’t bring home a state championship because uf schools like John Curtis winnin’ every year. Public school officials sed de private schools had better equipment an’ trainin’ an’ better players as a result. So de Louisiana High School Athletic Assoc. split de schools when playoffs started. As a result, you had small schools dat didn’t even have winnin’ records end up in de playoffs. Geuydan was 0-9 an’ made de playoffs, but refused to participate. Several udder schools in our area, also wit’ loosin’ records, made de playoffs. Now dis rule wuz made mostly because uf de principals from de big public schools complainin’. An’ if dars one ting they know sometin’ about, it’s money. An’ de LHSAA iz ruled by de principals, uf which dar are more public school principals dan private school principals. Now, it’s obvious dis playoff system ain’t workin.’ But dis is de firs’ year uf it bein’ in effect. Wonder what great ideas de principals will come up wit’ at dar next annual meetin’.
Emails From Mary Considerin’ de election for U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s seat iz next October, it’s kinda unusual to already be gettin’ political emails. She an’ Vitter send out emails every week tellin’ you how great a job day are doin’ for de folks in our great state uf Louisiana. Now, de las’ few weeks, I’ve also been gettin’ an email wit’ a picture uf Mary from about 30 years ago an’ a slogan dat sez “Stand With Mary.” Mind, you already axin’ for money for a race dat’s a year away. But I guess she’s just gettin’ ready for all de big Republican money dat’s gonna be spent against her. Ain’t politics in our state wonderful?
Deep Taughts While Sittin’ In A Cold Duck Blind 10) When are day gonna quit runnin’ dat stupid insurance commercial with dat camel? 9) Who tol’ T-Claude he could fry a turkey? 8) How come I can’t play booray at de casinos around here, but can at de one in Marksville? 7) When are LSU folks gonna start callin’ for Les Miles to go? 6) Will anybody give me de ceegars I want for Christmas? 5) How many uf de folks I know gonna take part in dat pancreatic cancer walk Dec. 7? 4) Will de New Awlins Pelicans basketball team be able to make de playoffs dis year? 3) How come we already seein’ political signs for elections in April? 2) How come some banks are closing branches in our area? 1) How much nog will my brudda- in-law put in dat egg nog drink uf hiz dis year?
Final Shot I axed my buddy Lefty if he had plans for de holidays. He sed he wuz goin’ to hiz camp at Toledo Bend an’ wuzn’t comin’ back home until Jan. 5, when all de relatives an’ company have left. An’ he added he wuz takin’ plenty uf giggle juice wit’ him up to de camp. Dat Lefty — you jus gotta admire how he gets into de holiday spirit every year. ‘Til next time, lache pas la patate. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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ECONOMICS, ETC.
michael m. kurth, Ph.D.
Democrats Abandon Sinking Ship A month ago, Sen. Ted Cruz led a lastditch effort by conservative Republicans to derail, or at least delay, the implementation of Obamacare. The Democrats protested that the Affordable Care Act was the law and couldn’t be changed, then shut down the federal government rather than negotiate over even the smallest detail. I bet a lot of Democrats now wish Cruz had won. Healthcare.gov, the $500 million website designed by a Canadian company with connections to the president’s wife, turned out to be a total train wreck — testimony to failure of the Obama administration to manage the bloated federal bureaucracy and the President’s lack of interest in details. But more important, it soon became apparent that Obama knowingly lied about a key element of the Affordable Care Act when he repeated over and over that “if you like your insurance, you can keep your insurance, and if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.” And a chorus of Democrats repeated that mantra to their constituents. Democrats love to deride Republicans for their lack of unity, but the Democrats’ lock-step performance in the parade led by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi is now coming back to haunt them. Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu recently accompanied the
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president on his flight to New Orleans where he was to give a major speech, but disappeared as soon as the plane landed. Speculation is that she, and many other democrats facing re-election, are trying to get as far away as they can from Obama and his plunging poll numbers. And in Congress, Democrats just voted with the Republicans to modify the Affordable Care Act by allowing people to keep their insurance even if it fails to meet government standards ... a bill Obama has said he will veto. I suspect Republican challengers around the country are busy collecting footage of their opponents repeating Obama’s many pledges to the American people that turned out to be, well, “unfulfilled.” Everyone to the lifeboats … this is not a drill.
The Affordable Boat Act Congress has just passed “The affordable boat act.” Until now, as a rule, only wealthy and financially responsible people have been able to purchase a boat. This new law ensures that every American can now have an “affordable” boat of their own. These “affordable” boats will cost an average of $54,000-155,000 each, not including taxes, trailers, towing fees, licensing and registration fees, fuel, docking and storage fees, and maintenance or repair
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costs. Every citizen MUST purchase a new boat by April, 2014. If you purchase your boat before the end of the year, you will receive four “free” life jackets. In order to ensure that everyone purchases an affordable boat, the costs of pri-
Sen. Mary Landrieu recently accompanied the president on his flight to New Orleans where he was to give a major speech, but disappeared as soon as the plane landed. vate boats will increase on an average of 250-400 percent per year. This way, wealthy people will pay more for something that other people don’t want or can’t afford to maintain. But to be fair, people who can’t afford to maintain their boat will be regularly fined. Children under the age of 26 can use
their parents’ boats to party on until they turn 27; then they must purchase their own boat. If you already own a boat, you can keep your boat (just kidding; no you can’t). If you like your marina, you can keep your marina (just kidding again; new government regulations limit the amount marinas can charge to $25 a month, so most private marinas will go out of business). If you don’t want or don’t need a boat, you are still required to buy a boat. If you refuse to buy a boat or can’t afford a boat, you’ll be fined $800 a year until you purchase one or face imprisonment. Failure to use the boat will also result in fines. People living in the desert, landlocked urban areas or Oklahoma are not exempt. Age, motion sickness, inexperience, lack of navigational knowledge or aquaphobia aren’t acceptable excuses for not using your boat. A government review board composed of “experts” who don’t know the difference between port, starboard or stern will decide everything about the appropriate used of your boat, including when, where, how often and for what purposes you can use your boat; how many people can ride your boat; and if one is too old or not healthy enough to use their boat. This board will also decide if your boat has outlived its usefulness; if you must purchase specific
accessories, such as environmentally safe waste storage and disposal devices; or if you must buy a boat powered by renewable energy, such as the wind or waves. A separate government board must approve the name for each boat to avoid culturally insensitive names. Failure to comply with these rules will result in fines and possible imprisonment. Government officials are exempt from this new law. If they want a boat, they and their families can obtain free boats (that is, boats paid for with tax dollars). Unions, bankers and mega-companies with large political affiliations ($$$) are also exempt. Note: These boats are sold on dry land and can’t be put in water until after you purchase them. If the government can force you to buy health care, they can force you to buy a boat ... or ANYTHING else. Yea ... it’s that stupid.
NEW CITY COURT OPENS The City of Lake Charles recently held a ribbon cutting for the new Lake Charles City Court at 118 W. Mill St. The new court is housed in a 22,000 square foot building that contains two courtrooms and offices for the city judges of Divisions A and B and their staff, the Violations Division, the Civil Division, the City Prosecutor and the Ward 3 Marshal. Construction of the new facility began in early 2012. Total cost was $5.6 million. Funding for the project was provided by several different local agencies. In 2001, the Lake Charles City Council adopted an ordinance assessing a $10 fee as part of court fines to pay for the cost of a new building. The fees accumulated and provided the $1 million that came from City Court for the new building project. The fees will continue to be used to repay the $3 million loan made to the City of Lake Charles for the new facility by the Calcasieu Parish Trust Authority. The City of Lake Charles contributed $525,000 toward the construction of the facility, and $436,520 for the land purchased in 2006. In addition, as part of the Ryan Street Streetscape project, the City of Lake Charles funded $374,166 on improvements on Mill Street, from Ryan Street to Ann Street — the block where the new City Court is located. Other funding for the new City Court included $250,000 from the Ward 3 Marshal’s Office and $500,000 from the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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TAKING CHARGE
dale archer, MD
Bad Behavior On Airplanes Excuse me while I go on a rant here. I fly a lot these days, but I remember back years ago what a treat it was to fly. Passengers would dress up — skirts and heels for women, coat and often a tie for gentlemen. Food service was included, and the meal was good, hot, and served with a cloth napkin and real silverware — spoon, fork and, yes, a sharpened knife. “Stewardesses,” young women with big smiles and little skirts, greeted every passenger like a best friend. Everyone was gracious and courteous. You see, in the 1960s and ‘70s, flight travel was rare, exciting and very special. Today, air travel is the most popular method for distance traveling. The National Air Traffic Controllers Assoc. estimates that 1.5 million people fly in the USA — per day. As more and more people take to the not-so-friendly skies, stories of rude, disgusting and selfish behavior abound. Take the mom who changed a baby’s dirty diaper on her tray table; another who flossed, sending bits of food everywhere; or, as happened to me recently, a guy who kept passing gas and bragging about how rank it was. This was followed on my next flight by a woman who kept sneezing and blowing her nose in her hand all the while telling me about her rude children with no manners.
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As for a dress code, it’s non-existent, with many passengers dressing as if they’re heading to the beach, or about to mow the lawn. One man I saw was allowed to board wearing only lingerie,
As more and more people take to the not-so-friendly skies, stories of rude, disgusting and selfish behavior abound. Take the mom who changed a baby’s dirty diaper on her tray table; another who flossed, sending bits of food everywhere; or, as happened to me recently, a guy who kept passing gas and bragging about how rank it was. stockings and heels; one woman decided that her seat was a good place to change her clothes. My son was on a long flight recently
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and sat next to two obnoxious guys playing a drinking game (no drink limit for them, apparently), which he found mildly amusing — until one of them threw up in my son’s lap and laughed about it. The airplane is not an extension of your home. You’re with 200 strangers. When the captain says “relax and enjoy the flight,” this doesn’t give you permission to start snipping away at an ingrown toenail, apply your make up, or use a mirror to pick the dandruff out of your hair. Some passengers are rude, refusing to turn off a smartphone, kicking the seat in front of them, or insisting that their oversized bag can be crammed in front of your seat. Engaging in gross behavior that should be limited to the privacy of a bathroom is, unfortunately, becoming the norm for airline passengers. Would you pop a zit while sandwiched between two strangers? Would you use a towelette at your seat to clean your underarms? Or would you brush your teeth and spit the remnants into the glass you just drank a soda from? Why are passengers behaving badly? Simple: We are becoming a nation of rude narcissists. Decent behavior has been lost in our smartphone, computer screen world where reality stars serve as role models. The sense of entitlement and
privilege is exemplified by the thought: “I want to do what I want, when I want — and I will!” The pampered generation is now all grown up, and their bad behavior is contagious. The “If he can do it, why can’t I?” mindset continues to flourish, and our “It’s all about me” society continues to rumble out of control. Airlines are currently discussing a dress code so that passengers know ahead of time what will fly and what won’t. While that’s a good start, there also needs to be a behavior code included in the passenger’s bill of rights. Outrageous behavior must not be considered cute or silly. It’s rude and offensive, and should not be tolerated. And, while this may help the airlines, flight attendants and fellow passengers, it does nothing to address the same or worse on the ground. But it’s a good start.
Dr. Dale Archer is a board certified psychiatrist who founded the Institute for Neuropsychiatry in Southwest Louisiana. He’s 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.
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john maginnis
Districts Look Funny This just in: Louisiana congressional districts look funny. According to a new study by a “geospatial” software company, Louisiana’s congressional districts are among the least “compact” in the country. The underlying notion is that less compact districts, which do not conform to traditional squares or circles with tidy, smooth borders, could be the result of political gerrymandering. That tracks the popular claim by Democrats that Republican-led state legislatures, like Louisiana’s, conspired to gerrymander the most recent congressional redistricting to ensure long-term GOP control of the U.S. House. This state’s 2nd District, represented by Congressman Cedric Richmond, ranked seventh out of 435 for being the least compact. Seven of the 10 least compact districts are in states with Republican-controlled legislatures. Truly, if drawn on a piece of paper, the 2nd looks a mess, squiggling north by northwest from New Orleans to north Baton Rouge. That it is a 63 percent minority district, surrounded by three very white Republican-held districts, follows the Democratic narrative that Republicans “packed in” AfricanAmericans in order to make whiter the
three adjacent districts: the 1st, 3rd and 6th. Were politics played? Of course. What else do politicians play? But as in most games, it took two to play. In congressional redistricting, the players were
If the south keeps growing and the north doesn’t, there may be no escaping the I-20 alignment. If folks in Lafayette and Lake Charles can share a district, so can those in Shreveport and Monroe. the Republicans and black Democrats, both of whose numbers have increased dramatically in the last four reapportionments, at the expense of white Democrats, who, as the game ball, got kicked around a lot. The same goes for legislative redistricting. If there’s something wrong with that, it’s not anything illegal. A long line of court decisions have banned discrimina-
tion by race in reapportionment, but have said it’s perfectly fine to discriminate by party. It’s the American way. Yet, as the study concedes, there are logical reasons the 2nd offends geospatial sensibilities: the Mississippi River and the Voting Rights Act. Regardless of political motives, the Legislature did a reasonable job drawing the district as it did. The VRA doesn’t grant a pass for population dispersions caused by busted levees. So when thousands of New Orleans residents moved up the river to Baton Rouge and beyond after Hurricane Katrina, the new 2nd District followed them, retracing population patterns going back more than 200 years. In terms of communities of interest, one can argue that north Baton Rouge residents have more in common with those in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans than with the denizens of the Country Club of Louisiana, on the south side of the capital city. Those former 6th District residents were replaced by folks in the river and bayou parishes, most of them white. As a result, the 6th District, represented by a Democrat in 2008, is now redder than Red Stick. Republicans may have benefitted, but, ultimately, Katrina and the Corps of Engineers made it happen.
Some would say the state’s most gerrymandered district is the meandering 5th, which plunges from the Arkansas border down the delta, takes a hard left at St. Francisville and cuts across the top of the Florida parishes to Bogalusa. But its shape has less to do with partisanship or race than with the region’s demands to maintain two north Louisiana districts, one each based in Shreveport and Monroe. An alternative plan would have put both cities in an east-west district along Interstate 20. With the 4th District approaching Lake Charles and the 5th Baton Rouge, by 2020, if the south keeps growing and the north doesn’t, there may be no escaping the I-20 alignment. If folks in Lafayette and Lake Charles can share a district, so can those in Shreveport and Monroe. That’s what happens when a state loses two congressional districts in 20 years, with most of the population loss occurring north of Interstate 10. What would suit redistricting reformers — and provide more business for geospatial software companies — would be for states to follow the lead of California, which has an appointed nonpartisan board to draw congressional and legislative districts. That might happen in Louisiana some time after it happens in every other state — and perhaps not then.
“The Life Beyond” I read the other day about an elderly couple several years ago who were driving in a snowstorm through the Sierra National Forest. In an isolated section of the roadway, they had a terrible accident. Their vehicle slid off the highway. For the next 18 days, Jean and Ken Chaney lived in that car before they died. During this time, they recorded their thoughts in a journal. On the 18th day Jean Chaney wrote this last entry: "Dad went to the Lord at 7:30 this evening, March 18. It was so peaceful I didn't even know he left. The last thing I heard him say was 'Thank the Lord.' I think I'll be with Him soon . . . bye. I love you." So, here is the question. How can someone face death without fear? I believe that the answer can be found only if one has a firm conviction about what is on the other side of death. Our faith is that God's Son actually conquered death two thousand years ago. He said, "Because I live, you will live also." (John 14:7) The great American writer Walt Whitman wrote, "And I will show that nothing can happen more beautiful than death." How can that be true, unless death brings something more? I have been singing to myself lately the words of the old hymn: "Some glad morning when this life is over, I'll fly away; to a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away." I am so thankful today for the promise of Scripture that life will continue on the other side of the grave. This life is not all there is. Jesus said it like this, "In my Father's House are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you." (John 14:3) Our part is simple: to trust Him. You are invited to worship at First Methodist: Sundays, 8:30 & 10:45 AM Corner of Broad and Kirkman Radio broadcast • Sunday, 8:00 AM on 100.5FM 22
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When and if it does, non-politicians will still have to grapple with community interests, minority rights and a landscape covered mostly by water, forests and cow pastures. What they come up with might not make any more sense or look any less funny than what our politicians have wrought.
Jindal Prefers Local Lawsuits There’s a good reason Gov. Bobby Jindal responded so calmly to Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes’ suing of dozens of oil companies for coastal damage — in contrast to his ballistic reaction to a suit filed earlier by the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection AuthorityEast (SLFPA-E). Yes, the parishes’ suits are brought by elected local officials instead of an appointed board. And yes, the parishes don’t have eye-popping contingency fee contracts with their attorneys as the flood authority does. But the most compelling reason the governor doesn’t repudiate the parishes’ legal action against Big Oil is that it’s what he’s been waiting for. The governor’s been heavily criticized by environmental and civic groups for his offensive against the SLFPA-E board, including his effective removal of its vice chairman, author John Barry, the eloquent and credible public voice for the legal cause.
of landowners in southwest and central Louisiana. They’re called “legacy” because the claims for damages often go back for decades to ensnare the major oil companies as defendants. But the new suits differ in two important ways. Because they’re filed in the Coastal Zone, the potential damages, considering coastal erosion, are much greater. Also, instead of the parishes suing as landowners, they’re bringing action as the government regulators of development in the Coastal Zone. Sharing that regulatory authority is the state Dept. of Natural Resources. The governor could have the state intervene and supplant the parishes as
plaintiff. But there’s no need to do so. The administration can monitor the lawsuits as it nudges the parties toward a negotiated settlement. At that point, the two coastal parishes won’t be alone, for it’s likely that negotiations would lead to a global settlement that includes the flood protection authority and the potential claims of other parishes, levee boards and the state itself. There’s only one person who can sit at the head of that bargaining table. And it’s not John Barry. The governor doesn’t necessarily want to be seen as the one who starts this fight, but he’s bound to be there when it’s resolved.
Such a settlement could go a long way toward funding the state’s master plan for the coast, projected to cost $50 billion over 50 years. Not only would that secure Jindal’s reputation as a coastal protector, but it would also, nationally, establish his independence from and his power over the mighty oil industry. The late great Russell Long once said that he could never be president because he was an oil state senator. There are other reasons Jindal won’t be president. But he can see to it that a cozy relationship with Big Oil won’t be one of them.
Jindal was seen to be protecting the interests of the oil companies, when, actually, the interests he was protecting were his own. Jindal was seen to be protecting the interests of the oil companies, when, actually, the interests he was protecting were his own. The unilateral action by the appointed state board, out of line with state policy toward the coast and the industry, was an intolerable affront to the power of the governor. Not to mention that, if the suit succeeded, Barry, not Jindal, would get the credit. While the governor may seek to quash the flood authority’s lawsuit, his action shouldn’t be mistaken for siding with oil companies. There are aha! moments and there are uh-oh moments. The latter came for oil firm attorneys and executives during the 2012 legislative session when they grew alarmed that Jindal didn’t back their legislation to rein in the plague of socalled oilfield legacy lawsuits. The governor seemed to be siding with big landowners and, by extension, their environmental attorneys, whom oil execs loath as the most rapacious of trial lawyers. The leader of the lawyers, whose firm has filed the most oilfield damages suits, is Don Carmouche of Talbot, Carmouche and Marcello, who happen to be the lead attorneys on the lawsuits filed by Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes. The parishes’ suits have been likened to the dozens of legacy lawsuits Carmouche’s firm has brought on behalf www.BestOfSWLA.com
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WEIRD NEWS
chuck shepherd
Excuse Me ... Is It Day Or Night? In April, 2008, the Swiss watchmaker Romain Jerome, who the year before created a watch made from remnants of the Titanic, introduced the "Day & Night" watch, which doesn’t provide the hour or the minute. Though it retails for $300,000, it only tells whether it’s day or night. CEO Yvan Arpa said studies show that twothirds of rich people "don't use their watch to tell what time it is," anyway. Anyone can buy a watch that tells time, he told a Reuters reporter, but only a "truly discerning customer" will buy one that doesn't.
A Piece Of The Action Recently, Wall Street and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs created Fantex Holdings, which will allow investors to buy actual pieces of real players — namely, rights to 20 percent of the play-
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er's lifetime earnings (including licensing and product endorsement deals). The firm told The New York Times in October that it will soon stage an IPO for budding NFL star Arian Foster, and hopes to sign up many more athletes, as well as singers and actors who are still early on in their careers. Fantex's lawyers drew up a 37-page list of potential investment risks, such as injuries, slumps and scandals. Lawyers also mentioned that the stock will trade only on Fantex's private exchange.
Cultural Diversity — "For Japanese boys, the train driver sits alongside footballer, doctor and policeman as a dream job," according to a September Agence France-Presse dispatch. Consequently, the system for the Tokyo metro area (which contains 35 million people) runs with the "precision of a finely crafted Swiss watch." Delays, even of a minute,
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seldom occur. When they do occur, operators repeatedly apologize and hand out "notes from home" to commuters to present to their bosses to excuse the tardiness. Among the system's drawbacks is the still-irksome groping of females on packed rush-hour trains, when operators routinely shove as many as 300 riders into cars designed for 150. — Among the surprising legacies of communist East Germany is modern-day Germany's commonplace "clothingoptional" lifestyle (FKK, or "Freikoerperkultur" — free body culture). A September Global Post dispatch reported on hundreds of FKK beaches across the country. Foreigners occasionally undergo culture shock at German hotels' saunas and swimming pools, at which swimsuits are discouraged as "unhygienic." — China joined a handful of countries (and 29 U.S. states) by strengthening the rights of elderly parents to demand support from their adult children. China now allows lawsuits by parents who feel emotionally ignored. An October Associated Press feature on one rural extended family dramatized China's cultural shift away from its proverbial "first virtue" of family honor. Zhang Zefang, 94, said she didn’t even under-
stand the concept of a lawsuit when a local official explained it. She did say she deserved better from the children she had raised. A village court promptly ordered several family members to contribute support for her.
Latest Religious Messages — Recent tests in Austria yielded the conclusion that 86 percent of the holy water in the country's churches was not safe to drink. Most often, it was infected with E.coli and Campylobacter. University of Vienna researchers found samples with up to 62 million bacteria per milliliter of water; the busier the church, the higher the count. — Various studies show churchgoers to be happier, more optimistic and healthier than other people, leading some atheists and agnostics to wonder whether the church experience could be fruitfully replicated but without the belief in God. The "Sunday Assembly" was created in London, and has now spread to New York City and Melbourne, Australia. It may go to as many as 18 other spots by year's end, according to a September report in The Week. Founders seek such benefits as "a sense of community," "a thought-provoking (secular) sermon,"
"group singing" and an "ethos of selfimprovement," exemplified by the motto "live better, help often, wonder more." They hope that eventually Sunday Assembly will organize Sunday schools, weddings, funerals and "non-religious baptisms." — An alleged drug ring in the Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood of Sheepshead Bay, was busted in September after police cracked a stream of Internet messages offering heroin (called "DOB") and cocaine ("white girl"). Among the messages was one sent at 6:45 one Friday evening advising customers they had "45 minutes" to get their orders in for the weekend because the sellers would shut down at 7:30 for the Jewish Sabbath.
Congress were hemorrhoids, the DMV and toenail fungus. The same firm's poll earlier in the year showed Congress was liked less than root canals, head lice, colonoscopies and Donald Trump. But back then, Congress did beat out telemarketers, the ebola virus and meth labs. — Among the reported expenditures that provoked Pope Francis to remove Limburg, Germany, Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst were a bathtub that cost $20,000, cupboards and carpentry worth $550,000 and artwork worth $690,000. The Vatican announced the church would open a soup kitchen at the bishop's mansion.
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Questionable Judgments — Los Angeles Animal Services has proposed that the city be established as a Sanctuary City of Feral Cats and that cats be exempt from property owners' right to evict animals causing damage. Under the L.A. City Feral Cat Program, felines "will gain an inherent right" to be on residential or commercial property. Animal Services believes an enhanced spaying program will eliminate most feral-cat problems. — "You hired a convicted prostitute and thief to handle state money?" asked an incredulous Connecticut state legislator in September when he learned that Suki Handly had been employed from 2008 to 2012 to pass out welfare benefits in the state's Manchester distribution center, from which $44,000 was missing. Handly and two others had been found guilty of theft in Connecticut in 2010. Yet her prostitution and 2010 convictions were not known to state investigators until a chance audit in 2012. State hiring offices, of course, promised to strengthen background checks.
Least Competent Criminals Ariel Sinclair, 23, an assistant manager at a Rite-Aid drugstore in Virginia Beach, Va., was charged in October with stealing $6,000 from the store's Virginia State Lottery machine. According to police, access to the machine requires an authorized fingerprint, which she supplied. She didn’t anticipate that it would eventually be difficult to explain why she did this. "We work a lot of different cases," said a police spokesman, and "some are easier than others."
Readers' Choice — Among the things respondents to a Public Policy Polling's October poll viewed more favorably than the U.S. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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FILE 13
brad goins
On Lou Reed Among the musicians of my time, there were always three that — for me — were predominant in popular music: Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and David Bowie. Now one of those three has died, and his death may have been due to old age. (More on that later.) A quick look at the comments about Lou Reed’s death on Oct. 27 shows they were full of links to the other musicians in the trio I’ve named. On Facebook, Bowie called Reed “a master.” Pop said the report of the death was “devastating news.” British singer Lloyd Cole wrote, “Without Reed, there is no Bowie as we know him. Me? [Without Reed’s influence] I’d probably be a math teacher.” I single out Reed, Pop and Bowie because I think they did more than any other musicians of my time to give depth and substance to popular music. They worked hard to endow the popular song with the same sort of profundity and insight that such earlier figures as Stephen Foster, Billie Holliday and Cole Porter gave it. I first learned about Reed’s work through a Velvet Underground album I found priced at $2.98 in a cut-out section. At the time, I was starting the long transition from childhood to adulthood, and hadn’t known that anyone at all wrote lyrics that described that transition with
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precision. I was pleasantly shocked by lyrics such as those for the 1969 song “Candy Says”: Candy says, “I’ve come to hate my body, “and all that it requires
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“in this world.” Candy says, “I hate the big decisions “that cause endless revisions “in my mind. “I’m going to watch the bluebird fly “over my shoulder. “I’m going to watch it pass me by.
“Maybe when I’m older … “What do you think I’d see “if I could walk away from me?” To the degree that the Velvet Underground was known in its day, it was know for lyrics about the neurotic,
uneasy, oversensitive introvert: the misfit; the fish out of water; the loner and solitary. The relatively well-known song “All Tomorrow’s Parties” (1967) catalogued the feelings of a young person who feared to go to a party because she couldn’t find or afford hip clothing. Overcome by her sense of isolation, she “cries behind the door.” Very similar was the narrator of the song “After Hours” (1969): “Oh the people are dancing, and they’re having such fun. “I wish it could happen to me. “But if you closed the door, “I’d never have to see the day again.” In hearing these lyrics, I had exactly the same sense I had when I first read the novels of Samuel Beckett: “This guy’s like me.” Just as Bowie albums got me through high school, the Reed songs I just cited got me through my first semester of college. Pop and Bowie wrote songs about figures such as the protagonist of “All Tomorrow’s Parties.” But they were more inclined than Reed to use metaphor. Reed’s lyrics were effective because they described the thing as it is in stark terms. Reed wrote such lyrics long after his association with the Velvet Underground. Thirteen years after “Candy Says,” Reed wrote the song “Waves of Fear,” which includes such lines as: “Waves of fear. Waves of fear. “I’m too afraid to use the phone. “I’m too afraid to put the light on. “I’m so afraid I’ve lost control. “I’m suffocating without a word.” As these lyrics indicate, Reed wrote not just about isolation and alienation, but also about mental illness. And he wrote about the drugs taken by the mentally ill, and the effects of these drugs on the body. The Velvet Underground’s bestknown song was a lyrical ballad about heroin. Reed wrote songs about such topics as overdoses, habitual crime, S&M, violence, guns, prostitution and transvestitism. His notorious Berlin was a song cycle about a prostitute plagued by physical abuse, drug abuse and loss of custody who ends her life in a suicide. After three of Reed’s close friends died in a short period in the mid-1980s, he wrote Magic and Loss, which is probably the only American song cycle on the topic of death that wasn’t written by a classical composer. In its obituary of Reed, The Guardian described the matter succinctly, when it called Reed “a chronicler of life’s wilder, seamier and more desperate side.” Of course, a person who considered himself an outsider could identify with Reed’s outsiders even if his experience was vastly different from theirs. The same was true of the characters Bowie and Pop wrote about — characters who were alienated as a result of their extremity or inability to fit in. One other way in which Lou Reed brought substance and pertinence to popular music was by bringing experimental music into it. This aspect of Reed’s work continued
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FILE 13 continued is much better known than the Velvet Underground lyrics I quote at the beginning of this essay. One of Reed’s colleagues in the Velvet Underground was John Cale, a Welsh classical viola player who had worked with the experimental music and performance collective Fluxus. In the early 1960s, he came to the U.S. and performed with the experimental composers John Cage and La Monte Young. In tandem with Cale, Reed pioneered the form of music that would eventually be called “power electronics” — musique concrete, sound collage and tape manipulation created by professional musicians outside the academy.
The Velvet Underground’s “European Son” (1966) and 17-minutelong “Sister Ray” (1968) are probably the beginnings of power electronics. “Sister Ray” was recorded in a single take, with much of the music improvised. It’s said that the engineer found the music too noisy for his taste, and, leaving the Record button engaged, left the booth, telling the band, “I don’t have to listen to this. Come and get me when you’re finished.”
Reed and Cale in the Velvet Underground days.
Most aficionados of power electronics feel that Reed’s 1975 double album Metal Machine Music was the first lengthy recording of power electronics. Each side of the recording had only one cut, with each cut titled Part 1, 2, 3 or 4. Each cut had a time of 16 minutes, 1 second. The recording ended with a groove that repeated the last 1.8 seconds of the music until the needle was manually removed from the record. For the initial recording of Metal Machine Music, Reed wrote a lengthy essay that listed and described numerous instruments and electronics (such as the “amine beta ring”) that he said he had used to make the music. He later admitted that all the information in the essay was fabricated and that none of the instruments he wrote about existed. Reed would eventually state he made Metal Machine Music by setting electric guitars at short distances from amplifiers that had been turned to such a high volume that the sounds they produced would keep the strings of the guitars vibrating. In effect, once the guitar strings had been plucked or strummed, the guitars would go on playing themselves. Metal Machine Music was widely interpreted as career suicide. Rock critic Lester Bangs titled his review of the album “How To Succeed in Torture Without Really Trying.” But Bangs was one of the few critics astute enough to recognize the obvious: Reed had spent a decade writing challenging music as a way of thumbing his nose at the popular music industry. While critics saw the music as a joke, Reed saw their reaction to it as farce. Reed would continue to make obviously experimental music. He performed Metal Machine Music live in its entirety with the German experimental classical ensemble Zeitkratzer in 2002. And in 2008, he formed the Metal Machine Trio: an ensemble that played only improvised music. My favorite form of experimental music created by Reed was one that was cited by many of his fans: the quirky twists he put in the form of the popular 28
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song. In such early and mid-1970s albums as Sally Can’t Dance and Coney Island Baby, Reed seems to be following the traditional pop song structure, even going so far as to use the verse-verse-chorus format. But something isn’t quite as we expect it to be. In the 1975 song “She’s My Best Friend,” for example, Reed constructs a verse not by repeating a simple melody over and over, but by creating a different, elaborate melody for each line. The melodies of both verse and chorus are more complex and less dramatic than those traditionally used in pop music. There is, for instance, no effort to create a “hook.” In many ways, the music sounds more like some obscure form of liturgical chant than the sort of thing one hears on the Billboard Top 20. These pop songs that didn’t sound quite like pop songs pleased me to no end. To hear music that in some ways sounded familiar but in other ways sounded utterly foreign and new always made me feel as if I were entering an alternative world far more exciting and satisfying than the one I’d always inhabited. I still feel that way about these songs. It’s a feeling that may not have been shared by Reed. Of the album Sally Can’t Dance, he complained, “The worse I write them, the better they sell.” He may have been most comfortable with the obvious and extreme experimentation of such works as “Sister Ray,” Berlin and Metal Machine Music. (He claimed that he made Berlin so that he’d have some music he could listen to.) The last topic I want to cover in this essay is the notion that Reed died of old age. The official explanation was that Reed died from complications from a liver transplant he received earlier this year. But he was 71 when he died. Could the age have been a primary factor in his susceptibility to the complications? There are some indications this was so. Shortly after the transplant, Reed’s wife, performance artist Laurie Anderson, told the press, “It’s as serious as it gets. He was dying. You don’t get it for fun.” A few weeks later, Reed wrote on his Web site, “I am bigger and stronger than ever.” But when he was interviewed at the Cannes Lion Festival in July, Reed said to reporters, “The other day I was 19. I could fall down and get back up. Now if I fall down, you’re talking about nine months of physical therapy.” It also seems odd that Reed would travel to Cannes Lion if he felt liver failure were imminent. I don’t know why the idea of a great musician dying of old age seems much sadder to me than the prospect of a young musician dying from an overdose or car wreck. The changes that come with old age are as ordinary a phenomenon as any in nature. Yet these same changes seem astonishing to anyone who experiences them, feels them deeply and thinks about them. I don’t know whether there are ways to be really prepared for the changes of old age. If there are, being so in tune with the feelings of oneself and others that one can describe them to a T may be one of the ways.
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john maginnis Kleckley Open To Tuition Changes Legislation granting university boards more control over tuition didn’t make it through this year’s regular session. But House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, says he’s willing to give it another chance in 2014. In an op-ed written exclusively for LaPolitics.com, Kleckley wrote that he supports such an initiative because it would bring Louisiana up to the Southern Regional Average. In political terms, it would allow legis-
lators to withdraw from the debate. Right now, they have to muster a two-thirds vote to increase tuition. “In the past, I have supported tuition freedom to raise post-secondary tuition to the Southern Regional Average in Louisiana without the required two-thirds vote of the House and Senate,” Kleckley wrote. “We are the only state that has the two-thirds vote requirement.” Of course, there are strings attached. Kleckley is of the opinion that the authority should only be granted if universities are willing to up their collective game.
jeremy alford
“I believe that we have politically suppressed our tuition, which has been harmful to post-secondary education,” he added. “However, while I support tuition autonomy, that authority should only be granted if colleges and universities are willing to provide greater accomplishments in exchange.” But before he’s willing to lead the charge, Kleckley wants “one loud, clear, unified voice” from university heads around the state. In an earlier interview, Kleckley said he had already contacted Dr. F. King Alexander, president of the LSU
system; Dr. Ronald Mason, president of the Southern system; Dr. Sandra Woodley president of the UL system; and Jim Purcell, commissioner of higher education, to tell them he’d be the point man on a bill next session if they got together on the specifics. In his op-ed, Kleckley also left the door open for possible changes to the TOPS scholarship program in 2014. “We must continue to protect TOPS and reward students who work hard and give them the ability to get a quality higher education,” he wrote. “At the same time we must find a
THEY SAID IT
“Being tried by a jury of your peers is as American as moms and apple pie.” — Jonica Coates, the director of civil justice reform at the Louisiana Assoc. of Business and Industry, on the idea of lowering the claims threshold in a jury trial
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“I wish the guys in prison could see me now” — Edwin Edwards, on WBRZ-TV
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“I am indeed laying the foundation.” — Senate President Pro Tem Sharon Weston Broome, a Democrat, on her plans to run for mayor of Baton Rouge
“I’m used to being beat up on.” — Family Research Council president Tony Perkins, who fell under fire in the press for his antigay stances after announcing he was considering running for the 6th Congressional District
way to better manage TOPS to make sure it is financially sustainable.”
PAC Money Could Buoy Tea Party Favorite A great deal of media coverage has focused on the fact that the Senate Conservatives Fund overlooked Congressman Bill Cassidy in order to endorse fellow Republican Rob Maness. But the real story could be the amount of money that could potentially be steered to the tea party favorite. The fund’s Super PAC has collected more than $5.6 million for current cycle, with $2.1 million generated in September alone. It spent more than $1 million supporting Republican Ted Cruz of Texas in his successful Senate campaign last year. Should Maness, a retired Air Force colonel from Madisonville, who has reported raising $100,000, manage to capture any real momentum or draw serious press coverage, those familiar with the Super PAC say a six-figure injection isn’t unlikely — especially with 3,300 financial supporters living in Louisiana. Whether the endorsement can help him overtake Cassidy as the prime challenger is another matter. But it would be a notable achievement in his campaign. Both candidates are hoping to overcome the re-election of U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, a New Orleans Democrat.
Landrieu, meanwhile, raised $1.3 million and spent $432,000 during the most recent quarter. The other Republican, Maness, had a burn rate in the third quarter, raising $58,000, spending $68,000 and leaving $16,000 in the bank.
Dems To Target North Louisiana Sources inside the state Democratic Party tell LaPolitics that a win in next year’s 6th Congressional District is “insurmountable,” and that focusing on U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s re-election is only half of the strategy for the 2014 cycle. The other half can be found in the piney woods of north Louisiana, where Democrats are hoping they can pick off two
GOP incumbents in the 4th and 5th congressional districts. It’s a tall order, to be certain, especially after the thrashing Democrats took in the recent 5th District primary. Party leaders have been fielding complaints in the primary’s wake that the field wasn’t cleared for a lead candidate in that race, which now has an all-Republican runoff, and that more wasn’t done to support the Dem contenders who did qualify. For now, party leaders say they are refocusing efforts and implementing a “people first” game plan that will be driven by statistics and will seek to energize the party’s base. “This is not going to be the old Democratic Party, where decisions are made in smoke-filled rooms,” said one
party official. “We are going to focus on data and numbers.” That not only means capturing the seat that will be taken by a Republican next month in northeast Louisiana, but also bringing a fight to incumbent Congressman John Fleming, R-Minden, whom Democrats targeted in 2012 before hitting a political brick wall. While no names have surfaced as of yet, the party is keen on pointing out that Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover is termlimited — even if he isn’t necessarily the top choice of Dems in the region. The endgame may be all about Landrieu, who will need to do well in north Louisiana for her expected win in voter-rich New Orleans proper to truly matter.
Fundraising For Cassidy Has Two Faces The fundraising gap in the U.S. Senate race between Landrieu and Cassidy isn’t getting smaller, and is actually larger than reported. The most recent quarterly campaign finance reports show the incumbent Democrat from New Orleans with $5.8 million cash on hand, compared to Cassidy’s $3.4 million. But of Cassidy’s sum, $148,100 was raised for, and can only be spent on, a December runoff election. Landrieu can spend all the money raised so far in the November 2014 primary. “It doesn’t look like a lot on paper, but he’s basically maxing out or starting to max out certain donors,” said a campaign operative. Such a development bolsters the candidate’s overall totals in the much-watched money race. In addition, Cassidy transferred $2.4 million from his House account in June — something else that propped up his second quarter filing. Campaign observers question the need for holding back money for December. “If this goes into a December runoff, this will be the last runoff in the country,” said one. “There will be a lot of eyes on the race, so I’m not sure what’s behind this strategy.” The Cassidy campaign declined to comment on the inner workings of the congressman’s fundraising, but he’s leading his challenger peers nationwide, according to a new breakdown from Washington, D.C. newspaper Roll Call. Among Republican Senate candidates who are non-incumbents in other states, Cassidy ranks first for his campaign account total. That set of candidates includes Republicans running for open seats as well. Cassidy even has more money in the bank than a few incumbents. However, when it comes to the $685,000 raised during the third quarter, Cassidy ranks sixth among Republicans who are challenging incumbents next year. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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LOUISIANA’S ‘PRISON VIEW’ GOLF COURSE PROMISES ARRESTING VIEWS AND CAPTIVATING PLAY BY BRAD GOINS
IF YOU’VE
dismissed the story that there’s a public golf course on the grounds of Angola as an urban myth, you have some backtracking to do. Prison View Golf Course is every bit as real as Angola’s guards on horseback, razor wire and world famous rodeo. Not only is the course real, but the price is right. You can play the course for $10. Add $5 for a cart fee. The experience of playing this course will differ somewhat from the typical golf course experience. And the differences extend beyond the fact that the course just has nine holes. 32
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YOUR
Prison View Golf Course experience begins on a rise 75 yards up in Tunica Hills. This elevation gives the player “a spectacular view of Louisiana’s only maximum security prison,” promises the marketeering copywriters at Louisiana State Penitentiary’s official website. Think you might like that view? You’ll have to work to see it. Prison View Golf Course requires that every player go through a background check. For practical purposes, this means you’ll need to provide the appropriate personal information at least 48 hours before you want to play. Be prepared to give up your DOB, driver’s license number, Social Security number and so forth. Don’t bring cameras to this course. They aren’t allowed. And be ready to submit to a search of either your person or vehicle if you’re asked to do so. That’s course rules. Also, keep in mind that play can be suspended at any time, at the warden’s discretion. The course is a par 72. Although nine holes are played twice to make 18 holes, Angola promises you will “never” use “the same tee boxes … with the front and back nine.” Of the 18 de facto holes you play, “water [comes] into play on 16.” Each tee marker is made of a pair of handcuffs welded shut.
THE MONEY SHOT When the first-time player comes to the sixth hole, he’s treated to the sight of long rows of razor wire, one sitting atop the other. The seventh hole is close enough to the prison that it’s possible to hear prisoners talking. You can bring a group of up to 40 to play. Of course, they’ll all have to pass
the background check, and nobody in the group can be on an inmate’s guest list. Obviously, the tone is going to be a little different on this course. But course designers have tried to make the experience as pleasant as possible. Amenities include a clubhouse, pro shop and restaurant. At the pro shop, you can buy a t-shirt with the slogan “ANGOLA: A GATED COMMUNITY.” The restaurant serves both Louisiana favorites and popular snack bar and grill food. The course also has a driving range with a 60- by 20-yard tee box. You can enjoy 419 Bermuda grass. The course was completed in 2004. It’s the only U.S. golf course located on prison grounds. continued
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Prison View gets a lot of national media attention. The course is easy prey for writers and reporters who are up for easy golf or jail jokes. (See the subhead of this story.) In her report on Prison View, CNBC’s news editor Cindy Perman happily chirped, “And yes, they’ll let you out” when you finish playing. She also noted that the travel site Cheapflight put Prison View on its list of Top 10 most hazardous golf courses. In all fairness to Cheapflight, it’s been reported that golfers at Prison View may encounter alligators, rattlesnakes and water moccasins. One would think these same creatures might be encountered at other courses on the Gulf Coast. (Also on Cheapflight’s list is the Singapore Island Country Club course, where one might run into cobras, monkeys and wild boars; and South Africa’s Skukuza Golf Course, where the potential threats include elephants, leopards, warthogs and hippopotamuses.)
LOTS OF WORK AND LOTS OF ROOM When the Prison View course was being constructed, some Louisiana publi-
Photo By Vance Jacobs
EASY JOKES
cations questioned the value of the project. Columnists wondered whether the course might be a bureaucratic boondoggle: a misguided and wasteful attempt at inmate recreation, rehabilitation or job training. These criticisms may have developed from a naïve understanding of what
Angola is all about. Although it may have mellowed a bit in recent years, Angola still has and deserves its reputation for serving up some of the hardest time in the world. Angola is a working prison. Almost every inmate there works at something, whether it’s doing a job or taking classes
or both. Angola’s inmates produce 4 million pounds of vegetables each year. They tend 2,000 head of cattle. They run a mattress factory, print shop, silkscreen shop and the country’s only inmate-run radio station. If they like, they can obtain
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a bachelor’s in theology within the prison walls. Long before there was a golf course, inmates were taking courses in golf course maintenance. It’s probably just as well that inmates at Angola stay busy. Angola is the largest maximum security prison in the U.S. It has more than 5,000 of the toughest inmates in the country. It might be just as well not to let them sit around too much. Warden Burl Cain is on record as stating (to The Guardian) that “you’ve got to keep the inmates working all day so they’re tired at night.” And Angola has lots of room to work with. The prison comprises 18,000 acres. That’s an area the size of Manhattan.
LOW-COST CONSTRUCTION The golf course sits on what was once a pasture for bulls that performed in the rodeo. It wraps around the building where inmates take their horticulture classes. It’s the only U.S. golf course in the last half-century that was built primarily by hand. Because inmates did most of the construction work for the course, the cost of building it was a very moderate $80,000. That funding came from the prison rodeo by way of the employees’
recreation fund. No taxpayer money was used. Inmates are never allowed to play on the course, and only prisoners with a long record of good behavior can work on it. These inmates all belong to the group designated as “Class A trustee prisoners” — the highest tier of Angola inmates. In addition to having a good record, inmates are required to take horticulture classes before they begin any work on the course.
DEFINITELY OPEN ON WEEKENDS While a common-sense interpretation might dictate that Prison View was built to provide inmates with job skills, the original intention was quite different. The concept behind Prison View was that the course would entice employees to come to the prison on the weekends. “My goal is to keep employees here on the weekend because that’s the reserve force in case we have an emergency,” Cain told the San-Diego Union Tribune last year. “Some of them love golf.” Cain believes the presence of the golf course reflects a jail culture that has become less violent than it was in the past. “When I came here [in 1995], this place was still rockin’ and rollin’, and I don’t think we would have had this golf course.” He doesn’t seem to think the main purpose of the course is to teach prisoners job skills. Rather, he feels the course raises prisoners’ spirits and creates an
PRISON VIEW IS THE ONLY U.S. GOLF COURSE IN THE LAST HALF-CENTURY THAT WAS BUILT PRIMARILY BY HAND. BECAUSE INMATES DID MOST OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORK FOR THE COURSE, THE COST OF BUILDING IT WAS A VERY MODERATE $80,000. environment where they can thrive. However, the job-training aspects of the course are still a part of his thinking. He’s told Golf magazine that “if we train inmates in landscape architecture and maintenance of greens, they would be employable in that field.” In reality, there isn’t a great likelihood that many of those working on the golf course will be able to use their skills on the outside. Very few in Angola will ever be on the outside again. Of Angola’s inmate population, more than three quarters are lifers or on death row. Among the remaining prisoners, the average sentence totals more than 90 years.
ALPHABET’S TAKE Telecommunications expert John Begley wrote a report on his time on the course for the sports news site Deadspin. Begley says a team of 33 prisoners built the course. He says when he played, one of the 33 told him the greens might be a bit fast on the day he was playing, explaining, “We just cut the greens yesterday.” This inmate, Alphabet, is serving a life sentence for murder. Alphabet
points out that there are still places in Angola where prisoners pick cotton for 4 cents an hour. At the golf course, Alphabet does work he likes for 20 cents an hour. “I’d rather be out here than the alternative — trust me.” Right now, says Begley, 10 inmates comprise the greens maintenance crew at Prison View. Since they all have life sentences, they may not get a chance to carry their skills and experience to a job outside the prison walls. Cain maintains that 10 percent of Angola’s population eventually leaves the prison. He says that whatever job opportunities the golf course offers, it will offer to this 10 percent. I wasn’t able to track down any stories of inmates who have successfully transferred their Prison View skills to the workaday world. But it’s a little early on to find such stories. I was able to talk with the manager of the course’s restaurant, who told me that inmates do prepare the po-boys and hamburgers and do most of the maintenance on the course. Any person who knows how to prepare a tasty catfish poboy should have fairly good job prospects in Louisiana. And Begley attests that the po-boys at Prison View are indeed tasty.
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Connecting Life and Learning At Axiall, we demonstrate our true commitment to progress with a real commitment to education, investing both time and money in a wide variety of educational programs that support and benefit teachers and students throughout Southwest Louisiana.
MCNEESE NATURELAB We created this 600 acre “Classroom in the Woods,” which is now operated by McNeese State University. The McNeese NatureLab provides a unique educational experience enjoyed by students, teachers and various clubs and organizations in Southwest Louisiana. With more than 10,000 feet of trails, the facility provides the opportunity for the community to learn about natural wildlife and plants, ecology, conservation, species diversity and much more. Since 1998, the facility has hosted thousands of students, and serves as a living, thriving example of our environmental commitment. The McNeese NatureLab has been awarded Corporate Lands for Learning Recertification from the International Wildlife Habitat Council for its contributions to wildlife habitat, environmental stewardship, native biodiversity promotion and environmental education.
CAREER DAY This event is held twice annually to provide high school students the opportunity to learn about careers such as environmental engineering, operations, industrial nursing, accounting, and human resources. The students are given plant tours and are matched with representatives who work with them during the day so they can experience a “typical work day” in that
REACH The goal of REACH (Reaching Educational and Cultural Heights) is to make a difference in young peoples’ lives by being a positive influence through mentorship, providing guidance and educational awareness. This employee volunteer group is involved in tutoring, coaching and numerous other activities that benefit youth.
PARTNERS IN EDUCATION Axiall is a proud participant in Partners in Education, providing mentoring and educational resources to six area schools: • LaGrange High School • Vinton High School • Our Lady Queen of Heaven • Sam Houston High School • St. Theodore Holy Family • Vinton Elementary
STATE TROOPER SKILLS FOR LIFE CAMP
TEACHER’S INSTITUTE The Teacher’s Institute provides area educators the opportunity to learn about the internal operations of a large chemicals facility and to illustrate how does its part to protect our environment. Activities include plant tours, one-onone sessions with plant workers, fire training, team building techniques, lectures and total quality management techniques, which ultimately are credited to the teachers’ certification.
State Police Troop D sponsors this camp annually, allowing over 40 campers from local area middle schools to learn about boating safety, team building, seatbelt safety, land navigation, first aid, CPR, fire safety and many facets of the Louisiana State Police. These students also learn about the environment and our natural habitats during this one-week period.
AXIALL PARTNERS This employee volunteer program contributes thousands of volunteer hours each year in support of community activities and fundraisers including Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics, and many others.
At the intersection of chemistry and progress. www.axiall.com
Lesley Jacobs When 77-year-old Lesley Jacobs, better known to his numerous friends as “Jake,” came to Lake Charles in August of 1956, he didn’t have much. “Everything I owned I carried in a brown paper sack tied with string,” he says. That’s not surprising, given that Jacobs, a Godeau, La., native, never received a formal education (in fact, he can’t read). But what Jacobs has lacked in education, he’s more than made up for with a positive attitude, and a willingness to work as hard as necessary in order to earn a good living. “I was just determined to make it. I’ve always worked,” he says with justifiable pride. “I’ve never drawn unemployment. I’ve always believed that if you want to do something badly enough, you can do it. I’ve just always had that get-up-and-go attitude.” Shortly after Jacobs arrived in Lake Charles, a friend, Jim Smith, wrote a letter to Manny Royer, then the manager of Weingarten’s on Hwy. 14, recommending Jacobs for employment. Jacobs was hired in December of 1956, and worked at Weingarten’s for 25 years “in charge of the baggers.” Jacobs’ strong work ethic, his sunny and friendly disposition, and the contacts he’d formed while working at Weingarten’s played a key role in his next venture: starting and running his own business, All Area Sweepers. Jacobs’ business provides parking lot sweeping services, bushhogging, and dirt service, including leveling, for a residential and commercial clientele. That client list ran at 30-40 when he first started the business. I was just determined to make it. It now numbers about 60. I’ve always worked,” he says “I’ve never wanted to have so many clients I couldn’t do a good job,” Jacobs says. “And I’ve never wantwith justifiable pride. “I’ve never ed to set the world on fire. At this point, I’m just looking for enough business to keep me busy.” His client list includes the City of Lake Charles, Reinaeur drawn unemployment. I’ve Real Estate (He’s worked for four generations of owners for the always believed that if you want business), and IberiaBank. to do something badly enough, For the first 17 years he was in business, Jacobs swept parking lots by hand with a push broom. He now owns two you can do it. I’ve just always sweeper trucks, purchased in 1975, and also has two tractors for had that get-up-and-go attitude.” use in the bushhogging aspect of the business. Along with his strong work ethic, Jacobs also prides himself on the fact that he’s debt-free. “I don’t owe anyone anything except respect,” he says. “I don’t owe anyone money.” Jacobs’ hard work supported a large family — six daughters and five sons. And, he says, he’s made it a point to pass on his work ethic to his children, and now his 33 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren. “I raised all of my children to work hard,” he says. “And, as they say, when they left home, I broke the plate and buried the spoon.” Some of Jacobs’ children now have careers in healthcare. One daughter, Grace, works in a Houstonarea school district as operations specialist. “He was a wonderful father,” says Grace Jacobs. “I thank God every day for my father.” Jacobs has built his business, and earned quite a good reputation, based not only on hard and highly satisfactory work, but also on his positive attitude and friendly demeanor. “At IberiaBank, they’ve changed my name,” he quips. “They call me ‘Sunshine.’” Spend any time with Jacobs at all, and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s not just friendly, but a true people person. And he’s quick to help out those in need. “I do work for free when and if people need me to,” he says. “I’m always trying to help people. And I try to give to the needy.” Jacobs says, though, that more than the strong work ethic and positive attitude, sheer persistence has played a role in the life he’s made for himself. “I was just determined to make it,” he says. “And I stuck with it. I never gave up.”
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A STRONG YEAR FOR SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA By George Swift, President/CEO, Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance
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his year, our region has benefited from unprecedented industrial announcements for future developments that will total more than $58 billion. This amount makes Southwest Louisiana the leader in development in Louisiana and the nation in job creation and capital investment. We have many economic opportunities before us. How we respond will determine the future of our region for several generations. Only since the ship channel was dug or the first industries located here in World War II has this area been on the verge of such massive growth. We are very fortunate to have many development projects announced or taking place. This list breaks down the projects according to parishes where they’re taking place: • Allen Parish: In Kinder, the Coushatta Casino Resort completed a $60 million hotel expansion. • Beauregard Parish: Great things will take place at the Beauregard Airpark once its state site certification is complete. Boise has two expansions, estimated at $111 million, which will create 54 new direct jobs and 222 indirect jobs.
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• Calcasieu Parish: — AAR at Chennault: 250 jobs, with an additional 500 by 2017 — Belle Savanne in Carlyss: $210 million — Carboline’s new warehouse: $5.5 million — Chennault’s new hangar: $21 million — Energy Transfer Equity, formerly Trunkline LNG: $9 billion, 100 new jobs. — G2X Energy: $1.3 Billion, 243 new jobs — Greenfield Logistical Solutions Pelican Lodge Industrial Employee Housing: $70 million — The Grove at Heritage Square: $1.5 million — The Golden Nugget: $580 million, 1,500 new jobs — IFG Port Holdings: $59.5 million, 36 new jobs — Juniper Natural Gas-to-Liquids Facility: $100 million, 29 new direct jobs — Lake Charles Clean Energy, Leucadia: $2.6 billion, 200 new jobs
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— Magnolia LNG: $2.2 Billion, 45 new jobs — Mardi Gras Boardwalk: $45 million, 1,300 new jobs — Northrop Grumman Expansion: $3.6 million — Port of Lake Charles Improvements: $22 million — Sasol, LTG: GTL Complex and Ethylene Cracker and Derivatives Facility: $16-21 billion, 1,100 new jobs — Sowela Training Facility: $20 million — SWLA Entrepreneurial and Economic Development Center: $12.9 million — Union Pacific Rail Improvements: $22 Million — West Calcasieu Event Center: $10 million • Cameron Parish: Liquified natural gas producers are making huge investments in Cameron Parish. Cheniere Energy’s Sabine Pass Terminal is one of the largest capital investments in
Louisiana History. The $18 billion dollar project will create 150 new jobs. Sempra’s Cameron LNG facility will bring in 130 new jobs and a direct capital investment of $6 billion. • Jefferson Davis Parish: Louisiana Spirits Rum Distillery opened this year. The $5.3 million project uses Louisiana cane sugar and molasses to make a true Louisiana-made rum. Speeding up the process of moving grain, the South Louisiana Rail Unloading facility ($4 million) will move 25,000 bushels of grain per hour. Zagis is expanding its operations. Downtown Lake Arthur is home to a new $500,000 boutique hotel. To take advantage of the major industrial projects, we will have to invest in the basics, such as new roads, bridges and schools. Here’s a list of changes that will be needed in specific areas: Housing. We will need apartments and single family homes. Water and sewerage. A 1992 study stated that before our region could grow, there would need to be water and sewerage in the unincorporated areas. Calcasieu Parish is tackling the problem, but it is
costly, and takes a long time. Trained workers. We will need to train and equip workers for the thousands of jobs to be filled. We must find a way to increase the capacity at Sowela Technical Community College and McNeese State University. The announcement by Gov. Jindal of a $20 million dollar Worker Training Center at Sowela is a huge step in getting this training underway. Just as the petrochemical plants have done for this area for several generations, we will be able to provide careers and good incomes for families. To fill these jobs, we will need to train the unemployed and the underemployed, and attract new workers to our area. The next generation of informed and involved leaders and originators. We need to keep the next generation of workers here and invested in the future of our communities. That’s why the Alliance has a number of efforts to make our region more attractive to our young people. Using our Next Generation Initiative, our Leadership Southwest Program and Fusion Five, Southwest Louisiana’s premiere young professionals’ group, we are working to keep graduates here or get them back and attract new residents. The motivator to keep young professionals in the region is to have rewarding careers, amenities, entertainment and a great quality of life. The pipeline of future workers and leaders. We are working to place The Leader In Me process into each of our area’s elementary schools. This effort will bring out the best in each of our young people and give them the confidence to be the best they can be. This is just a highlight reel of the projects coming to the area and what we need to address the needs that will arise during this time of growth and development. What will take place over the next 5 to 10 years depends on our community leaders, elected officials and the business community. We need to work together to make a true and lasting change for our region. It is imperative that we fully grasp the scope and potential of the opportunities before us and make great decisions that we — and future generations — won’t regret.
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THE MEXICAN CONNECTION Will Mexico’s State-Owned Oil Company Soon Be Opening Its Gates To Louisiana Investors? • By Brad Goins
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ight now, the Mexican Legislature is debating the question of whether to open the country’s oil to investment from foreign countries, including the United States. Since 1938, all Mexico’s oil has been owned by the state. State ownership is guaranteed by the Mexican Constitution. In 1960, a change to the Constitution mandated that Pemex — the name of the state-run company — would have full ownership and control of all the oil in Mexico. For 53 years, Pemex has been a point of pride to Mexicans. Pemex has been a symbol of Mexican independence and a strong indicator that the country can stand on its own and go it alone. That’s a big part of the reason a large percentage of the Mexican people is fiercely opposed to allowing foreign investment in oil. In one September protest, more than 40,000 angry activists opposed to the proposed changes to Pemex gathered in Mexico City.
A soldier guards a Pemex oil plant.
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Protests against the move are being inspired by a former, recently defeated, candidate for president — Lopez Obrador — who says he’ll run for president again in 2018. Obrador has positioned his opposition to the changes to Pemex as a fight against privatization. If Mexicans are proud of Pemex and its monopoly on oil, they’re just as frightened of the notion of privatization of state-owned businesses. The last big round of privatization in Mexico ran from the late 1980s through the early 1990s. The country’s banks, television and telephone countries moved from state to private control. The result was widespread public disapproval. Citizens felt the corporations that took over the state businesses awarded themselves with windfall profits while everyday citizens realized few, if any, financial benefits.
Pemex: Mexico’s state-owned oil and gas company.
NO PRIVATIZATION HERE In spite of any rhetoric being thrown around at protests, investment in Mexican oil by Texas or Louisiana would not be a matter of privatization; or at any rate, not in the short term. A chance to invest would give the U.S. the opportunity to drill some phenomenally deep wells in the Gulf of Mexico and drill in shale in Mexico itself. One presumes that the U.S. would be able to buy some or all the products that result from this new drilling. One would also presume that the U.S. wants these products. On the other hand, it wouldn’t seem likely that the U.S. would be hell-bent on acquiring the Pemex comcontinued
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Thousands gather in Mexico City to protest U.S. investment.
pany, which has been a money-burning company in recent years. Still, just buying product from Pemex would call for a change in the Mexican Constitution. Right now, Pemex can’t sell one drop of Mexican oil to the U.S. It would be against the law to do so. The most prominent supporter of changes to Pemex oil policy is current Mexican president Pena Nieto. Nieto is often seen as a somewhat weak figure, due to his lackluster performance in the last presidential election and his less than stellar numbers. But weak or not, many think the Mexican Legislature will get behind Nieto on the question of U.S. investment in Mexican oil. U.S. investment in Mexican oil would, presumably, put a lot of new money in Pemex’s coffers. But that prospect also worries the Mexican public. Some Mexicans can still remember the last time Pemex got a fresh injection of cash. Mexico experienced a major oil boom that started in the late 1970s. The outcome was disastrous. The Mexican government used its huge investment in oil to fund ill-advised projects. The government amassed huge debt as a result. The entire country was eventually bankrupted and the peso was devalued in 1982. Those who support foreign investment in Mexican oil are quick to argue for safeguards against the excesses that occurred in the oil boom. They say the Mexican government should have safeguards in
place to ensure that contracts with foreign investors give Mexico a fair shake.
A NECESSARY RISK? Whatever outcome results from a hypothetical U.S. investment in Pemex, it wouldn’t be likely to have the disastrous effects of Mexico’s 1970s oil boom. Still, bad things can happen when corruption or bureaucratic sloppiness mix with large exchanges of cash. But Mexico may just have to risk it. Mexican legislators can hardly be blamed for feeling that Mexican oil is in a state of crisis. Pemex just reported a third quarter loss of $3 billion. That’s $3 billion — with a b — lost in a single quarter. Many politicians feel that it’s just too dangerous to let Mexican oil keep bleeding money.
A TECHNOLOGY GAP Mexican oil needs U.S. investment for other reasons — technological ones. Right now, Mexico is sitting on 680 trillion cubic feet of oil in the country’s northern shale fields. This gigantic deposit makes Mexico the world’s fourth-largest holder of what’s called “non-conventional fuel.” But the oil won’t mean much to Mexico’s strained economy if the country can’t get to it. Mexico’s shale fields run alongside the Mexican border. The entire, enormous field is called Eagle Ford. continued
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PRO: Mexico’s “weak” President Nieto, shown here with President Obama.
You can see the technology gap very easily if you compare the efforts of Texas and Mexico in Eagle Ford. So far, Texas has drilled 500 producing fields in Eagle Ford. Mexico has drilled 5. What’s the holdup? In the words of correspondent Dudley Althaus, who reported on Mexican affairs for the Houston Chronicle for 23 years, “Pemex’s Mexican contractors aren’t experienced in hydraulic fracturing techniques used for shale gas. It will need the expertise of the American companies drilling north of the border. Attracting them may mean allow-
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ing them to own a percentage of the gas rather than getting paid straight service fees.”
BENEFITS FOR THE U.S. GULF COAST Some U.S. companies are already doing drilling and other work for Mexico for fees alone. Halliburton, Weatherford, Schlumberger and Noble are among the companies providing large-scale services for Mexican oil. But the $155 billion in development Mexico needs to get at the oil in its shale and deep Gulf deposits is going to have to
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CON: Popular favorite Obrador.
come from somewhere. Especially pragmatic investors think it will probably come from U.S. investment eventually. The evidence is all around. Mexico has encouraged Houston companies to make bids on thousands of miles of proposed pipelines in Mexico. Rogelio Gasca, one of the three independent members of Pemex’s board, was quoted by Althaus as saying, “The current situation of Pemex is unsustainable. The energy sector, and Pemex in particular, have not managed to positively contribute to the development of the country. Better scenarios await us if we make the reforms and the changes that the
country needs.”
THE BIG WINNER: THE CONSUMER Lake Area independent oil expert Steve Jordan says he thinks the “biggest winner” of U.S. investment in Mexican oil “will be the U.S. consumer.” “The main person it will help is the consumer. More supply [of oil in the U.S.] will translate into lower prices for a gallon of gas.” Jordan also thinks the change “will increase energy security for the U.S. … This will be a key building block in North
America being independent of oil coming from unstable parts of the world … Indirectly, it will keep a lot of young men and women from sacrificing their lives” to protect the oil resources in these unstable countries. It will also strengthen the U.S. position should any major foreign oil suppliers manipulate events in such a way that the price of U.S. oil increases dramatically. Such a turn of events could, Jordan says, “create turmoil” in the U.S. — for oil and gas and for business in general. Jordan thinks the move would also enhance the stability of Mexico. It would, he thinks, create jobs there. Such job creation could “alleviate a lot of the problems with border security [in the U.S.]. Mexico can further develop their middle class.” He thinks the degree of prosperity that could develop might even be such that “you could see a reverse migration.”
LAKE AREA OIL EXPERT STEVE JORDAN SAYS HE THINKS THE “BIGGEST WINNER” OF U.S. INVESTMENT IN MEXICAN OIL “WILL BE THE U.S. CONSUMER.” HE THINKS THE MOVE WOULD ENHANCE THE STABILITY OF MEXICO. As for the Lake Area in particular, Jordan says, “the service companies and companies that have pioneered directional drilling and fracking” should recognize direct benefits. (“Directional drilling” is non-vertical drilling, such as the horizontal drilling that’s commonly done in shale deposits.) It doesn’t take much imagination to see that major investment by Houston oil companies in a $155 billion oil production project would eventually have ripple effects in the Lake Area. Both oil companies and, I would think, the Port of Lake Charles, would expect to see substantial benefits somewhere along the line. Of course, these are long-term benefits. The Mexican Legislature must first change the Constitution; then contracts must be drawn and drilling must be done. Something like this will most likely happen, and sooner rather than later. Mexico needs more oil and more money, and needs them yesterday. And the only way to provide more oil for Mexico is via drilling technology that will almost certainly come from the U.S. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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MAJOR HOLIDAYS? For Some, Thanksgiving And Christmas Are Just Another Day At Work • By Angie Kay Dilmore
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or most people, a holiday is more than friends and family celebrating together. It’s a day off work! But for a significant portion of the working population, Thanksgiving or Christmas is just another day at the proverbial office. For hospital and emergency personnel, industrial plant employees and offshore workers, and for casino, restaurant, retail and other service personnel, business as usual doesn’t stop because it’s the fourth Thursday of the month or because the calendar says it’s Dec. 25. How do these holiday workers balance employment with the joy and merriment of special family times? Fire Captain Robby Trahan has worked at the Moss Bluff Fire Department for 14 years, and has worked many holiday shifts. “Sure, it’s a holiday,” he says. “But it’s just another day when we’re at work.”
This year, Trahan works the holiday trifecta of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. The shifts are 24 hours long, which takes Trahan away from his wife and two young sons for a considerable amount of time. But they make the best of it. “Our crew gets together, cooks a holiday meal at the station, and our families come meet us there,” says TrahaAnd firemen are allowed to go home briefly while the kids open presents Christmas morning, he adds. Husband and wife Justin and Donna Jorden are both respiratory therapists, and have spent their careers working in hospitals, which guarantees a lot of holiday duty. The couple has two teenagers who have often had to spend holidays with local relatives while Justin and Donna work. “I have a wonderful extended family, and they are very accommodating to continued
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both mine and Justin’s holiday schedules,” says Donna. Justin works Christmas this year. “I don’t mind working other holidays like New Years and Independence Day,” he says. “The [holiday] pay and pace [of the shift] are nice. Christmas is different. I really do miss my family when I work Christmas.” Donna volunteered to work Thanksgiving this year so one of her coworkers could be with family. “It’s depressing to be at work and away from your family on a holiday, but all of us working our shift try to make the best of it by ‘celebrating’ at work. We share meals and gifts.”
FIRE CAPTAIN ROBBY TRAHAN HAS WORKED AT THE MOSS BLUFF FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR 14 YEARS, AND HAS WORKED MANY HOLIDAY SHIFTS. “SURE, IT’S A HOLIDAY,” HE SAYS. “BUT IT’S JUST ANOTHER DAY WHEN WE’RE AT WORK.” Some stores are increasing their holiday hours for shoppers’ convenience. But for retail workers, this means more holiday hours on the job. Ashley Chafin works part-time at a local pharmacy, and will work Thanksgiving this year — the first time she’s ever had to work on a holiday. “It makes me sad that I have to work a special holiday, but I don’t really have a choice,” she says. She traditionally visits family in Lafayette for Thanksgiving, and still plans to see them; but she’ll have to hurry back to Lake Charles to work her shift at 6 pm. Hamilton Ramirez is an operator at a local industrial plant. He works both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year. Ramirez and his wife have four grown children who live out of town, and one seven-year-old at home. “When the children were young, I wanted to be home with them, but once they got older and were out on their own, continued 50
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it wasn’t that critical. We still get together, though it might be a day other than the holiday. We work it out,” Ramirez says. Ramirez says family time on a holiday is also dependent on what shift he works. If he’s working a night shift, he can still be with his family during the day. “It’s tiresome, but you get used to it,” he says. Most restaurants close on holidays, but some, such as the International House of Pancakes, are open 365 days a year. “Working on the holidays is a part of working at IHOP,” says Josh Simms, assistant manager. Holidays, especially
Thanksgiving and Christmas, are their busiest days. Every employee at IHOP works every holiday, and they work 12hour shifts. Chimira Howard has been the general manager at IHOP since 1999. She dislikes working Christmas because she misses her son and daughter, who are now 16 and 20 years old. When they were younger, they stayed with family members while she worked her 6 am-6 pm shift. They would celebrate when she got off work. “On Christmas Eve, I let them stay up until midnight,” Howard says. “They could open one gift, but they had to wait until I got off work the next day to open the rest.” One advantage of working a holiday is having the rewarding opportunity to make someone else’s holiday a little bit brighter. Howard says IHOP has many regulars — elderly people who don’t have family in the area or can’t cook for themselves. “They choose to spend their holiday with us here at IHOP,” she says. “We like to see that, and we try to make it as pleasant and happy for them as possible.” When we talk about working on holidays, we can’t forget our men and women in the Armed Services. Laura Landreneau’s husband, David, was stationed in Iraq over Christmas 2004. The couple has three sons, who were young at the time.
“WORKING ON THE HOLIDAYS IS A PART OF WORKING AT IHOP,” SAYS JOSH SIMMS, ASSISTANT MANAGER. HOLIDAYS, ESPECIALLY THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS, ARE THEIR BUSIEST DAYS. EVERY EMPLOYEE AT IHOP WORKS EVERY HOLIDAY, AND THEY WORK 12-HOUR SHIFTS. “David volunteered to go out on a mission that Christmas day, because he didn’t want to be sitting around the barracks with nothing to do but think about missing us,” Landreneau says. “We used Skype a lot to keep in touch.” Landreneau served as a military nurse, and was stationed in Germany from 1988-1990. She says the people in her barracks became her “family.” “We basically ignored the holidays,” she says. “We didn’t put up a tree. It was easier mentally to pretend the holiday didn’t exist, rather than focus on being away from family on the holiday.” 52
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Being single at the time, she volunteered to work holidays so other married-with-children co-workers could be off. “Besides God, the next most important thing in my life is my family, and without them to celebrate with, the holiday can slide under the rug,” she says. A group of people who work together often become a family of sorts to each other. When they work together on a holiday, they usually make an effort to
make their work shift a festive, fun occasion. They have holiday parties, prepare a special meal or exchange gifts. They recognize and accept the fact that working holidays is a part of their job description. When Ramirez is at work on a holiday such as Christmas, he tries to maintain a positive attitude. “I try to be merry, and share that with my co-workers,” he says.
CHRISTMAS ON DUTY Post offices and banks are closed on Christmas Day, as are many other private businesses, many of which also close early on Christmas Eve. It’s a celebrated day off for many hardworking Americans — a time to spend with family and friends. But there are those who work 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. Emergencies and unexpected illnesses don’t abide by the calendar. First responders, police officers, emergency medical personnel (both pre-hospital and in-hospital) and firefighters are on call despite the list of federal holidays. Military service personnel, here and abroad, also stand at-ready every day. Still, there really is no reason for our on call duty personnel to miss out. Here are a few ways around it: If visitors are permitted, party at the work site, but be sure to verify with administrators in advance. One ambulance corps hosted an “impromptu” party organized by family members of the duty crews; trays of hot food were brought in by the families, and they all got to spend the evening together. Not all locations allow visitors, or are physically close enough to families, but having holiday meals delivered to the crew at the station is always special. Some diners and local eateries stay open over Christmas to offer holiday dinner or brunch to local first responders on call at discounted rates, or sometimes even free. The wait staff and cooks usually volunteer for the shift, knowing that their efforts are appreciated. Here are some ways to brighten the holidays for those who are on duty: Consider gifts such as wrapped, store-bought baked goods, or even meals, for the workers’ break room. If you are having a holiday home party, think about extending the invitation as an “open door” to duty crews in your neighborhood. Let them know they are welcome to stop in for food and nonalcoholic refreshments. Don’t try to pin these emergency responders down to time or commitment; they never know when they will be called out on the road. Having to-go containers ready may come in handy when call tones suddenly go off. There are also service-specific holiday greeting cards (usually found at online retailers) that can be handed out to emergency personnel on Christmas to let them know they are appreciated. If you can’t find these cards, a computer printer or a child’s crayoned drawing is a good way to go. Many military families have found that if their loved one won’t be at home for the holidays, they can reschedule the holiday for their convenience. One wife said she had a small household-only holiday dinner before her husband left for a tour, and a second one upon his return, with the entire extended family. Of course, care packages from home are always treasured when they arrive at some far away soldier’s location. Be sure to mail them early.
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November 21, 2013
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CREATING A PLACE TO CALL HOME
By Calvin Tyler
W
hen I write articles I hope people will enjoy reading, there’s an incredible amount of research required. I go deeper, deeper and deeper down the bottomless rabbit hole known as the Google search engine. It only takes me 2 1/2 hours of actual writing to complete a 1,500 word story. But I could spend years researching what I believe to be the biggest issue plaguing humanity today — light pollution. I know that seems like a stupid issue to most. But just think about it! We’re driving around at night pretending that the sky is just a blanket of nothingness above us, when, in fact, we are floating through the Milky Way galaxy on an organic spaceship! How much more could we — as a species — realize if every time night came, we looked up to see what can be seen at the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii? I have to apologize for my digression, but all of it segues to my point, I promise.
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Crfatsman Charm
The truth is: I like the research part of my job. At times it can be enlightening, and sometimes it’s utterly profound. Research is a passion of mine, and when I meet people who are driven by their passions, it inspires me. This article started out as a different
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kind of story altogether. But it developed into a passion-piece shortly after I began an interview with a local contractor about why he does what he does. It really wasn’t long before I knew this man was someone I hope to be friends with 20 years from now. He inspired me.
I’m going to tell it like I saw it. This is the story about a team blessed through hard work and perseverance that’s out there making their dreams a reality. The team is comprised of Randy LeJeune, and his wife Samantha, who own and operate Rhino Renovators in Lake Charles. My time with the LeJeunes began some time in 2008 after I’d passed by several signs they had on Division Street. Each house that proudly displayed the Rhino Renovators sign in the front yard was historic and beautifully restored. Each looked as though it had been pulled right out of a time portal, and was brand new again. So, I called and set the appointment to have them take a look at the floors in my house. When I met the LeJeunes for the first time, I was surprised to find how warm and welcoming they both were. You know that feeling you get when you can see that someone doesn’t really care about you, but, continued
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November 21, 2013
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rather, about what he can get from you? That’s not the feeling you get when you spend time with the LeJeunes. They’re genuine and gracious. They really paid attention to our every concern and offered opinions that matched our needs. We were confident we’d found the right people for the job. Samantha LeJeune was pregnant with the couple’s first child, Brody, during this time. The husband and wife were obviously over the moon, which didn’t hurt their hireability when I considered that I and my wife had two boys and were knee-deep into the journey of raising them. We hired the LeJeunes and were not disappointed. The job they did on the old place was awesome! Four and a half years passed; the year was 2012; and we were in the midst of moving to new jobs and the Dallas, Texas, area. When we decided to sell our old house, we revisited our old friends at Rhino. I first offered to sell them the place, but they informed me there was a couple who’d been in the market for a downtown home, but couldn’t find what they were looking for. We agreed to show them the house. I awaited the Rhino team’s arrival while my wife was in Dallas working. I heard a noise and looked up to see Randy driving up my driveway in a Rhino Renovators golf cart. He slammed on the brakes, slid sideways into my yard, waved, then introduced me to his little man Brody. This kid was everything you’d expect from
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Traditional Farmhouse
people as kind and loving as the LeJeunes. He fits right in with his folks. Then Samantha arrived, and I discovered she was pregnant with their second baby boy! The couple they brought with them viewed the house, put in an offer 45 minutes later, and the house was sold that night. My family and I moved away, and it wouldn’t be until a year later that I’d meet with the LeJeunes again. Working as a freelance writer is no doubt the most fun I’ve ever had in a job, and when the opportunity came up to do a piece that would revolve around the love and charm of old houses, I was thrilled to get an appointment with my old buddies at Rhino. Walking into their offices again reminded me instantly of the two people who had built this company. Randy was at his desk taking calls when I walked in, and he noticed me. He immediately ended his call, stood, shook my hand and offered me a seat. We got caught up on what was going on in each other’s lives, talked about the cool jobs he’d done in
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Southern Appeal
the historic community and his travels between Lake Charles and New Orleans. Then he brought up something that made my heart skip a beat — his newest venture; one that would hit really close to home for me. It was a residential development unlike anything this area had ever seen. Everyone who’s looking for a new place to call home, has a list of wants and needs. We usually settle for just having our needs met when we have to commit 30 years to a mortgage. But home ownership is an amazing thing. A home is your own little spot on this beautiful little planet: a place to create; a place that’s full of your personality and spirit. Getting to know the neighbors who will ultimately become your brothers-inarms is something that only the homeowner can do. Where would you move? What area would you commit the rest of your life to? It’s a tough question for anyone. I like old houses, but love the stresslessness of owning a brand new home. I like living in the
city, but love the peace and natural landscapes that living out in the country have to offer. There’s nothing that meets all my criteria — mostly because I’m extremely nitpicky. But the most important thing for all aspiring homeowners is the desire to “feel at home” when they leave work and arrive at the one place where they can relax and just be themselves. Now we’ve all heard of “living on a golf course.” But it always sounds better when you imagine that you could do away with all that golf-business and just put your house on the beautifully landscaped premises of a golf course, with the rolling hills, the cascading tree lines, the scenic ponds. All of this adds up to the perfect housing development. But nobody seems to be doing it, because, from what I’ve gathered, it would be too much awesome for the world to handle. The LeJeunes throw contemporary normalcy to the wind on a daily basis when it comes to living spaces, and opt for fun, oldworld charm. In a different time (the ‘90s), bigger meant better when it came to a new home. “Who cares about quality craftsmanship and eternal charm?” said every cash-grabbing contractor ever. Build it fast, build it cheap, then sell it high in a booming market. But with the housing market no longer booming like AC/DC’s cannons, this method of thinking is disappearing. The new trend is to build smaller, more efficient
homes that make more sense in the current economic situation. In doing this — and people are still willing to spend a little money for what they really want — contractors are having to build in an attractive selling point from the get-go. Instead of a house that impresses but requires a 45-minute tour, team Rhino’s Shadows at Bayou Oaks subdivision promises to give customers a home they can spend the better part of a day showing off. Hand milled and reclaimed hardwood floors, period centric moldings and doors, screened-in back porches, brick paved driveways are some of the features. All of this is built atop a timeless pierand-beam foundation that allows for high elevation. That means there are beautiful stairways leading up to deep front porches that showcase the homes’ historic inspirations. Team Rhino purchased the Bayou Oaks Country Club golf course in Sulphur for the land site of this dream development. Randy LeJeune says, “The idea for Shadows at Bayou Oaks is to leave the surrounding landscapes of the Bayou Oaks golf course as untouched as possible. Every hill, pond, and tree will play as the backdrop to the homes we build there. “We’ve incorporated the existing walking paths into our designs for the community, as well as future plans for expansion. “This whole project has been designed to give the homeowner the ‘feeling of being home’ when they drive up.” Even the streets will be adorned with classic Louisiana touches, such as black iron streetlights that will be brought in to match the community’s aesthetic. Very exciting things are happening right now. A time is coming when our children can experience the same memories we did when we visited the places when our parents grew up. The only difference is that this time around there’s air conditioning, insulated walls and windows, new plumbing and new wiring (both up to code), and fiber cement siding and backerboard that never rots. The best part of it all is that, unlike the trendy designs of the last few decades, these houses will never go out of style and will always feel like home. For more info, call the Rhino Renovators team at 337-433-9434 or visit their website at www.rhinorenovators.com.
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November 21, 2013
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BAYOU RUM OPENING DRAWS LARGE CROWD
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he much-anticipated grand opening celebration of Louisiana Spirits’ Bayou Run distillery took place in Lacassine, La., on Saturday, Nov. 16. Some who were on the scene estimated that the crowd numbered in the hundreds, or even the thousands. The day-long event ran from 9:30 am5:30 pm. Both the Silver and the Spiced Bayou Rums were available for tasting. Adults also received tickets for two complementary cocktails. Bayou Rum is made entirely with Louisiana ingredients. The predominate ingredient is Louisiana sugar cane. In addition to tastings and sample cocktails, patrons enjoyed tours of the facility and live music, which was provided by Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys in the facility’s courtyard. All merchandise at the distillery store, which is located in the foyer of the visitor’s center, sold at a 20 percent discount.
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Among features at the event were a hay ride tour of the grounds, with spectators being drawn in a horse drawn carriage. Children were able to play on a supervised rock wall for climbing. Jeff Davis Tourism provided baby alligators for children to hold. Among the food served was barbecue, smoked chicken, brisket, jumbalaya and “pastalaya.” Bayou Rum staff reported that briskets had “been on the pit all night” before the opening. Distillery staff say additional promotional events and entertainment are planned for the future. Those who want to visit down the line will find that the distillery is very easily accessed from I-10. The new facility is the largest privately owned rum distillery in the U.S. For more info, visit bayourum.com or check www.facebook.com/bayourum for updates. You can also follow Bayou Rum on Twitter with the hashtag @BayouRum.
SASOL PROJECT NAMED TOP 'INVESTMENT DEAL'
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asol’s integrated gas-to-liquids and chemicals project, which is being developing in the Lake Area, was just awarded the first Foreign Direct Investment Deal of the Year Award at the 2013 World Forum for Foreign Direct Investment in Shanghai. Sasol representatives received the award at the forum. Sasol is developing a $16-21 billion complex in Westlake that will create 1,253 new jobs. The project is also predicted to result in an estimated 5,886 indirect jobs. It will call for 7,000 construction jobs. Sasol will retain 435 jobs at the company’s chemical complex near Lake Charles. On the occasion of the award, Gov. Bobby Jindal said, “When we announced this historic project, we knew that it would propel our economy forward and bring new opportunities to thousands of people in our state. This international FDI Deal of the Year Award validates the hard work put in by our state, regional and local partners, who collaborated to bring to Louisiana what may be the largest, single foreign direct investment at a single manufacturing site in U.S. history. “With projects like Sasol, Benteler, IBM, CenturyLink, GE Capital and many others, we are raising the bar for Louisiana’s economy to heights never seen before. “This FDI award is further proof that Louisiana’s strong business climate, top-notch workforce and incomparable logistics infrastructure are transforming our economy and bringing great new jobs for Louisianans.” The FDI Deal of the Year selection was based on an independent judgment by a panel of foreign direct investment consultants and industry leaders from around the world. Earlier this year, in February, Business Facilities selected the Sasol project for its Silver Award in the magazine’s 2012 Economic Development Deal of the Year competition. Also in February, the Sasol project earned the Best Refinery Project award, which was presented by fDi magazine in its first Project of the Year awards, which focused on foreign direct investment. The Sasol project will ultimately produce a 96,000-barrels-per-day facility that converts natural gas to liquids, including clean-burning, high-performance diesel fuel. A companion ethane cracker will produce the chemical building block ethylene, which is in high demand for many manufacturing applications, such as solvents, surfactants, polymers and other alcohol- and plastics-based products. An LSU Division of Economic
Development study commissioned by the Louisiana Economic Development office estimates the Sasol project will generate a total economic impact of
$46.2 billion over the next 20 years. Since 2008, Louisiana has attracted economic development projects that are predicted to result in 83,000 new jobs in
the state and more than $54 billion in new capital investment.
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BOUNCING BACK FROM A MISTAKE AT WORK
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lunders, slip-ups, gaffes, errors — mistakes happen every day. Little snags come up, you deal with them, and move along. But when you mess up at work, and it’s a big deal, it’s tempting to crawl under your desk and hide. Mistakes happen. After all, we’re human and always juggling tasks simultaneously. As much as we want to appear as a superhero to our fellow co-workers, and most of all, the boss, sometimes it all falls apart. We hit “Reply All” in an email where we’ve written something, well, not meant for all. We don’t get the package shipped on time for a critical meeting. We approve a project that has a huge error in it. The bottom line is, we messed up. Now what do we do? “Resist the urge to hide under your desk,” said Kendall LeJeune, a therapist with Solutions Counseling and EAP.
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“Even though we want to bury it, if it causes your boss or your company to look bad, you need to own up to it.” It’s helpful to know that most people over-react to their own mistakes. The incident looms over their heads like a giant balloon and it’s hard to see past it. In reality, most blunders can be turned into a learning experience, provided they’re acknowledged and everyone moves forward. LeJeune advised these steps for turning goof-ups into golden opportunities: — Own it. Don’t try to blame others. If it was a group mistake, at least take responsibility for your part of it. “Excuses aren’t helpful at this point,” said Lejeune. “Depending on the error and the type of job, the time immediately after an error is likely the most critical. Roll up your sleeves and do everything you can to correct it.” — Accept the fallout. Your boss
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might be angry. You may look incompetent. You may lose respect. All you can do is learn from it and move on. “Chances are, those around you will understand and you’ll all take away a valuable lesson from the experience,” said LeJeune. It may take time to repair the damage, but be patient and continue to work hard. — Offer a solution to avoid future mistakes. This mistake could shine a light on the problem of not double-checking enough. Perhaps a few minutes of quality control would prevent the problem from arising in the future. “If so, that’s a great example of how you can turn a mistake into something helpful in the future,” he explained. — Keep it in perspective. In most cases, you haven’t caused irreparable damage. Zoom out from the situation; maybe after the dust settles, you can find the humor, or at least the positive side.
“Don’t beat yourself up. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s how we learn the best lessons,” said LeJeune. “Take the opportunity to learn what you can from it and keep moving forward.” After you’ve accepted responsibility and handled the aftermath, it’s time to demonstrate to your boss that you’ve made changes. That will help reassure your boss that you’re on top of the situation now. One of the worst things to do after making a significant mistake is to become defensive or blame others. That only deepens the pit and makes it more difficult for you to climb out with dignity. “Mistakes aren’t a sign of weakness,” LeJeune said. “In fact, for those who learn from them, blunders can help make a good employee even better. They become more conscientious and resilient. They’ve weathered the storm and came out ahead.”
NEW LOOK/MATTRESS JOE DONATES MATTRESSES TO AREA ORGANIZATIONS
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ew Look Furniture/ Mattress Joe has teamed up with Tempur-Pedic to donate 266 (about $500,000 worth) Tempur-Pedic mattresses to non-profit and civic organizations throughout the area. Delivery begins at 11:30 am on Thursday, Nov. 21, with delivery of 55 new mattresses to the Lake Charles Fire Dept. at 4200 Kirkman St. Also on that date, Boys Village will receive 30 new mattresses, Education and Treatment Council will receive 16 new beds, and Calcasieu Assoc. for Retarded Citizens will receive 20 new mattresses. Delivery continues on Nov. 22, with the Salvation Army receiving 40 new mattresses for the Center of Hope shelter, Oasis (formerly Calcasieu Women’s Shelter) receiving 36 new mattresses, and the Calcasieu Area Council Boy Scouts receiving 69 new mattresses for Camp Edgewood.
INCREASE CASH FLOW Since cash flow is the lifeblood of any business, cash flow analysis is an important financial technique that business owners should utilize. Business owners should always try to increase their business’ cash position. With all of the financial obligations business owners have, sometimes it seems impossible. Follow these steps, however, and you will see your cash flow increase. Reduce your amount of fixed costs. This first step is the hardest. Fixed cost is the money you need to support the current level of your business. Try to find ways to lower your rent and building expenses, staff expenses, sales expenses, and anything else you think is “fixed;” in other words, expenses that don’t change from month to month. This will free up cash for your business. Take a look at your prices. When is the last time you changed your prices? Have your prices kept up with industry average prices? Check out your competition, and see what their prices are. Make sure you are in line with the industry. Customers actually expect small, regular price increases. Don’t buy all supplies in one place. You may want to buy your computer hardware from one supplier, but your computer supplies, such as inkjet cartridges, from a mail order catalog or off the Internet. Scout out different types of suppliers for different types of supplies, and compare the prices. Buy only in bulk, if you think you’ll use a larger amount of supplies in a reasonable amount of time. Take appropriate steps to increase your sales revenue. Cash flow analysis involves finding ways to increase sales revenue while decreasing costs. Use creative strategies to entice customers to buy your products or services.
BAR NOW OPEN!
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November 21, 2013
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BYE-BYE, BLACK FRIDAY
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he holidays can be hard and can leave you broke and buried in debt. But, for many, Black Friday has shone like a beacon of hope through the unwavering uncertainty of today’s
economy. It’s a day when bringing $100 to a store can mean bringing home a 70-inch LCD television. How great will the beards of Duck Dynasty look on this piece of HD brilliance! You will wonder why each
strand of hair isn’t a credited member of the cast. The days of after-Thanksgiving super sales are coming to an end, though. It was announced last month that Macy’s and JC
By Calvin Tyler
Penney would be forgoing the standard Black Friday schedule by opening their doors to the public at 8 pm on Thanksgiving day. As always, competition in the marketplace has demanded others compete to keep up. Some Wal-Mart, Target, Toys R Us and even Best Buy stores are opening their doors on Turkey Thursday. What does this all mean? I’ll tell you, because I know. It means that this is the end of the world as we know it.
THE HOLIDAYS CAN BE HARD AND CAN LEAVE YOU BROKE AND BURIED IN DEBT. BUT, FOR MANY, BLACK FRIDAY HAS SHONE LIKE A BEACON OF HOPE THROUGH THE UNWAVERING UNCERTAINTY OF TODAY’S ECONOMY. Like the mighty ancestors who lined the walls of the coliseum to witness the glorious battles unfold between gladiator and soldier, people of the 21st century line up outside of K-Mart awaiting the almighty deal. The thrill of victory courses through their veins as they imagine grabbing the item they have desired to own for so long, but was usually too expensive. Nervous energy brings them to a tremble when they allow negativity to take hold, telling themselves, “you’ll never have it. The last one will be gone before you even make it through the automated doors.” It’s a mashup of emotions that builds and builds until you’re about to burst out of yourself, and then the gatekeepers allow the masses entrance! Moving forward in a polite manner becomes impossible as the crowd, feeling everything you have felt leading up to this moment, shoves forward and a mob mentality that takes over, creating what appears to be a hive of animals driven by an almost lost, primal instinct. The advertisements for the Black Friday “specials” come out early in October — with promises that exceed all expectations — and that’s just where it starts. The same neurotransmitters in the brain that stimulate excitement for gambling begin firing on all cylinders. Euphoria takes over as you visualize all the products in all the pretty images in the magazines existing, perfect and everlasting, throughout your home. How much better will you feel after buying that Cuisinart juicer you never knew you needed? What about a new laptop to write that novel you’ll never finish? Wow, the possibilities seem endless 62
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now. This will be the year, people! We can invest a little time outside of our favorite stores, awaiting our moment to rush to our destinies — just as our forefathers did during the great “Land Run” of 1889. All of this is being threatened by the very thing that established it. Consumerism. It’s due to the competitive nature of business: stores are ever trying to get the one-up on each other. We are on the verge of losing everything we’ve worked for. I understand that this all seems minuscule to most folks out there, but let me try to explain the bigger picture with a poorly used analogy. A Yorkshire terrier, by all accounts, is considered a dog, but you take that yorkie, drop it off in the Alaskan Arctic for three days, then return and try to find it. I know that this is not a pretty picture to paint — my brother has a yorkie, and I hope this doesn’t strike any nerves, Jordan, because I love Snickers, too — but this is all necessary to put into scope how serious this issue is.
THE FRIDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS TO FULFILL OUR SOCIETY’S CRAVING TO HUNT AND GATHER. WE DREAM OF A BETTER LIFE, AND WE MARCH IN DROVES TO LINE UP OUTSIDE OF BUILDINGS TO QUENCH THIS DESIRE. IT ONLY COMES ONCE A YEAR FOR THE COMMON PERSON OF MEAGER INCOME AND WORTH. Somewhere way back in the yorkie bloodline is a wolf. All dogs started off as some form of wolf, and wolves are more than capable of surviving in the Alaskan wilderness. But, over time, wolves have been domesticated to the point of losing all their original survival skills. Most domestic dogs have the hardest time going up and down stairs. This is also happening to us. We are losing something very basic. It’s been long documented that we’ve been “programmed” from birth to conform within the structure of modern society. Propaganda forces us to believe that you should work eight hours, play eight hours and sleep eight hours; that you should have more stuff than you need; that television is what you do with your free time; that if you consume more than you need, people will think you’re successful and look up to you as an example to live their lives by; to be a good example to strangers; to believe the media; and to buy a new car because the one you purchased four years ago
doesn’t smell new and make you feel like a better person anymore. Public relations pioneer Edward L. Bernays once wrote, “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government, which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. “This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.” This Bernays guy wasn’t just some hack observer of what was going on in society. Just as his uncle, Sigmund Freud, was the father of modern psychology, Bernays was the father of something, too — propaganda. He single-handedly made the world believe that breakfast should consist of eggs and bacon, and he did so after being commissioned by a large packing company looking to improve the sales of their pork products. Bernays had his agency’s doctor write letters to 5,000 doctors asking them to confirm that a heavier breakfast of bacon and eggs is beneficial. Hence the saying‚ “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” It isn’t a true statement, but we believe it is because somebody told us it was true. This same logic applies to the need of material objects that serve no real purpose other than artificial stimulation. But, let’s face it: We are no longer wolves, and we now require artificial stimulation. We have evolved away from nature. The Friday after Thanksgiving is something that seems to fulfill our society’s craving to hunt and gather. We dream of a better life, and we march in droves to line up outside of buildings to quench this desire. It only comes once a year for the common person of meager income and worth. What happens when this day of promise is stripped away? If you have to choose between spending Thanksgiving day with family, or shopping for special deals on products created to make your life easier which will you pick? This year the stores open at 8 pm, giving you plenty of time to eat turkey and catch up with loved ones. But what happens next year, if this new sales model is successful for all stores that participate? Others will follow to compete and, eventually, will be offering specials to piggyback any and all calendar days that we hold close with sentimental attachment. How do you choose?
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Welcome to Sulphur A City of Faith, Family, Community WE CONSIDER OURSELVES RICH IN HERITAGE. The Sulphur mines brought immigrants to the area, as did the construction of the Louisiana Western Railroad. German-born chemist Herman Frasch came up with an idea of how the sulphur could be mined. After many years of unsuccessful attempts, Frasch was successful in bringing sulphur to the surface on Christmas Eve, 1894. With the growth of the area, Sulphur became an official community when Gov. Luther E. Hall issued a proclamation setting forth the Village of Sulphur on April 17, 1914. Since, 1914, Sulphur has been a collection of great neighborhoods and warm people. We began in the late 1800s as a dominant force in the chemical and mining industry, from which we derived our name, and we continue today as a city on the move with economic growth and local businesses that are thriving. Sulphur has excellent schools that prepare our children for the challenges of the next generation, parks and recreation facilities that are second to none, as well as a historic museum and cultural center. Our fabulous restaurants, quaint shops and the nationally recognized Creole Nature Trail are just a few of the reasons that life in Sulphur is both exciting and enjoyable. The real magic of Sulphur is its people. For generations, the spirit of Sulphur has rested with its citizens who put faith, family and community above all else. Walk our tree-lined streets, and meet wonderful people who take pride in their heritage, as well as the future of the city. Whether you visit us for an afternoon, a week or a lifetime, you will discover what Sulphur’s residents have always known — that Sulphur is a great place to live, work and raise a family. We are encouraged by the industrial expansions proposed for our area, as well as the influx of retail establishments which have expressed interest in locating here. It proves what we have known for years — Sulphur is the place to be. Christopher L. Duncan Mayor
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Much More Than Just Industry Sulphur Offers Historic Sites, Attractions And World-Class Sports Venues WHILE SULPHUR may hold the
1915 and used to ferry passengers and freight to and from Sulphur. The railway sold the depot, which had stood neglected and in disrepair for some years, to the City of Sulphur for $1 in 1975. It was relocated by a house-moving service to a location near Frasch Park. The two-mile trip took 10 hours. The building was dedicated on July 4, 1976, the U.S.’ bicentennial. The museum was signed over to the Brimstone Historical Society on Dec. 5, 2005.
distinction of bringing the area its first industry, and of providing numerous industrial jobs, it offers much more — culture, history, sports venues that have attracted several state sports championship series, parks and much more. Here’s a look at some of the major attractions Sulphur has to offer.
BRIMSTONE MUSEUM Located at 900 S. Huntington St., just across the street from the Sulphur Judicial Center, the Brimstone Museum holds not only rotating permanent exhibits highlighting the area’s early sulphur mines and the mining method patented by Herman Frasch (in fact, it’s the only museum in the country to spotlight the Frasch process), but also exhibits from local artists. The museum is housed in the old Southern Pacific Railway Depot, built in
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HENNING CULTURAL CENTER
Brimstone Museum
The Henning Cultural Center is housed in the home built by John T. Henning in 1904. Henning lived there until 1923, and his family owned the home until January, 1942, when it was sold to a man named J.D. Brack, whose continued
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family in turn sold it to the Sulphur Parks and Recreation Dept. in 2002. It was renovated, and opened to the public in 2004 as a museum/cultural center hosting traveling exhibits from local artists. It is also the site of Sulphur’s annual Holiday House Market each December. For information on either the Brimstone Museum or the Henning Cultural Center, call the Brimstone Historical Society at 287-9798.
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Sulphur’s newly opened Grove At Heritage Square is part tranquil park, offering a peaceful outdoor area in the midst of the city’s hustle and bustle; and part event center. Opened just months ago, the park offers tranquil walking paths weaving past three fountains and under huge pecan trees. It features restrooms, sitting and picnic areas, Wi-Fi and an outdoor stage. The park is the anchor for the Heritage Square area, which contains the Henning Cultural Center, the Brimstone Museum and the City Pavilion. The Grove has been the site of sev-
eral community activities, including the Smokin’ on the Bayou BBQ Fest and Cookoff, and the city’s Halloween celebration.
SPAR WATER PARK Sulphur Parks And Recreation also operates the extremely popular SPAR Water Park, which opened in 2005 and offers a children’s splash and play island, a splash pad, a lazy river, a “lagoon pool,” and three slides. Just this summer, the park was expanded, with the addition of the 750ft. long Raging River tubing river, complete with waves, and the Parrot Island play area. In the coming year, plans are to add a new water slide. For more info, call 721-3040.
SPAR RECREATION AND AQUATIC CENTER The Sulphur Parks and Recreation and Aquatic Center offers an aquatic center with pools that have drawn state high school swim meets since its opening in 2005. But it also includes a fitness center with an elevated track, stationary bikes, two indoor basketball/volleyball courts, two racquetball courts, an outdoor exer-
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SPAR Recreation & Aquatic Center
hookup; over seven acres of lighted parking; a covered warm-up area; fullservice concessions; and audio and visual technology. The new West Cal Event Center, located near the arena, is set to open this summer. The $9.5 million center includes a 14,000 sq. ft. events room that can accommodate 1,400 — and can be divided for smaller gatherings; three
rooms that can hold up to 180 people each; audio and visual; a commercial kitchen; and paved parking. The event center will be able to accommodate gatherings from Mardi Gras balls to trade shows to family reunions to training seminars.
cise track, and weight and cardio rooms. For more info, call 721-3040.
SPAR SOFTBALL COMPLEXES Softball is big in Sulphur. The sport has a deep tradition in the area, and has grown in popularity, thanks in part to Olympic softball gold medalist (and Sulphur resident for the last few years) Jennie Finch, who brought the 2008 Beijing Olympic team to Sulphur for an exhibition game against UL-L, and was instrumental in arranging the Wounded Warrior Amputee Team’s two exhibition games against her Bayou All-Stars team a year or so ago. In 2001, the city secured its first LHSAA girls state softball championship tournament, also known as Fast Pitch 56, in Frasch Park. And the North Frasch Park Softball Complex will once again play host to the tournament in 2014. McMurry Park has hosted the Class 3-A, 4-A, B and C high school baseball championship tournaments. What’s the draw? A city of 35,000 normally doesn’t see Olympic team exhibition games, professional team play, or state high school championships. So what’s the attraction to Sulphur? There’s the local enthusiasm for the sport, obviously, but the main reason is the city’s state-of-the-art facilities. Sulphur boasts world-class softball fields, and lots of them. Frasch Park offers eight lighted fields. North Frasch, the site of the 2014 Fast Pitch 56, has six turf softball fields, two grass softball fields, a multi-tunneled batting cage and three concession areas. Pattison Park offers 10 softball/baseball fields, five of which are turfed; a two-tunnel batting cage; picnic and playground areas; and three concession areas. McMurrry Park contains 13 youth fields as well as three lighted high school and college turf fields.
WEST CAL ARENA AND EVENT CENTER The West Cal Arena, located just off I-10 in Sulphur, is a true multi-purpose, multi-sport venue, able to accommodate rodeos, equestrian events, picnics, trade shows, concerts, and sporting events. The arena offers 135,000 sq. ft. of covered space; a 120 ft. x 260 ft. arena; seating for over 1,800; a covered barn that can accommodate over 120 stalls or 200 livestock ties, as well as 150 hog and sheep pens; 65 RV slots with electrical www.BestOfSWLA.com
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Richest Acreage On Earth From Sulphur Mines To Oil To Salt Brine For Industries, Sulphur Has Been One Of Most Productive Areas In The Nation. THE
WAVE
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EXILED
Acadians settled in SWLA in the late 1700s. They were followed in the earlyto mid-1800s by settlers from the Midwest who were lured to the area not just by the rich farmland, but by the promise of oil. And the region which would later be known as Sulphur was of particular interest. In 1867, a geologist named Eugene Hilgard conducted surveys in the region for the Louisiana Petroleum and Coal Oil Co. His hundreds of samples showed there was little hope for oil in the region, however. But Hilgard’s samples showed the strong presence of the element that would one day give Sulphur its name the area its reputation as having “the richest 50 acres in the world.” At the time sulfur (or sulphur, as it was spelled when the discovery was made and the town named) was discovered in the area, there were no sulfur
mines in the U.S.; the area in west Calcasieu Parish would be able to boast the first. As soon as they could actually get to the sulfur deposits.
THE FRASCH PROCESS In 1870, the Calcasieu Sulphur Mining Co. was formed, and began mining for the element using the time-honored method of drilling shafts into the ground — the method used to mine coal. The method wouldn’t work in SWLA’s swampland, however. The deposits were buried hundreds of feet deep — as deep as 550 ft. — in swampland muck, limestone and quicksand, all filled with dangerous hydrogen sulfide gas. Conventional mining would continue, however, and the Calcasieu Sulphur Mining Co. change hands many times, throughout the 1870s and 1880s. Many men would lose their lives trying to
Image courtesy of Brimstone Historical Society
continued
Dr. Herman Frasch
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Image courtesy of Brimstone Historical Society
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access the sulfur deposits. The last attempt using this method was made in 1890, with five men killed in the attempt. The man who would find a way to gain access to the riches of the sulfur deposits arrived in the area of Sulphur around 1890. Dr. Herman Frasch, a German chemist specializing in petroleum, came to the area as a consultant for the area oil industry. Frasch, already well known for his work with sulfur, began to devise a new way to get to the deposits lying below the soil and quicksand. Frasch received three patents for his theory and plan in October of 1890, and took on two associates to help him develop the process: Frank Rockefeller and F.B. Squires. He then struck a 50-50 deal with the American Sulphur Co. — their sulfur deposits, his method. A new company was formed — the Union Sulphur Co. The process, still used today worldwide, involves sinking three pipes or tubes down into the deposit. In one pipe, water heated to up to 340 degrees Fahrenheit is injected into the deposit. Since sulfur melts at about 240 degrees Fahrenheit, the sulfur deposit is melted. Now in liquid form, the sulfur is forced to the surface using compressed air, and reaches the surface through the third pipe. Frasch and his associates worked out the bugs of the new process, and on Christmas Eve, 1894, the first liquid sulfur was brought to the surface. The Union Sulphur Co. mines would produce 23,702 tons of sulfur in 1903, and peak at 1.46 million tons in 1922. In later years, the company would produce oil, and then salt brine for use in chemical plants.
A TOWN TAKES SHAPE In the years that followed Frasch’s first successful mining, workers from Germany, Canada and the northern U.S. poured into the area to work the sulfur mines, and a railroad was constructed to get the sulfur to market. A village had already taken shape decades earlier, with Thomas Kleinpeter laying out a village and purchasing two 72
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40-acre tracts of land to develop. In fact, the village of Sulphur was first known as Kleinpeter Square. Kleinpeter filed his map, however, for “Sulphur City” on Jan. 27, 1900. The “City” would be dropped by the Post Office in the early 1900s, probably due to the fact that it seemed way too important a name for an area that was yet to be incorporated. The first home in the area had already been built, in 1885, by John T. Henning, who had also opened a boarding house and built the first schoolhouse in the area, as well as its first church — a Methodist church. He also ran a general store in the area from 1893 until 1910. When he retired, he handed the reins of the store over to a young employee, who would become very influential in Calcasieu Parish in his own right — W.T. Burton. The first business in the Sulphur area, however, a general store, was opened by Eli Perkins, a prominent Lake Charles lumberman, in 1876. But though the beginnings of a village were already in place when Frasch’s process was first used, it was after the process was in use successfully that the area began to truly develop. Frasch built cottages for the families of workers, a boarding house for single workers, a town pavilion, and a brick schoolhouse. The first brick schoolhouse was built in 1910, after Henning’s and Frasch’s schools were combined. The new school was named Frasch, and sat just south of the present-day Frasch Elementary. The growth continued, and on April 17, 1914, then-Gov. Luther Hall issued a proclamation establishing Sulphur as a village. Dr. D.S. Perkins, son of Eli Perkins, was named mayor. Since, however, the area’s population already exceeded that of a village, a petition was sent to the state asking that it be declared a town, and on June 16, 1914, it was named a town, just two months after having been declared a village.
NEW INDUSTRIES The Union Sulphur Mining Co. ceased its mining operations in 1924, and
the last of the pine forest that had sustained Calcasieu’s timber industry had been cut. Residents and officials began looking for new industry and business opportunities for the area. The area’s waterways would provide the answer. Calcasieu and West Calcasieu’s waterways — both deep and shallow rivers, tributaries and channels — gave easy access to the Gulf of Mexico — and they gave rise to the huge petrochemical industry presence that sustains the area to this day. By the late 1920s, Union Sulphur Mining had converted from sulfur to oil production. And, thanks to the area’s waterways, the area’s oil business was doing quite well, despite the looming Depression. And the chemical plants began to move in, as well, in spite of the dire financial condition the country was in at the time. The Mathieson Alkali Works (later Olin) plant was built in Sulphur in the mid-1930s, providing many jobs for area residents. Another reason this area didn’t experience quite as much hardship as those in other areas of the country: W.T. Burton, during this period, purchased the failing Calcasieu National Bank. He restructured it, paid its debts, and formed Calcasieu Marine National Bank. He was able to return to depositors 75 cents on the dollar — this at a time in which most banks were able to return only 10 cents per dollar. That alone helped many Calcasieu residents weather the storm of the Depression. Burton would, of course, go on to become not only an influential businessman, but a benefactor of education in the area. During World War II, the petrochemical industry boomed in the Sulphur area. Construction began on the $72 million Cities Service plant in 1942. It would, of course, become Citgo in 1987. The plant gave rise to the town of Maplewood, and the area experienced unprecedented growth. In the 1960s, the West Calcasieu Port Harbor and Terminal District was formed. The 190-acre port, renamed West Calcasieu Port in 2004, has played a vital role in the area’s growth.
THE NEXT BIG BOOM Sulphur’s long line of economic success continues, with the next — and unprecedented even for this area – wave of industrial expansion expected within the next two years. As it has in the past, Sulphur will experience a period of industry-related growth. And its cultural centers, restaurants, sports facilities, parks and other amenities will, as they have throughout its history, be a place new workers and new residents will be glad to call home.
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Sulphur’s Founding Fathers A Look At Some Of Sulphur’s Most Influential Early Residents IF NOT FOR THE discovery of sulfur deposits (or sulphur, as it was spelled when the discovery was made and the village named) in the area of the Choupique Bayou swamp that would become the city of Sulphur, the city might well have been named Henning or Perkins, or perhaps Burton. There were many influential people in the history of the area that would become Sulphur, of course, but there are four names that stand out in the town’s history. Of course, there was Herman Frasch, who developed the mining process that allowed sulfur to be accessed. Early businessmen Eli Perkins and John T. Henning also stand out. Only a short time later, W.T. Burton would make his mark in the area.
HERMAN FRASCH Sulfur was discovered in the area in 1867 by geologist Eugene W. Hilgard, who was conducting a survey for the Louisiana Petroleum and Coal Oil Company. For the
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next 10 years or so, many attempts were Frasch struck a 50-50 deal with the made to access the sulfur by digging deep American Sulphur Company — he would shafts into the mines. The deposits were use their land, and his new method of minburied deep in muck, limestone and quick- ing. The deal resulted in a new company called Union Sulphur sand filled with Company — and the hydrogen sulfide If not for the discovery of first industry in the gas. The result of sulfur deposits (or sulphur, area. On Christmas these mining atEve, 1894, the first tempts was the loss as it was spelled when the sulfur was brought to of many lives. discovery was made and the the surface using the A German village named) in the area new process. The chemist named Dr. of the Choupique Bayou success of Frasch’s Herman Frasch, a swamp that would become method led to the consultant specialthe city of Sulphur, the city sulfur deposit area’s izing in petroleum reputation as “the who arrived in the might well have been richest 50 acres in area about 1890, named Henning or Perkins, the world.” developed a way to or perhaps Burton. Frasch brought safely mine the sulmany workers from fur deposits. The process involved pumping superheated Germany, Canada and the northern U.S. water down into the sulphur deposits, melt- into the area. He built cottages for the ing the sulphur, and then pumping it to the workers, a school, gardens, a pavilion, and a boarding house for single workers. A surface.
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staunch advocate for education, Frasch refused to take advantage of state laws that would have allowed his company to avoid paying thousands each year into public education. In fact, he devoted time and effort, as well as money, to the betterment of the school system in the area. The first school in Sulphur was built by Frasch, in fact, in order to provide his workers and their families with an education. And he opened the school, named Frasch, to all residents, whether they were affiliated with his company or not. Frasch was not only responsible for the financial and industrial birth and growth of Sulphur, but also for the initial development of its infrastructure, education and public amenities — the village’s heart and soul. Frasch died on May 5, 1914, in Paris, France. One of the earliest entries recorded in the minutes book of the Village of Sulphur was a eulogy to him.
JOHN T. HENNING One of the earliest businessmen in the area was John Thomas Henning, born in Alabama in 1850. Henning, the son of a Methodist minister, arrived with his parents in Calcasieu Parish in 1872, and moved into the area that would become Sulphur in about 1885. Henning initially worked in the Lake Charles area sawmills owned by another of Sulphur’s founding fathers — Eli Perkins. Henning would eventually marry Perkins’ daughter and homestead on the Calcasieu River, where he farmed. He moved to Sulphur and built the first home in the village. As Sulphur began to grow, Henning operated a number of businesses, including a boarding house, a transport company which carried the first sulfur oil from the mines to the newly constructed railroad, and a warehouse. He was also postmaster, a ticket agent, and a merchant. Henning was responsible for the construction of three Methodist churches in the area, including First Methodist Church in Sulphur in 1884, renamed Henning Memorial Methodist Church after his death. He, like Frasch, was a staunch advocate of education, and instrumental in the development of the area’s school system. Henning’s son, William T. Henning, served on the first City Council of Sulphur, and was president of the school board. He began the Cameron Telephone Company in 1928 in order to bring the first-ever phone service to Hackberry and Cameron.
ELI AND DOSITE SAMUEL PERKINS One of Calcasieu’s first and most successful lumbermen, Eli Perkins, moved to the Sulphur area in 1876, and built the area’s first business, a grocery store. He was also one of the area’s biggest landowners and cattlemen. He also served in the Louisiana Legislature. He died in February, 1917, at the age of 84. His son, Dr. Dosite Samuel Perkins, was a busy physician, surgeon and pharmacist in early Sulphur, and owned the
Paragon Drug Store. He found time to serve as a director and vice president of First National Bank in Lake Charles, and as director and vice president of the Lake Charles Trust and Savings Bank. He served as the first mayor of Sulphur when the town was incorporated in 1912. He was also president of the Calcasieu Parish Board of Health, and the Calcasieu Parish School Board. He, like his father, served in the Louisiana Legislature. He donated the sites for the Baptist and Catholic churches in Sulphur.
WILLIAM T. BURTON One of the most prominent businessmen in Sulphur’s — and the Lake Area’s — history, William T. Burton moved into Sulphur at the age of 17, and worked for his uncle, a railroad agent and postmaster. By 1914, he was heavily involved in the oil and gas industries in the area. He would become involved in several other businesses as well, including land speculation, farming, cattle, road construction and contracting. Burton purchased the failing Calcasieu National Bank during the Depression. He was able to liquidate the bank and pay its debts, and formed the Calcasieu Marine National Bank. During a time when most banks were able to return only 10 cents per dollar to depositors, Burton managed to return 75 cents per dollar, diverting financial disaster for the area economy. Burton, like the other founding fathers, heavily supported local education, and in fact, awarded each graduating senior of Sulphur High School a financial gift each year. His support of McNeese is still apparent today. He established the William T. and Ethel Lewis Burton Scholarship program, which still offers financial support to students today. And he donated $65,000 in 1968 to fund McNeese’s computer center. McNeese’s Burton Business Center still carries his name. And, of course, Burton Coliseum is used for a wide variety of university and public events.
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A Dose Of Pioneering Maplewood Began Completely Different From Surrounding Cities THE AREA OF Maplewood, just east of Sulphur, was created in 1940-41 as a way to provide housing for the massive industrial expansion that accompanied the United States’ entry into WWII. Already established in the area was Mathieson Alkali Plant, built in 1934, and Continental Oil near Westlake. Soon after Pearl Harbor, however, what’s been called the most massive industrial expansion in U.S. history saw the establishment of the Cities Service oil refinery; the butadiene plant, operated by Cities Service, to supply synthetic rubber to the Firestone Tire and Rubber plant; and a new nitric acid plant at Mathieson. When all was said and done, some $200 million was invested in industrial plants between Lake Charles and Sulphur
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during WWII. Which begged a question similar to the one the Lake Area is grappling with today: Where are all of the workers going to live? John W. Harris Associates, a local construction firm, had the answer. The firm approached Cities Service with a proposal to provide a planned housing project for workers coming to work for the plant. The plant advanced Harris $1 million to get the project started, and also sold the company 295 acres located eight miles west of Lake Charles and three miles east of Sulphur along Hwy. 90. This tract of land would become the community of Maplewood.
A SOCIAL EXPERIMENT When completed, the development would contain 790 residential units, includ-
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ing 402 three-bedroom homes, 180 twobedroom homes, 38 two-bedroom duplex structures, and eight one-bedroom duplex buildings. There were also apartments. “Maplewood was a social experiment, although it was not primarily intended as such,” wrote Thomas R. Ford in a 1948 sociology thesis for LSU.
‘MUD UP TO OUR ANKLES’ The first residents of Maplewood are considered to be Mr. and Mrs. Charles Banzhof, who moved in on Oct. 22, 1943, from New Jersey. Indeed, most of Maplewood’s early residents relocated there from the Northeast, and what a shock it must have been for them. The community was created in the
middle of a low area, and construction workers, mostly from New York, building the first houses in the area worked in up to six inches of mud that first winter of construction, swatted mosquitoes and dealt with cattle and mules crossing into the land, despite cattle guards. Those first residents dealt with a lack of streets, and an abundance of cows, mules and pigs milling around. Pigs were commonly found rooting under houses, wrote one early resident, and cows wandered through yards eating flowers. “There was mud up to our ankles,” wrote one early resident. “There were no streets, just lots of mules, cows and hogs roaming freely around, when we first came here in 1943.” “Men splashed around in high rubber
boots,” wrote another. “Horesback riders galloped up and hitched their horses to nearby trees. Mud-spattered cars wove in and out bearing license plates of many different states. It reminded me of the ‘49ers and the Gold Rush.” “Maplewood had no roads and mud was everywhere,” wrote yet another early resident, who arrived in 1943 from Trinidad, Col. “There were so many mules because there was a mule barn right next to the school. The mules drew flies like mad, and there were no screens on the school windows. We really got a dose of pioneering in those years.” Without exception, however, despite those hardships of Maplewood’s early years, each of those early residents also described their time in Maplewood as “the best time of my life.”
A COMMUNITY DEVELOPS The first store in Maplewood was a long, one-story warehouse and general store. There was also a hardware store located nearby, and the local post office was located in someone’s home. The community’s first newspaper, The Maplewood Star, followed in 1944, edited and owned by Beatrice North, who had come to Maplewood with her husband, Robert, a supervisor at Cities Service. The first seven issues of the paper were mimeographed rather than printed. Just how Maplewood got its name is unclear. Some say that John Work, first manager of the Maplewood Housing Company, created by the Harris firm to
oversee the community, coined the name. Others say the name came from a small creek running through a grove of maple trees in the development.
A MILITARY PRESENCE IN MAPLEWOOD In 1944, the Civic Council of Maplewood was formed, and tried to elect a mayor, which was illegal, as Maplewood wasn’t an incorporated area. However, a man named Carpenter was elected, and he began a serious campaign to have the rents in Maplewood lowered. He went so far as to threaten a strike at Cities Service unless rents were lowered. Most men in the Civic Council wanted to avoid a strike; nevertheless Cities Service was notified that unless rents were lowered by 10 am Tuesday, March 20, 1945, enough employees would strike that it would become impossible to operate the plant. Cities Service responded that it had no control over the rents charged in Maplewood. Gov. Jimmy Davis was asked to request federal intervention. President Truman sent a representative of the Petroleum Administration to mediate, and Interior Secretary Harold Ickes issued a request for workers to stay on the job. But the strikers did leave their jobs, and on the night of April 11, 1945, 150 armed military police from the Army’s Eighth Service Command were moved into Cities Service. In a ballot taken six days later, the workers voted two-to-one in favor or returning to work.
CARLYSS NAMED AFTER YOUNG GIRL The community of Carlyss, located just south of Sulphur, was named around the turn of the 20th Century for Carlyss Elizabeth Vincent, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Nathaniel (Cotton) Vincent, who owned a general store in the area. The mail service, or what passed for it, in the area had changed hands numerous times by then. Cotton Vincent’s father, Nathaniel Vincent, took the postmaster position in Vincent Settlement in the 1870s, and held the job for about 24 years. Able West, Sr., took over the job from Nathaniel Vincent, and the post office was located in his store. The post office moved yet again, when Charley Pearson took over the post office and moved it to his store in the Dutch Cove area, south of Vincent Settlement. Residents in the northern area of the parish didn’t enjoy having to travel so far to pick up their mail, of course, so they asked Cotton Vincent to take the post office into his store, a much more convenient place for them. Residents sent petitions to the federal postal department, and the move to the Vincents’ store was approved. Cotton’s wife was named postmaster. The USPS, however, refused the request to name the new post office Vincent Settlement, as there were too many Vincent posts in the area at that time. Mrs. Vincent was asked to come up with a new name for the new post office. Suggested names included Majestic, as well as several names of Vincent girls living in the area: Lena and Azzie, for example. Mrs. Vincent decided at the last moment to add the name of her own baby daughter, Carlyss, to the list and sent it to Washington. And it was that name federal officials chose for the new post office. The Carlyss post office was established in 1908.
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LC Garden Club Celebrates 80 Years By Angie Kay Dilmore
F
or the last eight decades, the Lake Charles Garden Club has worked to make Lake Charles a beautiful place to live and visit. Thanks in part to the club’s tireless efforts, Lake Charles earned first place in Category One of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation’s State Cleanest City Contest for the past two consecutive years. “It takes all of the city to make something like this happen,” says Camille Stakes, club chaplain and recycling chairperson. She has witnessed an improvement in the amount of litter around town. “Of course, there’s still more that can be done,” she adds. The club was formed in 1933, and became federated with the state-wide Louisiana Garden Club in 1934. It began with nearly 100 members and a goal to beautify the city. According to past-president Thelma Fontenot, the club currently has 35 members who carry on that early tradition of keeping the city clean and colorful. The focus of the group has changed over the years; for example, during World War II, victory gardens were popular. Most of these garden enthusiasts actively garden in their own yards. They
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especially enjoy growing native Louisiana plants, such as azaleas, blue irises, coreopsis, black-eyed susans and honeysuckle. They plant lantana and plumbago to attract butterflies.
Though relatively small in number, these dedicated women initiate and maintain many projects throughout the city. They create new gardens, encourage recycling and litter clean-up efforts, and teach children about the joys of nature “We try to start a new project every two years, while maintaining our current projects,” says Fontenot. The club has sponsored the Junior Garden Club since around 1950. Various area elementary schools have benefited
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from this program over the years. It’s located currently at Fairview Elementary. The group consists of 12 children who have an interest in nature and gardening. Members of the Lake Charles Garden Club meet with the students once a month and do nature-related activities with them. They plant seeds or pot plants, build birdhouses, and make bird feeders out of milk cartons or pinecones and peanut butter. Tuten Park recently re-opened; the club takes an active role there. Nan Himel chairs the committee for this project. She calls Tuten “an educational park.” The Garden Club was involved with the grand opening of this green space along Nelson Road. “They asked some of the clubs in the area to have educational programs for the children at the event,” says Himel. “We joined with a local bird club and had a wild bird exhibit, along with an exhibit of plants you can plant in your yard that will attract birds.” Imparting a love of nature to the younger generations has always been a key component and goal of the club. It has four garden beds at Tuten, and maintains them with the help of Evergreen Ministries. “We bought the plants for them, and they planted three boxes of vegetables and one box of flowers. They tended the plants through the
summer and harvested the produce,” says Himel. Other on-going garden club projects include the Therapy Gardens at Christus St. Patrick Hospital and The Garden Assisted Living on Country Club Road. Club members make birthday corsages for the residents at Rosewood Nursing Center. You may see Yard of the Month signs near area businesses. Each month, the club awards this honor to a commercial business that has a particularly beautiful presentation in its front yard. At the Calcasieu Imperial Museum, the club maintains a bed of native Louisiana plants. It also tends the lovely garden behind the Calcasieu Parish Central Library. These gardeners recognized their 80th year on Nov. 19 with an anniversary celebration of members and friends of the club. The group always welcomes new members to the club. They encourage anyone with an interest in flowers and gardening to join them. Annual dues are $20. The Lake Charles Garden Club meets every second Tuesday of the month, 12:30 pm, from September to June, at the LSU Agriculture Center near Burton Coliseum. For more information, call Thelma Fontenot at 433-9072 or Nan Himel at 4775113.
FROM THE FUR SIDE
karla wall
A Christmas Story I’m obviously all for kids growing up with and around dogs, and I’ll be the first to admit that the idea of giving your kids a puppy for Christmas is nearly irresistible. Why in the world wouldn’t a parent want to give in to a child’s Christmas wish for a new pet? What’s more heartwarming than the thought of a child sitting in front of a beautifully decorated tree on Christmas morning, his young and cherubic face aglow as he cuddles a small, yellow-gold ball of fluff — his most fervent Christmas wish brought to adorable, squirming, energetic life. Camera flashes put on a brilliant light display and digital video cameras burn battery power as the pup wiggles, licks and nips at his new young master, delighting the child as only a young puppy can. Let’s leave Norman Rockwell’s universe for a moment, though, and take a realistic look at the situation. A too-eager child, overwhelmed with the abundance of gifts before him and the excitement of the holiday, just about strangles a fragile, overexcited and nervous eight-week-old puppy, who’s just been uprooted and taken away from mother and litter-mates and placed not only in an unfamiliar environment, but one that’s a circus of milling people, bright lights, and strange sounds and smells. The pup expresses his angst the only way he knows how: He makes an awful lot of noise. The child, within minutes, tires of the puppy’s scratches, nips and tugs, pushes the little dog away and eagerly reaches for the next package under the tree, absolutely certain the package he’s reaching for contains that new truck, the number-two gift on his rather large list. The puppy, shoved aside and largely unsupervised because everyone’s busy opening gifts and helping themselves to hot cocoa and cookies, proceeds to urinate on the carpet several times in his nervousness, and chews and eats the wrapping, paper and bows everyone’s too preoccupied to pick up. If the family’s lucky, the puppy does what puppies do after eating stuff they’re not supposed to and divests himself of the foreign objects — again, all over the floor. If they’re not so lucky, they spend Christmas morning at the vet’s office having said foreign objects surgically removed, ruining the vet’s Christmas as well, but giving him or her a definite financial leg up on that new car or Caribbean vacation. With company, preparing and eating holiday meals, opening gifts, the excitement of new toys and gifts to use and enjoy, visiting, returning gifts the day after Christmas, etc., it may be days before things settle down — days before anyone can fully concentrate on the new addition to the family. By that time, the pup has already learned bad habits that it will take weeks or months of hard work to overcome; has become fearful and oversensitive because of all of the noise,
handling and commotion he’s been subjected to; and has probably been booted out of the house, isolated and miserable. Hardly the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Hardly an ideal time to bring a new pet into your family. The addition of a new pet into the household should be a carefully made and thought-out decision, not an impulse. Making the transition smooth for puppy and family requires planning, and it requires patience and lots of time, neither of which is in ample supply during the holiday season. So your child has wanted a dog for some time; it’s what he wants for Christmas; and you truly feel he’s old enough and mature enough to handle the
Or “You'll Stress That Puppy Out, Kid!”
responsibility of helping feed, walk, house-train and groom the dog. By all means, let him experience the joy of owning and caring for a dog. (And please note that I said “help” here — don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll let your child handle all of the puppy care himself; it won’t happen. No child is capable of that kind of responsibility 24/7. If you yourself aren’t willing to care for a puppy, put off the decision to adopt one, or put the idea out of your mind entirely.) But if you do decide to give your child a dog for Christmas, take into consideration the holiday hustle and bustle, and delay the gift for at least a couple of days.
Some ideas: Find a reputable breeder, choose your puppy, then ask the breeder to hold the pup until after the holiday. If the breeder won’t agree to that small request, you don’t want to deal with him or her, anyway, because any breeder worth buying a puppy from will care more for the puppy and its transition into its new home and family than about monetary gain or getting the pup out of the house as quickly as possible. Any breeder worth dealing with won’t mind in the slightest having to keep the puppy an extra few days. In fact, any breeder worth dealing with won’t let you take a puppy home until after the holiday. Better yet, schedule a family visit to the shelter the week after Christmas to find an older dog who needs a home (giving a gift and saving a life at the same time). Box and wrap dog-related supplies to place under the tree for Christmas morning. I’d include a brush, comb, food and water bowls, puppy shampoo, perhaps a photo of the puppy if you’ve already selected it and completed the purchase. Another good idea would be a children’s dog care guide. A couple of good choices would be, for ages 4-8, Let’s Take Care of Our New Dog (Roca and Curto, Barron’s Educational Series, $6.99 at amazon.com), and for ages 912, Puppy Training for Kids (Whitehead, Barron’s Educational Series, $10.97 at amazon.com). Spend the holiday happily anticipating and discussing the arrival of your new pet, not stressing it — and the family — out by trying to bring it into the family at such a hectic time.
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Top Toys Of 2013 Big Hugs Elmo, Barbie Dreamhouse Are Wildly Popular. But There's Also A Lot Of Other Options By Diane Schlindwein Barbie’s still big, and Elmo’s back in a big way, as is Furby, according to the toy experts who are predicting what kids across America will be asking for in their letters to Santa this holiday season. “You know, everyone always asks, ‘What’s the next Elmo?’” says Christopher Byrne, known internationally as The Toy Guy. “This year, there is one: Big Hugs Elmo. I’m not sure if it’s going to be the cultural phenomenon that it was in 1996, but this is the most interactive Elmo ever.” Children can hug Elmo and have him hug back. They can move him to see him dance. They can lay him down to hear a lullaby and sleeping sound effects. Kids will love him, Byrne predicts. This year, Wal-Mart let a team of kids pick their top-20 favorite toys, and Big Hugs Elmo came out a winner, as did the new robotic pet Furby and a new Barbie Dreamhouse. Mattel says Barbie’s new house features six rooms and “luxury details,” such as pink “stainless steel” appliances and two elevators. It also features “the ultimate closet” and a bathroom that can be used for outfit changes. For older girls, Monster High continues to be a big hit — particularly the Monster High 13 Wishes doll assortment. Among the dolls are Twyla, Gigi Grant and Howleen Wolf. Dolls come with a pet, diary, brush, doll stand and accessories. For girls who want to use crafts for fun, Byrne says the Shimmer ‘n Sparkle Cra-Z Loom rubber band bracelet maker is popular. “This is probably the hottest arts
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The plane moves when they do. Just push the button to set its propeller spinning and move it forward. Then use the two controllers — one for each wing — to tilt the wings and control its movement through mimicry. For another flying toy that really takes off, Byrne suggests EB Brands Iron Man Flying Remote-Controlled Extreme Hero. “This is a real innovation in flying toys,” he says. “It’s a tad expensive, and for outdoor and craft toy out there,” he says. “Rubber band looms are huge.” Little girls will request Doc McStuffins toys, he predicts. “Doc McStuffins continues to be the ‘it’ girl for the preschool set,” says Byrne, who is director of content for TimetoPlayMag.com. The Doc McStuffins Get Better Check-up Center will be extremely popular, so get it early. Batman continues to be fun for boys 3-8. The Imaginext Batcave has been fully redesigned for 2013. The set features a “Bat computer,” a “Bat pole,” a “secret button” to open the jail door and two “turn disks” — one that opens the “Bat door” so that Batman can ride out on the Batcycle. The set comes with Batman, Robin, a Bat flight suit, a “Batwing,” a Batcycle and two projectiles. Younger boys who liked the Disney movie Planes will have fun recreating the movie’s action with the Wing Control Dusty Crophopper Radio Control Plane.
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use only, but we were really impressed by how easy is it to fly.” Of course, it wouldn’t be a modern
Christmas season if kids didn’t ask Santa for electronic games. Byrne suggests the LeapPad Ultra tablet. “There have been lots of tablets for kids, and LeapFrog really invested heavily in updating theirs for this year,” he says. “It’s a bit more expensive, but for younger kids, I think it’s definitely worth it.” Two video games to watch are “Disney Infinity” and “Skylanders Swap Force,” he adds. No one says toys are just for kids. For Christmas, Byrne always picks a game a family can play together. For 2013, he’s suggesting Spin Master’s Boom Boom Balloon, which allows each player to take turns throwing a die while attempting to keep a balloon from popping. The person who pops the balloon loses. “This is my favorite game of the year,” he says. “It’s so classic and fun. Also, it has been a hit in more than 35 countries before finding its way here.” Be sure to order extra balloons, which are available through Spin Master. If you know an adult who’s still a kid at heart, help him or her remember a favorite Christmas of the past. Byrne recently published a book called Toy Time: A Look Back at the Most Beloved Toys of Decades Past (Crown Publishing Group). He wrote the book “for the grown-up who’s never seemed to grow out of his or her toys.”
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Eclectic Christmas Gifts Presents For People With Particular Tastes By Kristi Mexia Being a gifted gift giver is no easy task. Giving is an art form, and as with all forms of art, not everyone is good at it. While the toenail clipper you bought your significant other and the Starbucks card you got your best friend last season may be gifts they needed, they probably weren’t something they wanted. This year, some innocent cyberstalking and a few caffeinated conversations might be in order to unearth what your loved ones love. Up your gift ante by using this article to get ideas for The Godfather fans and the Dexter-obsessed cooks in your life, as well as other rather particular types. 1) For the overeager wilderness pragmatist, get the Wenger 16999 giant Swiss army knife. Weighing more than 7 pounds, this Swiss army knife will not fit in your pocket. It has more than 140 functions and 87 implements. Tools include a telescopic pointer, a golf-club cleaner, a cigar cutter, a universal
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wrench, and a fish scaler, as well as the more traditional pocket knife functions of a corkscrew and a 2.5-inch blade. 2) For the I-have-pets-not-kids person, get a petcam. While there are lots of options out there, with simple to elaborate solutions, Netgear’s VueZone systems allow for remote video monitoring. Owners can record their pet’s adorable moments for later playback; take pictures; and view any of their friends’ shared cameras for furry fun. Pet lovers can also create their personal pet monitoring network that’s viewable from most smartphones, tablets and Internet
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browsers. 3) For The Godfather enthusiast, get a horse head pillow case. 4) For the dirt-loving shower-hater, get a nose shower gel dispenser. These giant nostrils ooze shower gel. Mini suction cups stick this big sniffer to the wall in your shower. The device offers good clean fun for the dirty rascal in your life. 5) For the wine-guzzling sommelier, get the wine bottle wine glass. Part bottle, part glass, this cheeky product offers a bigger, bolder sampling for the budding wine taster. No longer must the wine lover in your life limit him or herself to a mere glass. Had a tough day at work? Bottles up. 6) For the avid nudist swimmer, get The Skinny Dipping Report. Exhibitionism, while still scandalous, has become an art form. If you like to swim and be naked at the same time, this calendar is for you. The Skinny Dipping Report showcases a photo of a different skinny dipping adventure each month. Half social experiment, half commercial product, “every image in the calendar is of a real person from a real place with a real story. Each image was captured and presented for public consumption on Flickr” and ended up in The Skinny Dipping Report. The Report is designed to communicate “what the person in the photograph is feeling: to understand the particularity of the place and the moment through the lens of skinny dipping.” 7) For the “Dexter-obsessed cook, get the person-piercing knife holder. It sounds dangerous and slightly criminal. But this five-piece knife set by Italian industrial designer Raffaele Iannello is actually quite nice. (The knife holder is designed in such a way that it looks as if the knives are sticking through small
people.) The set boasts five different kitchen knives, including 8-inch chef’s, bread and carver knives. 8) For the bacon-crazed hog addict, get a bacon air freshener. There are bacon-wrapped chocolate and bacon cocktails, so why not bacon air fresheners? If your bacon lover can’t get enough of those crispy, greasy morsels, then keeping that fresh bacon smell with him or her at all times is the next best solution.
For the Yoda impersonator, get the Yoda bathrobe. Yes, the Yoda impersonator never got over their obsession with Star Wars. But at this point, why should they? Fuel the passion and you’ll have your Yoda soothsayer not only speaking, but also looking the part. 10) For the sneaky college drinker, get the Beerbelly stealth drink cooler. A college student can’t always take his or her favorite tasty brew into the stadium on game day. So the company Cooler
Fun invented the Beerbelly. Made for hot or cold beverages, the Beerbelly holds up to 80 ounces; includes a bladder and adjustable sling; is machine-washable; and fits nicely under your clothes. According to the product description, “the bladder even has a wide mouth opening for adding ice for Margaritas!” Now that’s drink versatility.
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Go Outside Gifts For Outdoors Lovers By Eric Christensen Many of us have friends or family members who love the outdoors. They disappear for days at a time to hike, climb or camp. For those of us who are unfamiliar with that lifestyle, buying gifts for these people can be difficult. A trip to an outdoor supply store can overwhelm us with space-age materials, clothes for every climate, and technical gear that looks downright alien. But if you think small, focus on the fundamentals and get creative this holiday season, gift giving will be easy. The first tip is to think small: Focus on the small but useful accessories fans of the outdoors use. Water bottles, headlamps and multi-tools are some suggestions. Check out the CamelBak Podium Chill insulated squeeze bike bottle ($12), Hydro Flask standard-mouth vacuum bottle ($26) or the Klean Kanteen insulated stainless steel wide-mouth Bottle ($30). As for headlamps, check out the Petzl Tikka Plus 2 ($40) or the Princeton Tec Vizz ($50) headlamps. A multi-tool is also a good choice. Consider the Gerber Suspension MultiPliers ($35) or the Leatherman Skeletool ($65). The second tip is to focus on the fundamentals: Look for highly rated gear and clothing that are light, compact and waterproof, such as tents, backpacks, compression sacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads and clothes. These tend to be more expensive because of the high-tech materials and activity-specific modifications. And many users can be picky when it comes to gear or clothing, so it helps if the person you’re buying for can provide you with a list of specific items. But if you don’t have such a list, don’t be afraid to call and pick a gearhead’s brain. If the site you’re using doesn’t employ similar experts, go by the general rule that if you spend a little bit more,
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you will get a product that will last much longer and perform much better. But this is not always the case, so doing research and checking out gear review sites before purchasing can go a long way. When it comes to clothing, the most important thing is knowing that person’s measurements beforehand, including chest size, sleeve length, waist, inseam, torso length and foot size. The final tip is to get creative: Instead of buying an item, buy an experience. Some suggestions: state or national park passes ($80). Such passes give the holder access to all of America’s national parks and monuments for a year. Also consider guided adventures, such as whitewater rafting ($100-$200 per person) or mountain climbing. And many rock climbing gyms sell day passes if you want to give the gift of a first climbing lesson. Outdoor supply stores such as REI also sell oncein-a-lifetime travel packages such as a Mount Kilimanjaro climb and safari or a cycling trip in Vietnam. However, some of these trips also come with once-in-alifetime price tags. Buying outdoor gear for a loved one shouldn’t be about getting the shiniest or most complex gadget. It should be about keeping your friends and family safe, warm and dry when outdoors. Whether you provide them with a critical accessory or the tent that keeps them out of the rain, if you use these tips, you can definitely make them happy campers.
THURSDAY, NOV. 21 Coushatta Bernie Alan Dharma Purple, Rootbeer & Mermentau, The Caw Isle of Capri Static L’Auberge Jack After Dark DJ Mata Luna Live TBA
THURSDAY, NOV. 28 Coushatta Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners Delta Downs Larry Tillery Dharma TBA Isle of Capri Brandon Ledet & Cajun Touch L’Auberge Asian Concert; Jack After Dark DJ Crush 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, NOV. 22
SATURDAY, NOV. 23 Cigar Club William Christian Coushatta Band X Cuz’s Bar Brad Brinkley Delta Downs BB & Company Dharma When The Word Was Sound, Sick/Sea, Certain Satellites Isle Of Capri David Joel L'Auberge DJ Mata Loggerheads JC Melancon Luna Live Gabriel’s Last Breath Yesterdays Todd O’Neill Band
Cigar Club RKW Show Coushatta Band X Cowboys Club 7 Radio Delta Downs BB & Company Dharma Rootbeer & Mermentau w Selfawarenesswolf & Definition Isle of Capri Blackbird L’Auberge DJ Mata Luna Live Rosco Bandana Sidelinez Signature Yesterdays Thomas Rhett
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
SATURDAY, NOV.30
Cigar Club Friday Night Live Music Coushatta Mojeaux Cowboys Club 7 Radio Delta Downs Larry Tillery Dharma Paul Gonsoulin, Brian Moore, Justin Martindale Isle of Capri Pookie Marceaux Band L’Auberge DJ Crush Yesterdays Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners
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 Jacky's Western Bar 8pm-Wed/Thurs 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,
Cigar Club Second Nature Coushatta Mojeaux Delta Downs Larry Tillery Dharma Floating Popes, Large Marge, The Marvelous Wonderfuls Isle of Capri Phillip Glyn L’Auberge DJ Crush Yesterdays Damon Troy & Final Five
7-11pm Sunday Old Town Tavern Fri/Sat Nights R-Bar 8pm Friday Sam's Cove 9pm Thursday Sidelinez 9pm Friday 11/29, 12/13 & 27 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
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Fred VanNess, Jr.
Sarah Callahan
REGISTER FOR FREE THANKSGIVING MEAL Registrations are now being taken for the “Families Feeding Families” event which provides a free meal to families in need on Thanksgiving day. The event is hosted by Glad Tidings church, located at 3400 Texas St. To register for a free Thanksgiving basket, the head of household must go to Glad Tidings church Monday through Thursday, 9-11 am and 1-3 pm, and provide their picture ID and social security card. Baskets will be distributed Sunday, Nov. 24, following the morning service. For more information, contact David Fontenot, media director, at 4777774 or email david@gladtidingschurch.com.
SWAMP POP EXTRAVAGANZA The VFW Post 8107 will host the Swamp Pop Extravaganza Nov. 22, 8 pm-midnight, at the post, located at 1235 E. Napoleon St. in Sulphur. Live music will be provided by Swamp Pop legends Warren Storm, Willie Tee, T.K. Hulin, Everett Brady and Tommy McLain. Special guests will be Joe Harmon and the Cypress Band. Tickets are $10 per person in advance. Tickets will be available at the door for $15 per person or $25 per couple. For reservations or tickets, call Robyn Thibodeaux at 842-2931, the VFW post at 527-7104, or Don Johnson at 304-7933.
CHORAL FOUNDATION CHRISTMAS CONCERT Performances of the Louisiana Choral Foundation’s annual Christmas Concert, Christmas Spirits, are scheduled for Dec. 6, 7:30 pm, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Lake Charles; and on Sunday, Dec. 8, 3 pm, at Immaculate Conception Church in Sulphur. Masterworks Chorale will present Hodie! by John Leavitt, a cantata using settings of classic Latin texts. It will also present four Christmas carols — “How Far Is It to Bethlehem,” “One December Bright and Clear,” “Whence Is That Goodly Fragrance Flowing?” and “What Shall We Give?” — arranged by Mack Wilberg. Les Petites Voix and the Bayou Bell Choir will also present seasonal selections. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students, and are available at Swicegood Music and at the door. For more information, call 491-9384.
VIEUX VILLAGE CHRISTMAS LIGHTING Le Vieux Village in Opelousas will hold its annual Lighting Of The Village Friday, Dec. 6, 5-8:30 pm. The village is located at 828 E. Landry St. The event will feature live reindeer, as well as such features as an obstacle course fun jump, and stations for cupcake decorating, ornament making and bracelet making. Special guests for the event will include Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Elmo and Balloony Man Rick Hessler. Santa Clause will be on site for holiday photos. The evening will also feature Christmas music by the Eastern 7th District Youth Choir and Praise Team. Vendors will offer a variety of goods, including arts and crafts, baby items, handmade jewelry, Christmas specialties, home decor, baked goods and decorative gifts. Free bowls of jambalaya will be provided by the Opelousas Kiwanis Club, and free hot chocolate will be provided by Borden Foods. A variety of food items will also be available for purchase. The Opelousas celebration will continue on Dec. 12 with the City of Opelousas Children’s Christmas Parade at 6 pm. For more information, call the City Of Opelousas Tourism Dept. at 337948-5227.
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LC SYMPHONY HOLIDAY GALA The Lake Charles Symphony will present its annual holiday gala Sunday, Dec. 1 in the Shearman Fine Arts Annex at McNeese. A beer and wine tasting featuring 50-70 different wines and beers will begin at 5 pm, and will be accompanied by a sampling of appetizers prepared by Emily’s Catering of DeRidder. The musical performance begins at 6:30 pm, and an Irish coffee reception for the conductor, soloists and musicians will take place after the performance. The musical program will feature Irish tunes such as Danny Boy, The Holly and the Ivy and Greensleeves. Tenor Fred VanNess, Jr. and mezzo soprano Sarah Callahan, both McNeese graduates, will join the symphony under the direction of Conductor Bohuslav Rattay. Tickets are $100, and are available by calling 433-1611 or online at lcsymphony.com. The symphony also has a Facebook page at facebook.com/lcsymphony.
KIWANIS COATS FOR KIDS The Kiwanis Club is accepting used coats for its 2013 Coats For Kids drive. Coats will be accepted until Nov. 22, and will be distributed before Christmas to families in need. Coats may be donated at AAA Cleaners locations at 622 E. Prien Lake Rd. or 2713 Country Club Rd. Coats may also be donated at the following area schools: Barbe High, LaGrange High, Iowa High, S.J. Welsh, Oak Park Middle, Moss Bluff Elementary, Prien Lake Elementary, Oak Park Elementary, Dolby, St. John Elementary, EDS, ICCS, Our Lady Queen of Heaven and St. Margaret.
SWLA AIDS COUNCIL FUNDRAISER Vanity L.Y.F.E. will host the second annual Red Carpet Soiree Saturday, Dec. 7, 7-11 pm, at 3Topia Ultra Lounge, 409 W. Prien Lake Road. Events will include a silent auction, live entertainment and speakers from the SLAC. The event is a fundraiser for the Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council, a non-profit organization that provides services to over 550 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS in the five-parish region. For more information, contact Jamika Moore, owner and CEO of Vanity L.Y.F.E., at 263-8828 or 263-5769.
DUTCH OVEN COOKOUT The South West Chapter of the Louisiana Dutch Oven Society will hold its monthly cookout Saturday, Nov. 23, 10 am-2 pm, at Sam Houston Jones State Park. The cookout will be a Thanksgiving feast featuring the chapter’s famed “Trash Can Turkey.” The public is invited to attend, cook, or bring an item for the cast iron buffet style luncheon. Members of the chapter, Le Chien Cookers, will demonstrate cooking techniques and will be available to answer questions. For more info, call 302-5025 or 912-9394 or visit ladutch.com.
‘ROTARY CLUB TURKEY TROT 5K The Greater Lake Charles Rotary Club will host its annual Turkey Trot 5K and KidK runs Saturday, Nov. 23, at the Enos Derbonne Multi-Sports Complex in Lake Charles. Registration begins at 7 am, and welcome and warm-up is at 8:30 am. The KidK run begins at 9 am, and the 5K begins at 9:15. The event provides an opportunity for people of all ages to enjoy a fun, healthy, family-friendly, pre-Thanksgiving activity. It will raise money for scholarships to Sowela Technical Community College and McNeese State University. Additional features will include a kids’ zone with jump houses and interactive games, and a pancake breakfast, which will be served following the race until the awards ceremony begins. Frozen turkeys will be awarded to winners in several categories. And medallions will be awarded to first-, second- and third-place finishers in several categories. Entry fee is $25 for adults, and $15 for children. For more information or to register, visit turkeytrotswla.com.
BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU SOIREE The Beaujolais Nouveau Soiree will celebrate a new vintage of the popular French wine Nov. 30, 7-10 pm, at The Brickhouse, 110 W. Pine St. in Lake Charles. Wines will be paired with hors d’oeuvres such as Tuscan bruschetta; mini basil, prosciutto and goat cheese sandwiches; andouille-stuffed mushrooms; and pepper jack-stuffed duck breast with blueberry compote. Wines will be available for purchase. A cash bar will be available. There will also be a raffle. Attire is dressy casual. Admission is $65. For more info, call 263-1878.
LUTCHER PRESENTS MEMPHIS Lutcher Theatre in Orange will present the Tony Award winning musical Memphis Nov. 22-23. The critically acclaimed musical takes place in the smoky halls and underground clubs of the segregated 1950s, and tells the story of a young white DJ named Huey Calhoun, who fell in love with everything he shouldn’t: rock and roll, and an electrifying black singer. The play was the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Best Original Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro). It also won four Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Music (David Bryan), and four Outer Critic Circle Awards, including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Score (David Bryan and Joe DiPietro) and Outstanding Choreography (Sergio Trujillo). Tickets are $35-$65 and are available online at lutcher.org or by calling the Lutcher Box Office at 409-886-5535.
KENNEL CLUB AGILITY TRIALS The Calcasieu Kennel Club will hold its annual dog agility trials Nov. 22-24 at Burton Outdoor Arena behind Burton Coliseum. Hours are 1-4 pm Friday, 8 am-4 pm Saturday, and 8 am-3 pm Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, contact Sallie Shepherd at 304-5788.
ACTS TO STAGE WHITE CHRISTMAS Artists Civic Theatre and Studio will present Irving Berlin’s White Christmas as its holiday 2013 production. Performances are scheduled for Dec. 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 7:30 pm, and Dec. 8 and 15 at 3 pm. Reserved seating tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students, and $20 for seniors 65 and over. Tickets are available online at actstheatre.com. Tickets are also available at The Lake Charles Civic Center Box Office, Lakeshore Medic Pharmacy and Moss Bluff Flower and Gift.
REBUILDING TOGETHER FUNDRAISER Rebuilding Together Calcasieu will hold its 3rd annual Rebuilding Together Fundraiser Dinner-Show titled “Homes For The Holidays: A Christmas Show” on Thursday, Dec. 5, 6:30-9:30 pm, in the Lake Charles Civic Center Buccaneer Room. The event will include a dinner prepared by 121 Artisan Bistro, performances by Elisha Eagle, Cathy Kurth, MCs Bruce Hamilton and Mike Kurth, a preview the Civic Ballet’s Nutcracker, Mayor Randy Roach in “A Cajun Tale Before Christmas,” and other performances, as well as a live auction. The event will honor Ann and Edwin Hunter. Cost is $125 per plate or $1,000 per table of eight. For more info or to reserve a table, contact director Susan Mestayer at 4781755 or susan@calcasieu.org, or visit rtcalcasieu.org.
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SAN MIGUEL FUND TO HONOR LEGER
RUDOLPH TO RETURN
The Hector San Miguel Memorial Fund will honor the late Bill Leger at a luncheon to be held Thursday, Dec. 5, 11:30 am, in the L’Auberge Casino Resort Ballroom. Four-term Louisiana Gov. Edwin W. Edwards will deliver the keynote address. Following the luncheon, Governor Edwards will be available to sign copies of Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana by Leo Honeycutt; the books will be available for purchase. A Kinder native, Leger was a longtime reporter and anchorman for KFDM-TV in Beaumont. Leger died in December, 2012. He won many awards for his journalism, including those for coverage of hurricanes, the dragging death of James Byrd Jr. and the space shuttle explosion over East Texas. The award that will be presented posthumously to Leger is named for the late Hector San Miguel, an award-winning journalist with the American Press. The Memorial Fund in San Miguel’s memory recognizes others for their outstanding achievement in journalism. In addition to bestowing the award on Leger, the Memorial Fund has selected KPLC-TV reporter Gerron Jordan as the recipient of this year’s professional conference award. The fund will reimburse Jordan for his expenses to attend next year’s National Assoc. of Black Journalists national convention. Luncheon reservations are $40, or $320 for a reserved table of eight. Reservations must be made by Friday, Nov. 22, and purchased by cash or check. A limited number of Corporate Table Sponsorships are available for $500 and include preferred seating, a reserved table for 8 and your company logo included in the event program. To purchase tickets or for more information, contact the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana at 491-6688 or dvaughan@foundationswla.org.
The Lake Charles Civic Ballet (LCCB) will present its classic Christmas ballet Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer December 12-14 at the Rosa Hart Theater. Created in 1969 by Lady Leah Lafargue Hathaway, Rudolph has delighted audiences every 2 to 4 years since its first performance. As it was from the first, the ballet is choreographed and set by the artists of the LCCB. The ballet opens in Santa’s workshop, as the elves prepare puppets, dolls and other toys. The reindeer show off their flying skills. Then the audience visits countries around the world to see how children in the Netherlands, Switzerland, Japan and Saudi Arabia celebrate Christmas. Finally, there’s a vicious snow storm with dancing snowflakes and the Snow Queen. Finally, the audience watches Rudolph’s bright red nose fly over their heads in the theater. School group matinee performances will take place Dec. 12-13 at 9 and 11 am. Tickets for matinees are $5 per student. On Saturday, Dec. 14, there will be an 11 am matinee and 6 pm gala. Tickets for these performances are $10 for students and $15 for adults. Reservations can be made via the LCCB website at lakecharlescivicballet.com; or contact Kelly Gifford at 802-5779. Find more information about the ballet on Facebook.
IBERIABANK HOLIDAY DRIVE Iberiabank is holding its Holiday Spirit Drive through the end of December. Items will be donated to a food pantry or nonprofit organization in the same neighborhood as the collection site. Needed items include non-perishable food, personal toiletries and household cleaning products. All donations can be dropped off at any Southwest Louisiana Iberiabank location.
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GARDENING FESTIVAL The Royal Magnolia Community Learning Garden’s Fall Festival will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, 10 am-2 pm, at 1711 Hagan St. in North Lake Charles. There will be a variety of fun and educational activities, including face painting and a jump house for kids, as well as seminars on the latest gardening techniques and holiday wreath making. The Royal Magnolia Learning Garden is a community effort to teach families how to grow nutritious food in their own backyard. The goal is to grow and create meals for the table while fighting obesity with increased family interaction and a greater appreciation for nature and the environment. For more information, call the Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana at 478-4822, Ext. 16, or go to healthierswla.com.
MAPLEWOOD THANKSGIVING DINNER The Maplewood/Hollywood Lions Club’s 20th annual Thanksgiving Community Dinner will take place Nov. 28 at the Sulphur Parks and Recreation Aquatic Center, located at 933 W. Parish Rd. in Sulphur. A church service will begin at 9:30 am, followed by the meal at 10:30 am. For more information, call 625-8569.
REEL TALK
Thor
Marvel Studios/Disney • Rated PG-13 In 2011, there were doubts whether Marvel Comics character Thor could translate into a decent (and profitable) motion picture. The answer proved to be a resounding yes when the first Thor feature successfully launched the 2011 summer film season. Then-unknown actor Chris Hemsworth breathed life into the character in such a charismatic manner that he did for Thor what Robert Downey Jr. has done for Iron Man. With the release of Thor: The Dark World, you can declare this to be another very successful superhero franchise. Box offices grosses are already surpassing those of the first film and are snowballing worldwide. Marvel and Disney are smiling all the way to the bank over and over again. After the events of The Avengers, Thor (Hemsworth) has been busy trying to bring peace to the Nine Realms. Astrophysicist Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) has been trying to find a way to reconnect with the Asgardian prince, but hasn’t been able to. Then fate brings them back together as an ancient race known as the Dark Elves launch an attack on the universe after their defeat centuries ago by the Asgardians. Led by the reprehensible Malekith (Christopher Eccleston), the Dark Elves swarm all over Asgard. The war is brought to Earth by arcane forces released by the Aether, a mystic weapon hidden on Earth to prevent the Dark Elves from retaking it and using it against the Nine Realms. These circumstances bring Foster and Thor back together. Foster becomes possessed by the energy of the Aether, which motivates Thor to bring her to Asgard. As Odin (Anthony Hopkins) leads a large group of warriors to take on the Dark Elves, Thor fights them on another front which leads him to defeat. With no other option, Thor has to seek out his imprisoned half-brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston) for help in stopping Malekith and keeping the invading Dark Elves from totally destroying Asgard and Earth along with the Nine Realms. While the original Thor was a mixture of Shakespearean drama and action,
duane bergeron
The Dark World
this sequel jettisons the dramatic elements in favor of total action. And it works. The characters are more welldefined here, and there’s extra backstory on Thor himself which embellishes his character. The development of the script was structured to provide more screen time for the supporting cast members, which added a pleasant touch to the overall narrative. There were even some romantic interactions between Thor and Foster, but these didn’t detract from the main storyline. Though the inclusion of Loki at first seemed like a detriment, in actuality it wasn’t. The presence of Thor’s despicable half-brother made a contribution to the plot that provided both a superb enhancement and some well-timed comic relief. Though each actor and actress turned in fantastic performances in front of the camera, Hiddleston got in some of the best scenes and lines throughout the film. With the usual array of eye-popping special effects, Thor: The Dark World continues the streak Disney and Marvel have established with their finally polished and hugely entertaining superhero big screen features. This will be one of the big success stories of the 2013 Christmas season, along with the upcoming Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, sequels. Fans of the Marvel group of superhero movies can expect Captain America: The Winter Soldier next April, which in turn will lead into the next Avengers film, coming out in 2015. Thor: The Dark World is an exhilarating action thriller that will provide some outstanding cinematic entertainment during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday weekend and into December. In between Thanksgiving dinner and Christmas shopping, add this to your holiday agenda. You’ll be rewarded with a great big screen experience that goes beyond the traditional boundaries of the average superhero film. It will be really interesting to see how Warner Brothers and DC Comics is going to compete with this in the next two to three years. www.BestOfSWLA.com
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MOUNTED MEMORIES
rocke "soybean" fournet
A Certified Wall Hanger This is what hunting is all about. Phil and Sherri Cormier have always cherished their time together enjoying the great outdoors. It was a stone cold natural as they packed their gear for a trip out west to Texas. Normally, Phil has supplied the venison over the years with some very accurate firepower. But as of late, Sherri has been taking target practice and preparing for a buck of her own. The Cormiers exited Fenton with high hopes and aspirations for the mesquite flats of Salt Gap, Texas. Sherri had scored one deer previously, but was feeling the burn for a trophy buck. Phil knew the feeling very well, and decided to give the missus (Mrs.) a fair chance. They hunkered down together with Phil as chief spotter and Sherri resting comfortably behind her favorite deer rifle. A super buck suddenly appeared out of thin air, and both Cormiers’ blood pressure zoomed off the charts. It’s a wonder the approaching deer didn’t hear their hearts beating. Sherri steadied her aim and tried not to hyperventilate. Phil was a nervous wreck, and struggled not to lose it. Sherri hung in there and pulled off the
shot to Phil’s delight. It was about then that her nerves took over. With a certified wall hanger down, Sherri came unglued. A powerful dose of adrenaline followed the shot; she began hysterically laughing and bawling at the same time. Phil tried unsuccessfully to calm her down, but he was also momentarily a basket case. Sherri’s buck was an awesome 13 pointer that sported thick horns measuring 138 inches that deserved the celebration.
Local buck master Troy Tate has taught his children well. He turned them on to the many joys and benefits of deer hunting at an early age. The advantages last a lifetime. The old man and his eight-year-old man-child Trey headed north to Union Parish for a trip that neither will ever forget. Trey had put his practice rounds in the kill zone enough to be confident in his shooting ability when the moment of truth arrived. When an eight-point buck approached their stand, it was pretty much automatic. When Troy whispered “Are you sure this is
the one?” Trey answered by shouldering his rifle, squeezing off a sweet shot, and dropping the deer. One shot; one buck — and the Tate boys were all smiles. Life is good. Duck season is on with good numbers of teal and grey ducks filling limits. A welltimed Arctic front was just what the doctor ordered to push down fresh flocks of new birds. Numbers should improve as winter sets in. Happy hunting! Our family would like to thank all those in attendance at the recent unveiling of the statue of 1st Lt. Douglas Fournet at the Veterans Memorial Park on beautiful Lake Charles. We were humbled in the presence of the many veterans who chose to honor us with their attendance and participation. It was a moving first-class ceremony that we will always remember and cherish. Always let it be clear that if Doug were here, he would insist that the statue in his likeness is a tribute to all the veterans who have answered the call to serve their country. To the friends, family, and especially the military, who supported this tremendous patriotic endeavor, we will always be indebted. God bless America! Photos: Sherri Cormier’s 13-pointer, taken at Salt Gap, Texas, scored 138 3/8. It was Sherri’s second kill. Eight-year-old Trey Tate with his trophy deer.
Accidents • Wrongful Death • Serious Personal Injury Criminal, Domestic Law Cases
Larry A. Roach (1932-2003) Barry A. Roach • Larry A. Roach, Jr. Fred C. "Bubba" LeBleu • David M. Hudson 92
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2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196
LHSAA STATE CROSS COUNTRY MEET • 3 Miles • Held at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches
Class 2A • Class 1A • Class B • Class C 2A GIRLS TOP TEN TEAMS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Menard Average: 20:25.62 St. Thomas Aquinas Average: 21:03.58 Episcopal Average: 21:15.13 Newman, Isadore Average: 21:29.38 Runnels Average: 23:04.91 Pickering Average: 23:56.54 Calvary Baptist Average: 24:23.20 Catholic, New Iberia Average: 24:27.94 Rosepine Average: 25:26.05 Oak Hill Average: 26:46.71
1A GIRLS TOP TEN TEAMS 49
1
71
2
73
3
85
4
144
5
179
6
195
7
205
8
235
9
286
10
Ascension Catholic Average: 21:17.26 Metairie Park Country Day Average: 21:50.13 Catholic, Point Coupee Average: 22:12.39 Cedar Creek Average: 22:29.56 St. Mary Average: 24:35.93 Merryville Average: 25:17.17 St. Edmund Average: 25:28.97 Christian Life Average: 26:53.32 Houma Christian Average: 27:05.06 Sacred Heart, Ville Platt Average: 28:00.87
C GIRLS TOP TEAMS
B GIRLS TOP TEN TEAMS 36
1
55
2
73
3
87
4
170
5
178
6
192
7
236
8
243
9
272
10
Pitkin Average: 22:23.28 Choudrant Average: 22:42.19 Anacoco Average: 23:32.33 Grace Christian Average: 23:21.59 Lacassine Average: 23:47.05 Converse Average: 23:59.54 Episcopal of Acadiana Average: 24:02.71 Bell City Average: 24:22.63 Castor Average: 24:48.17 Simpson Average: 25:45.44
70
1
91
2
124
3
140
4
148
5
177
C BOYS TOP TEAMS
186
1
214
2
225
3
5 1A BOYS TOP TEN TEAMS
B BOYS TOP TEN TEAMS 6
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Episcopal Average: 17:18.79 St. Thomas Aquinas Average: 17:49.62 Newman, Isadore Average: 18:11.75 Delcambre Average: 19:09.28 Menard Average: 19:17.75 Runnels Average: 19:32.10 Haynes Academy Average: 19:45.03 Fisher Average: 20:36.58 Oak Hill Average: 20:39.04 Catholic, New Iberia Average: 20:39.30
33
1
57
2
83
3
162
4
170
5
195
6
210
7
293
8
300
9
301
Ascension Catholic Average: 17:19.32 St. Martin's Average: 18:30.44 Cedar Creek Average: 18:57.37 Metairie Park Country Day Average: 19:01.47 Catholic, Point Coupee Average: 19:21.51 St. Mary Average: 20:07.67 Ridgewood Average: 22:01.73 Christian Life Average: 22:15.40 Grand Lake Average: 22:30.58
20
1
70
2
105
3
111
4
118
5
156
6
225
7
246
8
252
9 10
Patrick Taylor Academy Average: 18:08.10 Anacoco Average: 18:51.80 Episcopal of Acadiana Average: 19:05.43 Choudrant Average: 19:10.72 Midland Average: 19:42.31 Grace Christian Average: 19:21.21 Simsboro Average: 19:45.90 Bell City Average: 19:48.55 Castor Average: 20:17.09 Hornbeck Average: 20:33.58
25 42 60 92 150
152
4
2A BOYS TOP TEN TEAMS
Claiborne Christian Average: 23:42.58 Elizabeth Average: 24:21.62 Georgetown Average: 25:07.40 Johnson Bayou Average: 26:50.07 Plainview Average: 33:22.71
Elizabeth Average: 19:26.05 Johnson Bayou Average: 19:27.79 Holy Rosary Average: 19:45.37 Claiborne Christian Average: 20:53.93 Georgetown Average: 21:11.93 Jehovah-Jireh Christian
52 54 61 95 100 145
56 88 112 116 136 145 169 172 195 227
Small school results available as of press time for this issue. State Meet was held in Natchitoches on Nov. 18. State Meet results and photos for large schools (Classes 3A, 4A, and 5A) will appear in Dec. 5 issue.
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SARRO ON SPORTS
rick sarro
Playoffs? ... Yes, Playoffs It wasn’t that long ago that McNeese head coach Matt Viator made a quick exit from his Monday press conference when a university marketing representative began to outline preliminary plans for advance ticket sales for a possible home playoff
game. Coaches have a hard and fast disdain for looking ahead or skipping over scheduled games to talk about the what ifs and maybe this or possibly that. Viator chuckled when the discussion turned to postsea-
TB Marcus Wiltz
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son playoff bids, and muttered under his breath that it was time for him to hit the road. Chalk it up to superstitions, years of taking it one game at a time and not counting one’s chickens. That brings us to the Cowboys’ 43-17 beat down of Northwestern State. It does appear very likely that McNeese, with a 92 record and a date with rival Lamar in Beaumont to end the season, will most assuredly get an at-large playoff bid, and with the chips falling just right, a possible first-round bye. Coach V must succumb to the protocol of pre-planning, and, against his will, begin to think, and, yes, even talk about the playoffs. “Because of our situation the last two times we’ve been in the playoffs, we were 100 percent out of school,” said Viator. “There is a lot of planning whether we are in or not in (the playoffs); there is a lot of planning because [of] it being Thanksgiving week. To house the team, feed the team and do all that. I have to start regardless, and have already started that, to be honest with you.” I know that went against every rule of thumb and coaching lesson he’s learned in his long career. But there comes a time when a head coach at the FCS level has to put on his GM and CEO hat and work out the off-the-field details. Ranked 9th and 11th on various FCS polls before the Northwestern State win, the Cowboys are expected to jump several notches and wind up comfortably in the Top 10. A victory at Lamar will solidify that poll position and make it hard for the playoff committee to deny McNeese a
first-round pass and put them in line for a home date as well. Any shot at a Southland Conference crown was lost when McNeese stumbled to a 41-7 defeat to Southeastern Louisiana a few weeks ago. The Lions secured their first SLC title by virtue of their win over two-time defending conference champion Sam Houston and will garner the league’s automatic playoff berth.
Wiltz just lowers his head and keeps his legs churning upfield. He has a blue collar, hard hat mentality that’s carried the heavy load and will land him on the All-Southland Conference team. Nothing is automatic for the Cowboys, but the playoff prize is all but gift-wrapped thanks to that dominating season-opening rout of FBS member South Florida and the back-to-back victories over Central Arkansas and Sam Houston when they were still FCS powers, ranked 14 and 2 respectively. Postseason play has been a distant memory for the past three years as McNeese has floundered to an overall 1914 record from 2010-2012. But these 2013 Cowboys have the look and feel of a team
moved on. We can’t change the past, but we can definitely work on the future.” That focus, and the character needed to bounce back, have meant the Cowboys haven’t lost back-to-back games. According to Morgan, that’s a sign of a great team. Stroud, who’s ranked second in the league in passing efficiency, admits the Cowboys did little right in their two defeats. But he believes the Cowboys have proven they can “play with the best of them.” I stated back in August McNeese will go as far as Stroud can take them as their senior leader and starting quarterback. He has guided the Cowboys to an impressive 9-2 record, which is their best since the SLC championship season of 2009. Stroud has 25 touchdown passes against only 4 interceptions while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes. His performance can be credited to an offensive line that has overachieved, gelled quickly with three new starters, remained healthy and kept Stroud sound and in one piece. The quarterback has options in the game plan, with a running game that’s half ground and pound and the other half slash and dash. Tailbacks Marcus Wiltz and Kelvin Bennett are coming off their second dual 100-yard-plus rushing games of the season as they carved through Northwestern for 135 and 110 yards respectively. One of the keys to the Cowboys’ turnaround this season has been keeping players off crutches and on the field. One of the healthy notables in that regard has been Wiltz, the senior from New Iberia who leads the team in rushing with 1,172 yards.
Reciever/returner Diontae Spencer (also injury-free for the most part) makes the flashy highlights with 93-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns. But it’s Wiltz who just lowers his head and keeps his legs churning upfield. He has a blue collar, hard hat mentality that’s carried the heavy load and will land him on the All-Southland Conference team. “Coach has confidence in me and has said, ‘Wiltz, we have to get this thing going.’” Twice in the last three weeks, though, it was two early first quarter fumbles by Wiltz that led to opponents’ points and contributed to McNeese’s sleep-walking starts. He doesn’t normally put the ball on the turf and realizes it’s a trend that has to end. “First it starts off with me putting the ball on the ground. I can’t do that. I have to start off faster than that. We have the momentum going then, and I do something like that; it just kills the momentum for the team. But I have a short memory, and I put it out of my mind and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Obviously Viator has a short memory as well, as he continues to send his 5-foot, 9-inch, 190-pound dynamo back in for the pound portion of the running game. This offense will need Wiltz and that balance between the run and pass for the Cowboys to have any shot of ending their 0-4 playoff record dating back to 2003. The defense, which is healthy and running fast for the most part, has rallied around the energetic and boisterous personality of defensive coordinator Lance Guidry. His aggressive and ball-hawking
schemes have been a productive complement to Viator’s record-setting offense, which needs only 11 points to break McNeese’s school record of 478 total points set in 2002. One stat that pretty much tells the story of these Cowboys and this remarkable season is they’re 9-0 when leading at the half and 0-2 when trailing at the break. A simple formula for success? Well, maybe. It’s been telling so far, but as I said earlier, nothing is automatic for this team, and especially not in the playoffs. The stakes rise, as does the talent level and everything that goes with a return to the national stage and a shot at vying for a national championship. It’s OK if I look ahead. Photo By Jesse Hitefield
not only worthy of a bid but one that can do some damage in the new 24-team bracket. The agenda for the Cowboys right now is short and simple: take care of Lamar, who will be primed for an upset behind the league’s second best overall defense. Second on the Cowboys’ must-do list is to solve their persistently shaky first quarter starts. It’s a glaring weakness that they have yet to find an answer for. “It’s a concern, but if we can come back and do what we did against Northwestern, I’m fine with it,” said Viator. “I don’t know. We went in thinking we could improve on that. The last few weeks it’s been more my fault than theirs (the players). Instead of coming out and jabbing, jabbing to see what the defense would do, I didn’t go after it. I don’t know; we have to figure out something.” The difference between the Cowboys from the first 15 minutes to the second 15 is glaring. Through the first 11 games, McNeese has been outscored 95 to 86. That’s not overly one-sided, but the devil is in the details as the Cowboys have imploded with early turnovers, penalties (namely, false starts), bad throws, dropped passes, missed coverages by the defense, and just a total lack of rhythm and playmaking. But like clockwork, when the scoreboard reads “Second Quarter,” the Cowboys wake up from what looks like an Ambien hangover and begin to score points in bunches and put a chokehold on opposing offenses. In the second quarter alone, McNeese has outscored opponents 181 to 61. It’s not as if the Cowboys aren’t trying and playing hard. In most cases, the effort and want were there, but the execution was not. “I have to figure out a better way to get us into a better rhythm early,” said a perplexed Viator. “I felt like we had a different plan [against Northwestern], but we’ll have to find a different plan [against Lamar].” The players aren’t oblivious to their less-than-stellar starts and realize they’ve been a factor in their two losses. “It definitely is a concern,” said senior cornerback Guy Morgan. “We have to come out faster, because against a good team, we get behind [and] we may not be able to catch up.” That “good team” will be here before long come playoff time, and the Cowboys will need their A game from down one. Junior tight end Nic Jacobs, whose size and playmaking will be critical in the tournament, said the Pokes just “need to get hit in the mouth” before the juices get flowing. “It’s not that we’re taking opponents lightly, but maybe we overestimate ourselves. As soon as we get hit in the mouth, we come out harder.” It’s clear when McNeese got coldcocked in their two lopsided losses to Northern Iowa (41-6) and Southeastern (41-7), they regrouped the following week, and in both instances, they played their best games, while totaling the season’s highest offensive output. The Cowboys hung 59 on Central Arkansas and an eyepopping 69 points on SFA. “We have that 24-hour rule,” said Cody Stroud, the confident senior quarterback who’s now third on the school’s alltime career passing list. “We may not have had it as well in the past as this year. Come Sunday, watch film and then forget it. It’s over and we can’t change it now. This team has done a great job at [that] and
QB Cody Stroud
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ACCOUNTING
I BUY JUNK CARS UP TO $400. 2004 AND NEWER UP TO $600!
BROUSSARD & COMPANY CPA's
BARRETT CONSULTING APC Tax • Accounting Litigation Support Business Valuation & Consulting 1180 E. McNeese Ph: 337-855-0032 r1219
337-912-1816 PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________
stuff 4 sale
127 W. Broad Suite 800 Lake Charles 337-439-6600 r1219
337-656-2928 GoMinis® of SWLA Lake Charles
MOVING? REMODELING? NEED ADDITIONAL STORAGE?
8' X 20' 8' X 16' 8' X 12'
COWBOY'S TOWING & RECOVERY 24-HOUR TOWING 4125 E. HWY 90 • LAKE CHARLES
337-656-2928
PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________ FLIGHT TRAINING! VISION AVIATION, LLC; LICENSED INSTRUCTOR(S). Fly to new heights with our one of a kind “Discovery Flight” to see the sights for only $75! Makes a unique and adventurous gift. Gift Certificates available now. Call and reserve your fun at 478.7722. k2013apr
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2008 SALEM 28' CAMPER FOR SALE! Great shape, flat screen TV and microwave included. Queen bed in front. Bunk beds in back w/Twin on top, full on bottom. 16' slide with Sofa making into bed and dinette folding into bed also. Asking $12,000 negotiable with stabilization bar and receiver hitch (included). 337-515-6244 for information. ph1121
NATURALLY RAISED BEEF, butchered, vacuum packed, and frozen. Custom size portions to fit your needs. Wholes, halves, quarters, and packaged meat. Come see us every Tues. 4pm-6pm at Cash and Carry Farmers Market or call 842-4653 or 764-1074. r1121
Clean Used Cars Great Condition
GREAT DEALS ON WHEELS 2003 Chevy Malibu 4 door, loaded ......$2995 2002 Grand Prix GT V6 ........................$2995 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo like new .....$2995 2000 Ford Taurus V6, super clean ........$2995 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage ....................$2595 1998 Lincoln Town Car like new ........$2995 1996 Chevy Cavalier 4 door, 4 cyl .......$2595 1994 Toyota Camry shar p ...................$2595 2004 Dodge Ram 1500 super nice ......$3595 2002 Dodge Grand Caravan ...........$2595 2001 Ford F150 pickup, super nice .........$2995 2000 Chevy Silverado ext. cab ...........$3595 1999 Ford F250 loaded ..........................$2995 1997 Chevy Suburban excellent! ........$2595 1997 Ford Explorer XLT SUV ............$2595
ANTIQUE COOLERS, CUSTOM PAINTED OR RAW, BRAND NEW OLD STOCK STILL IN BOXES. RARE! 337-515-6945
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services
SWIMMING POOLS INGROUND VINYL LINER REPLACEMENT TOP QUALITY LINERS, INDIVIDUALLY MEASURED. WINTER SPECIAL ANY LINER $2750 INSTALLED! BAKERBOY LLC STEVE BAKER 884-4478 r1219
LAKE CHARLES AUTO PARTS Old Town Rd. & Hwy 171 Lake Charles, LA
439-8899
PARTIN JEWELRY REPAIR 34 Years Experience Jewelry Repair & Custom Jewelry Work
QUICK SERVICE • Oil changes, tire rotations, 15k service, belts, hoses, coolant service, power steering flush,brake flush, light engine repair, tune ups, check engine light on, air conditioning service, disc and drum brakes. • Engine Performance • Engine Repair • Brakes • Steering And Suspension • Manual Drive Train • Heating And AC • Electrical Repair And Diagnosis • DEQ Emissions Safety Inspections • State Inspections
Info or Estimates: 526.2533 96
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All work is done in store by me Located inside Bodin Jewelers 3133 Ernest Street (East of JCPenney) OPEN: Tues-Fri 10-5:30
NEW TO LAKE CHARLES! "Your Honest Hometown Family Owned Repair Shop" We offer fair labor rates, honest diagnosis and service. We don't just want your business, we want to earn it along with your trust. Complete Automotive Repair and Maintenance on cars and light trucks, with specialization on Domestic. Small or Large Repairs and Service.
436-6535 Call anytime 842-9184 Bring in this ad and receive
Rickey Partin
15% OFF
any repair work!
southwest louisiana job finder services
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help wanted
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HEY! GET WITH THE PROGRAM! Paying too much for classified advertising is VERY UNCOOL and it's holding your business back. Our classifieds keep growing because our advertisers get results!. CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY START GETTING THE RESULTS YOU DESERVE! class@thelanyap.com _________________
DEPENDABLE PEOPLE WANTED!
help wanted MAZDA OF LAKE CHARLES is Now Hiring Sales Associates To expand their Sales Team. We offer insurance, 401K, Vacation, Great Hours, Large Inventory. No experience necessary, will train. Apply in person to Will Bryant 11am-2pm
HOUSE LEVELING, HOUSE LIFTING. CALL ONE STOP CONSTRUCTION. Sill and truss replacement, foundation repair, general remodeling, etc. References available, free estimates, licensed and insured. All work is warrantied. Call us at 337-309-7301. r0905 _________________
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services HANDYMAN JACOB HOME REPAIRS 337-302-3878
ADVERTISE NOW IN LAGNIAPPE CLASSIFIEDS ..CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 _________________
RAGLEY-HWY 190 Convenience store and house for sale or lease.
Registered Nurses • ICU • Med/Surg • Psychiatric Services • In House Staffing Pool (1 year exp.) • Emergency Department • PICU
LPNs • In House Staffing Pool (1 year exp.)
Intensive Outpatient Psychiatric Physical Medicine
TECHNICIAN
• Physical Therapist • Financial/Compliance Coordinator (Part Time) • LCSW / LMSW / LCP
announcements JOIN THE LC YACHT CLUB! Sail boats and power boats are welcome, family friendly. Member- ship includes on the water clubhouse, sailboats, socials. Call Ship to Shore at 474.0730 _________________
CANNON REALTY 337-738-5190
Laboratory • Medical Technologist
BOAT & RV STORAGE
Moss Memorial Health Clinic Business Office Additional Openings Include • Monitor Tech • Admitting Rep For additional openings or to apply, please visit our website at www.lcmh.com Or apply at 3050 Aster Street, Lake Charles
BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________
announcements 10 ACRES ON DUNN FERRY ROAD (NEAR SUTHERLAND)
announcements NOW BUYING OUSLEY PAINTINGS Please Call 337-794-9714
announcements I BUY SCRAP CARS! PAYING UP TO $550 FOR TRUCKS AND LESS ON CARS. PLEASE CALL 802-8348 Must Have Title!
DIESEL ENGINES Powerstroke, Cummins, Duramax, remanufactured with warranty. Will deliver. 713-918-5811
$200,000 850-420-6744
services I DO IT ALL! A ALL JOB'S, Very Reasonable, Carpentry, Tile, Brick, Stucco, Sheetrock, Vinyl Siding, 302-4110
announcements NOW BUYING OUSLEY PAINTINGS Please Call 337-794-9714
r1219
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Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Demolition, Crane Work, Debris Hauling. Bonded. Insured. License AR 1604 337-884-6881 g0502-2012
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TRAILERS HAIR SALON
Trailers Aluminum, Steel, Horse, Stock Motorcycle, Cargo, Gooseneck, Bumper, Lowboy, Equipment
Mark Pedersen Equipment Co. 337-436-2497 an
announcements RESTAURANT LOCATION! Adjacent to Bronco Stop. Full kitchen, dining area, tables, drink machines & more. Call Wali today and open your dream restaurant! 337-244-4423 gp _________________
COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile. Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0906 _________________
stuff 4 sale FOR SALE STUDIO COUCH Opens into queen size bed. Good condition. Reg. $900, asking $500.
337-478-6574
services LANDSCAPING
FALL LANDSCAPE PACKAGES for every budget! We use state of the art software to show you what your landscape can look like. $100 OFF any new landscape project when you mention Lagniappe! SWLA Lawn and Landscape Licensed, Bonded, Insured 337-625-5625 K1018
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TOWAWAYS
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• Director of Business Office
real estate FOR SALE IN MOSS BLUFF
NEED QUALIFIED TECHNICIAN TO REPAIR AND INSTALL ENGINES & TRANSMISSIONS 337-936-7134. 337215-0709 r _________________
• Licensed Practical Nurse • Nurse Practitioner
EOE
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help wanted
• Program Specialist/Driver
Psychiatric Services LC YACHT CLUB
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Immediate Openings
Slender Solutions, an established salon for over 13 years located in thriving South Lake Charles is looking for Eager New or Upcoming Hair Stylists, Massage Therapists, and Nail Team who are excited to prosper with our expanding business! Private or open settings are available with limitless client possibilites! PLEASE CALL APRIL AT 5629400 TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. Slender Solutions of Lake Charles.
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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
Towing and Recovery Service NOW RENTING U-HAUL TRUCKS & TRAILERS
24 Hour Service!
ph
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1121 Main Street • Lake Charles
Ronnie Mesh (337) 436-7237
FOR SALE 40 ACRES OUISKA ON CHITTO GOOD HUNTING, FISHING AND SANDBARS LOTS OF OAK AND CYPRESS TREES PRICE REDUCED! Ph 337-540-2667
Southwest SW Manufactured HOMES & RV'S Housing, Inc. NEW • USED • REPOS • SALES & SERVICE
2013 SINGLEWIDE 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH, DELIVERY, SET-UP, A/C INCLUDED FOR ONLY $1700 DOWN AND $275 A MONTH WAC! PRE-QUALIFY TODAY! Corner of Hwy 90 and Hwy 171
www.swhomeslc.com 436-5593 www.BestOfSWLA.com
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UTEC
Utility Truck & Equipment Co. Boat Trailer Axles & Springs • Flat Beds Service Bodies • Truck Cranes • Tool Boxes Fabrication • Big Truck P&B We're At Your Service! 24-Hour Road Service 1432 BROAD ST • 433-5361
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MISC. SERVICES
HAIR SALON
Sell that Junk Car for Cash! I will buy your junk car, truck, van, motor home, or trailer. I also buy ATV’s, motorcycles, and even farm equipment. Even if it’s not running, you can make from $400 to $600. Clean your yard up, and decide what you’ll spend your extra money on! HELP WANTED Experienced mechanic needed. Call now at 526.9533. k1018
NEW! CUSTOM CABINET SHOP Custom Countertops Affordable Pricing Professional Custom Woodwork Entire Lake Charles Area
302-6903 PLACE YOUR AD CALL ROSE AT 4338502 TODAY! class@thelanyap.com _________________
COUNTRY CLUB HAIR - Where a haircut still comes with a lollipop and a smile. Over 25 years in business. Walk-ins welcome. Located on 1214 Country Club Rd. Open Tuesday-Friday 8:30-5:30, Saturdays 8am-2pm. Call 4744722 k0816 _________________
Buying U.S. Coins & Currency
Gold, Silver, Coins & Sets
MAGIC THE GATHERING TOURNAMENTS HELD WEEKLY 478-2143 3941 Ryan Street, Lake Charles
At Cracker Barrel, You Can Get What You Want Now Hiring:
SERVERS ALL SHIFTS
(337) 626-9500 An Equal Opportunity Employer
Larry A. Roach, Inc.
services
A PROFESSIONAL LAW CORPORATION
FENCING
Accidents • Wrongful Death Serious Personal Injury Criminal, Domestic Law Cases
FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates. Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________
FENCEMAKERS We build chainlink, barbed, privacy, electric, net, wooden, and security fences, free estimates. Call David today at 337-375-4747. k0920 _________________
2917 Ryan St. • Lake Charles (337) 433-8504 • Fax (337) 433-3196 98
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Gold & Silver Coins Currency Mint & Proof Sets All Coins Graded w/Photograde I BUY COLLECTIONS
KEMBLE GUILLORY CALL 802-5402
SOUTH LAKE CHARLES
PETS
478-2386 884-2386
Tree Removal, Stump Grinding, Land Clearing, Bonded. Insured. License AR 1604 337-884-6881
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g0502-2012
RETAIL / OFFICE
real estate
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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stuff 4 sale OVERKILL SALVAGE "If it's sunk, we can get it up!"
Call Today! 337-309-7301
FOR SALE FIXER-UPPER 3 BEDROOM, 1 BATH IN VINTON FOR ONLY $19,000. CALL NOW AT 832-304-1226 _________________
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real estate HUNTING CAMP FOR SALE AT LONGVILLE LAKE, PLUTO LOOP, $22,500 CALL 337-515-9614
services CONSTRUCTION
BOUCHER & SON'S CONSTRUCTION ~ YOU’VE FOUND THE RIGHT COMPANY! Give us call for all your construction, carpentry, painting, and damage repairs. Licensed, Bonded, and Insured. Member of the Better Business Bureau. Give Tom a call at 337-474-2844 (office) or 337-842-1455 (cell) AND SEE HOW AFFORDABLE UPGRADING YOUR HOME CAN BE! 474.2844. k0313 _________________
k0920
real estate services
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UPHOLSTERY
BOAT & RV STORAGE
BOAT UPHOLSTERY and top repairs, motorcycles, convertible and more. AAA Glass & Upholstery, 1810 E. Prien Lake Road or CALL 337-564-4125
BOAT & RV STORAGE - 6102 COMMON STREET. SECURED STORAGE! Call 337564-5377 cr _________________
k0816
services LAWN & GARDEN S&S LAWN CARE for your mowing and trimming needs call David at 337-884-0342 or 337-588-4000 k0517
Laundry W rld Larry A. Roach (1932-2003) Barry A. Roach • Larry A. Roach, Jr. Fred C. "Bubba" LeBleu • David M. Hudson
$37,500 PER ACRE OR MAKE OFFER
RARE COINS
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• Flexible Schedules • Medical and Dental • Chance to Grow • Paid Training • No tip sharing STOP BY TODAY! Exit 23, Sulphur
GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD
DOWN ON THE BAYOU
FENCING
SALVAGE
PAPER HEROES
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
MOBILE HOMES MOBILE HOME TO BE MOVED. 3/2, BO over $8,000. Camper for rent. All bills paid. 2 acre lot south of Lake Charles. 477-6243 or 564-5859 gpnmr _________________
services 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 FOR ATV & TRUCK TIRES 477-9850 478-6565 527-6355 "People you trust, products you depend on"
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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 _________________ PLACE YOUR AD HERE! CALL ROSE AT 433-8502 TODAY! _________________
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 _________________
Start an Exciting Career in Emergency Communications Entry Level $15 an hour w/benefits Applications available at www.calcasieu911.com Equal Opportunity Employer
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!
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CALL 526-9533
WE WILL BUY!
classified k0621
McNeese Plaza Salon 3817 Ryan Street 337-475-8990
Cathy Durio Owner • Stylists Hank • Ginger • Amity
FULL SERVICE SALON • WALK-INS WELCOME MEN'S HAIRCUTS Tues-Fri 8:30am-7pm • Mon & Sat 9am-4pm
classified VARIETY MOTORS CLEAN USED CARS ‘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 _________________
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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 www.BestOfSWLA.com
November 21, 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 LIFTING AND MOVING GUARANTEED 2-YEAR WARRANTY FOR ALL LABOR AND MATERIALS! Foundation Repair • Concrete Slab Stabilization Licensed, Bonded and Insured • References
CALL ONE STOP www.onestophouseleveling.com
337-309-7301
classified Your friends will be talking about it for years to come ...
MAGICIAN HARRY JOSEPH Interactive magician Harry Joseph will perform a variety of magical entertainment for your Birthday Party, Special Event and Church Actvities. Professional and lots of fun!
337-540-3938
T
harryjoseph00@gmail.com
ch of AT
100
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2 minutes to drop off 2 minutes to pick up 4319 Common St. • 474-8748 2501 Hwy 14 • 433-7503 Professional Wash, Dry, Fold/Hang Service Dry Cleaning Available
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
real estate FOR SALE IN MOSS BLUFF 10 ACRES ON DUNN FERRY ROAD (NEAR SUTHERLAND) $200,000 850-420-6744
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 _________________
real estate MOBILE HOMES 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 _________________
Bobby Lafleur Auto Sales 855-7400
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November 21, 2013
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Last Words I was in conversation recently with someone who had lost her father to cancer. He was a loving family man, southern style, like we raise our boys to be daddies and grandpas, and when he went home and hospice came there began the vigil of the family, watching, being there, trying to snatch one more moment where he was he, and we were we. He was out of it, out of it, for days, and then one day, for just a moment of a moment, he was lucid and he looked at the faces gathered in his room and he said, “Am I in heaven?” Not bad. _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ One thing you need to know about me: I don’t take life cheap. Not always so. Once upon a onceupona, I was a different me, and I thought myself larger, more important, and no surprise, I got cured of that real, real good. Where once I thought I was owed my life; I came out of the lesson trying to keep my birthday a secret, play it down, because I truly believe the most appropriate thing I should do on my birthday is hit knees and thank Him for a life unearned, an investment with such mixed results, and mostly I thank Him for not rescinding it yet. As pitiful as I was yesterday, as rude as I was last week, as insensitive as I was last month, as meandering as I was last year, yet I remain, this day, this right-now…and precious, precious, precious it is. There are something like seven billion people out there on the pretty planet. I’m a sand grain with a soul. _____
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Back when I could say twenty-something and fit the description, I often would kill time in bookstores and I have a specific memory of finding a compilation of Famous Last Words, a perspective aspirin, famous people, famous lives, and then it ends, but not without last words… Sometimes they die thinking about money, like P.T. Barnum, “How were the receipts today at Madison Square Garden?” For my age group John Belushi is beloved, and as funny as he was, he had a sad end, saying, “Please don’t leave me alone.” There’s a lot of unintentional humor. Jack Daniel, yes, that Jack Daniel, his last words were, “One last drink, please.” Thomas Grasso chose to bitch about his last meal before lethal injection, “I did not get my Spaghetti-O’s, I got spaghetti. I want the press to know this.” Thomas, now we know. A script writer for the soap opera Days Of Our Lives, his last words were, “And now a word from our sponsor.” We wonder, don’t we, about what’s it like, right there at the cliff of life. Alfred Hitchcock, “One never knows the ending. One has to die to know exactly what happens after death, although Catholics have their hopes.” Here’s Steve Jobs, Apple, “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!” Mozart said, “The taste of death is upon my lips. I feel something that is not of this earth.” The guy who wrote Amazing Grace, his last stanza was, “I am in the land of the dying and soon am going to the land of the living.” I was caught by Queen Elizabeth’s last words. To the history impaired: rarely in the history of the world has any female been so powerful, globally, ever before and unto now, as Queen E, and hear her, “All my possessions for a moment of time.” A Union soldier in the Civil War, dying, alone, wrote in his diary, “June 3. Cold Harbor. I was killed.” Conrad Hilton, he of hotels, and forefather to you-know-who, his last words were, “Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub.” “Ch bin Heinrich Himmler.” I am Heinrich Himmler. And how did that meet-the-Maker thing go, Heinrich? Lot of people wonder. Another World War II notable, the English general Bernard Montgomery, “Well, now I must go to meet God and try to explain all those men I killed at Alamein.” Remember Agnes Morehead from Bewitched? “Mama.” Funny people should go out funny. Bob Hope’s wife asked him where he
wanted to be buried and he said, “Surprise me.” Freddy Mercury, from Queen, probably deserves a do-over: “Pee-pee.” Anybody part of Bohemian Rhapsody deserves better than that. I get a kick out of the irony of an old school mobster named Andrew Mutton. His car was notorious for having trouble with the starter, and when it cranked up on the first go he says, “Well, this is certainly a pleasant surprise,” right before the bomb rigged to the ignition exploded. Martin Luther King wanted them to play Blessed Lord, “Play it real pretty.” If I was facing a firing squad, as Pedro Munoz Seca did during the Spanish Civil War, I’d like to think I’d be quick on my feet and say, “I am starting to believe you are not intending to count me amongst your friends,” to his firing squad. Next time I tipple I’m toasting you Pedro. Right there at the end, no matter your station, you can get away saying anything to anybody. Wilson Mizner told the priest, “Why should I talk to you? I’ve just been talking to your boss.” Ain’t got the faintest idea who you were, but if that’s all you ever said, you said a lot.
There are something like seven billion people out there on the pretty planet. I’m a sand grain with a soul. I realized some years back that Judaism, Islam and Christianity can all be wrong; but if one of them is right then the other two missed it. A lot of people pray at the end. Here’s Muhammad, “In the company of the blessed: from the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, and the righteous, O Allah, the highest companions. O Allah, the highest companions. O Allah, the highest companions.” Here’s a Christian in Latin, “In manus tuas domine confide spirtum meum.” That’s Mary I of Scotland and she’s saying, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” Here’s a Mexican, Jose Maria Morelos, fighting for Mexican independence, about to get executed, and he hits pretty close to home for me, “Lord, if I have done well, You know it; and if badly, I take refuge in Your infinite mercy.” _____
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This stirs me up inside. Sometimes that’s a good thing. You the reader and me the writer, we’re all together now in pulse, and we all know the pulse ends, and the gift ends. The thing to take from this is not to start rehearsing some notable quote for the great moment, but to pull back from the everydayness of life and to re-realize that one day there will be no tomorrow, and should we die saying something dumb is less important than did we live well, and right, and clean and to insert one of my father’s favorite lines, “saved for earth now and eternity later.” To make a point I’ll end with this quote, “You be good. See you tomorrow. I love you.” The last words of Alex, an African Grey Parrot, that was used in psychology research at Brandeis University, said to his handler at the end of the day, and found dead in his cage the next morning. _____
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This edition of Uncle P’s Bedtime Stories is brought to you by Eighty-one, where we think a little reflection never killed anyone. Uncle P can be reached at HYPERLINK "mailto:81creativity@gmail.com" 81creativity@gmail.com.
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