The Jambalaya News, Vol. 5, No. 22 - 01/30/14

January 30, 2014 • Volume 5 • Issue 22

715 Kirby St. Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-436-7800 Fax: 337-990-0262 www.louisianajam.com Publisher Phil de Albuquerque phil@louisianajam.com Executive Editor Lauren de Albuquerque lauren@louisianajam.com Contributors Lisa Addison Julie Bergeron George Cline Angie Kay Dilmore Dan Ellender Julie Fay Mike Louviere Mike McHugh Roger Miller Brandon Shoumaker Mary Louise Ruehr Karla Tullos Anna Catherine Viator Sales sales@louisianajam.com Graphics Art/Production Director Burn Rourk Art Assistant Sarah Bercier Associate Photographer Johnny Owens Cajun Pirate Photgraphy Business Office Manager Jeanie Taggart Legal Disclaimer The views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.

Louisiana Jam is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, LLC, 715 Kirby Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601.

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

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

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On cover: Residents of The Verandah at Graywood and Carriage House Assisted Living

COVER STORY 23 The Verandah at Graywood & Carriage House Assisted Living REGULARS 4 We Are SWLA! 6 The Dang Yankee 6 Adoption Corner 7 Tips from Tip 8 This Functional Family 9 21st Century Etiquette 12 The Sports Report 14 Huntin’ Tales

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FEATURES 10 The Lorrain Bridge 1 1 Mary Savoie: An Appointment with Destiny 15 McNeese Cowboys Basketball Team Makes an Impact 16 Fall-Proofing Your Home 19 Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Should Know THE SPICE OF SWLA 28 Events Guide 29 Family Fun Night at the Movies 30 Red Hot Books 32 Nightlife Guide 35 Acting Up! 36 The Unique History of the Second Line 37 Society Spice 39 Funbolaya 40 Cajun Classifieds 43 Gator Tales

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30 36 Vol. 5 • No. 22

A Note From Phil Points in Heaven Christmas was always a wonderful time for me. Growing up in Michigan, you could almost always count on a white Christmas. The six of us would start the season off by building a big igloo in our front yard. Dad would play with us and then it was off to light the big evergreen tree alongside the house. It was about 35 feet tall, and people would come for miles to see it!

But it wasn’t all about fun and games. Mom and Dad always reminded us what Christmas was all about. Gifts were not a big part of our celebration. Advent was a time for “giving up” things or for doing “extra special” things for God. Each of us had charts on the wall where we would put a check mark next to something listed that we had accomplished. “Points In Heaven,” Mom and Dad would call them.

This past Christmas, I found myself reminiscing about those good ole’ days. I awoke on Christmas morning, made myself a cup of coffee, and sat on the back steps. I looked at our house, the carriage house, and down the path through the fence to our office. I closed my eyes

Vol. 5 • No. 22

and thanked God for leading us to this place called Lake Charles 10 years ago.

I wanted to do something different this year on this special day. I raised the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip. I opened my eyes and felt Him next to me. I think I even saw Him. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

I never said a word but He knew my thoughts. “I’d like to spend the day with You,” I thought.

“That would be special.” He looked at me and I heard, “I created the day. You make it what you want. We’ll spend it together with me following you!” “What a deal!” I thought. “What do you want me to do?” Another big smile. “It’s your day.”

I grabbed the container of cat food and went to all of our cats’ favorite feeding places. I called each of their names and petted them. Then, I got a can of wet food and they all got some treats.

Every time I looked up, He was there, smiling.

Next, I put some bird food in the feeder. Immediately, sparrows, cardinals and blue jays came swooping down.

“Let’s go for a ride,” I said as I grabbed the keys to the car. I wasn’t sure where I was going

but knew I would be led in the right direction…I was with God. I found Albertson’s open and bought all the boxes of candy canes they had left, along with a Santa hat that I put on. I looked at God and wondered if He ever wore a Santa hat. He smiled.

I found myself in front of an assisted living facility. I went in, introduced myself to the young man at the desk, and asked if I could bring some Christmas cheer to the folks there. He was thrilled and led me to their dining room where I met some wonderful people.

As I passed out the candy canes, they all had a story to tell me. One woman remembered riding on a camel in the desert.

Another woman was a telephone operator and had to connect you to the person you were trying to call. A gentleman showed me his wonderful paintings, and another woman shared her homemade fudge with me. I stayed for hours, going room to room, hearing stories and passing out goodies.

I wished everyone a Merry Christmas and headed home.

The cats ran to the car and jumped on me as if I had been gone for weeks. They escorted

me home where I made another cup of coffee and sat back down on the steps. I motioned to God to see if he wanted a cup and he just smiled.

“What a wonderful Christmas” I said. “Thank you for spending the day with me.”

“I always spend the day with you,” I heard Him reply.

“Was it the day you wanted?”

I asked.

“My gift to you is the day,” He said. “What you make of it is your gift to Me.” “But did you like your gift?” I asked.

He got up, looked at me, and smiled.

“Points In Heaven,” He said as he walked among the cats and down the path.

Phil de Albuquerque

JANUARY 30, 2014 03

‘Best Wings USA’ Coming to SWLA

Dr. Craig Morton Receives National Recognition Craig G. Morton, M.D., Imperial Health Center For Orthopaedics Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialist, was recently recognized as the “Top Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist in Louisiana,” “Most Influential Doctor in the Lake Charles Region,” “Top Doctor in the Lake Charles Region” and “Thought Leader in the Lake Charles Region” by HealthTap, a medical expert network comprised of over 50,000 U.S. licensed doctors dedicated to improving people’s health and well-being by providing registered users with personalized health information and Dr. Craig Morton free online and mobile answers. The goal of the HealthTap program is to help people better understand health, make more informed health decisions and to find the very best doctors around.

WCCH Receives Blue Distinction Center+ Designation In 2013, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana named West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital as a Blue Distinction Center+ in Knee and Hip Replacement. The Blue Distinction Centers for Specialty Care® program is a national designation awarded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies to medical facilities that have demonstrated expertise in delivering quality specialty care – which expanded recently to include more robust quality measures focused on improved patient health and safety, as well as new cost-efficiency measures.

Ross M. Raley Recognized by Louisiana Bar Journal

Ross M. Raley 04 JANUARY 30, 2014

Ross M. Raley, an associate attorney with the Stockwell Sievert Law Firm, was recently recognized in the Young Lawyers Spotlight section of the Louisiana Bar Journal. Raley serves on the board of directors of the American Red Cross SWLA Chapter, the Chamber SWLA Small Business Committee and the Chamber Southwest committee to select participants for the SEED Center Business Incubator. Raley is also a member of the SWLA Bar Association Young Lawyers Section Executive Council.

Louisiana based I-10 Hospitality, LLC, a restaurant, hotel and gaming management company has selected 535 North Cities Service Highway in Sulphur as the site for their first Quaker Steak & Lube® restaurant. The site is located less than a mile from Interstate 10 Exit 23, near Highway 90. The site will be a freestanding, 6,500 square-foot restaurant including an outdoor patio. Other notable features are the trademark Quaker Steak & Lube® motor-themed environment and an award-winning menu. The opening of Quaker Steak & Lube will add more than 50 permanent jobs to Sulphur. For information about current openings, visit www.thelube. com/employment

Burgess Named Calcasieu Soccer Club League Administrator Paul Burgess was recently named League Administrator for Calcasieu Soccer Club. Burgess will act as the primary liaison between the CSC’s membership and its board of directors and will coordinate registration and scheduling for the recreational soccer league. He will also handle marketing and public relations activities on behalf of the club. Burgess previously served as director of coaching and club administrator for CSC from August 2003 to January 2009. He holds a diploma in sports studies as well as a diploma in leisure studies from Wigan College in Wigan, England. For more information on CSC or to register, visit www.cscsoccerclub.org.

Edward Jones Announces New Financial Advisor for Lake Charles The financial services firm Edward Jones has hired Anne Miller as the new financial advisor for Lake Charles branch office located at 933 E. McNeese Street. Miller has been a resident of the Lake Area for the past 28 years.

She is married to Jon Miller and they have two daughters, Ashley and Sara. Miller graduated from McNeese State University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Finance. She joins Edward Jones after a 22-year banking career as a business banker and assistant VP at Calcasieu Anne Miller Marine National Bank, Capital One Bank and Business First Bank. Anne has been active in the Chamber of Commerce, and is the past president of The Greater Lake Charles Rotary Club where she has been a member for 12 years.

Vol. 5 • No. 22

Dr. Susie Cox

McNeese Professor Wins Award

SOWELA Awards Posthumous Degree

Dr. Susie Cox of McNeese State University was recently announced as the 2013 recipient of the Imperial Calcasieu Human Resources Management Association Professional of the Year award. Dr. Cox, SPHR, is currently an Assistant Professor of Management at McNeese State University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses primarily in the area of human resources management. She holds the Capital One Bank endowed professorship and her research focuses on forgiveness, communication, and educational assessment.

Southwest Louisiana Technical Community College (SOWELA) honored the memory of Wayne Kingsbury in a private ceremony in the Arts and Humanities building at the Lake Charles campus. “Wayne would have been very proud of this diploma, as he was very proud to be at SOWELA,” said his wife, Amanda. In addition to Mrs. Kingsbury, others attending the ceremony included Dion and Heather Kingsbury, brother and sister-in-law of Wayne Kingsbury, family friend Bonnie Green, and the Chancellor’s executive leadership team. For more information about SOWELA and its programs, visit www.sowela.edu or contact Randy Jolly at randy.jolly@sowela.edu

Chamber Announces 2014 Board of Directors The Chamber Southwest and the Alliance Foundation recently introduced its 2014 Board of Directors: Glen Bertrand, chair, City Savings Bank Celia Case, chair-elect, Southwest Call Center of Louisiana Ben Bourgeois, past chair, Turner Industries Group, LLC Courtney Fenet, vice-chair, governmental affairs, R.E. Heidt Construction Company Ken Francis, vice-chair, economic development, Lake Charles Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Dick Myers, vice-chair, education/workforce, Boise Matt Young, vice-chair, quality of life, The O’Carroll Group Jim Giffin, treasurer, SWLA Credit Union John Pohorelsky, legal counsel, Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry George Swift, president and CEO, The Chamber SWLA/Alliance Foundation SWLA

Vol. 5 • No. 22

(L to R) Dr. Neil Aspinwall, Chancellor, Amanda Kingsbury and Dion Kingsbury McNeese Photo

JANUARY 30, 2014 05

Wastin’ Away on Wall Street Investing in the stock market is a good thing. It’s part of the American Dream—just the same as getting a college degree, buying your own house, and having a satellite bill that’s twice the cost of your monthly mortgage.

Yet, many express skepticism about the markets. They say that they’re not interested in investing in dreams. They’d rather put their money into more tangible instruments, such as lottery tickets.

I understand where they’re coming from. People have lost incredible sums of money over the past several years investing in what they believed to be rock-solid companies. Take Enron, for instance. At one time, Enron was considered to be a top “blue chip” company— extolled by many a Wall Street analyst—this despite the fact that its main product turned out to be fraudulent financial statements.

But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that Enron possessed that one vital asset— very smart people. They had to be smart because they all wore Italian suits and carried very expensive briefcases, and everyone knows that a person’s IQ is directly related to the cost of his briefcase. It’s a good thing, thought the Enron employees, because no matter how expensive the briefcase, it sure beats the tuition at Harvard Business School.

It’s because of Enron and other companies like it that many people have soured on the stock market. “How can a little guy have any hope of making money?” you might ask. Well, you can make money as long as you go about it sensibly.

For instance, one valuable piece of investment advice is to stick with companies whose products you are familiar with.

For me, this leaves out about everything except for brewers

and entertainment companies that focus on sports and action/adventure movies. Any company that is the least bit involved with fashion is strictly out of bounds, except for one that might specialize in tropical shirts.

You should also generally avoid hot tips from people that you run into at the local bar; particularly those who you’re sure have been parked on the same stool since they returned from the Vietnam War. You’ll generally find more stock market “experts” in the average barroom than you would on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. This is the case especially when the averages are near a top and getting ready to sink to about the level of the Titanic.

These people try to give me tips all the time; about half of them are still about Enron.

Still, if you’re tempted to take one of them seriously, first

We are delighted that this sweet senior boy, a casualty of war, recently joined us. His original person was killed in Iraq. This left him with the soldier’s partner. Although she brought him with her in a move from California to Louisiana, she could not keep him and passed him on to a friend. Because he is blind from cataracts, the new owner’s husband wanted to have him put down. Instead, she surrendered him to a big-hearted LAPAW volunteer. Chance is 06 JANUARY 30, 2014

8-9 years old and weighs about 25 pounds. Because he was so matted and dirty, he had to have an immediate haircut. He is a purebred cocker spaniel and will need regular grooming. He is a sweet, loving boy with acute hearing and “sniffing” abilities; he learns his environment quickly and gets around very well when it becomes familiar to him.

He will need a family with a securely fenced yard and supervision when he is outside. He is heartworm negative and his general health is good.

He has many good years ahead of him! He is housetrained and very

test him by asking if he knows who Warren Buffett is. If he then starts singing the chorus to “Margaritaville,” you might want to move to the other end of the bar and maybe also ask the bartender to turn up the jukebox until you can no longer hear him.

These are just a few tips that, hopefully, will ease your fears about the stock market and make you a better investor.

And if you’re still not convinced, I’ve got this for you: a guy I met at the bar last night told me he’d heard on good authority that this week’s Powerball number is going to come up “39.”

Mike McHugh has been writing for “The Jambalaya News” since 2009. He also contributes stories to the “Not Your Mother’s Book” anthology series and makes public speaking appearances. You can follow him on Twitter @ dang_yankee.

social with other dogs and with people and often show his senior “spunk!” Because he is a special needs boy, he will likely be with us awhile. He would welcome a sponsor/donor to help with his care until his special person comes for him.

True to our mission of working with the “hopeless,” and moving them to a happy “forever,” we are honored to be able to save this boy. In doing so, we feel we are honoring the life and sacrifice of his original person.

To meet this very special boy or to sponsor him, call or email us: (337) 478 7294 or lapaw@bellsouth.net.

Vol. 5 • No. 22

Something to Wine About In a recent conversation with the gentleman who has been organizing wine tastings at a prominent Lake Charles restaurant for quite a few years, I was informed that these events are presently endangered. In attempting to arrange a future event with a wine purveyor, he was told that the wine houses in Louisiana are holding off because of a recent turn of events caused by the Office of Alcohol & Tobacco Control of the State of Louisiana Department of Revenue.

A “Memorandum of Clarification,” issued on December 16, 2013, specifies how a manufacturer or wholesaler may donate only alcohol and trophies of minimum value in “Special Events and Samplings.” There are additional prohibitions listed in this memorandum that illustrate and prohibit what can and cannot be done when holding wine or other alcohol tastings and promotions.

Allowing more than 2 ounces to be sampled by any individual is prohibited, and any beverage over 23 percent by volume is limited to one-half ounce per brand.

I assure you that the language to a layman is more than confusing and my eyes have glazed over trying to read and understand more of that document. Some of these prohibitions go back as far as 1979 and include more restrictions added in 1995. All of a sudden, it seems the powers that be at ATC have decided to rigorously enforce these heretofore almost completely neglected provisions.

This puts Rouge et Blanc (the sole fundraising event for the McNeese Banners Cultural Series) in jeopardy, as well as other similar Vol. 5 • No. 22

events around the state.

Having spoken to Banners headquarters, I have found that they are very aware of this situation and are definitely trying to see how they can comply with this recent impetus that puts their financial future in a quandary. We can only hope that a solution can be found to allow these hugely enjoyed activities to proceed as they have for many years.

Rouge et Blanc is successful in more than a few ways. It allows the community to enjoy fine wines and food, raises funds for wonderful cultural events in our area, and showcases the Calcasieu Parish Court House and 1911 City Hall (and hopefully this year, McNeese in its 75th year of educational excellence on home ground). It is time for Louisiana to grow up and allow adults to be able to act like adults without unnecessary and more than questionable restrictions.

Supermarket Roundup Having started on the subject of wines, we will compare some of the wine prices of several everyday selections at our usual local supermarkets. The prices quoted here are the posted prices on the shelf where the product was placed for sale. The survey was performed on Wednesday, January 22, 2014. The stores were: Albertsons-Country Club Road, Market Basket-Lake Street, Kroger-McNeese Street and Walmart-Nelson Road.

Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay, 750 ml bottle: Albertsons $13.99, Market Basket $12.49, Kroger $13.88, Walmart $10.64.

Bogle Merlot, 750 ml bottle: Albertsons $9.99, Market Basket $9.39, Kroger $9.59, Walmart $7.77.

Korbel Champagne, Brut, 750 ml bottle: Albertsons $13.99, Market Basket $12.29, Kroger $14.19, Walmart $10.97.

E&J Brandy, VS, 750 ml bottle: Albertsons $9.99, Market Basket $9.89, Kroger $13.79, Walmart $9.97.

JANUARY 30, 2014 07

School Lunches Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em One of my children just loves school lunches, raves about everything the cafeteria ladies serve up, and actually asks me not to pack a lunch for her. My other child tells me that if I don’t pack a lunch for him, then he will starve to death because, in his words, “School lunches are just gross and disgusting and they are not meant for anyone to eat!”

So, every morning I send my son off to school with a lunch because I know that he really means it when he says he will not eat the school lunches. I tested things out once and his teacher told me later that it was true. He’s stubborn that way. By the end of the day he had a throbbing headache and was very hungry—but still determined in his resolve to never, ever eat a school lunch. I believe him.

My daughter is the opposite.

The other day, I asked her what her favorite things are about the school lunches and she said, “I love everything about them!

Sometimes, the cafeteria ladies

08 JANUARY 30, 2014

give me extra peaches. They tell me I’m cute. It always smells good in there. They fix the best Sloppy Joes in the whole world. And I love that they have salad, pizza, apples, and hamburgers. Everything that we have for lunch at my school is just very delicious!” I guess my son wouldn’t know. Or perhaps he just has different likes and dislikes and I think that is totally fine.

When I was growing up, and with five kids in our family, we simply ate the school lunches.

That was our choice: eat the lunch or go without. I don’t remember any of the other kids bringing their lunches, either.

What I do remember is that the lunches always included a single blood-red beet on the plate along with whatever else was being served that day and that nobody ever ate the beets. But the hairnet-wearing cafeteria ladies kept plopping them onto our plates day after day. The only

things I really liked about the lunches were the rolls, mashed potatoes, and chocolate sheet cake. But most of us would only eat half of our mashed potatoes because the juice from the beets would get on them and nobody wanted to have to find out what those beets tasted like!

I guess schools don’t serve up beets for lunches these days; I asked my daughter, and her response was, “What are beets?”

Maybe that’s a good thing, since it means beets aren’t going to waste and mashed potatoes aren’t being ruined by beet juice.

I’ve had lunch at their school and the plates and portions are definitely smaller, which is healthier for all. I keep hoping to enjoy a dash of nostalgia with a square of chocolate sheet cake but it hasn’t happened yet. And I’m always a little nervous that one of those beets is going to somehow show up on my plate but that hasn’t happened yet, either.

Someday, my kids will look back on their school days and although they’ll each have different memories, what they’ll probably remember most about the cafeteria are the very things

I remember: sitting with friends, laughing, talking, sharing, all the while staring at our crushes and hoping we don’t get caught.

My daughter is a little young for crushes (at least I think she is) but I do know she loves those lunches. Once, she had a new pink princess lunchbox and I thought she might like to bring her lunch and show off it off.

I carefully packed some of her favorites: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the crusts removed, Cheetos, homemade chocolate chip cookies and apple juice. I just knew she would enjoy it. When I picked her up from school, the first thing she said to me was, “Mommy, my lunch was good but I don’t want you to pack my lunch ever again. Do you know that our school had red beans and rice today and I missed it?”

I guess the old adage is true that sometimes, you just can’t win.

Lisa Addison writes for local, regional and national publications. She has two school-aged children, never gets enough sleep, enjoys trying new recipes, is an avid reader, and loves going on adventures with her kids.

Vol. 5 • No. 22

The Thank You Note

There are rules of the road, rules for commerce, rules for teachers, rules for lining up and waiting to take your turn, etc. We need rules to keep us in line, so to speak. Etiquette comprises the rules and guidelines for how we should behave and treat others.

And it’s woefully lacking in our society.

At the beginning of the New Year, most of us vow to make changes and follow resolutions for self-improvement. The most popular are diet and exercise. I would like to propose another resolution that would provide enormous benefits to all of us: Let’s brush up on our social skills. We should keep etiquette alive and continually educate our children so we can carry on this tradition that, believe it or not, dates back to 3000 BC. Some of you need no reminding if etiquette has been ingrained in you as it was in me. Others may know the rules but choose not to abide by them. And then, some of you may never have been taught about the importance of etiquette.

Some people think it’s oldfashioned and too complicated to practice. But nothing could be further from the truth. Etiquette is simply treating others with the same dignity and respect you would like to receive, aka “The Golden Rule.” It’s about being cultured, mannerly and refined. Let’s really break it down: Be nice, say thank you often, give up your seat for someone older than yourself, never intentionally embarrass another, don’t gossip, don’t pry with perVol. 5 • No. 22

sonal questions and don’t stare or point at someone.

When to Send a Thank You Note I think the most relevant etiquette reminder following the holiday season is the practice of sending thank you notes. According to Emily Post and most etiquette consultants, the only times you can elect to not send a thank you note are: •When you thank the hostess at the end of a party.

•When you open a gift in front of the person who gave the gift and you thank them in person.

•If you belong to a work or social group that regularly entertains each other, since you will soon be returning the favor when you take your turn hosting.

Alas, that means that in almost all situations, a thank you note is required, including: •When you receive a money gift or present that is not opened in the presence of the giver.

•When someone other than an immediate family member hosts you for an overnight visit.

•When you receive gifts of time or thoughtfulness.

Let me give you an example of a recent gift of time and thoughtfulness that I received. I recently hosted a party that required some spiffing-up of my “cottage,” as I like to refer to my home. Unsolicited by me, my sister gathered a group of her friends that love to “partyscape” homes as a hobby. They showed up with tools to hang, transform and re-decorate. I loved their progress and thanked them continually throughout the two-

day transformation.

But know this about me: even if I give you a verbal thank you, I will still send a handwritten thank you note when you’ve given me a gift, hosted me in your home or done a favor for me. It doesn’t matter if you are my sibling, best friend, neighbor or casual acquaintance.

Why? Because my mother taught me the importance of thank you notes as soon as I could write, probably third or fourth grade.

This practice was non-negotiable; not even my father was exempt.

Most etiquette practices are second nature to me because my mother expected them; it’s how I was raised. My grandmother taught my mother and aunt, and they in turn were required to teach their children. I still come across people who have never been fortunate enough to have someone care enough to pass down these guidelines. Then, there are those who conveniently choose to believe that etiquette is old fashioned, so they just make up their own rules. This last group really has me concerned.

We cannot let the threads of civility that have held us together for so long be forgotten.

Electronic devices cannot replace the original methods of etiquette. Don’t get me wrong, our society has improved in certain ways due to smart phones, email and texting. But trying to use these devices to further etiquette doesn’t work because they are too impersonal. I will not expand on that thought right now, because that topic

could warrant its own article!

In addition to being schooled by her mother, Anna Catherine Viator attended the Protocol School of Washington in Alexandria, VA.

JANUARY 30, 2014 09

About nine miles south of Lacassine and a couple of miles east is one of the most tranquil parks in Louisiana. It is not large, but the facilities make it comfortable. What makes the park unique is the nearby structure it takes its name from: the Lorrain Bridge.

Lorrain Park is operated by Calcasieu Parish, who also owns half the bridge.

Lorrain Bridge spans Lacassine Bayou, which is the boundary that divides Calcasieu and Jefferson Davis Parishes. This joint ownership nearly allowed one of the most historic bridges in the state to be torn down due to a dispute of funding for necessary repairs.

In 1894, Calcasieu Parish got the right of way for a road from the Lorrain sawmill to the Southern Pacific Railroad at Lacassine.

At this time, Jefferson Davis Parish was part of Imperial Calcasieu. The division of the parishes occurred in 1913. Lorrain Settlement had been established and there was farming in the area in addition to the logging that had made the road to the railroad necessary.

Paul Lorrain had operated a ferry across Lacassine Bayou that was drawn by ropes pulled by horses or mules. This allowed

farming equipment and crops to be taken by road to the railroad. As automobiles came into the area, the ferry was the right size for one car. About 1920, the first bridge was built over the bayou and the eastern edge of the swamp. The bridge was only wide enough for one car and there was a curve in the road that made seeing another car impossible. If two cars met, one had to back up until there was a enough space for the two cars to pass safely. The boards of the roadbed were not fastened too securely, making a “thump, thump” noise as the cars passed over. Faint-hearted passengers and drivers often feared that the bridge would collapse.

As improvements were made to the bridge, it was rebuilt as a wooden drawbridge, one of the few in the state. The bridge served as a convenient way to get to about 600 acres of farm land, and a shortcut for Jefferson Davis road crews to access some of their areas, For example, it saved the crews 40 miles when they needed to go to Pumpkin Center.

In 1950, Truckline Gas damaged the bridge while laying a pipeline and it was not repaired until the following year. In 1965, the drawbridge was disabled and

its parts removed. It was given a facelift with some of the decking boards replaced, although not that much maintenance was done. As a result, the load limit was decreased every time it was inspected until the bridge was finally closed in 1998 until repairs could be made.

Calcasieu Parish was willing to make the repairs, but the Jefferson Davis Parish Police Jury said they did not have the funds to pay for their portion of the repair cost. As a result, the bridge began to deteriorate and both ends of the bridge were removed to keep traffic off it.

At this point, it appeared that the bridge would be torn down.

This probably would have been its fate had it not been for the efforts of Pauline Poole, Paul Lorrain’s granddaughter, for whom the bridge was named. Poole raised awareness and money, and as a result of her efforts, the bridge was rebuilt in 2004. It is the only standing wooden beam bridge in use in the state at 2.909 feet long and 23 feet wide. About 250 vehicles use the bridge on a daily basis.

A popular photographic site, the late artist, Elton Louviere painted the bridge and used the painting as the cover of his first

art book, Images of Louisiana, published in 1988.

Some of the old bridge planks are used on an interpretive board at the visitor’s center in the park.

Located at the foot of the bridge, the park has a boat launch, several picnic sites, public restrooms and showers, sites for tent camping and nine RV camp sites with electricity. A small open-air pavilion is available at no charge on a firstcome, first-serve basis.

The park and bridge are very tranquil. To see a structure in such a historic place with such a history is a treat. As you view the modern bolt heads and washers shining in the sun and the fresh creosote timbers, the eye tells you that you are seeing modern, but it is easy to let the mind see the history. It is a nice walk across the bridge to the swampy land on the east bank of the bayou. In the stillness, you can almost hear the “thump, thump” of a Model T chugging across the loose decking of the old bridge.

Lorrain Park is open daily from 5 a.m. – 11 p.m. For information about the park and use of facilities, call (337) 721-3540, Monday-Friday. The Google Map address is 7803 Lorrain Rd., Hayes.

The interpretative board made from old bridge timbers

Elton Louviere’s painting on the cover of his first art book, published in 1988 10 JANUARY 30, 2014

The bridge approach from Calcasieu Parish Vol. 5 • No. 22

allowed upstairs. Never!”

But Mary enjoyed her college She has twinkling blue eyes and a years, taking fencing and swimming cheerful disposition. Her red hair is classes along with her regular courses perfectly coiffed. The sun is shining brightly the day after the first January and making pocket money by tutoring other students. ice storm here in the Lake Area, but After graduation, she returned Mary Savoie’s smile is even brighter. home and waited to see what course A residence of Emeritus Assisted her life would take. She knew that Living in Lake Charles, Mary will be trying to break into a male-dominat95 in March. “Let’s just say my life ed field wasn’t easy, but she remained has been one long list of coincidences,” she laughs. “That’s the way I live.” optimistic, even when her first job out of college turned out to be a partShe was born Mary Johnson in Benicia, a little town in the San Francisco time clerical position that her father pulled some strings to get for her.

Bay Area in California. She grew up in a traditional household with her father But that didn’t last for long.

Her first “real” job was at the as head of the family and her mother University of California at Davis a housewife, but by the time she was where she analyzed brandy samples in high school, Mary knew she wanted all day. “I lived in a residential hotel something different. for women, and I’d come in at the At a time when the majority of women married young, or at the very end of the day smelling of alcohol!” she laughs. “I don’t know what they most, went on to business school thought of me!” (which her younger sister did) Mary Her next job was at Moffett Field, headed to the University of Califorthe Army air base in Northern Calinia at Berkley after graduation and fornia. “It was a brand new facility,” majored in chemistry, with a minor in math. “Math was really my favorite she says. “We worked in a hangar on base. It was me and a group of other subject,” she recalls. “I just loved it.” women. They called us ‘the computShe decided on a chemistry major so ers.’ Our job was to do experiments could work in a lab after college. on airplane wings. We did all the Mary admits there weren’t that calculations on a machine.” many women on campus in those When she was promoted to the days but she never felt out of place. position of Aeronautical Librarian, She loved her newfound freedom, Mary was sent to Langley Field in and her parents encouraged it.

Virginia for three months of training “Daddy set up a bank account for at the National Advisory Committee me in town so I could write my own for Aeronautics (NACA) headquarchecks.” she says. “Of course, college wasn’t expensive back then. I think it ters. This organization was ultimately absorbed by NASA in 1958. cost $30 a semester!”

“Orville Wright was a member and he For women, university life was would come every day to look at things,” strict in the late 1930s. “My dorm she says. “I remember shaking hands was girls only, of course,” she recalls.

“You had to be in at a certain time or with him. He was a very nice man, very the doors would be locked. You could friendly.” She also recalls meeting her very first meteorologist there. only entertain your male visitors in Mary lived in a boardthe lobby; they were not inghouse in Washington, DC and struck out on her own on weekends. She wasn’t afraid to venture out and especially loved going to New York City. “I’d buy this book of tickets from a travel agency. You’d get a roundtrip train ticket, two nights at a hotel in New York, a subway pass, a ticket to the Statue of Liberty and one to the planetarium.” She recalls that in those days, you could go all the way up to the very top Carol Lombard in her last of the statue. “That’s not alphoto before she boarded lowed any more, though. I the ill-fated plane was lucky I got to do that.”

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Vol. 5 • No. 22

Another weekend trip she enjoyed on her own was to Gettysburg. “We went by tour bus,” she remembers. “It was fascinating.” She recalls taking the bus back to DC, and as she was disembarking, she noticed newsboys running by waving newspapers and shouting. “I could tell that something was really wrong. And that’s how we learned that Pearl Harbor had been attacked.”

It was December 7, 1941.

The city changed overnight, Mary said. “There were guns on the roofs of all the buildings. All curtains had to be drawn by sundown and we had a curfew. Only a few restaurants were open and you’d have to go through all these thick curtains to get in.”

There was much debate as to whether the annual tree lighting at the White House would go on as usual. Ultimately, it was decided that the ceremony was much needed as the country prepared for war. “I went with my friends. We had to go through security. There was a huge crowd. But it was wonderful.”

She pauses. “I will never forget it.

First the president comes out. And then, right behind him, was Winston Churchill! Giving us the ‘V for Victory’ sign! The ground just exploded—it was so unexpected. We just cheered and cheered!”

As the country mobilized for war, Mary prepared to return to California after completing her three months of training. On January 16, 1942, she boarded TWA Flight 3 for home. “In those days, you had to make a lot of stops to refuel,” Mary explains. One of those stops was in Indianapolis.

Actress Carole Lombard, the wife of screen legend Clark Gable, had been in Indiana that day selling war bonds as part of a whistle stop train tour. It had been a successful day with $2 million dollars raised. But the actress wanted to get home. Quickly. Her mother and manager were with her, and they begged her to take the train as planned.

But she refused. “There were stories that she was fighting with her husband over Lana Turner,” Mary says. “He was making a movie with her and Carole Lombard didn’t trust him. She wanted to get home as fast as she could.”

Lombard bumped three people

Mary was interviewed by the author of the new book Fireball: Carole Lombard and the Mystery of Flight 3.

from the flight, securing seats for herself, her mother and her manager.

The plane was atwitter with excitement. “All we could think of was that we would be seeing Clark Gable at the end of the flight,” Mary laughs.

“We really didn’t pay that much attention to her.”

The plane touched down in Albuquerque for another fuel stop. And this is where Mary had her date with destiny.

“In wartime, if military personnel needed to get on a plane, civilians were bumped,” she explains. “And four of us had to give up our seats.

Me and three other girls. Actually, they asked a fifth girl, but she was a newlywed, and she really wanted to get home that night because her husband was shipping out the next day.

So they let her stay on.” She shakes her head.

Carole Lombard and her party were also asked to give up their seats.

But Lombard refused, so eager was she to return home. Later that day, Flight 3 made an unscheduled stop in Las Vegas to refuel. Approximately 23 minutes after takeoff, it crashed into the side of a mountain, killing everyone on board.

Mary says she did not hear of the crash until five hours later, after her plane landed in California. “We got off the plane still upset that we wouldn’t be seeing Clark Gable—and then we find out about the tragedy,” she says. “We were in shock. Just in shock. We couldn’t believe it.”

She remembers walking into her rooming house in Palo Alto, still in a daze, when one of the tenants came running down the stairs holding up the newspaper. “Thank God you weren’t on that flight!” she said to Mary.

It is interesting that she never thinks of herself as being special in any way, or that she was saved for a reason. “I just never thought about it that way,” she says. “I just went on and lived my life.”

JANUARY 30, 2014 11

It has been a busy month in the sports universe; let’s get right to it, shall we?

First of all…

MCNEESE FOOTBALL: McNeese State’s football team recently added four new players, three transfers and a high school early enrollee, all of which are going to fill needed roster spots. It’s some muchneeded good news considering how the 2013 season ended; collapsed in a cold, largely empty Hole.

The Cowboys picked up two running backs, both transfers from the SEC, in Derrick Milton, formerly of Mississippi State and Nate Holmes, late of Arkansas. With Marcus Wiltz and Javaris Murray graduating, that left McNeese with Kelvin Bennett as the only Cowboy running back with any serious game experience. And, though Bennett was McNeese’s most effective runner for most of last season, he can’t do it alone, meaning the addition of Milton and Holmes provides a big boost. In addition, Holmes, an athlete who has experience as a punt returner, could move to wide receiver, giving McNeese’s coaching staff a lot of flexibility.

Linebacker Brian Hine comes to McNeese from Cisco College where he averaged 75 tackles a season over his two years there. At McNeese, Hine will move to defensive end 12 JANUARY 30, 2014

A Busy Month and how he said it, after his team’s win over San Francisco in the NFC Championship.

Much of the conversation has been focused on the degree of classlessness Sherman displayed in cutting a WWE-style postgame promo in sideline reporter Erin Andrews’ face. In the immediate aftermath, pundits far and wide decried Sherman’s unsportsmanlike outburst. Many of those same pundits used the word “thug” to describe Sherman and his antics.

Obviously, Sherman, a Stanford graduate and master’s degree candidate, took SHERMAN BOWL: Oh, hey. offense to the use of the word Apparently there’s some sort of “thug,” stating that it was simply a more socially acceptbig game going on in the NFL able way of calling him the soon. The NFL’s top-ranked “n-word.” offense (Denver Broncos) led Which, of course, it absoby record-setting quarterback lutely is.

Peyton Manning is taking on Sherman is a bombastic, the NFL’s best defense (Seatconfident athlete who has a tle Seahawks) in Super Bowl XLVIII in East Rutherford, New keen understanding of his athJersey. It’s the first fully outdoor letic abilities and is not afraid to loudly affirm that understandSuper Bowl held in a “colding. He is a masterful trashweather” city and, barring any talker who can and does back “unfortunate” traffic incidents, up that talk with action (he has 82,500 or so fans at MetLife Stadium will bear personal wit- 20 interceptions in just three pro seasons). ness to history. Not that you’d He is also a black athlete know from the national media with long, flowing dreadlocks, or anything. who came up out of the tough No, all of the talk is about streets of Compton, Calif. to what Seattle Seahawks cornerreach the NFL. So, of course back Richard Sherman said, where he will be more in line with the Cowboys’ defensive scheme. Pass rushers are a premium and, with his 12 sacks at Cisco, Hine looks like he will provide McNeese with a solid quarterback harasser.

Defensive back Dominique Hill, from Mansfield, became the first early enrollee in the Matt Viator era, graduating high school last month before joining the Cowboys. Though, he played quarterback and wide receiver in high school in addition to cornerback, Hill will be a valuable addition to the Cowboys secondary.

it gives a goodly number of folks the vapors when he reacts the way he did on national television to making the game-winning play against a wide receiver with which he has a personal grudge, especially juxtaposed against petite, blonde Erin Andrews (who can take care of herself, thanks).

That is to say, there was a lot of pearl-clutching moralizing from pundits who should know better and some outright racism from some of the hoi polloi and Sherman was right to call every one of them out.

For a player, especially one who literally puts his body and health on the line almost every day and rose up from the streets to succeed at not only the highest level of athletics, but also in the rigorous academic setting of Stanford, to have to explain a few offthe-cuff remarks made after a heated, high-stakes game is absurd. To add the racial undertones of the word “thug” to the equation is obscene.

GIRLS PREP HOOPS: Once again, the girls look to be the standard bearers going into the postseason. In Class 1A, Merryville is still undefeated, but on Jan. 25, the Lady Panthers will play district rival East Beauregard at Dry Creek; the Vol. 5 • No. 22

Lady Trojans are 16-3 as of this writing. Should Merryville win, they could receive the top-seed in a highly competitive postseason with the likes of Central Catholic, Southern Lab, Tensas, and Arcadia possible tough matchups. Sulphur and DeRidder look to be the best teams among the larger classes while, in Class B, you should just go ahead and pencil in Fairview and Lacassine in the championship game again. It would be a

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crying shame if these two teams ended up on the same side of the bracket.

Brandon Shoumaker is a graduate of McNeese State University and has covered sports for more than a decade for various publications.

Coaches or parents with story tips or comments may contact Brandon at bshoumaker@ yahoo.com or send him a message on Twitter (@bshoumaker).

JANUARY 30, 2014 13

Shooting the Post Season Depression Okay, duck season is over and the geese are all concentrated where even a Marine sniper camouflaged as a levee can’t get at ‘em. Oh, you could spend two hours putting out hundreds of rags, silhouettes, kites, flags, and full-bodied decoys and your stereo system, with remote, in hopes of filling a no-limit snow goose limit.

However, we already know you’re headed for a blue funk psychiatrist’s call “Post Duck Season Depression.” Well, I have a Dr. Miller, Jr. prescription for you.

Take eight snipe, three woodcock, and ten quail and call me after you roast them, the gravy’s warm, and the popcorn rice is steaming. Sounds easy enough and you only have until January 31 on woodcock and February 28 on the snipe and quail. Writing the prescription is the easy part, as is my presence after you call.

Actually, locating and bagging the game is highly improbable. Yet, it can be done and I’ll tell you how. You need to know some farmers, guides, good ole boys (or girls) that actually live in rural areas.

Snipe will be the easiest for water fowlers who hunt a rice field. Just over the levee from the area you flooded is a wet area where your expensively pumped-in water leaked. As 14 JANUARY 30, 2014

you walked the levee or rode a three-wheeler to the blind, you’ve seen the gray ghosts (snipe) flush, “Yeek! Yeek!” screeching and zig-zagging away. You may have popped a few as they flew high over the blind. Now comes the hard part.

Here’s what you need: LOTS of high brass nine shotgun shells and the patience of Job not to shoot until they stop that damned evasive action.

While there is some humor in shooting during the snipe’s evasive maneuvers, someone will surely heckle you for your inept shooting. Or, you can just curse yourself. If you are like me, you’ll only succeed in seeing your shot tear up dirt clods behind, over, and on either side of a fleeing fowl.

If you have a trusty retriever, you need him. Snipe are the color of dirt clods and your dog will retrieve the bird to you but only after you stepped over it several times.

You may lose some of your canine’s respect but they will more quickly fill out a limit.

Ignore my advice, and you are doomed to stumbling in the muck, yelling profanities at the hunting gods while stuck in the exact spot where it fell, all the while trying to catch your breath. And no bird.

Woodcock and quail are

much harder to locate. Once again, your rural sources can provide you with the where but not the how. Best-case scenario is that your have a retriever like George Kuffel’s beloved Springer Spaniel Belle or my Golden Retriever Prez.

George and I would begin our woodcock hunt along my family’s rice farm road just above the swamp and Bayou Chen. With a tinkling bell, Belle would immediately lose herself in the brush near the swamp’s edge. We could follow the noise and Belle’s bell until it stopped. Then, it was only a move into the area and a tawny gold woodcock bullet would explode, quickly rising through the trees. Snap shots are a must and you pray for that one clear shot. You won’t get two. If you were the former captain of the US Army’s Shooting Team like George, you harvested woodcock.

If you are like me, you will slaughter pine cones, splatter shot into cypress or knock down tallow tree branches.

Belle also solved the dilemma of finding the birds by cheerfully and adeptly maneuvering in the brush and retrieving what you would never find.

Then there are the rarest of finds: coveys of quail. They can be located but you need an extensive number of rural

sources from the Longville north to the DeRidder area to find the coveys you covet. The Agriculture Extension Agent or local game wardens are your best bet. I used my vast base of students and former students in my quests. Once more, you will need a retriever who may be a water dog but can also act as an upland game dog. Good luck with that.

I have only seen three dogs, my Prez, George and Nancy’s Belle, and South Dakota’s Steve’s Yellow Lab Butch actually do both truly well in my 45 years afield. But that retriever will find quail much faster than you ever will. Trying to catch up with a running covey or anticipating their explosion from the brush is an exercise in futility without a retriever.

Yet, once you and your dog find them, they are the easiest of the three to bring down.

Finding them, once again, requires a good dog. There is nothing except a pheasant’s flush that can compare to the explosive whirr of flushing bobwhites. Swing on a bird to your side of the covey. Do not flock shoot! You have a second shot for that. There is no third shot except to enhance your exasperation. In addition, if you going with George (he’s in his ‘80s), he will still out shoot you. Dammit.

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The McNeese Cowboys’ basketball team was part of something that’s both personal and touching recently. Before the tip of McNeese’s Southland Conference basketball game against Houston Baptist on January 18, the team signed Bowen Johnson of Westlake to a contract.

Bowen, 8, is recovering from burns that have consumed over 85 percent of his body.

Bowen is a child of Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization chartered to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening illnesses. Core to the organization’s model is harnessing the power of teamwork by matching these courageous kids with college athletic teams.

Bowen was officially drafted onto the Cowboys’ basketball team during a signing party held at Burton Coliseum. He was introduced to the fans during the starting lineup of the Cowboys’ game.

The touching story was featured on ESPN SportsCenter later that night and Sunday morning, January 19 as part of its “SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day” segment.

The idea of drafting a child from Team IMPACT

was brought to Cowboys’ head coach Dave Simmons by Southwest Louisiana FCA Regional Director Steve Sanford. “(Senior Associate Athletic Director) Bridget Martin connected me with the representatives of Team Impact,” said Sanford. “They gave me an overview of the Team Impacts purpose and goal: to connect kids who have life threatening or challenging sickness with college athletic teams to give them the opportunity to be a part of a team. In addition, they emailed me testimonies of college teams that were in the program and sent a video of actual teams ‘drafting’ kids onto their team.”

Martin said that two points impressed him. “One, as the parents told of how this association with the team gave their kid confidence to face their illness, support from athletes they look up to and an identity with something bigger than themselves,” he explained. “And two, the college athletes themselves expressing how much they had been impacted by being associated with the young person.”

Simmons said that Sanford showed the team a video of what Team IMPACT does. “After the

Bowen Johnson with his McNeese Cowboys Basketball teammates and cheerleaders Vol. 5 • No. 22

video, he told they guys to think about it for a few days and discuss it,” said Simmons. “He told them they needed to take their time with it because it’s going to require a complete commitment from them.

They didn’t need a few days. Right there, the guys decided this is something they wanted to do for this child.”

As a member of the Cowboys, Bowen will be treated just like any other player on the squad. He’ll get team gear, have locker room access, attend practices and sit on the bench, among other luxuries.

In 2008, Bowen was trapped in his home when it was engulfed with flames. He was eventually rescued by his father, but not before over 85 percent of his body was severely burned.

He spent the next three months in intensive care at LSU-Shreveport Hospital where he underwent 27 surgeries for skin graphs. During this time, his kidneys began to fail and he heart stopped three different times. In addition, doctors had to amputate his fingers because they no longer functioned due to the

trauma caused by the fire.

After spending three months at LSUS Hospital, he was transferred to Cincinnati Shriners where he received burn therapy. In 2010 he was diagnosed with a heart murmur and because of that, collapsed at school due to cardiac arrest in 2012. He has since had a pacemaker installed to help regulate his heartbeat.

Now back in school, Bowen must go through two to three surgeries a year to help relieve the pressure of the lack of elasticity to his skin because of his burns. Doctors are also working on solutions that will allow him to have usable fingers and thumbs.

“Sometimes, we take for granted the abilities God has given us,” said Ledrick Eackles, a senior guard on the Cowboys’ team and one of four players that have been designated Team IMPACT leaders for Bowen.

“We’re going to take him in, treat him as a member of our family and hopefully bring some joy and excitement. In return, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll teach all of us everything about living life to its fullest and to be appreciative of our talents and abilities.”

Sanford said he is excited about the way the team embraced the opportunity. “I look forward to watching both Bowen, his family, and our athletes get to know and support each other.”

JANUARY 30, 2014 15

Did you know that six out of every 10 falls happen at home?

That makes sense, since home is where we spend much of our time and tend to move around without thinking about our safety. As we age, the chance of falling increases. But, many falls could be prevented by making simple changes in our living areas, along with personal and lifestyle changes.

We should all take steps to “fall-proof ” our home, both inside and out. A lot of simple things can help: • Keep floors clutter-free. It’s easy to trip on books, boxes, small furniture, pet bowls and electrical or phone cords. Make sure everything is off the floor and electrical cords are out of the way.

16 JANUARY 30, 2014

Also, remove items from stairs, hallways, and pathways.

• You can also slip on throw rugs that are over wooden floors.

Eliminate them or attach them to the floor with double-sided tape. Be sure that carpets are secured to the floor and stairs.

• Put non-slip strips on floors and steps. Put nonslip strips or a rubber mat on the floor of your bathtub or shower, as well. These items can be found at a home center or hardware store.

• Arrange furniture so you have plenty of room to walk freely.

• Improve lighting. It’s easier

to have an accident if you can’t see clearly in front of you. Make sure you have enough lighting in each room, at entrances, and on outdoor walkways. Good lighting on stairways is especially important, and light switches at both the top and bottom of stairs are helpful.

Use light bulbs that have the highest wattage recommended for the fixture.

• Place a lamp within easy reach of your bed. Put night lights in the bathroom, hallways, bedroom, and kitch-

en. Keep a flashlight by your bed in case the power is out and you need to get up.

• At home and elsewhere, try to avoid wet floors and clean up spills right away.

Use only non-skid wax on your waxed floors.

• Install handrails on both sides of stairs and walkways. If you must carry something while using the stairs, hold the item in one hand and use the handrail with the other. Be sure you can see where your feet are stepping.

• Properly placed grab bars in your tub and shower and next to the toilet are very helpful. Be sure they are securely attached to the wall.

• Be careful when walking outdoors, and avoid going out alone on ice.

• You might find it helpful to rearrange items that you use often to make them more accessible. Store food boxes, cans, dishes, clothing, and other everyday items within easy reach. This simple change could prevent a fall that might come from standing on a stool to get to an item.

If you have fallen, your doctor might suggest that an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or nurse visit your home. These health care providers can assess your home’s safety and advise you about making changes to prevent falls.

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Venous Vein Screening at CHRISTUS March 8 This free screening is being brought to you by the Regional Heart Center of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital and Dr. Carl Fastabend. If you are experiencing leg swelling, discoloration of the legs, varicose veins, skin ulcers on the legs, or chronic cellulitis of the legs, this screening could be beneficial. The screening will be held in the Day Surgery/Heart Waiting Area, 2nd Floor. Regional Heart Center of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, Lake Charles. To register (required) go to www.christusstpatrick.org/EventsClasses.

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JANUARY 30, 2014 17

The Calcasieu Community Clinic Committed to the Working Uninsured Although January 2014 was the date that the Affordable Care Act became “the law of the land,� many in our area are still left without health insurance either because our state elected not to expand its Medicaid program or they simply cannot afford it. In addition to the previously uninsured, there are persons who were at one time insured with a high deductible plan and were cancelled at the end of the year because the plan did not meet the compliance specifications. In short, even after the passage and implementation of this law, there are STILL persons in our community who are without health care insurance. The Calcasieu Community Clinic is committed to provide health care for these persons as long as there is a need.

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Established in 2001 and located in the college of nursing building at McNeese State University, the Calcasieu Community Clinic provides general medical care, treatment of seasonal as well as some longterm illnesses and conditions (i.e.. diabetes and hypertension), non-narcotic prescription medication, limited gynecology services and orthopedic services to the low-income, working uninsured in Southwest Louisiana. Established patients may receive limited dental services, vision exams and eyeglasses, laboratory services, referrals to specialist physicians, mammograms, X-ray, CT-scan, ultrasounds and other diagnostic services. Call 478-8650 to see if you qualify for the services offered.

Vol. 5 • No. 22

Alzheimer’s Disease: What You Should Know Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that damages and eventually destroys brain cells, leading to memory loss and changes in thinking and other brain functions. It usually develops slowly and gradually gets worse as more brain cells decline and die. Ultimately, Alzheimer’s is fatal, and currently, there is no cure.

But there is a neuroscience research effort underway to develop a new generation of more effective treatments. The Alzheimer’s Association is moving this research initiative forward by funding scientists who are searching for more answers and new treatments, collaborating with stakeholders, and raising the visibility of Alzheimer’s as a global health challenge.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, a general term used to describe various diseases and conditions that damage brain cells. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 50 to 80 percent of dementia cases.

Scientists have identified several hallmark Alzheimer’s brain abnormalities, including: •Plaques - microscopic clumps of a protein called beta-amyloid peptide •Tangles - twisted microscopic strands of the protein tau •Loss of connections among brain cells responsible for memory, learning and communication.

These connections, or synapses, transmit information from cell to cell.

•Inflammation resulting from the brain’s effort to fend off the lethal effects of the other changes under way •Eventual death of brain cells and severe tissue shrinkage All these processes have a devastating impact on the brain, and over time, the brain shrinks dramatically, affecting nearly all its functions, including: Memory We all have occasional memory lapses. It’s normal to lose track of where we put our eyeglasses or to forget someone’s name. But the memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s disease persists and worsens, affecting your ability to

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function at work and at home.

People with Alzheimer’s may: •Repeat statements and questions over and over, not realizing that they’ve asked the question before •Forget conversations, appointments or events, and not remember them later •Routinely misplace possessions, often putting them in illogical locations •Eventually forget the names of family members and everyday objects Disorientation and misinterpreting spatial relationships People with Alzheimer’s disease may not know what day or year it is or where they are. Alzheimer’s may also disrupt the brain’s ability to interpret what you see, making it difficult to understand your surroundings. Eventually, these problems may lead to getting lost in familiar places.

Speaking and Writing Those with Alzheimer’s may have trouble finding the right words to identify objects, express thoughts or take part in conversations. Over time, the ability to read and write also declines.

Eventually, people with advanced Alzheimer’s may forget how to perform basic tasks such as dressing and bathing.

treatments to alter the course of the disease and improve the quality of life for people with dementia.

Changes in personality and behavior Brain changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease can affect the way you act and how you feel.

People with Alzheimer’s may experience: •Depression •Social withdrawal •Mood swings •Distrust in others •Irritability and aggressiveness •Changes in sleeping habits •Wandering •Loss of inhibitions •Delusions, such as believing something has been stolen

Types of Drugs The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two types of medications — cholinesterase inhibitors (Aricept, Exelon, Razadyne, Cognex) and memantine (Namenda) — to treat the cognitive symptoms (memory loss, confusion, and problems with thinking and reasoning) of Alzheimer’s disease.

While current medications cannot stop the damage Alzheimer’s causes to brain cells, they may help lessen or stabilize symptoms for a limited time by affecting certain chemicals involved in carrying messages among the brain’s nerve cells. Doctors sometimes prescribe both types of medications together. Some doctors also prescribe high doses of vitamin E for cognitive changes of Alzheimer’s disease.

Source: Alzheimer’s Association

Treatment Currently, there is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But drug and nondrug treatments may help with both cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Researchers are looking for new

Thinking and Reasoning Alzheimer’s disease causes difficulty concentrating and thinking, especially about abstract concepts such as numbers. Managing finances, balancing checkbooks, and keeping track of bills becomes a challenge. These difficulties may progress to inability to even recognize numbers.

Making judgments and Decisions Responding effectively to everyday situations, such as food burning on the stove or unexpected driving situations, becomes increasingly challenging.

Planning and performing familiar tasks Once-routine activities that require sequential steps, such as planning and cooking a meal or playing a favorite game, become a struggle as the disease progresses.

JANUARY 30, 2014 19

Fighting Resistant Hypertension High blood pressure or hypertension hits about one in three Americans. In many cases, the condition can be controlled with lifestyle changes and medications.

When that does not do the trick, patients fall into a resistant hypertension category.

Lake Charles Memorial Hospital is offering a solution for these patients with a new Resistant Hypertension Clinic at the Heart & Vascular Center.

“Hypertension is a major contributor to the morbidity and mortality of patients. Twenty to 30 percent of hypertensive patients may fall in the category of resistant hypertension,” says Dr. Peter Angelopoulos, a cardiologist with the Heart & Vascular Center, a part of the Memorial Medical Group. “This condition can lead to a number of heart issues that can be life threatening.”

Dr. Angelopoulos, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology, has the training and experience to fight this condition and get patients on track to a heart healthy life.

The clinic’s goal is to help identify these patients, rule out secondary causes of hypertension, educate the patients on the role their lifestyle can play, and finally help control their blood pressure with appropriate and aggressive medicines.

“If you do not get a person’s blood pressure under control, they will be at higher risk for heart attacks, vascular disease and kidney problems,” Dr. Angelopoulus says. “This condition can be treated with right kind of medication and the right doses of medication. We work to find what works best 20 JANUARY 30, 2014

for each patient.”

One other exciting development in the field of hypertension therapy is that of Renal Denervation Therapy (RDT). It is a therapy that is being used in Australia and Europe and is waiting approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A single procedure is performed by inserting a tube in the artery leading to the kidney. Using radio frequency energy, multiple treatments are performed in each artery to disrupt the hyperactive nerves.

This leads to a significant reduction in blood pressure.

No permanent implant is left behind.

“Not only has this therapy been shown to provide persistent blood pressure reduction for up to three years after therapy, it has also been associated with better control of the patient’s diabetes, sleep apnea, and heart failure,” Dr. Angelopoulus says.

These associations are still being investigated through clinical trials. Dr. Angelopoulos expects to be able to offer this exciting therapy to patients, once it receives FDA approval hopefully later this year.

Patients who may fall into the category of resistant hypertension and are interested in further evaluation and treatment can call 494-3278.

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Vol. 5 • No. 22

JANUARY 30, 2014 21

22 JANUARY 30, 2014

Vol. 5 • No. 22

By Angie Kay Dilmore According to Civic Ventures, a non-profit think tank on boomers, work, and social purpose, there are approximately 60 million Americans (21 percent of the total U.S. population) age 55 and older. That number is expected to climb to 31 percent by 2030. People in this age group, whether 55 or 95, likely ponder their future and where they want to live out their “golden years.” Consider The Verandah at Graywood.

“The Verandah at Graywood and Carriage House Assisted Living community provides a unique lifestyle for our residents,” said Evelyn Dore’, Executive Director at the community. She invites Southwest Louisiana senior citizens, age 55 and older, to visit this special community. “Our wonderful staff provides a one-of-a-kind assisted living and independent senior living experience in the comfort and unique beauty of Graywood.”

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Lindsay Ardoin, Senior Director of Sales & Marketing, emphasizes that The Verandah at Graywood is not a nursing home. It is a senior independent living community for persons age 55 and up. “Our residents may be retired or still working!”

“It’s a place where one can thoroughly enjoy life without the hassles of home ownership!” said Ardoin. No longterm lease makes The Verandah a perfect option for seniors who may need a temporary solution; for example, if they recently moved to the area and are still looking for a home, or if they are building and need interim housing. “We have financial plans to meet almost anyone’s needs,” said Ardoin. “And we are private pay; no government programs or subsidies are accepted.”

“The Verandah at Graywood offers a wide variety of living options,” added Ardoin. The community boasts eighty apartments in the main complex

with four unique floor plans to choose from. These units range from a one bedroom/one bath (approx. 900 square feet) to a two bedroom/two and a half bath (over 1,200 square feet).

For those who are not ready for the apartment-style living, they also have cottage homes and duplex units with two bedroom/two bath (approx. 1,400 square feet) or three bedroom/ two bath (approx. 1,600 square feet).

The living options at The Verandah are new, comfortable, and accommodating but the community is so much more!

The services provided to residents are what make living at The Verandah so special. These services are designed to ensure seniors a fun, exciting, and carefree lifestyle.

When resident Myrtis Burleigh could no longer maintain her home on her own, her son wanted her to move to Houston to be closer to him. She said, “No way! I have too many

friends here.” So he researched facilities in the area and they discovered The Verandah at Graywood. Burleigh is pleased with their decision. “It’s so nice to get up in the morning and say ‘What do I want to do, not what do I have to do?’ With a big house and a big yard, it’s hard by yourself. There are hedges to be edged, flowers to be weeded. Washing this and cleaning that – it was constant.”

Dining at the Verandah A continental breakfast and one other meal a day, either lunch or dinner, is offered to residents. They eat in the lush dining room furnished with comfortable chairs and wall to wall windows for a view of the pristine Verandah grounds.

Wanda and Roger Hickerson have lived at The Verandah since last June. Roger especially enjoys the meals. “The food is very good. They have a good selection.” At each three-course meal, their chef offers two specials, as well as a standard menu of over ten items. The ladies at the Verandah especially seem to appreciate the break from kitchen duties. “It’s carefree living,” said Wanda.

On any given Friday, around 4 p.m., residents gather in The Tavern for Happy

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Hour. Coffee is provided, and residents are welcome to bring their own adult beverages.

On occasion, they enjoy beer or wine tasting. Socializing and camaraderie is one of the perks at The Verandah. Wanda Hickerson said, “I’m a people person. I like the people here.”

Fitness Center The staff at The Verandah stress the importance of their residents staying active and healthy. Line dancing, anyone?

A fitness trainer visits the residents twice a week for personal training and group fitness classes in the fitness center, which is equipped with top of the line exercise machines. A lap pool is in the works.

Activities The Verandah employs a full-time activities director who strives to keep the residents busy and active.

They recently went on a tour of Louisiana Spirits, the new rum distillery in Lacassine.

In December, they viewed the Christmas lights in Lake Charles, complete with egg nog. They also attend cultural events, such as concerts or theater productions at McNeese State University.

Dr. Luke John and Ruth

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Miller have lived at The Verandah just over a year and are very satisfied. They are from Hammond and are relatively new to the Lake Charles area.

“We’ve had so many surprises since we moved here,” said Ruth. “The city is beautiful!”

A designated bus can take residents into Lake Charles for shopping, dining, or entertainment.

Other amenities include housekeeping every other week, all maintenance on housing units, a library, beauty salon and barber shop, massage and spa room, a pond, theater and community room, computer center, art studio, club and game room and all the pluses enjoyed by Graywood residents. “A Verandah resident is a Graywood resident,” said Ardoin. “They have discounts for golf, resident membership rates for the sports club and tennis courts, fishing in Lake Opal, and access to the Clubhouse and park.”

moved, we got rid of lots of things.”

Roger Hickerson chimes in, “That was the worst part of the move. What do you do with the stuff ?”

“My three daughters said they were glad that we were going through all our things, rather than leaving it to them,” continues Mrs. Hickerson.

“We had accumulated a lot of things, but there comes a time when that stuff is no longer important. The important things are family and friends.”

The Hickersons, like many other residents at the Verandah, also have peace of mind knowing that, in the future, if either of them ever requires more assistance, they can move into the Carriage House Assisted Living. The community is designed to meet a senior’s needs when a higher level of assistance and care is needed.

“I have one resident who says she is going from a cottage home, to apartment living, to assisted living,” said Dore’.

Peace of Mind

The Carriage House

In addition to the meals, activities, and other tangible amenities, residents at The Verandah appreciate the peace of mind that comes from living in this senior community. Prior to moving to The Verandah, the Hickersons had a comfortable home in South Lake Charles.

“But looking ahead, we felt like this was the thing to do,” said Mrs. Hickerson. “We didn’t want our children to have to worry about us. Before we

The Carriage House Assisted Living is physically connected to The Verandah but a separate community.

Residents of the Verandah at Graywood are given priority access to The Carriage House Assisted Living, should the need arise. Carriage House offers 40 private apartments that are available in studio, one bedroom, and two bedroom floor plans, as well as a Recovery Suite option. According to Dore’, this brand new, beautifully-designed, state-of-the-art

community is ideal for those residents who need assistance with their activities of daily living and a bit more supervision.

“Residents are provided three wonderful meals a day plus snacks, fully trained staff, activities, laundry service, housekeeping, transportation and more,” she said. “Carriage House, as part of the Verandah at Graywood, provides superior care and services at competitive prices. Long Term Care insurance and Veteran’s Aide and Attendance may apply depending on the needs and qualifications of the resident.”

A unique feature of Carriage House is their short stay recovery suite. This unit is perfect for persons who need short-term extra care while they recover from an illness.

It’s also an excellent respite opportunity for caregivers. Dore’ explained, “If you are caring for a loved one at home and need some time away, or due to unforeseen circumstances, have to leave town and you are not comfortable leaving your loved one behind, the Recovery Suite is a perfect solution.

They may come to the Carriage House for a ten-day minimum stay, giving you peace of mind.

The staff at Carriage House

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encourages residents to be creative.

Jim Felts is an artist who has lived at Carriage House since it opened last June. He paints and draws in his onebedroom apartment and loves to show guests his work. He said living at Carriage House gives one “an opportunity to pursue your hobbies.”

On a recent Friday afternoon, the residents at Carriage House sat around a table and talked about life at the assisted living community. They unanimously love it – the food, the friendships, and the personal attention from staff members.

“We’re all spoiled,” said Mary Be-

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lisle. “We’re like one big happy family,” added Vera Landry. Audrey Granger has only lived at Carriage House a few weeks, but she’s already pleased with her decision to move there. Ms. Bobbie Barrett summed it up by saying, “It’s home.”

The Verandah at Graywood and Carriage House Assisted Living is located in South Lake Charles on 5851 Gray Market Dr. For more information or to schedule a tour, call them at (337) 478-9150 or (337) 478-0859 or go to their website, www.theverandahatgraywood.com and www.carriagehouseassistedliving.com.

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Lake Charles Symphony Concert Celebrates Black History Month Feb. 15 The Lake Charles Symphony celebrates Black History Month at a concert on Saturday, Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., in the Rosa Hart Theatre with a world premiere by Dr. Arthur Gottschalk of Rice University, as well as pieces by Aaron Copland and Gustav Mahler.

The orchestra will be under the direction of Maestro Bohuslav Rattay.

The commissioned work

by Gottschalk is the Toussaint Overture, a tone poem and overture to his uncom-

pleted opera based on the life of one of the New World’s most amazing men. Toussaint L’Ouverture was a man, born into slavery and poverty, but nonetheless, taught himself French, Latin, and Greek, read the classics, and was influenced by tales of the Roman slave Epictetus. L’Ouverture defeated Napoleon’s forces in Haiti with an army of slaves, founding the world’s first black republic. Due to Napoleon’s defeat in the Caribbean, he dropped all interest in the

Western Hemisphere, selling Louisiana to President Thomas Jefferson in order to recoup the monetary losses.

The Lake Charles Symphony will also perform Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait with excerpts of readings from Abraham Lincoln’s great documents, including the Gettysburg Address. Mayor Randy Roach will be the narrator. Mahler ‘s Symphony No. 4 in G Major was written at the turn of the 20thCentury, and the song “Das

himmlische Leben,” sung by a soprano, presents a child’s vision of Heaven.

At the conclusion of the concert, symphony-goers are invited to The Heist, 700 Ryan St., for an after-party where they can present their tickets for a drink special. Tickets to the concert are $20 for the general public or $15 for those with student, senior of military identification. For more information on the Symphony, log into www.lcsymphony.com or call 337-433-1611.

Lake Charles Symphony Plays Bingo

Beethoven, Buffet, and Bubbly on Feb. 8

The Lake Charles Symphony announces its second annual Champagne Bingo Fundraiser at the Lake Charles Country

Club, Sat., Feb. 8 from 11 a.m.

– 2 p.m. (doors open at 10:30 a.m.) Guests will be invited to enjoy a glass of champagne

punch or sparkling beverage as they listen to the sounds of the Symphony’s string trio, composed of Heather Ritchie, violin; Sheri Greening, cello; and Jay Ecker, bass. A lunch of finger sandwiches, seafood and chicken crepes, and mini quiches will be followed by an assortment of petit fours. Then, grab your bingo cards and get ready for fun, as Joey Frazier takes over to call the games. Exciting prizes donated by local businesses will go to the winners of eight bingo games. Between the games, door prizes will be given out to many lucky guests. Individual tickets are $50; half tables of four may be reserved for $200; and a full table of eight may be reserved for $400. Reserve tickets by calling

the symphony office at 433-1611 or by going to www.lcsymphony. com. Proceeds are used for the symphony’s educational and outreach programs.

Wild Beast Feast, March 29

The Wild Beast Feast returns to Cash & Carry in Lake Charles.

Sample culinary creations from local sportsmen featuring savory dishes of game, pork, poultry and seafood. The Feast - 5 - 7 p.m., Live Auction - 7 p.m., Dance (live music) 8 - 10 p.m. For tickets, call (337) 433-1611 or go to www.lcsymphony.com.

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Vol. 5 • No. 22

Pastiche Jan. 30 The acclaimed musical quartet, Pastiche, will perform in a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Thurs., Jan. 30, in the Shearman Fine Arts Performing Arts Theatre at McNeese State University. The ensemble is made up of four virtuoso musicians who together create a fascinating and creative interplay for the audience to enjoy. The quartet will present the world premiere of “The Seasons,” composed especially for Pastiche by William Rose, associate professor of music at McNeese.

In addition to the premiere of his work, Rose will discuss his piece with the audience at the concert.

Works by Lake Charles native Keith Gates and a number of other composers will also be featured. Call 475-5028 for more information.

SW District Livestock Show and Rodeo Jan. 30-Feb. 1 Don’t miss the 75th Annual Southwest Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Burton Coliseum Complex! There will be four rodeo performances as well as a trail ride parade and stick horse rodeo. The district livestock show will be held at the Burton Coliseum during the week of the rodeo. Pick up your discount coupons at all Jeff Davis Bank locations! For all the details, go to www.lakecharlesrodeo.com.

Big Game XVLIII Tailgate Feb. 1 FOX29, CW Lake Charles, and Market Basket are teaming up to bring the Lake Area the BIG GAME XLVIII TAILGATE PARTY at the Market Basket parking lot located on the corner of Lake Street and Country Club on Sat., Feb. 1 from 1-4 p.m. Enjoy a fun-filled day with free food and drinks provided by Market Basket and Coca Cola, fun games for kids and adults, prizes and more. Attendees will be able to register for a chance to win a recliner provided by Home Furniture, or a flat screen TV provided by C&C Audio-Video and Appliances.

For more information, visit www. watchfox29.com.

Coffee House Theater at Stellar Beans Feb. 1 The Children’s Theatre Company will perform selections from Disney’s Tarzan at Coffee House Theatre on Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. at Stellar Beans on 319 Broad St. in downtown Lake Charles. Presented

by CTC artistic director Kerry A. Onxley, this family musical will make its full debut on Feb. 21 at Central School Theatre. For more information, email mail@childrenstheatre.cc.

Youth Revival Feb. 7-8 Word Of Hope Family Worship Center will host “It’s Over: Youth 28 JANUARY 30, 2014

Revival Valentine’s Edition” Feb. 7-8 at 7 p.m. located at 3975 E Prien Lake Rd. Experience a powerful movement with various performances, praise dancing, singing, rapping, steppers and spoken word. The concept of expanding the City Wide Youth Revival came from a group of young individuals who were eager to spread God’s message as well as unite young people in different cities and states in a positive setting that could also facilitate a life change. For more information, call (337) 853-1011 or email 3RProductionLC@gmail.com.

Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference Feb. 8 The SWLA Children’s Book Writers’ & Illustrators’ Guild presents “Turning the Pages,” a writers’ and illustrators’ conference on Feb. 8 at the SEED Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Contact Tommy Townsley at (337) 515-6501 or Eric Casteel at swlacbwig@gmail.com for more information.

Annual 5K Zombie Run Feb. 8 Fusion Five, Southwest Louisiana’s Young Professionals Organization, will be hosting their second annual 5K Run “End of the Human Race: Camp Zombie,” held at Camp Edgewood on Sat., Feb 8. Participants can choose to be a runner or a zombie. Runners will be outfitted with a belt of flags and run through zombie-filled woods trying to escape with one flag on their belts. After participants run for their lives, all are welcome to enjoy food, beverages, and music from Lucy In Disguise. There will be prizes in multiple categories including Best Zombie. To register and for more information, visit www.endofthehumanrace.com or “Like” them on Facebook/EndoftheHumanRace.

Connections Count Conference Feb. 12-13 Family & Youth is hosting their

16th Annual Connections Count professional development conference on Feb. 12 and 13 at L’Auberge Casino Resort. The twoday conference will feature keynote speakers Barry Duncan, Psy.D on “What Separates the Best from the Rest”; and Scott Modell, Ph.D. on the “Importance of Early Intervention.” There will also be 24 other workshops and seminars for attendees. For more information, visit www.fyca.org/ConnectionsCount/ conference.html or call Roxanne Camara at (337) 436-9533.

‘For the Love of Watercolor’ Feb. 13 For the Love of Watercolor,” an exhibit of works by students of local artist Sue Zimmermann, will open with a reception from 5-8 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 13, at the Galley by the Lake/Creative Arts Center, 106 Pryce Street. The show is a collection of watercolor paintings created in class under Zimmermann’s instruction. The artists exhibiting are Terry Anderson, Beth Fontenot, Davy Funderburk, Regina Lee, Bobbie Moon, Judy Newman, Debbie Self, Wanda Stanton, and Sue Zimmermann.

The exhibit will be open through Feb. 15. For more information, call 436-1008 or visit www.suezimmermann.com.

Million Dollar Quartet at Lutcher Theater Feb. 14 Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony® award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night.

Tickets range from $35-$65. Two performances will be held at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Lutcher Theater in Orange, Texas. For tickets, call (409)-886-5535.

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Lake Charles Symphony Concert 2 Feb. 15 The Lake Charles Symphony will partner with the Black Heritage Festival and will commission a 8-12 minute symphony to be accompanied by a local high school chorus.

The program also includes the Copland Lincoln Portrait and Symphony No. 4 in G Major by Gustav Mahler.

The programs begins at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Rosa Hart Theatre at the Lake Charles Civic Center.

For more information, go to www. lcsymphony.com.

Annual Mardi Gras Run Feb. 22 Annual run sponsored by Le Krewe de la Originals et Les Enfants and the Duck Festival Association features an early morning chicken run in Gueydan beginning at 9 a.m., lunch, live music, an auction and a dance. Parade begins at 3 p.m.

Dance starts at 5 p.m.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (Paramount, 2014) Tom Clancy wrote a series of action books built around Jack Ryan, a character with a military past and the skills of your typical super competent government agent. Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is the fifth movie and is also a reboot of the character.

We begin with Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) in college, witnessing 9-11 on television, in a stunned crowd of other students.

Quickly we find him in Afghanistan, newly enlisted and doing his heroic best for his country. Flash forward to the present, and he is a CIA operative working covertly in the financial industry, watching for suspicious international movement of funds.

Jack lives in Manhattan with his fiancée, Cathy (Keira Knightley) while he secretly does his spy Vol. 5 • No. 22

work behind a desk at a major investment firm. Thomas Harper (Kevin Costner) is his secret boss.

One day, he gets his first real field assignment or mission, which involves a secret plot in Moscow, and forces him to take a secret trip to Russia. All this time, his financial employers are clueless to what is going on, even though they finance his trip. (This was the most realistic look at Wall Street I think I’ve ever seen.)

Lots of on-location footage in Moscow follows, with fighting scenes, treachery, and the appearance of Cathy in his hotel room at just the right (wrong) time. Jack Ryan was directed

by Kenneth Branagh, who also happens to star as the villain of the move. As Viktor Cheverin, a Russian business tycoon and loyal

Vinton Mardi Gras Celebration Feb. 22 In Downtown Vinton, Krewe des Gratis will host a gumbo cook-off at 10 a.m. and a parade at 2 p.m. ending at Knights of Columbus Hall where the gumbo judging will begin at 3 p.m.

Empty Bowl Salvation Army Fundraiser March 13 The Salvation Army will hold patriot, he has really bad things planned for the United States.

As Jack Ryan, Chris Pine is pretty good. This movie really homes in on the fact that Jack is wet behind the ears. We sense this through the fear that hits him when he’s finally thrown out in the field. Pine, with his baby blue eyes and all-American grin is perfect for the part. Sadly, I think Keira Knightley as his fiancée had a tough time. She’s given a transparent role that seems wasted on her.

Most of the time she’s reduced to flirting and charming the camera, which is lovely, but doesn’t really fit with the movie. However, Kevin Costner as Harper brings a maturity to the role that I haven’t seen in him before.

Watching this movie, you can’t help thinking, is it really set in 2013? Because so much of the stereotyped Cold War Russia is present. When villain Cheverin first makes his appearance, Russian choir music is used to set the mood. Come on. Is that all they ever listen to in Russia?

its sixth “Empty Bowl” dinner at L’Auberge Casino Resort Thurs., March 13, from 6-9 p.m. Guests will enjoy a variety of soups provided by 13 of Lake Charles’ premier chefs. In addition, each guest will be given a handmade one-of-akind ceramic bowl designed by local artisans. Chris Miller and the Bayou Roots will entertain. Sponsorships are available on several different levels along with individual tickets. For further information, call (337) 433-4155.

Then there’s the awkward relationship between Jack and Cathy.

These guys have been together for three years, but of course Jack can’t tell her about his shadow job. So Cathy comes to suspect Jack’s having an affair. And this is based on?

Her discovery of a movie ticket.

(Jack has gone to see an old movie at a theater. At the movie he meets with a secret courier spy.) Honestly Cathy, in what universe does an affair take place at an old movie theatre?

By the time we get to the expected conclusion of the movie, sort of glad it’s over, Jack and Harper get to meet the president, who is hidden from the camera.

My question is, which president are they seeing? Must be Ronald Reagan.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit is rated PG-13, for violence and references to events that only old people will remember. Guys, better take your girlfriend or wife with you. She may not like the violence, but you don’t want her to think you’re having an affair.

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Adventures for Middle-graders Middle-graders (ages 8 to 12) can have so much fun with these books!

For adventure that’s a mix of true-life and fiction, Travels with Gannon & Wyatt by Patti Wheeler and Keith Hemstreet is a first-class adventure series for middle-graders. The two brothers, Gannon and Wyatt, are members of the Youth Exploration Society, “an organization of explorers whose mission is to inform young people of ways to help cultures, species, and environments at risk.”

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The boys’ mom is a flight attendant, which gives the family the opportunity to travel wherever they want. In addition, as members of Y.E.S., the boys are invited to participate in special explorations. Says Gannon, “We’re pretty much a bunch of nomads, always hopping around the globe from one amazing place to the next, and I have to say, I

absolutely love being a nomad!”

Each book starts with some basic vocabulary of the country they’ll be visiting. We learn where the country is, what kind of climate is involved, and what to do if we encounter different animals or situations. Maps and a few photos are also included.

In the first book, Botswana, the boys find themselves bouncing around in a small plane over Africa’s Kalahari Desert. In the desert, their jeep is charged by a rhino, they meet Bushmen, learn how precious water is, eat wildebeest stew, and hear the roar of lions at night outside their tent. In the Okavango Delta they see elephants, zebras, giraffes, warthogs, impala, hippos, Cape buffalo, a vulture, a giant crocodile, baboons, and more. The boys find out that snake tastes like chicken, and they get to help a wounded lioness. Then they encounter a poacher, the most dangerous animal of all.

In Great Bear Rainforest, the second book, an old friend invites the family along on a trip

into the rainforest of western Canada to study the habitat of the mythical spirit bear, “a black bear with a rare genetic mutation that causes it to be white.”

The boys get to ride in a seaplane and a ship. One of the boys writes in his journal, “Who in their right mind marches unarmed into a cold, mud-soaked rainforest in search of giant grizzly bears?” Yet they do. The boys contend with heavy rain, mosquitoes, and wolves, and they spot a bald eagle, and humpback whales.

There’s a suspicious character on board the ship, and the boys discover some stodgy goings-on.

Then they get lost and find themselves in real peril.

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Just out is the newest book in the series, Egypt. The family goes there on an archaeological expedition, and the boys are excited about the possibilities: “Important discoveries can still be made. Discoveries that could rewrite history!” The group is out to find the final resting place of Cleopatra, which has remained a mystery for thousands of years.

They first travel to the bustling city of Cairo. In Egypt, the boys face deadly snakes, booby traps, and tomb robbers.

I really like these books. The learning goes naturally with the story line, and there’s enough excitement in each book to keep you turning the pages. These work well to get boys interested in reading, but I hope girls will try the books, too, because they’re just plain fun.

The truth is that brothers Gannon and Wyatt are real. Each book is loosely based on their real-life travels, and kids who go to their website can watch videos of the pair.

There is also a real Y.E.S., which kids can join.

And for every book sold, the Youth Exploration Society, which promotes literacy, will donate a book to a child.

Barron’s has come out with two wonderful books targeted to ages 8 to 12: The Boy’s Book of Adventure and The Girl’s Book of Adventure.

The books are colorful and quick, with little unnecessary narrative. The books are sturdy, with an elastic cord to hold them closed or to be used as a bookVol. 5 • No. 22

mark. The spiral binding lets the book lie flat so you can follow the recipe or instructions.

It’s always tricky to separate activities into some for boys and some for girls; a better division may have been indoor and outdoor, and in that respect, the book for boys is more outdoor, and the girls’ book more indoor — with crossovers. My hope is that you get both volumes, even if you have only one gender in the house, because there are great ideas in each.

In the girls’ book, kids can cook with honey, create fashions, make jewelry, use invisible ink, learn a magic trick and how to tie knots, predict the weather, perfect their photo-taking, identify wildflowers, learn about poison plants, and whip up a hiker’s toolbox, a dream catcher, a beach comet, potpourri and much more.

In the boy’s book, kids can put together an outdoor toolbox and learn about first aid, shells, rocks, plants, birds, and animal tracks, as well as how to read a map, how to catch a fish, which snakes are poisonous, and how to make a water mill. Kids can have fun with Morse code, geometry, and karate sudoku, dig a pond in the backyard, look at the stars, make an herbarium, and much more.

Be warned, though: There are several instances where the use of items such as poison plants, knives, matches, and glue, as well as heat sources, should be supervised by an adult.

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Louise Ruehr.

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Thursday, Jan. 30 Herbi Stutes and the Grand Shin 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave. Westlake Karaoke with $3 Cover 9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory 4688 Common St. Lake Charles “Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St. Lake Charles DJ CaGe 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles “Flipping Thursdays!”

10:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Free shot, Heads or Tails!

630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

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Friday, Jan. 31 Joe Harmon and the Harmonicas 8 p.m. @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri Casino 100 Westlake Ave., Westlake LA Express 9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive Vinton The Scorceses 10 p.m. @ Luna Live 710 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Area Code 9 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr. Kinder DJ CaGe 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles “Saturday Night Party Time” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar 12 - 2 a.m.

5329 Common St. Lake Charles

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

Sunday, Feb. 2

Saturday, Feb. 1

Monday, Feb. 3

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

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

“Lucky Monday!”

Midnight @ My Place Bar Win a $50 Bar Tab! 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

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

Tuesday, Feb. 4

Thursday, Feb. 6

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

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

“Ladies Night!”

8:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Women receive $1 Well & Wines 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

“Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St. Lake Charles

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

Wednesday, Feb. 5

“Flipping Thursdays!”

10:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Free shot, Heads or Tails!

630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

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

Friday, Feb. 7

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

5329 Common St. Lake Charles

Karaoke 2014 @ Mikko Live 8 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr. Kinder “Wasted Wednesdays w/ DJ Dispo!”

8:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Get $1 Pitchers & $2 Wells 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

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

Saturday, Feb. 8

Monday, Feb. 10 “Lucky Monday!”

Midnight @ My Place Bar Win a $50 Bar Tab! 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

Tuesday, Feb. 11 Ryan Pelton’s “Tribute to the King” 5 & 7 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder Karaoke w/ DJ David Verrett 8 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles “Ladies Night!”

8:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Women receive $1 Well & Wines 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

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Wednesday, Feb. 12 Ryan Pelton’s “Tribute to the King” 7 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr. Kinder Karaoke 2014@ Mikko Live 8 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr. Kinder “Wasted Wednesdays w/ DJ Dispo!”

8:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Get $1 Pitchers & $2 Wells 630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

Thursday, Feb. 13 Ryan Pelton’s

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“Tribute to the King” 5 & 7 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder “Flipping Thursdays!”

10:30 p.m. @ My Place Bar Free shot, Heads or Tails!

630 W. Prien Lake Rd. Lake Charles

Carpenters Remembered: Feb. 14 We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered is a celebration of the music of one of the most successful recording acts of all time and recreates their original sound. The singing duo will make their debut on the Isle of Capri Main Stage on Friday, February 14 at 9 p.m. Michelle also shares stories culled from extensive research and interviews with

those who knew Karen and Richard personally and professionally – a real “behind the scenes” of this pop music phenomenon. Tickets for We’ve Only Just Begun: Carpenters Remembered are only $10 with a Fan Club card and $15 without and can be purchased from the Isle of Capri Banana Cabana Gift Shop or online at www.lakecharles.isleofcapricasinos.com.

DJ Crush 10 p.m. @ Jack After Dark Jack Daniel’s Bar & Grill 777 Avenue L’Auberge Lake Charles “Thursday Dollar Night” 9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club $1 Beer & Bar All Night!

5329 Common St. Lake Charles

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into slavery for 12 years because of the color of his skin. What I’m about to say next may sound a bit callous, but please don’t take it out of context. Living in the South, I’ve seen lots of movies about slavery on plantations and many scenes with lashings. But those scenes were not the most emotional for me in this film. There is one scene that filled me with more outrage, disbelief and sadness than any lashing scene ever did.

I’ve seen six of the nine nominated films at the time of this printing and the deep emotions stirred while watching this film make it my top pick to win Best Picture this year. I recommend it with all my thumbs skyward and a big packet of tissues. That may change once I’ve seen all nine, but right now I think it’s a shoo-in.

Now, 12 Years a Slave is not the only Louisiana film up for Best Picture this year. Would it surprise you to know The Dallas Buyers Club was not shot in Dallas? That’s right, it’s New Orleans doubling as the iconic Texas city. I have not seen this film as of this printing but it will no doubt make its way into local theaters now that it’s been nominated for the big one.

Also based on a true story, The Dallas Buyers Club is about a man diagnosed with a terminal illness. He finds a drug that will change his prognosis from only months to years to live. The big problem? It’s not approved in the United States. When he starts selling it to other terminally ill patients in Dallas he’s persecuted for helping these people live longer, healthier lives. The era?

The 1980s. The drug? AZT. The illness? HIV/AIDS. One has to wonder if the story would be the different if he had discovered a drug for cancer.

Meanwhile, the third “Bayou-

Louisiana and The Little Bald Guy I’ve been talking a lot about the filmmaking boom in Louisiana so recently, I’ve had people ask me what kinds of films are being made here. Are they all like Sharknado or standard blockbuster films like Green Lantern? Or has Louisiana reeled in some critically acclaimed directors hoping to use our budget-friendly state to fund films less concerned about the box office and more concerned about the human condition?

All excellent questions now that award season is upon us. I’m delighted to say the movies made in Louisiana are as diverse as the locations, music and cuisine.

You’ve heard about some of the blockbusters in previous columns, so today I’d like to turn an eye towards that famous bald statue, the Academy Award, affectionately known as the “Oscar.”

Out of the approximately 300 films made in Hollywood each year, only nine will be considered by the Academy for Best Picture.

And a little later in this article I’ll let you in on a secret to help you win your Oscar pool. But first, did any of the films in the Bayou State make the big cut this year? And secondly, were any of the actors or directors from Louisiana? Yes and yes.

Although our state is known more for sugar cane than for cotton, the highly emotional 12 Years a Slave was shot in New Orleans and on several Louisiana plantations. The title says it all, as it’s based on a true story about how a free man was kidnapped and sold Vol. 5 • No. 22

wood” Oscar nomination goes to Jared Leto who was born in Bossier City. Leto is up for Best Supporting Actor starring opposite acting powerhouse Matthew McConaughey in The Dallas Buyers Club. Not only is Leto a talented actor, but like so many good Louisiana boys, he’s a musician as well. Some music lovers will recognize him as the lead singer, rhythm guitar and songwriter for the band “30 Seconds to Mars.”

Leto has had roles in such wellknown movies as The Thin Red Line, Fight Club and Panic Room.

But talented people sprout in all sorts of places. One of the more inspirational things about doing research for this column was looking up all the nominated actors and directors. After getting over the shock at how many well-known actors I thought were born in America who were born overseas (Amy Adams was born in Italy! Who knew?) I found the opposite to be equally true. It was refreshing to learn Meryl Streep is from New Jersey. And my favorite up and coming actress, Jennifer Lawrence, is from Kentucky. Yes,

that’s right. The most sought after young actress across the globe right now is from salt-of-the-earth Kentucky.

To all you aspiring actors, filmmakers and artists in any field, I saw quite plainly, greatness comes not from a glamorous location (okay, Italy is sorta glamorous) but from deep inside of you. And maybe one day it will be your name on the Oscar ballot. I can’t wait to write an article all about you!

Now before I go, I promised you a tip on how to increase your odds of winning your Oscar pool for Best Picture. Historically, 98 percent of Best Director winners also directed that year’s Best Picture winner. And while the Academy expanded the number of Best Picture slots in recent years, they didn’t expand the number of Best Director slots. Simply crossing off the films whose directors aren’t also nominated increases your odds of being a winner on Oscar night. And you didn’t even have to make a film!

Until next time, someone hand me the envelope please!

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By Jackie Bergeron We all do it at some time or another during the carnival season. We hear the horn at the beginning of the popular Mardi Gras song, “The Second Line,” and it summons us like a beacon to grab our umbrella, napkin, handkerchief or fan and fall into line, dancing and strutting to the music as if under happy hypnosis. We can be seen doing it at krewe balls, the Royal Gala, and even on the parade route.

It’s what carnival enthusiasts call “second lining.” And like all of our traditions of king cake, parades and beads, Second Lining has an intriguing history in itself.

The “second line” is a tradition adopted from a distinguished aspect of New Orleans culture known as the “jazz funeral.” The jazz funeral has an influence that dates back four centuries to the secret societies of the Dahomy Tribes of Benin and the Yoruba Tribes of Nigeria. Theses secret societies assured their fellow West African tribesmen that a proper burial would be performed at the time of their death by pooling their resources to form the first type of insurance. When the tribes became part of the Atlantic slave

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trade and slaves were brought to America, the idea of proper burials remained strong.

After the Civil War, insurance companies often refused to insure recently freed slaves.

Therefore, Africans and AfricanAmericans formed into Benevolent Societies and Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs as their traditions merged with Louisiana’s colonial military brass band parade traditions of Europeans and white Americans. As brass bands became popular during the early 18th century, they were called to participate to play processional music for different occasions. After the turn of the 20th century, the African spiritual practices were also heavily influenced by Haitian Voudoo’s idea of celebrating life after death to please spirits who watch over the dead, as well as African-American Protestant and Catholic Church practices.

After the 1960s, the tradition was widespread among New Orleanians across ethnic and religious boundaries to become the modern day “jazz funeral “ most commonly done for individuals who were musicians, connected to the music industry, a member of various

social aid and pleasure clubs, or carnival krewes who make a point to arrange such funerals for their members. The late jazzman and author of Bourbon Street Black, Danny Barker said, “The practice of having music during funeral processions was added to the basic African pattern of celebration for most aspects of life, including death.”

The procession begins when the family, friends, and brass band march from the home, funeral home, or church to the cemetery. During the march to the gravesite, the band plays slow, somber dirges and hymns.

Once the mourners say their final farewells and the deceased is laid to rest, a trumpets call rallies the assembly to help release the deceased soul or “cut the body loose.”

The music then becomes more upbeat, starting with a hymn or spiritual number played in a swinging fashion to celebrate the life of the departed.

The band, led by the “Grand Marshall” and followed by the family and friends of the deceased, is known as the “first line.” Those who follow just to enjoy the music and join in the parade in celebration are called the “second line.” Traditionally, second line mourners were characterized by accessories necessary for the long

procession in the hot, southern sun including fans, handkerchiefs, and parasols or umbrellas. Their style of dancing and walking and the twirl of the parasol or handkerchief in the air is called “second lining.”

Over the course of 50 years, the second line umbrella has become a dominant symbol of celebration, not just for Mardi Gras, but also for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, or any occasion worthy of such style of celebration. What was once a necessity against the sun has become a highly decorated work of art. Historic predominately African-American neighborhoods of Treme and Central City of New Orleans are most strongly associated with the traditions and publicize their parade routes online to invite visitors to participate or you can witness it at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. If you are in the area, take advantage of the local culture!

And when you go to your next ball and you hear the trumpet call of that old familiar tune, grab your umbrella or napkin to fall in “second line” behind your krewe royalty. Take a moment to reflect on the fact that we continue to participate in a tradition that is over 400 years old.

A tradition that celebrates life and independent freedoms. So grab your umbrella and enjoy!

Allons danser mes amis!

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KREWE DE AUTRE CHANCE FUNDRAISER DANCE It’s the Mardi Gras season! We passed a good time with Ricky Menard and Ron Granger of Cajun Soul & Friends band at a fundraiser for the Krewe de Autre Chance at the Cajun French Music Association Building. Family and friends gathered for an evening of good food, fun and Cajun dancing. Allons danser, mes amis!

Will Houston with Karen Weidner

Mary Harst, Dee Olivier, Martha Comeaux and Darlene Gothreaux

Alfred and Betty Miller

Betty Bergeron and Renola Simon

Cajun Souls & Friends Band

HBA’S 2014 HOME SHOW The freezing weather was no deterrent as crowds flocked to the well-anticipated Home Builders Association of SWLA’s Annual Home Show at the Civic Center. They made their way through the stretch of various vendors taking advantage of the opportunities to satisfy their curiosity on building materials, décor, real estate, contractors and so much more! Food booths and lots of stuff for the kids to do, too!

Karen Quinilty and Krista Comeaux

Melissa Bush, Sam Liscum and Judy Stevens Vol. 5 • No. 22

Jennifer and Larry Toups

Jamie Andreas, Jennifer Harris and Carolyn Retherferd

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CENTRAL GULF COAST BOAT SHOW Whether you were in the market for a boat, RV, golf cart, fishing pole, duck decoy, camo gear or just expert advice, it was all to be had at the 29th Annual Central Gulf Coast Boat, Sport & RV Show.

Liz from Swamp People added to the attraction along with the world’s largest mobile aquarium, which got big reactions from the kiddos.

Let’s hear it for the great outdoors!

Gerri Melancon and Lisa Thibodeaux

Frank Zerangue, Tina Nugent and Stevey Karam

Valerie Massie, Patrick Arrant and Kimberley Mitchell

Wayne and David Herard

Thomas Dinger and Dennis Toblin

VFA CAGE FIGHTS Fight Night at the Civic Center! Fans came out for an eventful evening as matched-up fighters took to the cage to defend and conquer during the VFA Round 3 Mixed Martial Arts Cage Fights.

Unfortunately, local favorite Josh Quayhagen lost his bout, but there’s always next time!

John and Jared Davidson

Scheramie and Dawson Lebrun 38 JANUARY 30, 2014

Keitha Dupuis, Tracie Leger and Missy Hebert

David Racco and Jairus Matt

Johnathan and Alyssa Pate with Chad Evans Vol. 5 • No. 22

Beads Captain Crown Fat Tuesday Fleur de lis

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Gala King Cake Krewe Mardi Gras Parade

Presentation Royalty Second Line Twelfth Night Tuxedo

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Players take turns connecting two dots.

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

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