DECEMBER 2020 VOLUME 25 ISSUE 7 EDITORIAL
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CONTENTS
FEATURE
IN EVERY ISSUE
19 ST. CHARLES AVENUE'S ACTIVISTS OF THE YEAR Luis Colmenares, Margo DuBos, Emeril Lagasse, Archie Manning, Olivia Manning and Margaret Montgomery-Richard
16 THE DISH Keeping It Local: Head to Magazine Street for a worldly array of locally owned bars, restaurants and shops 33 STUDENT ACTIVIST Shayde Randolph: Academy of the Sacred Heart 34 SNAPSHOTS 36 SHOP TALK Joe Lindenmayer: Owner & CEO, California Closets of the Gulf Coast
IN EVERY ISSUE 4&6 ON THE COVER & EDITORS' NOTES 6 CALENDAR 10 KIDS PLAY City Park at Christmas: The return of the beloved “Celebration in the Oaks” driving tour & a renovated Storyland for a socially distanced holiday 12 YOUNG BLOODS Franziska Trautmann: Co-Founder, Glass Half Full NOLA 14 WHAT’S HOT Holiday Jewelry
38 SHOP TALK Jeanne Harang Boughton: Associate Broker, RE/MAX N.O. Properties 48 NOSTALGIA E. A. Farley Florist: A Christmas display that became a “fairyland.”
B E V ' S N OT E
There are some great programs at Le Petit that you don’t want to miss! “NOLA Noel” is December 4-26, featuring the jumpiest holiday songs by Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong, Allen Toussaint and more! On December 3 at 7:30 p.m., they’ll have a digital reading of Rajiv Joseph’s The North Pole. On January 14 at 7:30 p.m. there will be a digital reading of Mountaintop. There also will be two live streamed concerts: December 10 with Kathleen Monteleone and December 14 will feature Lesley Castay. Visit LePetitTheatre.com for more! The Jewish Children’s Regional Service is establishing the D.R.E.A.M. Program (Disaster Relief Emergency Aid Matching Program) to assist families experiencing extreme financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, flooding and other circumstances. They have a donor who will match up to $36,000, so please help this worthwhile effort! With the matching gift challenge, JCRS hopes to raise a minimum $100,000 fund to provide aid relief to Jewish children and families experiencing hardship during periods of extreme economic challenges, unemployment, natural disasters and social isolation. To learn more, contact Mark Rubin (mark@jcrs.org) or Ned Goldberg (ned@jcrs.org) by email, or by calling (800) 729-5277. On a lighter note, ’tis the season to add a little sparkle to our lives and to celebrate our cherished relationships. Look to our What’s Hot for Jewelry for suggestions on some sparkle to wear every day. I want to congratulate all of the fundraisers who are supporting our non-profits in a virtual way! Keep it up, because these groups who are dedicated to helping our city and its residents are suffering because of the pandemic. Be safe and protect yourselves and your family, and happy holidays!
Beverly Reese Church
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ON THE COVER Our cover celebrates the amazing activists that make New Orleans the best city to live in in the whole world! Thanks to Luis Colmenares, Margo DuBos, Emeril Lagasse, Archie Manning, Olivia Manning and Margaret Montgomery-Richard, all who have contributed to many causes, including the Audubon Institute, the Hispanic community, City Park, The American Red Cross Longue Vue House and Gardens, protecting small businesses and projects for disadvantaged youth! They have worked on so many important nonprofits that you’ve got to read all about them in their profiles. Because of the pandemic, we weren’t able to get them all together or honor them with a party, but we’re so honored to present this year’s special class of honorees!
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M O R G A N ' S N OT E
If you haven't submitted your January-April 2021 nonprofit event – do it now! We are finalizing St. Charles Avenue's Registry of Charitable Events: January-April 2021 and you don't want to miss out! Visit MyNewOrleans.com/submit-acharitable-event and feel free to email me at Morgan@MyNewOrleans.com with any questions or concerns. With all of the changes that this year has brought, it seems more important than ever to shop locally for our holiday gifts. Look to What's Hot for Holiday Jewelry for some ideas, and to The Dish for a plan for your day along Magazine Street. One of the things I've been missing most these past nine months is live music. My husband channeled his love of music into a secondary career as a live music journalist and photographer (which is now on hold, of course). We spent much of each year attending concerts and festivals across the United States and even abroad. The loss of these moments sometimes feels like a hole in my chest. Thankfully, places like the Music Box Village and neighborhood groups such as Harmony on Harmony have begun to fill this hole. If you don't have weekly live music sessions in your neighborhood, attend a live music pop-up or stay inside, care of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. The LPO has created a variety of virtual and safe in-person opportunities to experience new performances by its musician-members. Programs include The Orpheum Sessions, Suite Sundays, Music at the Museum, LPO on the Go, Musical Storytime and much more than I have space to write about here. Visit LPOMusic.com for all the details. Thanks to Harmony on Harmony, I learned about Camp Harmony Gourmet. They create delicious boards and grazing tables that are perfect for listening to music on your porch, as a picnic, in front of the TV or even during a road trip. I recently enjoyed their Camp Harmony Box and recommend it as a great addition to any date night or gathering of your pandemic pod. Visit CampHarmonyGourmet.com to learn more and order now! March seems a lifetime ago, and yet many of the things we use to mark the passage of days we cannot enjoy. Do not let pandemic fatigue get you down and make you complacent. Be safe – continue to wear your masks, wash your hands, talk to those you spend time with about their exposure levels and observe social distancing. Take time to observe the personal rituals that make your holidays special and use these special circumstances to invent new ones!
Morgan Packard Griffith
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DECEMBER 1 & 19 “You're Invited to a Be-YOU-tiful Party,” benefiting Girl Scouts Louisiana East, GSLE.org/en/events 3-4 (sold out) “Odyssey Ball 2020,” benefiting New Orleans Museum of Art, 658-4121, NOMA.org 3 Poydras Home second annual “Virtual Holiday Tree Lighting & Music Festival,” benefiting Poydras Home, 897-0535, PoydrasHome.com 5 “Ballo di Natale,” benefiting Ballo di Natale, 450-9443 5 Michael Siegel and Aimée Farnet Siegel present “How To Throw An Alfresco Dinner Party (And Still Adhere to Appropriate Social Distancing Protocols),” benefiting the CAC, CACNO.org/sweetarts 5 & 15 “You're Invited to an Outdoor Art Party,” benefiting Girl Scouts Louisiana East, GSLE.org/en/events 8 & 22 “You're Invited to a Robot Building Party,” benefiting Girl Scouts Louisiana East, GSLE.org/en/events 11-13 “2020 Virtual Jungle Bell Run – Louisiana,” benefiting the Arthritis Foundation, JBR.org/neworleans 12 “You're Invited to a Toy Business Designer Party,” benefiting Girl Scouts Louisiana East, GSLE.org/en/events 12-13 “Holiday Home Tour,” virtual event benefiting Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans, 581-7032, PRCNO.org
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K I D ' S P L AY
City Park at Christmas The return of the beloved “Celebration in the Oaks” driving tour & a renovated Storyland for a socially distanced holiday By Brittany Kennedy
Many of us of a – ahem – certain age who grew up in New Orleans fondly remember City Park’s “Celebration in the Oaks” driving tour. A winding path of lights that ended with the entrance to the park’s walking attractions, the driving tour was sadly one of the many things we lost after Hurricane Katrina. However, the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will bring back the driving tour this holiday season. Coupled with a recent, major renovation to Storyland, City Park is no doubt going to be a major attraction during the now-socially distanced holiday season. From November 26 to January 3 (closed Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve), revelers can drive 2.25 miles and see over 1 million lights across City Park’s grounds. Lighting displays will include Toyland and Victoria the Unicorn. The Who Dat tree will remind us that, like Kermit Ruffins, we too want Santa to put the Saints in the Super Bowl and you can ask for that very thing from a lighted, waving Santa wishing you a Merry Christmas as you leave the tour. Ticketing will be very different than in years past, following a lot of event protocols in recent months. Patrons will purchase tickets online, choosing a date and time in an effort to avoid crowds, and showing their smartphone or QR code upon arrival. Visitors won’t be allowed to leave their vehicles for the duration of the tour. That said, there’s no reason families cannot
create their own Christmas party in their car. Thermoses of hot chocolate, cookies and a few Christmas carols on the radio can help re-create the “Celebration in the Oaks” experience that has become a fixture of many New Orleans childhoods. While “Celebration in the Oaks” will only host driving tours Thursdays-Sundays, Storyland will be open during the day at 25 percent capacity with tickets also being available online to limit contact between workers and guests. Meanwhile, the facility recently underwent an $800,000 renovation, the first in nearly 35 years. Visitors will see many of the familiar installations, only with new paint jobs and improved features. Eighteen older exhibits received upgrades, like the Gingerbread Man, which now has an interactive Candyland game. The goal of the renovation was to make it more ADA accessible as well as creating a focus on STEM activities. The park boasts that 90 percent of the artists that collaborated in the renovation were local, and they added four completely new exhibits. There is a Humpty Dumpty site that includes large Lego-like blocks, which kids can use to help Humpty build his wall again. There is also Boudreaux the Zydeco gator, a Jack and Beanstalk installation and a Tortoise and the Hare site. No trip to Storyland would be complete without a ride down the Puff the Magic Dragon slide, which has been lovingly restored.
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The announcement of the threemonth renovation came on the heels of Forbes magazine naming Storyland among the best family travel activities in New Orleans. If you choose to visit Storyland during the day, know that after you can order a picnic to be
delivered on park grounds. Even in these distanced times, once again one of the city’s largest green spaces proves to be a key destination for daytime fun and nighttime holiday magic as we continue the march toward 2021. ✦
➺ Just the Facts “Celebration in the Oaks” Dates: November 26-January 3 (closed December 24 & 31) Times: Sundays-Thursdays, 6-10 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays, 5-11 p.m. Christmas Night, 5-10 p.m. Prices: Cars/SUVs, $18.99-$32.99 (limit 8 guests/vehicle) Limos, $65-$99 (limit 10 guests/vehicle) Mini Buses under 11 ft., $125-$175 (limit 20 guests/vehicle) NewOrleansCityPark.com/celebration-in-the-oaks/buy-tickets-here Storyland Open: Wednesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (last entry at 4 p.m.) Fridays-Saturdays during Celebration in the Oaks, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. (last entry at 3:30 p.m.) Tickets: $5/person Children under 36 inches tall and Friends of City Park are free NewOrleansCityPark.com/in-the-park/storyland
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YO U N G B LO O D S
Franziska Trautmann Co-Founder, Glass Half Full NOLA By Lindsay Mack
clable glass away from landfills. Residents are welcome to drop off nearly any glass products for free at Glass Half Full’s two locations: 3935 Louisa St. in Gentilly and 911 Joliet St. in Uptown. (Check their website or sign up for their email newsletter for operating days and times.) In addition, the team also has a waiting list for monthly no-contact, curbside pick-ups for all your recyclable glass. What happens to the bottles and jars you give Glass Half Full? As part of the recycling process, the glass is converted into sand or new glass cutlet that can be used for coastal restoration projects, disaster relief, eco-construction and even new glass products.
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Whether it’s filling sandbags for storm protection or contributing to erosion protection, the recycled glass can help the New Orleans area in many ways. The team at Glass Half Full has already made an amazing impact on the city’s recycling scene. “I think our biggest success has been starting from zero dollars and operating out of a backyard to occupying two full warehouses and recycling over 30,000 pounds of glass per week,” says Trautmann. The team hopes to keep the operations growing with the city’s high demand for glass recycling, and ultimately expand into more areas such as the Northshore or Lafayette. Donations and financial
support are always welcome. In particular, the Glass Half Full team is seeking funds to help automate their glass pulverization process, which currently involves hand-feeding bottles into the pulverizing machine and hand-sifting it afterward. Volunteers are also invited to get involved in the glass recycling process on a first-hand basis. ✦
➺ Get Involved Visit GlassHalfFullNola.org, email them at Hello@GlassHalfFullNola.org and follow them on social media @GlassHalfFull.nola.
PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
Frustrated by the lack of glass recycling options in New Orleans, Franziska Trautmann and Max Steitz decided to take action during their senior year at Tulane University. Word spread quickly. “We decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to the community and see what happened. In the first one or two days of the campaign only three people had donated … and one was Max anonymously,” says Trautmann. “However, after a few news articles about our plan, the fundraiser really took off and New Orleans showed us that they really want the opportunity to recycle.” Now, the team at Glass Half Full NOLA has already diverted thousands of pounds of recy-
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W H AT ' S H OT
Holiday Jewelry By Amy Gabriel
We could all use a little sparkle in our lives. Celebrate your most cherished relationships with uplifting gifts and tokens of affection that are sure to make spirits bright this holiday season. After all, we’re all appreciating our loved ones now more than ever.
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1. Let the tree lights dance over a diamond necklace with wreath design featuring 18.72 carats set in 18 karat white gold. Boudreaux’s Jewelers, 701 Metairie Road, 831-2602, BoudreauxsJewelers.com
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2. Planning to pop the question? Stun the one you love with an 18 karat rose gold ring with a pear-shaped diamond and natural pink and white pavé accents. Jack Sutton Fine Jewelry Canal Place, 365 Canal St., Suite 122, 522-8080; 315 Royal St., 522-0555, JackSutton.com
3. Glitz up your wrist with a yellow gold diamond bangle with pear-shaped, round brilliant cut and baguette cut diamonds. Diamonds Direct, 3230 Severn Ave., 3833900, DiamondsDirect.com
W H AT ' S H OT
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6. A Gucci G-Timeless watch with a white mother of pearl dial and diamond details will show off your champagne pours. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry – Lakeside Shopping Center, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 110-B, 832-0000, LMFJ.com
� 4. Add a drop of elegance to your wrist with a South Sea pearl and diamond bangle bracelet. Wellington & Company, 505 Royal St., 525-4855, WCJewelry.com
7. You will be walking in a winged wonderland in a pair of Mega Madelines, accented with sequins, resin stones and beading. Mignonne Gavigan, MignonneGavigan.com
5. A little blue box holding a Tiffany T1 pendant in 18 karat rose gold with round diamonds is sure to make holiday dreams come true. $7,000. Tiffany & Co. Canal Place, 333 Canal St., 434-6002, Tiffany.com
8. Keep Santa’s secrets tucked inside a Cypress poison ring with relief work of the Louisiana bayou accented on the sides. Porter Lyons, 631 Toulouse St., (800) 585-0348, PorterLyons.com
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THE DISH
Keeping It Local Head to Magazine Street for a worldly array of locally owned bars, restaurants and shops By Jyl Benson
16 ST. CHARLES AVENUE DECEMBER 2020
Trout topped with lump crabmeat and crab and corn beignets from Joey K's
PHOTO BY MIKE LIRETTE
For me, holiday magic resides largely on Magazine Street, which unfolds over six miles from its foot at Canal Street up to Audubon Park, revealing multiple personalities through boutiques, haberdasheries, galleries, restaurants and cocktail spots along the way. The air is positively electric as people hauling shopping bags stuffed with unique goods – often locally made – crowd the sidewalks. This is the anti-mall. Travel between spaces is entirely outdoors and 95 percent of the businesses here are locally owned and operated. This year, more than ever, this is where we should spend our holiday dollars. Either start or end your day in the Warehouse District at the Higgins Hotel at the lower (eastern) end of the street. Morning coffee and house-made pastries are available for take-away at Provisions just off of the lobby. In the evening, Rosie’s on the Roof affords outdoor seating and panoramic views of the city skyline. Hopscotch (or Uber/Lyft/bus) your way up the street to the western end, making stops to sip, shop and snack along the way until you reach Saba, Chef Alon Shaya’s culinary tribute to his grandfather. The Israeli menu offers numerous Salatim (small plates) served with fluffy pita bread pulled straight from the wood-burning oven. The hummus here is mind-blowingly
creamy with several seasonal versions available each day. The one topped with jumbo lump crab, butter, corn and mint is particularly unforgettable, as are the grilled lamb kebabs. Cindy and Sam Farnet recently celebrated 31 years of business at Joey K’s. Almost three years ago they hired Commander’s Palace alum Chef Jay Butler, who brought in an “everything from scratch” approach to the popular comfort food restaurant. Known for deftly prepared versions of traditional New Orleans classics – think daily plate lunch specials, red or white beans and rice, crisp cooked-to-order fried chicken and trout topped with lump crabmeat. Butler added ethereal crab and corn beignets and macaroni and cheese studded with crawfish to the menu, as well as the recent addition of Sunday Brunch. A “Come as You Are” attitude and walls covered in colorful works by neighborhood artist Simon Hardeveld set the backdrop for a leisurely, reasonably priced meal. Brunch starters include crabmeat au gratin and fried green tomatoes served with grilled shrimp and remoulade. Entrées include the Basic Breakfast Plate (two eggs your way, cheese grits, bacon, hash browns and biscuit or toast), build-your-own omelets, waffles, pancakes and a knocked-out version of shrimp and cheese grits made with a creamy macque choux sauce with andouille. Both inside and out are decked for the season, and plenty of sidewalk seating affords an in-the-moment experience within the lively neighborhood.
➺ Try This:
Chef Eric Cook recently reopened Gris Gris, his celebrated restaurant in the triangular building at the corner of Magazine and Felicity streets. The restaurant is now open seven days a week for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The wrap-around upstairs balcony is the perfect place for a cocktails and people-watching.
As sleek, chic and spare as Joey K’s is not, Union Ramen is. Nhat “Chef Nate” Nguyen’s first entrepreneurial venture came together after an inspirational trip to Japan to study the various styles of ramen, and after hosting numerous pop-ups, he carved out his own style. His bright new spot offers four different dishes based around his silky house-made noodles: Original Tori with a poultry-based broth, Miso with a plant-based broth, Slap-YaKimchi Mazeman (brothless with blackened chicken, kimchi and poached egg) and Dirty Mazemen (brothless with ground beef, tasso, roasted sweet pepper and poached egg). Starters include Sweet & Spicy Wings bearing a crunchy rice flour batter and a pepper jelly glaze with a goodly dose of coarse black pepper; crawfish and shrimp lumpia with sweet pepper dipping glaze; and Beggar’s Purse Dumplings, a surely munchie-driven concoction involving pimento cheese, a red wine vinegar reduction, charred green onion aioli, mushroom chips, blueberries and cilantro. Somehow these disparate ingredients work harmoniously together. ✦
Higgins Hotel, 1000 Magazine St., 528-1941, HigginsHotelNola.com Gris Gris, 1800 Magazine St., 272-0241, GrisGrisNola.com Joey K’s, 3001 Magazine St., 891-0997, JoeyKs.com Saba, 5757 Magazine St., 324-7770, EatWithSaba.com Union Ramen, 1837 Magazine St., 459-2819, UnionRamen.com
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18 ST. CHARLES AVENUE NOVEMBER 2020
BY SUE STRACHAN
Even in the best of times, philanthropy and volunteering are important to the health of a community. The work of nonprofits and those who dedicate themselves to working with them has now become even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. The six St. Charles Avenue Activists of the Year don’t just sign checks (which is appreciated, of course), they're hands-on activists who start nonprofits, mentor and cherish their time giving back to the community. The 2020 class is: Luis Colmenares, Margo DuBos, Emeril Lagasse, Archie and Olivia Manning and Margaret Montgomery-Richard. We asked these Activists of the Year what they do and why they do it. (Some answers edited for clarity.) We hope their answers inspire you as much as they did us.
“Giving to organizations is very important and helping my community is second nature to me�
PHOTO BY ZEE AMER
For artist Luis Colmenares, mentoring comes naturally. Colmenares’ inspiration was his father, “a very giving man who helped many people throughout his lifetime.” Colmenares' homegrown philanthropy starts in his studio, where he makes sculptures out of metal, wood, foam, glass and neon, and is a painter. His most recent creation is, “Bluedreaux,” a blue crawfish. He is self-taught. “It was on my own that I decided that we needed more mentors and teachers out there,” says Colmenares. “Kids today tend to opt out of the art and workshop programs that teach them ways of creative thinking and technical skills. When they miss this opportunity in school it can be hard to learn without outside help and I strive to be the person who can offer that education.” “We take in three kids a year as apprentices to study for free,” says Colmenares. Through the years, he has taught an estimated 70 children and young adults skills such as welding, as well as life skills, for example, learning that when a job is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., that’s exactly what that means. This mentorship program is rewarding to Colmenares and to the students. “I would say that over the years I’ve seen many people who had a dim outlook on life come to work with me,” says Colmenares. “The stories of these students change during that time, leaving the program with their head held high and a career lined up. “It always brings a smile to my face.” Colmenares, his crew and apprentices are currently working on a 24-foot-tall sculpture of a bouquet of flowers that will be used to raise money for artists and their studios that have suffered financially during COVID-19. “I plan to lease the sculpture to different organizations to help them with their own fundraising campaigns,” says Colmenares. “There will be a ribbon around the sculpture that states the purpose of your cause, for example, ‘Thanks to front-line workers.’” His studio is also making COVID-19 partitions for
locker rooms, hospitals, casinos, front desks and other applications. “These partitions not only protect people as they go about their lives, but also have helped keep artists in my shop employed in a time where many have lost their jobs,” he adds. Colmenares is also well known in the New Orleans community for his generous donations to fundraisers. “Giving to organizations is very important and helping my community is second nature to me,” says Colmenares. The nonprofit closest to Colmenares’ heart is the Louisiana Children’s Museum. He has also donated auction items or participated with New Orleans Museum of Art’s “Odyssey Ball” and “Art in Bloom”; the Contemporary Arts Center’s “Art for Arts’ Sake”; American Red Cross; Shir Chadash Synagogue; Young Leadership Council; Arts Council of New Orleans; Touro Synagogue; Cancer Crusaders; Leukemia & Lymphoma Society; Coats for Kids; “New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Gala”; New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; Children’s Hospital; and New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s “Azúcar Ball,” at which he was also named recipient of its Galvez Cup, given to those who have been of great assistance to the foundation. Colmenares has also been named a CAC Sweet Art honoree and bestowed awards and grants from the Joan Mitchell Foundation. “New Orleans is my muse,” says Colmenares. “This city has given me my artistic sense as well as a home, a wonderful life and more.” That said, he does believe that work needs to be done. “We need a better infrastructure for the youth in our neighborhoods,” says Colmenares. “This could include more places for them to have safe and constructive freedoms that allow them to express themselves in a healthy and educated manner. YAYA, for instance, is doing a great job at this. “I believe that through these resources we could truly make our city an even better place in the years to come.”
Philanthropy started at home for Margo DuBos, who cites her parents as leading by example. “Both my parents were very giving and compassionate people,” says DuBos, former co-owner of Gambit weekly newspaper. DuBos’ father was an attorney who handled a number of cases pro bono when clients, including many who lived off the land, couldn’t afford to pay. “They would drop off fresh shrimp or crowder peas to our family to show their thanks,” says DuBos. Her mother, Lily Jackson, was a feature writer at The Times-Picayune, and she “never met a stranger and treated everyone with respect,” says DuBos. “Because my parents gave me an inherent sense of fairness and compassion, I see giving back as a way to right some wrongs and a way to give those less fortunate a better life.” DuBos’ community activism is far-reaching, serving on te boards, committees or participating in benefits with New Orleans Museum of Art (including Co-Chair of “Odyssey Ball”); New Orleans City Park and Botanical Garden (Co-Chair twice of “Lark in the Park” and “Magic in the Moonlight” and Co-Chaired benefit for Nola City Bark and “Heart of the Park Hat Luncheon”); New Orleans Photo Alliance; LA/ SPCA; New Orleans Council for Young Children in Need; LSU Manship School of Mass Communication Board of Visitors; and the Louisiana Women’s Forum, “specifically on its Equity and Inclusion Committee, and on LWF’s Programming Committee to engage our members in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Lafayette on important discussions about race and gender and to foster the next generation of young professional women,” says DuBos. “Our national group,
International Women’s Forum, has more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished members from 33 nations and six continents.” There are moments that do stand out. “I will never forget my work with United Way’s Women’s Leadership Council,” says DuBos. The group partnered with the St. Bernard Project after Hurricane Katrina to rebuild homes in Meraux, located in St. Bernard Parish, that had been destroyed by the storm. “After three days of patching, painting and laying sod we got to meet a family returning to their home,” says DuBos. “It was a Kleenex moment I’ll never forget, getting to see their faces as they arrived.” Another initiative that made an impact on DuBos and the community is the “Big Easy Entertainment Awards,” which she founded in 1988. “We launched the ‘Big Easy Entertainment Awards’ right after I became publisher of Gambit in 1987, and since our first fledgling awards show in 1988, it has nurtured, supported financially and shone a bright light on the local music, theater and classical communities,” says DuBos. “When you think about New Orleans’ rich cultural traditions, you think of music, theater, opera, dance and classical arts. I love that Gambit played a role in helping them thrive.” In addition to her parents, DuBos also points to her husband, Clancy DuBos, their sons, Brandin and Will, and the late philanthropist and civic leader Nancy Marsiglia as those who have influenced her path to community activism. “Clancy and I both have striven to be giving members of the community,” says DuBos. “Clancy
has been very active with, and generous to, the educational institutions that shaped his life – Holy Cross High School, University of New Orleans and Loyola Law School. “I am proudest of my two sons, Brandin and Will, for becoming such fine young men who share our family’s belief in giving back,” says DuBos. “Brandin is a volunteer worker and board member of Habitat for Humanity in the New Orleans area. Will has supported the National World War II Museum and is passionate about environmental issues, particularly wetland loss in Louisiana.” DuBos and her husband met Nancy Marsiglia when they became a business partners with her, purchasing Gambit in 1991. “Nancy was very involved in many charitable and civic causes, particularly those that benefited children aged 0-5,” says DuBos. “Those causes included the Council for Young Children in Need and Agenda for Children. The world was a better place with Nancy in it, and we miss her terribly.” DuBos, a graduate of Louise S. McGehee School and Louisiana State University (where she earned her degree in journalism), has faith in her hometown. She learned how much more special it is this past summer when she made a road trip out West, where people were intensely curious about New Orleans. “For all our challenges, our city still has a brand that the world loves and embraces,” says DuBos. But there is still work to be done. “Culturally, we’re already a world-class city, but in terms of civic and political functionality we’re a good city but not a great city. We need more support and programs for children ages 0-5, and we need to have more educational, mentoring and career options for teens.”
PHOTO BY JEFFERY JOHNSTON
“Because my parents gave me an inherent sense of fairness and compassion, I see giving back as a way to right some wrongs and a way to give those less fortunate a better life.”
Chef Emeril Lagasse has embraced his adopted city the most New Orleans way possible: Through food and philanthropy. A native of Fall River, Massachusetts, Lagasse made his way to New Orleans after graduating from Johnson & Wales University, later receiving an honorary doctorate from it, followed by stints in restaurant kitchens in the U.S. and Europe. “You know, I didn’t plan to stay in New Orleans when I first came to work for Miss Ella Brennan at Commander’s Palace,” says Lagasse. “It pulled me in, and I fell in love with the city. I fell in love with the food, the people, the music and the architecture. “There’s not much that I don’t love about New Orleans. It is the epicenter of hospitality because the spirit lives within the culture and the people and is a way of life here beyond the restaurants and hotels that make up the industry.” He started his restaurant empire in New Orleans, opening up his flagship, Emeril’s, 30 years ago in the Warehouse District. Success soon followed and more restaurants – now 10 – are located in New Orleans; Las Vegas; Miramar Beach, Florida; and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. (His restaurant company, Emeril Homebase, is located in New Orleans.) Lagasse’s fame spread with his TV shows, including “Emeril Live,” “Essence of Emeril” and “Eat the World with Emeril Lagasse,” and he’s the author of 19 cookbooks. Two new ventures include We Love Food Hospitality, a new consulting division of his restaurant company, and an 11th restaurant, Emeril’s Bistro 1396, on Carnival Cruise Lines’ Mardi Gras ship, setting sail in 2021. Honors came as well: 1998 “Chef of the Year” by GQ magazine; 1999, named one of People magazine’s “25 Most Intriguing People of the Year”; 2004 “Executive of the Year” by Restaurants & Institutions magazine; 2005 “Distinguished Service Award” from Wine Spectator; 2006 he was inducted into the Menu Masters Hall of Fame by Nation’s Restaurant News; 2007 “Restaurateur of the Year” by New Orleans
City Business; 2009 “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival; 2012 in the Smithsonian exhibition, “Food: Transforming the American Table 1950-2000”; 2013 Humanitarian of the Year, James Beard Foundation; and 2018 Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. Yet, despite his non-stop schedule, Lagasse found time to give back. “Throughout the early years of my career I was introduced to many outstanding nonprofit organizations,” says Lagasse. While contributing to these nonprofits, Lagasse realized, “The potential I had in starting my own nonprofit to change the lives of the youth who may need it most. “Volunteering and philanthropy has always been important to me,” adds Lagasse. “One of my core values is mentorship and identifying ways in which I can assist and help young people grow and learn into their fullest potential. Personally, I’ve been fortunate enough to have many mentors who have helped me in invaluable ways.” It was his friendship with tennis professional Andre Agassi that gave him the motivation to start his own foundation. Through the Andrew Agassi Foundation for Education, “Andre was committed to transforming education, to give every child an opportunity for success, regardless of their circumstances,” says Emeril. “Seeing what he was doing in Las Vegas gave me the perspective that children in New Orleans who were facing similar disadvantages needed help in creating opportunities.” Another motivating factor was his wife, Alden Lagasse, with whom he founded Emeril Lagasse Foundation in 2002. The foundation’s mission is, “to create opportunities to inspire, mentor and enable youth to reach their full potential through culinary, nutrition and arts education,” says Lagasse. “In New Orleans there has always been a significant need for programs that are successful in providing young people with opportunities,” he adds. “Through our foundation we’re
“One of my core values is mentorship and identifying ways in which I can assist and help young people grow and learn into their fullest potential.” changing the lives of young children, especially those from disadvantaged households.” The foundation has granted more than $10 million to children’s charities to support culinary, nutrition and arts programs, according to its website, which is seen via outdoor classroom gardens, fresh foods cafeteria and teaching kitchen at Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, an accessible learning kitchen for special needs students at St. Michael Special School, a four-year culinary arts program for high school students at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, the Emeril Lagasse Foundation Hospitality Center at Café Reconcile and hospitality training at Liberty’s Kitchen for at-risk youth preparing healthy school meals. “Every year I’m blessed with the opportunity to meet and work with many of the young people that have been positively affected by the mission of my foundation,” says Lagasse. “My legacy lies within my foundation and is extremely important to me,” adds Lagasse. His other legacy are his children: Jessie Lagasse Swanson and Jillian Lagasse, who are cookbook authors of The Lagasse Girls’ Big Flavor, Bold Taste and No Gluten! and The Gluten-Free Table; and EJ and Meril Lagasse, who are in school and can be seen at foundation and other events with their parents. Like every restaurant owner during COVID-19, Lagasse has been affected, and is moving forward. “Currently I’m working to get my restaurants reopened and my employees back to work,” he says. “My organization and I have been involved in many COVID-19 pandemic initiatives. Throughout the pandemic, my team prepared and served food to some of the hardworking, front-line heroes.” The funds raised this year at the foundation’s “Boudin, Bourbon and Beer,” benefit the Emeril Lagasse Hospitality Relief Fund, which was established with a contribution of $125,000 by the foundation with the funds directly supporting hospitality industry employees across the Gulf Coast.
PHOTO BY SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
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There is no place like home for Margaret Montgomery-Richard. “I am a New Orleans girl,” says Montgomery-Richard. “I love the culture, food and people. I love seeing an old friend and asking, ‘How’s your Momma and them.’” It is her parents, Henry and Orelia Duvernay, that “instilled in me and my three siblings the values of hard work, a good name, kindness and education.” “These four core values have been the drivers throughout my life.” A graduate of McDonogh 35 Senior High School, MontgomeryRichard kicked off her career at Delgado Community College as part of a research team. It was there that she began “my post-secondary education journey and my commitment to service and philanthropy.” Her group’s assignment was to gather data to support the expansion of two-year post-secondary education across southeast Louisiana. “After working on this initiative for two years, my contract was coming to an end,” she says. “One day the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs called me into his office. He asked me if I would be interested in staying on at the community college. “He said there were not many African Americans in community colleges; the career opportunities were great, and I would be a good fit,” she says. Montgomery-Richard was offered the position of Assistant to the Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. “At that moment, I adopted the philosophy, ‘A good community/ technical college will be of and for the community it serves.’” After that position, she was asked to serve as Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, then shortly after that, became Chancellor of the Louisiana Technical College for three years (2003-2006). “My charge was to lead the transformation of the 40 ‘old voc-tech’ campuses across the state into one ‘world-class technical college,’” says Montgomery-Richard. “It was a significant feat but a labor of love for me. “I was the lead architect of the original district model, which resulted in the consolidation of each technical college campus with the nearest community college. This model served as the impetus for the current structure of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System.” Montgomery-Richard is the first African American and only woman to serve as Chancellor of the state’s largest two-year post-secondary institution. Montgomery-Richard also entered the business arena as an independent consultant, owner of a ladies’ fashion accessories business and a national restaurant franchise’s co-owner. “Post-Katrina I shifted my focus from education to business and co-founded DMM & Associates,” says Montgomery-Richard, “a women-owned consulting firm focused on creating high-
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performance organizations through human capital strategies and organizational development. “ She is also adjunct faculty at the College of Education and Human Development at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition to her parents, Montgomery-Richard credits others with encouraging her philanthropy and desire to pay it forward: Patricia Miller, her first grade teacher; Rita Weaver Montgomery, who encouraged her to become a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a national public service sorority of which she’s a Golden Life member and has twice chaired Founders Day as a member of the New Orleans Alumnae Chapter; Dr. Cornelia Rathke, who introduced MontgomeryRichard to Raintree Home for Girls, her first board appointment; and Kingsley House, where she started as a LANO board intern and with which she has continued to work in various capacities, including Board Chair, for more than 20 years. Montgomery-Richard is also on the boards or committees of Family Center of Hope, McDonogh 35 Alumni Association, Crescent City (La.) Chapter of The Links Inc., Blacks for Education in New Orleans (BE NOLA), Women for a Better New Orleans, Independent Women Organization and University of New Orleans Alumni Board. Montgomery-Richard received her Masters of Public Administration and Ph.D. from UNO, after she received her Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond. She attended the Institute of Management and Leadership in Education at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and attended Cornell University, studying Diversity Management. Montgomery-Richard is the Board Chair of the New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce, where it has been focusing on helping small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic “One thing this pandemic confirmed: small businesses are the lifeblood of this nation,” says Montgomery-Richard. The chamber has also been meeting with key business leaders of major corporations, anchor institutions, city and state leaders regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. “We are also engaged in discussions regarding livable wages, affordable housing, healthcare disparities, education and policy reforms,” says Montgomery-Richard. The result was that the group published a “Call to Action.” “This is a pivotal moment in our country’s history,” she says. “The actions and commitments we make as a people and a business community will foster the economy’s growth and development at the local, state and national levels.”
During the pandemic, Montgomery-Richard has also helped with food drives, food banks and donations – she’s as a regular contributor to Second Harvest Food Bank – and has worked with Crescent City (La.) of The Links, Inc. and other organizations. Montgomery-Richard believes in New Orleans, but also knows it needs to step up. “New Orleans can do several things to improve: Recognize the need to diversify our economy beyond hospitality and tourism; recognize the direct correlation between K-12 education and juvenile crime and engage the charter schools in the resolve; recognize there’s a direct correlation between education, a skilled workforce and the types of business and industry attracted to New Orleans; recognize a need for innovative job creation with rapid response education and training; and look to the Port of New Orleans for potential new jobs or old jobs that pay a living wage.” This dovetails with the Ph.D. in higher education leadership she earned in 1996. “Ever conscious of the struggles of marginalized people, my research focused on welfare reform and access to post-secondary education for AFDC recipients,” says Montgomery-Richard. “My dissertation titled, ‘Time: A Barrier to Postsecondary Education for AFDC Recipients,’ explored the challenges and obstacles these families faced to obtain economic security. My work was grounded in the belief that if women on welfare were given access and opportunity to relevant education and training, they could move from welfare to work to a life of economic self-sufficiency.” Her accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, with honors including: 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans Champion of Economic Empowerment Award; The Orchid Society Outstanding African-American Women of New Orleans; McDonogh 35 High School Wall of Fame; YWCA Role Model; City Business “Women Of The Year”; Ten Outstanding Persons Award Family Services of Greater New Orleans; Louisiana Center for Women and Government Hall of Fame; Louisiana Community and Technical College System President’s Outstanding Service Award; Louisiana Community and Technical College System President’s Award for Exemplary Leadership; and Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Exemplary Service Award. But what brings it all together is her family, including husband Anthony Wayne Richard and son Harold Hilton Montgomery Jr. and his wife, Taleigha Crawford-Montgomery, as well as her faith in God. “Throughout my professional career I asked God to show me my work and not just a job,” says Montgomery-Richard. “Giving back to the community for me from a spiritual perspective is important,” says Montgomery-Richard, “because, ‘To whom much is given, much will be required’ (Luke 12:48), and as Marian Wright Eldeman so eloquently stated in her book, The Measure of Our Success: A Letter to My Children and Yours, “Service is the rent we pay for being ...’”
“I think my position in the community as quarterback of the New Orleans Saints started me on the path of volunteering. We have been blessed and feel it’s important to give back.”
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PHOTO BY JEFFERY JOHNSTON
“I think my position in the community as quarterback of the New Orleans Saints started me on the path of volunteering,” says Archie Manning. It was Jake Kupp, captain of the Saints, who Archie credits as setting a good example. With encouragement from Kupp, Archie got involved with the Louisiana Special Olympics, work that he still continues. Manning has also used his business and personal savvy with New Orleans Boy Scout Council, Salvation Army, United Way Speakers Bureau, New Orleans Sports Foundation and the AllState Sugar Bowl Committee, and he’s the Chairman of the Board of the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame. “I ran three Archie Manning Cystic Fibrosis Golf Tournaments in Mississippi and Louisiana for 25 years,” he says. He is currently working on a few projects for disadvantaged youth and wants to help the police department. Education and crime in the city are both concerns of Archie and his wife Olivia. They also recently made donations to food drives during the coronavirus pandemic. Archie was born in Drew, Mississippi, and was a natural athlete – he was involved in football, basketball, baseball and track. After graduating from Drew High School, he attended University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), where he was the starting quarterback for three years. It was here he met his wife, who was from Philadelphia, Mississippi.
After graduating college with a business degree, he was drafted by the Saints. He was the quarterback for the Saints for 10 seasons before playing for the Houston Oilers and Minnesota Vikings. He retired after 13 seasons in the NFL. Despite being away, Archie was always in his element in New Orleans, “I love the people and culture of New Orleans,” he says. It was in New Orleans where he started the Archie Manning Company, Manning Passing Academy and Manning’s Restaurant. For his philanthropic work, Archie has been bestowed American Spirit Medallion by the National World War II Museum; Byron “Whizzer” White Humanitarian Award; Bart Starr Humanitarian Award; Ten Outstanding Young Americans by the U.S. Jaycees; Father of the Year from the National Father’s Day Council; Silver Buffalo, the highest award from the Boy Scouts of America; Distinguished American Award from Walter Camp Foundation; Aspire Award from Cal Ripkin Foundation; and the Gold Medal Award from National Football Foundation. This award has been given to seven Presidents, Admirals, Generals, corporate CEOs and other distinguished Americans. “We have been blessed,” says Archie. “And feel it’s important to give back.” Adding, “It’s heartwarming to hear a story about a young person that has benefited from organizations that our family is involved in.”
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Olivia Manning has taken on many roles in life – daughter, student, wife, mother, volunteer and philanthropist – putting all that she is into each. Originally from Philadelphia, Mississippi, Olivia arrived in New Orleans with her husband, Archie, also from Mississippi, who at the time was the new quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. They had met at University of Mississippi (Ole Miss). Archie was star quarterback and baseball player, and Olivia was homecoming queen, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Olivia joined the Junior League of New Orleans after several years, and as a member “became interested in various projects through my association with the League,” she says. She also had three boys – Cooper, Peyton and Eli – and began to volunteer at Isidore Newman School, where they attended. They, in turn, made her the grandmother of nine. Ellen and Cooper Manning, now a businessman, are the parents of May, Arch (now a quarterback at Newman) and Heid. Ashley and Peyton Manning, a retired NFL quarterback, are the parents of Marshall and Mosley. Abby and Eli Manning, also a retired NFL quarterback, are the parents of Ava, Lucy, Caroline and Charlie. She took on more volunteer work and leadership roles, such as Chair of “Zoo-To-Do,” and Co-Chair of Longue Vue House and Gardens’ “Sentimental Journeys” and “Key to the Cure” at Saks Fifth Avenue.
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Currently, Olivia is a board member on the American Red Cross, of which she stresses a particular importance because “we have so many natural disasters in our area and they always step up.” She has been honored with the Ole Miss Legacy Award from Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy, New Orleans Magazine Top Female Achiever in 2014, and the Olivia Manning Scholarship at Isidore Newman School. The family was named one of the Most Inspiring Families in America by Town & Country magazine and she and Archie were bestowed the National Pathfinder Award for their work post-Hurricane Katrina. Philanthropy is a trait that Archie and Olivia have passed along to their sons, who have contributed their time and money to a number of organizations. In a profile about Olivia for New Orleans Magazine’s Top Female Achievers: “‘I’m really proud of the boys – of the ways that they have found ways to give back,’ she says, noting both Peyton and Eli’s foundations, as well as the work Cooper and his wife have done locally to support Academy of the Sacred Heart.” And, Olivia and Archie haven’t forgotten their roots. “We have teamed up with the University of Mississippi Medical School and have established the Manning Family Fund,” says Olivia, “to provide health needs for smaller communities throughout Mississippi.”
“We have teamed up with the University of Mississippi Medical School and have established the Manning Family Fund, to provide health needs for smaller communities throughout Mississippi.�
PHOTO BY JEFFERY JOHNSTON
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S T U D E N T AC T I V I S T
Shayde Randolph Academy of the Sacred Heart
PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER
By Mallory Lindsly
“A community is where people live in the same place, or even a common place of relations and fellowship with one another. When I’m involved in the community it makes me feel like I’m making a difference. Every small act can make a spark to change,” says Shayde Harmoni Randolph, a seventh grader at Academy of the Sacred Heart. Randolph is involved with many activities outside of Sacred Heart, including Jack and Jill of America, Inc. This organization helps mothers with children ages 2-19, nurturing future AfricanAmerican leaders with leadership development, volunteer service and philanthropic giving. This organization also helps connect young Black children all over the United States. Randolph is also involved with Sideline Pass, an organization that empowers the upcoming generation of women in New Orleans. Sideline Pass focuses on young women who are at risk for being put into foster care, shelters or group homes. One of the most rewarding volunteer experiences Randolph participated in was a Back to School Drive sponsored by Sideline Pass. Randolph’s whole family participated in the school supply drive, including her mother’s business, which hosted the event. “We collected all the items, placed them in school bags for each girl and hosted an ‘empowerment lunch’ for the young girls of Raintree House,” says Randolph. “During this experience, I saw so many
smiles brought to the young women in the room.” Randolph’s activism was actually inspired by her parents, Damian Randolph Sr. and Shalan Randolph. “My parents are always teaching me ways to express my voice and be aware of what is happening in the world,” says Randolph. “I am inspired to keep speaking and find ways I can contribute and be a part of the change in this world.” Even though Randolph is a few years away from college, she has the desire to attend somewhere in Washington DC or New York City. Randolph plans on studying medicine and becoming a physician while continuing to be an activist. “I feel that I’ve gained education, morals and experience in my activism. Activism is such a great way to learn new things, and just truly be aware of what’s going outside of our lives. It shows people who are wanting to be change or start change,” says Randolph. ✦ SAINTCHARLESAVENUE.COM
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S N A P S H OT S By Marie Gabriel 1
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1. Swathi Narra, Anna Thomas, Laura Ashley, Kristin Sanders, Nina Celie Angelo, Oanh Nguyen, Ayesha Motwani, Tina Dang, Juley Le, Amy Foster Neill, Courtney Marse and Katie Yaquinto attended “Soul Revival’s” kickoff cocktail party at Pilot + Powell in February. 2. CeCe Colhoun, Martine Chaisson, Ayesha Motwani, Tina Dang, Swathi Narra and Juley Le enjoyed a night of gourmet snacks, cocktails and facials at Pilot + Powell ahead of Legacy Donor Foundation’s signature fundraising event, “Soul Revival,” which benefits their mission of saving the lives of those waiting for transplants. 3. The Amelia EarHawts struck a pose at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s annual “King Cake Walk and Cocktails at the O” in February, which helps to raise funds for the museum’s educational programming. (Photo by Ryan HodgsonRigsbee) 4. Fringe & Co.’s Kelsey Campion attends Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s annual “King Cake Walk and Cocktails at the O” in February. Guests were treated to a sampling of King Cakes from some of New Orleans’ best bakeries, a market featuring local craft vendors and special performances by the Amelia EarHawts, DJ Heelturn and the Streetcar Strutters. (Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee) 5. A guest models her Hex FX Mask at “King Cake Walk and Cocktails at the O,” the Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s annual fundraising and pre-Carnival season event. The evening featured a festive costume market, local performances and more, while raising money for the Ogden’s educational programming, which works to expose the New Orleans community to the art and culture of the American South. (Photo by Ryan Hodgson-Rigsbee) 6. Two Amelia EarHawts check out local makeup vendor Elektra Cosmetics' unique products at “King Cake Walk and Cocktails at King Cake Walk and Cocktails at the O” in February.
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S H O P TA L K
Joe Lindenmayer Owner & CEO, California Closets of the Gulf Coast By Lani Griffiths What are your duties at California Closets? I’m the owner of the local California Closets business, but my most important duties are as our Chief Culture Officer, which means setting the course for an exceptional client experience. This includes having the best team members as well as the resources for them to be successful. I also handle all marketing, real estate and sales management.
What can a custom closet do to upgrade a home? The value invested in a custom closet has been shown to provide a 100% return upon the sale. Our design team knows how to optimize a space and work within a budget to get the homeowner the property of their dreams. It isn’t always about resale value though, oftentimes the upgrades are appreciated more and more each day for the utility and sense of calm that being organized brings.
What do you offer in addition to closets? We do pantries, garages, media centers, home offices and custom storage along with wardrobes, laundry rooms and any space you want to optimize with a design aesthetic that will increase the value and beauty of the property. We do many other spaces, including commercial spaces, multi-family buildouts and business offices. With our free consultations, we help people imagine any space with the organization and beauty they deserve, at a price that makes sense. What kind of closets are you known for? We work with any and all spaces. We can transform an existing reach-in or even build a custom master closet with lighting, glass inserts or doors, hidden safes and all sorts of wonderful additions.
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Are there any new product launches or upcoming collections? We have an amazing array of new home office materials, including sit-to-stand desks in gorgeous new board colors inspired by Italian finishes to make a space useful and stylish. We have a new modular system we’ve launched in partnership with Martha Stewart that can be transported easily and is very attractive to millennials.
California Closets, 3211 N. Causeway Blvd., 867-7272, CaliforniaClosets.com
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about yourself or your company? We truly believe in giving back, and so have a “small town values” perspective. We offer additional savings to our Veterans (I’m a USMC Veteran of Desert Storm myself) and we truly become a client’s advocate on their projects. The price of materials has increased, but we’ve maintained our prices due to our growth.
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S H O P TA L K
Jeanne Harang Boughton Associate Broker, RE/MAX N.O. Properties By Lani Griffiths What do you enjoy most about working for RE/MAX? It is a privilege to work among smart, kind, hardworking people.
my friends. We collaborate, we compete and we celebrate when we’re able to bring clients together. It isn’t always easy, but it’s always rewarding. No home is perfect, but finding a home that’s perfect for a client's wants and needs is what I get to do day after day. The combination of a worldwide pandemic and low interest rates has created an unprecedented real estate environment. I’m excited about every new listing; from Downtown condos to Uptown cottages to Garden District luxury estate properties and suburban homes on the Westbank and in Metairie.
What are your selling specialties? When working with a seller, I love transforming a property by staging it with furniture and art. A “lived-in” property helps a buyer assess spaces. When a buyer is in a staged property, it slows that buyer down long enough to picture their own lives unfolding in their new home.
What are you looking forward to in the coming year? I learn something new with each transaction that I complete. The real estate agents in New Orleans are my teachers and
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RE/MAX N.O Properties, 8001 Maple St.,669-4773, Remax.com/real-estateagents/jeanne-boughtonnew-orleans-la/100075848
Is there anything else you’d like us to know about yourself or your business? The real estate business requires constant attention and flexibility. My family and friends are very tolerant of unanticipated deadlines and the changes in plans required to accommodate clients. My family is also very tolerant when I ask them to move furniture out of our home to a listing, which happens at least once a week!
PHOTO BY JEFF JOHNSTON
What do you appreciate most about being a realtor in New Orleans? I love meeting people who are new to the city. My first real estate agent helped me to sift through the New Orleans neighborhoods, the inventory and options in the real estate market. I try to pay those valuable lessons forward with every client with whom I work.
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SPONSORED
LUXURY GIFTS Boudreaux’s Jewelers 504-831-2602 BoudreauxsJewlers.com Boudreaux’s has the most amazing high-end jewelry collection including this Jewels By Star ring featuring a 3.21 carat emerald and 2.37 carats of diamonds set in Platinum. Available for $39,995.
Art & Eyes 504-891-4494 ArtAndEyesNewOrleansLa.com Get these super sparkly, ECOLE DE LUNETIERS glasses available for $680 at Art & Eyes. They are the most glam of cat eyes, inspired by the most amazing of French vintage frames.
Gem Printing Co. 504-834-9580 GemPrinting.com Flat cards with a handsome embossed border are the proper choice for any personal note or corporate thank you. Your choice of white or ivory stock, 50 lettering styles, 14 inks and endless monograms make these a truly personalized gift for yourself and loved ones on your list.
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Eye Wares Metairie 504-301-1726 EyeWaresNola.com Enjoy the holidays in style with fabulous designer frames! Festivities are always more fun when viewed through the lenses of hand-crafted frames such as Mykita, Krewe, Lindberg and Chanel. Whether you’re buying a present, or treating yourself, you will find the perfect frames at Eye Wares!
PERLIS Clothing 800-725-6070 Perils.com 24K gold-plated Cloisonné Christmas Ornament handcrafted in a rare, eight step process by highly skilled artisans. Each ornament is unique, shatterproof and a copper base ensures durability. Keepsake gift box included.
Home Malone 504-324-8352 HomeMaloneNola.com This Poinsettia oval serving tray is a beautiful addition to any Holiday home décor! Hand painted 22K golden rimmed and detailed res poinsettia flowers on a ceramic serving tray measuring 15x11 inches.
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SPONSORED
Ogden Museum of Southern Art 504-539-9650 OgdenMuseum.org The Ogden Museum has wonderful gifts in the gift shop including this Clementine Hunter Holiday Ornament. It is a hand-painted, handsculpted and hand-blown glass ornament by Glitter Gallery available for $48.
Kim Starr Wise Floral Events 504-315-5607 KimStarrWise.com/the-flower-shop Kim Starr Wise is offering weekly, bi-weekly and monthly subscriptions for a fresh floral bouquet or floral arrangement either picked up or delivered to your door. You can pick a container from the shop to use and we’ll swap it out with new flowers based on your subscription preferences.
Eden House 504-407-0943 EspeciallyEden.org Shop Local and give back with an Especially Eden gift basket! All baskets are assembled by and directly support survivors of human trafficking.
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SPONSORED
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Vista Shores- Assisted Living & Memory Care 504-584-4901 VistaShores.com
Dr. Kelly Burkenstock – Skin, Body & Health 504-888-2829 SkinBodyHealth.com
On the beautiful Shores of Bayou Saint John, the award-winning Vista Shores Assisted Living and Memory Care provides exceptional assistance and comfort in an atmosphere that is traditionally New Orleans. You’ll find you already know them! Call for your tour or more information today! They are waiting to welcome you home!
Visit Dr. Burkenstock for the 12 Days of Christmas this December! Every day has a new promotion from product sales to buy one get one services and discounted procedures. See the ad in the December issue of St. Charles Avenue for a breakdown of each day!
Le Petit Théâtre 504-522-2081 LePetititTheatre.com
Ogden Museum of Southern Art 504-539-9650 OgdenMuseum.org
Le Petit presents a digital series of plays and music performances in the month of December. The 104-year-old theatre company takes to the road with Nola Noël, a Christmas show touring parks and public spaces in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Tammany Parishes. Nola Noël marks the debut of Le Petit Théâtre's Touring Stage.
In celebration of the 56 Louisiana artists included in the exhibition "Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation," admission to Ogden Museum of Southern Art will be free on Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. The free day will feature a Louisiana Contemporary scavenger hunt with prizes! Bring the whole family to "See the South" at the O! Timed tickets, masks and social distancing required.
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Briquette 504-302-7496 Briquette-Nola.com Start a new family tradition this holiday season with delicious food and wine shared together at Briquette, the celebrated seafood destination from restaurateur Anna Tusa. Along with its distinctive coastal cuisine, Briquette is also known locally for its enthusiasm for high quality, often hard-to-find wines and spirits.
Poydras Home 504-897-0535 PoydrasHome.com Visit virtually the second Holiday Tree Lighting and Music Festival December 3, 6:30-7 p.m. on Poydras Home’s Facebook page and website. Hear the American Legion Band, The Real Presence Trio and harpist Judy Seghers. Take a chance on 3 festive raffles, tickets available on PoydrasHome.com through 7 p.m. that evening.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTICE: All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Ace and the Louisiana Open Housing Act, which make it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. For more information, call the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office at 1-800-273-5718.
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N O S TA LG I A
E. A. Farley Florist A Christmas display that became a “fairyland.” By Seale Paterson
for their orchids, which reached their apex of blooming late in the year. This led the nursery to more regional fame: their annual mid-December orchid show and Christmas display. The first orchid show, free and open to the public, was held in 1948, claiming the 5,000 blooming orchids as the largest collection ever seen in the South. Within five years, 10,000 orchids and 14,000 poinsettias were on display, a tropical Hawaiian plant collection was included and the show started shifting its focus more on Christmas, featuring trees, centerpieces, novelties and door wreaths.
48 ST. CHARLES AVENUE DECEMBER 2020
In 1953, Farley’s began inviting school classes to visit the “fairyland of beautiful flowers and snow trees” and tour the greenhouses. Each child left with a small floral corsage or miniature walking stick. In 1957, Santa Claus started making an annual appearance, arriving by helicopter to pass out gifts. Over 18,000 children (including 160 school classes) and 54,000 adults were attending the now weeklong festivities. A few years later, Santa began to arrive in the more traditional New Orleans fashion: on a giant parade float. The festivities became more
subdued in the 1970s, and the last show was in 1979. The family closed the nursery in 1980; the property was sold to their neighbor, Brother Martin High School, to expand their campus by 50 percent. ✦ The Christmas show decorations were the most elaborate during the 1950s-1960s, as seen in this photo from 1956. Each year had different theme colors, and animated bears, elves, angels and Santas were big crowd-pleasers. In 1961, to honor their 50th year in business, gold rings were hung from the ceilings among the rest of the decor.
IMAGE APPEARS COURTESY OF THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, CHARLES L FRANCK PHOTOGRAPHERS, 1994.94.2.1884
New Orleans native E.A. Farley started his plant nursery in Gentilly in 1911. There were no roads leading to the undeveloped cow pasture at the time, so he used wheelbarrows and later a wagon – once a wagon trail was cut through – to transport plants into the city. Over the following seven decades, E. A. Farley Florist became one of the largest florists in the South. Besides their nursery and shop in Gentilly (located at 3333 Gentilly Blvd.), they also had a nursery in Mandeville and operated the florist shop at the Roosevelt Hotel. Farley’s was famous in the South