september/october 2013
louisianalife.com
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contents IN EVERY ISSUE 8 From the Editor
26 Home
Hauntings
Made In Louisiana
By errol laborde
This neoclassical home in Alexandria honors local craftsmanship.
10 Barometer
By bonnie warren
A compendium of what’s hot and what’s not
30 Art
by Carolyn Kolb
Gail Hood
12 Rural Life
Along the banks of the Little Tchefuncte By john r. kemp
Halloweens Past The good old days of ghouls and goblins
22
34 Traveler
By melissa bienvenu
Honoring Our Athletes
14 Biz Bits
New Sports Hall of Fame makes a statement
Business news from around the state
By paul f. stahls jr.
By kathy finn
74 Lifetimes
16 Health
Our statewide calendar of events
Medical news in Louisiana
By Judi Russell
By Paige Nulty
78 Great Louisiana Quiz
18 Great Louisiana Chefs
Restaurant Edition
Dustie Latiolais
By errol laborde
Crawfish Town USA in Henderson
20 State of the Plate
80 A Louisiana Life
Chicken at Chester’s
Jerry Strahan Putting the mustard in Lucky Dogs
Donner’s classic country restaurant
By megan hill
By Ian McNulty
30
22 Kitchen Gourmet La Patate Douce Season of the sweet potato
FEATURES
SPECIAL SECTIONS
38 Hog Wild
64 Around Louisiana
In Search of Louisiana’s Pork Trinity
Louisiana Life presents Around Louisiana, a section featuring the people and places of North Louisiana, Central Louisiana, Cajun Country, Baton Rouge and Plantation Country and Greater New Orleans.
44 Homecomings Our guide to the 2013 college season By Fritz Esker
2 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
PHOTOGRAPHED BY Eugenia Uhl
by stanley dry
By Kent J. Landry
34
ON THE COVER: Pulled pork sandwich topped with coleslaw.
50 Spotlight on Public Companies Business students size up five Louisiana businesses. By kathy finn
By jeanne frois
LouisianaLife september/october 2013 Volume 34 Number 1 Editor Errol Laborde MANAGING EDITOR Sarah Ravits Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo Associate Editors Haley Adams, Lauren LaBorde Contributing Editor Paul F. Stahls Jr. Food Editor Stanley Dry Home Editor Bonnie Warren INTERNS Paige Nulty, Nina Takahashi sales manager Kathryn Beck Sanderson kathryn@louisianalife.com
Sales Assistant Erin Azar
Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production designerS Sarah George, Antoine Passelac Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President Errol Laborde Executive Assistant Kristi Ferrante Newsstand manager Christian Coombs subscriptions Erin Duhe (504) 828-1380
2011 Silver Award Winner for Overall Art Direction
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Louisiana Life (ISSN 1042-9980) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing, LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. Subscription rate: One year $10; Mexico and Canada $48. Periodicals postage paid at Metairie, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Louisiana Life, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2013 Louisiana Life. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark Louisiana Life is registered. Louisiana Life is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Louisiana Life are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner.
4 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
on the web louisianalife.com Louisiana Life Photo entry Are you an amateur, professional or “just for fun” photographer with some Louisiana photos to share? We want to hear from you! We want to see some great Louisiana photos, whether they’re of people, landscapes, food, culture or even animals. Don’t miss your chance to have your photo featured in the pages of our magazine for all of our readers to see. Send in your photos by going to myneworleans.com/ Louisiana-Life/Louisiana-Life-Photo-Contest/. Please note that the URL is case-sensitive.
Our readers’ photographs
july:
What A View: Erica Fisher of Lake Charles captured the beautiful landscape of this Louisiana swamp in January 2012.
august:
Becky: Alison Tugwell of Monroe caught a photo of her grandmother trying on an Army helmet in May 2012 at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.
?
what are you thinking? Send feedback about this issue to Managing Editor Sarah Ravits at Sarah@LouisianaLife.com. www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 7
from the editor
Hauntings Once when I was visiting a
Louisiana’s paranormal wealth.
Louisiana plantation, someone in our
Between the plantations and the
group asked the owner/tour guide if
vintage structures of the French
the place had any ghosts. “No ghosts,”
Quarter in New Orleans, there are
the owner answered. “We have history,
many places suitable for legends.
and where there’s history you don’t
In New Orleans the storytelling has
need ghosts.”
become a big business as on any night,
His answer said a lot. Where there
even when the moon is not full, groups
are real stories to tell, there is less
of ghost tours haunt the streets. The
need to create stories. Nevertheless,
city’s Voodoo culture enhances the
Louisiana has many of such tales,
mystique.
some that are undoutedly told
Skepticism aside, there is one faded
with conviction and sincerity. (We
image that reappears throughout
contribute to that ourselves, as
Louisiana every Halloween and some
our “Around” section in the back
people, especially if they are from
of this magazine has traditionally
Mississippi, are haunted by it. LSU fans
focused on paranormal legends for
still get goosebumps when the local
our September/October issue with
television sports segments routinely
Halloween as the justification.)
rerun Billy Cannon’s classic winning
While there may or may not be
89-yard punt return touchdown against
spooky things thumping in the night,
Ole Miss. It happened in 1959 on
there are undoubtedly and certifiably
Halloween Night.
many stories, all part of a rich body of legends and folklore. Old buildings tend to be the site
Here the forces of reality come together: Not only is the apparition real, but there is also true history, too. n
of must haunts and that may explain
—Errol Laborde
8 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
barometer A compendium of what’s hot and what’s not in Louisiana By carolyn kolb
HOT
Marker for Metairie Ridge
their regularly assigned shifts, the Zachary Plainsman
The Jefferson Parish
News noted. Earlier opening
Historical Commission and
and later closing will
the Jefferson Historical
accommodate customers’
Society of Louisiana have
needs, and online payments
unveiled a Louisiana highway
plus a new 24-hour payment
marker on Metairie Road at
kiosk at the City Billing
Orpheum Avenue, commem-
office, will offer alternatives
orating the former town of
to in-person service.
Metairie Ridge, founded in 1927 and dissolved just 18
HOT
Rum Running
the Louisiana team at the
President Trey Litel
National High School
of the 3-year-old Louisiana
Rodeo Championships in
Spirits rum-distilling
Rock Springs, Wyo. They
company in Lacassine has
qualified at the Louisiana
announced the company’s
High School Finals Rodeo at
new Silver Bayou Rum and
McNeese State University in
Spiced Bayou Rum, both
Lake Charles. High school
created from molasses and
rodeo is very competitive
raw, unprocessed sugar
in Louisiana, but it’s rare to
sourced from Louisiana.
have three qualifiers from a
Litel described Silver
small community, noted the
as having a rounded,
Kentwood News Ledger.
rock-candy sweetness. The Spiced variety infuses the Silver with a secret blend
HOT
Living Legend Jimmy Dardeau, a
of spices including “one
retired Vermilion Parish
ingredient that we’re never
county agent, has been
going to tell anybody, and
inducted into the Order
that ingredient comes out
of Living Legends at the
of Louisiana agriculture,”
Acadian Museum in Erath.
Litel told the Lake Charles
The order is designed to
American Press.
honor individuals who have made major contributions to
HOT
Rodeo Wranglers
Cajun culture, the Lafayette
Derrick Chaisson,
Advertiser reported. The Ville
Cade Morgan and Ethan
Platte native was a pioneer
Morgan, all students at
of the double-cropping of
Kentwood’s Jewel Sumner
crawfish and rice.
High School, will join
10 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Bugs-A-Plenty
months later, The Advocate
NOT
reported. Historical Society
mologists have confirmed
president G. Leighton
the arrival of the kudzu
Ciravolo explained that the
bug, the bean plataspid, in
city of Metairie Ridge existed
a soybean field in Madison
only briefly, because the
Parish. The pest, a native of
Jefferson Parish government
India and China, can stress
insisted that the city was not
soybean plants by using
properly created, a point on
its piercing and sucking
which the Louisiana State
mouthparts to extract plant
Supreme Court agreed.
fluids. “We knew the insect
LSU AgCenter ento-
was in Mississippi,” LSU AgCenter area agent Sebe
HOT
Three-Day Weekends!
Brown said, “and that it would only be a matter of
Mayor David Amrhein of
time before it arrived in
Zachary has announced
Louisiana.” Chemicals used
that city office workers are
to control stinkbugs have
switching to a four-day
been shown to be effective
work week. The new hours
on the kudzu bugs as well,
of operation will be 7 a.m.
but “there’s no need to start
until 5:30 p.m., Monday
spraying until the insect
through Thursday. Zachary
numbers are high,” said
Fire and Police will continue
Brown.
n
quotable “Once the Atchafalaya River starts to fall as summer begins in late June, the fresh river water becomes less of an influence on West Cote Blanche, Weeks and Vermilion bays. With mild southeast and southwest winds, often some of the best days fishing are during the dog days of summer, when the birds start working these bays.” “Here are Some Hot Baits for Hot Summer Fishing,” John Flores, St. Mary and Franklin Banner Tribune jamie lee photo
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 11
rural life
Halloweens Past The good old days of ghouls and goblins By Melissa Bienvenu
A bloody, severed
perched on the side of a hill
hand. Glowing eyes in the
in Birmingham, Ala. Counting
black recesses of the closet.
our creepy unfinished
The witch on the corner.
basement and attic, our house
October is upon us, so
was four stories tall. My
that means I’m getting
bedroom, which had a large,
all misty-eyed about the
sort of Gothic balcony, looked
Halloweens of my youth. It
out into the treetops. To get
also means I’m experiencing
to our front door from the
one of my semi-annual pangs
street, one had to maneuver
of regret about where I’m
a steep flight of stairs, then
raising my children.
a slanting sidewalk, then
Most of the time, I believe
another flight of stairs to
my sons are incredibly
the porch. Long windows all
fortunate to be growing up
across the upper and lower
in the fresh air and wide
floors seemed to peer down
open spaces of our farm. I
at visitors.
realize how many parents
During the daytime, it was
would dearly love for their
one of the street’s loveliest
children to experience just
landmarks. After dark, it was
a little of the freedom and
perfect for terrifying trick-or-
privileges mine take for
treaters.
granted. I like to believe
Our whole family got in
that my boys’ memories of
on the act. Hiding on the
this place will be warm and
balcony, my sisters and I
golden enough to carry them
operated bed-sheet ghosts
for the rest of their lives.
that floated down from the
But there is just no
trees on strings while trick-
avoiding the fact that
or-treaters approached
sometimes life in the country
our darkened porch. When
is totally lame, and Oct. 31 is
they knocked on the door,
the epitome of those times.
(some never made it that
We celebrate Halloween
far), my dad would slowly
here, if you want to call it that,
crack it open, then, with a
but it isn’t the same deliciously
growl, thrust a furry, gloved
dangerous night I remember
hand around it. Ominous
growing up in the city.
sounds emanated from the
My family lived in a turnof-the-century neighborhood
Thrilling, Chilling Sounds of the Haunted House album
on the stereo. (Our favorites
bound to have high standards
were “Chinese Water
for Halloween.
Torture” and the screaming
But then, our neighbor-
guy who sounded more
hood really didn’t have to
constipated than scared.) My
work at being spooky. It was
mom dispensed candy while
awash in shifting shadows,
dressed as a witch.
with old houses looming on
One year we built a fairly
hillsides or set back in the
elaborate haunted house
trees. The demographics were
in our detached, dirt-floor
about evenly split between
garage. Blindfolded guests
young families with children
were invited to stick their
and empty-nesters, who were
hands into bowls of “eyeballs”
less likely to leave the porch
(peeled grapes) and “brains”
light on for trick-or-treaters.
(cooked spaghetti).
We dared each other to
For weeks surrounding
knock on their doors and run,
Halloween, my sisters and I
especially when we got to the
scared ourselves silly with a
witch’s house on the corner.
pair of glow-in-the-dark eyes
I can’t recall how the rumor
and a fake, severed hand. In
got started that this poor
the interest of full disclosure,
old lady was a witch, but it
I should confess that I was
probably had something to do
so fond of frightening my
with bratty kids trampling her
sisters with my lifelike
prize daylilies.
amputated hand that I gave it
That is all just a memory
a name: Gladys. Anyone who
now as I face my annual
nicknames a rubber hand is
dilemma of whether to buy jane sanders illustration
12 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Halloween candy, knowing that no trick-or-treaters
dozen Chevy tailgates. Again, I admit my
hard to impress a person
Last year, I took my
who is known for having a
youngest son, who was 8,
will show up at our lonely
perception was tainted by my
fake amputated hand named
trick-or-treating in town as
farmhouse on the highway,
childhood street – where it
Gladys.
we always do. After an hour
and we will end up eating all
was easier to believe that a
of it ourselves.
ghost or even a witch might
disappoints me about my
and street-to-street, I asked
be lying in wait for hapless
children’s country trick-or-
where he wanted to go next.
are too far apart for
trick-or-treaters – but, I’m
treating experiences is that
decent trick-or-treating, so
sorry, the scariest thing about
nobody knocks on the door
matter-of-factly. “I have
everyone converges on the
a 1970s subdivision is the
and says “trick or treat,”
enough candy, and my feet
residential neighborhoods in
harvest gold bathtubs.
anymore. Instead, all the
hurt.”
Houses in the country
town. Consequently, the few
Don’t get me wrong. Some
Another thing that
or so of going house-to-house
“Let’s go home,” he replied
candy is dispensed on the
On the one hand, I was
neighborhoods that we have
of the residents go all out
front porch or in the front
proud of him for being so
are crawling with princesses
to give trick-or-treaters a
yard. Everyone waits in line.
sensible. On the other, it
and ninjas lit up like Las
good time. They dress in
The kids file past with their
made me sad.
Vegas billboards in their
costume and deck out their
bags held open. Few words
glow-in-the-dark necklaces
yards and porches in fake
are exchanged. (However,
8-year-old boys never wanted
and reflective safety
cobwebs and eerie lights
I do insist that my children
to go home after an hour of
stickers. Some families
and inflatable monsters and
say “trick or treat” as well
trick-or-treating. They didn’t
team up and pull utility
groaning, battery-operated
as “thank you.”) Totally
care if their feet hurt, and
trailers loaded with kids
zombies. I appreciate their
missing is the anticipation
they never felt like they had
through the neighborhood.
effort. I really do, and some
of knocking on the door and
enough candy.
Others just use pickups. So
of it is kind of, maybe, a little
wondering who – or what –
much for shifting shadows
spooky. Generally speaking,
will answer. There is no thrill
know how it feels to knock
– they’re only headlights –
though, it feels more like a
whatsoever. It’s all about the
on the witch’s door and then
and the only things going
haunted Hobby Lobby than
free Snickers – like a soup
run home as fast he can on
bump in the night are a
a haunted house. I guess it’s
kitchen for sugar-aholics.
Halloween night. n
Where I come from,
Just once, I wish he could
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 13
biz bits Business news from around the state By kathy finn
Continuing announceand business expansions have
New owner of Shaw will grow its footprint BATON ROUGE – The new
kept the Louisiana economy
owner of The Shaw Group Inc.
percolating in recent months,
is poised to bring hundreds
maintaining the state’s position
of new jobs to the local area
well ahead of growth rates in
in coming years. Texas-based
many other states.
CB&I, which purchased The
ments of construction projects
LaShip yard in Houma
Shaw Group for $3 billion in
the prospect of about 80
builds a new corporate head-
AT&T was among the recent
February, says it now plans
new direct and indirect jobs.
quarters facility and fabrication
Louisiana business headlines,
to consolidate some of its
The project will involve an
plant. The company, which
as the company said it is
operations around the country
upgrade of the plant’s drying
serves the oil and gas industry
looking to hire some 500
in Baton Rouge. The company
equipment as well as the
with fabrication services
workers around the state.
will base its “government
addition of a production line.
and specialized work force
Many of the jobs are related to
solutions” division in the local
The 90-year-old company
support, employs more than
a multibillion-dollar investment
office, creating 400 new jobs,
manages some 580,000 acres
1,000 people in Louisiana.
that will expand AT&T’s
possibly by the end of the
of timber and has more than
Construction of the headquar-
national wireless and wired
year. State officials believe the
1,000 employees in Louisiana.
ters will begin this year.
IP broadband networks. The
expansion could generate an
Project construction should be
company is also hiring to fill
additional 400 indirect jobs in
finished by mid-2014.
positions in its mobility retail
the area.
An announcement by
and call centers. Here’s a look at some of the other projects that are contrib-
NASA not dead in New Orleans NEW ORLEANS – A $3 million
Chemical demand drives plant growth PLAQUEMINE – Shintech
Building on petroleum transportation PAULINA – Wolverine
Inc. plans to further expand chemical production at
Terminals LLC will build
its plants in Plaquemine
investment by Lockheed
a crude oil terminal and
and Addis through a $500
Low-profile shipbuilder launches major expansion GALLIANO – A major ship-
Martin at NASA’s Michoud
blending operation on a
million investment the
Assembly Facility will equip
15-acre Mississippi River
company announced in June.
it to manufacture tanks for
site in St. James Parish. It
Japan-based Shintech said its
building program by Edison
liquefied natural gas and
will invest $30 million in the
Plaquemine plant has been
Chouest Offshore is generating
create more than 160 new
project, which will create
running at capacity, and the
a frenzy of hiring and
jobs at the eastern New
about 40 direct and indirect
new project will increase PVC
construction. The company,
Orleans plant. The tanks,
jobs, according to Louisiana
production capacity to nearly 3
which owns four shipyards
which initially will be used
Economic Development. The
million tons per year.
and operates a fleet of 250
in propulsion systems for
project will include rail and
advanced offshore support
ocean-going vessels, are part
dock facility improvements, and
billions of dollars in plant
vessels for the worldwide oil
of Lockheed Martin’s effort to
a new storage tank that will
expansions by various
industry, plans to build more
convert defense technology
enable the delivery of crude oil
other companies along the
than 40 new vessels to meet
to commercial applications.
shipments by rail and ship, and
Mississippi River will generate
rising demand in the Gulf of
The project could produce an
blended oil products by barge
thousands of short-term
Mexico, the Arctic and Brazil.
additional 200 indirect jobs.
to domestic customers.
jobs in the region, economic
Powerhouse manufacturer poised to grow LAROSE– A $30 million
One of the latest announce-
including welders, pipefitters,
Central Louisiana stalwart deepens its roots CHOPIN – A $20 million
expansion by Danos & Curole
invest $1.5 billion in a fertilizer
ship fitters, electricians and
expansion is on tap at the
Marine Contractors could
plant and distribution center to
carpenters, at the company’s
RoyOMartin plywood mill in
produce 420 jobs over the next
be located in either Iberville or
LaShip yard in Houma.
Natchitoches Parish, bringing
several years as the company
St. John the Baptist parish. n
uting to job growth.
development officials say.
While the company normally shuns attention, it recently publicized plans to hire between 250 and 500 workers,
14 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Construction related to
ments came from Russia-based EuroChem, which plans to
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 15
health
By paige nulty
Ochsner receives national reaccreditations New Orleans – The American College of Surgeons (ACoS) has given two national reaccreditations to the Ochsner Health System. A three-year accreditation by the first name and identification
nontraditional patients and
vault inside the WK Proton
given to Ochsner’s Cancer
number to instantly connect
a private gym in the rehab
Therapy Center. The
Institute, and a three-year
patients with their caretaker.
department. Surgery and
cyclotron is the engine of
accreditation by the National
This nurse call system will
wound care are just two
the proton therapy system,
Accreditation Program for
eliminate the slow-moving
of the many new services
which accelerates protons
Breast Centers was given
communication chain of the
offered at the specialty
to two-thirds the speed of
to Ochsner’s Lieselotte
bedside call button. Rather
clinics, The Poche Medical
light in order to destroy
Tansey Breast Center. As
than asking the nurses’
Clinic and the Lutcher
cancer tumor cells. The
a CoC-accredited cancer
station to help with personal
Family Clinic. New tech-
cyclotron comes in two
center, Ochsner takes a
issues, patients can now
nologies at the hospital
main pieces, weighing a
multidisciplinary approach
directly ask questions to
include a digital portable
total of 220 tons. The vault
to treating cancer, meaning
the nurse who knows them
ultrasound, stress unit, and
in which the cyclotron will
that many cancer specialists
best. With the Responder 5,
EKG machine, along with
be housed contains 525
collaborate with treatment
nurses at LCMH will now
the technology that will offer
tons of reinforcing steel
and in maintaining levels
know more efficiently which
local microbiology.
and concrete walls and
of excellence in compre-
patient is calling, if rooms
hensive patient care. The
are clean, and if the patient is
Tansey Breast Center is the
at risk of other problems.
Commission on Cancer was
ceiling up to 10 feet thick. The remaining elements of
st. james parish hospital’s updates Lutcher – St. James
cancer-fighting technology at willis-knighton Shreveport – Though it seems almost like science
most advanced and targeted
fiction, a revolutionary
cancer treatment. Protons
lake charles memorial hospital’s new call system Lake Charles – Lake Charles
Parish Hospital has added
proton therapy to eradicate
deposit the majority of their
new spaces, services
cancer is well on its way
radiation directly within the
and technology between
to real-life application at
tumor, while sparing the
2012-2013, including a state-
Willis-Knighton Health
healthy surrounding tissue.
Memorial Hospital is giving
of-the-art medical plaza to
System. Called a cyclotron,
Final completion of the WK
patient care extra speed by
house clinics and a more
the equipment arrived from
Proton Therapy Center is
installing the Responder
advanced education room,
Houston via Belgium over
scheduled for the end of
5 nurse call system. The
a Progressive Care Unit
the summer and was set
2013, with patients being
Responder 5 uses a nurse’s
to offer advanced care to
up in a massive concrete
treated in late 2014.
only NAPBC-accredited breast cancer program in New Orleans.
16 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
the equipment should be installed this fall. Proton therapy is considered the
n
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 17
great louisiana chefs Panko Encrusted Cypremort Point Soft-Shell Crabs with Tabasco Chipotle Aioli set atop Atchafalaya Crawfish Corn Maque Choux
Dustie Latiolais Crawfish Town USA in Henderson
Dustie Latiolais, executive chef at Crawfish Town USA, started his culinary career at the age of 14 when he went to work as a fry cook at Pat’s Fisherman’s Wharf. While working his first stint at Crawfish Town USA, owner Johnny Hebert encouraged Latiolais to attend culinary school, and he hasn’t looked back since. After working in various prestigious restaurants around the state, he returned as executive chef to Crawfish Town USA in 2011 at the age of 24. Other competitive honors in 2008 include first place at the Baton Rouge Culinary Classic and third place in the Louisiana Alligator Soiree Competition Team, and in 2009 Latiolais garnered second place in the Baton Rouge Culinary Classic. In 2011 Latiolais took first place in the Seafood Category at the Opelousas Catholic School Tasting Event and also was a participant in the March of Dimes Fundraiser. In 2013 he was selected to participate in the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off presented by Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion Board. “Louisiana offers the most creativity opportunities in the nation,” he says. 18 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Atchafalaya Crawfish Corn Maque Choux 4 fresh corn cobs, husk removed and cleaned 1/2 pound fresh crawfish tails 1/2 pound tasso, diced 1/2 cup red onion, small diced 1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced 1 tomato, small diced 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning 1/4 tablespoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoons fresh thyme kosher salt, to taste 1/4 pound butter Cut corn off the cob, reserve cobs for next step, using the back of the knife run the back down the cob to get corn juice/milk from the cob. Place juice/milk and cut corn in a bowl and set aside. Dice the onions, bell pepper and place in a container. Dice tomatoes and place aside in a separate container. Remove Tasso from package and dice them and place in a saucepan with butter. Heat the burner on medium high. Place saucepan with tasso and butter on burner. When butter melts add corn, onions and bell peppers. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add crawfish tails and tomatoes. Lower heat to medium and add Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. When salt is to your liking, add fresh thyme and turn heat off. Keep covered for later. Tabasco Chipotle Aioli 4 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon kosher salt 3 medium egg yolks 1 pint vegetable oil 4 tablespoons Tabasco chipotle sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice Smash garlic cloves with side of knife and add salt. Using the side of your knife, make a paste with garlic and salt. Crack the eggs and separate the yolks and place them into a stainless steel mixing bowl. Whisk the egg yolk and slowly add oil. Add a tablespoon at a time until using all the oil. When done and aioli is a good consistency, add garlic paste, lemon juice and Tabasco chipotle sauce. Set aside until service. Soft-Shell Crabs 4 soft-shell crabs, cleaned (large/Whaler) 4 tablespoons Cajun seasoning Season each crab with 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. Frying Soft-Shell Crabs: 1/2 gallon vegetable oil 6-quart fry pan 1 fry basket 7 cups flour 7 cups Panko bread crumbs 6 eggs 1/2 gallon milk 2 tablespoons baking powder 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning Mix egg, milk, baking powder and Cajun seasoning together in a bowl. Set aside for later egg wash. Place oil in fry pan and place on stove on medium-high heat. Maintain as close to 350 degrees as possible. When heat is up to temperature start breading crabs: First pass crab in flour, then egg wash, then panko pressing firmly so breading stay on, then go straight to the grease. Fry until crabs are golden-brown. When done, place on pan with paper towels to soak up extra grease. n Tim Schooler photograph
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 19
state of the plate
Chicken at Chester’s Donner’s classic country restaurant By Ian McNulty
The approach to
when you’ve been driving a
seafood – shrimp and catfish.
yellow trim. The last time I
Morgan City takes travelers
while through the woodsy
But the real specialties here
visited, the place was filled
through some of Louisiana’s
stretches of Terrebonne
hew to the hen house. The
with an assortment of folks
deepest bayou country, a
Parish. In fact, you have to
curious thing about Chester’s
who looked like they had
realm of swamps, cypress
be on the look-out to spot
is that once you’ve chosen
driven in for afternoon meals
and alligators. But for me, a
the restaurant’s sign and
the chicken you still have
with the grandparents. But
trip through this area always
roofline peeking out between
decisions to make. There’s
the immediacy of a good
brings to mind chicken –
the treetops along the old
regular or spicy, which adds
meal rivets you back to the
specifically, fried chicken
surface road that parallels
more red pepper to the batter,
present. When our chicken,
with a nice peppery crust.
Highway 90 here.
but also the option to order
shrimp and onion rings
your chicken “Frank,” which
arrived on thick cardboard
Chalk that unlikely
There’s a gravel parking
association up to Chester’s
lot out front and an old
has no batter at all. It’s still
trays, it kept our hands busy
Cypress Inn (1995 La. Hwy.
weathered bar where several
fried, but more of a stripped
and our mouths full.
20, Donner, (985) 446-6821),
generations have tilted
down version. Fried chicken
a classic country restaurant
back icy beers against the
livers and fried frog legs
of regular but limited hours
with a history dating back
Louisiana heat. A small sign
round out the key items here.
that can frustrate a spur-
to the 1930s, the look of a
above the bar reads, “If
vintage roadhouse and a
the colonel had our recipe,
a time-warp sensation at
forewarned is forearmed. The
way with fried birds that has
he’d be a general,” a jab at
Chester’s. The dining area is
restaurant opens at 5 p.m. for
inspired many detours off
Colonel Sanders and the KFC
a series of connected rooms,
dinner Thursday, Friday and
the highway.
chain that sets the stage for
with a very homey décor of
Saturday, and on Sunday it’s
what you’ll find on the menu.
old wallpaper, framed prints
open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
of farm animals and a faded
for lunch and early dinner.
Chester’s seems to appear out of nowhere, especially
Of course, there is fried
Chester’s keeps the sort
of-the-moment visitor, but
It’s easy to succumb to
n
SHREVEPORT: A Slice of Naples on the Red River
LAFAYETTE: Viva La Waffle
Pizza joints are common enough, but when a new Neapolitan pizza specialist opens – that is, one preparing pizza in the famous style of Naples, Italy – foodies tend to perk up. In Shreveport, the new place to try them out is Frank’s Pizza Napoletana (6950 Fern Ave., Shreveport, (318) 230-7130; www.frankspizzanapoletana.com), where a traditional, dome-shaped, wood-burning oven imported from Italy blazes away in the kitchen. Following Neapolitan form, the crust balances soft with chewy and is pocked with char blisters from the super-hot oven. Frank’s pizzas come in one size, and regarding toppings, less tends to be more with this style of pizza, so resist the urge to pile on. Frank’s has a full bar and serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
As the food truck scene around Lafayette continues to rev up, one of the latest additions to the fleet is taking the breakfast waffle on a wild ride. Viva La Waffle uses crisp, Brussels-style waffles as the “bread” for a menu of reconfigured classic sandwiches (like the Monte Cristo or Reuben) and some original, sometimes outlandish lunch creations. There’s a pizza waffle, for instance, with the option of adding Buffalo-style fried chicken, and another with smoked brisket, melted cheddar and fried pickles. This creative crew makes a corndog-style “waffle dog,” and naturally the fries are the waffle-cut variety. The truck has been setting up shop at sites around Lafayette. Find them on Facebook or at www.twitter.com/vivalawaffle for the latest locations.
20 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
photo courtesy of Houston Press Blog
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 21
kitchen gourmet
Patate Douce Season of the Sweet Potato By Stanley Dry
Few vegetables are as
paler counterpart. Packaged
versatile as the sweet potato,
sweet potato chips, which
which stars in a variety of both
are absolutely scrumptious
sweet and savory dishes that
and (unfortunately) just as
are eaten throughout the day,
addictive as regular potato
for breakfast, lunch, dinner
chips, are also becoming more
and as between-meal snacks.
widely available.
Sweet potatoes are baked,
This month’s recipes are
boiled, fried, smothered,
a sampling of the sweet
mashed, pureed, turned into
potato’s versatility. The
soups, served on their own,
bacon and sweet potato hash
combined with meats or other
with poached or fried eggs
vegetables and incorporated
combines the smoky, salty and
into a variety of baked goods.
sweet tastes that are much
They have a particular
beloved by Southerners. The
affinity with pork and pork
pork loin with sweet potatoes
products, which results in
is flavored with a small
all manner of tasty pairings.
amount of cane syrup that
On the breakfast table,
accents both of the principal
ham, bacon and sausage
ingredients. The roasted sweet
are marvelous with sweet
potato wedges are not the
potato biscuits, bread, waffles
same as french fries, but they
and pancakes. Baked sweet
are very tasty and a whole
potatoes are a popular accom-
lot healthier. And the sweet
paniment to both boudin and
potato pie is yet another
chicken and sausage gumbo.
iteration of one of the South’s
Sweet potatoes can be cooked
most iconic desserts, this one
with fresh pork in a variety of
made with a pecan crust.
preparations, while broiled or
All of the following
fried pork chops and french
recipes specify small sweet
fried sweet potatoes are a
potatoes, which are becoming
delicious combination.
increasingly difficult to find.
In fact, french fries made
Unfortunately, the industry
with sweet potatoes in place of
has become enamored of big
white potatoes have become
specimens, which are much
increasingly popular in recent
favored by growers and
years, judging by how often
canners, but the behemoths
they appear on restaurant
just don’t have the flavor of
menus. And why not? They’re
the smaller varieties. It’s worth
delicious, and one would hope,
the extra effort involved to
more nutritious than their
search for the tastier potatoes. .
eugenia uhl photograph
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 23
Bacon And Sweet Potato Hash
Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Crust
6 slices thick-cut bacon 1 large onion, chopped 4 small sweet potatoes Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 4-8 eggs
Grind pecans in a food processor or use pecan meal, which is available in some grocery stores and supermarkets.
Cook bacon in large skillet until browned, but still chewy. Drain on absorbent paper. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Add sweet potatoes to skillet, stir to combine, cover skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Cut bacon into small pieces, add to skillet, and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Poach or fry eggs. Divide hash among 4 plates and top each with 1 or 2 eggs. Makes 4 servings.
Pork Loin With Sweet Potatoes 1 1/2-2 pound pork loin filet Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock 2 tablespoons cane syrup 4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Dry pork loin with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, heavy casserole and brown pork all over. Pour off fat from casserole. Add chicken broth or stock to casserole; spread cane syrup over pork loin and add sweet potatoes. Cover casserole and cook in preheated oven until pork is done, about 30-35 minutes. Thinly slice pork and serve with slices of sweet potato. Spoon pan juices over pork and potatoes. Makes 4-6 servings.
Roasted Sweet Potato Wedges 4 small sweet potatoes 2 tablespoons olive oil Coarse salt Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Scrub sweet potatoes, but do not peel. Dry with paper towels. Cut each potato lengthwise into 4 wedges. In a mixing bowl, toss wedges with olive oil to coat. Sprinkle with salt. Place potato wedges on baking sheet skin side down and roast in preheated oven until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
24 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Pecan Crust: 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup ground pecans 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 5 tablespoons cold butter 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons ice cold water Combine flour, ground pecans, sugar and salt in mixing bowl. Cut butter into small pieces and work into flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture is crumbly. Beat egg with water and add to mixture. With a fork, lightly mix just until dough begins to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, dust with flour, shape into a ball and press into a disc. Wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for half an hour or longer.
Sweet Potato Filling: 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (3-4 small potatoes) 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 3 eggs, separated 1/3 cup milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3 tablespoons dark rum In a large pot, cover sweet potatoes with water and boil, covered, until they are easily pierced with the tip of a knife, about 35-40 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. While potatoes are cooling, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust with flour and, with a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a circle whose diameter is slightly larger than the pie pan. Transfer dough to pan, trim and crimp edges as desired. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When potatoes have cooled, peel them, slice into a bowl and mash well. Measure 2 cups of mashed potatoes. In a mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, egg yolks, milk, vanilla and rum. Beat with an electric mixer until mixture is creamy. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff. Fold egg whites into sweet potato mixture. Turn mixture into prepared pie shell, smooth the top with a rubber spatula and bake on the lower shelf of preheated oven until set, about 35-40 minutes. Serve pie warm or room temperature. Makes 8 servings.
THIS WEEKEND
EXPLORE XPLORE THE CAJUN COAST!
LOUISIANA SHRIMP & PETROLEUM FESTIVAL AUG. 30–SEPT. 2 • LABOR DAY
WEEKEND • MORGAN CITY • This four-day extravaganza of family entertainment includes continuous live music by local and national acts, a huge arts & crafts show and sale, a Children’s Village, the Cajun Culinary Classic, the traditional Blessing of the Fleet and water parade—all with no gate fee!
HARVEST MOON FEST • OCT. 5
DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN • Welcome fall with all-day festivities on Franklin’s charming Main Street, featuring live music; a children’s carnival; teen activities; an antique, hot rod, classic car and motorcycle show, concessions and special retail promotions. Only 90 minutes from New Orleans, Lafayette or Baton Rouge
(800) 256-2931 • www.cajuncoast.com www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 25
home
Made in Louisiana This neoclassical-style home in Alexandria honors local craftsmanship. By Bonnie Warren | Photographed by Craig Macaluso
There is a neoclassic
arched windows greets you.
that our house is a product of
to Baton Rouge architect
architectural feeling about the
To enhance the neoclassic
Louisiana design and crafts-
William R. “Bill” Powell,
stately new home Adrienne
theme, there’s a colonnade
manship that gives us the
AIA; New Orleans interior
and Dr. Michael Dole built on
portico.
most pride. Every part of this
designer Stacey Serro;
house was made in Louisiana,
decorator Deborah Tillman
Alexandria. As you approach
architecture honors the past,”
supplied by businesses and
and landscape architect
the house, an arched front
says Michael, an Alexandria
put together by people who
Jeffrey “Jeff” Carbo, FASLA,
double-door with large
physician. “Yet it is the fact
live in the state.” Credits go
both from Alexandria.
“We enjoy the fact that the
a 13-acre pastoral setting in
26 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
.
It is easy to understand the
first glance into the core of
homeowners’ pride. There is
the house offers an additional
nothing ordinary about this
visual symphony of arches.
house. Even the inspiration for
Three sets of French doors lead
the nine-foot tall, mostly glass
to the rear loggia, and arches,
front door came from the one
not doors, provide access to
Adrienne and Stacey Serro
the adjoining rooms.
saw on a visit to Reims, France.
The interior design is
“We knew instantly it was the
inspired by French style. “We
right door for our home,” says
told Stacey that we wanted
Adrienne, a registered nurse.
a home that would elude
She says Peter Tully of Baton Rouge replicated it perfectly. Serro adds other Louisiana
tranquility, comfort, timeless elegance, and a streamlined mix of contemporary and
talent to the list of project
antique furnishings,” Adrienne
contributors. “Julie Neill
says. Serro’s interpretation
on Magazine Street in New
of the Doles’ wishes gives
Orleans made most of the
everything a feeling of a
chandeliers, and the exterior
French grandeur, without the
lighting came from Chris
heavy brocades and velvets
Bevolo of Bevolo Lighting on
that are often seen.
Royal Street in New Orleans’ French Quarter.” A neoclassic arch matches
If the interiors of the Dole home reminds you of a grand Paris apartment, step outside
the front door, providing an
and take in the glory of the
introduction to the grand
park-like grounds created
23-by-33-foot living room. The
by landscape architect Jeff
.
FACING PAGE: Seating in the living room in front of the fireplace was custom-designed by New Orleans-based interior designer Stacey Serro. Arches, rather than doors, provide access to adjoining rooms. TOP: The large den adjoins the kitchen, creating a large open central living space for the family. A large game room is just steps away through the arch that is opposite the fireplace. Alexandria artist Lynn Sanders painted the custom television cabinet over the fireplace. ABOVE: Adrienne and Dr. Michael Dole
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 27
TOP: Michael is the chef in the family, and he paid special attention to everything about the design and furnishings of the kitchen. His choice was a large Wolf gas range. The custom cabinets are from Bayou Cabinets in Moreauville. Stacey Serro’s company, Paris Finds, found the rustic 19th-century chandelier in a Paris flea market and had it electrified. LEFT: The intimate master bedroom features a handsome bench that was acquired from a Paris apartment by Paris Finds; Julie Neill designed the chandelier; silk was used to cover the headboard, and linen and silk dress the bed. RIGHT: The master bathroom offers a study in grandeur with its Calcutta gold honed marble countertops and mosaic stone floors. The tub is framed in an arched window. A Julie Neill chandelier illuminates the room.
28 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
TOP: The rear wing of the house features guest quarters and a multi-car garage. A three-acre lake, stocked with bass, brim and minnows, was created behind the swimming pool. A half-mile walking trail rims the lake. MIDDLE: Landscape architect Jeffrey Carbo, FASLA, designed the infinity pool that was built by Robin Ewing and Associates – both are from Alexandria. Carbo came up with the idea of creating the 45-foot runnel that flows out of the hot tub, down the steps, and into the pool. BOTTOM: The dining room features a large fan-topped window draped in silk. Julie Neill designed the chandelier.
Carbo. Here the visual drama includes a 15-foot deep, three-acre lake that is stocked with bass, brim and minnows; a three-hole golf course; an 18-by-54-foot infinity pool (built by Robin Ewing of Alexandria) and a hot tub. Carbo supervised the planting of 800 trees that will someday make the grounds as picturesque as a River Road historic plantation. “Jeff came up with the idea to connect the hot tub and infinity pool with a 45-foot runnel that flows out of the hot tub, down the steps and into the pool,” Michael says. “We enjoy every aspect of our home,” he summarizes. Adrienne especially likes their neighborhood: “We are grateful for the opportunity to build our dream house and have some land to spread out on,” she says. “Our sons – Evan, 17, and Grant, 15, love sharing their home with friends, and we have found it cozy for entertaining small gatherings yet spacious enough for a grand party.” n
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 29
art
Louisiana streams. At times, she captures moments of dappled sunlight that plays along watery banks and deep into the woods. Her luminous palette is sunlight brushed across canvas. Mostly, her paintings are devoid of human presence, as though the artist has found solace in a patch of woods in the rapid suburbanization of the once-bucolic St. Tammany Parish landscape. No towns, no malls, no farmhouses, no boathouses nor pricey retreats along riverbanks, just Thoreau’s “natural cities.” Or as Hood says, “Mine are pictures of nothing, just ordinary spaces that I see as being extraordinary.” Her images call to mind how an earlier painter defined art: “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather it makes it visible.” In her
Gail Hood
Along the banks of the Little Tchefuncte By John R. Kemp
paintings, we see not what a camera might record but Hood’s poetic response to the landscape shaped by the interplay of light, shadows and contrasts – those abstracts of the imagination that transcend the literal. To most people driving by, Louisiana’s swamplands and forests stand as dark, impen-
“What would human
In a sense, Covington
landscapes along the
etrable walls where few dare
life be without forests, those
artist and former university
Little Tchefuncte River
enter. To Hood, however,
natural cities?” asks Henry
art professor Gail Hood
in St. Tammany Parish,
these watery landscapes
David Thoreau in his famous
asks the same question in
the Tickfaw in nearby
are filled with nature’s
1843 poem, “A Winter Walk.”
her paintings of wooded
Livingston Parish, and other
drama. “I am very much
30 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
interested in the rhythms of
in art came naturally.
in Rouen, France. After
semester, I started painting
trees, the verticals against
Two uncles, her mother’s
finishing high school at St.
cows,” she says with a
the horizontals, the water,
brothers, were commercial
Scholastica, she continued
broad smile and chuckle. “A
that combination of water
artists in Chicago and an
her art studies at Carleton
professor told me that if I
and trees,” she says. “I am
aunt wrote advertising
College in Minnesota,
kept doing that, I wouldn’t
particularly interested when
copy for two New Orleans
Tulane University in New
make it. I was thinking
the trees are different. They
department stores. She took
Orleans, the Art Institute
about walking through the
become like characters to me.
art classes in high school
of Chicago, Pratt Institute
fields, but I painted Abstract
They set up a little dialogue.
at St. Scholastica Academy
in Brooklyn, and Columbia
Expressionism and they loved
It’s like a stage.”
in Covington. There she
University in New York,
it.” After graduate school,
had one semester with
where she received a master
Hood got a job at Florida
stage began early in life.
Sonia Sekula, the noted
of fine arts degree.
State University, where she
In 1938 her family moved
Swiss-born Abstraction
from Michigan to Folsom,
Expressionist painter.
encountered a faculty
with the various art “isms”
La., where her father,
Between her junior and
steeped in the Abstract
of the day. Then in 1962,
an engineer, worked in
senior years, Hood spent
Expressionist movement that
she returned to Louisiana,
the then-thriving tung
10 months studying art at
dominated the 1950s New
went to work as director of
oil industry. Her interest
the École des Beaux-Arts
York art world. “My first
occupational therapy at the
Hood’s journey to that
At Columbia, Hood
taught art and experimented
Southeast Louisiana Hospital in Mandeville and married St. Tammany realtor Henry Hood. “With a new job and new marriage,” she says, “I did not have much time to think about painting. When I figured out I was not going to be a cutting-edge artist after all, I decided that I might as well paint as I wanted. Mostly, I painted Henry’s flower pots stacked around the yard or local roadsides, trying to keep them as gestural as the Abstraction Expressionism I admired. I got a studio and began painting fields and hedgerows along the Little
.
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 31
Tchefuncte near our home
her Pine Island series. Pine
layering of that experience
Cézanne – and for good
in Folsom.”
Island is a marshy and
of walking in the woods,
reason. While attending
wooded area along the
photographing forms and
graduate school in New
began her long career in
Tchefuncte River south of
shapes that interest me,
York, Hood copied Cézanne
teaching art, first at her
Madisonville in southwestern
and compiling those images
watercolors wherever she
alma mater, St. Scholastica
St. Tammany. With a four-
to see what works. Every
found them. Then in 2002,
in Covington and then at
by-five Graflex camera and
painting has a different
while on sabbatical in France,
Mandeville High School.
tripod in tow, Hood spent
set of puzzles to solve and
she spent a month painting
In 1978 she joined the
two years walking through
that’s interesting to me. I
Monet’s famous chalk cliffs
Southeastern Louisiana
the woods, photographing
work with what I see in the
in Étretat, Normandy, and
University art faculty in
scenes for later compositions.
photograph and what I saw
locations in Aix-en-Provence
Hammond, where she held
“It was fun coming home and
in the landscape. All of my
that had inspired Cézanne
various positions until her
taping the images together
paintings contain abstract
a century earlier. “It wasn’t
retirement in 2006.
to see if I had caught the
elements. That’s what I like
Louisiana,” she smiles, “but it
sense of what I was trying to
to create.”
was a great experience.”
In the late 1960s, Hood
“While teaching at the university, I had to produce,”
capture,” she says, recalling
A close look at Hood’s
Over the years, Hood
she recalls. “That’s when I
those long spring strolls in
paintings reveals not only
has combined all three of
turned to photography. I
the forest.
the strong influences of the
these influences to create a
Abstract Expressionists,
distinctive style, a style that
photographed big panoramic
While some artists like to
scenes, taped them together
paint en plein air (outside
with their intense colors
has gained her consider-
and painted long images of
on location), Hood prefers
and energy-charged brush-
able recognition. Hood’s
the river back in my studio.”
to work from photographs.
strokes, but to a greater
paintings can be found
In the mid-1980s, Hood
“I get very tied to the
extent, the radiant palettes of
in various corporate and
received a grant from the
photograph I’m working
Impressionist Claude Monet
private collections, including
university to help underwrite
from,” she says. “I like the
and Post-Impressionist Paul
the Historic New Orleans Collection. In 2010 the New Orleans Museum of Art featured one of her paintings in the major exhibition, Women Artists in Louisiana, 1965-2010. Earlier in her career, however, she was reluctant to categorize her work. “I was a little embarrassed in those days when asked about my paintings,” she recalls. “I would not admit that it was essentially Impressionistic. I called it gestural realism. I am not embarrassed any more.” More important than Impressionism, Abstract Expressionism or even “gestural realism,” Hood has found her poetry along the Little Tchefunte.
32 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
n
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 33
traveler
Honoring Our Athletes New Sports Hall of Fame makes a statement | by Paul F. Stahls Jr. The Louisiana
the NSU Demons’ basketball
as the “Cane River National
and of itself, be an instant
Hall of Fame was established
arena to 800 Front St., world-
Heritage Area”!
attraction. “And that,” says
by the Louisiana Sports
renowned Louisiana architect
Writers Association in 1958,
Victor “Trey” Trahan III
mayor Bobby DeBlieux (now
but it was a Hall without a
proposed an ultra-modern
deceased), who had worked
to behold as an onside
hall until Natchitoches and
work of architectural art to
tirelessly, from City Hall in the
kick, comes courtesy of a
Northwestern State University
house it, but there was some
1970s and then from Baton
consortium – the Louisiana
stepped up to the plate in
persuading to do. Doug
Rouge as State Preservation
State Museum, City of
1971 with an offer of space
Ireland (chairman of the Hall
Officer in the ’80s, to land that
Natchitoches and Louisiana
on campus. The growing
of Fame since 1991) chuckles
“Heritage Area” distinction.
Sports Writers, and it houses
collection of memorabilia
when he recalls the outcry
An avant-garde landmark
not only the Sports Hall of
was shelved, reverently if
of some townsfolk who
was precisely what was
Fame but also a museum of
somewhat inaccessibly, in
believed it would be wacky
needed, he declared at a
additional sports memorabilia,
Prather Coliseum for 40 years
if not blasphemous to place
public hearing in 2004,
a tribute to our outdoors
until the opening of a dazzling
something so startling into the
insisting that a nondescript
sports and a museum of
new Hall of Fame on June 28.
mix of 19th-century structures
new building or mere replica
Northwest Louisiana history
on that street! In that
from antebellum times would
and culture.
made to move the treasures
“National Historic District”
seem lame at best, whereas
to the heart of town, from
city! In the region designated
Trahan’s creation would, in
Sports
Once the decision was
34 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
“Wrong,” said former
Ireland, “was that.” The new facility, as thrilling
Just past the entrance, Hall of Fame exhibits begin with
tributes to the current year’s
itself), a good spot to take
includes contributions to
radio shows and countless
inductees and then blossom
a breather before plunging
arts and literature by “art
segments of television’s
into a wall-to-wall celebration
into the upstairs section of
colonist” Cammie Henry of
“American Sportsman”).
of 300-plus inductees from
the sports collection: historic
Melrose, 19th-century novelist
That tradition lives on in
the past, representing every
objects and images honoring
Kate Chopin of Cloutierville
sportsman/writers like Bob
imaginable sport and hailing
men, women, landmarks
and Cane River’s Clementine
Marshall of New Orleans,
from practically every parish.
and key events, with every
Hunter (with a small gallery
a winner of a Pulitzer for
First, however, invest seven
wall, case, kiosk and video
presenting samples of her
environmental reporting
minutes to see those decades
screen covered with names
nationally beloved paintings).
and many top conserva-
of plays and playmakers
you remember, or remember
summarized nicely in “Great
your dad and granddad
Artifacts like vintage guns, lures and antique
tionist awards who’s now conservation editor and
Moments,” a tapestry of
regional editor for Field &
now-legendary stars and
Stream, “South” columnist
events woven from modern
for Outdoor Life magazine,
videos and historic footage
host of Field & Stream Radio
by filmmakers Glen Pitre and
Network shows and co-host
Michelle Benoit.
of ESPN’s “The Outdoors.” On June 28, in front of
Displays include personal memorabilia of many of
the most modern building
the greats, with details of
in Louisiana, Bob Marshall
their careers presented
was honored with the
via video clips, documen-
Distinguished Service
taries and audios, plus a
Award in Sports Journalism,
push-button database on all
80-year-old Milton Retif of
inductees with their bios,
New Orleans (athlete, coach
stats and memorable quotes
and “sports benefactor”)
(all retrievable by player,
received the Dave Dixon
sport, school or hometown).
Sports Leadership Award,
Imagine: Bob Pettit, Billy
and nine men and women,
Cannon, Pete Maravich, Karl
living and deceased, were
Malone, Terry Bradshaw, Bert
inducted into the Louisiana
Jones, Doug Williams, Willie
Sports Hall of Fame as part
Davenport, Hal Sutton … The
of the museum’s opening
list goes on.
day ceremonies conducted by Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne
Which ones are also listed in collegiate and professional
(ex officio guardian of the
halls of fame? Which were
structures and treasures of
Olympians? How many were
the State Museum). The honorees, most of
multi-sport athletes? This
whom spent much of the day
place has the answers, not to mention the two floors of vintage images and sports
remembering. As the primary State
duck and turkey calls fill
exploring the great facility,
the “Sportsman’s Paradise”
were: Shaquille O’Neal (who stole
paraphernalia in categories
Museum facility for
tribute woods-and-water
the show by renaming the
as diverse as a 1934 Louisiana
northwest Louisiana, one
sports and sportsmen,
city Shaqitoches), the LSU
Golf Association trophy
section presents artifacts
from great artist/naturalist
superstar and 1996 Olympian
in the form of a three-foot
and graphics that define
John James Audubon to
whose middle initials became
sterling State Capitol, a wildly
the region through stories
great Sports Hall of Fame
“MVP” during a 19-year NBA
modified 1956 T-bird that set
of its hilltop/river-bottom
naturalist/sportsman Grits
career; Ronald Ardoin – super-
six world speed records at the
topography, Kisatchie
Gresham of Natchitoches.
jockey from Carencro
Salt Flats, and the riding gear
National Forest, the
of jockey Eddie Delahoussaye
boomtown days of forestry
outdoors life and conser-
32,335 races; Tommy Hodson of
(winner of five Triple Crown
and oil, the Caddo Indians,
vation, Gresham set the
Mathews, four-year starting
races and two consecutive
the era of slavery, the Union
standard with his mastery of
quarterback for LSU who
Kentucky Derbies)!
Army’s Red River Campaign
every form of hunting and
still holds school records for
of 1864 and Isle Brevelle’s
fishing as well as mastery
passing yardage, completions
overlooks Cane River Lake
creoles de couleur. A special
of every medium of his
and touchdown passes; Ervin
(once part of Red River
exhibit on notable women
day (newspaper columns,
Johnson of New Orleans
A second-floor terrace
photos courtesy of Trahan Architects
As a lifelong promoter of
who won one in six of his
.
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 35
and Jonesville, an unknown
or contentious labor disputes;
till discovered by UNO (Sun
Chanda Rubin, tennis star from
Belt Player of the Year,
Lafayette who won Grand
second-team All-America
Slam doubles at the Australian
and ABA first-round pick by
Open, the Wimbledon Juniors
Seattle; James Jones of Tallulah,
crown and seven titles on the
star of three Southwestern
Women’s Tennis Association
Conference championship
Tour; and Ed “Skeets” Tuohy
teams at Grambling and six
(posthumously), legendary
All-Star appearances in his
Newman High School coach
10 years as a pro; Anna Koll
in New Orleans, whose teams
(posthumously), phenomenal
won three state titles and
all-sport athlete from New
15 district championships
Orleans in the 1930s; Kevin
in 15 years.
Mawae, star offensive lineman
The Louisiana Sports Hall
at Leesville High and LSU,
of Fame Museum (crt.state.
then 8-time Pro-Bowler before
la.us/museum) is open 10
to 5 p.m. Sunday. To assist
Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame
becoming president of the NFL
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday
with fundraising and other
Foundation at (318) 238-4255
Players Association in an era
through Saturday and 1 p.m.
support efforts, contact the
or lasportshall.com. n
best bets Sports Tours the State: Our map is peppered honored by the giant eagle monument on City Park with sports attractions, plenty enough to keep Avenue at Canal Boulevard and an hour west via fans content between visits to the big Louisiana U.S. 90, the Patterson branch of the State Museum Sports Hall of Fame. Our college and university is filled with full-scale replicas of the recordteams alone, from Louisiana College Wildcats and breaking racers Weddell designed. Centenary Gents to Warhawks, Jaguars, Bulldogs In Baton Rouge go see the campus home of and Tigers, offer historic stadiums, arenas and Southern Jaguars mascot Lacumba, Billy Cannon’s halls of fame, and vintage racing facilities like our Heisman trophy and Shaq’s shoes at T.J. Ribs Allen-Mace bout, 1870 four parimutuel “Downs” and old State Capital restaurant, the first Mike the Tiger at LSU’s Natural Dragway in Erwinville are also scattered about. History Museum and another early Mike preserved Racing landmarks in New Orleans include the Fair Grounds Race at Ralph & Kacoo’s restaurant. Today’s Mike can be visited at his estate Course’s own hall of fame (plus the infield gravestones of legendary between Tiger Stadium and Pete’s Palace (with its towering statue of thoroughbreds Black Gold and Pan Zareta), the oval lanes of Metairie Shaq), not far from Pete Maravich’s old basketball/rodeo arena (the “Cow Cemetery that mark the 19th-century Metairie Racetrack, and the Palace” on Highland Road). Near the dazzling new Alex Box Stadium, site of 1910s City Park Racetrack now marked by the 1937 Art Deco the Football Ops Building on Skip Bertman Drive features a great sports stadium named for Sports Hall of Fame track coach Frank “Tad” awards display, and the films and memorabilia of the Adonie sports Gormley (site of two years of New Orleans Pelicans baseball, decades museum on Campus Lake document the university and its Tiger teams. of high school football, a 1964 Beatles concert and 1992 U.S. Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles is home not only of McNeese Olympic Track and Field Trials). Cowboys basketball but also Louisiana’s High School Rodeo While in New Orleans don’t forget the Saints Hall of Fame and “Rebirth” Championships each June, the medieval horse-and-lance competition statue (Steve Gleason’s punt-block against Atlanta in the first home game called the Tournoi highlights Ville Platte’s annual Louisiana Cotton Festival after Hurricane Katrina) at the Superdome, the next-door home of New in October, the Eddie Robinson Memorial at Grambling presents the bust Orleans Pelicans basketball, Gretna’s statue of Sports Hall of Fame slugger and mementoes of the “winningest coach” and his pro-producing Tiger Mel Ott and, in Metairie, the home diamond of the New Orleans Zephyrs. teams, and the Sports Museum of Champions (Shreveport Convention Boxing landmarks around town include the Superdome by virtue of Center, 400 Caddo St.) tells the stories of Terry Bradshaw, Doug its Spinks-Ali match of 9-15-78 when Ali became the first three-time Williams, golfer Hal Sutton and other stars of the region. Across town, heavyweight champ; Kenner’s riverside statue of America’s first World Shreveport’s great old State Fair Stadium, for years the annual battleHeavyweight Championship (the 5-10-1870 Tom Allen/Jem Mace bout held ground of the Tech-Northwestern rivalry, is now known, of course, as a stone’s throw upriver at William Kenner’s Oakland Plantation); and the Independence Stadium in honor of the bowl game born there in 1976. still-existing façade of the Southern Athletic Club at Washington and Prytania And then there’s our out-of-state Louisiana sports landmark. Texas streets where “Gentleman” Jim Corbett trained for his 7-7-1892 bout at A&M plays in Baton Rouge this year, but if you get to College Station in the Olympic Club in the Bywater district, which ended the great John L. 2014 you’ll see the new statue of halfback John David Crow of Springhill, Sullivan’s career and introduced Queensberry rules to American boxing. Louisiana’s “other” Heisman winner, who starred at A&M under young The Lakefront Airport (newly restored) sponsored 1930s air races Coach Bear Bryant, won his trophy in 1957, became a four-time All-Pro (setting of Faulkner’s Pylon), some won by aviator Jimmie Weddell who’s and later coached the Warhawks in Monroe. 36 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
top photo courtesy of Mark Sindler
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 37
’S
IN
OF LOUIS H C R IAN A E S A
HOG WILD POR
K T RINIT Y
By Kent J. Landry
photographed by cheryl gerber
38 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
I
t’s been estimated that the pig has been around humans for well over 7,000 years, making it one of our earliest domesticated animals. But it wasn’t until 1539 that pigs were introduced to the “New World.” Explorer Hernando de Soto brought pigs with him
as he journeyed across the southeastern portion of the continent, and while he was busy searching for the fountain of youth, some pigs with him went looking for their freedom. It was these escaped pigs that became the ancestors of the wild boars we know today. In the northern part of the continent, during the 16th and 17th centuries, the pig was an important food source for the independent French settlers who lived in Acadia, present day Nova Scotia. When the British forced these Acadians out of their homeland, many found their way to French-speaking Louisiana, and pork-eating traditions came with them. Much like the Plains Indians who utilized virtually every part of the buffalo for either food or shelter, Cajuns did not waste any part of the hog. During the traditional Cajun boucherie, multiple families would come together to butcher a hog and share its meat. In addition to the mainstays of bacon, ham, chops and roast cuts, the Cajuns would also use the hog’s head to make a gel-like substance known as hog’s head cheese. The pig skin would be fried up in lard to make gratons, better known to many as cracklins. Andouille sausage and Cajun smoked ham known as tasso were also made during these boucheries. Even the lining of the pig’s stomach was stuffed with pork meat and seasoned. This delicacy was called chaudin. And, of course, people in Louisiana can barbecue with the best pit masters from Texas to Tennessee, serving up our barbecue with a little Voodoo spice and Cajun ingenuity. But it is what I affectionately term the Pork Trinity – boudin, cracklins and hog’s head cheese – that truly sets Louisiana apart from other places that dine on swine.
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 39
PORK ON THE MENU Our Reporter’s Picks of Places to Try
The Joint
701 Mazant St. New Orleans www.alwayssmokin.com The Joint offers barbecue done the Louisiana way, with the finest pulled-pork sandwiches this side of the Carolinas.
NuNu’s Fresh Market
509 Lafayette St. Youngsville www.nunus.com Half the fun is traveling to this charming Cajun town on the outskirts of Lafayette, but when you get there, a wonderful array of plate lunches and pork offerings await. Check out the fantastic boudin and cracklins.
The Louisiana Pork Trinity: Boudin Boudin is a combination of pork, rice,
become available to the masses, to be enjoyed by Cajuns and non-Cajuns alike? A
green onions and various other spices
man in Lafayette thinks he has the answer.
and seasonings, mixed together and
In Lafayette, at Johnson’s Boucaniere (smoke house), near the University of
stuffed in an edible casing. There are
Louisiana at Lafayette, you can talk to a man who has been making and selling
as many variations of boudin as there
boudin and smoked sausages for more than 50 years. Wallace Johnson will regale
are to the story of what happened to
you with stories of the early years of his store and meat market, and he believes that
Gabriel and Evangeline.
his store in Eunice was the first-ever to sell boudin commercially back in 1948.
In Louisiana, each boudin maker
Boudin is so popular that there are numerous websites and books devoted to all
has their own idea of the right amount of rice, meat and seasoning that goes into those stuffed casings. Traditionally, boudin was made by mixing the pig’s blood in with the meat and rice mixture. Known as “red boudin,” this delicacy, which has a slight liver taste, can rarely be found today, as the “white boudin” has become the boudin of choice for modern Cajuns and visitors alike. Authentic red boudin can still be bought, however, if you look hard enough. It’s an acquired taste that still has its admirers. Boudin and its antecedents have long been a staple of the European and Acadian diet. When, however, did this culinary creation first
Legnon’s Boucherie
410 Jefferson Terrace Blvd. New Iberia www.boudinlink.com/Legnons This meat market is where you can find all kinds of great pork products, from chops to ribs to boudin and head cheese, as well as other smoked meats. Though not made of pork, their crawfish boudin is the best I’ve ever tasted.
Bourgeois Meat Market
543 W Main St. Thibodaux www.bourgeoismeatmarket.com You can still find the traditional red “blood” boudin at this meat market down the bayou in Thibodaux, but the boudin burrito is a newer offering that is a must-try.
Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans www.cochonrestaurant.com Cochon is known for its traditional cooked and smoked pork dishes with a gourmet nouveau flair, bringing the boucherie to the 21st century.
the pork trinity
the places in South Louisiana and the neighboring regions that sell the sausage. The Boudin Link (www.boudinlink.com), created by Dr. Bob Carriker, a history professor at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is one of the best websites to refer to when planning your next road trip to find worthy boudin. There’s a charm to cruising the back roads of Cajun country searching for that little mom-and-pop store that still makes authentic, high-quality, stuffed-pork and rice creations.
Cracklins (Gratons) Cracklins are another delicacy that utilizes a portion of the hog not necessarily thought of as a food source – the skin. These morsels are not at all like the pork rinds you can buy in the store, which are basically fried air with a little pork skin flavor. Making the perfect batch of cracklins is a science. You have to know how to cut the skin just right, because a good, mouthwatering cracklin will have the right amount of meat, fat and skin and will be fried to a golden perfection and then seasoned with whatever seasoning your mama likes. When you chomp down on one, it should give a good pop, or crack, as you nosh down on the skin and fat and then have a nice little chewy finish from the meat. These delectable fried pieces are not for those who are trying to watch their figure or their blood pressure, that’s for sure, but as a unique tradition in the Cajun heartland there is nothing like them. I can remember as a kid visiting my grandparents in Lafayette, and occasionally my grandfather would go to his neighborhood store and get a bag of those wonderfully fried pork cracklins, thus passing on the experience to yet another generation.
Hog's Head Cheese Hog’s head cheese is European in origin and in France is known as fromage de tête. In any language the name can be deceptive because the meat and spice
boudin, crackins and hog’s headcheese
more Places to Try
mixture is not a cheese at all but rather jellied meat. Most head cheese these days is made using pig’s feet and shoulder meat that is boiled and cooled in order to create the jelly that holds all that spicy goodness together, but in the
T-Jim’s Gro. and Market 928 Dr. H J Kaufman Ave. Cottonport www.tjims.com Traditional smoked meats and sausages as well as boudin and hog’s head cheese can be found at this family-owned and -operated meat market in the northern tip of Acadiana. Also has the best website of any on the list. Visit live or virtually for a fun treat.
The Best Stop
615 Hwy. 93 N. Scott www.beststopinscott.com You’ll want to walk out with a bit of everything, so bring a cooler that you can load up full of goodies. Don’t miss the Cajunseasoned cracklins.
old days a real hog’s head was
backroads of Cajun county – in search of the best link of boudin you ever tasted – to
cleaned out, cut up, boiled, and
the haute cuisine of some of New Orleans’ finest establishments, the pig is in them
then poured into molds to cool.
all. Oink if you love it, my friends.
n
The resulting mixture of pork and the spices has a flavor with a unique texture, good by itself or on crackers. Family feuds have been started over the dinner table arguing about who makes the best cracklins and boudin in South Louisiana. Every person has their own personal favorite and insists that their place is the best, or that their grandfather’s best friend’s neighbor made the best homemade cracklins, hog’s head cheese and/or boudin they ever tasted. Today, pig-eating has gone highbrow. Boudin and cracklins can not only be found in butcher shops across South Louisiana, but also in fine dining establishments in the Big Easy. At restaurants like Cochon and Boucherie in New Orleans, restaurateurs Donald Link and Nathanial Zimet, respectively, have taken the boucherie and the tradition of smoked and cured meats and given them a contemporary flair. From the
Don’s Specialty Meats 730 I-10 S. Frontage Road (Right off Interstate 10) Scott www.donsspecialtymeats.com Once you walk in, you’ll want to sample everything. Highly recommended are the boudin balls, which are perfectly fried to a golden crisp.
Podnuh’s Bar-B-Que
Multiple locations in Shreveport, Bossier City, Baton Rouge and Monroe www.podnuhs.com Having been around for more than three decades the lead the way in developing what it calls a “Louisiana Style” barbecue.”Pork dishes, and the sides, are a specialty.
The Forest Restaurant
1909 Main St. Franklin www.bestwesternforestinn.com/ restaurant This little gem of a restaurant tucked inside a commercial hotel chain along Bayou Teche in St. Mary Parish fries bacon so good you’ll wish breakfast was served 24 hours a day, but the fried pork chop for lunch is a favorite among guests and locals.
Our Guide
to the 2013
College
season by Fritz Esker Fall means football in Louisiana. From LSU’s yearly pursuit of a national title to the pageantry of the Bayou Classic to the Division III battles of Louisiana College, Saturdays in the fall are a dream for Louisiana college football fans. One of the highlights of any university’s season is homecoming week. Homecoming occurs between late September and early November, when the summer’s oppressive heat has gone and the weather seems tailor-made for tailgating, concerts, parades and football. All of the state’s 12 college football programs have their own unique traditions to make the event special for students and alumni.
Grambling State University
louisiana college
Homecoming: Nov. 2 vs. Mississippi Valley
Homecoming: Oct. 26 vs. Sul Ross State
Homecoming Festivities: Past homecoming
Homecoming Festivities: One of the most
weeks have included a wide variety of activities, from pajama parties to concerts to picnics to talent shows to “homegoing” ceremonies for Grambling’s homecoming opponent that year. On the day of the game, there’s a parade and a step show performed by Grambling’s Greek organizations. Coach: Doug Williams (Grambling alum, Super Bowl XXII MVP for the Washington Redskins and the first black quarterback to play in a Super Bowl)
anticipated events for Louisiana College students is the Homecoming Hoedown. It features games, prizes, bull riding, food, s’mores and square dancing. On the comic side of things is the Homecoming Honey competition. The event is a pageant for male students that includes a talent portion and an interview question. The Homecoming Court nominees pick the winner, dubbed “Homecoming Honey.” A people’s choice award is voted for by the student body.
Players to Look Out For: RB Cedric Skinner,
Coach: Dennis Dunn
QB D.J. Williams, WR Anthony McGhee, DB Tyree Hollins, LB David Smith
Players to Look Out For: RB Ryan Montague, WRs
Biggest Rivals: Most New Orleanians know the
Kyle Galyon and Jerome “Tank” Wright, FS Shaq Lewis, CB Ira Jewitt
answer to this one: Southern University. Every year on Thanksgiving weekend, the two historically black colleges battle in the Superdome in the Bayou Classic. It’s not just the football teams that compete, either. There’s also a two-part battle of the bands, with part one on the Friday night before the game and part two at halftime.
louisiana State University
Biggest Rivals: Their yearly matchup with East
Texas Baptist University is dubbed as the Battle of the Border Claw. Both schools share a common heritage; they were both founded by Baptist groups. The friendly rivalry stopped for 31 years when Louisiana College halted its football program in 1968. But once football returned to Pineville in 2000, so did the rivalry with East Texas Baptist. Since the rekindling of the rivalry, Louisiana College holds an 8-5 edge over ETBU and has won the last 5 matchups. The trophy for the event was donated by the father of former Louisiana College and Kansas City Chiefs offensive lineman Matt Miller.
Homecoming: Oct. 26 vs. Furman
Coach: Les Miles
Homecoming Festivities: On top of the traditional parade, pep rally, concert and tailgating, there’s plenty more to do. There’s a fun run called Runapalooza. For students looking to combine fun and community service, CANapalooza has students collecting canned goods in barrels, then using the cans to build a model of a campus icon (last year, it was Tiger Stadium) before donating the food items to charity. For first-year students, there’s a family weekend with special meals, programs and activities.
Players to Look Out For: QB Zach Mettenberger, RBs
Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard, WRs Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, FS Craig Loston Biggest Rivals: In the hyper-competitive SEC, every matchup feels like a blood feud. Recently, LSU’s biggest rivals have been the University of Alabama, who broke LSU fans’ hearts first when they lured Nick Saban, coach of LSU’s 2003 national championship team, to Tuscaloosa and again when they beat the Tigers in the January 2012 BCS National Championship Game.
MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY
LOUISIANA TECH Homecoming: Oct. 19 vs. North Texas
Homecoming: Oct. 19 vs. Sam Houston State
Homecoming Festivities: Paint the Town is an annual event where Tech students decorate windows and storefronts throughout Ruston with Tech colors and Halloween decorations. There’s also the Unity Board Talent Show and a dance contest called the Unity Step Show, in addition to the usual parade and tailgating. For alumni, there’s a barbecue and a breakfast with Champ, the team’s bulldog mascot.
Homecoming Festivities: McNeese students like to get dirty during homecoming week. One of the university’s most cherished homecoming week traditions is its oozeball tournament. What is oozeball? It’s volleyball played in a giant mud pit. There’s also a homecoming parade and pep rally the Thursday night before the game, with tailgating occupying the pre-game schedule on Saturday.
Coach: Skip Holtz
Coach: Matt Viator
Players to Look Out For: RB Kenneth Dixon, WR/
Players to Look Out For: QB Cody Stroud, WR Ernest Celestie, CB Terence Cahee, DE Chris Loveless
KR D.J. Banks, DL I.K. Enemkpali, QB Scotty Young Biggest Rivals: For many years, it was Fresno
State. Both schools are nicknamed the bulldogs and were WAC rivals. They’d annually square off in the “Battle for the Bone.” But with Louisiana Tech moving to Conference USA this year, its rivalry with Southern Miss will be rekindled. The two teams first met in 1935.
Biggest Rivals: Neighboring Northwestern State is a rival, but the biggest grudge match is with Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. Each year, all McNeese and Lamar sports teams (football, basketball, soccer, etc.) compete in the “Battle of the Border.” With each individual win, a school is awarded two points. At the end of the year, points are tallied and the winner takes the trophy.
NICHOLLS State University Homecoming: Sept. 28 vs. Arkansas Tech
Coach: Charlie Stubbs
Homecoming Festivities: Nicholls State emphasizes service during its homecoming week. In the Paint the Town event, students put on red Nicholls State shirts and do various community service projects around town. There’s also the Nicholls Can canned food drive. For purely recreational events, students can relax and enjoy a block party where the homecoming court is introduced.
Players to Look Out For: QB Beaux Hebert (son of former
Saints QB Bobby Hebert), K Andrew Dolan, TE Nick Scelfo Biggest Rivals: Southeastern Louisiana is located a mere
94 miles away from Nicholls State. No two teams in the Southland Conference are geographically closer. The winner of their yearly game gets the River Bell Trophy. The rivalry thrived from 1972 to 1985, the year Southeastern dropped its football program. When Southeastern resurrected its program in 2005, the rivalry returned.
Northwestern State University Homecoming: Oct. 19 vs. Southeastern Louisiana University Homecoming Festivities: The fun begins Thursday night with Lip Sync, a party for students that includes skits, costumes, dancing, and (of course) lip syncing. On Friday night, there’s a homecoming parade ending with a pep rally on the Natchitoches Riverbank Stage in downtown Natchitoches. Saturday’s events include a morning fun run, tailgating and live music all afternoon.
Southern University
Homecoming: Oct. 26 vs. Alcorn
State
Coach: Jay Thomas Players to Look Out For: DT Lesley Deamer, WR Louis Hollier, RB
Daniel Taylor Biggest Rivals: NSU’s two main rivals are McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin University of Nacogdoches, Texas. Each year, Northwestern State battles Stephen F. Austin for “Chief Caddo,” the largest trophy in college football. Chief Caddo stands at a jaw-dropping 7.5 feet tall and weighs more than 330 pounds.
Homecoming Festivities: After a week of pep rallies and studentgenerated entertainment, thousands come out to see the homecoming parade featuring dozens of high school bands and dance groups on Saturday morning. The game typically draws 27,000 fans, but more than 50,000 people flock to the campus to tailgate and be part of the excitement. Coach: Dawson Odums
Southeastern Louisiana Homecoming: Oct. 26 vs. Lamar Homecoming Festivities: Gumbo Ya-Ya Fest, an outdoor music
festival with a variety of acts, is a centerpiece of homecoming week. Homecoming Day features tailgating and craft booths in Southeastern’s Friendship Circle. After the homecoming parade, Coach Roberts and the team do their traditional Lion Walk through the Friendship Circle to Strawberry Stadium. Coach: Ron Roberts Players to Look Out For: OL Gaston Gabriel, DB Todd Washington,
QB Bryan Bennett, LB Kaleb Muse, LB Drew Misita Biggest Rivals: With 56 games dating back to 1935, Northwestern
State is Southeastern’s most common opponent. But their archrival is Nicholls State, located only 94 miles away. Each year, the two teams square off in the River Bell Classic.
48 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Players to Look Out For: QB Dray
Joseph, WR Lee Doss, DB Virgil Williams, LB Anthony Balancier, RB Lenard Tillery Biggest Rivals: Grambling State University is Southern’s opponent each year in the Bayou Classic. While that rivalry garners a lot of attention, Southern’s match-ups against Jackson State are just as heated. Both historically black colleges have renowned bands and a sense of swagger that mirror each other. Even though the two schools’ student populations don’t add up to 20,000 people combined, more than 55,000 fans will attend the game when it’s played at Jackson State (which has a larger capacity stadium than Southern).
University of LouisianaMonroe
University of LouisianaLafayette Homecoming: Nov. 2 at New Mexico State
Homecoming: Oct. 26 vs. Georgia State
Homecoming Festivities: The Paint the Town Red competition sees local schools and businesses splash red and white decorations on their storefronts and campuses. A team of local celebrity judges pick the best displays of Ragin’ Cajun spirit. Costumes and skits are also part of the festivities.
Homecoming Festivities: Each year, the ULM
Coach: Mark Hudspeth Players to Look Out For: QB Terrance Broadway,
RB Alonzo Harris, DB Darius Barksdale, WRs Scott Austin and Ricky Johnson Biggest Rivals: Their biggest rivals are their annual
Battle of the Bayou opponents, the University of Louisiana at Monroe Warhawks. ULL has the tiniest of leads in the rivalry, sporting a 25-23 record against its biggest rival.
baseball team plays an intra-squad game called the Blood Series. The losing team donates blood. Student events include a water-ski show and the Miss(ter) USA Pageant, where brave ULM gents put on wigs and evening dresses and strut their stuff for the crowds. There’s also a block party and an alumni softball game. This year’s homecoming game will also be the season’s Wear Pink game, with fans wearing pick to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Coach: Todd Berry Players to Look Out For: QB Kolton
Browning, NT Kentarius Caldwell, WR Je’Ron Hamm, S Isaiah Newsome, OL Joseph Treadwell Biggest Rivals: ULM plays an annual rivalry
game against Louisiana-Lafayette called The Battle of the Bayou with the winner receiving a wooden boot-shaped trophy. ULM also has a long rivalry with Arkansas State. The two schools shared the “Indians” nickname until the NCAA banned the moniker. But the rivalry dating back to 1959 still lives on.
Tulane University Homecoming Game: Oct. 5 vs. North Texas
Coach: Curtis Johnson
Homecoming Festivities: On the night before the game, the WAVE ’13 party features a pep rally and concert on campus by Deacon John and the Ivories. The concert is followed by fireworks. There’s also the Helluva Hullabaloo Auction that night, the biggest fundraiser for Tulane Athletics. On the day of the game, tailgating beings at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at 11 a.m. with more food and more music.
Players to Watch: QB Nick Montana (son of former
49ers QB and NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana), NT Chris Davenport, WRs Ryan Grant and Xavier Rush, DB Darion Monroe Biggest Rivals: In the old days, it was LSU. For now, it’s
probably Conference USA opponent Southern Miss. But for the 2014-15 season, Tulane football will move to the Big East. It remains to be seen which team in their new home will emerge as their rival.
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 49
Spotlight on Public Companies Business Students size up five Louisiana businesses. By Kathy Finn
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n improving national economy and a host of industry factors are helping to buoy the fortunes of Louisiana’s public companies, according to business students at Tulane University. From oil industry businesses to financial services firms to a wholesaler of baby clothes, many area companies are worthy of investors’ consideration, the researchers say. Tulane business students annually produce research reports on about 40 Gulf South companies whose stocks trade in the public marketplace. Their research includes both company-specific and
industry analysis, as well as site visits to meet with management of the subject companies. They compile their findings in the Burkenroad Reports, published annually by the university’s A.B. Freeman School of Business. Stocks in the Burkenroad program also form the core of the Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Small-Cap Mutual Fund, which is managed by Hancock Bank and has about $380 million in assets. The following are brief profiles of five Louisiana companies studied during the past year by the Burkenroad team.
Amerisafe Inc.
Cleco Corp.
DeRidder
Pineville
Industry: Property and casualty insurance Top executive: C. Allen Bradley Jr., chairman, CEO Website: www.amerisafe.com Market capitalization: $689.4 million Stock symbol/exchange: AMSF/NASDAQ Stock price: 52-week range: $22.00-38.43; July 14 close: $37.35 Dividend/yield: $0.32 / 1.0% Business: An insurance holding company that markets and underwrites workers compensation insurance for small to mid-size employers, the company specializes in products for the construction, trucking, manufacturing, agriculture, oil and gas, logging and maritime industries. The company was incorporated in 1985. Analysis: Because it operates in a niche market, covering mainly hazardous occupations, Amerisafe is less likely to face the increased competition that is popping up in larger segments of the insurance industry, the Burkenroad student analysts said. They also noted that the company is debt-free and enjoys a strong cash position, factors that can help smooth out the bumps should the economy take a rough turn. “The fourth quarter of 2012 was one of the company’s best ever, and management foresees the potential for sustainable growth for the next two years,” the Burkenroad analysts reported. Amerisafe’s strong fundamentals prompted Zacks Investment Research in June to rate the company a “strong buy,” noting that its “strong underwriting capabilities as well as improved capital position and coverage ratios have been impressive.”
Industry: Electric utility Top executives: Bruce A. Williamson, CEO Website: www.cleco.com Market capitalization: $2.9 billion Stock symbol/exchange: CNL/NYSE Stock price: 52-week range: $38.46-49.52; July 14 close: $47.75 Dividend/yield: $1.45 / 3.1% Business: Engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution and sale of electricity to some 283,000 customers, primarily in Louisiana, the company owns and operates steam generating stations, gas turbines and other infrastructure that enables a generating capacity of 2,436 megawatts of electricity. Cleco was founded in 1934. Analysis: Noting that expansion of the company’s customer base is important to revenue growth, the Burkenroad student analysts pointed to a 10-year agreement signed last year between Cleco and the Dixie Electric Membership Cooperation, which will add 100,000 customers to Cleco’s service area beginning in 2014 and increase the total power load by 20 percent. The company enjoys “ample liquidity” and has rewarded investors with dividend growth in recent years, the analysts reported. They added that the current business environment and Cleco’s “strong cash position” could make the company a candidate for a leveraged buyout. The Burkenroad team projects growth in the company’s stock price, in part based on potential for new power purchase agreements in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Crown Crafts Inc.
MidSouth Bancorp Inc.
Gonzales
Lafayette
Industry: Baby supplies and accessories Top executive: E. Randall Chestnut, chairman, CEO Website: www.crowncrafts.com Market capitalization: $62.4 million Stock symbol/exchange: CRWS/NASDAQ Stock price: 52-week range: $4.80-6.60; July 14 close: $6.32 Dividend/yield: $0.32 / 5.2% Business: A provider of infant and toddler products for consumers, the company markets a wide array of clothing, nursery accessories and room décor to mass merchants, specialty stores, grocery and drug stores and distributors. Crown Crafts, Inc. was founded in 1957. Analysis: Crown Crafts has managed to grow profits even as revenue declined in recent years, which the company in its year-end report attributed to a “realignment” of its costs, the redesign of products to favor lower-cost raw materials and the discontinuance of an unprofitable private label infant bedding line. The Burkenroad team noted that the company has faced challenges in the form of a declining U.S. birth rate and difficult national economy, but as the recession ebbs, birth rates are projected to begin trending upward, they said. “This is positive news for Crown Crafts and the juvenile products industry as a whole,” according to the Burkenroad Reports. The company is also working to increase its flexibility with regard to pricing. Almost 70 percent of Crown Crafts’ sales are to Walmart, Target and Toys “R” Us, which gives those companies “an upper hand in the relationship with Crown Crafts,” the analysts noted. But they added that Crown Crafts has begun expanding its distribution base to include dollar stores, food and drug chains and international markets.
Industry: Regional banking Top executive: C. Rusty Cloutier, CEO, president Website: www.midsouthbank.com Market capitalization: $180 million Stock symbol/exchange: MSL/NYSE Stock price: 52-week range: $12.7517.44; July 14 close: $15.97 Dividend/yield: $0.32 / 2.1% Business: Providing banking services to commercial and retail customers in Louisiana, and central and east Texas, the company’s subsidiary, MidSouth Bank, provides commercial and residential real estate loans, commercial, industrial and consumer loans. As of May, the company had 60 banking centers in Louisiana and Texas. MidSouth Bancorp was founded in 1984. Analysis: The company has grown in part through acquisitions of banks and branches in recent years. In late 2012, it purchased Peoples State Bank, bringing 15 new branches in central and northern Louisiana and northeastern Texas under its wing. As it builds on its geographic diversification, MidSouth plans to continue focusing on high-growth areas that are fueled by the oil and gas industry, according to Burkenroad Reports. The student analysts noted that the bank’s most profitable loans are to small- and mid-size companies in the oil and gas industry. MidSouth’s participation in the Small Business Lending Fund is a low-cost source of capital that allows the bank to make more loans to profitable small businesses, they said. The analysts said the outlook for MidSouth is good, in part because its loan portfolio is weighted toward oil and gas clients, where both demand and recent commodity prices have been relatively stable.
Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. Covington Industry: Oil and gas services Top executive: Todd M. Hornbeck, chairman, CEO, president Website: www.hornbeckoffshore.com Market capitalization: $2.0 billion Stock symbol/exchange: HOS/NYSE Stock price: 52-week range: $31.9658.18; July 14 close: $56.81 Business: Providing advanced marine transportation services to the offshore oil and gas industry, Hornbeck Offshore Services operates fleets of vessels that support the deepwater production industry in the Gulf of Mexico, Latin America and the Middle East. The company also operates a fleet of ocean-going tugs and tank barges that transport petroleum products in the northeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. The company was founded in 1997. Analysis: The Burkenroad team sees this growing company as wellpositioned for expansion based on continued demand from its client base and the number of new vessels scheduled for delivery. Hornbeck this year announced an expansion of its most advanced offshore supply vessel fleet, which is one of the youngest fleets among its peers in the deepwater exploration and production market. Drilling activity in the Gulf of Mexico continues to increase, driving up demand and enabling Hornbeck to charge higher rates for the use of its equipment, the analysts said. “Management is doing an excellent job of positioning Hornbeck to capitalize on increased demand,” the Burkenroad team reported. In addition, Hornbeck’s customers in Mexico and Brazil are expanding their activities, which should produce higher demand in that region as well, the analysts said. n
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State of Business Louisiana’s business landscape continues to shift as companies of all sizes contribute to the region’s overall economy and growth. Leaders in the community are making waves by winning awards, expanding offerings and improving services to customers across the state. Find out the state of business in Louisiana, and check out the following businesses and initiatives that contribute to the area by improving the lives and financial stability of our communities. Patients benefit from a full range of neurosurgical services at the Spine Center of Excellence of Thibodaux Regional, the only full-service program in the region to treat back and neck pain. The Center offers three experienced spine surgeons and a team of specialists and physicians who create a compre-
hensive, collaborative, patient-centered approach to caring for people with neck or back pain. “The doctors and spine surgeons focus on each patient by individually reviewing every case to determine the best course of action, whether that’s surgical or non-surgical,” says Billy Naquin, MBA, PT, OCS, and Director of the Center. “The team also provides an ongoing management program complete with a Nurse Navigator.” The Spine Center of Excellence of Thibodaux Regional gives patients the best chance to solve back and neck pain. Thibodaux Regional was recently named a Blue Distinction Center in Spine Surgery by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana. For more information, call the Spine Center of Excellence of Thibodaux Regional at 985-493-4501. •
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Has the summer left you feeling cooped up from hiding indoors, hovering near A/C vents and downing cold beverages? Take advantage of fall temperatures and explore the region’s offerings—from the historical quaint streets of small-town Texas to the great outdoors of the Natural State just north of Louisiana. Arkansas and Texas present vast landscapes that differ from Louisiana’s, providing their own cultural uniqueness and vacation offerings. From hot springs and festivals to shopping and museum-hopping, Louisiana’s neighbors present fallweather options for adventurers of all ages. Consider the following regional destinations when planning a trip for your friends and family. Travel the gently rolling terrain of the Brenham-Washington County area in Texas and feel echoes of a time long past. At Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site, Stephen F. Austin’s revolutionaries drafted the declaration of independence from Mexico; this year marks the 177th anniversary of that event. While there, explore a replica of Independence Hall, a working 1850s farm, Star of the Republic Museum and a superb Visitor Center. Independence and Chappell Hill provide terrific small-town excursions, including museum displays and walking trails. In Burton, history is alive at the 54 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Texas Cotton Gin Museum, the “Official Cotton Gin of Texas.” Brenham brings its history alive with a restored historic downtown, including a state-of-the-art Visitor Center in the 1925 Simon Theatre. Shopping and dining options are the focus as visitors stroll down the streets or enjoy watching the world go by from a comfortable park bench. It’s also the home of Blue Bell Creameries, where the “best ice cream in the country” is made.
A rkansas horse back r iding along buffalo national r iver
For more info and destinations, check out VisitBrenhamTexas.com. The Natural State is chock-full of exciting things to see and do this time of year. With golden leaves to greet you as soon as you cross the state line, Arkansas offers seasonal shopping, dining, music and more. There are farmers markets and fall festivals stretching from the Mississippi River Delta all the way to the Ozarks. The boutiques in Hot Springs have the best in fall colors, matching the trees outside. Meanwhile, the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena-West Helena and MusicFest El Dorado headline a series of must-see concert events, beginning in October. The world-class theaters and museums of Little Rock welcome seasonal shows and exhibits. The crisp autumn air is perfect for the outdoor adventures you can only find in Arkansas. Whether you’re looking for a romantic weekend or an action-packed family trip, The Natural State will make your vacation memorable this fall. Plan your visit today. For more information and to order your FREE Vacation Planning Kit, visit Arkansas.com or call 1-800-NATURAL. •
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With over two centuries under its belt, Louisiana has seen its fair share of historical moments, landscape shifts and cultural festivities. With 64 parishes each boasting its own cultural and historical significance, there is certainly no lack of events to attend, destinations to visit, food to eat and sights to see. Experience Louisiana in a new way this fall and visit an unfamiliar parish, town or city—partake in the local festivals, sample the cuisine and observe its many eccentricities. Louisiana is a vast state with so much to offer. Take advantage of one of the most beautiful seasons of the year and take an adventure you won’t soon forget.
Parishes, Cities & Towns Showcasing its history through Native American ceremonial mounds, French privateer dealings and plantation farming, the town of Jean Lafitte offers visitors a unique look at the early days of Louisiana. Located in Jefferson Parish on Bayou Barataria, Jean Lafitte is now home to a 6,000-square-foot, $350,000 wildlife and fisheries museum that tells the 200-yearold story of this historic fishing village 20 miles southwest of New Orleans. Featuring a multi-media theatre presentation, an animated museum exhibition and a nature study trail, the museum leads visitors on a journey through the life of pirate Jean Lafitte. It also tells the stories and folk traditions of wetland dwellers, and shows the realities of coastal erosion and natural and man-made disasters. At the end of the exhibit, visitors emerge onto a mile-and-half cypress swamp trail leading to a bayou, rookery and marsh area, filled with alligators, snakes, turtles and exotic birds. For more information on Jean Lafitte and Lafitte’s Barataria 56 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Museum and Wetland Trace, visit TownofJeanLafitte.com, or call 504-689-2208. Call the museum at 504-689-7009. Experience the southern charm of North Louisiana by visiting Ruston & Lincoln Parish. Home of the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Grambling State University Tigers, the area is full of football frenzy every fall. Sports fans come from across Louisiana for the variety of collegiate events at the universities, and football fever is in full swing. Meanwhile, history and art buffs flock to the quaint, beautiful historic downtown district of Ruston, offering specialty shops, delectable restaurants, art galleries, unique architectural wonders and a thriving business community. Area destinations include the Lincoln Parish Museum, the Louisiana Military Museum, the Autrey House and the Eddie G. Robinson Museum. Those looking for adventure can ride the best mountain bike trail in the south at Lincoln Parish Park, also a place for great hikes, fishing, camping and more. The Dixie Center for the Arts begins its 2013-14 season this fall with a performance of rock ‘n’ roll dance hits by Harmon Drew Super Group on Sept. 21. For their full season schedule, visit dixiecenter.org. For more information on Ruston & Lincoln Parish, visit experienceruston.com. Proudly distinguished as “The Most Cajun Place on Earth,” Vermilion Parish in South Louisiana is alive with the food, music, language and scenery that define the Cajun cultural heritage. Located minutes south of Lafayette and just west of New Iberia, the towns of Delcambre, Erath, Abbeville, Kaplan, Gueydan and others all bring a little lagniappe to the enchanting region.
Enjoy music, food and more at the Louisiana Cattle Festival held Oct. 11-13 in historic downtown Abbeville. While in Abbeville, groove to Sounds on the Square, held each Thursday evening in September and October in Magdalen Square. The free concerts, held from 5:30-9 p.m. under the majestic oaks, feature a variety of music and refreshments. Don’t forget to grab a bite to eat. Seafood lovers will want to visit Shucks. From raw or grilled oysters to seafood gumbo and classic specialties, they offer a menu to please every palate. For more destinations, events and travel ideas, visit MostCajun.com. Fall has arrived, school is in session, and all are back into old routines. Life is good in Avoyelles Parish, where they are always ready for company to stay over for a visit. Festivals await you with food, fun, history, culture and entertainment. The first weekend in October is always reserved for the annual “Festival of Quilts” in Cottonport, followed by the Fifth Annual Cookbook/Arts Festival in Mansura on Oct. 12th from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Add a museum to your trip. Whether it be the State Historic Site, the Tunica Biloxi Cultural and Educational Resource Center or the Sarto Iron Bridge/Adam Ponthieu Store & Post Office Museum in Big Bend, you’re guaranteed to leave with a history lesson. Plan for specialty shopping at Amish Country Store and More, WesMar Goat Farm or any of several collectible shops in the area for something you just can’t live without. All are waiting for you in Avoyelles Parish. Visit TravelAvoyelles.com for more information. Lafayette is all about festivals, food, music and fun. For many, a love of Cajun and Zydeco music is a craving that can only be satisfied by a visit to discover all that makes Lafayette special—unique establishments, delectable food, year-round festivals and family friendly attractions. This fall, the capital city of the Cajun heartland boasts a remarkable lineup of events. Downtown Alive, celebrating its 31st year, begins Sept. 13 and brings free entertainment to downtown Lafayette every Friday. With October comes the annual Festivals Acadiens et Créoles (Oct. 11-13) located in Girard Park and a tasty Boudin Cook-Off on Oct. 19. At the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park, experience the cultures of South Louisiana through exhibits, artisans, music and events. Vermilionville features weekly jam sessions and dances, along with scheduled lectures, films and more. A new addition, the Lafayette Farmers and Artisans Market is held every Saturday morning at the Horse Farm. On the third
Saturday of each month, the Lafayette Travel Food Pavilion adds to the fun with more than a dozen food trucks, restaurants and caterers. Visit Lafayette.travel for more destinations and events in Lafayette. Just off I-10 and west of Lafayette lies the “Cajun Prairie,” Acadia Parish, an area known for its unique attractions, numerous year-round festivals and rich history and folklore. In Crowley, home of the International Rice Festival, tour the Rice Interpretive Center, the Historic Crowley Ford Motor Company, built in 1920, and the J.D. Miller Recording Studio. Famous for writing Kitty Wells’ “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels,” J. D. Miller struck gold with this hit in the 1980s. Travel the Zydeco Cajun Prairie Byway and visit Kelly’s Landing Agricultural Museum to take an informative and entertaining walk through the past. See why Rayne, LA, home of the Frog Festival, is both “The Frog Capital of the World” and the “Louisiana City of Murals.” Similarly, check out the Buggy Festival at “The Buggy Capital of the World,” Church Point, home to Le Vieux Presbytere Museum with bousillage (mud walls). Roberts Cove is home to the German Heritage Museum and the popular Germanfest. For more information, events, destinations and festival dates, visit AcadiaTourism.org or call 877-783-2109. Surrounded by the waters of the Atchafalaya Swamp Basin, Bayou Teche, and Atchafalaya River, the Cajun Coast in St. Mary Parish is known for its natural splendor and “road less traveled” atmosphere. There’s no better way
to spend a fall day than exploring the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area or winding along the Bayou Teche Scenic Byway. Cajun Jack’s Swamp Tours take visitors through the Atchafalaya Basin Swamp, or you can experience the wilderness by paddling through the Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge. Golfers won’t want to miss a chance to hit the Atchafalaya at Idlewild, which was rated as one of the best golf courses in Louisiana by Golf Digest Magazine in 2013 and by Golfweek Magazine in 2012. This fall, the Cajun Coast is alive with festivals and events, including the 78th Shrimp & Petroleum Festival (Aug. 30-Sept. 2), Drag Boat Racing (Aug. 24-25), Tour du Teche (Oct. 4-6), Harvest Moon Fest (Oct. 5), and La Fete d’Ecologie (Oct. 19). For more information, visit cajuncoast.com. Every day is an adventure in Grand Isle. True to the state’s “Sportsman’s Paradise,” nickname, Grand Isle provides a wealth of exciting activities. Fishing is a main attraction, as more than 280 species of fish and four seasons of fishing bring in anglers from every corner of the state. The remote island oasis also hosts thousands of migrating birds, making it an ideal location for birdwatchers. Seven miles of beaches are open to the public and perfect for a weekend road trip. One of the area’s most popular attractions, Grand Isle State Park, features wide sand beaches, a 400-ft. fishing pier, nature trails and overnight camping. Louisiana’s only inhabited barrier island, Grand Isle was first home to the Chitimacha tribe before European settlement began in the 1780s. Plantations on the island raised sugar cane, cotton and cattle, and much like today, the locals fished off the coast, harvesting shrimp and oysters. Host to pirates such as Jean Lafitte and later to Confederate soldiers, the region has a rich history that adds to today’s experience. For more info, including charter fishing, lodging, events and more, visit Grand-Isle.com. For a unique adventure, let Houma be your passport to Louisiana’s Bayou Country. Less than an hour southwest of New Orleans, the Houma area offers a rich and rare blend of nature with a mix www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 57
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of wildlife found nowhere else on earth. With thrilling swamp tours, a wildlife park and alligator farm, world-class charter fishing and a wide assortment of monthly festivals and more, there’s always something fun to do. This fall, a terrific lineup of familyfriendly events includes the Best of the Bayou Festival (Sept. 28-29) held in Historic Downtown Houma and featuring live music, Cajun food and local artists; the Southdown Marketplace Arts & Crafts Festival (Nov. 2) featuring more than 300 arts and crafts vendors, Cajun cuisine and more; and the Ninth Annual Voices of the Wetlands Festival (Oct. 11-13), which will once again celebrate southern Louisiana’s lifestyle, culture and value to all of the U.S. For more information, call 985-868-2732 or visit them online at houmatravel.com. In Iberia Parish on Louisiana’s HOT and SWEET side...New Iberia, Avery Island, Jefferson Island, Jeanerette, Loreauville and Delcambre. Discover rich cultures with tropical gardens on tranquil islands, famous factories, museums, historic and cultural districts, stately plantation homes, world-class fishing, walking tours, festivals, renowned cuisine and contagious Cajun and Zydeco music. Experience the heat in the midst of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area at Avery Island’s world-famous TABASCO® Factory, Jungle Gardens, Conrad Rice Mill and KONRIKO® Company Store. Smell 100 varieties of antique roses at Antique Rose Ville Tea Room and Gardens. Taste cane sugar and experience history at the Jeanerette Sugar Museum, Bayou Teche Museum and Shadows-on-the-Teche Plantation Home and Gardens. Chase Dave Robicheaux along Bayou Teche and New Iberia’s national award-winning Main Street and Historic District, captured in the famed novels of New Iberia native and award-winning author James Lee Burke. Watch a salt mine swallow a lake at Jefferson Island Rip Van Winkle
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Gardens; tour Rip’s Rookery, where roseate spoonbills nest in spring. Dine at local restaurants and savor Cajun, Creole and Asian delicacies. For more information, call 888-942-3742 or visit IberiaTravel.com. New Roads is the place to live, play and prosper. All are invited to discover what early French explorers found in New Roads. There, you can experience the area’s unique culture, tradition and history in the picturesque setting of False River, complete with quaint Southern cottages and a historic Main Street. But don’t let its charming, yesteryear feeling fool you. New Roads enjoys a robust downtown, bolstered by a variety of local restaurants, specialty boutiques and antique treasure troves, along with a full calendar of city-sponsored events to make the most of your visit. New Roads is home to the Harvest Festival on False River, which has been called the “State’s Best New Festival.” This year’s festivities promise even more than before. Enjoy all three days, Oct. 18-20, and revel in the live music, exciting amusement rides, popular culinary and artisan vendors, and several cultural displays and exhibits. Visit newroads.net to learn more. Tucked among the swamps of the Atchafalaya is Iberville Parish, a place of awe-inspiring beauty, massive live oaks and meandering bayous and waterways teeming with life. Just outside of Baton Rouge, this area prides itself on a unique
culture in which many people still live close to the land and enjoy a way of life passed through generations. The Iberville Swamp Life Expo, held at the beautiful, shaded Iberville Parish Visitors Center (I-10 at Grosse Tete), will be the kick-off event for Experience Atchafalaya Days, a month-long celebration of the Atchafalaya Heritage Area. The expo will include net-making demonstrations, woodcarving, works from local artists and relics of the area’s long history. The Iberville Swamp Life Expo will be held Saturday, Oct. 5 from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m., and will feature Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band. Experience Atchafalaya Days runs throughout October. Cultural, food and art demonstrations will be available free to the public. For more information, go to VisitIberville.com. Fall is festival time in the Bayou Lafourche area! Youngsters love the yearly Cut Off Youth Center Fair (Sept. 27-29) for its great Cajun food, music, dancing and a carnival mid-way. October kicks off with the Bayou Music Festival (Oct. 12) in Golden Meadow. The Cajun Heritage Festival extends the fun Oct. 12-13 at the Larose Civic Center. Carving competitions, a duck calling contest and delicious food highlight this fest, a must-see for outdoors enthusiasts. Food lovers must check out three
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Southeast Tourism Society “Top 20 Events.” The 42nd Annual Louisiana Gumbo Festival (Oct. 11-13) in Chackbay, the “Gumbo Capitol of Louisiana,” offers the best in Cajun food, music and dancing. The 40th Annual French Food Festival in Larose (Oct. 25-27) holds more than 30 local food booths, featuring traditional Bayou classics such as White Oyster Soup, Shrimp Boulettes, Jambalaya and more. The Thibodeauxville Fall Festival (Nov. 9) offers live music, a Cajun food court, arts booths and a duck race on Bayou Lafourche. Fall is an ideal season to experience the Cajun way of life. For more information, including special festival hotel rates, visit VisitLafourche.com or call 877-537-5800. Next year, the oldest town in Louisiana turns 300—small town...big history. Natchitoches, established by the French in 1714, is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. In 2014, Natchitoches will commemorate 300 years of history with special events on the second Saturday of each month. Visitors to historic Natchitoches are frequently heard stumbling over the city’s name (pronounced Nak-a-tish), a Caddo Indian word meaning “Chinquapin eaters.” The Historic Landmark District is an enchanting 33 block downtown district, which features European flavor in its architecture, heritage and lifestyle. Natchitoches is home to the Cane River National Heritage Area, one of only two in the state of Louisiana. This 35 mile long river landscape is one of the most beautiful stretches of plantation country in the South. Discover the oldest town in Louisiana. Call 1-800-259-1714 or visit Natchitoches.net. Step back in time at the oldest standing structure in Central Louisiana. Kent Plantation House offers tours daily through the main house, milk house, kitchen, blacksmith shop, barn and grounds. In the months from October to April, the kitchen is warmed with heat from the open hearth, where lunch is served on Wednesdays. Call ahead to make reservations. Kent House offers several special events through the year, including several in autumn. The first Saturday in October is Fall Herb Day, the second Saturday in November is Sugar Day and the first Saturday in December is Old Fashioned Christmas.
melr ose p l a nta tion Natchitoche s
Kent House also hosts a fundraiser that brings together the old historic value of the house and grounds with a new energetic experience in Le Tour de Bayou, a cycling event held in September. Learn more at kenthouse.org. Travelers across South Louisiana this fall will not want to pass up West Baton Rouge Parish. Known as the “Kite Capital of Louisiana,” West Baton Rouge is conveniently located along I-10, with family friendly hotels and just minutes from scenic views of the mighty Mississippi River and downtown Baton Rouge. Whether it is football you crave, high-speed drag racing, historic plantation homes, scenic views or a fun festival, West Baton Rouge has it all in the fall. Sept. 14th and 15th bring the Oldies But Goodies Fest and Smokin Oldies Championship BBQ contest, with live music, food, dancing, antique car show and more. Lights, lights and more lights, wagon rides, snow, ice fishing and of course Santa and his elves are just a few of the highlights at the “Reflections of the Season” light display, open Wednesday through Sunday nights from Dec. 5-24. For more information, or to view short videos of events, destinations and even day-trip itineraries, visit WestBatonRouge.net. Experience New Orleans’ Most Historic Neighbor. Explore the St. Bernard Sugar Museum just five miles from downtown New Orleans. A savory excursion along the historic San Bernardo National Scenic
Byway provides a delectable lesson in St. Bernard’s history. Begin your adventure at the Visitor Center in the Old Arabi Historic District to pick up your Visitor’s Guide and gift. The journey takes you past historic plantations, the Domino Sugar Refinery, which has been refining in St. Bernard for 103 years, and through a breathtaking quarter-mile stretch of canopied oak trees. Visit the Chalmette Battlefield, site of the Battle of New Orleans, and stroll through an Antebellum home along the Mississippi River. Sweeten your journey at the Los Isleños Museum & Village, the last vestige of Spanish Colonial Louisiana. Enjoy lunch along the way at one of St. Bernard’s many local restaurants, offering a variety of fresh South Louisiana favorites. Ready for delicious fun? Visit VisitStBernard.com or call 504-278-4242. St. Martin Parish draws visitors year round with its welcoming hospitality, world-class music and famous local cuisine. Accommodations offerings include beautiful B&B’s, cabins, campgrounds, houseboats and chain hotels. Breaux Bridge offers an array of shopping, antiquing and world-renowned hot spots like the famous Zydeco Breakfast at Cafe des Amis or Cajun music and dancing nightly at Pont Breaux’s Cajun Restaurant. The Henderson area, at the edge of the Atchafalaya Basin, offers airboat and swamp tours and great family-owned restaurants such as Robins Restaurant and Crawfish Town USA.
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On Sundays, Dancing on the Levee starts at McGee’s Landing at noon, ventures to Whiskey River for Zydeco and ends the night at Pat’s Atchafalaya Club. St. Martinville plays host to countless festivals and quaint cafes in the beautiful downtown district. Take heritage tours at Acadian Memorial, African American Museum and Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site. Highlights of year-round festivals and events include the Breaux Bridge Chamber of Commerce Jambalaya Cookoff, Pepper Festival, Breaux Bridge City Wide Garage Sale, Boucherie, Tour du Teche and the Atchafalaya Basin Festival. See “where Cajun began,” and visit CajunCountry.org. Minden in Webster Parish is located in the beautiful piney hills of Northwest Louisiana, 30 miles east of Shreveport off Interstate 20. This fall, visit historic downtown Minden for the Vintage Car Club Show on Sept. 7. Admission is free. In October, the City of Springhill celebrates the area’s timber heritage with the 30th Anniversary Lumberjack Festival (Oct.11-12). Drawing thousands of people to experience timber sports, this year’s event features The Great Lakes Timber Show seen on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, ESPN, Good Morning America, The Today Show and more. Admission is free. In November, shop until you drop during the Main to Main Trade Days (Nov. 1-2) with 50+ miles of food, fun and shopping from Minden to Springhill and everywhere in between. Don’t miss Minden’s free Fasching Fifth Season Celebration (Nov. 16), highlighting Minden’s German heritage with German music, German food, and fun. Nov. 16-Jan. 2, Minden will be illuminated by thousands of Christmas Lights and hundreds of life-size nutcrackers during the Holiday Trail of Lights. Admission is free. For more information, call 1-8002MINDEN or visit VisitWebster.net.
Arts, Entertainment, Shopping, & Accommodations NUNU Arts and Culture Collective welcomes area residents, visitors and lovers of art, music and food to the 2013 Le Feu et l’Eau (Fire and Water) Rural Arts Celebration from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7. From the center of Arnaudville, at the junction of bayous Teche and Fuselier, to the 5,000-square-foot NUNU Arts and Culture Collective facility on La. 93, this one-day event showcases the arts with an emphasis on the creative talent within and of Acadiana. 60 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Le Feu et l’Eau initially featured the work of local and displaced visual artists. Since then, the celebration has expanded to include a multitude of artistic disciplines encompassing a variety of genres such as film, culinary arts, literary readings and workshops, and hours of music and dancing. Located within a Louisiana Cultural District, all original art is sold sans sales tax. Tradition fires will be ceremoniously set ablaze at dusk. A complete schedule of events will be posted on the Le Feu et l’Eau Web site: FireAndWaterFestival.org. This November, visit the beautiful town of Covington and experience a winning combination of fine art and a festival atmosphere. The Covington Three Rivers Art Festival, presented by St. Tammany Homestead and now in its 16th year, brings fine art, crafts and music to the quaint and friendly downtown area, featuring an Arts Alive Tent with live demonstrations by exhibiting artists, a live music stage, an expansive food court and a Children’s Discovery Area complete with a performance stage. This high-end art and fine crafts festival takes place Nov. 9-10, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and will feature 200 juried artists from Louisiana and 22 states. There is no charge for admission. Every year, art lovers stroll down charming Columbia Street to view the five blocks of artist tents situated in the heart of the historic downtown area. With plenty of children’s activities and Student Art Exhibits, the kids will also feel right at home among the colorful array of arts and crafts. The festival kicks off on Saturday morning with a Three Rivers Run 5k & 1 Mile Race before the festival opens. No pets allowed. For more information, visit ThreeRiversArtFestival.com.
Enjoy Louisiana’s cool fall weather with a stroll around LSU’s historic campus, home of the LSU Foundation. The 2,000-acre property, nestled in South Baton Rouge, is defined by an Italian Renaissance character marked by red pan tile, overhanging eaves and honey-colored stucco. Dedicated in 1926, the current campus includes 46 buildings that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Recently named a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation, and one of the 20 best campuses in America in Thomas Gaines’ The Campus as a Work of Art, LSU’s enviable landscape history began in the 1930s when landscape artist Steele Burden planted many of the live oaks and magnolia trees. The roughly 1,200 towering oaks have been valued at $50 million and are supported through the LSU Foundation’s Endow an Oak program. With myriad architectural and natural beauties, several museums and year-round theater, art and athletic events, opportunities abound to experience Louisiana’s flagship university. Visit lsufoundation. org to learn more about what the school and campus have to offer. The captivating spirit and style of the Big Easy is alive and well at Loews New Orleans Hotel, where plush surroundings, lively flavors and extraordinary service are all within walking distance of the French Quarter, Riverfront attractions and the city’s finest shopping, restaurants, bars and entertainment. But for true New Orleans flavor, you don’t have to travel much farther than the lobby, where locals and guests alike mingle over perfectly presented signature cocktails at the famous Swizzle Stick Bar, and live music gets you in the right mood every Friday and Saturday night. Or tempt your taste buds
coushatta casino r esor t seven clans hote l
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with the playful modern Creole menu at Café Adelaide, by the Commander’s Palace Family of Restaurants and Executive Chef, Carl Schaubhut. For more information or to book, visit LoewsNewOrleans.com or call 800-23LOEWS. Come to Coushatta Casino Resort for your gaming getaway. It’s easy to see why everyone loves this playground. Experience the all new, ultra-modern Seven Clans Hotel and Dream Pool with slides, swim-up bar and lazy river. Coushatta also offers its guests a gigantic 100,000-squarefoot gaming floor, championship golf, 2,800 hot slots, 70 fast-action table games, a live poker room, the largest non-smoking slot section in the region, separate high stakes salons, plus live bingo and off-track betting too. Be sure to bring your appetites. Coushatta boasts nine dining options, including the amazing Seven Clans allyou-can-eat buffet and the popular Big Sky Steakhouse. Your children will have as much fun as you when they play their favorite games in KidsQuest supervised childcare, or CyberQuest arcade for teens. Louisiana’s largest casino resort adds up to Louisiana’s Best Bet. To view upcoming concerts and casino special events visit CoushattaCasinoResort. com or call 1-800-584-7263. At the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel, visitors don’t simply stay in a hotel, they experience what it is to be in a work of art. Filled with diverse works from Louisiana artists, the walls and rooms of the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel offer a contemporary art experience with pieces commissioned by the Ann Connoley Studios. The hotel was named a Renaissance New Property Build of 2012. The luxurious 256-room hotel is conveniently located near the LSU campus and minutes from the Mall of Louisiana, making it ideal for business and group travelers, as well as those looking for a weekend getaway. Southern hospitality at its best, the AAA 4-diamond Renaissance offers a true Louisiana experience, including fantastic cuisine. Tallulah Crafted Food and Wine Bar, the casual upscale restaurant housed within the Renaissance Baton Rouge Hotel, offers a captivating environment and cuisine that engages your senses and arouses curiosity. Executive Chef Andy Papson serves notable cuisine from around Louisiana, while featuring house-crafted menu items that interpret local flavors in fresh and unique ways. Tallulah’s distinguished menu brings a world of flavor to Louisiana’s capital. Visit TallulahRestaurant.com.
Alexandria’s historic River Oaks area is home to one of Louisiana’s most beloved arts and crafts gems, River Oaks Square Arts Center, a non-profit organization devoted to promoting regional artists with a full calendar of scheduled exhibitions and workshops. This October, River Oaks Square Arts Center will feature the work of Randy Brodnax, a life-long potter and educator from Dallas, who promises to entertain as he shares with participants his experiences in firing everything from functional dinnerware to large decorative vessels. Brodnax will conduct a three-day workshop Oct. 16-18. During the workshop, students will learn a variety of techniques, and additional areas of concentration will include Raku Kilns, Down Draft Sagger Kilns and Glow Worm Kilns. Students will work with porcelain and B-mix clay. Brodnax’s work will also be on exhibit in River Oaks’ Bolton Davis Gallery Oct. 15-Nov. 30, with an opening reception/ ArtWalk on Friday, Oct. 18 from 4-9 p.m., sponsored by GAEDA. For more information on Brodnax and River Oaks Square Arts Center, visit their Web sites (RandyBrodnax.com and RiverOaksArtsCenter.com) and “like” them on Facebook. To enroll, call 318-473-2670. Today, the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA) features nearly 40,000 objects in 46 galleries with names such as Monet, Renoir, Picasso and Pollock. Louisiana artists also have a marked presence, and the museum boasts works from cultures around the world. This fall, NOMA welcomes Gorden Parks: Making of an Argument (Sept. 12Jan. 5), an exhibition exploring seminal photographer Gordon Parks’ first photographic essay for Life magazine in 1948, “Harlem Gang Leader.” Additionally, NOMA—>CAC presents EDWARD BURTYNSKY: WATER, which explores humanity’s increasingly stressed relationship with the world’s most vital natural resource through elegant and haunting images that hover between painting and photography (Oct. 5- Jan. 19). This show will be on view both at NOMA and the Contemporary Arts Center. The first U.S. solo exhibition by French artist Camille Henrot—awardee of the 2013 Venice Biennale Silver Lion — Camille Henrot: Cities of Ys, explores the parallels between the legendary, submerged city of Ys in Brittany, France, and the disappearing Louisiana wetlands occupied by the Houma Indians, a historically Frenchspeaking tribe.
For complete information, visit NOMA.org. In Bossier City, located along the picturesque banks of the Red River is a shopping, dining and entertainment mecca full of store favorites, tasty dining options and family-friendly entertainment. Host to dozens of retailers, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk has brand-name stores for everyone, from the rustic outdoorsman and clothing specialties for the little ones to the teen looking for the hottest styles and brands. The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk brims with activity year-round. With special events, an IMAX stadium seating movie theater, arcade and carousel, kids can play while adults enjoy the decadent dining, peaceful shopping or a romantic evening stroll along the river and fountains. This fall, stock up on all the latest fashions, gifts and gadgets. From salon and spa treatments to clothing and sporting goods, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk’s numerous retailers cover every need. Nestled conveniently near Shreveport-Bossier’s vibrant downtown, The Outlets at Louisiana Boardwalk is the perfect destination for shopping and fun in North Louisiana. Visit LouisianaBoardwalk. com for more information, event listings and a store directory. In Louisiana, we love to talk about food, and Rouses Markets has been a part of the local conversation since 1960, when Anthony J. Rouse opened his first grocery store in Houma. A commitment to buying from local farmers, fishermen and manufacturers helped Mr. Anthony expand his business, which today includes 38 stores in two states. The family-owned company continues its legacy into the second and third generations. The best fresh, local ingredients are one reason why the chefs from Commander’s Palace, Arnaud’s, Antoine’s and your favorite neighborhood restaurants shop at Rouses for their families. Rouses’ own quality products are another reason. Rouses’ butchers still craft small-batch Cajun specialties right in their stores. Rouses’ cooks still use Rouses’ timehonored South Louisiana recipes. And Rouses’ bakers still make Louisiana favorites like doberge cake and tarte-ala-bouillie pie. It’s that commitment to buying and serving local that has helped Rouses grow into one of the largest independent grocers in the U.S., with 38 stores in two states. For more information on Rouses’ quality foods and store locations, visit Rouses.com. •
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 61
around louisiana Regional Reports from across the state compiled and edited by jeanne frois
northern HALLOWEEN STORIES Spirituals in Shreveport
eras of the gangster and the
The Caddo Parish
region. During 1934,
Courthouse in Shreveport is
Hughes, along with Texas
the third building to rise on
Rangers and Louisiana State
this site; the original, in 1865,
Troopers, set up the ambush
was the center of Louisiana’s
near Acadia that killed
government during the Civil
Bonnie Parker and Clyde
War. After Richmond fell
Barrow.
oil boom of the Ark-La-Tex
Hughes was sheriff during
in 1865, the building was very briefly the Confederate
the infamous “Butterfly Man”
capital until Louisiana finally
case, something that gained
surrendered two months
national attention. Bunce
after Appomattox.
Napier, aka “the Butterfly
In 1915, Thomas Hughes,
Man” because he sold paper
the first native of Shreveport
and wooden butterflies door-
to ever hold the post of
to-door, was accused of the
sheriff of Caddo Parish, was
brutal rape and murder of a
top floor of the courthouse
murder of the young girl.
elected. Since Caddo Parish
15-year-old Shreveport girl
before his trial, an angry
The last man to be hanged in
was growing rapidly, he was
whom he lured from her
mob amassed in the square
Louisiana, the sentence was
instrumental in expanding
home with his wares. Her
below, hungry for a necktie
carried out on May 18, 1932.
the size and budget of his
body was discovered horribly
party and ready to storm
The doors to the gallows
department. Ten years
mutilated at Cross Lake, not
the castle-like structure.
were sealed not longer after.
after his first election, work
unlike the notorious rape
With deft thinking, Hughes
began on the present-day
and murder of Mary Phagan
evacuated employees and
clerks who work on the top
courthouse.
in Georgia. Napier was a
threw tear gas bombs
floor of the building, site
suspect in the murder of the
down stairwells and into
of the jail and old gallows,
current structure was used as
teenaged Phagan; sadly, in a
corridors and stymied the
refuse to stay there alone.
the parish jail, where seven
case of both circumstantial
mob’s intent long enough
They feel uncomfortable
hangings took place until the
evidence and anti-Semitic
until the National Guard
with the poltergeist activity
state updated its method of
hatred, Leo Frank was
could arrive to thwart
that manifests and the cold
death by using the traveling
wrongly convicted then
the mob’s entry into the
spots. But perhaps most
electric chair usually placed
lynched by a mob of Marietta
building. His deputies then
disconcerting to them are
on Floor 7 (another rich tale
residents in Georgia. Had it
dispersed them.
the sounds of “old Negro
for a different point in time).
not been for Hughes, Napier
Over the next 24 years,
in Shreveport nearly suffered
floors down from his holding
the calls connected to the
the same fate as Frank.
cell. He was convicted and
older cells – even when they
sentenced to hang for the
are empty.
The upper floor of the
during his tenure as sheriff, Hughes witnessed the rowdy
64 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Arrested and held on the
Napier was tried a few
To this day, some court
spirituals” that emanate from
n
around louisiana
central watched. Employees and patrons witnessed objects being physically moved on their own. Davis called Louisiana Spirits Paranormal Investigations for an invesCentral Louisiana State Hospital
tigation. Cameras were positioned in the basement and upper floor. Early into
HALLOWEEN STORIES PHANTOM PATIENTS IN PINEVILLE
emanated from vacant offices
be called a tomboyish love of
the night, the case manager
and rooms. Chairs that were
hardware stores.
and another investigator were
Central Louisiana State
meeting were found turned
former hardware stores
Hospital, an operating
over and askew. An ecto-
produce such happy
touch her, an investigator
asylum, opened in the first
plasm-like mist was observed
memories or experiences.
quickly snapped a picture of
decade of the 20th century.
wafting about a staircase like
In addition to an enormous
fog on a bayou.
dairy barn, the hospital
neatly set up in a room for a
An elevator in Unit 2 travels
Unfortunately, not all
Although the quaint edifice
accosted by a swirling mist. When Davis felt someone
her and captured a bright orb
in DeRidder is no longer an
on the side of her head where
enclave for the handy and
she felt touched.
grounds are also the site
the floors by itself all night
useful, it once was the Selig
of a cemetery containing
long, while frequently, the
and Baughman Hardware
employee who claimed
more than 2,500 graves;
unit’s halls reverberate with
Company, Inc. It has stood
to have been touched on
Fort Randolph, a Civil War
the eerie staccato cacophony
on the same spot since
his hand revealed an orb
battlement; and the Rose
of slamming doors.
1916. Mr. Selig is reputed
hovering over his hand.
to have shot himself to
While attempting to perform
death in the basement many
Electronic Voice Phenomenon
each month – and definitely
HAUNTED HARDWARE IN DERIDDER
years ago. According to the
(EVP), two investigators
each year at Halloween – the
Now that fall is here, visits
website for Louisiana Spirits
both felt someone lay a
staff and patients seem to
to hardware stores will be
Paranormal Investigations
hand across their backs.
have their hands full coping
necessary for any autumn
(www.laspirits.com), the
The EVP session yielded a
with flare-ups of paranormal
restorations or projects: soil
property was purchased by
bounty of the bizarre: Several
activity. An employee who
to plant golden and bronze
the Davis family in 2007, and
responses were recorded to
works in the administra-
mums; perhaps plant those
they began the arduous task
questions asked by the team
tion office allegedly hears
sweet pea seeds so they’ll
of transforming it into a café
while the loud crescendo of
untraceable noises of activity
bloom come March; pot red
and antiques store with an
a resounding untraceable
in empty hospital hallways.
amaryllis bulbs now so they’ll
apartment in the rear. Kathy
crash was also captured,
Then, there the two units
bloom in scarlet glory at
Davis immediately began
causing one to wonder if
numbered 7 and 2. When
Christmas. You might need
to experience eerie and
some huge phantom bucket
Unit 7 reopened in 1999,
paint or a stain to refinish an
unexplained phenomenon as
of nails had been overturned.
witnesses saw lights glowing
old table or dresser you find
though she were a target: Her
One of the ghostly voices is
under the doorways of empty
on the curb.
hair was touched, she heard
caught saying “Backman,”
Cottage, scene of the morgue. When the moon is full
Another picture of an
rooms, and the sound of
I have had, all of my life
a disembodied male coughing
the correct pronunciation of
voices chattering likewise
since childhood, what might
and always felt she was being
“Baughman.” n www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 65
around louisiana
cajun HALLOWEEN STORIES TORTS AND TERROR IN LAKE CHARLES
and reduced to pros-
and death sentence.
titution to support her
Her request for a fourth
habits. She changed her
appeal was denied.
Having celebrated its
name to “Toni Jo.”
Normally, on the
In 1939, while
day of an execution,
centennial birthday one year ago, the Calcasieu
working in a brothel,
a prison barber was
Parish Courthouse, with its
she met Claude
summoned to cut off
beautiful dome and Beaux
“Cowboy” Henry, who
the doomed prisoner’s
Arts architecture, fills Ryan
became enamored of
hair, but on the day of
Street in Lake Charles with
the beautiful girl and
Toni Jo’s execution,
graceful dignity. But the
married her.
a hairdresser was
stately, almost temple-like
recruited to do the task.
They honeymooned
In November of 1942,
building has housed some
in California, and
regular unholy terrors in the
Cowboy was able to
Toni Jo Henry became
past; one of them apparently
guide the 23-year-old
the only woman to ever
decided to stay.
Toni Jo back to sobriety.
die by the electric chair
It’s a theory tossed around
in Louisiana.
Cowboy, so gallant and
Since the date of her
in paranormal circles that
loving to his new bride,
jails and prison are usually
was also wanted for murder
the most haunted of places,
in Texas, and following the
shot him between the eyes,
regularly experienced eerie
largely because the evildoers
couple’s return to Louisiana,
dumped his body in a ditch
events.
who were once incarcerated
he was extradited back to
and took off in his stolen car.
there don’t want to step out of
the Lone Star State, where
their earthly boundaries into
he was convicted of murder
went on a drunken odyssey
in addition to the sultry,
hell where eternal damnation
and sentenced to spend half
through Texas, stopping at
throaty whisperings of an
for their wicked crimes
a century at the Texas State
watering holes where they
unseen woman.
certainly awaits. They linger
Penitentiary in Huntsville.
bragged about the murder
in prison so as not to give the devil his due.
Toni Jo desperately missed her Cowboy and lapsed back
strip and suffer torture. Allegedly, Toni Jo callously
The murderous pair then
they had just committed. They were arrested and
death, the courthouse has
Courthouse workers report hearing disembodied footsteps
Regular whiffs of Toni Jo’s 1940s-era perfume have been smelled. She died in
into addiction and prostitu-
returned to Lake Charles to
Louisiana’s traveling electric
explain the otherwise-unex-
tion. With an accomplice
stand trial.
chair, supposedly placed on a
plainable events that have
named Harold “Arkie”
been regularly occurring
Burks, she began hitchhiking
vivacity as a defendant
claim to hear disembodied
at the Calcasieu Parish
to Texas with the express
transformed her into a
blood-curdling feminine
Courthouse since 1942.
plan to spring Cowboy out
jailhouse darling. She was
screams accompanied by the
of the hoosegow. When they
allowed to keep a pet in
smell of burning hair.
Beatrice McQuiston, a
were outside Lake Charles,
her prison cell and enjoyed
stunning dark-haired beauty
the unsuspecting and
special privileges. Convicted
located in one of the offices
from Shreveport who grew up
trusting Joseph P. Calloway,
of murder, she was sentenced
suddenly turns off for no
in a rough home environment.
in a Ford V8 coupe, picked
to death in 1940. In less than
reason; employees checking
Consequently, by the time
This hypothesis might
Her real name was Annie
But Toni Jo’s beauty and
stair landing from which some
A rotating file system
up the pair. Near Jennings,
two years, she was granted
the switch find it turned to the
she was 16, McQuiston was
Toni Jo and Arkie forced
three new trials, all of which
“off” position – when no one
addicted to alcohol and drugs,
Calloway to exit the road,
resulted in the same verdict
visible has been near it. n
66 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
around louisiana
baton rouge/ plantation country seeking solace at Mount
glasses shifting positions.
Hope Plantation on Highland
Strange, unaccounted-for
Road? During the Civil War,
noises have been heard.
the beautiful plantation was a
Pool balls roll about
home to Confederate troops.
seemingly on their own
Perhaps the poor soldier was
volition. Something unseen
looking for the dark-haired
and only felt repeatedly
lady who now reportedly
brushes up against some of
haunts Mount Hope. I
the bartenders.
wonder, when our cheers
Dez Crawford and her
erupt from Tiger Stadium on
husband own the old
those crystal autumn nights,
building that houses The
are they all listening to us?
Spanish Moon. She reports
Also located on the
incidences of seeing the little
HALLOWEEN STORIES GRAY GHOSTS AND HIGHLAND ROAD HAUNTS IN BATON ROUGE
autumnal cycle, and the
haunted corridor that is
girl and flying glassware. In
slant of sunlight becomes
Highland Road is a popular
addition to four other people,
a softer shade of amber by
bar known for live music
she has seen the ghost of
day while at night the moon
called The Spanish Moon.
a young man, described as
September and October are
scuttles across a windy
This place is actually on the
wearing a white undershirt
magical months in Baton
indigo sky, visitors from the
National Registry of Haunted
and khaki pants, his hair
Rouge, when the flowers of the
past cross a portal to visit
Places. The red brick building
styled in the ducktail from
Southeastern Conference take
Highland Road. Several
that resembles an old
the ’50s peeking out from
to emerald fields in air as crisp
witnesses have reported
warehouse looks and feels
behind a post. Previous
and intoxicating as a glass of
seeing the apparition of a
haunted. Built early in the
owners have stated they saw
green-gold Gewürztraminer.
troop of ragged and bloodied
20th century, it was originally
beer taps turn on and off;
Admittedly, that crisp air
Confederate soldiers eerily
reputed to be a feed store
ashtrays were hurled from
happens mostly in October,
tramping near the intersec-
with livestock housed on
the bar and securely attached
but nevertheless, it’s time for
tion of Lee Drive.
the premises. Legend has
artwork was wrenched from
it that a little girl who was
the wall by unseen hands.
local police were besieged
trampled to death haunts the
Sightings of shadow figures
many years ago, or visiting
by several calls from citizens
bar today. Not long after her
abound. One vendor, who
a cousin who was enrolled
who shared a common
tragic death, it was used as a
only entered the building
there, we always took a
denominator: All reported
morgue to house the victims
when it was empty, heard
shortcut to the campus down
witnessing a “filthy and
of Catfish Town flooding.
voices speaking to him and
beautiful, rolling Highland
bloodied” young man
The area got its name
the sound of rattling chains
Road. It always mesmerized
dressed in a Confederate
because the residents caught
during another visit. He also
me. From many accounts
uniform lurch and stagger
catfish from their doorways
heard whispers.
over several years, the LSU
across the very busy inter-
during the annual spring
Tigers aren’t the only ones
section. Police immediately
flooding of the Mississippi
8151 Highland Road, Baton
actively appearing near
searching the area found
River before a viable levee
Rouge, (225) 761-7000; The
Highland Road during late
no one answering that
system was built.
Spanish Moon, 109 Highland
September and October.
description. Could the
Tiger football. Driving to LSU games
As the earth reaches its
Early in October 1999,
staggering soldier still be
Some of the bar’s employees have witnessed
Mount Hope Plantation,
Road, Baton Rouge, (225) 383-6666.
n
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 67
around louisiana
Greater New Orleans HALLOWEEN STORIES BEWITCHED ON A BAYOU
night Adler had a dream of
Katrina. Like many
walking down a strange,
native New Orleanians,
Moss Street, wrapping loving
dark and atmospheric street
arms around both banks of
filled with trees and old
Bayou St. John near City
buildings. Accompanied
mysticism. Adler, like
Park and its neighborhood
by the presence of a
myself, found the last
of old, charming mansions
woman she could not
issue of the Times-
and cottages, has always
see, a voice in the dream
held deep enchantment for
told her, “You would be a
me, as though the heart and
more interesting writer if you
soul of all New Orleans from
moved to New Orleans.”
a child, her parents had her
its beginning were palpably
Adler quickly points out the
encased day and night in a
headline “Katrina Takes Aim”
encapsulated there. One
voice told her she would
metal body cage to punish
both upset and haunted her
transplanted Easterner also
be more interesting, not a
her for slouching.
as a kind of post-traumatic
felt its glow.
great writer. She opted for
Adler blends her Catholic faith with
Picayune delivered the Sunday before Katrina hit weeks after she was finally
Reading Adler’s story
able to return home. The
reminder of the tragedy.
interesting as the better
you’ll feel she has earned the
if you find you are in a
choice and visited New
rich, laid-back and creative
of someone who is uniquely
more mellow mood and are
Orleans for the first time and
life she’s found by the banks
her own woman having one
seeking enchantment rather
fell under its spell. One day
of magical Bayou St. John.
hell of an enriching time in
than a case of the creeps, a
she took a walk in the French
good place to settle would
Quarter and found the exact
frank, beautiful words, she
be in your easy chair with a
street she had dreamed of
underscores the elemental,
some of her gardening
copy of Constance Adler’s
without having ever been
almost-mystical quality of the
techniques unusual, her
there before.
bayou and its community.
work weaves a spell that
The book is filled with a
encompasses the syrupy
This Halloween season,
memoir, My Bayou: New
Through her vivid,
Adler’s memoir is the voice
her adopted home. Although you might find
Orleans Through the Eyes
Back in Manhattan, she
of a Lover. I recently spent
found she hated the constant
lively narrative of her life on
summer sun on crape myrtle
one of the best summer
noise of the city, could not
Bayou St. John: Accounts
trees near Bayou St. John
vacations ever by staying at
identify with the status-
of dog near-drownings;
and the enchantment of its
home, hurrying nowhere,
driven esprit de corps of
the vivid description of
tradition of Voodoo where
with a stockpile of books
the populace, and found her
the St. John’s Eve Voodoo
Marie Laveau once danced on
for company. I spent the
writing assignments for a
ceremony held each year on
its banks. After reading it, I
major magazine dismal.
Magnolia Bridge (also the
felt that I had vacationed in my
site of her wedding) that
own hometown. Not only is it
bright summer mornings and silvery rainy afternoons
She moved to a cottage in
comfortably sprawled out,
St. John’s Court on Bayou
spans the bayou and her own
a love letter to New Orleans,
devouring several books. One
St. John and embraced the
brief possible possession
it’s a fascinating chronicle of
of the most enjoyable books
water spirits that dance
during the ritual; the disin-
one woman’s unpretentious
of the lot was this memoir.
throughout New Orleans.
tegration of her marriage;
spiritual growth.
her discussions with
A successful journalist
A native New Orleanian
once based in Manhattan,
who loves the Big Easy will
Voudou priestess Sallie Ann
Through the Eyes of a Lover,
where she was very happy
recognize that the city is
Glassman; the devastation
The University of Michigan
to live at the time, one
Adler’s spiritual home. As
and recovery from Hurricane
Press.
68 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
My Bayou: New Orleans
n
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 69
H texas travel Plano Balloon Festival
Autumn In Texas
Exploring Festivals and State Fairs
Texas summers are
cowboy who greets arriving
annual football grudge match
notoriously long and brutally
visitors with a warm “Howdy”
between the University of
the State Fair Auto Show
hot, so when autumn begins
and a friendly wave. Sadly,
Texas Longhorns and the
and the Truck Zone with
to ease the thermometer back
this oversized symbol of
University of Oklahoma
two exhibit halls dedicated
down, the Lone Star State
Texas hospitality was nearly
Sooners. This year’s contest,
to showcasing new car
starts to party. Fall months
destroyed by fire during
now known as the AT&T Red
and truck models about
are packed with festival fun
the 2012 fair. Immediately
River Rivalry®, takes place
to be introduced. Outside,
including flower displays,
after the mishap, a fund was
Oct. 12.
the Classic Corral displays
culinary celebrations and Old
established for his restoration
West shootouts.
and has attracted thousands
only game in town. The
ranging from Corvettes to
The biggest fall event in
of donations from the public.
Fair’s extensive Midway
Cadillacs. Visitors can even
the state is the Texas State
The State Fair of Texas orga-
presents myriad games of
test drive new Chevrolet
Fair (www.bigtex.com). Held
nization expects to have Big
chance and skill as well as
models at the Chevrolet
in Dallas’ Fair Park, the fair,
Tex back and better than ever
the opportunity to ride the
Test Track.
which began in 1886 as an
for this year’s event.
enormous the 212-foot-tall
Like Big Tex, the rest of the
agricultural exposition, has
But football is not the
Car buffs will appreciate
collections of nostalgic cars
Creative attendees will
Texas Star® Ferris wheel or
want to check out the various
drawn multitudes of visitors
State Fair is larger than life
take an elevated gondola
competitions. Promising
ever since and is now both
with a multitude of exhibits,
which soars above the
Picassos, Ansel Adams
the nation’s largest state fair
entertainment, food and
Midway. Young riders will
and Emeril Lagasses put
and longest running fair. This
drink, shopping and sporting
thrill to ride the 66 carved
their skills to the test in the
year’s event extends from
events to wow visitors, all
wooden horses on the
art, photography and food
Sept. 27 through Oct. 20.
taking place among the
Dentzel Carousel that has
categories.
Art-Deco buildings of Fair
been a State Fair fixture since
The original fair was
visual centerpiece of the
Park. The centerpiece of Fair
1914. The Midway offers over
based on agriculture and
State Fair has been Big Tex,
Park is the famous Cotton
70 rides and amusements to
the tradition continues with
the 52-foot-tall mechanized
Bowl stadium, site of the
please all ages.
several exhibits including
For half a century, the
70 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
the State Fair Fall Garden
includes Blondie, Asleep at
festivals that tempt travelers
with a two-day tribute to
Exhibition showcasing
the Wheel, Cory Morrow and
to the Lone Star State. Below
the Texas way of life. For
landscape design, the
David Lee Garza.
you’ll find a list of some of
a rootin’ tootin’ good time,
the most popular autumn
mosey on over to watch
Livestock Breed Display with
Whatever events you
different breeds of cattle,
enjoy, you won’t go hungry
events to help you put a skip
the gunfights or, if culinary
swine, sheep and goats on
at the State Fair. A multitude
in your step as you celebrate
competitions are your cup
display as well as a livestock
of venues offer sustenance of
cool weather with festival fun
of tea, check out cooking
auction. Little cowpokes will
all kinds: from sipping Texas
across Texas:
demonstrations presented by
appreciate the Barnyard area
vintages in the shady State
local chefs – and don’t miss
with pigs, sheep and goats
Fair Of Texas Wine Garden
Sept. 20-22. Plano Balloon Festival, Plano. It’s up, up,
to feed, the piglet races and
and watching celebrity chefs
and away as travelers’ eyes
Championship. Release your
the Pee Wee Stampede, a
demonstrate their craft in
turn to the sky over the “Hot
inner urban cowboy while
the World Tamale Eating
line-dancing and enjoy two
Pet Fest
days of Texas tunes. Visit www.lewisvillewesterndays. com.
Sept. 27-29. Galveston Island Wild Texas Shrimp Festival, Galveston. Get ready for a crustacean-themed sensation as Galveston’s annual ode to its oceanic gifts serves up a virtual gumbo of entertainment for the entire family. Held in the Entertainment District, this three day salute to shrimp features a shrimp gumbo cook-off, gumbo tasting, a 5K race, the children’s Lil’ Shrimp Parade, a free boat and RV show, live music and more. Visit www.yagaspresents.com/shrimpfestival. stick-horse rodeo where little
the Celebrity Kitchen exhibit
Air Balloon Capital of Texas”
ones lasso bales of hay with
to queuing up for fried
during the largest balloon
Oct. 2-6. Texas Rice Festival, Winnie. Winnie may
their lariats.
delicacies for which the fair
festival in the Lone Star state.
be a small town, but for the
is famous – so much so that
The wild blue yonder will be
past 44 years the population
parade makes everyone feel
the fair is also known as
dotted with kaleidoscopic
of the Chambers County
like a kid again. Providing
the Fried Food Capital of
color during five balloon
community expands like
magical moments for the
Texas. Since the days when
launches, and the rainbow-
grains of cooking rice for
entire family, a procession
Fletcher’s Corny Dogs were
hued envelopes will light
a few days each fall during
of festooned floats and
introduced, the fair has been
up like fireflies in the dark
a salute to a favorite side
marching bands promenade
synonymous with fried treats
during early morning and
dish and to the farmers who
through the street nightly
that, through the years, have
evening balloon glows. Hot
harvest the crop. Nightly
during the Starlight Parades,
included everything from
air balloon buffs will be on
street dances, both barbecue
led each night by the USMC
fried Coke to deep-fried
cloud nine when they board
and rice cook-offs, two
Drum and Bugle Corps.
butter to fried bubblegum.
a basket for a ride, booked
parades, and lots of live
Chefs vie for the annual
before the festival. Visit
music make this a Texas
from which to choose, ticket
Most Creative and Best Taste
www.planoballoonfest.org.
favorite. Visit www.texasrice-
holders can tap their feet to
awards, but fairgoers vote
festival.org.
the beat of the headlining
for their own favorites with
Sept. 27-28. Western Days Festival, Lewisville.
country, pop and Tejano acts
long lines at the top stalls.
Dallas-area travelers can
Oct. 11-13. Cajun Catfish Festival, Conroe. Musicians
take a step back in time to
from Texas and Louisiana
Lewisville’s 1800s origins
entertain at this family-
Regardless of age, a
With tons of entertainment
that take the mic on the Main Stage. This year’s lineup
But the State Fair of Texas is just one of many great fall
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 71
Texas Renaissance Festival
I-10, this tiny burg becomes a happening hotspot on the fourth full weekend in October thanks to this popular chili festival. Its origins are some of the most interesting of any state festival: Flatonia needed a doctor and held a fundraiser to send a local student to medical school. Today the proceeds continue to assist local students and the community. Activities include a jalapeño-eating contest, chili and barbecue cook-offs, an egg toss, a mechanical bull, live music, a pageant, a carnival, a petting zoo, a car and truck show, arts and crafts and a washer pitching
friendly party now in its 24th
and all the carnival goodies
Parade through downtown
tournament. Visit www.flato-
year. The festival highlights
that you can eat from funnel
Tyler and an arts and craft
niachamber.com.
Cajun food, a Go Texan wine
cake to roasted corn. Visit
fair. Visit www.texasrosefes-
and food area, a catfishing
www.riceharvestfestival.org.
tival.net.
Nov. 1-10. Wurstfest, New Braunfels. This annual 10-day
(catfish-catching) contest, a
Oct. 19-20. Pet Fest, Old Town Spring. Near Houston,
salute to sausage, suds and
zydeco, blues and Texas
Oct. 12-Dec. 1 (weekends only). Texas Renaissance Festival, Plantersville. This
the community of Old Town
revelers to this community
country music. Visit www.
festival – one of the largest
Spring invites you to bring
north of San Antonio since
conroecajuncatfishfestival.
of its kind in the nation –
Fido (or Fluffy) and take
1961. Designed to celebrate
com.
offers you and your family
part in the PetFest Costume
the German heritage of
Oct. 11-19. Brazoria County Fair, Angleton. Nicknamed
to time travel back to the
Contest. This year’s theme is
New Braunfels, Wurstfest is
days of back to the days
“The Wizard of Paws” – so
consistently named one of
“The Largest County Fair
of King Henry VIII. Don’t
look for plenty of Totos at
the top festivals in the nation,
in Texas,” this fair south of
be shy about coming in
this popular event. You’ll also
drawing over 100,000 visitors
Houston welcomes families to
costume yourself to enjoy
have the chance to do some
that come to polka to the
a carnival, livestock exhibits
Renaissance-era music, food,
shopping, enjoy live music
sounds of accordion tunes
and a rodeo competition,
rides, dancing, demonstra-
and pet demonstrations, take
and to sample the sausage
live music, arts and crafts,
tions, and games. Visit www.
part in a Blessing of the Pets,
for which this event is
and competitions that range
texrenfest.com.
and even consult with a pet
known. Visit www.wurstfest.
from a Clown Face Contest
psychic. Visit www.petfes-
com.
to a Scarecrow Contest. Visit
October 17–20, Texas Rose Festival, Tyler. This
www.brazoriacountyfair.com.
East Texas city calls itself
Oct. 12-13. Katy Rice Harvest Festival, Katy. Just
“The Rose Capital of the
Oct. 25-27. Czhilispiel, Flatonia. Between Houston
World” and this annual
and San Antonio just off
west of Houston, celebrate
event has been held since
Katy’s agricultural contri-
1933 to showcase the city’s
butions to the area at this
famous blooms. Each year,
popular festival always
thousands of flower fans
held the second weekend
flock to this three-day event.
of October. Family-friendly
The festival starts with regal
fun held in the historic
pomp and circumstance at
downtown includes a parade,
the coronation of the Rose
rice cooking contest, two
Queen and her court and
stages of live entertainment,
continues with art shows,
a carnival, arts and crafts,
flower displays, the Rose
kid zone and plenty of Cajun,
72 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
song has been drawing
n
toldtownspring.com. – By Paris Permenter and John Bigley
Before you head off to one of the many festivals in the Lone Star State, be sure to order the free Texas Travel Guide and a state map at www.traveltex.com, the official Texas tourism site. About the Authors: Paris Permenter and John Bigley are a husband-wife team of travel writers based in the Texas Hill Country. The authors of numerous guidebooks to the Lone Star State, their next book is DogTipper’s Texas with Dogs (Open Road Guides), to be published in November.
photo courtesy of Robert Francois/AFP/Getty Images
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 73
lifetimes a guide to events around the state september/october Compiled by Judi Russell
NORTH LOUISIANA Sept. 6-12. 5th Annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. 617 Texas St., Shreveport. (318) 393-8644.
Sept. 7. Vintage Car Club Show & Shine.
Angola Prison Rodeo
520 Broadway, Minden. (318) 347-9558.
Sept. 7. River Cities Corvette Club Festival. 101 Crockett St., Shreveport.
Petroleum Festival. 715 Second St., Morgan
Sept. 27-28. Jim Bowie BBQ Festival.
City. (985) 385-0703.
Sept. 2. Boozoo Labor Day Festival. 900
Mississippi Riverfront, Vidalia. (318) 836-8223.
Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles. (337) 438-3482.
Sept. 28. Bogalusa Blues & Heritage Festival. Cassidy Park, Bogalusa.
Sept. 6-7. St. Martinville Kiwanis Pepper Festival. Corner N. Market St. & E. Madison
(985) 205-1075.
Sept. 28-29. Best of the Bayou. Downtown
Sept. 20. Jesse James Outlaw Roundup Festival. Main Street, Oak Grove.
St., St. Martinville. (337) 394-7408.
Houma. (985) 876-5600.
(318) 488-4448.
Sept. 6-7. Mamou Cajun Music Festival.
Oct. 1-5. Beaureguard Parish Fair.
98 Main St., Mamou. (337) 789-0646.
Sept. 21-22. B.H.P.A. City Championship Horseshoe Pitching Tournament. Kemper
Sept. 6-8. Bayou Lafourche Antiques Show. Warren J. Harang Jr. Municipal
Beaureguard Parish Fairgrounds, DeRidder. (337) 462-3135.
(318) 673-5100.
Sept. 14. Dragonboat Festival. 601 Clyde Fant Parkway, Shreveport. (318) 459-3000.
Sept. 20. Movies & Moonbeams: “The Lorax.” 547 E. 79th St., Shreveport. (318) 673-5336.
Oct. 4-5. Opelousas Spice & Music Festival. South City Park, Opelousas.
Williams Park, Patterson. (985) 385-3858.
Auditorium, Thibodaux. (985) 413-1147.
Sept. 27-28. Louisiana Chicken Festival.
Sept. 7. Stars & Stripes in the park Classic Car Show. Heritage Square,
(337) 948-5227.
Sulphur. (337) 436-9588.
Roberts Cove, Rayne. info@robertscovegermanfest.com.
7833 Annie Lee St, Dubach. (318) 777-1964.
Sept. 28. Germantown Bluegrass Festival.
Oct. 5-6. Roberts Cove Germanfest.
Sept. 7. Boudin Wars. Heritage Square, Sulphur. (337) 436-9588.
Oct. 8-13. Cotton Festival. Ville Platte
Sept. 8. Acadiana Barrel Race Association. 713 NW Bypass (Hwy. 3212),
Cotton Festival Fairgrounds, Ville Platte. (337) 563-6367.
New Iberia. (337) 365-7539.
Oct. 9-12. Jefferson Davis Parish Fair.
Shreveport. (318) 424-4000.
Sept. 14-16. Living History & Civil War Re-enactment. Springfield. (225) 294-3150.
Jefferson Davis Parish Fairgrounds, Jennings. (337) 581-3135.
Oct. 11-12. Lumberjack Festival. 301 Church St., Shreveport. (318) 465-3989.
Sept. 20-22. St. Theresa Bon Ton Festival. St. Theresa Catholic Church.
Oct. 10-12. Atchafalaya Catfish Festival.
Oct. 24-Nov. 10. State Fair of Louisiana.
Carlyss. (337) 583-4880.
3701 Hudson Ave., Shreveport. (318) 226-8555.
Sept. 21-22. Golden Meadow Family Fishing Rodeo. Hwy. 3235, Galliano.
Oct. 31. Witch-Way-To-Main. Columbia.
(985) 665-4507.
(318) 649-2138.
Sept. 21-22. Midnight Fantasies Annual Lakefront Tour-Car, Truck & Boat Show.
Oct. 11-13. Louisiana Cattle Festival.
900 Lakeshore Drive, Lake Charles.
Oct. 11-13. Louisiana Gumbo Festival of Chackbay. Fairgrounds, 326 LA 304,
121 Museum Road, Minden. (318) 426-4691.
Oct. 5-12. Red River Revel Arts Festival. Festival Plaza, Shreveport. (318) 424-4000.
Oct. 5-12. BREW. 101 Crockett St.,
Cajun Country Through Sept. 2. Louisiana Shrimp &
74 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Sept. 25-29. Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival. New Iberia. (337) 369-9323
Melville Civic Center, Melville. (337) 623-4226.
Oct. 11-13. Festival Acadiens et Creoles. Girard Park, Lafayette. info@festivalsacadiens.com Downtown Abbeville. (337) 652-0646.
Chackbay. (985) 633-2828.
Oct. 11-13. World Championship Gumbo Cook-off. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. (337) 364-1836.
Oct. 17-19. Rice Festival. Downtown Crowley. (337) 783-3067.
CENTRAL
Road, Baker. (225) 778-0300.
Sept. 7. Fall Arts & Crafts Festival. Hwy.
Sept. 27-29. Louisiana Hot Air Balloon Championship Festival. 9039 Landry Road,
28E, Pineville. (318) 443-1785.
Sept. 20-21. Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival. 781 Front St., Natchitoches.
Gonzales. (225) 621-1700.
Sept. 28-29. Harvest Days. Rural Life
Oct. 17. 10th Annual Taste of Southern Louisiana Festival. Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, Houma. (985) 851-1020.
(318) 352-8072.
Museum, Baton Rouge. (225) 765-2437.
Sept. 29. Big Cajun Triathlon. 108 E. Main
Oct. 19. Ragley Heritage & Timber Festival. 6715 LA 12, Ragley.
Sept. 21. Marthaville Good Ole Days Festival. Various locations, Marthaville. (318) 472-1654.
Oct. 5-13. Livingston Parish Fair.
Sept. 27-28. Jim Bowie BBQ Throwdown.
Livingston Parish Fairgrounds, 13325 Florida Blvd., Livingston. (225) 686-1333.
(337) 661-3657.
Oct. 19. Tailgating Cook-off & Fais Do Do.
100 River View Parkway, Vidalia. (318) 336-8226.
Loreauville Park, Loreauville. (337) 577-3852.
Oct. 2-6. West LA Forestry Festival.
Oct. 25-26. Black Pot Festival. Acadian Village, Lafayette. (800) 346-1958.
Oct. 26. Sweet Dough Pie Festival. St. Charles Borromeo Church, Grand Couteau. (337) 662-3058. Oct. 26. 14th Annual Franklin Merchants Association Harvest Moon Festival. Main Street, Franklin. (337) 828-3706.
Oct. 26. New Iberia Beneath the Balconies. 317 E. Main St. to 102 W. Main St., New Iberia. (337) 364-1603.
Oct. 26-27. Cajun Village Fall Festival. Cajun Village, Sorrento. (225) 675-5572.
Oct. 26-27. Yellow Leaf Arts Festival. Parker Park, St. Francisville. (225) 635-3873.
Oct. 26-27. Fall Arts & Crafts Festival. Oak
Vernon Parish Fairgrounds, Leesville. (337) 238-0647.
Oct. 5. Classic Car Show. Downtown Riverbank, Natchitoches. (318) 352-1993.
Arena, Baton Rouge. (225) 930-0901.
Oct. 9-13. Rapides Parish Fair. Rapides
Oct. 15. Denham Springs Fall Festival.
Parish Coliseum Fairgrounds, Alexandria. (318) 767-3968.
Mattie Street, Denham Springs. (225) 665-4666.
Oct. 12-14. Fall Pilgrimage/Tour of Homes. Landmark Historic District & Cane
Oct. 18-19. Southern Garden Symposium.
River Area, Natchitoches. (800) 259-1714.
Oct. 26. Haunted History Tour. Natchitoches-American Cemetery, Natchitoches. (800) 259-1714.
BATON ROUGE/PLANTATION North Boulevard Town Square, Baton Rouge. (225) 389-5520.
Sept. 7. Muddy Mayhem LA. 33203 Hwy. 1019, Denham Springs. (225) 938-2325.
Various locations, St. Francisville. (225) 635-3738.
Oct. 18-20. Andouille Festival. St. John Civic Center, LaPlace. (985) 652-9569. Oct. 24-Nov. 3. Greater Baton Rouge State Fair. Baton Rouge Fairgrounds, Baton Rouge. (225) 755-3247.
Oct. 27. Feast on the Levee. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Brusley. (225) 749-2189. Oct. 27. Haints, Haunts & Halloween. Rural Life Museum, Baton Rouge. (225) 765-2437.
Sept. 14-15. Oldies But Goodies Festival. 2750 N. Westport Drive, Port Allen. (225) 344-2920.
Sept. 14-15. Repticon Baton Rouge. 9039 S. St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. (225) 647-4515.
Sept. 21. Cajun French Music Festival. City Park, New Iberia. (337) 364-7975.
Sept. 24. Civil War Sesquicentennial Commemoration Speaker Series, “The 1863 Battle of Stirling’s Plantation at Bayou Fordoche.” 500 W. Main St., New Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival
Louisiana State Penitentiary, Angola. (225) 655-2030.
Robeline. (318) 332-4969.
Oct. 26-28. Louisiana Yambilee Festival.
Historic Downtown Abbeville’s Magdalen Square, Abbeville.www.giantomelette.org.
Oct. 6, 13, 20, 27. Angola Prison Rodeo.
Oct. 5-6. Robeline Heritage Festival.
Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27. Live After Five.
Nov. 2-3. Giant Omelette Celebration.
Oct. 6. Sugar Festival. West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen. (225) 336-2422.
Oct. 13. International Heritage Celebration. Baton Rouge RiverCenter
Alley Plantation, Vacherie. (225) 265-2157. Yambille Fairgrounds, Opelousas. (337) 948-8848.
St., New Roads. (225) 448-2878.
GREATER NEW ORLEANS Through Sept. 22. Louisiana Contemporary Presented by Regions Bank. Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans. (504) 539-9613.
Aug. 28-Sept. 2. Southern Decadence Festival. 801 Bourbon St., New Orleans. www.southerndecadence.net.
Aug. 31-Sept. 2. 51st Original Red Fish Rodeo. Bridge Side Marina, Grand Isle.
Roads. (225) 638-6575.
(985) 787-2997.
Sept. 26. Boogie’n the Bayou. Nottoway
Sept. 13-15. Shrimp Festival. 2501
Plantation, White Castle. (866) 527-6884.
Archbishop Hannan Blvd., Meraux. (504) 278-4242
Sept. 26. Buffalo Festival. 3325 Groom
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 75
Sept. 19. Art & Wine Walk. 409 Aycock
Oct. 5. New Orleans Baby & Child Festival.
St., Arabi. (504) 355-4442.
Pontchartrain Center, Kenner. (504) 298-8234.
Sept. 19-21. Burlesque Festival. Harrah’s New Orleans Casino, House of Blues, New Orleans. (504) 975-7425.
Oct. 5. Ponchatoula Appraisal Fair & Art Stroll. Downtown Ponchatoula.
Sept. 20. Scales & Ales. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, New Orleans. (504) 861-5107.
(800) 616-4502.
Sept. 21. Antique Auto Club of St. Bernard Cruise Night. 8751 W. Judge Perez Drive,
Oct. 12-13. Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum and banks of the Tchefuncte River, Madisonville. (985) 845-9200.
Oct. 12-13. Slidell Sell-A-Bration Arts & Crafts Show. Northshore Harbor Center,
Oct. 5-6. Fall Garden Festival. New Orleans
Slidell. (985) 641-2021.
Botanical Garden, City Park, New Orleans. (504) 483-9386.
Oct. 12-13. Cajun Heritage Festival.
Oct. 10-17. New Orleans Film Festival.
Larose Civic Center, Larose. (985) 532-8008.
Oct. 13. Celebracion Latina. Audubon Zoo,
Sept. 26-28. Cutting Edge Music Conference. Various locations, New Orleans.
Various cinemas in New Orleans. (504) 309-6633.
Oct. 11-13. Bridge City Gumbo Festival.
Oct. 16-19. Washington Parish Free Fair.
(504) 945-1800.
Holy Guardian Angels Church, Belle Chasse.
Franklinton. (985) 839-5922.
Chalmette. (504) 874-0458.
Boo at the Zoo
New Orleans. (504) 581-4629.
Oct. 18-20. Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival. Lafayette Square, New Orleans. (504) 558-6100.
Oct. 18-20. St. Matthew the Apostle Fall Family Festival. St. Matthew the Apostle Church, River Ridge. (504) 737-4604.
Oct. 18-20. Treme Culture Festival. Various locations including Lemann Park, Armstrong Park and St. Augustine Church. (504) 523-5652.
Oct. 18-26. Boo at the Zoo. Audubon Zoo, New Orleans. (504) 581-4629. Oct. 19. Fall for Art. Historic Downtown Covington. (985) 892-8650.
Sept. 27-28. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Fair. Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church,
(504) 329-4279.
Oct. 19. 5th Annual French Market Boo Carre Halloween & Harvest Festival. French
Oct. 11-13. Louisiana Seafood Festival.
Market, New Orleans. (504) 522-2621.
Belle Chasse. (504) 394-0314.
Woldenberg Park, New Orleans. (504) 214-1886.
Oct. 19. Monster Mash presented by Capital One Bank. Bogue Falaya Park,
Oct. 11. St. Mary Magdalen Seafood Festival. St. Mary Magdalen School, Metairie.
Covington. (985) 898-4425.
Sept. 28. Million MILF March. Begins at Ernst’s Café, South Peters Street, New Orleans.
Oct. 19. Party in the Pits BBQ Cook-off.
Sept. 28. St. Augustine High School Edwin Hampton Music Festival. St. Augustine High
(504) 733-0922.
School, New Orleans. (504) 940-5980.
Oct. 11-26. Deutsches Haus Oktoberfest.
Oct. 2-6. St. Tammany Parish Fair. Covington
Historic Rivertown, Kenner. (504) 522-8014.
Fairgrounds, Covington. (985) 892-8421.
Oct. 12. Japan Festival. New Orleans Museum of Art & Besthoff Sculpture Garden, City Park, New Orleans. (504) 658-4100.
Loranger Road, Loranger. (985) 878-2360.
Oct. 12. Que Pasa Fest. Lafreniere Park, Metairie. (504) 905-6925.
Town Slidell. (985) 641-6316. n
Oct. 2-6. Tangipahoa Parish Fair. Tangipahoa Fairgrounds, Amite. (985) 748-7156.
Oct. 3-5. Ponderosa Stomp. Various
Memorial “Strawberry Fields” Park, Ponchatoula. (985) 386-2536.
Oct. 19-20. Old Farmers Day & Horsepulling Contest. Brunett Farms, 56136 Oct. 26-27. Olde Town Slidell Fall Antique Street Fair. 1st, 2nd and Erlanger Streets, Olde
locations, including d.b.a., The Wyndham Riverfront, Rock ’n’ Bowl, New Orleans.
Oct. 4-6. Gentilly Festival. Pontchartrain
ATTENTION FESTIVAL-PLANNERS & CARNIVAL PARADE-PLANNERS
Playground, New Orleans. (504) 813-4164.
HELP US PROMOTE YOUR EVENT!
Oct. 4-6. Gretna Heritage Festival.
n
Downtown Gretna. (504) 361-7748.
n
Oct. 5. Capital One Art for Art’s Sake. Warehouse Arts District and Uptown New Orleans.
76 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Go online to provide information for our calendar section and webpage.
Go to MyNewOrleans.com/Louisiana-Life/Submit-an-Event to let us know about festivals, shows or special events coming up in your areas!
n Go to MyNewOrleans.com/Louisiana-Life/Submit-a-Parade-to-Louisiana-Life to keep us posted on your Carnival plans!
Remember, the sooner we get the information, the better able we are to help you.
www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 77
great louisiana quiz
Restaurant Edition
1 Pictured here is a serving of pulled pork at The Joint, a restaurant in New Orleans. What part of the pig is usually used in preparing pulled pork? A. Shoulder B. Back C. Breast D. Loin
This seafood restaurant began along False River and now has locations in Baton Rouge, Bossier City and New Orleans. What is it? A. Oxbow River Seafood B. Le Roi C. Ralph and Kacoo’s D. Huey’s 2
3 This is the oldest restaurant in Louisiana. A. Antoine’s (New Orleans) B. Juban’s (Baton Rouge) C. Arnaud’s (New Orleans)
D. Tujague’s (New Orleans) 4 Your friend has created a dessert consisting of bananas sliced, cooked with rum and spices and then flamed before being served with ice cream. You need to tell him that that dish already exists and was the house specialty of Brennan’s restaurant in New Orleans. What is it called? A. Bananas Flambé B. Baked Alaska C. Barbecued ice cream D. Bananas Foster 5
Lee’s has long been known for its ham sandwiches and pies. Where is it located? A. Gonzales B. Port Allen C. LeCompte D. Bordelonville
6 This former Opelousas restaurant was famous for its baked duck dishes. What was it? A. Fred’s B. Didee’s C. Boudreaux’s D. Canard’s 7 Your friend has an idea to start a chain of restaurants serving buffalo wings; only he has not been able to find where there are buffalos with wings. You suggest instead that he seeks employment with a Louisiana-based chain that serves chicken fingers. What is the chain’s name? A. McNugget’s B. Golden Chicken House C. Snappin’ Fingers D. Raising Cane’s
8 Restaurant Cotton, which has won many accolades, describes its food as “North Delta Cuisine.” What town is it in? A. Ferriday B. Monroe C. West Monroe D. Columbia 9 Lasyone’s in Natchitoches is famous for this dish: A. Boudin Balls B. Cracklins C. Cochon de Lait D. Meat Pies
10 Which one of these
famous Louisiana chefs is a native of Massachusetts? A. Paul Prudhomme B. John Folse C. Emeril Lagasse D. John Besh cheryl gerber photograph
78 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
Answer this BONUS QUESTION and be eligible to win an overnight stay for two at the luxurious PARAGON CASINO RESORT: In what Louisiana towns, and their parishes, are there festivals dedicated to the food items: cochon de lait, strawberry, tamale, poke salad, gumbo, andouille, crab, shrimp? Send in your answer on a postcard addressed to: Louisiana Life Bonus Question 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123 Metairie, LA 70005 Two winners will be drawn from among the correct answers. Each will receive an overnight stay for two at the recently expanded and remodeled Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville. Winners’ names will be announced in the January/February 2013 issue. For our MAY/JUNE issue, the question was: What parishes are divided by the Mississippi River and what is the parish seat of each? The correct answer was: Iberville Parish – Plaquemine; Ascension Parish –Donaldsonville; St. James Parish – Convent; St. John the Baptist Parish – Edgard; St. Charles Parish – Hahnville; Jefferson Parish – Gretna; Orleans Parish – New Orleans; Plaquemines Parish – Belle Chasse; St. Bernard Parish – Pointe-à-la-Hache. Winners were: Jerry Folse, Gonzales Lisa Haydel, Metairie (Note: One other person qualified for the drawing but did not include his/ her name and address.) ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS: 1.A 2.C 3.A 4.D 5.C 6.B 7.D 8.B 9.D 10.C SCORING Score 10 points for each correct answer: 0-20 Consult your nearest library. 30-60 Begin by buying a good road map. 70-90 You should run for office. 100 You’re a candidate for a Ph.D. in Louisianaology. n www.louisianalife.com Louisiana Life | 79
a louisiana life
Jerry Strahan Putting the mustard in Lucky Dogs By Megan Hill
Jerry Strahan says
“It was every kid’s dream
his main task as a manager at
come true and every parent’s
Lucky Dogs is “herding cats.”
nightmare,” he says. “They
Lucky Dogs are identified
weren’t overly happy, but
by those ubiquitous hot
they trusted me.” Strahan’s gig at Orange
dog-shaped carts seen in the vicinity of New Orleans’
Julius continued through his
French Quarter. They were
undergraduate years at the
also immortalized in John
University of New Orleans.
Jackson Higgins and the
submits them to the Catholic
Kennedy Toole’s novel,
Having grown to trust
Boats That Won World War
girls’ school skirt test; if it
Confederacy of Dunces in
Strahan after his Orange
II. As an undergraduate, he
touches the floor when they
which the lead character,
Julius years, Talbot asked him
wrote a paper on Higgins for
kneel, they’re free to go out
Ignatius Reilly, had a brief
to help train a new manager
Steven Ambrose’s modern
and work), of being a father
career as a vendor for
at Lucky Dogs. That new
military history class. He
figure or therapist to his
something called “Paradise
manager didn’t work out, and
found out the hard way
vendors, of carts that go out
Dogs.” Strahan has managed
soon Strahan found himself
nothing had been written
and never come back.
the hot dog company’s French
with a new job.
about Higgins yet, so he
“A couple of weeks turned
Quarter vendors since 1976,
“This is a very politically
pored through newspaper
incorrect place. And it’s good
and he knows this business
into a couple of months,
articles and tracked down
that it is. We have straight
inside and out. He’s even
which turned into a couple
some of the company’s
people, we have gay people,
written a book about the
of decades,” says Strahan.
original employees.
we have whites, we have
characters he encounters on
“It doesn’t seem like it’s been
a daily basis, called Managing
about 36, 37 years now but it
that he convinced Strahan
that don’t know what they are.
Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky
has been. We’ve lasted longer
to go for a master’s degree.
But they all fit in together,”
Dogs and Life in New Orleans.
than most people’s marriages.”
The two became friends, and
Strahan says. “It’s kind of like
Ambrose later suggested
a foxhole mentality. They’re
of Lucky Dogs owner Doug
to be a history professor, but
– about 15 years later –
accepting of one another.
Talbot, whom he started
he burned out in graduate
Strahan turn that paper into
They’re all working on
working for as a teenager. In
school after receiving his
a book. Strahan volunteers
Bourbon Street, they all have
1968, Strahan, then in high
master’s degree. “I happened
regularly at the National
the same frustrations, they
school, began working for
to see one day the salaries
World War II Museum.
all have the same weather
Talbot at an Orange Julius
that liberal arts professors
But Lucky Dogs remains
problems. They understand
stand in the newly built
make and I realized, ‘You
his day job, and there’s rarely
one another’s predicaments,
Lakeside Mall. Talbot then
know, it’s a great life, but
a dull moment.
and so they all bond together
bought the Orange Julius on
maybe economically I can do
Bourbon Street.
better elsewhere.’”
Strahan originally wanted
Strahan is a longtime friend
It so impressed Ambrose
“It’s not your father’s
blacks, we have some people
and it doesn’t matter what you
corporation. It’s a little
were in the past, where you
different, but it’s never dull,”
came from in the past, it’s just
dismay, Strahan transferred
side hobby for Strahan, who
Strahan says. He’s full of
kind of in a sense one large
to the Bourbon Street location
has also written a book on
stories of men showing up
family. Some of these people
as a senior in high school.
Andrew Higgins: Andrew
to work in drag (Strahan
have no other family.” n
History continues to be a
Much to his parents’
80 | Louisiana Life September/October 2013
cheryl gerber photograph