Slidell Magazine - 86th Edition by Slidell Magazine

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SLIDELL

Vol. 86 September 2017

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Editor’s Letter

Kendra Maness

Editor/Publisher Slidell Magazine

Or maybe my brain is staggering... like a really drunk, really hot brain. OK, if my brain is drunk, that means I’ve been drinking. And, if I’m drinking, I want a cool refreshing beverage. Mmmmmmm. Like a Pina Colada or one of those fruity drinks that come with lots of things to eat hanging off the side of the glass for no extra charge. The fruit is free! WOOHOOO! And maybe the drink was bought for me and it was free too! Yes, that’s it! My hot brain is now being cooled by a fruity, sweet, delicious, free beverage! And I’m on a beach -- Northshore Beach in Slidell? Sure! That sounds great! I think the sun has fried my brain... I managed to find a pair of viewing glasses and escape the eye-fry from the eclipse but the sun has been just SO HOT that I feel like my brain is walking through mud. Really really hot mud. Like the kind you see bubbling up from the ground in all of the old Star Trek episodes. Or maybe it’s more like oatmeal. Yes, that’s it - my brain is walking through oatmeal. Sludging through. Lumbering. Struggling.

My dogs are all there and swimming with me and we have the whole beach to ourselves and I’ve lost 30 pounds and look SO DAMN FINE in a bikini and the water is crisp and refreshing and I have a floaty thingy that holds me and my free drink with the ice that never melts and none of my dogs have pooped in the sand where I plan to walk! IT’S A PERFECT DAY!! And....I’m back.

Cover Artist KEITH DELLSPERGER This is the fourth Slidell Magazine cover from Slidell artist, Keith Dellsperger. It’s the only time we have promised the cover to an artist without ever seeing the artwork. Not even a sketch! Keith messaged us in April that he was starting a painting of KY’s Bicycle Shop for his friend and restaurant owner, Kevin Young. Keith hoped he could cheer up his friend and show him support while Kevin undergoes chemotherapy. He asked if we would consider it for our cover. Our reply: “HELL YESSSSSS!!! Keith, we would put any artwork of yours on the cover. If you painted a smiley face, it would be our cover.” We love Keith’s style and can’t wait for him to message us again! You can see more of Keith’s artwork at his Dellsperger Studios, 1922 First Street in Olde Towne or visit his website: KeithDellsperger.wordpress.com THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SLIDELL

It’s hot outside guys. Try to stay cool. And sane.

Vol. 86 September 2017

PO Box 4147 • Slidell, LA 70459

www.SlidellMag.com

WE KEEP IT FRESH

SAY KEEP IT POSITIVE

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SLIDELL

985-789-0687

Vol. 72 July 2016

Kendra Maness - Editor/Publisher Editor@SlidellMag.com

Devin Reeson - Graphic Designer Graphics@SlidellMag.com Illustrations by: Zac McGovern www.HalMundane.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $39/YEAR MAILED TO YOU EACH MONTH!

www.SlidellMag.com

WE KEEP IT FRESH

SAY KEEP IT POSITIVE

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS EFOP, Charlotte Lowry-Collins The Storyteller, John Case Portraits of Slidell, William Blackwell Pet Points, Jeff Perret, DVM The Coach O Era, Mike Detillier What I Learned about Fishing, Julia Morgan Crimmi-Mommly Insane, Leslie Gates Legal-Ease, Ronda M. Gabb Making Cents of Your Money, Mike Rich MikeRich@MyPontchartrain.com

Cover: “Daily Bread” by Keith Dellsperger

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SEPTEMBER 2017

Kevin Young

Extraordinarily Fascinating “Ordinary” People Sponsored by

by Charlotte Lowry Collins

Without the burdens of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggles increase. ~ St. Rose of Lima

just had a unique experience at KY’s restaurant. Picture KY’s Olde Towne Bicycle Shop, and tell me what comes to mind. Of course you picture Kevin’s bicycle collection, our early Slidell signage for the original bicycle shop, Haas Department Store, George Hotel, and Halpern’s Fabrics signs - all reminders of a lost way of life in this town. But I think the first thing my readers picture is the din of conversation, jokes, and forks on plates that greet them

as they open the door. I had never been inside when the restaurant was not teeming with hungry customers lined up at the order counter, surrounded by smiling, satisfied patrons at the beautiful altar/bar, tables and booths. Also missing was the aroma that can subconsciously make one hurry to beat the next group coming in to the counter. This visit equated more to touring a fascinating history museum. The silence of the space, closed on Sundays, gave me time to really appreciate

the history steeped inside. Linda and Kevin designed the interior to bring their customers back to simpler days when Olde Towne was the town. The mosaic tile floor and ten and a half foot beaded wood ceilings did not look restored. Instead, they looked like they had always been there. Which they had; the original material had just been covered up through the years with the latest fads in building design. This structure once housed McDaniel’s Millinery Store, Carolla’s Grocery Store,

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and Slidell Bicycle and Lawnmower Shop, back when Slidell was still a small town. This interview allowed me to really go up and touch the bikes and read the Olde Towne Gazette articles on the wall, without peering over someone’s delicious looking dinner. Kevin read aloud some of his favorite articles he, Mike Strecker (our past EFOP), and Mike McClelland wrote for the Gazette. “Humor is a big part of what we do here. These are all several page ads I paid for, as a supplement to put in the middle of the Slidell Sentry News. People still tell me how much they used to look forward to seeing these inserts. I am nothing if not irreverent.” Read them and see that he made fun of everyone from Slidell mayors to best friends in his newspaper editions.

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This will certainly be the only chance I will get to sit quietly with Kevin, at his own restaurant. On this particular Sunday, he had a little free time before heading to the Louisiana Restaurant Association Show in New Orleans. We all know that the Young family is all about good food and good service. What you may not realize is that running your own restaurant is all-consuming, day and night. Sundays are the only catch up time you have to pay bills, do the record keeping, and design the meals for the upcoming week. Instead of savoring time to relax, Kevin is off to learn about the latest additions to the culinary world at the Convention Center. Thinking Kevin was born and raised in Slidell, I now stand corrected. His father worked at the Falstaff Brewery in New Orleans, and they moved to Robert Road when Kevin was six years old. They bought four acres for the children to play on, built a house, and eventually started a family business on the premises. It was February of 1969 when they opened Young’s Restaurant. Nancy, Kevin, Keith, and Craig all helped run the restaurant with their parents, as it was an immediate success, and still is to this day. “We all worked day and night. That’s how we were raised. Mom and Dad worked all the time, too. As a boy, I cut lawns, shined shoes at a barbershop, ran a snowball stand, and worked in the restaurant. I was always proud of my customer service. But the snowball stand was my first chance to understand how much product quality matters. We bought the big blocks of ice from The Ice House on Front Street,” Kevin pointed down the road. What Kevin learned at nine years old, is that the fluffy ice is more difficult to produce than you may think. His job was to chop the block into smaller rectangles that fit in his Igloo ice chest. “We used an ice pick, and learned to work quickly. If the ice was allowed to thaw at all, the fluff was gone forever. I loved the look on customer’s faces when they took their first bite. Mom and Dad made the syrups themselves.” He smiled at this memory. “My snowballs were not the chunky, chopped ice you get today. My ice was like snowflakes.” This young entrepreneur continued, “When I was 13, I started boiling the shrimp for our restaurant. We started with hamburgers and boiled seafood. Oh, and lots of Falstaff!

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Mom made the patties by hand. Later, we bought a double deck oven and added pizza to the menu. I got to sauce the crusts and add ingredients,” Kevin moved his hands in a circle, as he mimicked his important role. Of course, Young’s Restaurant is known for their steaks, but they only added that item seven years into the venture. The menu variety got to be too much, even for a family of six, and hiring employees. “We stopped to-go orders, and specialized strictly in steaks and seafood. My friend and co-worker, Mike Strecker, and I were there so much that people often confused the two of us." Then Kevin went on a blind date with Linda Mullet, and met the girl he would one day marry. Once I heard about the first date, I was amazed the two were even together. It started with Kevin being two hours late. "But Linda understood that I was working." After a nice dinner, the couple went to Ruby’s Roadhouse for a drink. “This girl, I really liked her. Then she ordered a bottle beer. I thought, wow, this is a good girl, not high maintenance. Things were going so well, and I moved in close. We were talking and laughing. Then I took a big swig of my beer. I don’t mean a little sip, I mean like this,” and Kevin held an imaginary beer upside down. “I started to laugh and spit the beer everywhere. I mean all over her. I was so nervous that I couldn’t stop laughing. It was embarrassing, but I just kept laughing, and laughing until a bartender handed me a towel. I mean her face was just glistening with beer." Kevin moved his big hand over his face to demonstrate how well the beer covered her face. “She must have liked me, ‘cause she agreed to go to the World’s Fair with me the next day. That was June 25, 1984.” They married seven years later. Now Kevin and his bride began their own restaurant legacy in Slidell. In 1988, he and Linda opened Assunta’s, out on Highway 190. He pointed at the antique inlaid bar he moved from that restaurant to this one. “I had met an antiques dealer in Chicago. She brought me to her shop, and I spied this Greek Orthodox altar. But the problem was, it was only ten feet long. I needed a twenty-foot bar. Suddenly it hit me. I could separate the base to use as the end pieces and add a middle section for the bulk of the seating area. I saw that I could put the top piece on a functional back bar to house my equipment. So here it is.” His patrons loved sitting at this bar while waiting for their table at Assunta’s. He knew he had to have this in his new restaurant. Of course, I had to know where he came up with the name for Assunta’s. Kevin explained that his Uncle Charles met his future wife, named Assunta Vitagiano, while stationed in Italy. Kevin and Linda asked “Aunt Suzie,” as she came to be known here in the U.S., to be his chef. “She was the real deal. She cooked wonderful authentic Italian food, and with her Italian accent, I knew we had a winner. Assunta’s became so popular that Linda left her retail job to help at the restaurant. We owned it from February 1988 to September 15, 1992.” Kevin motioned his arm around the room. “Then we found

this old building. It really had a good vibe from the get go. I wanted to see Olde Towne make it. The way we found it is a good story." Kevin leaned forward to reveal, “I was drunk as a skunk one St. Patty’s Day. I’ll never forget. I stuck a pair of panties someone threw me from a float on my head and turned to my friend, a realtor. I asked when he might have a place I could buy in Olde Towne. At that time there wasn’t much down here besides the bars. He was partying too, but realized I was half serious. He told me he would have something soon.” "The next day, he showed Linda and me the old bicycle shop, and we bought it. I was excited about working so close to our home in Brugier." On May 2, 1992, he and Linda opened KY’s. Kevin got nostalgic, and recalled, “One Saturday night, Linda’s dad was helping me. We had finally gotten the permits, and I just decided to open at 9:30 that night.” When Kevin saw my surprise, he added rationally, “Well, we had to do it sometime. One time’s just as good as another. We just invited a few friends. Of course, we were closed on Sunday. Then we opened our first day shift on Monday. By Tuesday, the place was packed. I mean it took off like a bat out of hell. Linda worked with me here in the day, and went to Assunta’s at night. I stayed at KY’s day and night. After four and a half months, Linda was exhausted. Aunt Suzie said she could handle Assunta’s with her daughter. I said perfect, and we ran KY’s full time from then on. They became the owners of Assunta’s.” KY described his original vision, “We started off full service, and were a late night restaurant. We were open until midnight on weekdays, and two in the morning on weekends. Being new, we wanted to make it easy for people to spend their money here. As our crowds grew, we cut our hours to prime time. We are very low tech, with no online presence. But the reviews our customers post brings in lots of travelers.” Then Katrina hit in 2005. There was five feet of water in the building. It was hard for them to find employees, so they changed the format to “fast casual.” Then they rented a billboard, and people started resurfacing in Olde Towne. Kevin relayed the conversations he began having with customers who were returning. It always started with their questioning how they got out of the habit of frequenting KY’s. They always reminded Kevin how great they thought the food is. “I think the billboard was a subliminal thing. I had to come right out and ask if the billboard reminded them. You could see the little light bulb go off. They would think a second and say, 'You know, I did see that just the other day.'" Next, Kevin decided to try radio advertising. “I started advertising on WTIX radio station, the oldies.” Sorry readers, those were his words, not mine. “Good old T. Ben Boudreaux was a radio personality. He also writes jokes for Jay Leno. I offered him a free oyster poboy, and he was hooked. He said he would like to endorse this place. The commuters on the edges of town didn’t

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The site of KY's was originally a millinery store owned by Mrs. McDaniel, who was known for her handmade hats. This picture is of the store sometime prior to 1917.

even know Olde Towne existed, or that the locals hang out here. Now business is phenomenal again.” Kevin began to talk about his current status as a cancer patient. “You know, my dad died of cancer, and Linda went through her breast cancer. I figured I would be relieved to finally find out why I kept losing so much weight. Instead I was told I had a rare and aggressive form of cancer: diffuse, large, B-cell non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. We did close the restaurant that day." Now that they have collected his stem cells, Kevin is waiting for a transplant using his own stem cells. He is also undergoing chemo and lots of lab work. It requires that he goes in the hospital for six days of treatment during each round. Linda has adjusted the schedule and she is handling the restaurant all on her own. "Once we learned there was a treatment, I said, 'Okay, let’s roll now,'" and he shook his finger upward.

'Our Daily Bread' has been a tradition for this building for 100 years. Here, Louise Carollo, daughter of Andrea and Antonina, with her bike in front of the bread boxes on the porch of Carollo's Grocery.

I am happy to report that it sounds like Kevin did the right thing. My son is working with stem cells in partnership with Tulane, and they are doing some game-changing things in bio-med right now. As Kevin put it, “I’m living it right now. Linda’s been cancer free for five years, so we are really feeling good about it.” In the middle of the description about the treatment, Kevin’s laugh surprised me. His rational for the laughter was, “Anyone who knows me knows that I am a very low-tech person. My old cash register is about as techie as I get.” KY never owned a cell phone until he started the six-day hospital stays. Linda told him, “You think the cancer is bad, but I have more bad news. Now you finally have to get a cell phone, so I can stay in the loop.” Kevin smiled sheepishly. He finds humor no matter the circumstance. Remember, Kevin himself admitted to being irreverent. I can only imagine the strain of running this business while one or the other has

been undergoing treatment for over five years. With that thought, I looked up at the chalkboard where Linda writes funny statements or shares poignant thoughts. It was the quote at the preface of this article: Without the burdens of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace. The gift of grace increases as the struggles increase. If this isn’t enough to keep their family busy, he and Linda bought and renovated the old Buckley Shoe Store in order to preserve it. He was going to open another restaurant and name it Jelly’s, since it was just down the street from KY’s. Now they rent it to Restaurant Cote and the Maple Room. They also own the empty lot across Cousin Street. We will all have to wait to see what they do with that. Kevin regretted, “Now I don’t have the stamina anymore.” Looking up and smiling, he announced, “But I still have the attitude! I’m a slow learner, but I think I am going to learn to delegate. I’m ready to start living.

Note the floor in the pictures to the far left and right - KY's has had the same floor for over 100 years. Far left, the side wall of Carollo's Grocery with canned food is now the beautiful church altar that makes up the bar at KY's. Middle, CJ Dunaway's Meat Market, circa 1946. That is CJ behind the meat case where KY's check out counter is now. Right, Slidell Bicycle and Lawnmower Shop. Kevin named his restaurant in honor of this beloved Slidell establishment where many kids got their first bicycle (including Slidell Mag Editor, Kendra Maness) 10

regular customers that go out of their way to come to KY’s. What we have here is exactly what we envisioned. I would never want to be in a strip mall. This is a casual, neighborhood place, and that’s how we can maintain our quality.” Now Kevin revealed another secret. “One day I want to develop more properties. My next endeavor will be to resurrect the old Lizard Lounge on Front Street. That’s on hold for the moment. But I can see it as an adult lounge where you can relax, socialize, and hold a conversation without all the loud music. I get excited about this idea every time I ride by it. We will have to build a back bar,” he said enthusiastically. One thing on my bucket list is to buy a muscle car, and hit the road with Linda.” He changed his demeaner now saying, “Seriously though, I keep saying we’ll travel and do all these things later. But now my perspective is that I could miss that chance working all the time. Later may or may not come. But I’ll always want to be in Olde Towne. We have a lot of locals who depend on us. Plus we have a lot of

displaying local artists. The streets are cordoned off, and there is art, live music, food, and drinks to make your stroll even more pleasant. I look forward to seeing Kevin jumping on one of his many bikes when he gets his stamina back. He has several at his home, in addition to those hanging from the ceiling and in the nooks and crannies at KY’s. Next time you are eating there, I challenge you to guess which bike is Kevin’s grandfather’s. And Kevin, I wish you many years of riding off in that muscle car with Linda.

As I was getting ready to leave, I looked up and saw a group of young people walking by leisurely, laughing and talking. That’s one thing you don’t see on Gause Boulevard. Foot traffic is another thing that is so special about Olde Towne. My husband and I love to spend a day strolling around Olde Towne, and the Carey Street Crawls. If you come for White Linen Nights and Arts Evenings, you’ll find businesses

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THE LAST COMMAND OF CAPTAIN MCVAY Editor's Note:

"War is Hell" - William Tecumseh Sherman

The following story appeared in our 14th Edition in September 2011. It was just the third story from The Storyteller to appear in Slidell Magazine, and it is our honor to publish it again.

Indeed, war is hell. Victory offers little consolation to an honorable warrior. But victory was a cause for celebration in the aftermath of World War II. Following the Japanese surrender, our brave American veterans returned home to a heroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s welcome, patriotic parades and honor for serving our country and defeating the enemy. Such was not the case for Captain Charles Butler McVay III. He returned home to a court martial and public blame for sinking the USS Indianapolis.

At the time of this writing, John was searching for interesting people with ties to Slidell. He certainly found it in this story. It is a reminder to all of us of the sacrifices made by The Greatest Generation. It is also a precursor to John's story next month. Stay tuned...

On February 23, 1946, the U.S. Navy issued a Press and Radio Release giving a summary of the charges and the sentence. He was charged with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Inefficiency in failing to

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issue and insure the execution of orders for the abandonment of the USS Indianapolis.” He was also charged with “Negligence in suffering a vessel of the Navy to be hazarded by neglecting and failing to cause a zigzag course to be steered.” (At the time, this was a questionable maneuver to avoid a submarine torpedo attack.) The first charge was dropped and he was never charged or tried for losing the Indianapolis. Actually, the press release goes on to praise his past service record, stating that he had been awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star Medal for Heroism. Even so, Captain McVay was court martialed for the events leading to the sinking of his ship during WWII. Why did this happen? In July of 1945, the United States military needed a very special person, for a very important mission. It would come to be the single most defining mission of the war. It was top secret and one Navy Captain stood out among all the rest. His name was Captain Charles Butler McVay III. Captain McVay was the fair haired boy of the Navy. His dad had been an admiral before him and his grandfather before him. He was an Annapolis graduate and had a spotless record with a bevy of decorations. A likable guy from all accounts, he had the rare ability to interact with his men yet keep aloof enough to maintain the standard needed to be a commander. Captain McVay had married a Hawaiian heiress, had two children, divorced, dated movie stars, and then married who would be the love of his life, Louise Craytor.

On this July day, Captain McVay and his ship, the USS Indianapolis, were in the Navy Yard in San Francisco. Repairs had just been finished from damage received by a Kamikaze attack at Okinawa. His orders came. He was to deliver a very special cargo to Tinian Island, in the Pacific near Guam. What was the cargo? It is not believed that he knew. However, he was told that if the ship was to be abandoned, the cargo had life boat priority over the lives of the crew. The cargo was, in fact, the major components to the atomic bomb that would ultimately be dropped on Hiroshima by the Enola Gay, thus leading to the surrender of Japan and the termination of the war. Is there any question that this assignment would be given to just anyone? Not a chance. McVay’s record spoke for itself. The trip to Tinian Island and the off loading of the bomb went very routinely. Captain McVay was then given orders to sail for the Leyte Gulf as soon as possible. The rest is history. His ship was sunk by a Japanese submarine’s torpedoes. Approximately 300 men perished with the sinking of the ship. The remaining crew of 880 men faced exposure, dehydration and shark attacks as they waited for assistance while floating in the water five days and four nights with few lifeboats and almost no food or water. Finally a rescue came by accident. A pilot named Lieutenant Wilbur (“Chuck”) Gwinn on routine patrol spotted the men in the water. He radioed the necessary message and soon,

Lt. Adrian Marks, flying a PBY (seaplane), went against standing orders by landing his plane in the water to start rescue procedures until the USS Cecil Doyle arrived. In the next twelve hours, 317 men of the 1,196 crew were pulled from the Pacific. It would be the greatest loss of life by an American Navy ship in WWII. I will not retell the story of the sinking of this ship in its entirety as it has been told in movies, and at least two great books - In Harms Way by Doug Stanton and Left for Dead by Pete Nelson. I must, however, give you a synopsis of the story. After dropping his cargo at Tinian Island, Captain McVay was told three things in his orders: to sail to Leyte at half speed to save fuel, to zigzag at his discretion to avoid a submarine attack, and finally, that the risk of enemy encounter was all but non-existent since the war had moved to the north. Because an enemy attack was so minimal, he was given no escort - even though his ship did not have additional protective armor, nor did it have sonar to detect submarines. He would sail alone. Captain McVay was not told that, just a few days prior, the USS Underhill was sunk near the route he was traveling by a Japanese submarine. He was not told that no one in Leyte would be notified of his departure, thus not expecting his arrival. He was not told that the military had finally broken the Japanese Ultra Code and knew that a submarine was in his path. To have divulged that would be revealing that the code was broken.

On the night of July 30, 1945, Commander Moshitsura Hashimoto of the Japanese sub I-58 spotted the Indianapolis in his periscope. It was sailing directly towards him, illuminated by the moon that had risen behind the ship. The ship was not zigzagging. When the Indianapolis was in range, Hashimoto ordered three torpedoes launched. Two struck the ship. The ship sunk in twelve minutes.

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Having the high number of casualties so close to the end of a long and bloody war, many Americans asked why? McVay’s crew stood behind him, as did Admiral Nimitz, his superior officer. It appears that the Navy had the answers, but not the ones they wanted to tell. The military has long been famous for covering up its mistakes by blaming them on lesser ranking officers. In this case, there were plenty of faults that they did not want to divulge. What was the Navy hiding?

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An SOS signal was received in three locations. One was received and the presiding officer was drunk and told his staff to ignore it. One officer was playing cards and told his staff not to disturb him. (The staff sent help anyway but, when the officer finished his card game, he re-called the ships that had been sent out.) One officer was suspicious that it may be a Japanese ploy to lure rescue ships into danger. The Navy was also hiding the fact that they did not notify Leyte that the Indianapolis was on her way and to expect her at a given time. In addition, they did not want to acknowledge breaking the Ultra Code. This would not be made known for almost forty years. It is probable that the Japanese commander sent a message that he had scored a hit to his superiors in Japan. If so, it is probable that this information was intercepted by U.S. Intelligence since they had broken Ultra. If so, did they refuse to send help since that would also have given evidence that the code had been broken? Let’s hope not. Almost immediately after the court martial, the feelings of the American people began to turn in the Captain’s favor. This was due, in part, to the fact that the Navy had forced the Japanese commander, who was classified as a prisoner of war, to testify against McVay. In view of the resentment felt for the Japanese, many felt it was improper for an American enemy to testify against an American captain. Much of McVay’s sentence was reduced and he was allowed to return to duty but the court martial

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remained on his record and he would never command an American war ship again. Year after year, the survivors of the USS Indianapolis petitioned the Navy to reverse its guilty verdict and restore their Captain’s honor. Starting in 1960, the crew held reunions, with Captain McVay’s exoneration as their theme, but to no avail. In 1997, a twelve year old Pensacola, Florida boy heard about the incident while watching the movie Jaws. He decided to make it his history project. His name was Hunter Scott and he meticulously interviewed all the remaining members of the crew that would participate. He got their statements and the transcripts of the court martial. Ultimately, the story of his project was picked up by the wire services and published in the newspaper in Litchfield County, Connecticut. This is where Captain McVay had last lived. Tom Browkaw, the television news anchor, also lived there. He picked up the story and promoted it, as well as young Hunter Scott.

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This led to more congressional hearings. The Japanese submarine commander (who now was a Shinto Priest) had testified at the original court martial through an interpreter. He had testified then and the record is clear, that zigzagging would have made no difference. By this time, he claimed that he could, in truth, speak English at the time of the court martial and that the translator was not translating what he was saying properly. He still maintained that zigzagging would have made no difference. In 2001, Congress posthumously exonerated Captain McVay. They could not rescind his court martial guilty verdict, but the resolution was placed in his military file next to the court martial. Finally – vindication?

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What happened to Captain McVay? Captain McVay remained in the Navy and, with the influence of Admiral Nimitz, soon got his rank restored. He moved to New Orleans with the Navy and retired in 1949. He and Louise first lived in the Pontalba Building and then they moved to 1825 Fourth Street, in the Garden District. By now, he was working for an insurance company.

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In 1956, he and Louise bought a home here and moved to Slidell, on Bayou Liberty off Jefferson Street. He paid $5,000 for the property, $3000 down and the other $2000 at $100 per month for 20 months.

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Not much is known about his social life while he lived here. We do know that his personal physician was Slidell’s prominent Dr. Henry Cook. In 1961, his beloved wife Louise died of lung cancer and McVay sank into a state of despair. For years, he had received hate mail from the families of the crew members that did not survive, but Louise seemed to shield him from the worst of those and gave him the emotional support he needed. It is believed that he liked to fish and duck hunt along Bayou Liberty, as the inventory of his home contained items to support this. He also must have been either very frugal or a good investor. When his wife died, her probate indicates they had a combined net worth of $473,871.10. Quite a sum in 1961. Eventually, McVay married again to a lady he had known thirty years prior and moved to her home in Connecticut. Still, there was no doubt that Louise had been the one that kept him focused. It is believed that McVay’s new wife did not filter his mail as Louise had done.

these belongings was an 18 horsepower Evinrude motor and a skiff with the hull number LA 982AU. This simple skiff was the last command of Captain Charles Butler McVay III. The captain was fittingly “buried at sea” - his ashes scattered in Bayou Liberty.

On October 18, 1968, Captain Charles McVay met with his attorney and recorded his last will and testament. On November 6, 1968, he sat at his desk and wrote an answer to a hate mail sender. He went to the mail box, mailed the letter and, returning to his home, stopped on the path and took his own life with his Navy side arm. He was found by his gardner, holding in his hand a toy sailor he had received as a boy for a good luck charm

Captain McVay, our community salutes you as an American Hero. We are proud you at one time called Slidell home. Special thanks to Mr. Charles Butler McVay IV, the Captain’s son, for his generous time and interviews.

 John S. Case

The next year, the estate sold the property on Bayou Liberty for the same price he had paid for it, $5,000. The property still contained most of his personal belongings. Amongst

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A Taste of Olde Towne WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 25 "FARM TO TABLE" WINE DINNER 2200 Block of Carey Street Seven chefs working up a 5-course dinner of local, farm fresh ingredients Limited to 100 seats! Live music by the Adam Brock Trio $100 per person all inclusive THURSDAY OCTOBER 26 VINTNER DINNERS Chateau Bleu, Michael's, Restaurant Cote', & Southern Char Steakhouse Enjoy a 4-course, wine-paired meal Call restaurants for reservations $80 per person all inclusive FRIDAY OCTOBER 27 GRAND TASTING, 7- 9PM Sponsored by Slidell Mayoral Candidate Bruce Clement East St. Tammany Chamber, 1808 Front Street Over 40 wines, light bites & a signature wine glass under the big tent Live Entertainment by NYCE! $40 per person SATURDAY OCTOBER 28 PREMIUM TASTING, 5 - 7PM The Wine Garden at 300 Robert Street Our fine wine tasting, hors d'oeuvres, plus a signature wine glass. Limited to 100 attendees! Live music by Christy & the Rascals $50 per person SUNDAY OCTOBER 29 CHAMPAGNE JAZZ BRUNCH, 10:30AM Chateau Bleu Enjoy a delicious brunch, champagne & mimosas Limited seating by reservation 985.641.1610. Live jazz by Steppin Up $40 per person

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Of Your Money

By Mike Rich, CFP®

Pontchartrain Investment Management

I can’t predict your future, but I can help you prepare for it. Sometime back in the 1960s, my brother, sister, and I had a Ouija board. Santa Claus gave it to us for Christmas, and we played with it for hours and hours. We asked our Ouija all kinds of silly questions, had absolute faith in her answers, and consulted her every time we had something big to figure out. None of her predictions ever came true, of course, but we had a lot of fun with it.

Despite what some people might think – or hope – about financial advisors, I don’t have a Ouija board here at Pontchartrain Investment Management, nor do I have a crystal ball. No matter how hard I try, I cannot discern the future direction of the stock market, the seeming certainty of the financial entertainers on TV and the Internet eludes me, and I simply do not know for sure that you will die before your money runs out. In short, I cannot predict your future. Sorry. However, I can help you prepare for the future, and I have some pretty powerful ways to do it. I can’t make any guarantees, of course, and you have to commit to saving, investing, and protecting your money. However, I’m confident that, if you work with me and do the following things to get your money life in shape, you will be prepared for many of the things that might try to rock your financial boat. Consider the following future events that you can prepare for now:

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1) YOUR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO PRESENT AN EMERGENCY THAT WILL REQUIRE SOME READY CASH.

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Make no mistake about it, cash is king. Out there in the financial world, you can read all kinds of guidance about having two, three, or six months of living expenses on hand. If that seems overwhelming at first, then start small, say with $100. Add to it every month (via an automatic savings account is good), and let it grow for a rainy day. Call me, and I’ll help you look for ways to manage your expenses so maybe you can find money to put in your emergency fund.

2) YOUR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO BE MUCH NICER IF YOU HAVE A DECENT NEST EGG SET ASIDE FOR YOUR RETIREMENT. S t eve Ke rna ha n An d y P rude

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I have two young clients, each 33 years old, recently married, and with a nice, yet modest, income. Every month, they are each putting $110.25 into two separate investment accounts. Their plan is to increase their contributions by 10% every year (they’ve been doing for two years thus far), and their goal is to start spending the money when they are 70 years old. Yes, we’re looking WAY into the future, but that’s what planning is all about. Now, here’s where the magic might happen. Let’s assume that they get an

after-tax investment rate of return of 8% on average (this is a hypothetical example, with no guarantee, of course). If they stick with their plan, they could be sitting on a nest egg of more than $2,000,000! Even 37 years from now, that’s a lot of money. Do you have two young people you care about who might like to take advantage of this strategy? Send them to me, and I’ll help them get a plan in place.

3) YOUR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO BE A LOT MORE ENJOYABLE IF YOU GET A CHECK IN THE MAIL EVERY MONTH FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Most working people no longer have the benefit of an employer pension. If that’s you, you should consider trying to build a pension-like stream of income for yourself. My guess is that getting a check in the mail or your bank account every month during retirement (and maybe for as long as you or your spouse live) will be pretty cool. If you agree, call me, and we’ll talk about a few strategies for getting this done.

4) YOUR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO BE BRIGHTER IF YOU CAN SPEND YOUR ASSETS FREELY DURING RETIREMENT. By using plain, old, bor-ing cash value life insurance, you might be able to increase your

cash flow during retirement (and you don’t have to die first). Here’s how it works. You purchase an appropriate amount of life insurance. Then, during retirement, you and your spouse spend your money a little more freely while you can still enjoy it (think cruises, gifts for the grandchildren, maybe a big motorhome). When you die and are no longer around to enjoy that extra cash flow, the life insurance death benefit replaces the money you spent so the spouse who’s still alive can live out his or her days with dignity and financial security.1 This is a pretty cool strategy, and most people have never heard of it. Now you have, so call me to find out if it can work for you. It’s especially good if you’re in your 30s or 40s and can start the ball rolling now.

5) YOUR FUTURE IS LIKELY TO HOLD A TIME WHEN YOU CAN NO LONGER TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Seven out of ten of us are going to need someone to take care of us when we’re old,2 and, if that someone won’t do it for free, we’re going to have to pay for it. The handwriting is on the wall, and, if I still had my Ouija board, it would be seeing lots of dollar signs. So, picture a time when you are old and might need care. What does it look like? Where and how do you want to receive care? Who’s going to provide it?

How will you pay for it without ruining your retirement and maybe putting your spouse in a serious financial bind? If you don’t have good answers for these questions, call me and I’ll help you figure it out. I’ve been a financial advisor for nine years now (and a Certified Financial Planner™ for two), and I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of people who want to work to achieve financial independence. I’ve also had the unfortunate experience of meeting with people who, despite their good intentions, had accumulated so many years of financial mistakes and procrastination that it was going to be pretty much impossible to get them to anything resembling a decent retirement. Don’t be one of those people! You don’t need a Ouija board to know that your future is in your hands and that it’s getting closer every minute. Call me today and schedule your appointment for a complimentary consultation. 1

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he inaugural three-day Camellia City Smooth Jazz Festival (and more!) is almost here! The star-studded festivities begin on Thursday, October 5 with a pre-tee party and continue on Friday with a celebrity golf tournament and Meet & Greet that night. Saturday, October 7 is the BIG day of festivities, when over a dozen of the best known smooth jazz musicians take the beautiful lakeside stage of the Northshore Harbor Center. Sunday, October 8 will offer a Jazz Brunch like no other seen or heard in Slidell!

he Camellia City Smooth Jazz Festival is the culmination of a long-held dream by jazz lovers and festival organizers, Wil Bias and Diane Colmore-Bias. Wil and Diane are passionate about smooth jazz and were inspired to see the return of the music to New Orleans after Katrina claimed most of the music clubs.

iane says, "Right after Katrina, we opened up a supper club in the garden district of New Orleans because our local artists just didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anywhere to perform. Everything was just a mess and everybody was at a low point. The artists wanted to perform. There was a real need!"

il and Diane purchased a venue and began a music and supper club, with great success. From there, the dynamic couple formed a production company, Jin Jeans Productions. Jin Jeans is dedicated to strengthening the jazz music culture while inspiring people to explore the arts through concert series, workshops, festivals and community panel discussions.

iane says,"We are pleased to contribute our small part in preserving, promoting and providing contemporary smooth jazz at its best! Our commitment is to have great quality jazz entertainment showcasing local talent while providing exposure for our regional artists to national recording artists. The results have been phenomenal! The exposure has left audiences electrified and filled with a new appreciation for the genre of music. We worked tirelessly to showcase the style of music we so love and expanded the production to the Northshore as 'The 985 Dance Party.' That was the beginning of introducing Jin Jeans Productions to St. Tammany Parish."

n addition to returning the music to New Orleans through their club and introducing the Northshore to smooth jazz, Wil and Diane also held fundraisers to help local groups bring back their music as well. One such benefit raised $80,000 for the amazing St. Augustine High School marching band, "The Marching 100," which had lost all of their musical equipment and uniforms in Katrina.

et, they still yearned for more people to be exposed to the music they loved so much. "Wil and I were travelling the circuit of smooth contemporary jazz festivals like Sea Breeze and Monterey, as well as events in Europe. We started approaching artists and asking them why weren’t they coming to New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz? They were saying it was because no one was inviting them – so we did!"

heir aim was to produce first-class concerts and jazz events that would help to promote the culture of contemporary jazz through spotlighting national and international jazz artists, music and culture. But, as Wil says, “Jin Jeans also wanted to offer hard-working adults an escape from the daily grind by relaxing over the sounds of the soul of New Orleans, which is its music. The culture of jazz is as important today as it was in the early Louis Armstrong years; that awareness bridges gaps and connects communities that otherwise would never cross paths.”

people from around the world to visit Louisiana. We look forward to promoting this exciting new festival that will highlight the importance of smooth jazz to our culture, way of life and musical influence around the world. We are thrilled they have chosen to call Louisiana their home.”

isit the Camellia City Jazz Fest official website at www.camcityjazzfest.com and you'll be delighted! Along with the pictures of each artist scheduled to perform, you're invited to click on the artists' pictures to learn more about them and to listen to their sound. It will have you begging for more!

iane says, “We have lots of wonderful jazz festivals here, but we don’t have a smooth jazz festival in the state of Louisiana.” Having followed the contemporary smooth jazz scene for many years, she says they fell in love with the ambience the music creates. “It’s something that you have to witness for yourself. Smooth jazz is transcending, it’s transforming and has the ability to connect the millennials with old school baby boomers all in one sound. We just want to bring the music to this region and allow people to experience what we have experienced for years.”

or people still not entirely sure, Wil explains the space that smooth jazz occupies: “A lot of the time when we think of jazz, we think of artists like Miles Davis. There’s also traditional jazz and Dixie, which people are used to in this region. Smooth jazz is like the next thing from R&B – this is music you can dance to!”

W 26

il continues, “Fulfilling the passion and love for contemporary jazz music while helping my community has always been my goal. I’m fortunate to work with a great supporting team. I believe that when you find your passion and put in the work, the results will be favorable. Continuing to introduce and expose national and international artists and musicians with local artists

and musicians creates a unique fusion of music that is motivational and educational. It is truly gratifying.”

e smiles, “This event is poised to become an annual anchor of the region and the experience of a lifetime. We are delighted to be the owners of this event that has catalytic potential for the greater New Orleans region. However, it would not be possible without professional and dedicated key personnel and supporting staff,” says Wil.

resident of the St. Tammany Parish Tourist and Convention Commission, Donna O'Daniels, says, "We’re very excited about this wonderful new event! The Smooth Jazz Festival is going to showcase Slidell and introduce the Northshore to a whole new audience we think will come back year after year.”

il says, "We want to expand Jin Jeans Production’s reach and brand one event at a time through partnerships with local government, social and civic organizations and the business community to spotlight contemporary smooth jazz."

ieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser is excited about the new festival and says, “We want to welcome the Camellia City Smooth Jazz Festival to the 400 other festivals that attract

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS THURSDAY, OCT 5, 2017 Hooter's, Slidell - 7PM Cam City Golf Tournament Pairing Party Come meet and rub elbows with the celebrity golfers and find out with whom “Chance” pairs you!

FRIDAY, OCT 6, 2017 Beau Chene Country Club, Mandeville Celebrity Golf Tournament

Join us for a wonderful morning of celebrity golf at beautiful Beau Chene Country Club. This premier golf course was designed by famed golf course architect Joe Lee, and features 36 holes of spectacular beauty. With the list of stars that are playing, this is sure to be a sold-out event!

To purchase tickets for any of the events or for more info, www.camcityjazzfest.com

FRIDAY, OCT 6, 2017 Patton's, Slidell - 6PM Meet & Greet Social

Camellia City Smooth Jazz Festival organizers, along with artists, musicians, sponsors, partners, parish, city and state officials will come together to enjoy great company, food and drinks!

SATURDAY, OCT 7, 2017

Camellia City Smooth Jazz Festival!

Harbor Center, Slidell GATES OPEN: 10AM SHOWTIME: 11AM-10PM Non-stop music, food, drinks, and more. ALL DAY LONG!!

SUNDAY, OCT 8, 2017 Harbor Center, Slidell 11AM - 3PM

Camellia City Jazz Brunch

Limited Open Seating Jazz Brunch Hosted by Chieli Minucci, Lin Rountree and Joey “Papa J” Sommerville. Jam Set includes: 3rd Force (Craig & William), Marcus Anderson and Joey Sommerville

CELEBRITY GOLF TOURNAMENT FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2017 BEAU CHENE COUNTRY CLUB MANDEVILLE, LA

Fee per golfer (WITH celebrity): $375 Fee per golfer (WITHOUT celebrity): $200 Spectator Tickets: $25

Portraits of Slidell Story and Photos by William Blackwell

William Blackwell is a native of Slidell. "Once I began studying photography, it seemed to me that some of those wonderful buildings in Olde Towne should be photographed to capture and preserve their memory, beauty, and antiquity for future generations." See his Slidell shots and more on his facebook page: FieldofViewPhotography

THE SALMEN-FRITCHIE HOUSE In 1901, Swiss immigrant Fritz Salmen began construction of his beautiful one and a half story home located at 127 Cleveland Avenue in Slidell. The stunning Colonial Revival had just the right touch of Queen Anne styling to set off the home’s four central shed dormers, hipped roof and large bay window. Set on a 3.5 acre tract of land, it was an imposing structure and featured a pillared porch that wrapped around two sides of the house. Slidell townspeople were properly impressed when that house went up; not that they expected anything less - after all, Fritz and his two brothers, Albert and Jacob, were the owners of Salmen Brothers Brick and Lumber Company which had already become the economic mainstay of the community from its humble beginnings in the 1880’s. Just across Front Street to the west, the Salmen industrial facility could be seen daily belching its smoke and steam and emitting the loud noises of machinery operations around the clock, or at least during full production mode; which was pretty often in those days. It wasn’t until six years after the home’s construction that Fritz and Rosa Salmen added a kitchen to the rear of the home. Prior to that time, kitchens had traditionally been located under a separate roof, away from the main structure due to the extreme risk of fire. In addition to a new kitchen, the Salmens created something of a personality change to the house in 1917 when they transformed the original

east gallery into a brightly lit sunroom and added a modern porte-cochere entryway. Probably the most utilitarian change to the house came about because of the impending wedding of the couple’s daughter, Ella Rose. The Salmens beautiful house had been built in the old style it seemed, which unfortunately, included no indoor bathrooms. Luckily that was to change. So, as part of the extensive wedding preparations, three brand new bathrooms, complete with running water, were added to the mansion for the convenience of the many invited guests. When the big day arrived on January 27, 1922, the Salmen home became a hub of activity. The national media was mesmerized by the wedding of Ella Rose to Colonel William Sullivan, who was not only the current mayor of the town of Bogalusa, but was also the general manager of The Great Southern Lumber Company. The newspapers called it “the wedding of the century,” due in part to the extensive guest list and the open-invitation issued to all citizens of Bogalusa, Slidell and Picayune, Mississippi. Food for 4,000 people was served under a large one-acre tent. Photographers, newsreel reporters and journalists from around the country came to the Salmen home that day. One enthusiastic photographer even climbed atop a neighboring building in order to capture a wide-angle panoramic view of the entire scene. It’s still an impressive image 95 years later.

The death of Fritz Salmen in 1934 signaled an end to an important era in Slidell history. Fritz was preceded in death by his wife, brothers, daughter and son-in-law. At the time of his death, he was legal guardian to his two young grandchildren, who resided at the home. The children continued to live there for some time under the guidance of a live-in nanny and gardener. In 1939 Slidell Mayor Homer Fritchie and his wife purchased the Fritz Salmen house. It seemed a perfect fit. Homer had spent his teen years next door at his Uncle Albert’s house after the death of his own father in 1910. Albert, the brother of Fritz Salmen, was Homer’s uncle by marriage. It was a close family and much time was spent back and forth between the two houses on Cleveland Avenue. Homer had also spent some time in the employment of Fritz Salmen beginning at the age of 15. Years later, after his graduation from Tulane University, armed with a degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, he became chief engineer for Salmen Industries. It has been said that during Homers 32-year tenure as Slidell mayor, many visitors of a political persuasion and otherwise, graced the home, including frequent visits from the colorful Huey P. Long. Homer & his wife spent many happy years in the mansion raising their four daughters and one son. Mayor Homer Fritchie Sr. died in September 1977.

Top row: Fred Salmen (son), Ella Rose Salmen (daughter). Bottom row: Rosa & Fritz Salmen. Photo courtesy of Kaye Nichole Chetta

“Your Estate Matters” By Ronda M. Gabb, NP, JD, RFC

Legal-ease

INTESTACY IS INCONTESTABLE! When someone dies “intestate,” it means that they have died without leaving a valid Last Will and Testament. If that happens, then the “intestacy” laws of the State of Louisiana will direct where your assets devolve. The “heirs” via intestacy will always be the people who are your closest relatives by blood, adoption, and sometimes by marriage as the surviving spouse. The “heirs” will never be friends, partners, charities, or stepchildren. There can never be any specific bequests, such as a specific dollar amount or any other particular item (like a car or a home). There will never be an executor chosen. While a Will may be challenged for many reasons, such as inadequate form, excluding forced heirs, undue influence, lack of competency of the testator (the person making the Will), etc…intestacy is incontestable! The intestacy laws of Louisiana are set in stone and while you may not like what they say…there really is nothing to contest. If you don’t like the intestate “Will” the State of Louisiana has already written for you, then you need to be sure you die with a valid Last Will and Testament in place. This can be as simple as handwriting your own “Olographic” Will. The Olographic Will must be entirely written in your own handwriting, any part that is not in your own handwriting is not read as a part of the Will. It must be obvious that it is meant to be your Last Will (and not mere instructions), and it must be dated and signed at the end (not necessarily on every page). There is no necessity for it to be witnessed and certainly not notarized. While a “Notarial” Will (one drafted by a Notary Public) is certainly preferable, an Olographic Will is still far better than intestacy if you do not like where the state says your assets will go! A quick primer on intestacy: If you are married with children, your “community property” assets go to your children (or down the line to your grandchildren if any of your children have predeceased you leaving descendants), as “naked owners” with your spouse enjoying a “usufruct” (being able to use the property and the income from it), which ends at the earlier of their death or remarriage. The spouse may not sell the real estate (or brokerage accounts)

without the signatures of all the children/grandchildren (naked owners). If the assets are “separate property” (usually assets acquired before the marriage or inherited during the marriage) the spouse does not even enjoy a usufruct, the property devolves in full and complete ownership to your children (or possibly grandchildren). If you are married with no children, your spouse inherits the community property in full ownership. If you have no children, your separate property, regardless of marriage, goes to your siblings, or your nephews/nieces if your siblings have predeceased you (as naked owners), subject to a “lifetime usufruct” in favor of your parents. And don’t forget, “beneficiary-driven” assets (life insurances, IRAs, annuities) do not go through probate/succession, or even through your Last Will, as long as you have named a beneficiary (both Primary and Contingent) directly on these plans’ beneficiary designation forms.

Ronda M. Gabb is a Board Certified Estate Planning and Administration Specialist certified by the Louisiana Board of Legal Specialization. She is a member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Governor’s Elder Law Task Force. Ronda grew up in New Orleans East and first moved to Slidell in 1988, and now resides in Clipper Estates.

40 Louis Prima Drive (off Hwy 190, behind Copeland’s) • Covington, Louisiana • (985) 892-0942 • www.rondamgabb.com

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THE

COACH O ERA by Mike Detillier

has been quite a journey for Ed Orgeron to become the head football coach of the LSU Tigers. From the bayous in Lafourche, to becoming the head coach at LSU makes him a Cajun version of “Rocky” due to his ups and downs of life. But his hard work and dedication got him another head coaching spot and he is now entering his first season as the fulltime head coach of the Fighting Tigers. Less than 36 hours after the LSU Tigers finished the 2016 regular season with a (54-39) win over Texas A&M, the coaching winds were blowing hard on who would end up being the next Tiger head coach and Coach O was not confident he would get the job.

“I didn't know what to expect," Orgeron said. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but my wife Kelly told me that Friday night she knew I would get the job. I got a call from our athletic director Joe Alleva very early Saturday morning and I never drove so fast in my life from Mandeville to Baton Rouge." "I was honored, excited, humbled and ready, but then I thought back on how I got in this position. My wife Kelly and my boys, they sacrificed me not being there sometimes because of my job and I love them for that. I thought about my coaches, my former teammates and players, my loyal friends and it choked me up thinking about my Mom and Dad. I wish my Dad would have lived

Coach with his mom, Miss CoCo

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long enough to see me in that spot at LSU, but I know he has the best seat in the house above. I am very fortunate my Mom did get to see it. She's like a celebrity and loves it. The priest singled her out at Mass the day after I got the job and she got a standing ovation."

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Orgeron said his journey has made him a better person and that he knew as much as he loved the bayou, he would have to leave to pursue his ultimate dream of being the head coach at LSU. “When I came out of South Lafourche High School I could have gone to just about any school in the country,” Orgeron recalled. “Alabama and Coach Bryant were after me real hard, but I wanted to play for LSU. I spent a few weeks there and I got homesick. I came back home and my Dad got me a job digging posts for the telephone company. That brought me back to reality real quick. I decided to get in touch with Bobby Hebert who was at Northwestern State and Bobby talked to the coaches there. I had a really good college career at Northwestern and I could have come back to the bayou and gotten a job offshore, but I wanted to coach. I started at Northwestern State and then I coached with ten different college teams and one pro team, the New Orleans Saints in 2008. I was a head coach at Ole Miss and then an interim head coach at USC and LSU. I put on a lot of frequent flying mileage to get back to Louisiana.”

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Orgeron says he has changed from the head coach that went 10-25 at Ole Miss to today in how he handles being the head coach, his team and his assistant coaches. “The biggest change from the Ed Orgeron at Ole Miss until now is that I have learned how to coach as the head coach/CEO and not a defensive line coach. I have a great staff. I trust those guys and give them the authority to run their own group. I give them great respect. I am a Cajun and so I tried to micromanage every spot at Ole Miss, but I learned you can’t run a team like that." "Dealing with players, I was too hard on them at Ole Miss. I learned that I have to treat them like my own sons. Sometimes I have to get on them for things, but you do that as a parent too. I made mistakes in my life and I had chances to redeem myself. One of the first things I did when I got the interim job was to invite former players back to the campus and embrace the past tradition of LSU and

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pass it along to the younger players. That’s very important.” Coach O reflected on the people in the football business that had the most impact on his coaching career. “Good gracious, Coach Ralph Pere was one tough coach at South Lafourche High School. He taught us how to be mentally and physically tough and never to flinch under pressure." "I learned so much from Jimmy Johnson when I coached for him at Miami (Fla.). He taught me how to recruit a player, how to coach with enthusiasm each day and how to relate to players with different backgrounds. Even today I think about how Jimmy Johnson would react in a certain spot." "Pete Carroll knew how to structure a system that works for your own team. He was always upbeat at USC. He was fearless with his playcalling and he taught me how to build a team that would consistently have the talent to compete at the highest level each year.” Coach O has built a reputation for being one of the top recruiters in the nation and I asked him to recall his best “hits” in recruiting and the one that got away. "Let me say first, I want the best players in the state of Louisiana to come to LSU and then we go outside the state for future first round picks. That’s very important to building our program. But in 2001 at USC we landed quarterback Matt Leinart. He redshirted in 2001 and was a back-up in 2002. The 2003 recruiting class brought to USC Reggie Bush and Lendale White. We had a lot of good talent around them, but those three players for the next three 34

years led USC to a (37-2) record and 34 straight wins. And Leinart and Bush each won Heisman trophies." "At USC I just lost out landing Adrian Peterson. He was the best player in the nation. He went to Oklahoma, but people don't realize how close he came to ending up at USC. Adrian was a great running back at Oklahoma and with the Vikings, and now he's with the Saints. In order to land players like Bush, White, Leinart and Peterson you have to be in the hunt and that's what we will do at LSU. I love the chase, the excitement of recruiting and the competition." Orgeron’s off-season has been fast paced and he enjoyed every moment of it. “The off-season has been a world-wind of events... from piecing together a staff... we did a great job in finishing off our recruiting class, another top-10 class... started our recruiting class of 2018... just getting to be around the Tiger Nation was a great experience. I was honored to have my number retired at South Lafourche High School and celebrate the 40th anniversary of winning the 1977 4-A state championship. Getting to be around you, my family and friends, Bobby (Hebert) and my 1977 teammates was great. We got in some great work in the spring and I am stoked up about getting ready for games on Saturday.” I asked Coach O about what he wants his legacy to be like at LSU. “My legacy personally is to be the best husband and father I can be each day. I will do my best each day to make my family proud of me and provide for them. On the field, I want to win championships. I want my players to celebrate and enjoy

their experience playing for me at LSU and the relationships they make here. People ask me about the money of being a head coach, but that really doesn't matter. I get paid well and finally I am making more money a year than you and Bobby Hebert. So that’s pretty good.”

Mike Detillier has been the college and pro football analyst for WWL-870 Radio for 29 years. He and Bobby Hebert co-host the “Second Guess Show”. He also works for the LSU Radio Network and Eagle 98.1 doing pregame work breaking down the opponent for LSU games each week. In total, Detillier does 9 different NFL and college pregame shows weekly during the football season working with ESPN, CBS Sports and Fox Sports radio. Mike Detillier has published the “M&D Draft Report” since 1985 profiling the top prospects from the college ranks into the NFL. The NFL Draft Report is considered one of the top profile books for each season across the country. Detillier has won numerous writing and commentary awards and was named by Sports Illustrated Magazine in 2006 as the best “Unknown Sports Voice in the Nation” and four other times was included in Sports Illustrated Magazine’s list of “Must Listen To Voices” from 2010-2016. In 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 Mike D. was named one of the top 25 sports voices in the nation to listen to by The Sporting News.com

Right Doctor. Right Here. Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group Slidell provides the highest quality care related to the diagnosis and treatment of a broad range of illnesses and medical issues for adults and children. Since 1984, we have been dedicated to helping you achieve and maintain better health. Services Offered:

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Reader’s Submission

what i learned from

fishing

by Julia Morgan Pendergast

Have you ever heard the saying: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime? There is more truth to that saying than we realize. Pleasant Grove, a suburb of Dallas, Texas, was a wonderful place in which to grow up. There were parks to explore and neighborhood recreation areas to play and swim in. As the oldest of six children, I knew sometimes it was hard for my parents to provide entertainment for us, things we could all do together. But they did a pretty good job. One day my Dad took us fishing - all of us. I must have been about nine years old. Mom packed up the snacks and drinks, and we loaded up the station wagon. We must have been a sight, a car full of kids and poles. I’d never been fishing before and I was excited to see what would happen; thus, I learned the Art of Anticipation. Out on the shore of Lake Tawakoni, just outside of Dallas, we climbed out on the rocks next to the dam. Dad gave us each a pole with fishing line, hooks, and bobbers attached, then he showed us how to bait the hooks with worms, threading the wiggling, cold, slimy things right up the hook. I tried other ways to bait mine that weren’t as gruesome, wrapping the worm around the hook, then spearing it through the middle, but they never stayed on. I ended up doing it just like Dad showed us. From that I learned that Performing a Distasteful Job is Necessary Sometimes. Next, Dad showed us how to unroll the fishing line until it was long enough to go into the water. With all those hooks swinging around, I learned to Beware of a Hazardous Situation. Then we sat, and waited…and waited. Nothing seemed to entice a fish to bite - not dipping the 36

hook up and down, or swinging it back and forth, or jiggling it around. Dad told us to be quiet, and be still. When I did, I noticed little things, things that I might have missed otherwise. Things like the way the wind rippled the surface of the water, and how a boat passing by way out on the lake would make waves lap at the shore where we were, and how the crickets chirped. I felt the tension drain away and learned that We Didn’t Have to Have “Entertainment” to Have a Good Time, and-- you guessed it, Patience. We swatted a few mosquitos and there were occasional spiders crawling around the rocks that we had to watch out for, and somebody said they had to go to the bathroom, which taught us Perseverance in the Face of Adversity. After awhile, it got dark and we packed up to leave. One of my little sisters caught a small fish, but I didn’t think I wanted to go fishing again anytime soon, I thought. A few weeks later, Mom sent me out to look for my little brother, Danny, who was outside playing. I rode my bike around asking neighbors if anyone had seen him and traced him to a little creek next to a drainage canal several blocks away, fishing with a group of boys. They had climbed through a barbed wire fence behind a small farm. I called and called but curiously,

everyone seemed to not be able to hear me. I climbed through the fence and hiked over to where they were.

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One of the boys had a fishing pole with a little handle on it that he rolled up the line with. I asked him what it was and he said it was a Rod-N-Reel. “‘How neat!” I thought, watching him throw the line way out in the middle of the creek. Handing me his Rod-N-Reel, the boy said, “Here, hold this for me.” Speechless at this affront, I took the pole, “Little jerk!” I thought, staring at him as he walked away. I stood there, holding the Rod- N- Reel for a few minutes. Then there was a tug on the line, then it dipped down sharply, pulling the tip of the rod down to the water and the bobber disappeared! “You caught a fish!” somebody yelled, “Reel it in!” Pulling up sharply on the handle, like Dad had told us to, I reeled and pulled. That fish put up a good fight, but I didn’t let it go. I backed up and fought back, furiously winding the handle on the Rod-N Reel until the fish came up out of the water, wiggling to the shore. I looked around at the faces that had gathered to watch the action, and realized that Anything Worthwhile is Worth Fighting For. “I’m going to go show it to Dad,” I thought excitedly, and started to take the fish off the line, but the boy came running up yelling that it was HIS fish. I started to argue with him, “But I caught it,” I said. “I don’t care, it’s mine,” he cried. That’s when I learned the Art of Diplomacy; I, being the more mature person, knew I should give it to him. But inside, I really wanted to 'let him have it!' Just then I heard a familiar voice say, “It’s his, give it to him.” Gasping, I swung around to see…MOM. I suddenly felt cold in the warm afternoon sun. She had found us, and climbed through the fence to come and see what was happening. That’s when I learned about Circumstantial Evidence. I didn’t really climb that fence to go fishing with the boys when I was supposed to be bringing my brother back home; but there I was - it sure looked like it! “Now we’re gonna get it!” I thought, as I Braced Myself for Impending Doom. Mom had been known to take a switch to us, right in front of our friends, while we were playing, after ignoring her (just for a few more minutes) when she called us to come home. With an infraction THIS big, no telling what might happen. To my amazement she didn’t yell, or threaten, or have a switch handy, but she actually joined us for a little while on that creek bank. And I think she enjoyed the scene for a few minutes, maybe reliving some memories of her own, before calmly telling us we were needed at home. That’s when I learned about Understanding. Many years later as a single mom, I too introduced my two young children to the joys of fishing, at a little creek just off Hwy 11 in Slidell where we had relocated. It’s a sweet memory that I cherish. How excited they were then, laughing, chattering and jumping up and down. Then I told them to be still and be quiet, just like my Dad had. I remembered. I hope I was able to pass on some of the lessons Dad and Mom taught us. My oldest son, to this day, has a passion for fishing, and I think I understand why.

370 GATEWAY DR, SUITE A SLIDELL clarkhaner@allstate.com

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Cutting Edge Theater presents

Serving Slidell since 1979

Better Dentistry. Better Life.™ Dr. Pousson has been serving the Slidell community since 1979. He has a passion for charity dental work and giving back to the community. The first Dentistry From The Heart event was held last year and was such a great success that it returns this year on Saturday, October 7th.

September 1/2/8/9/15/16 • 8pm

White Winged Dove

an evening with the music of Stevie Nicks sang by Nina Cain

Last year, 21 volunteers, including local oral surgeon David Pousson D.D.S Dr. C. Bradley Dickerson, two of his assistants, and hygienists Debbie Thompson, Melanie Anderson, and Heather Allred, saw 58 patients throughout the day. Local businesses donated food, snacks and drinks.

SEPTEMBER 22/23/29/30 • 8PM

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Crimi-Mommly INSANE slie GatesGovern e L y b y r c Sto by Zac M ns

Illustratio

“BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED” I am conducting a little study to see how many times someone or something interrupts me as I write this. I’m currently sitting on the back porch as one of our four dogs stares up at me with a paw on my leg and the two guinea pigs squeak loudly behind my head. But I am gonna get started anyway. The old saying, “Bloom where you are planted” has been on my mind for months now, and I need to figure out, for myself, what this really means. AFTER I break up this dog fight really quick. I’m back. It’s been 15 minutes. My son had to tell me a knock-knock joke too, while annoyingly spinning around in a chair.

When assessing the word “bloom,” we usually think of a flower, right? The biggest, most beautiful, healthy, and fragrant flower comes to mind, placed in a picturesque setting of bright green grass and full sunlight. The tallest one in the… My other son is out here now, looking for a leash, wanting to know if I can hear the puppy whining from its potty training crate in the house. And, he just stepped on a sharp rock. It is 10:23 am. I'll be back. It’s now 11:10. The puppy was let out the cage and walked right past his puppy pad to pee on the carpet. Had to clean that, and put a Band-Aid of my son’s foot. Fed the guinea pigs too. The squeaking has subsided. Where was I? Blooming, right.

Surely everyone wonders at different times if that greater purpose is being filled in their life, even just questioning if they are simply heading in the right direction to achieve the goals and dreams they have set for themselves. At 39 years old, you know what my goals and dreams are? To answer this phone call, apparently… Hold on. It was my husband calling from work. Our A/C is broken and he had some questions about it. I also checked to see if the line was frozen. While doing that, our Chihuahua ran out the gate. Been chasing her for 20 minutes. She usually comes back home, but I read somewhere that neighbors can feel threated by those killer Chihuahuas and have even gotten permission to shoot them if they come in their yard. Not that I understand the first-hand anxiety that comes along with a neighbor like that, because, like I said, I only

read about it somewhere. But our kids just lost a dog this year, and a Grandpa, so I better not risk it. You know, JUST IN CASE there really IS someone like that in our neighborhood. Moving along... The dog is alive, the A/C frozen, and I have been responding to texts from two loved ones in very difficult situations. My daughter is “starving” from helping me chase the dog. And over an hour has passed, so I need to go make some lunch. Will think about what it means to bloom while I take care of this. Be right back. Fed and watered the kids. All I had was flour tortillas and American cheese, so cheese tortillas it was. I really need to get some lunch food. One of the kids whined, “I don’t like thiiiiiiiiis,” while another one snuck their food into the bedroom. It turned into an argument. Teenagers. Everything is an argument with them. While feeding the kids, I thought about that flower. It needs food

and water to bloom as well. And it isn’t ungrateful about it either. People need to be fed in the same way to blossom. Watered, so they can grow into their best selves. I am just wondering right now if it is too early in the day to water myself with a little wine because HOW IN THE WORLD can anyone EVER bloom with all this constant interruption AND how is it humanly possible to grow yourself when nothing ever seems to be about YOU?! To finish what I was saying earlier, at 39, do you know what my goals and dreams are? No worries. I don’t either. I am a seed (maybe with a leafy branch or two) planted right here in Slidell, Louisiana. It has been a very slow blooming process for me in the last, say, 10 years. But, I don’t water it nearly enough as I should. I don’t have time to. A lot of us don’t. There are too many people around us that we are feeding, or sometimes, emptying our own watering can for. We are Mothers, Daughters, Wives, friends, Aunts,

our kid’s friends’ adopted Mothers. We help complete strangers and pets on the side of the road. We tend to our kid’s friends Mother's Husband's half-sister’s daughter's pet that she got from a stranger’s Aunt, before we care for ourselves. And many, many, MANY of those times, we are not watered in return. Our garden dries up while we run to the needs of all the other ones. Even those gardens that never had any intention of giving nourishment to themselves to grow, because they rely on someone else to do it for them. That’s when you start the pruning. Cutting back the dead weeds that you have allowed to grow in your space. And I’m not just talking about people. It could be unhealthy habits, negative thoughts, or simply a choice to just settle for less. Pick your poison. While you do that, I need to run inside and help find the strange duo of a phone charger and vanilla 41

extract. The kids have been looking VERY hard for about 30 seconds. OK, back after two hours. Found them both very quickly, RIGHT where I said they were. But then I had a visitor. Let me go back and read what I wrote so I can know where I was going with this. Right, so, my Grandmother had a green thumb. She had many gardens, all very healthy. She was healthy too. I thought maybe since I inherited my love for painting from her, gardening might be something that would also bring a little enjoyment into my life. I had been talking about wanting to try this for about a year. My son, listening to me, even when I assumed he never does, got me some gardening items and seeds as a gift. It was sweet. I picked a spot in the back yard, ran some chicken wire, sectioned off little areas, spread the dirt, and carefully planted the seeds. The first two weeks, I remembered to check and water them, but as the weeks went on, I allowed my attention to be drawn elsewhere. My garden suffered for it. Nothing grew. Well, I take that back, I think something actually did. I will get to that later. For me to understand grief and hardships, I wrote about rocks, and nature’s quiet way of giving us the answers we long for when we are hurting. Now, it’s flowers, to understand our purpose and direction when we feel lost. As you can see, I am being pulled in many directions throughout my day, but none of them seem to be getting me anywhere, right? Wrong Leslie, WRONG! Damn, I knew she would say that. On a desolate back road in New Mexico, I picked some wild sagebrush while squatting in a field. I felt 42

there was a medicinal quality to it and wanted to gather some before we were no longer in the areas where it grew. Sure enough, when I read up on it, I learned there were MANY medicinal uses for it. Native Americans that use plants for healing tell us to be gentle with them. Respectful. Even to the point of thanking them before they are harvested. The Native Americans probably wouldn’t be happy that I peed on one; although, technically, I did water it. When harvesting a plant for its healing qualities, you are to carefully pick some of the healthier ends off, leaving a majority of the plant so it can continue to grow full again. Although that part of the plant is picked away, it doesn’t hurt its growth, in fact it does the opposite by growing even more abundant for the next harvest. It’s OK to do this because that is its purpose. To help heal. You are to never pull it from its roots though because there will be nothing left for anyone else. Makes sense. The same goes for people. We need to watch how we allow ourselves to be pruned. Gently, thankfully, respectfully, and only from those parts that you have fed and watered enough to be useful to someone else. Don’t let your branches be pulled off when they aren’t ready. It’s the healthy part of us that helps others, not the sparse, underdeveloped branch with stunted growth that may or may not have been peed on. The plant can’t stick up for itself, make good choices, or create healthy boundaries, but we can. If you see a plant that can do these things, my guess is that you are smoking the one next to it. Blooming isn’t as easy as we like to believe it is. It’s a very slow process at times, and most of our growth depends on how we care for

ourselves (taking into consideration the season we are in), and who we allow to affect our growth process. It is now 8pm. I was interrupted by my kids a lot more than I wrote about, but this is a loooong season I am in. And even though I get restless with a wanderlust, and impatient with what Leslie’s big purpose is in life, the heart of it is this… The healthy growth of my kids ARE my goals and dreams right now. Sometimes I may gently prune them when they start to grow in the wrong direction or just rip those fruitless disrespectful branches right off their butts, but we are in this garden together, and I need to get it right for myself if they are growing by example. My roots are their roots. Even though it may not look like much, or feel very progressive most days… it is where I am planted right now. Because it takes a lot of work to grow something that you are proud of. Hopefully it turns out better than my garden in our backyard. Speaking of which… That one thing that grew from this pitiful backyard garden I planted? These thoughts did. Producing deeper roots within myself that added one more leaf on this slow blooming flower.

S DS& N.

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