THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF SLIDELL
WE KEEP IT FRESH
SAY KEEP IT POSITIVE
Vol. 97 August 2018
White Linen & Lagniappe • Olde Towne
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Editor’s Letter
Kendra Maness
Editor/Publisher Slidell Magazine
Cover Artist victoria allen
HE WON! HE WON! HE WON! OK, let me catch my breath! I’m still reeling from the Press Club of New Orleans 60th Anniversary Gala & Award Ceremony, held on July 21 at the Jung Hotel in New Orleans, where John Case, “The Storyteller,” won FIRST PLACE for Best Column!! This is a REALLY big deal for John, his wife Brenda (the wind beneath his wings), and for John’s family, friends and co-workers who constantly encourage and help him. It’s a big deal for me, as his Editor and Publisher, and for Slidell Magazine, because we are so blessed to have John’s talents to enjoy every month. It’s also a really big deal for our community.
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Kendra Maness, Editor/Publisher Editor@slidellmag.com
Devin Reeson - Graphic Designer Graphics@slidellmag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS EFOP, Charlotte Lowry Collins The Storyteller, John Case Pet Points, Jeff Perret, DVM This Month in History, Dawn Rivera Cajun Faith-Based Assistance,Storm Series: Part 10 of 12, Donna Bush Crimmi-Mommly Insane, Leslie Gates Legal-Ease, Ronda M. Gabb Making Cents of Your Money, Mike Rich Go Beyond, Rose Marie Sand
Cover: Southern Charmer by Victoria Allen
I hear feedback just about every day from people in Slidell who can’t wait for the next installment of “The Storyteller.” As confident as I am about John’s talent, I foolishly thought that his stories may not be able to compete against the “big boys” in the New Orleans journalism market. The Press Club of New Orleans Awards are voted on by members representing 12 other Press Clubs across the country, including Florida Press Club, Houston Press Club, Idaho Press Club, Los Angeles Press Club, Milwaukee Press Club, and San Diego Press Club, to name a few. John was one of three finalists, which included a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. And, I’m willing to bet that there are more than a few Pulitzer winners within those dozen other Press Clubs. This award is validation, for me at least, that John Case is a phenomenal talent. And that talent is easy to recognize, no matter where you’re from, or what your writing background may be. I’m kicking myself that I waited this long to submit him for the contest. I guess he’ll just have to keep writing to keep winning. Yes, John?
Victoria Allen is an editorial illustrator and fine artist based out of Slidell. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BFA in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design in 2015. She has illustrated, designed and co self-published a children’s book: “A Turtle’s Tale.” Her work has been shown in Creative Quarterly #45, and she was a student winner in Applied Arts Magazine in 2015. Her illustrations have also been featured in A5 Magazine and Average Art Magazine. In the past year, she has created editorial illustrations and has illustrated for a monthly column with the local publication, Antigravity Magazine. She is now represented by a London based agency, Inky Illustration. She also teaches part time at Rembrandt Art Studio. This is Victoria’s second Slidell Magazine cover, and joins the Dec. 2017 cover as one of our most iconic yet! To v i e w m o r e o f Victoria’s art, visit: victoria-samantha.com
Congratulations my friend. I’m grateful you’ve chosen Slidell Magazine as your canvas.
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AUGUST 2018
Story by Charlotte Collins
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One thing that resonated during my visit with Anthony Alfred is that family is everything to this man. What was more impressive was the obvious fact that family had been the focus of his life ever since Anthony was a child. I think most of us can relate to that concept. But what I learned from him was that,
Anthony Alfred
if you stretch that concept to a broader sense of family, you can truly create a community of families. That is what this month’s EFOP spent his life creating, a sense of community relationships. Anthony’s father was Charles Wesley Alfred, who grew up in Slidell in “the Village” like his father before him.
Anthony described his dad who was born in 1905, “I was told he probably had the equivalent of a second or third grade education. They didn’t have a formal school then. Schools for African Americans were very scarce in the early 1900’s. Dad became a jack-of-all-trades in order to support his family. He worked
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at the shrimp factory where Highways 90 and 190 came together. He fished, gardened, collected scrap iron, and did all kind of jobs to help the family survive,” he said pragmatically. “My mom, Eva Brown Alfred, grew up in a rural parish, St. James, and was a Creole girl. Her parents were Tassin’s, of French heritage. Dad met her in New Orleans after her family moved there. After my parents married, they moved back to his family property in “the Village.” They had five children. My parents agreed that they wanted be sure their children had an opportunity to receive a college education once it became available. They were successful in sending the two boys. The girls chose to marry early,” he relayed.
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Born in New Orleans in 1935, Anthony was raised in the Slidell area from the age of two years old, when his parents moved back to “the Village,” what we now call Indian Village, three miles from town. He described the community, “In those days, three miles was a long way. Because we were insulated from the center of town, the families in the Village were very close-knit. There were eight or nine families, very large families though. Growing up as a boy back in the day, my community all knew each other well. Everybody got along, because we were all each other had." "A large motivating factor was our church, Hartzell Mt. Zion Church, which is Methodist. Our church truly connected the community together through a very formal religious training. At that time, all families went to church. We had a one-room school, Indian Village School, with only grades 1-3. But that environment was such a great influence for me as a child. We truly felt like that one-room schoolhouse was ours.” After the third grade, students moved to school in Slidell, at St. Tammany Parish Training School, which went from grades 1-12. It was the only school in the area at that time for African American children. This new experience was quite different, as Anthony recalled with a broad smile, “Now we rode on a big school bus, which was quite a shock to me at first. We were the only African Americans at that time that rode that bus. Mr. Welch picked us up early and dropped us at school before he picked up the Caucasian kids. And, we were the last to leave school in the evening, after the other students were returned home. Those were very different times, but we were happy to ride that bus in the 40’s. The principal was the legendary R.C. Brooks.” Anthony started there in 4th grade and graduated in 1954. He was given the nickname “Pete” at St. Tammany, as he explained with a laugh, “Because I shot basketball well, so it was a reference to Pistol Pete. One thing that helped motivate me to want to do something with my future was a particular teacher that embarrassed me by telling Victoria, ‘That li’l Alfred boy will never amount to anything. He won’t be able to take care of a pet rabbit,'” and he imitated her voice. Then he grew
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serious and said pointedly, “That was in seventh grade, and those cruel words stuck with me all my life. That teacher was protective of her girls in the class, and didn’t want me hanging around talking to my girlfriend. She saw my dad as a junk man, and back then they would castigate you for status. She saw me as a nobody. I got angry, and I guess Victoria did too, as she became my wife,” he said with a chuckle.
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He painted a picture of Slidell in the 40’s and 50's as an exciting time for a young kid with lots of room to explore and adventure about. “Slidell had a population of less than 2,000. It was kind of rural at that time. As kids, we had challenges, too; lots of chores and gardening. I remember well that I didn’t like gardening back then. I also remember that we didn’t have air conditioning. A ceiling fan was upscale!” he finished with a big grin. Anthony’s sense of family changed quickly, as he was married in 1954, during his senior year in high school. He married his childhood sweetheart, Victoria Brookter. As he told the story, “Our families knew each other, and were very involved and supportive throughout our lives. Both sets of parents felt strongly about education, in spite of their own lack of opportunity. I was accepted to Southern University in Baton Rouge. My wife was also very supportive of me, and she helped send me to school while she worked.”
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Relaxing more, he continued, “I was more highly motivated by the positive teachers. One that influenced me the most was a lady, Mrs. P.J. Eden. She was the English teacher, who happened to be a neighbor, and a cousin,” he added with a relish. “I made certain my grades kept me eligible for sports, because that was my focus at that stage in life as a young, active boy. School was fun because the teachers had the kids' interest at heart. They motivated us, praised and chastised us when we needed it. I remember them mostly as very caring and that they loved the kids. It was a really happy time at St. Tammany, even though it seemed like a big school after Indian Village School, and I have good memories of both schools.”
Anthony was very proud as he described, “Victoria stayed with her parents, worked, finished high school, and took care of the baby. Both of our parents helped with the baby, too. I had one chance, and was careful to take full advantage of the education. My wife was giving up a lot in order for me to advance. We both felt my education would give the whole family a better chance. We felt we wanted a big family, and later did have five wonderful children together.” It seemed that Anthony followed the family tradition, except he had three boys and two girls. So in 1954, Anthony went to Southern University, and majored in Social Studies Education with a minor in English. It seems that Mrs. P.J. Eden retained that influence on Anthony throughout the years. He was an Honor student from that point on, and graduated in 1958.
In 1960, he got his first teaching position at St. Tammany High School, teaching Social Studies and English. Anthony’s sense of community then became his extended family, and he embraced mentoring his students. This led him to also accept positions as the Assistant Football Coach, Head Basketball Coach, and Assistant Baseball Coach. Smiling to himself, Anthony admitted, “Principal Brooks saw that I had administrative abilities and recommended me for another position. After eight years as a teacher, I became the Assistant Principal.” In 1969, our school system was integrated, and St. Tammany became a Junior High School. Mr. Alfred was transferred to Slidell High School, under Principal L.V. McGinty, which was much larger yet. I recall being told that only a few African American teachers were hand selected for each school. He was one of those selected. In 1971, the Principal at Alton Junior High School left suddenly. The Superintendent for the St. Tammany Parish School Board (STPSB), C.J. Schoen, called Mr. Alfred. He had been recommended by Bill Folse for the Principal position. It was a match made for Anthony, and he remained in that position for 19 years. He portrayed the community, “Alton was very rural, like the Village. It was comprised of a close-knit community of families. St. Joe Brick provided a means of employment for the families. St. Joe and Alton communities were so close in proximity that you didn’t know when you left one and entered the other.” When I began teaching art for STPSB, Alton had become an Elementary School after Clearwood Junior High opened. It was absolutely one of my favorite schools. I vividly remember Mr. Alfred was a very tall, muscular man with a strong jaw. It felt intimidating for a five foot tall girl on her first job! Then, when he shook my hand and smiled, all I saw was his open heart, and he thanked me for bringing art to “his kids.” Each of my eleven schools had a distinct culture, and Alton was like one giant family with about 300 children. When I walked in, the children were laughing, happy, and couldn’t wait for the lesson to begin. I imagine this atmosphere must be similar to Indian Village in the 40’s where he grew up.
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The transition for Mr. Alfred was at first a challenge, because of integration, but from his experience, “It worked out well. One challenge was getting parents on the same page, especially for white families who were sent suddenly into a new situation. My job was to unite them to focus on the education of all children. We had no violence at all at Alton Jr. High,” he assured me. I have no doubt that one charismatic man had a major influence in uniting Alton’s families with a focus on everyone’s children quite successfully. He admitted that, “Race relations have improved from my childhood to today. Kids have more opportunity. Having gone through integration, I have seen a lot of changes. People have more respect for individuals as a person these days,” he noted.
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In 1989, Mr. Alfred became the Assistant Personnel Director for STPSB under Pete Jabbia. Mr. Alfred allowed, “It was a new position. I was selected out of several other applicants for whatever reason. I still visited the schools, since I was over the non-certificated personnel (bus drivers, aids, cafeteria, janitors, all but the teachers). I was also over retirement, insurance, and helped recruit teachers. It was somewhat of a cross-over position. I missed the kids and they were my first love, but I enjoyed the challenges that came with the new job. All together, I was in the system 35 years, the last six of which were at that last position. I commuted every day, and finally decided to retire at 60 years of age.” Growing pensive, he shared, “I’ll be 83 in a couple of months, so I’ve been retired for 23 years. Retirement is good. I have two main hobbies that keep me focused, vegetable gardening and fishing, both of which I do on a regular basis. I fish on the bayous off the Pearl River, where I grew up. I can leave home and
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be on the water in ten minutes or less. I love sacalait (French for sack of milk because the fish are so tasty when pan fried) or white perch and bass, those are my favorite fish. I do cook them, but mostly donate them for our men’s group, along with my older brother Charles, who is 85. We have a fish and grits breakfast.” “I stay close with my family. Charles and I fish together. I also have an older sister, Dora Jackson, who is 91. Next is Isabel Gaskins, who is 89. We lost our third sister, Eva Daniels at 74 years of age. I was the youngest of five. All of us are still in Slidell, with the exception of Isabel, who lives in Mobile. I just came back from the Brookter Family Reunion in Point Clear with Victoria’s family. She and I were married 52 and a half years.” Looking down, he confided, “My wife died tragically on June 2, 2006 in a car accident in front of the house. She was crossing Highway 190 East on a rainy night and, in a brief moment,
she was hit by three cars.” He shook his head and confirmed, “That was the low point of my life. We had 52 and a half years of marriage at that time and had five children.” He counted off on his large, strong hands, “Ray Anthony Alfred was the first born, and he was on the School Board for 24 years. Next is Cheryl Alfred Troullier, Michaelangelo Alfred, and Dwayne Alfred. Then came the baby, Tiffany Alfred Drake. Tiffany lives in Illinois, and all the others are here in Slidell. We lost Ray four years ago to an aneurism at 60 years old. Another low point.” And he grew silent for a moment. When I remarked on how many of his family have stayed rooted to the Slidell area, he smiled again. “Slidell is a great place to raise a family, and is just a great place to live. We enjoy good schools, restaurants, low crime, lots of outdoor activities, and mostly, lots of really good people. I have seen Slidell grow from a little sleepy town to what it is today. I experienced the growth in the 60’s when the space program came here.”
Anthony's mother, Eva Brown Alfred, and his father, Charles Wesley Alfred
Looking out the windows he motioned up and down the block, “I remember Mire’s Hardware, The Novelty Shop, and the Arcade Theatre where we used to see the Westerns every Saturday night. This restaurant (KY’s Bicycle Shop) was Corolla’s Grocery, famous for their meats. What you now call Olde Towne was the original heart of the city. I worked at the White Kitchen when I was 15, mostly at the Shortcut location, but also right over there,” and he pointed towards Front Street. I thought Mr. Alfred’s School Board employment was his whole story, but I now know better. He also served families in the parish as a member of the St. Tammany Parish
Anthony & Victoria Brookter were childhood sweethearts. Left: Senior Prom, St. Tammany Parish Training School. Right: Anthony & Victoria celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary with their children: Ray, Cheryl, Dwayne, Tiffany & Michael
Council and St. Tammany Parish Police Jury for 12 years, 3 terms. He detailed, “I represented District 14, which included part of Slidell and all the way to Indian Village. We saw plenty of fireworks, but I guess I had a lot of energy then, while I was Principal. I gave up politics when I went to the STPSB Central Office. We were able to help a lot of families and dealt with a lot of drainage, street and zoning problems. I liked the interaction, problem solving, and helping my constituents.” After retirement, he worked with Judge Lamz in Juvenile Drug Court. Mr. Alfred described the situation, “Judge Lamz started the court where kids could go through his program and have an opportunity to get their arrest record
Anthony (center, bottom) served as a member of the St. Tammany Parish Police Jury Parish Council from 1980-1992.
expunged. He called me out of the blue. I didn’t know him at the time, but he explained that I was recommended for my interaction with parents and kids. That was 11 years after I retired. The judge asked me to be the Compliance Officer, and check on each kid twice a week. They had a curfew, and I went unexpectedly at night to their home to be sure they were there. I also gave drug tests unannounced at night to verify that they were still clean. I counseled both the parents and the kid. It was a great program. It was very helpful for the ones that were experimenting with drugs, found out the experience wasn’t what they expected, and wound up in court. I did this for three years, and
This is one of Anthony Alfred's favorite pictures. He says this is "Victoria's last wave godbye."
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loved being back in touch with the kids. I enjoyed it, but had to slow down after foot surgery. I also enjoyed working with Judge Lamz and the court system,” Mr. Alfred concluded. Then he surprised me by opening another chapter of his life. “Now I am a Commissioner with the St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement Control. We serve in policy making and the process of trying to control all these mosquitoes. I began representing the 8th and 9th Wards, but now it’s parish wide. I was on that board previously, and had to come off to be Parish Councilman. I appointed a guy to replace me, Russell Crawford. When Russell became ill 28 years later, he asked me to come back and I agreed,” he nodded. Pointing a finger upward, he announced, “One more thing I enjoy is being the Lay Leader of Hartzell Mt. Zion Church. I have been an adult Sunday School teacher for 60 years. I spend a lot of time with my church, and I have also enjoyed teaching Bible study. My church is like another family for me, and always has been.” More than once, while we dined at KY’s, people stopped by to give their regards and share their past connection with Mr. Anthony Alfred. I met a former student from Slidell High School who is now 65 years old. Mr. Alfred spotted him first and remembered the student’s name as if it were yesterday. Another gentleman came up that was on the Zoning Commission
with Mr. Alfred (Emile Lombard). They all exchanged big smiles, ones that are reserved for special people in your life. I sensed a genuine, shared respect between them that was palpable. Mr. Alfred remarked, “He was a really good guy, and we have remained friends for a long time.” In closing, Mr. Alfred reminisced, “Now I just want to enjoy my kids, fourteen grand kids, and great grandkids. I go to their school activities, and take the boys fishing here and there. But I go early, at dawn, so mostly it’s just my brother and me. I still get together with Indian Village classmates, like the McMoain families.” There are only six or seven of us still surviving from our class. We get together and reminisce about the good old days." Then he concluded, “I thank God that he has allowed me to touch all the lives of so many boys and girls. Not only that, but I also thank God for allowing me to be in a position to help the people of Slidell and St. Tammany Parish. Now, in addition to my family, work, and gardening, I try to find a little time to rest. Fishing is my idea of rest,” he ended gleefully. We shook hands, and I left feeling a strong sense of nostalgia for his generation, who were my mentors. I am who I am largely because of the strong, insightful people I have known from what we now call “the Greatest Generation." Mr. Anthony Alfred certainly fits that description.
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St. Tammany Art Association Summer Show July 14 - Aug 18 • Columbia St., Covington
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The
Storyteller MAKING A LIVING Moonshining means making illegal whiskey. The stills were usually deep in the woods so the revenuers (Federal agents) could not find them. Bootlegging was the illegal sale of alcohol, whether the alcohol was illegally made or not. Both were a way of life in the south and were economic forces. We learned this early in our childhood, about the time we learned the Ten Commandments.
They grew up poor, but Robert seemed to always be at the right place, at the right time, with the right work ethic. William, on the other hand, was not as fortunate, and ethics were not in his personality. At nineteen years of age, Robert got a job at a local funeral home. Within ten years, he owned it. William worked odd jobs, but he was mostly interested in automobiles. If he had a talent, it was body and fender work. If he had the frame of an auto, he could almost completely build the body. Sometimes, however, this talent was misdirected.
Robert and William Eades were brothers. Being brothers is basically where their similarities ended. Robert was an achiever. William would be what you would call a “ne’er-do-well.”
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At some point in time, Robert decided to buy a new hearse for his mortuary business. William wanted the old one, and Robert practically gave it to him. There is not a lot of value in a used hearse. Before long, a new, modern paint job made the vehicle even more beautiful than it had been when it was new. William contemplated selling it to a family-owned funeral home in a smaller town as a backup. Then, he had an idea. William had no interest in moonshining. It was too much work. Bootlegging was much easier, and he had a plan. Alcohol, except for beer, was illegal in Mississippi. Moonshining was big business, but selling bonded whiskey was also profitable. Bonded whiskey meant the federal taxes had been paid, which satisfied the Federal agents. They were not interested in getting into the state’s business of enforcing the law against those who sold alcohol that was Federally legal. Rather than sell moonshine, an entrepreneur may go to Louisiana and buy bonded legal alcohol, transport it back to Mississippi, and resell it. The Federal taxes had been paid, so the only law he was breaking was state or county law.
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MURDER
Enforcing temperance morality was left up to the local sheriffs. Most of them could be coaxed into turning their head for a monthly stipend, up to the point that the moral majority (churches) put pressure on them. Then they would have to make an arrest.
AMONG
FRIENDS
As a rule, bootleggers did not mind an arrest by the sheriff. It was a fine they could easily afford, and they got free newspaper advertising, letting everyone know they were in business. William did not feel that way. He did not plan to get caught in the first place. The shiny hearse was used to go to the Louisiana state line, load the whiskey, and transport it back to one of several counties. The whiskey would be in pint or half-pint bottles, placed in a false floor that William had welded to the bottom of the hearse. Eventually, there was a rumor of what was going on, so additional security measures had to be taken. That is when William hired his nephew Bob, Robert’s son. Bob was more like William than he was like his father. He did not work much; but, when he did, he worked at the funeral home for his father. William made him the perfect offer. All Bob had to do was ride on the passenger side of the hearse and look sad. He would play the part of a grieving relative.
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If someone came near, especially law enforcement, he would start crying. He was even known to wail so loudly that people in passing cars could hear him. He had a jar of sliced onions to produce tears if needed, and a box of Kleenex. William and Bob would borrow a coffin from the funeral home and put it in the back, often filling it with booze. This allowed them to transport more contraband and made their trips more profitable They were stopped a couple of times, but when the officer saw the tears in Bob’s eyes, and the coffin, no questions were asked. This went on for some time. They were making big money.
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Eventually, a new sheriff was elected. He was a candidate of what would be called the "religious right" and vowed to close all alcohol sales, gambling and dancehalls. There was nothing illegal about dancing, but religious constituents considered it sinful, so he would close them down based on the loud music disturbing the peace. The election of the new sheriff was a religious victory. The largest church in the county boasted on live radio that it was the turning point of ridding sin from the community. The minister reminded the listeners that first comes alcohol, then comes dancing, then comes fornication, then comes divorce, and then we have fatherless, hungry children. William realized he had to be vigilant and proactive in hiding his activities. About three months after the election, he was tipped off that he would be stopped and searched by deputies. He gave the tipster $20 and thanked him. His biggest delivery to date was scheduled for Thursday. He and Bob had a plan. Miss Minnie Stanton had died about two weeks earlier. She was an old maid, and her only living relative was a niece that lived in Maine. The niece contacted the funeral home to make arrangements. She told Robert that it was unlikely she and her family could make the interment, but please give her two weeks, until that Friday, to attempt to make the trip. If she did not make it before Friday, the funeral home should go ahead and bury her. The niece would send the money. It was Thursday, and no one from Maine had arrived. Bob took a cheap coffin from the coffin room and attached a false bottom in it. In the floor of the hearse and in the bottom of the coffin, he placed pints of Ancient Age, Jack Daniel’s, Maker’s Mark, Beefeater Gin, and Johnny Walker Scotch.
18
BACK 2 SCHOOL DID YOU KNOW?
It was all good stuff, basically legal as far as the Feds were concerned, but would be a feather in the cap of the new sheriff if seized. After the whiskey was packed, Miss Stanton’s body was placed in the coffin. William had added additional springs to the hearse, as to not tip off anyone by the vehicle looking overweight. They left at 9am. By 9:30, they were almost to the Lawrence County line. That’s when the flashing red light appeared in the rear-view mirror. Basically, William detested all law enforcement; but when he saw Deputy Billy Joe step out of his car, he seethed with anger. Billy Joe had been married to William's sister and put a mortgage on property their father had given to her for a home. Billy Joe then divorced the sister. She could not pay the mortgage, so Billy Joe bought it at a Sheriff’s sale for pennies on the dollar. They had not spoken since. “William, your goose is finally cooked. We know what you’ve been doing with this ole hearse. You can’t fool us,” Billy Joe sneered. William did not answer.
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“Open up the rear end of this whiskey wagon and let me inspect it.” William did as he was asked. “How do I open the lid on this coffin?” William handed him a key. “Be careful, we been waiting two weeks on her family to bury her and she’s a little ripe.” “Yeah, smells like 90 proof I bet.” By this time, Billy Joe had wedged himself into the hearse in a tight spot between the side of the vehicle and the coffin. He weighed about 275 pounds and had to lay on his side to fit. He inserted the key, turned it, raised himself up on his arm, but still could not see inside the coffin. He reached inside the coffin, expecting to feel bottles of whiskey. Instead, he felt the dead flesh of a 97-year-old woman. He screamed and worked himself out of the hearse as if he were a gymnast, wiping his hand on his uniform. “Get the hell out of here, William! And you better not tell anyone I put my hand on a dead person.” William had the idea that this brush with the law was a little closer than he wished, so he decided
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not to continue the delivery, but to return to the funeral home and unload the whiskey and the body.
up on the family coming, and if they were not here by late afternoon, I was going to bury her.”
**********
Miss Stanton’s niece heard this. She thanked Bob for being so thoughtful and said there would be no reason to open the casket or remove it from the vehicle. The family would just accompany it to the grave site.
Robert was on a trip and management of the facility was left to his assistant, Troy, and to a lesser degree, Bob. On arrival, William and Bob noticed the staff was in a buzz. “Bob, we got problems,” Troy said. “Miss Stanton’s niece and her family just arrived from Maine, and they want to view the body. We can’t find it.” “No problem. You know the weather is supposed to be stormy tomorrow. The weather is always bad when we bury an old person. I put her in the hearse, the old one, because I thought it was more in keeping with her age and era. Since she had no family present, I wanted to give her a proper sendoff. I had given
In addition to the niece and her family, William, Bob and two funeral home employees would attend the burial. There was no need for the normal entourage of pall bearers. Miss Stanton didn’t weigh 80 pounds anyway. The grave was some distance from a suitable parking spot for the hearse. Bob and William supported one side of the coffin and the two attendants the other. As soon as they attempted to lift the casket, the attendants knew
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something was wrong. It was like laying to rest a four-hundred-pound body. They struggled, but finally made it to the mechanical device that was already in place. This appeared to be the end of William’s whiskey trade, but it was not to be. Two months later, the sheriff arranged a private meeting with William. They agreed on a business arrangement. Soon, some of the best liquor was being sold at some of the best dance halls with some of the best bands in the state. Every other January, the sheriffs wife got a nice, shiny, new car.
John S. Case August 2018
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21
MAKING
CENTS
By Mike Rich, CFP® Pontchartrain Investment Management
FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE CAN BE YOURS! The ladies you see here are my beautiful daughter, Betsy, and my cute granddaughters, Allison and Grace. A couple of days before I completed this article, we had returned from a 4th of July trip to the Chicago area to visit with family. Betsy took the picture you see here while we were in the city, having lunch with my sister and brother-in-law and visiting the interesting Museum of Science and Industry. As you can tell from the bright blue sky, it was a beautiful day on Chicago’s lakefront. My family has been spending the 4th of July holiday up north for many years, and we’ve built a lot of memories. The town in which my sister-in-law lives puts on a traditional Independence Day parade, and it passes right in front of her house. In addition to the fire trucks, farm tractors, bagpipers, and church groups, many of the local politicians walk in the
The freedoms we celebrated on Independence Day are for all Americans to share, and, as a financial advisor, I also believe that just about anyone can achieve financial independence, as well. For sure, some of us will have more money than others, but I think anyone who simply commits to working toward it can achieve a level of financial comfort that most people – mainly because they’d rather leave it to chance – will never enjoy. parade to press the flesh and campaign for their next election. One year, Mary and I shook hands with a candidate for one of Illinois’ senate seats. After we spoke with him briefly, Mary and I both remarked that he presented himself pretty well. I guess we were right, because just a few years later, that guy, Barack Obama, became the 44th President of the United States.
So, what should you do if you choose to work toward financial independence? Here are two simple ways:
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come from something other than a paycheck, so much of my work with clients focuses on how to replace that check. One of the things I love to do is show how compound interest works and what a powerful concept it is. Even if you choose to put your money in a savings account that earns a pittance, if you save regularly and keep it up long enough, you’ll accumulate something for the future. But, make no mistake: if you don’t save money on your own now, it’s a pretty safe bet that you won’t have any in the future. If you are serious about starting or re-starting your savings and investment plan, call me for a free consultation.
Goal Number 2
Don’t put all of your retirement money in your 401(k) or tax-deductible IRA. I can’t know for sure about future tax rates and whether they will be higher or
lower than they are now, but I do know that, under current federal law, any money coming out of a traditional IRA or a 401(k) plan will be taxed as ordinary income. The last thing I want for my clients is to have all of their retirement money taxed before they have a chance to spend it. When it comes to investing, tax diversification is just as important as asset allocation, but tax planning has to happen long before you are ready to start using your money. Call me for an appointment and I’ll get to work on a strategy for you. For the past couple of months, I’ve been reading a series of articles written by a well-known economist about the pension and benefits crisis that our federal, state, and local governments are facing. He claims that the potential reality is not pretty. Over many, many years, our elected officials have made promises to public sector workers, teachers, Social Security, Medicare,
and Medicaid recipients, and others that are, in this economist’s opinion, simply not possible to keep. He cites a Congressional Budget Office report1 that shows that by 2041, Social Security, health care, and interest expense on the national debt are expected to consume all federal tax revenue! If you are wondering where we’ll find money for other things, such as national defense, infrastructure, and running the rest of our government, well, that’s a topic for another article. Neither you nor I can do anything about government spending, the coming pension crisis, or how to fund Social Security benefits, but we can work toward our own financial independence. If you are ready to get started, call me. 1
The Long-Term Budget Outlook, Congressional Budget Office, June 2018
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The City of Slidell presents the 2018-2019 Cultural Season Calendar White Linen and Lagniappe
Saturday, Aug. 11, 2018 • 6-9 pm • Olde Towne Slidell • Free Admission An evening of shopping, dining, live music and lagniappe in Olde Towne. Presented by Slidell Antique Association, Olde Towne Association, Carey Street Coalition, Olde Towne Slidell Main Street and the City of Slidell.
9/11 Patriot Day Ceremony and Concert
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018 • 5-6:30 pm • Slidell Auditorium • Free Admission The City of Slidell remembers the first responders and military heroes. Followed by a concert with the Northshore Community Orchestra.
Bayou Jam Fall 2018 Concert Series
Sundays • Heritage Park • Free Admission September 23, 5-7 pm - Christian Serpas & Ghost Town October 14, 5-7 pm - Northshore Community Orchestra October 28, 4-6 pm - Halloween Bash with Vince Vance and the Valiants
Christmas Under the Stars
Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 7, 8, 2018 • 6-9 pm • Griffith Park • Free Admission This magical holiday celebration features thousands of twinkling lights, festive decorations, visits with Santa, and a life-size Christmas Village.
Vince Vance
Christmas in Olde Towne
Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 • 6-9 pm • Olde Towne Slidell • Free Admission
Slidell Movie Nights at “Slidell’s Bayou Christmas”
Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 • 7 pm • Heritage Park • Free Admission • No ice coolers
Holiday Concert with the Northshore Community Orchestra Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 • 7 pm • Slidell Auditorium • Free Admission
Bayou Jam Spring 2019 Concert Series
Sundays, 5-7 pm • Heritage Park • Free Admission March 17 - Witness • March 31 - Redline • April 14 - Sgt. Peppers
Arts Evening Cultural Festival
Saturday, April 6, 2019 • 5-9 pm • Olde Towne • Free Admission Come enjoy an evening celebrating art, live music, fine and casual dining and antique, boutique and unique shopping in Olde Towne Slidell.
Some Enchanted Evening with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Sunday, May 5, 2019 • 6-7:30 pm • Heritage Park • Free Admission Join us for our annual twilight concert in Heritage Park. In the event of rain, the concert will move to the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.
Slidell Movie Nights Summer 2018
June 1, 15 & July 13, 27, 2019 • 8:30 pm • Heritage Park • Free Admission Grab your lawn chairs and gather your family and friends and enjoy familyfriendly movies under the stars.
Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall Exhibits
Located at 2055 Second Street in Olde Towne Slidell. Free admission. Gallery hours: Wednesdays & Fridays, 12-4 pm. Thursdays, 12-6 pm.
Slidell Art League's 2018 Artist of the Year Exhibition
July 27 - Sept. 7, 2018 • Opening Reception: Sat., July 27, 7-9 pm Featuring SAL's Artists of the Year 2018 - John Paul Duet Open 6-9 pm on Saturday, Aug. 11, during White Linen & Lagniappe.
Mixed Media 2018 Juried Exhibition
Sept. 21 - Oct. 27, 2018 • Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 21, 7-9 pm This eclectic exhibit features artwork created using two or more media.
Slidell Magazine Centennial Celebration: 100 Covers
Nov. 9 - Dec. 21, 2018 • Opening Reception: Friday, Nov. 9, 7-9 pm Celebrate 100 covers of Slidell Magazine with works by regional artists.
Salad Days 2019 Juried Exhibition of Student Art
Feb. 8 - March 23, 2019 • Opening Reception: Friday, Feb. 8, 6-8 pm A juried exhibition featuring the works of St. Tammany student artists.
From the Vaults of the New Orleans Museum of Art
April 6 - May 25, 2019 • Opening Reception: Saturday, April 6, 5-9 pm Another exquisite exhibit from the vaults of the New Orleans Museum of Art. Exhibit opens 5-9 pm on Saturday, April 6, during Arts Evening.
Slidell Photo Club Exhibition
June 7 - 28, 2019 • Opening Reception: Friday, June 7, 7- 9 pm Featuring photographs from memebers of the Slidell Photo Club.
Olde Towne Arts Center Summer Exhibit
July 12 - Aug. 16, 2019 • Opening Reception: Friday, July 12, 7- 9 pm
"In Coming" by John Paul Duet
Sponsorships for the upcoming 2018-2019 Cultural Season are now available. For more information please call Alex Carollo, Director of Cultural & Public Affairs, at (985) 646-4375.
Thank you to our 2017-2018 Cultural Season Sponsors for another amazing year of events! Renaissance, $5,000: Baroque, $2,500 Sponsors: CLECO Power, LLC • Jazz on the Bayou/Ronnie Kole Foundation The Slidell Independent Neoclassical, $1,000 Sponsors: Councilman Bill & Laura Borchert • Lori Gomez Art Holiday Inn & Suites, Slidell • Lowry-Dunham, Case & Vivien • Purple Armadillo Again
Impressionism, $500 Sponsors: Dr. Nathan Brown, Northlake Oral & Facial Surgery • Chateau Bleu • CiCi’s Pizza Mayor Greg Cromer • Flatliners Entertainment • Old School Eats Food Truck • Olde Towne Slidell Main Street Olde Towne Slidell Print Shop • Pontchartrain Investment Management • Roberta’s Cleaners • Sabrina’s Sweet Eats Silver Slipper Casino • Slidell Historical Antique Association • Terry Lynn’s Cafe & Creative Catering
(985) 646-4375
MySlidell.com
GO BEYOND
Birthdays It’s my birthday month! Do you celebrate on just one day? You do know you can take the whole month (or whatever time line you choose) to celebrate your birth, don’t you? I’ve always thought in terms of more than one day’s celebration. After all, when you were born your family probably rejoiced for days afterward. So why not rejoice your birth and life! At this moment in my life, I have one of those milestone birthdays coming up that get you thinking about past birthdays and past experiences. And kinda thinking of birthdays to come; if I’m as lucky in the future as I’ve been in the past. And I plan to be.
Happy Birthday Cards I love receiving birthday cards, and it was always my tradition to set up the ones I received for my birthday on a counter, and leave them on display till my husband’s birthday in September. Then I’d leave his out till my son’s birthday in October. That said, I’m awful at remembering to send cards to others.
By Rose Marie Sand
26
I used to pay my sister, who owned a religious store in Chalmette, to send out cards for me. I’d pick them out in the beginning of the year, give her the dates and addresses, and she’d slip them in the mail at the appropriate time. If anyone wants to volunteer for the job again, I’m a paying customer. There’s a bunch of women I know who call ourselves the Birthday Babes, and we get together for a dinner once a month to celebrate whoever ’s birthday falls in that month. Or we celebrate even if no one’s birthday is in that month.
We tend to outdo one another with the birthday cards, the only gifts allowed with this group. We pass the cards around every time the celebrant opens one, and laugh ourselves silly like a bunch of kids. Occasionally, there’s a sweet natured one, but our cards tend to lean towards bawdy jokes and aging jabs. Fun Babes we are.
Milestones & Celebrations Perhaps my most memorable birthday celebration was one I gave myself when I turned forty. You see, up until that year I was afraid of swimming in water over my head. I couldn’t swim worth a lick, although many patient people tried to teach me. I had a scary experience as a child, swimming in Lake Pontchartrain. My dad was of the mind that one just gets thrown into the water and they figure out how to swim. It didn’t work for me. My sister and I took lessons at Splash Pool in Chalmette, but we never got out of the baby pool. One year, although I should have known better, I got myself into the deep water in the Lake. I had a friend with me, and I almost drowned her when she tried to get me to safer water. The panic I felt that day stayed with me all my life. So, when I was getting close to the big 4-0, I decided it was now or never. I found a lady who gave swimming lessons to kids and she agreed to take her lunch hour with me in her pool. No pressure, no expectations, just to see how it felt to be in the deep end and not cling onto the sides. So, I planned a vacation to Florida, with the intent of actually jumping into a pool on my birthday. And I did. It wasn’t a dive, mind you, but I jumped in and the panic was gone. I was so proud of myself! The girl in the baby pool graduated that day.
Vacations
1949
As you can tell, I love birthday parties as well as anyone, whether I throw them for myself or have friends invite me out. When I turned 60, I must have had that many people crammed into my small condo. Friends who are excellent musicians played and everyone wrote birthday messages on a wall in my home. At 65, I celebrated at my brother’s night club, again with music and lots of friends.
That was the year of baby boomers, cheap gas, and 45 rpm records. Truman was president and promised Americans a “Fair Deal.” Silly putty was sold in dollar eggs, and the Academy Awards held their first gala. The Cold War was heating up, and NATO was established.
But, somehow, I got it in my head that if you spend your birthday on vacation, and there’s no one there who knows it’s your birthday, you don’t have to count yourself another year older. It never worked when I’d renew my license, but then again, it’s just a number.
Presents When I was a kid, since my birthday came right before school resumed, I mostly got school clothes for gifts. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love clothes shopping as well as anyone, but I figured I was gonna get school clothes anyway. I felt as cheated as someone whose birthday is in December and their presents are wrapped in Christmas paper. But years later, I had birthdays that more than made up for that. I remember my “Sweet 16" presents as being very special. That was also my “golden birthday” as I was born on the sixteenth. My family celebrated golden birthdays big time, so I got both a birthstone ring and a transistor radio. I still have the ring but not the radio. The most special gifts I remember, though, and the ones my children and my husband gave me. Handmade cards from a little boy and girl, and a ring that spelled “love” from my husband. I still have that ring, too. I plucked both rings out of Katrina’s waters, and I will hold them to my heart forever.
But a red-haired baby girl born at Hotel Dieu in New Orleans in 1949 knew nothing of that. She knew her big sister and her Mom and Dad loved her. She learned that the smell of meatballs and red gravy meant it was Sunday and family was coming to visit. She’d grow to live in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans and then spend much of her life in Chalmette. Slidell became her new home in 2006 and, although she is made of those memories, she has a bright future no mater where she goes. We carry home in our hearts, and nothing can change that.
2018 and Beyond This year I’m going to celebrate at Biltmore Mansion in North Carolina with some good friends. We’re going to a Lyle Lovett concert and staying at a B&B. There’s a Chilhuly glass exhibit that month - how nice of them to throw me a party! Even though I’ll be out of town for my birthday, I want this number and this year to count. I may turn the whole year into a celebration. In case you’re wondering, I’ll turn 69 this year, which means I’m into my 70th year on the planet. I’ve welcomed new people into my life, and said goodbye to many. I’m happy in my life these days, and have learned that an attitude of “I get to” rather than “I have to” will take you farther than you’ve ever dreamed possible. And I get to write to you in this marvelous magazine, and wish you the happiest of birthdays all the rest of your days. It's a good life indeed. 27
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“Your Estate Matters” By Ronda M. Gabb, NP, JD, RFC
PROPERTY CHARACTER One of the most important things an estate planning attorney must do is determine the character of a client’s property. This is true whether it is an initial consultation to establish an estate plan, or a succession consultation for a deceased person’s estate. We must know which assets are community property and which are separate property. Under the community property matrimonial regime (legally called the community of acquets and gains), all assets acquired during the marriage are presumed to be community property. This means that each spouse owns an undivided one-half interest in the community property. If it was acquired during the marriage with community funds, it is community property and belongs to both spouses equally. This is true even if only one spouse’s name appears on the title, business, deed, or account.
Legal-ease Now you can see why it is not always easy to determine the character of property! It is imperative that your attorney dig deep into the property character while doing the estate planning during life so that property disposition is handled as you wish upon your death.
Fall 2018 Notary Prep Course Is Here! Attorney Ronda M. Gabb will help you prepare for the Louisiana Notarial Exam and obtain a Statewide Notary Public commission for life!
COURSE TOPICS INCLUDE: Duties of a Notary Public • Contracts • Juridical Acts • Real Estate Mortgages, Suretyship • Partnerships, Corporations, LLCs Donation and Sale of Movables and Immovables • Matrimonial Regimes Testaments (Wills) & Successions • Miscellaneous Acts
You may choose to “opt out” of the community property regime. You can do this without Court approval only if it is done just prior to the marriage, or within one year of moving into Louisiana as a married couple. While other states call these “prenuptial” agreements, in Louisiana we call them “Marriage Contracts”. If you wish to terminate the community regime after marriage it must go through the Court and be approved by a Judge.
TUESDAY EVENINGS: August 14 - November 27, 6:30 to 9pm
If you are married, your separate property would include assets you owned prior to marriage, or assets you received by gift or inheritance during the marriage, assuming the separate funds were not “commingled” and were kept separate from community accounts.
40 Louis Prima Drive (Orchard Office Park), Covington, LA
Under the community property regime, ALL income, including income from either spouse’s separate property (which includes inherited property), is presumed to be community property. Many people are very surprised to learn this. The good news (if you thought this was bad news) is there is a pretty easy solution. An “Article 2339 Declaration” can be signed (ideally by both parties) and recorded in the conveyance records of the Parish of domicile and in every other Parish where real estate is owned. The recordation is “notice to all” that from the filing date forward, all income from the separate property is now separate property and no longer belongs to the community. The “Article 2339 Declaration” does not terminate the community regime, it only affects income from separate property. As I mentioned, terminating the community regime post-marriage is quite a bit more difficult and costly, but in some cases may be a wise choice (e.g. if large medical debts of one spouse are expected in the future).
THURSDAY EVENING REVIEW: November 29, 6-9pm EXAM: December 2018 *Exam date has not yet been announced by the Secretary of State, so the review class date may change. LOCATION: TUITION: $695 VISA/MASTERCARD/DISCOVER accepted. For Credit Card Payments, add $25
STUDENTS MUST PURCHASE: 2018 Official Study Guide, Fundamentals of Louisiana Notarial Law and Practice on Louisiana Secretary of State’s website
Call 985-892-0942
or email reception@rondamgabb.com for the registration information.
Registration is limited to 15 Students!
40 Louis Prima Drive, Covington, LA (off Hwy 190, near Copeland’s) 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
MARY The government we expect doesn’t begin in the halls of the state Capitol. It begins here at home, in the neighborhoods of Slidell and Pearl River.
She knows how government works and, more importantly, she knows that government isn’t about politics.
For more than 35 years, Mary DuBuisson has been a fixture in our community, often working behind the scenes to make our neighborhoods, our economy and our culture better. With her husband, Eric, Mary ran Slidell Cleaners – a family business that was a thriving small business in Olde Towne Slidell. They raised two children and are now proud grandparents. They still made time to give back.
It’s about people.
A graduate of Leadership Slidell, Mary was one of the founders of the Slidell Farmers Market. A longtime supporter of the cultural economy, she owned an art gallery and volunteered at local theaters. And for eight years, she has been intimately involved in the activities of state government as Legislative Assistant to Greg Cromer.
985–640–8291 •
The next representative we elect shouldn’t need a title or power. She should be a community leader whose focus is clear: We, the people, and the community we call home.
MaryDuBuisson.com
VoteMaryDuBuisson • MaryDCampaign@gmail.com 153 Moonraker Dr. • Slidell, LA 70458 Paid for by the Mary DuBuisson Campaign
THE EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT CENTER IS READY! By Reverend W. C. Paysse Pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes Church Dear Friends, I am sure many of our readers remember when school didn’t begin until after Labor Day. In my memory, most schools didn’t have air conditioning or fans in the classroom. I recall how often the pencil in my hand would slip from my grip due to the perspiration. I guess this all seems odd to some persons, and maybe some of us can identify with it. But regardless, we all know the importance of school because we were reminded of it by our teachers, parents and guardians. When we are in school as children, most of us do not think much about the future until we get to high school. Then we start to learn and discover our Godgiven talents and gifts. Our interests and academics begin to flower and become more focused and evident to us and others. We are maturing and becoming young ladies and gentlemen. We are the next generation of moms, dads, civic leaders, religious leaders, teachers, plumbers, carpenters, lawyers, doctors and professionals, to name a few. All of this is due to our exposure to education. The disciplined cadence of reading, writing, listening, observing and the intellect, along with the opportunities afforded us and expressing ourselves as persons, assist in our human formation as citizens
and contributors to our community here in Slidell and beyond. Former Archbishop of New Orleans, Philip M. Hannan, often reminded us that we are unrepeatable. There is not another person, or ever will be another person, like “me.” We are unique, gifted, loved and present in the world to make a difference, a positive impact on all with whom we come into contact daily. Yes, all this because of education, family love and opportunities. Today, schools commence in early August, including Our Lady of Lourdes Parish School. With academic year 2018-2019, we turn the page of history at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School. We want everyone to know that we are opening an Early Childhood and Development Center. Please share the news with family, friends and all in Slidell! It is not too late to register. The facility will be open year round to accommodate our families and parents. The Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) welcomes children beginning at six weeks old. It is a blessing for all our citizens living in East Slidell and throughout St. Tammany civil parish. Particularly, it is convenient for parents who cross the lake and work on the south shore because we are located off of Pontchartrain Blvd. and Westchester. All are welcome!
AUGUST EVENTS SCHOOL
08/13 08/14 08/15 08/16 08/17 08/18 08/20 08/22 08/23 08/29
Check in day – School photos, in uniform School begins for 1st-7th grades School begins for Kindergarten School begins for PK-4, girls School begins for PK-4, boys Welcome Back Luau – Joint PTC/Men’s Club Event 6:30pm School begins for Early Childhood Students “Back to school Knight” PK4-2nd grade parents “Back to school Knight” 3rd-7th grade parents PTC meeting 7pm/Room Mom meeting 6:30pm
CHURCH
We have a license to accommodate over ninety children. Already we have approximately thirty registrations or more, including four unborn children waiting to arrive in our child-friendly and secure facility. We encourage you to contact us for a tour of the ECDC. We will focus on basic Christian formation (child appropriate) and intellect development, including interpersonal and human skills. Education is more than reading a book, learning how to write or adding one plus one. It is like a magic carpet that takes us to unforeseen and adventuresome experiences beyond our imagination. Allow Our Lady of Lourdes Early Childhood and Development Center to assist you and to accompany you as a parent in establishing a solid foundation for your child. Today is a stepping stone to a brighter future because of the gift of an education. Don’t sweat it, and don’t let the opportunity slip through your fingers. We look forward to serving you! God bless. For more information contact Mr. Roy Delaney, principal of Our Lady of Lourdes, 985-643-3230. Blessings on another school year,
Very Reverend W.C. Paysse, V.F. Pastor
08/14 Feast of the Assumption of Mary Confessions: 5-6:15pm Vigil Mass: 6:30pm 08/15 Mass: 8:30am Confession: 5-6:15pm Mass: 6:30pm 08/27 Conformation practice: 7-8:30pm 08/29 Conformation Mass Bishop Cheri Conferring Prelate at 7pm in Church
FAITH BASED ASSISTANCE - STORY & PHOTOS BY DONNA BUSH
Editor's Note: This month, we continue our 12-part series covering the amazing work being done by Louisiana heroes in the aftermath of the 2017 hurricanes and natural disasters. Slidell Magazine's award-winning writer and photographer, Donna Bush, has spent months travelling with multiple Louisiana-based organizations and volunteers, documenting their missions in the affected areas and those whose lives they've impacted. We share an unfortunate kinship with these survivors. We know all too well that disaster recovery is a slow and painful process. We are proud to showcase the volunteer efforts of our fellow Louisianians.
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I’ve shared with you Hurricane Harvey relief efforts by several Cajun organizations, but they are not the only ones who pitch in and help every time disaster strikes. This story chronicles efforts by just two organizations in our community. I’m sure it doesn’t touch the tip of the iceberg of the many efforts offered! I reached out to Jay Victory, Executive Pastor of Northshore Church in Slidell. They are frequently involved in disaster relief efforts. After Katrina, two main churches in Texas sent relief to Slidell week after week, for months. Naturally, church members wanted to repay Texas when disastrous flooding struck the state. They were housed at Calvary Baptist Church in Beaumont Texas. Southern Baptist sent in their kitchen unit, shower unit and clothes washing unit, allowing volunteers to shower, eat and have their clothes washed while they were mucking and gutting houses. Jay explained that each association (theirs being Northshore Baptist Association) within the Southern Baptist Organization have their own units to share during such disasters.
Since Calvary Baptist Church did not flood, they were able to coordinate relief efforts and serve as a housing unit. However, many of their parishioners were affected, consequently their focus was on three neighborhoods, covering approximately 500 houses. Each morning the volunteers would receive an assignment – typically mucking, moving furniture and flooring to the street, and gutting sheetrock. The mission of the Church changed with a disaster of this magnitude. Parishioners were not focused on attending Sunday services when their homes were unlivable due to flooding. Therefore, all the Church’s staff and volunteers shifted priorities to assist those in need. Northshore Church sent assistance to Beaumont twice, consisting of 12-15 people through their men’s small group association. But they weren’t the only ones. Hundreds and hundreds of volunteers were there to help. Sister churches on the Northshore from Covington and surrounding areas sent support, including another feeding unit. Just like Operation BBQ which took place during the Denham Springs flooding of 2016 when one of the Covington
A CONTINUING COVERAGE SERIES FROM DONNA BUSH PART 10 OF 12 churches cooked for all the flood victims and the volunteers. They provided not just sympathy (I’m sorry for what’s happened to you), but also empathy (I don’t know exactly how you feel, but I’ve experienced similar loss). Because of Katrina, the Church volunteers came experienced in mucking, gutting and remediating mold. Along with this experience, they were also able to share knowledge on what to expect when dealing with FEMA and insurance companies. St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Slidell opened their arms to evacuees fleeing the Hurricanes of 2017. Father Pat Wattigny broadcast a request to ministry leaders and parishioners on Saturday, September 9th for toiletries, $5 food gift cards, drinks, food and volunteers to serve dinners. Less than 24 hours later, two classrooms were filled with anything and everything the evacuees could possibly need. With 100 evacuees coming for meals and basic supplies, the Church had enlisted more than that number of volunteers to assist with cooking and serving meals, plus handing out toiletry bags packaged by CCD students (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine). Meals were cooked by Knights of Columbus and St. Luke’s Men’s Club, while the Ladies Club made desserts and helped serve the food. Their Multicultural Committee provided greeters and friendly faces to
listen, offer encouragement and even share a shoulder to cry on. The parishioners provided such an outpouring of toiletries that St. Luke’s has been sharing the excess with the needy in the community for almost a year! Jeannie Callaway, Media Coordinator, shared a heartwarming story of people paying it forward, “Perhaps the story that stands out most in my mind was a very young family who arrived two hours early. Their old car was in distress – no A/C and rattled terribly. I went out to meet the Dad when he stepped out of the car and I offered him some cold water and a chance to come inside. Turns out, he wasn’t there to get help. He was there to give help. He opened the back of his Explorer to reveal cases of water bottles, Gatorade, and sodas. He reached into his pocket and handed me $50. I was dumbfounded and couldn’t say anything, so I just hugged him. When I said, ‘We can’t thank you enough for this. It means so much,’ he and his young wife looked at me and said, ‘It’s not enough. When Katrina happened, people from Florida looked after our family. We just couldn’t let the chance to pay it back go by.’ I said, ‘Will you at least let me get your name, so we can write you a thank you note?’ He smiled this huge, exhausted grin. ‘We don’t need it. It’s just awesome we got to help.’ They didn’t even have time to have dinner with us – because they were driving back home beyond Covington with their sweet little baby in the back. Our parish life is like that. A lot of our volunteers are often full of a generosity they need themselves.”
Good Samaritans (Good Sams) is an apostolic ministry between St. Luke and St. Margaret Mary Catholic Churches, “providing immediate financial assistance to those experiencing dire circumstances while connecting them to case management agencies that can provide longer-term assistance.” They have a reserve fund specifically for hurricane aid, established during Katrina. Evacuees that came for a meal also left with a box of groceries and a gas card to get them home. Some came in with dire needs, such as a broken vehicle or lack of critical medication. Good Sams assisted with these needs as well. If an evacuee felt that their home was in danger of flooding, they were given FEMA’s number and guidance on how to access FEMA for their initial report. Assistance such as computer access to file claims was provided. Without a doubt, the faith-based organizations in our community provided assistance, whether it was in the form of mucking and gutting houses, a generous meal while evacuated from home, groceries, toiletries, help with car repairs or medications or just a shoulder to cry on and a hug. Once again, I am overwhelmed and amazed at the love and support those in our community have graciously offered asking nothing in return. Indeed, we are fortunate to call Slidell home.
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THIS MONTH AUGUST August in Louisiana is so incredibly hot, so I hope you are reading this in the AC while perhaps you are enjoying National Watermelon Day (8/3) or mourning the passing of The King, Elvis Presley (8/16/77). August is often referred to as the "dog days of summer," but not because of pet pooches. It has to do with the star Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, which rose at the same time as sunrise during the month of August in ancient Roman times.
ZODIAC SIGNS LEO July 23 - August 22
Strengths: Creative, passionate, generous, warm-hearted, cheerful, humorous Weaknesses: Arrogant, stubborn, selfcentered, lazy, inflexible
VIRGO August 23 - September 23 Strengths: Loyal, analytical, kind, hardworking, practical Weaknesses: Shyness, worry, overly critical of self and others, all work and no play
BIRTHSTONES August has two birthstones: Peridot and Sardonyx. Peridot is among the oldest known gemstones and is green in color. Sardonyx, which is lesser-known, is a white and brown banded gemstone that was once believed to have mystical powers.
FLOWER
HOLIDAYS
August's birth flower is the gladiolus, or poppy. This flower symbolizes beauty, strength of character, love, marriage, and family.
American Adventures Month (celebrating vacationing in the Americas) Children's Eye Health and Safety Month Get Ready for Kindergarten Month Happiness Happens Month What Will Be Your Legacy Month August 29, 2005 – Hurricane Katrina took 1,836 lives, primarily from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238).
IN HISTORY LOCAL HISTORY 1854
On August 8, the New Orleans to Jackson, Great Northern Railroad opens for business and trade from Madisonville to Covington dries up. John Gusman is granted the lands that become Slidell. (http://slidell.danellis.net/time_table.htm)
1727
Ursuline nuns arrive in New Orleans and begin a school for girls on August 6.
1769
Alejandro O'Reilly arrives in New Orleans to take possession of Louisiana for Spain on August 17.
1915
On August 29, the Great Storm of 1915, a hurricane packing maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, hits New Orleans. It was the most powerful and most devastating the city had ever seen -- to that point, anyway.
SLIDELL EVENTS 08-04 Coastal Cruisers Open Cruise Night
Story by Dawn Rivera Graphics by Devin Reeson
WOMEN IN HISTORY What you may not know is that August seems to be the month that movers, shakers and bad ass women are born, including myself! And since there are no big holidays (sorry National Clown Day or Wiggle Your Toes Day), here are my fellow awesome women in history:
08-30-1797 Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, is born. 08-01-1818 Maria Mitchell, America's first female
professional astronomer and the discoverer of Miss Mitchell's Comet, is born.
08-13-1818 Lucy Stone is born and dedicated her
life to the abolition of slavery and aided in the founding of the American Suffrage Association.
08-12-1859 Katharine Lee Bates is born. She was the author of "America the Beautiful" whose poem "Goody Santa Claus" brought Mrs. Clause into popular lore.
08-13-1860 Wild West performer Annie Oakley is born. She joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show in 1885 and was one of the star attractions for 17 years.
08-03-1905 Maggie Kuhn, founder of the Grey
Panthers, is born. She created an organization to fight age discrimination and succeeded in banning mandatory retirement in most professions.
08-06 United Way East St. Tammany Red
08-06-1911 Lucille Ball, television's first female mega-
08-09 School Starts
08-03-1941 Martha Stewart, one of America's first
Beans & Rice Cook-Off
08-11 Red Dress Run
star, is born.
female self-made billionaires, is born.
08-08-1942 Roberta Cooper Ramo is born and
becomes the first woman to hold the office of president of the American Bar Association.
08-10-1943 Ronnie Spector, rock and roll singer in the band The Ronettes, known for their hit, “Be My Baby,” is born.
Crimi-Mommly INSANE ie Gates
Lesl Story by
"THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED" I think I will try something new before I write.
set sail to yet ANOTHER new land.
A little imagery to get my creative juices flowing. Some mindfulness exercises, if you will, to ground myself in the hopes of finding the message I want to convey... the inspiration inside of me that is screaming to come out! And, I think I will sayith thou words as if thou art in Kings James version. Because in thou mind, thou art floating in a vintage sailboat. Amongst me, a furry creature hath comith, and, what appearith to be, a scaly lizard.
Hark! The imagery is working! But, I shall stop now, because my family will be back from their car ride soon, and an aircraft just flew above my head. Neither of which were a mode of transportation back in those times.
I am sipping on some wine, squeezed from only the finest grapes, and gifted-ith by-ith the King. Ith. OK, sorry, I'll stop. This old sailboat, although very small, can sleep three people comfortably. Yet, it's just me, in complete solitude, resting in a place I have never been. About to 38
Such. Peace.
The truth is, I really AM sitting on a vintage sailboat, but, it is docked, undrivable, and was booked on the Airbnb website. I'm chillin with my dog, bearded dragon, and a bottle of wine that my husband, the King, picked up at the local grocery store here in Norfolk, VA. It is 70 degrees and sunny, with just enough wind to hear the "dings" and "clanks" from the other docked sailboats around me. Brian travels with his job every couple of months; we also take a vacation every summer.
So, with the advice and help of my adventurous friend Meagan, and Airbnb, we decided to combine the two and try something new this time around - meaning, not the over-priced, touristy places we normally save up for. Brian, who is very set in his ways, did NOT like the sound of any of it. Just wanting that perfect cabin in the mountains with nearby resturaunts and easy entertainment, he was resistant, as you could understand; but, I was wanting less for our family. Less, meaning, more. Not that he doesn't want the best for us, too. It's just that his idea, at least, includes basic electricity and plumbing. His three day work trip in Norfolk has become our "destination." The road trip...the journey there and back, our 2 week vacation. First stop, a small camper trailer in South Carolina.
According to the photos, it was secluded. This being our very first Airbnb stop ever, we learned Lesson Number One: Photos aren't always what they seem. We were sharing space in a neighborhood of MANY camper trailers, packed in close together. Pulling in, Brian shot me his first look of disapproval. But, we still had the lake! The one in the photos that showed a beautiful path to it, right behind our camper! Double timing it to the tree line to redeem myself from moving my family into a camper community for 2 nights, I tripped on a log. In fact,
I think we all did. It's kinda hard to walk to a lake during a drought period without first realizing you are actually walking THROUGH the lake, and everything (trash included) that is left behind when the water dissapears. This includes another camper community of... MOSQUITOES. Lesson Number Two: Things could be worse. Lesson Number Three: And, sometimes they are. The camper had a bathroom, meaning, a toilet and shower. The toilet had a foot pedal for flushing,
and the foot pedal literally opened the portal to HELL! That is, if hell is the size of a small camper with little ventilation, and smells like all the turds from those before you. Lesson Number Four: Thou shalt make it to Heaven if ye knows what's best for ya'll. Seriously folks. Now that my King James turned all country, let's mosey on over to the shower. I was happy it had one and all... hot water, cold water, warm water... all the different temperatures one might need in water. BUT, none of that matters when the hell water backs up into
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the shower floor causing 2 inches of liquid nastiness. I had never seen swimming larvae, and hope that I never will again. After we found the valve and fixed the problem, things got much better. None of it even bothered the kids, they just thought it was so cool to be sleeping in a camper. You never REALLY know your family until you are packed in together like sardines, living on canned food and marshmallows, fighting over the bug spray or last bottled water, having to go outside for a few after someone hits the foot pedal. Yet, in those 15 minutes, your husband is teaching your little girl to slow dance by the bonfire, your two sons are bonding for once, and the child that always seems mad at you kisses you on the cheek and says, "thanks for this," makes every flush worth it.
Lesson Number Five: I would walk through hell if my kids are truly happy because of it. Our next two stops before arriving on this sailboat: a 12x12 "tiny house" in Todd, North Carolina and an organic farm in Red Oak, Virginia. Each one, secluded (really this time), showing us that life can be lived happily with simple basic comforts AND minimal or no digital screens. I sayith again, no screens! AMEN Y'ALL! My family will be back to the boat soon and it won't be long before we are home and they are looking for their screens and chargers again. I need this time with them, desperately. But, I shall returnith, bearing stories of strange places from afar. Our next two stops: a shack-like cabin in the mountains and a tree house in the woods. Taking back roads.
No hurry. Our eldest said, "The road less traveled is the path we rarely choose in life." He's right, because it's the slower path, and everyone is always in a hurry to get to the same places that produce the same results. Not us. Not this time. We may have never seen a star nosed mole, tubed down the Chatahoochee River, held a rooster, or weaned piglets. Brian may have never seen that shooting star, the one that was really just a lightning bug. But, we won't tell him that. A King, a Queen, three children, a hairy creature, and a scaly lizard, taking the roads less traveled. Because less IS more. And those roads, because we rarely choose them, show us places we would have never seen before. They clear the "stuff" out of our way, so that all we see, all that's left is... each other.
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by Jeff Perret, DVM
LISA'S SPAY My wife Lisa was spayed several years ago. That is to say, she had a hysterectomy, which is the medical term for the procedure we do when we spay a dog or cat. It means surgical removal of the uterus. I mean no disrespect when I say Lisa was spayed; and, while she always rolls her eyes when she hears me say it, I don’t think she takes any offense either. Even before her hysterectomy, I’d given some thought to the similarities and differences between this and other procedures, when performed on humans vs pets. With the exception of having the pleasure of my first colonoscopy recently (best nap ever!), I’ve never even been under anesthesia before, and I’ve still never been cut on or into in any way. So I don't have any first-hand experience to draw from. But now, having observed and questioned Lisa about her experience, I thought I'd muse a bit on how human spays are similar to, and different from, what I've seen dogs and cats experience. Most dogs and cats are spayed as
juveniles, generally around six months of age. While it may seem that operating on a small patient would be more difficult and dangerous than waiting until adulthood, it's actually easier once you get inside, usually, in my opinion. Puppies and kittens use all their food to fuel growth rather than storing it up, plus they're sexually immature. Result: Usually little to no fat. It’s easier for a surgeon to identify the relevant bits of anatomy when he’s not constantly shoving globs of fat out the way, and it's easier to tie off blood vessels that aren't surrounded by fat, or engorged from supplying extra blood to a uterus that's gone through hormonal changes associated with heat cycles, or even pregnancy. While puppies and kittens are generally spayed as part of routine, preventative health care, adult dogs are generally spayed for a particular reason. Perhaps the owner is just tired of managing a bitch in heat twice a year, or perhaps the animal developed a massive uterine infection called a pyometra. Perhaps
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something went wrong during the delivery of a litter. In other words, there’s usually some singular something that prompts the decision to go to surgery on an adult dog, or human. In Lisa’s case, it was the sudden growth of a benign tumor called a leiomyoma by the medical types, or a fibroid by everyone else. There was some time, a few weeks maybe, between when Lisa and her doctor noticed the lump in Lisa’s abdomen until the day of surgery, so we had ample opportunity to worry: about what the mass was; about managing the pain of recovery (Lisa’s no weenie when it comes to pain; God forbid I ever need major surgery, and God bless those who have to deal with me over many weeks of recovery); about dealing with health insurance; about working madly ahead so Lisa could take a week or two off for recovery. Mind you, I'm knowledgeable about the medical aspects, and Lisa, a 45-year-old mother of 4, was pretty much finished with her uterus. So we really weren't all that stressed, other than
some anxiety over waiting until after the procedure for the final word that the lump was indeed just a benign fibroid. Some women might have been terrified the whole time; Lisa just wanted to get it over with. Animals don't care at all about the lead-up to surgery day; the first inkling for most of them is, "Oh, we're going in the car? Cool! Wait, why are we skipping breakfast?" Animals start caring about surgery day once they arrive at the vet’s office. The clinic staff does their best to make things less frightening and reassure their patients, but it still may be a bit scary for many animals. Hence the effort to go quickly from drop off, to sedation, to surgery. It's not that your veterinarian wants to be done in time for an early lunch (though she probably dreams of that too); it's so that your pet has the happy drugs on board quickly so they don't spend hours with high stress levels. After surgery, when the anesthesia has worn off and the animals are breathing safely on their own, they rest quietly in a cage for a few more hours. Once they've slept off the drugs and can walk steadily, they're ready for their owners to pick them up and return to the comforts of home. Lisa’s surgery day was a somewhat prolonged affair but not particularly stressful, as the hospital staff explained things every step of the way. Side note: My oldest daughter was leaving that very day for a study semester abroad in Europe, and we had just watched the movie Taken the night before, so we did have cause for some nonsurgery-related anxiety! But I digress. There are a lot of people involved in human surgery, and most seem to come bearing paperwork. There's the registration staff, the check-in nurse, the pre-op nurse, the anesthesiologist, the surgeon, a few other nurses in the OR, the recovery room nurse, a few more nurses in the regular hospital room, plus assorted aides, housekeeping, food service people, and even a priest if you want one. Conversely, from the time you drop your pet off to the time you pick her up, it's probably 3 or 4 vet staff members and six or eight hours. From the time we arrived at the hospital to the first time Lisa was able to get to the bathroom under her own power, it was at least that long, then another 24 hours until she was home. So what about pain control? Lisa’s was wonderful: physicians and veterinarians use pretty much the same drugs for anesthesia and pain prevention during surgery, but she got a bonus of an on-demand morphine pump for another 12 hours. Dogs and cats don’t seem to get the gist of the green button when it lights up, so their immediate post-op meds are limited to occasional injections. And a prescription for a few days of oral pain killers to take home are appropriate for all species, two- or four-legged. Once home, human and canine/feline recovery are very, very different. While your cat may just curl up and go to sleep on the back of the couch and your dog may try to chase squirrels in the back yard as soon as you get home, I can tell you that for Lisa, bending over was a horrifying concept for a couple of weeks, and the thought of running was out of the question for about 6 weeks, unless a bear happened to be chasing her. This difference is NOT an
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PERSEUS BECOME A MEMBER TODAY! Full Membership
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$300
Out of State (costume/parade ride) $200 Non-Rider (parties/ball ticket) $100 Princess/Consort (parties/ball ticket) $250
UPCOMING EVENTS The Krewe of Perseus is the oldest parading carnival organization in Slidell, and the only one that follows original traditions. The annual Ball is held at Slidell Municipal Auditorium, where the King & Queen are revealed.
08/17/18 08/25/18 09/22/18 10/27/18 02/09/19 02/17/19 03/05/19
Bunco (Every 3rd Friday of the month) American Legion Post 374 King/Queen Party Fish House from 5-8pm Luau Golf Tournament 4 Person Scramble $75 per player at Royal Golf Club Ball at Slidell Auditorium Parade Mardi Gras
Contact Ken Levy at 985-707-4833 or kenl@latterblum.com Or visit us on Facebook @KreweofPerseus 44
indication that animals don't experience post-op pain and don't need pain killers; they absolutely do. It IS an indication that we humans (especially the male half of the population) can be complete wimps about pain. Which brings me to another major difference between recovery in humans and pets: the Elizabethan collar, more commonly known as the Lampshade or the Cone of Shame. Humans can (usually) be trusted not to lick, chew, or scratch at their incisions. Some dogs and cats instinctively do any or all of those things to their surgery sites. At minimum, that behavior can irritate the skin and slow healing. Some animals, with enough motivation and time unsupervised, can chew the incision completely open so that, in a worst case scenario, their intestines literally spill out! I’ve only seen that happen once, but it left a very strong impression. Nobody wants that. If your veterinarian gives you the collar, use the collar! Psychological effects of hysterectomy are apparently a non-issue in animals, especially in those spayed before their first heat cycle. There's the occasional report of a spayed cat nesting with a favorite sock, or a dog that tries to herd all the stuffed animals, but as long as they can have access to their favored thing to nurture, they seem perfectly happy. Lisa seems perfectly happy now without a uterus, but some human females do say they miss theirs. Maybe they really wanted to bear children and now they can’t. Or maybe it’s just a psychological thing. And of course, if the ovaries are removed with the uterus, there’s the matter of hormone replacement to prevent instant menopause. Finally, I'd be remiss if I didn't address what's perhaps the biggest difference between surgery in animals and people, which is the financial cost. The fees around St. Tammany Parish for an elective hysterectomy in a dog vary, but it's probably between $200 and $400 to spay a dog, depending on where you live. The costs go up in case of a C-section or pyometra procedure. But even if you live in California, where, I read recently, the official poverty level for a family of four is over $117,000 annualIy and the cost of living is many times what it is here in Louisiana, veterinary surgeries don’t begin to approach the cost of their human counterparts. I have good health insurance, and I recall the actual cost of Lisa’s surgery totaling nearly $30,000. That includes hospital stay, the surgeon, the anesthesiologist, pathologist and others. Lucky for us, our insurance paid the lion’s share, leaving just a few thousand in co-pays and deductibles. If someone had to pay out-of-pocket for this relatively routine surgery, she could end up deep in debt or even bankrupt. It's been interesting to muse about the similarities and differences in surgery between human and non-human species. Lisa eventually moved past the "hobbling gingerly" stage, into "all is well as long as I avoid sudden movement and chafing.” Our dog Lady wondered for a while why she couldn’t sit in Lisa’s lap (way too close to that incision!), and our cat Cookie still thinks she was quite the wimp. Good thing he didn’t have to see me recover from a major surgery.
Delicious deals, prix fixe menus, and culinary events !
Tammany Taste August 1-31, 2018
of Summer
w w w.Ta m m a n y Ta s t e .c o m
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OUT TAKES Slidell Magazine was EVERYWHERE this month! Here are just a few of our adventures!
Kendra got another goat?? No, but she got great goa t kisses from baby Zeus at Herita ge Fest thanks to Ponies & Partie s!
Kicking up their heels at the grand opening of Olde Towne’s newest park were: State Rep candidate Mary Dubuisson, Mayor Greg Cromer, Main Street Director Sharon DeLong and EST Chamber’s Gwendolyn Clement
The Slidell PD’s reenactment of Dirty Dancing’s “Time of My Life” is VIRAL on Fac ebook. The #LipSyncChallenge video has been viewed over 1.4 million times!
ag
Slidell M
97 -
Aug 2018
n - life is good! on Lake Pontchartrai A boat ride & sunset at with Louis & on Mary Clement’s bo el, Kendra hitches a ride Nell Laporte, Bernie Fri Melba Houvenaeghel, sse Pay er th OLL pastor, Fa Rosemary Clement &
A career highlight - Kendra meets Kermit.
St. Tammany Farmer Editor, Andy Canulette, sits for an historic interview with Slidell mayors, past & present. l-r: Mayors Webb Hart, Freddy Drennan, Greg Cromer, Ben Morris, and Sam Caruso, Sr.
Your NORTHSHORE HARBOR CENTER Where Memories are Made
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Sarah & Kristopher Wichterich with a beautiful Boa at the H.E.R.P. Exotic Reptile & Pet Show
Organizers, led by Gulf Coast Elder Ab use eal O’N Mr. Ralph
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Visit our website for info on all of the exciting events!
northshoreharborcenter.com
See you there!
White Linen & Lagniappe Saturday, August 11, 2018 6:00 - 9:00 pm Olde Towne Slidell Free Admission MySlidell.com (985) 646-4375 ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Art • Entertainment • Shopping Hot Food & Cool Drinks
And lots of Lagniappe!
“Southern Charmer” by Victoria Allen
Entertainment by the Blackwater Brass Band on First Street, Overboard on Second Street, Christy and the Rascals on Robert Street, and MORE! White Linen 1950’s Night on First Street at Antique Row - Music & Dancing Louisiana State Representative District 90 Candidate Relay Competition Slidell Art League Artist of the Year exhibit in the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall Dedication of Slidell City Court’s 50th Anniversary Time Capsule at the Slidell Museum Over 30 artists displaying at the Chamber in the1808 Front Street Marketplace
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ Slidell Historic Antique Association
Olde Towne Slidell Association