Times of Southwest Louisiana

W WW. TIM E S S W. COM • aug ust 2 0 , 2 0 0 9 / V OL . 14, NO . 16

toddrick pendland

2009 Preseason All-American Pick

McNeese Budget Cuts

Academic Calendars

McNeese Athletic Schedules

Interview with Coach Viator

C ontents

August 20, 2009 Volume 14, Number 16 617 Drew St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-439-0995 Fax: 337-439-0418

PUBLISHER

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Enterprise boulevard McNeese Budget Cuts

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Home grown Flooring & Design Center, Inc.

Patrick Marcantel 12

N E WS EDITOR Nancy Correro

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Assistant Editor Jessica Ferguson Assignments Chaney Ferguson

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Contributors Mike Allen Garrett Lumpkin D.B. Grady Katie Penny Matt Jones Lisa Miller Terri Schlichenmeyer Politics John Maginnis Dan Juneau

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McNeese strength and conditioning coach Zeb Hawkins (right) is pictured with Bryan Smith (left) and Jeremy Haynes.

A D VE R T ISING

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Account executive Katy Corbello

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Account executive Brian Chriceol

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Sales Manager Andy Jacobson

G R A P H IC S Art/Production Director Natalie Clark Cover photo by Patrick Marcantel The Times of Southwest Louisiana is published every two weeks by Patsco Publishing, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 439-0995. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $30 per year. Bulk mailing permit #9 paid at Lake Charles, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Times of Southwest Louisiana, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. FAX to (337) 439-0418. The Times of Southwest Louisiana cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope.

Copyright 2009 The Times of Southwest Louisiana all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

DISTRIBUTION: The Times of Southwest Louisiana is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. The Times of Southwest Louisiana may be distributed only by The Times of Southwest Louisiana authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Times of Southwest Louisiana, take more than one copy of each monthly issue from its racks.

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with toddrick pendland

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by garrett lumpkin

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August 20, 2009

Columns Inside Baton Rouge: Pushing the Healthcare Rock Uphill Biz Bytes: Workforce Development Progress Report Legal Eagle: Land Ownership: When Is It Yours?

Geeks & Gadgets: Money Management Made Easy Paranoid—They’re Out to Get You! 337 Sports: Cowboys: Explosive Offense and an Improved Defense Cover story One on One with Toddrick Pendland Features McNeese News Round Up Health: Freshman Finance for the College-Bound Health: Give College Students a Shot Surviving College Chaos Academic Calendar Finance: Get Educated About Investing Legis-Gator Luncheon Entertainment Movie Review: Aliens in the Attic: Kids Save the World Yet Again Book Beat: A Disobedient Girl Times Band Stand Times Picks The Shadow: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, Canvassing the Neighborhood, 2009 Tournament of the Stars, Benefit Dinner for Autism Support Alliance Coffee Break Crossword: “Flip It”-puttin’ it down and reversin’ it

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business notes

Re-Opened Hackberry Health Clinic Plans Celebration After operating out of a temporary building and enduring many obstacles in an effort to provide the storm-laden residents of Hackberry and Cameron parish with medical care, a grand reopening celebration is scheduled to celebrate the re-opening of the Hackberry Rural Health Clinic’s permanent location. The public is invited to attend on Tuesday, August 11th from 12pm – 2pm, located at 1020 Main Street in Hackberry.

Hackberry Rural Health Clinic offers general health care services for all ages.

Most insurance plans are accepted, and the clinic sees patients who are uninsured, self-pay or who have Medicare or Medicaid. For more information, call (337) 762-3762.

Cameron Communications Public Relations Coordinator, Trina Johnson presenting the $1,000 check to Carl Broussard, President of the Cameron Saltwater Fishing Festival.

Cameron Communications Donates $1,000 to Cameron Saltwater Fishing Festival Cameron Communications Public Relations Coordinator, Trina Johnson presented a $1,000 check to Carl Broussard for the Cameron Saltwater Fishing Festival. The fishing festival will be held at the Cameron Jetty Pier Pavilion on Aug. 7 and 8.

Volunteers Needed For Louisiana Book Festival The Louisiana Book Festival is back for its seventh year! Louisiana’s worldclass celebration of readers, writers and their books will return to Baton Rouge from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, October 17, 2009. The event will feature more than 150 authors discussing their books; the Young Readers Pavilion, where children and parents will enjoy storytelling performances, writing enrichment exercises and other exciting activities; and a wide variety of book-related activities, demonstrations, exhibitions and performances. Food and music will complement the festive occasion. It all takes place at the State Library of Louisiana, the Louisiana State Capitol, the Louisiana State Museum, and in tents on neighboring streets. Volunteers are essential to the festival’s success. If you’re interested in volunteering and would like more information about the festival, visit our website at www.LouisianaBookFestival.org or Rachel Stewart, LBF Volunteer Coordinator, at lbfvolunteer@state.lib.la.us, or call 225-342-4922.

Americorps Team Beats the Heat With Habitat For Humanity An Americorps (National Civilian Community Corps) team of nine individuals will be staying and working in Lake Charles for the Calcasieu area Habitat For Humanity until late September. For the next six weeks, the team will be building a house from the ground-up, with the goal of getting to the outside work of the house before they leave in September. Prior to working with the Calcasieu area Habitat for Humanity, the Americorps team worked with Rebuilding Together New Orleans for eight weeks.

This is the fifteenth anniversary for AmeriCorps NCCC, a leadership program

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for young people ages 18 to 24. In exchange for completing 1,700 hours of service during a 10-month term, these young people receive an education award of nearly $5,000, plus a living stipend, housing and more.

AmeriCorps programs are administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency. Interested applicants and project sponsors are encouraged to learn more by visiting www.americorps.gov/nccc or calling 1-800-942-2677.

CTC Announces Auditions Auditions for Disney’s Geppetto & Son have been announced by The Children’s Theatre Company (CTC); Kerry A. Onxley, Artistic Director. This production will open the 25th Celebration Season for CTC. This production will be on stage February 5-8 & 13-14, 2009. No experience is necessary.

L TO R: Alex Landry and Kathyrn Matte Enrollment in classes is practice with puppets Jiminy Cricket and required. Auditions are Wednesday, September Pinocchio for the upcoming production of 9 from 4:00-6:00PM and Geppetto & Son. are held at the Central School of the Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby; Suite 313). For more information, contact the theatre at (337) 433-7323 or visit the website at www.childrenstheatre.cc and click on “classes.”

Family & Youth Festival 2009 The Festival 2009 will take place on Saturday, August 22, 2009, at the Lake Charles Civic Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $2 for children and $3 for adults. Featured again this year is Career Paths, a place for teens to explore career choices in a hands-on environment. Paths include culinary arts, aviation, commercial art, chemistry, pipe fitting and more. Career Paths participants can register to win a 32-inch flat screen TV, Nintendo DSi, or an Apple iPod touch. Also, they can meet players from the Swashbucklers.

As always, kids of all ages will enjoy face painting, petting zoo, live music, cookie decorating, hat making, and much more. Family & Youth Festival is a fun event promoting family life and family values in a safe and exciting environment. It is a day of appreciation to the people of Southwest Louisiana, as well as a United Way Community Impact Day. Tickets are available from Family & Youth at 220 Louie Street, Lake Charles, or by calling 436-9533, or at the door the day of the event. The Festival is an alcohol free event.

August is Book Sale Month in Public Libraries Calcasieu Parish Public Libraries will host annual book sales during August.

Many parish libraries also have perpetual book sales. Friends of the Library, a group that supports public libraries, sponsors all book sales. Proceeds from the sales are used by Friends of the Library to support library programs. The annual book sales times, dates and locations are: • During regular library hours, August 17 through 28 at the Moss Bluff Public Library, 261 Parish Road, 721-7128.

• 1:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. August 20; 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. August 21 & 22, at the Iowa Public Library, 107 East 1st Street, 721-7101.

• Sulphur Regional Library, 1160 Cypress Street, has a perpetual book sale in a small room just inside the lobby. In August, Sulphur Regional Library will open a special 50-cent sale of VHS movies and books-ontape.

• The perpetual book sale at Central Library, 301 W. Claude Street, has been expanded to tables in front of the circulation desk, and includes VHS tapes & books-on-tape.

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N e w s

A b o u t

S o u t h w e s t

L o u i s i a n a

E nterprise B oulevard

McNeese

W h o ’s

By Chaney Ferguson

M

cNeese is beginning this academic year with a 13 percent reduction in state appropriation. Last December the university’s budget received a cut of $1.9 million. The current total of the budget cut, including the one in December, comes to $5.6 million.

The university’s main concern is for students to carry on without noticing the impact of the cuts.

“We hope that students will not noticeably see an impact from the reductions. We did reductions based off what would least affect the students and classroom instruction,” said Candace Townsend, Director of Public Information and Communications at McNeese State University.

Reductions were made to the various areas that are least likely to affect students.

“Offices and non-academic areas or academic support areas will have a bigger hit to their budget than say academic departments and labs,” said Townsend.

In order to avoid layoffs and elimination of academic programs, reductions have been made to academic support areas such as operating services, supplies, equipment purchases, and student work-study jobs.

Other areas receiving reductions include non-teaching graduate assistantships, part-time instructors, funds for general maintenance, facility repairs and athletics.

Cuts

“Through significant reductions to all areas of the budget, holding merit raises and 70 vacant positions, we are not eliminating any academic programs, we are not planning layoffs of full-time faculty, nor salary reductions or unpaid furloughs for support staff this year,” said McNeese President Dr. Hebert.

McNeese is focusing on its highest priority, its commitment to academics.

In order to achieve this goal, employees are taking on extra classes to cover the vacant positions. Faculty members are reducing their time for research and other scholarly activities.

“We are all having to work with less. By losing release time and working full loads, we won’t have as much time to commit to projects, but it has also allowed us to freeze merit pay and we have not had to layoff any full-time employees,” said Townsend.

Although reductions have created a strain on employees, the community is responding in a positive way by showing how important McNeese is to the area.

“Even before the budget cuts were finalized, the McNeese Foundation informed us that over their past fiscal year that there has been an increase of 34 percent in donations. Those donations are mainly for academic scholarships,” said Townsend.

A report was conducted in March by an impartial corporation out of Baton Rouge.

Townsend said the results of the report “Through significant reductions to all confirm what many at areas of the budget, holding merit McNeese knew to be raises and 70 vacant positions, we true already. are not eliminating any academic The report states: programs, we are not planning The University of layoffs of full-time faculty, nor salary Louisiana System by reductions or unpaid furloughs for Applied Technology support staff this year,” Research Corp.

– Dr. Hebert shows McNeese State

McNeese President

N e w s

CFO Expands Orthopaedic Staff Orthopaedic Surgeon Steven Hale, MD, has joined the physician staff of Center for Orthopaedics. Dr. Hale is originally from Lake Charles Steven Hale and received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University. He earned his Medical Degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his Orthopaedic Residency at The Campbell Clinic in Memphis, Tennessee, which is recognized as one of the premier practicing and teaching orthopaedic centers in the world.

Dr. Hale specializes in joint replacement, sports medicine, knee surgery, shoulder surgery, hip surgery, fracture care, children’s orthopaedic care and arthritis treatment.

He will be seeing patients in the Lake Charles and Sulphur offices of Center for Orthopaedics.

Call 721-7236 for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Imperial Calcasieu Surgical Center Appoints Administrator Calcasieu Surgical Center, is a free-standing, physician-owned day surgery facility scheduled to open this month in Lake Charles. Beverly Beverly Kirchner Kirchner, RN, BSN, CNOR, CASC, recognized in Becker’s Review as an authority in the ambulatory surgery field, has been named Administrator.

She has over 28 years of experience as a surgical nurse and 23 years of experience in ambulatory surgery management. Kirchner is a Certified Nurse in the Operating Room and is certified as an Administrator by the Board of Ambulatory Surgery Certification.

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August 20, 2009

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Sthe o ubest t h iwn elake s t area L o enter u i s tai i anment n a ’s

H om e G rown B usiness es

Flooring Inc.

& Design Center

By Chaney Ferguson

F

ifteen years ago Gisela Ryland moved all of her furniture out of her house and created a beautiful showroom full of her treasures.

“Gisela worked for a design company in New Orleans and then opened a design firm in Alexandria.

When I married her son and we had the first grandbaby, she closed the design shop in Alexandria and moved here and opened one,” said Stacey St. Amant, owner of Flooring & Design Center, Inc. “She came from Germany when she was 18 and went to school in New Orleans. When I met her in ’78 or ’79, she was doing kitchen cabinet design and she and my mother worked together,” said St. Amant.

St. Amant worked with her mother-in-law in the design business. The showroom was full of antiques, crystal, and Persian rugs.

“She was there for five years and then she started doing a lot of big commercial jobs. We did about four of the hotels here in Sulphur, the Lake Charles airport, and the federal courthouse,” said St. Amant.

The two women stayed in the small building on Beglis Parkway for five years before moving to their current location at 1401 Cypress Street, in Sulphur.

St. Amant said that with each new job the business took a natural turn in the direction of flooring.

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“Slowly we began to fill the showroom. As we took on more projects, everything started to involve flooring so we noticed how the flooring aspect began to encompass the rest of all the things we were doing,” said St. Amant.

After ten years of being in the same building, St. Amant and her husband have taken over the flooring end of things.

“We have been involved in flooring for 12 years. Gisela still does the design, but her end is a separate business,” said St. Amant.

Cathy Morton joined the team a couple of months ago and is excited to work with her best friend, Stacy.

“Our husbands install together and that’s how we met. We worked together at a flooring store in Moss Bluff,” said Morton.

The two women are trying to redefine what the business is known for. Many in the Sulphur area still believe it is a high-end design business, but St. Amant and Morton want to set the record straight.

“If you are building a $2 million dollar home or if you need carpet in your camper, we can handle it,” said Morton.

“We are trying to send the message that we still do design, but that is not the forefront of what this business is all about. It hasn’t been for a long time,” said St. Amant.

The two shared people’s reactions when they walk into the store for

August 20, 2009

the first time. They believe many people are surprised at the large selection of flooring they actually have.

“We have a large selection of hardwood, laminate, ceramic and natural stone,” said St. Amant.

It is clear from their enthusiasm and their background experience that they love what they do. The business may be more flooring than design, but the two women love to assist in design decisions without additional cost.

“When people come in, we try to get a feel for what they are looking for. If they are building a house they lay out their blueprints and we get a feel for what they see in each room,” said Morton.

“I have a customer, a single man, that came in and he said he

wanted wood almost everywhere.

So he brings his plans and he tells me where he wants the wood. We picked out countertops, carpet, slate, kitchen granite, and all the paint colors,” said St. Amant.

“He doesn’t pay a design fee. He is just paying for the floors,” said Morton.

St. Amant and Morton are more than happy to help with design preferences and they know how to work with a budget.

Builders will come to the women and give specifics on what is needed, but they also include the budget they are working with.

“We are hard to beat price-wise,” said Morton.

“We still have the $12 square foot tile, but we also have a 99 cent

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L to R: Cathy Morton and Stacey St. Amant

W ho’s News cont.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Appoints VPMA CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital names Vice President of Medical Affairs.

David W. Engleking, M.D. is board certified in Internal Medicine with broad clinical experience. He joins St. Patrick Hospital from Tarrant Inpatient Associates in Fort Worth, Texas, where he served as Founder/Chief Executive Officer since 1994.

Signatures’ stylists Emily Spears (left) and Frankie Meier (right) with Nick Arrojo, styles for What Not to Wear television program.

Education Keeps Local Salon on Industry’s Cutting Edge Several staff members of Signatures Salon completed advanced training in their respective fields this summer in New York City at two prestigious training studios.

Stylists Frankie Meier and Emily Spears attended classes taught by Nick Arrojo, the stylist from the television program What Not to Wear, at the Wella Studio. Other staff members attended BbU (Bumble and bumble University), often referred to as the “Harvard for hair.” Bekah Nash, Salon Manager, and Ashley Lougan, Operations Manager, attended Business Immersion I, an intensive four-day program focusing on core strategies for building a strong salon business. Stylists Cortney Blalock and Courtney Foreman attended three-day design technique workshops covering theory and training, razor and scissor techniques, and consultation skills including the ability to translate editorial references and fashion trends for clients.

Stylist Lensi White attended the Network Educator Immersion I course, a four-day intensive program designed to provide senior stylists with leadership skills to teach and motivate other stylists.

Signatures Salon has been in business for 13 years and is owned by Wendy White McCown.

City Marshal Sworn In As Member of LSPRF Lake Charles City Marshal Joey Alcede was sworn in as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Pension and Relief Fund at their July meeting in Baton Rouge. Alcede was elected to serve as one of three retired deputies that serve on the board. The board also consists of three retired sheriffs, active sheriffs and active deputies.

Alcede retired from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office in 2002 with 33 years of service. The LSPRF has $1.33 billion dollars in assets and is one of the most financially stable public retirement systems Joey Alcede in both the state and nation. The LSPRF has over 14,000 active members and more than 3,400 retired members. Marshal Alcede told the board that this was a special honor in that he is filling the position previously held by his loyal friend Ray Gillard who served on the board until his death in 2006..

EnterpriseBoulevard

cont.

University has a $335 million annual economic impact on Louisiana.

McNeese employees contribute $55 million directly to the economy while McNeese retirees spend an additional $11 million.

McNeese students spend $145 million in areas such as housing, food, entertainment, telecommunications and transportation, while visitors to McNeese events expend an additional $47 million.

Overall there is an $8 return for every $1 the state invests in higher education.

Graduates of McNeese contribute to the local workforce.

The report reveals the impact: Approximately one-third of the engineers working in the local petrochemical industry are McNeese graduates.

Nearly 80 percent of all the nurses working in Lake Charles and the surrounding communities are McNeese graduates.

School districts in the five-parish area rank among the state’s top 10 districts in high school graduation rates and more than 70 percent of the educators in the five-parish area earned a degree from McNeese.

Nearly 70 percent of the public four-year college degrees earned by residents of Southwest Louisiana come from McNeese.

Over the last 10 years, close to 13, 000 students have graduated from McNeese and added $640 million to Louisiana’s economy.

Governor Jindal is taking a look at higher education by forming the Tucker Commission. The commission is looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the system.

“At this time we don’t know what the impact will be. We are looking within, to our own strengths and prioritize our resources,” said Townsend.

With the next couple of years looking economically grim for higher education, Townsend says that McNeese is vigilant about cost-saving methods so they can prepare for whatever the future will bring

33rd Annual Gueydan Duck Festival Festival of the Year

2004, 2005, 2007 & 2008 LAFF Division I

Presented in part by:

August 27th­30th y Grand Parade y Dog Trials y Senior Pageant y Great Food y Nightly Bands y Skeet Shooting y State Duck and Goose Calling Contest y Carnival Rides & Much More!

Free Admission for children all weekend See a complete schedule at www.duckfestival.org

August 20, 2009

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McNeese

N ews R ound U p

New President Elected for Petrochem Athletic Association at McNeese Joey Alcede, the Lake Charles city marshal, has been elected president of the Petrochem Athletic Association, a McNeese State athletic booster club. His term will run through the 2009-2010 school year. Alcede had previously served as president of the McNeese Quarterback Club. Joining him as officers on this year’s slate are Walter Wyatt as vice president, Dianna Alcede as secretary and Jack Richard as treasurer. Members of the club’s board of directors are Mike Duhon, Larry Bowers, Rene Bourgeois, Daryl Hart, John Bruney, Matthew Graham, Lonnie Fisette, Danny Giovanni, Fred Borel, Kallen Curphy, Reagan Manuel and Dewayne Bruette. The organization raises funds for athletic facilities on campus for all sports. It has donated in excess of $750,000 to the university for such projects as the Dowell Fontenot Sports Medicine center, the visitor’s football dressing room, the track facility, the women’s softball complex and the

McNeese strength and conditioning coach Zeb Hawkins (right) is pictured with Bryan Smith (left) and Jeremy Haynes.

Joey Alcede

Hodges fieldhouse. The Petrochem holds weekly meetings on Wednesday in the Cowboy Room on campus and will begin its meetings for the coming year in August.

McNeese Cowboy Kickoff Golf Classic At Gray Plantation The Cops and Jocks team and the Lake Area Marine foursome made the best showings on the golf course, but Team Fuhrer walked off with the top prize during the first annual Cowboy Kickoff Golf Classic at Gray Plantation.

Cops and Jocks, led by Don Dixon’s putting, took low net honors in the tournament with a 49 while Lake Area Marine won low gross honors with a 56. Dixon made 11 putts 15 feet or more including two eagle putts to lead his squad that also included former Cowboys Alan Heisser, John Rudd and Chris Baggett. Blake DeReese, Billy Dressler, Trey Digigila and Kyle Link all shared in the heroics for Lake Area Marine which claimed low gross honors.

Team Fuhrer, which was led by former Cowboy all-conference football lineman Bob Fuhrer and golfer Robbie Newton, claimed the top prize of the tournament

in a drawing. Each member, which also included former Cowboy baseball players Ronny Breaux and Bill Simon, won travel expenses and game tickets to the McNeese State – Appalachian State football game in Boone, N.C. Taking second place in the low net division with a 52.5 was taken by the Solar Supply team of Ron Dingler, Quitman Moon, Beau Dark and Brandon Guillory while third place with the same score was won by the Jordan Oil team of Steve Jordan, Kevin Dufrene, George Jordan and Jerry Tennison. Second place honors in low gross was won by the Fuhrer team with a 57 and third place went to the Family Auto team of Randy Billedeaux, Mark Young, Robbie O’Quinn and John Gregory. All proceeds from the tournament go to the McNeese football program.

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August 20, 2009

McNeese Football Players Named To Phil Steele All-American Team McNeese State tailback Toddrick Pendland has been named to the Phil Steele 2009 football magazine’s preseason all-American football team and he and teammates Derrick Fourroux, Wes Mangan, Deron Minor and Casey Richter have been selected to Steele’s pre-season all-Southland Conference team. Pendland, a tailback, was the league’s leading rusher last year and set a school single season record with 1,431 yards. It’s the second pre-season all-American team that the Newton, TX senior has been named to. Last year he earned all-America recognition from the Associated Press. Fourroux, the team’s quarterback, completed 169 of 277 passes for 2,205 yards and 18 touchdowns last year and he also averaged 241.1 yards per game total offense. Mangan, a tight end, ranked fourth on the team last year with 18 catches for 170 yards and three tds while Minor was credited with 89 tackles (second high on the team) from his

linebacking position.Those four were named to the all-SLC first team while Cowboy offensive tackle Richter was picked for the second unit. Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards was named to Steele’s all-America team as were teammates, linebacker Jacque Roman, safety Mark LeGree and tight end Ben Jorden. The Cowboys play the Mountaineers on Sept. 12.

Other players named to the allAmerican team who McNeese will meet up with this coming season are defensive lineman Larry Hart and offensive tackle Lane Freiwald of Central Arkansas, linebacker Jabara Williams and defensive lineman Tim Knicky of SFA and safety Tommy Conners of Southeastern Louisiana. In Steele’s pre-season forecast for team finish, the Cowboys were picked to win the league title with Central Arkansas second followed by Texas State, SFA, Sam Houston State, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State.

Former McNeese Football Players Head To NFL Camps Seven former McNeese State football players went to NFL camps. Some of them have spent several weeks this summer working out in the McNeese Charlie Kuehn weight room under the

instruction of Cowboy strength and conditioning coach Zeb Hawkins.

Bryan Smith, Quinten Lawrence, Jeremy Haynes, Marcus Brown, Darrick Brown, Keith Smith and Luke

Lawton have left for their respective camps. Smith is a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles, Lawton plays fullback and Darrick Brown is a defensive back with Oakland, Haynes is with Tennessee, Marcus Brown is with St. Louis, Lawrence is with Kansas City and Smith is with Detroit. Two other Cowboys are with professional teams.

Kerry Joseph is the starting quarterback for Toronto in the Canadian Football League where two seasons ago he led Saskatchewan to the Grey Cup title and was named player of the year. B. J. Sams, who spent several seasons in the NFL, is now a member of the Oakland team in the new UFL.

Cowboy defensive coordinator Lark Hebert (left) and new defensive line coach Manny Michel go over some McNeese strategy prior to the start of drills which begin Thursday.

McNeese Football Gets Started McNeese State head football coach Matt Viator will welcome 90 players including 45 returning lettermen on Wednesday as the Cowboys began preparations for the 2009 season.

Newcomers are slated for their first meeting with the coaching staff beginning at 2 p.m. and the veterans will report at 5 p.m. A team meeting is slated for 6:10 p.m. The Cowboys open the season Sept. 5 at home against Henderson State and will tackle Appalachian State, Savannah State and Tulane in non-conference games before opening their SLC campaign on the road against Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 10.

COWBOY DATES Aug. 5 – Team reports Aug. 6 – First practice Aug. 10 – First practice in full pads Aug. 15 – First scrimmage Aug. 16 – Media Day (5 p.m., Cowboy Stadium) Aug. 22 – Second scrimmage Aug. 26 – Cowboy Night (Cowboy Stadium) Sept. 5 – First game (vs Henderson State at Cowboy Stadium)

Women’s Volleyball Team Earns Fifth Consecutive AVCA Team Academic Award McNeese State’s 2008 volleyball team is one of 71 Division I schools and one of a total of 409 schools, including high schools who earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2008-09 season. The honor is the fifth straight for the Cowgirls and they are the only team in the state of Louisiana to receive the honor and one of two Southland Conference schools earning the award.

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

McNeese Basketball Coach Announces 2009-10 Schedule McNeese State basketball coach Dave Simmons announced his team’s 20092010 schedule this week and it’s one that features games against such teams as LSU, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Rice and Tulane as well as a trip to Hawaii for the Rainbow Classic.

“It’s really a brutal schedule there in December and the first part of the new year,” the fourth year coach said. “And, it’s the toughest that we’ve had since I’ve been here.”

The Cowboys kick off their season by appearing in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, having been invited on the all-expense paid trip by the University of Hawaii. It’s set to run November 13-16 and McNeese will play Northern Colorado on Nov. 13, Hawaii on Nov. 15 and Southern Utah on Nov. 16.

McNeese will open its home season Nov. 21 against Louisiana College in an afternoon game. Other non-conference home games for the Cowboys will be against ULL on Nov. 28, Paul Quinn College on Dec. 1 and Southern-New

Orleans on Dec. 22.

The Cowboys play at Samford on Nov. 23, at Ole Miss on Dec. 12 and will be at Tulane Dec. 16, at Louisiana Tech Dec. 19, at Rice Dec. 29, at Texas Tech Jan. 1 and at LSU on Jan. 4. “It’s a very strong non-conference schedule,” Simmons said, “but that’s the best way to prepare for our conference schedule, play strong teams early on. Last year I thought that we were very competitive in our non-conference schedule (6-7 overall and 6-1 at home). We just didn’t carry that on over into our conference play.

“This season I think that we have the maturity to make the transition.”

McNeese will open Southland Conference play at home against UT San Antonio on Jan. 9. Of the 12 home games for the Cowboys, 10 will be played at Burton Coliseum and two at the Lake Charles Civic Center. They’ll host SFA at the Civic Center on Jan. 31 and UT Arlington on Feb. 10.

McNeese Golf Announces New Assistant Coach Kevin McArthur, a former Cowboy golfer and a PGA tour caddy, has joined the McNeese State golf team as an assistant coach. Head coach Neel DeRouen announced the addition of the 34 year old native of Shreveport.

He is replacing Chris Gentry who has entered into private business in Lake Charles. “Of course we’re going to miss Chris,”said DeRouen, “but Kevin is going to bring a new dimension to the team, him having been a tour caddy. He has seen what it takes to be successful for the guys who make their living playing golf.” DeRouen said that McArthur will assist him in working the team, traveling with the team and recruiting. A 1998 graduate of McNeese, McArthur has been a tour caddy on

Kevin McArthur

both the PGA and the Nationwide tours for the past seven years, caddying for such players as Mike Heinen, Jim Gallagher Jr., Paul Azinger and Mike Hulbert. Prior to that he had served as an assistant pro at Southern Trace in Shreveport for four years. He was a four year letterman for the Cowboys during his collegiate days and was named the MVP of the team in 1997.

McNeese State Soccer Cowgirls Begin Workouts The Cowgirls will continue two-adays until the start of classes (Aug. 17).

“We are very excited about this season and that it is now time for soccer as

August 20, 2009

we kick training into full swing today.

Soccer is a game of chemistry, so developing chemistry is an important

9

priority of two-a-days. We believe we have the right people on the bus with this very talented group of young ladies.

Our challenge as coaches over the next two weeks is to put the right people in the right seats to maximize our talent.

We will focus our efforts on building fitness, establishing a rythm and style, and identifying how we want to play the game, said head coach Scoote Savoie.”

The Cowgirls are coming off an 11-8-1 overall record and a second place finish in the Southland Conference with a 6-21 record. The Cowgirls are also coming off their fourth consecutive, ninth

overall SLC Tournament appearance and have advanced to the championship game the past two years.

“Our expectation is to build on the success we have had over the past three years that has established McNeese Soccer as one of the top teams in the Southland Conference.”

The Cowgirls return 13 letter winners from a year ago and welcome 11 freshmen to help continue the McNeese soccer tradition. The home opener is slated for Sept. 4 against Big 12 member Baylor followed by home games against Alcorn State and Houston Baptist.

McNeese State Volleyball Cowgirls Begin Practice For The 2009 Season Head coach Dale Starr enters his sixth season with the Cowgirls and has led the team to five Southland Conference Tournament appearances. The Cowgirls will look to improve on a 12-18 overall record from last season and a sixth place finish in the SLC race.

McNeese returns seven letter winners including three starters from last season, outside hitter Chanel Tyler, setter Sarah Cartie and middle blocker Nicole Bowden. Tyler is a returning all-SLC second team performer. Cartie has been the Cowgirls’ setter for the past three seasons and Bowden led the team in blocks last year. Also returning is outside hitter Deanna Sanchez, libero Katrina Mica, right side Ayshin Vasser, middle blockers Erin Huckabay and redshirt freshman Brittany Williams. The Cowgirls will be without the services of Amanda Allen due to an injury suffered in Spring drills. Allen will spend the

season as a redshirt. Newcomers to the team include UL-Lafayette transfer and a native Moss Bluff, La., Katie Kennedy, defensive specialist Whitney Ellisor from Deer Park, Tx., outside hitters Taylor Bustamento (Spring, Tx.), Priscilla Massengale (Baytown, Tx.), middle blocker Chelsea Taylor (Delcambre, La.) and setter Becky Bekelja (League City, Tx.). “With the addition of our newcomers, I think 2009 will be a really special year for Cowgirl volleyball. This group of seniors (Tyler, Cartie, Sanchez) are very hungry and have been close to that championship match twice, they are ready to get over the hump. The conference will be pretty competitive top to bottom, but if we can stay healthy, I think we can take that next step and compete for a conference championship. This group is eager to prove that we belong at the top of the SLC,” said head coach Dale Starr.

McNeese State Cross Country Schedule 2009

McNeese State will have 15 letter winners, eight Cowboys and seven Cowgirls, returning for its 2009 cross country season. Head coach Brendon Gilroy announced the schedule this week and it will kickoff on September 4 with the Cowboy Relay race. McNeese is slated to host the 5K Cowboy Stampede on Oct. 3, that meet featuring a high school race as well as an open race and an elementary school kids race. Meets that the Cowboys and the Cowgirls will compete in on the road are at Louisiana Tech (Sept. 12), UL Lafayette (Sept. 18), Texas A&M Corpus Christi (Sept. 25), Arkansas (Oct. 17) and the Southland Conference championship meet Oct. 31 at Texas A&M-Corpus. Top

runners returning for McNeese for the upcoming cross country season are David Rooney and Candice McCormick. Both were named MVPs for their teams for the 2008 season.

Rooney finished 10th at the SLC championship meet and earned allconference honors while McCormick led the Cowgirls with a 31st place finish at conference. Other letter winners returning for the Cowboys are Johnathon Koenck, Jordan Neil, Ryan Barrow, Jarrett LeBlanc, Kenneth Pierce, Matt Fontenot and Kevin Laughlin while back for the Cowgirls are Amy Guinn, Alvy Carragher, Tinette Burger, Aisling Casey, Katarina Caraway and D’Anna Lambert.

10

August 20, 2009

McNeese Hall of Fame Inductees

Football’s Billy Blakeman, Henry Fields and Terry Irving along with Terry Burrows from baseball and Sita Waru from track and field have been selected for induction into the McNeese State Hall of Fame. Induction ceremonies will be held at halftime of the McNeese State - Henderson State football game on Sept. 5 in Cowboy Stadium. A reception

- sponsored by the Cowboy Club - in honor of the five athletes will take place at 6 p.m. in the Cowboy Room prior to the game. All five were exceptional athletes in their respective sports and each continues to hold one or more McNeese records. The addition of these five athletes will lift the number in the McNeese Hall of Fame to 115.

McNeese State Soccer Light To Be Installed

Next week will be a vision come to reality for the McNeese State soccer field when employees of Chaisson Electric begin installing lights. Three sets of lights are scheduled for installation next Wednesday (weather permitting) which will enable McNeese State to play night

let your everyday spending

games. The project is the third major addition to the field in the last year.

Last year, bleachers were installed on a cemented area prior to the season and at the end of the season; team and a press area were covered.

reward you.

Our Bonus CheCk CArd helps you turn those schools supplies you need, into things you WAnT. earn points with signature-based transactions then redeem them for gift cards to some of your favorite stores, restaurants, and hotels.

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business notes cont.

• Most of the 14 public library branches in the parish have book sale tables available every day. Please call your neighborhood library for information.

To join, pick up a membership form at any public library.

Sister’s Surviving A breast cancer support group for African-American women, but open to any woman regardless of race. For more information, call (337) 433-5817.

Tuesday - August 18, 6pm

Lindsey Jaines Photography Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting On July 24th, Lindsey Janies Photography celebrated their grand opening in style in the lobby of the Charleston Hotel with Mayor Randy Roach, friends, family, and the Chamber SWLA staff and Ambassadors. The photography studio is located on the first floor of the historic hotel at 900 Ryan Street, Lake Charles. For more information about Lindsey Janies Photography call (337) 439-5367 or check out her web site at www. lindseyjanies.com.

July Winner Announced in Cameron State Bank’s Outdoor Adventure Giveaway Cameron State Bank announced Jim Jordan of Ragley winner of a guided duck hunting trip for two, a custom-made duck strap, and a signed, numbered and framed print by Elton Louviere, the July prize package given by Cameron State Bank as part of their Outdoor Adventure Giveaway going on now through November. Jordan registered at the Moss Bluff banking center on Sam Houston Jones Parkway. A different hunting or fishing trip is given away each month. Augusts’ giveaway is a guided trout fishing trip for two. The giveaway is open to the public, with registration slips available at all Cameron State Bank locations. The grand Leslie Harless, left, vice president of Cameron prize, a 17-foot fishing State Bank, presents Valery and Jim Jordan boat, motor and trailer, with a framed, signed and numbered print by will be given away in Elton Louviere as part of the July package in the November.

Outdoor Adventure Giveaway.

American Cancer Society Hosts Inaugural Breast Cancer Walk Join the fight against breast cancer by participating in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Southwest Louisiana on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Heritage Square in Sulphur. Registration for the 5-mile, noncompetitive walk/run will begin at 7 a.m., with the walk beginning at 8 a.m. Join others in the community to help provide hope for all people facing breast cancer. Help make a difference. Make history. Make Strides. For more information, or to register as an individual or a team, visit makingstrides. acsevents.org/southwestlouisiana or call 337-433-5817.

The Foundation House Celebrated Grand Opening On July 30th, The Foundation House welcomed many regional dignitaries to the grand opening of their facility at 720 Enterprise Blvd, Lake Charles. For more information about this event facility, call (337) 540-2898.

Upcoming Support Group Meetings at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Diabetes Support Group Don’t underestimate the importance of education and peer support when living with diabetes. For more information, call Memorial’s Diabetes Education at (337) 494-6425.

Tuesdays - August 4, 18, 10am – 11am La Leche League A breastfeeding support group for pregnant mothers and mothers who are already nursing. Meetings are free and open to mothers and babies. For more information call Courtney at (337) 217-8056 or Amber at (337) 313-4303.

Thursday - August 6, 10 – 11:30am Coping With Cancer For those cancer patients who are newly diagnosed, undergoing treatment, or who have completed treatment. For more information call Memorial’s Chaplain, Rev. David DeWitt at (337) 802-1933.

Tuesday - August 18 Noon – light refreshments served

August 20, 2009

11

Inside Baton Rouge - By John Maginnis

Biz Bytes - By Dan Juneau

Pushing the Healthcare Rock Uphill

W

ith congressmen back in their districts for August recess, the month ahead could be when the American people begin to get their minds around how to change the healthcare system. For Alan Levine, it’s about time.

How national healthcare will change and how Louisiana will adjust to it consumes much of the waking hours of the secretary of the Department of Health and Hospitals, whose daily to-do list, as it is, might be the most demanding in state government.

There are days when Levine’s plight seems like that of Sisyphus, the mythical king condemned to push a giant boulder uphill, only to have it roll back down over and again. The difference is that Levine, rather than being beaten down, seems ready to hit the rock each morning with wonkish enthusiasm, ready to talk healthcare with whoever will listen.

Since he came here from Florida last year, his overarching goal has been to revamp Louisiana’s dysfunctional public healthcare system, which is built around an outdated statewide charity hospital network that anyone with the means or a Medicaid card avoids. He is the lead architect of the Jindal administration’s proposal to the federal government to phase in a managed-care insurance model that would rely on community-based primary care clinics instead of public-hospital emergency rooms.

But he must wait to see if and how his proposal fits in with whatever new healthcare mandates arise from Congress.

That long-term goal would be challenging enough if his short-term problems did not seem so insurmountable. Within the context of overall declining state revenues, Levine has some immediate crises threatening to make everything worse.

His and the state’s most pressing concern is a looming big jump in the Louisiana’s Medicaid match rate, which goes from 28 percent to 37 percent beginning late next year.

That would cost the state an extra $700 million more per year, beginning in late 2010.

The feds tie match rates to personal per capita income, which spiked in Louisiana in the post-hurricane economy. Despite Levine’s entreaties, federal bureaucrats have shown little flexibility toward the unprecedented circumstances, and so it will take an act of Congress to save the state’s healthcare system from being wrecked. The congressional delegation is working on it.

“There are no marginal solutions” to a $700 million cut, he said, which would cause “massive elimination of programs,” especially with another $400 million in federal stimulus funds running out the same year the new Medicaid costs kick in.

At the same time he is trying to work out a repayment plan on $771 million owed to the feds for disallowed Medicaid and transportation payments from ten years ago.

Then there is the $492 million the state claims that FEMA owes it for replacing Katrina-wrecked Big Charity hospital in New Orleans, though FEMA has offered only $150 million. Before then, Levine must referee a turf battle over governance of a new hospital between LSU and Tulane, which he has likened to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Lastly, a new audit role will decrease the federal government’s payment to state hospitals for treating the uninsured by $130 million next year, or almost 15 percent.

Adding to the weight of the rock Levine pushes is that his boss, Gov. Bobby Jindal, is sitting on top and writing opinion pieces in national publications panning the president’s and Democrats’ healthcare revamp plans.

The state needs some big breaks, amounting to over $2 billion, from the Obama administration and Democratic Congress, about whom Jindal—potentially a presidential contender himself—has had few kind words to offer, from the stimulus bill to healthcare reform.

Levine keeps his shoulder to the rock while the fearless leader reloads his slingshot.

Still, the secretary has taken time to read most of the 1,000-page House healthcare bill—”some portions twice”—and shares Jindal’s concerns about what changes a government-run plan would force on private insurance in years to come. He also fears what employer mandates or penalties would do to small businesses, like the hamburger restaurant he still owns in Tallahassee.

One senses, however, given the historic changes in the works that Levine is primed for the challenge of integrating his vision for improved coverage and access to public healthcare with whatever plan Congress sends to the states—if the rock doesn’t crush him first.

12

August 20, 2009

Workforce Development Progress Report

L

ast year, at the urging of Louisiana’s business community, legislation was enacted to change the way the state assists employers in obtaining the workers needed to keep their shops and plants operating. Businesses complained their growth was restricted by an insufficient labor pool lacking the skills required for most jobs. They also questioned the validity of state forecasts for future labor demands.

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) worked with the governor and the Legislature to reform an unresponsive system by delegating needs assessment, decision making and problem solving to local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs). Thus, outcomes would be relevant to local economies. In addition, numerous state and federal programs that relate to the employment and training of Louisiana’s workers were to be integrated into a coordinated workforce development service delivery system statewide.

Now is a good time to assess whether we are any closer to improvement, especially as a change recently occurred in the department’s leadership. The new Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC) that replaced the state’s Department of Labor welcomed a new chief. Curt Eysink became LWC executive director when Tim Barfield left to replace Jimmy Faircloth as the governor’s executive counsel. Eysink will carry forward the vision he helped Barfield develop for implementing the legislation.

Barfield and Eysink agree that results to date have been less than intended. (To be fair, implementation was hampered by last fall’s two hurricanes, which occupied the full attention of most of the state’s agencies for a few months.) However, both gentlemen also agree that the last couple of months have finally produced progress that augurs well for more effective workforce development in the near term. And, there is some indication that businesses are noticing.

The integration process is progressing, particularly because the involved state department leaders are committed to the new system’s success. The turf battles that frequently prevent state agencies from working together and relinquishing control have not materialized. Much remains to be done in this regard, but the level of cooperation so far is reassuring.

The LWC has finalized its criteria for chartering WIBs. Meanwhile, WIB directors worked to upgrade their memberships. Some have been more successful than others because of the willingness of business leaders to serve and/or the willingness of local officials to appoint stronger WIB members.

One of the major impediments to a WIB’s success will be a lack of cooperation from the appointing authority, but this was always expected. Businesses in districts where local officials refuse to take actions that would improve the WIBs must actively assist the LWC in obtaining cooperation. This requires communication from the LWC and motivation on the part of the businesses. LABI will assist in the communication process, but businesses that become motivated sooner will see positive results sooner.

Improved business engagement with the LWC is most evident in the use of its Website. There has been a 27 percent increase in the number of businesses logging onto the Website over last year. Yet, there must be even more business involvement if the LWC’s services are to improve. Responding to LWC job surveys, serving on a WIB or attending a WIB meeting to provide input are but a few ways that businesses can help.

Last month, the LWC released an occupational forecast considered much more accurate than past projections. The forecast predicts Louisiana will add 350,000 jobs to its economy by 2016—the current economic downturn notwithstanding. That is a tall order, but one that can be met if businesses across the state become involved and participate in the new initiatives undertaken by the LWC. Jim Patterson, LABI’s Vice President of Governmental Relations and Employee Relations Council Director, contributed to this column.

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square foot tile. If we have to come down, we can,” said St. Amant.

One of the perks of choosing Flooring & Design Center, Inc. is that it is basically a one-stop shopping experience.

The women have enough experience to know what they are talking about and they enjoy their work.

Morton says they are the ones that go out and measure the houses, and they also get an idea of the layout and design of the house by being there.

If the house is being built and the customer is making paint sample choices and other decisions the women will create a list for them.

“We will send them home with a typed list, and they can take it to their builder or we can deal with the builders ourselves. I don’t mind doing it because I’m just happy to have that man’s business,” said St. Amant.

Starting in the fall St. Amant and Morton are signing up for online classes.

“We want to be CID certified in interior decorating. We want our customers to know that something looks good because we have had the training and not just because we think it does,” said Morton.

“We use Gisela as a resource for design questions. She is here so we ask her advice about what works and why,” said St. Amant.

With so many resources at their fingertips, the women are hard to beat when considering their experience, talent and enthusiasm.

Whether it is flooring needs or design assistance, Flooring & Design Center, Inc. is the place to visit. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the project is with St. Amant and Morton helping, all creative needs will be met.

For more information visit Flooring & Design Center, Inc. at 1401 Cypress Street in Sulphur, or call (337) 528-1077.

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August 20, 2009

13

By Katie Penny

C

Land Ownership: When Is It Yours?

an you come to own land if you live there long enough?

It is a common belief among the public that if you live on a piece of land long enough, even if you do not technically own it, you can become the owner. For once, one of those strange legal urban legends that are kicked around is actually true.

This idea, in Louisiana, is known as “acquisitive prescription,” and it basically amounts to exactly what people think it does—if you live somewhere long enough, even if you never had good legal title to the land, you can actually become the legal owner of the property. The bad news is that you have to live there a really long time, and you still have to have yourself named the owner in a court proceeding before you can be the legal owner in the public records.

You can come to own something through acquisitive prescription if the thing you want to own is immovable (such as land, buildings, etc.) or movable (vehicles, jewelry, etc.), but the amount of time you must possess the item varies. There are two official kinds of acquisitive prescription for immovable pieces of property, a 10-year variety and a 30-year variety, and two types for movable property, a 3-year variety and a 10-year variety. An important caveat here is that you can only gain ownership this way to certain types of property.

You cannot just squat on government property for 30 years and come to own it, unfortunately. Only private property can come to be owned through acquisitive prescription. Common property and public property (such as the lawn of a courthouse or a public park), whether movable or immovable, cannot come to be owned through acquisitive prescription.

There are 3 requirements in order to be able to become the owner of immovable property in just 10 years, rather than 30 years. It must be private property that can come to be owned by acquisitive prescription to begin with.

Then, you must actually physically possess the property continuously for at least 10 years. For immovable property, physical possession means you do things on the property, like live on it, build fences, etc. Generally, if you use the land in a way that is typical for that kind of land, that would be physical possession. We do not expect you to build a high-rise on a swamp, that is; but if you cut down trees, or drain the swamp, or something someone would normally do who owned swampland, that would probably suffice.

Second, you must be in good faith (at least when you begin the possession of the property). Good faith means that you must reasonably believe that you actually do own the property. “Reasonably,” for example, means that you could not put a tent in the State Capital and reasonably believe you could become the owner of the land under your tent. An ordinary person would have to believe reasonably that he could and does own the land, and he would have to have actually paid money for the property, and in an amount that a reasonable, ordinary person would expect that property to be worth.

Third, you must have what is called “just title.” This means that you have a document that is filed in the public records that would, under normal circumstances, have been enough to give you real actual legal title to the land.

Ten-year acquisitive prescription is actually intended to address a situation in which someone has done everything correctly to purchase and own some land, but it turns out that their paperwork was wrong or the lawyer goofed (that could NEVER happen, I tell you) drawing up the ownership paperwork,

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August 20, 2009

or the seller did not actually own the property they were trying to “sell”, or something else is wrong with the documents, but it was not really the fault of the buyer. Then, if the buyer lives there for 10 years, physically possessing the land, and has what would reasonably be believed to be just title, filed in the public records , even if the “title” was not actually good, and the buyer was in good faith, then the buyer may be legally recognized as having become the owner of the property anyway through 10-year acquisitive prescription.

If you lack one of these elements, such as having a document that someone might reasonably consider to be a title transferring ownership, or you happen to know that someone else might have an ownership interest in the property, you may still become the owner through 30-year acquisitive prescription. The only requirement for 30 year acquisitive prescription is that you physically possess the property for 30 years. Even if you know you do not own the property, even if you have no documents that say you might own the property, even if you know someone else does own the property, but you live publicly on the property uninterrupted for 30 years, you can come to court and be declared the legal owner. [If the real owner takes you to court, telling you to get off of his property, during the 30 years, that “interrupts” your 30 years.]

The idea behind 30 year acquisitive prescription is that we want land to be used. So, if someone is going to own property but never visit it, look at it, or take care of it for 30 years, so that some other person could come and live on their property for 30 years without them even noticing, we would rather the person who is actually living on and using the property be the owner than the legal owner.

[For movable property, the 3-year version has the same requirements as 10year immovable acquisitive prescription; and the 10-year version for movable property has the same requirements as 30-year acquisitive prescription for immovable property.]

So, good luck to all the squatters out there. There’s hope!

The provided information is fact-sensitive and jurisdiction-dependent. Consult an attorney before employing the above legal concepts.

Christopher J. Guillory l.l.c. attorney at law

• Free Consultations •

Civil and Commercial Litigation • Construction Law Real Estate Disputes • Contract Disputes • Insurance Law Tenant/Landord Law • Consumer Protection • Personal Injury Employment Law • Business Formation • Successions/Wills

772 HWY. 171 N., Moss Bluff, LA • 337-855-2130 guillorylawfirm.com

By D.B. Grady

Money Management Made Easy

W

hen I’m not grooming my polo ponies or watching the help tidy my yacht, I find it relaxing to examine my finances. Oh, there was a time when I was like you. No servants, no exotic sports car collection, no top hat. But then I discovered Mint, a free financial management website.

At first glance, it might not appear much different than the online checking services offered by your personal bank. But astute first glances are what separate those of us who roll cigars with hundred dollar bills from those of you who roll cigarettes with strips of worn newspaper. After entering your checking account credentials—note that Mint uses the same security measures as most banks, keeping your account secure—the site lists your check register and balance. It also allows you to enter each of your credit cards, and your mortgage, and your car loans and personal loans and student loans and credit lines and 401k and investment portfolios, among other accounts. It even lets you list PayPal. The result is an unfettered view of your financial status with intuitive charts and graphs.

But that is only a small part of Mint’s magic. It analyzes your expenditures and breaks them down by category. (That is to say, when it sees McDonalds on your Visa, it automatically files it under Fast Food. When it sees La Truffe Sauvage, it files it under Dining. In this respect, it’s also casting judgment on your palette.) It paints a complete portrait, to the penny, of your purchases across accounts and through time, and does so with no user involvement.

The upshot of this is an immediate means of financial self-evaluation that is always up to date. It allows the user to set financial goals based on accurate numbers, and make careful decisions about which corners to cut, and where.

In a down economy, belt tightening is a way of life. Mint not only tells you where to tighten the belt, but handles the buckle for you, as well.

It is especially useful when used in conjunction with a pen-and-paper check

register. Whenever an underhanded ATM fee or other nebulous service charge is deducted from your account, it fires an immediate email or text message alert, helping achieve that ever-elusive checkbook that’s accurate to the penny. It also sends alerts for payments due and interest rate changes, and offers warnings whenever your account falls below a predefined threshold. In this respect, Mint takes the fear out of finances, and helps even the laziest or most fiscally clueless take charge of his or her account.

When I’m at the vacation house in Prague—or is it Paris? These days, it’s hard to keep up with my sprawling real estate—I like the freedom that a web-based financial management suite brings.

Since the dawn of personal computing, we’ve been tethered to desktop software and the possibility of crashed hard drives and data loss. Those days are no more.

Microsoft Money? So last year. (No, really, it’s last year; Microsoft has discontinued the program.) Quicken, too, has seen the light and released an online competitor for Mint, but does not allow data imports from the desktop version, removing its only potential edge.

On-the-go, Mint is accessible through an iPhone app. (I carry around my iPhone in my smoking jacket, when I don’t feel like delegating telephone duties to my personal assistant.) The app is nicely featured, offering full account overviews, as well as cash flow and budget reports.

I didn’t always wear a monocle or have a swimming pool filled with cash.

But with Mint as my guide, I’ve been able to cope with the recession and make wise choices with my money. Now you’ll have to excuse me. My helicopter is fueled and primed to get me to the airport where my private jet awaits. The coral reefs of Bora Bora aren’t going to snorkel themselves.

Mint Software, Inc. (http://www.mint.com)

August 20, 2009

15

STUDENT healthcare

Freshman Finance for the College-Bound With the real world comes a real set of responsibilities, and chief among them are those that pertain to your pocketbook. If you’re college-bound, you’ve probably gone through orientation designed to introduce you to dorm life, time management skills, and the campus layout, while one of life’s most important lessons – how to manage your money – is left untouched.

Credit card companies and aggressive lenders are privy to the fact that young college students are prone to spend more freely than their parents, so they take action quickly. You’ll find that becoming a college freshman makes you a sought-after customer for “pre-approved” and “pre-qualified” offers.

You may even receive a check in the mail that proves to be quick cash in your hands – at a cost, of course.

According to a Sallie Mae study released in April, 84 percent of undergraduates have at least one credit card, up from 76 percent in 2004.

The research found that, on average, students have five credit cards, with half holding four or more. The average balance was more than $3,000.

“In most cases, one credit card is enough for a young college student. There is no magic number as to how many cards each consumer should hold, but a good rule is to only have credit cards that you can afford to pay off each month. If you find that you usually pay the minimum balance and all your cards are maxed out, that’s a red flag that you have too many. A new college student simply won’t have enough earning power to pay that balance down most of the time,” said Lyles McDaniel, Senior Vice President with Cameron State Bank.

McDaniel offered the following guide for college-bound freshmen as they wade through the financial responsibilities of adulthood: • Don’t be swayed by big-print credit offers that come in the mail. “Pay less attention to the big letters that promise zero-percent interest and pay more attention to the fine print, which is where the real information is,” McDaniel said. “Reading fine print should become a habit of anyone who applies for credit.”

• Some financial lenders send legitimate checks in the mail, made out in your name. It’s understandably tempting to cash these checks, but “once again, look at the fine print,” stresses McDaniel. “These checks usually carry hefty interest rates that make cashing them less worthwhile.”

• Use your credit card for emergencies only, and don’t carry more cards than you can afford.

• Make sure you have a clear understanding of the interest rates on your lines of credit. If you pay the minimum amount due each month, you’re usually only paying off the additional expenses tacked on to owning a credit card. If you can’t afford to pay more than the minimum balance, don’t have credit cards.

• Open a checking account at a local bank and learn how to balance your checkbook. A financial professional at your bank of choice can help you decide which checking account plan is best for you and give you a crash-course on how to balance it every month. If possible, open a savings account as well.

• In addition to balancing your checkbook, make sure you keep track of your credit purchases. Sixty percent of students surveyed by Sallie Mae were surprised at how high their balance went and how quickly it skyrocketed.

• Save money by spending wisely. “One of the greatest benefits

16

August 20, 2009

of college life is access to free or low-cost entertainment. Pay attention to those opportunities as much as possible,” McDaniel said. If you’re fortunate enough to be on a meal plan, be sure to take advantage. Eat on campus instead of fast food. It may seem cheap to spend three bucks on hamburgers, but those three bucks add up quickly. Also, learn how to grocery shop wisely. Buy generic brands, use coupons, and comparison shop whenever possible.”

• Have a budget, and stick to it. It’s easy to lose control of your finances, especially when you’re in college and busy with so many other things. Before you get in full semester swing, develop a budget with estimated costs in various categories, such as entertainment, supplies, and other expenses. Try to stay within that budget as much as possible. “Making a budget often requires a lot of guesswork, so it’s understandable that you may spend a little more than you planned from time to time, but usually you can get within a reasonable ballpark. Just make sure you don’t hit too many fouls,” McDaniel said. Having a budget can greatly reduce stress because you have a general idea of what to expect financially each month, and “the less stress you can muster during college, the better.”

• Understand the consequences of poor financial choices. If you stick to minimum payments, open or apply for too many lines of credit, or don’t pay bills on time, your FICO score will be affected. The FICO score determines what your interest rates will be on future purchases. “A low credit score costs you money and sometimes can prevent you from making future purchases, like a car or a home,” McDaniel said.

According to McDaniel, discipline is the key to financial management for consumers of any age: “If you can master the art of discipline, you will do well financially.

That is where of us fall Project9 5/23/08 10:16 most AM Page 1 short, in finances and in life.”

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Give College Students

a Shot

Think childhood immunizations stop at childhood? Think again. College kids may need a shot or two before they begin their first semester, according to Christa O’Neal, RN, Shots for Tots Coordinator, with West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital.

“Certain immunizations are important for college students, and some universities have specific requirements, while others just make recommendations,” says O’Neal. “The often-crowded classroom setting, social activities and shared housing of college life can lead to increased risk of communicable diseases being spread among the student population. This transitional time, from childhood to adulthood, is a good time to make sure you are as protected as you can be from these types of diseases.”

She says to avoid delays in enrollment, be sure to check the university’s immunization policy, and have the appropriate documentation available. She offers the following list of immunizations that college students may need, or want to consider getting: Meningococcal (Meningitis) The vaccination is now required by Louisiana law for all college freshmen, and O’Neal says this is one that many freshmen may need to get before they are allowed to complete enrollment because it was not a required immunization during this age group’s earlier school years. It is now a requirement for all

children 11 years old and entering 6th grade to have this vaccine as well.

MMR (Measles, mumps, rubella) A second vaccination is required for primary school. If college students have not received this, they are required to have a second vaccination before going to college.

Varicella (chickenpox) Recommended if there is no history of physician-diagnosed chickenpox, or if this vaccination was not received during childhood or adolescence. Two doses of this vaccine are needed for full protection, so even if one was received previously, a second is recommended before college.

Hepatitis A If students have not received two doses of hepatitis A as a child, they should strongly consider receiving this vaccine before entering college.

Hepatitis B This three-shot series has been a part of routine infant immunizations since 1991, and recommended to all older children since 1999, but not all teens have received it. It is strongly recommended that the three-dose series be completed before college.

HPV This three-dose series is recommended for all females age 11-12 years with catch-up for females age 13 – 26 years for prevention of the virus that can be associated with cervical cancer.

Tetanus-diptheria-acellular pertussis booster (Tdap) A booster vaccine that contains acellular pertussis is now required for students at 11 years of age. A booster dose of tetanus vaccine, given within the past ten (10) years, is required for college enrollment in Louisiana.

Influenza The flu virus is easily spread in classrooms and dormitories on college campuses. All students should consider getting the flu vaccine each fall to reduce their risk of infection and missed days of class. This year, O’Neal says they should pay extra attention to flu shot recommendations regarding the swine flu as more information becomes available from health agencies and their university’s policies this fall.

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August 20, 2009

17

I

Cowboys: Explosive Offense and an Improved Defense

n 2008, the McNeese State Cowboys broke numerous school records, but the season ended in disappointment as the Cowboys finished 7-4 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005. The players don’t want that to happen again, and they seem to be headed in the right direction.

“The attitude during the off-season has been fantastic,” said head coach Matt Viator. “We’ve had great participation. We could not have asked any more out of our players. I think the excitement is there. The enthusiasm is there. We’re looking forward to starting the season.”

The strength of the team is in the offensive backfield with senior quarterback Derrick Fourroux and senior running back Toddrick Pendland. Last season Pendland set a new single season rushing mark with 1,431 yards, and he scored a team leading 15 touchdowns.

Last year was also a banner year for Fourroux, who set career highs in passing yards, pass completions,and passing and rushing touchdowns. Fourroux did not just set individual records. The Erath, LA native, led an offense that set school records for total yardage gained per game (464), passing yards gained per game (236), and points scored per game (37.5). Fourroux has started every game since his freshman year, and he’s on pace to break many career records held by former Cowboy great, Kerry Joseph.

“He has won games. He does what he needs to do in our offense, and he doesn’t turn the ball over,” said Viator. “I don’t think I’ve seen a kid be as productive as he has, and turn the ball over less than he has. Derrick is just a winner. He has the respect of his teammates. He has the respect of his coaches, and hopefully he can have another big year for us.”

Fourroux will be throwing to a group of wide receivers that haven’t necessarily started a lot of games, but they all have game experience (Immanuel Friddle, Bernardo Henry, Chad Davis and Richard Conner). It appears that the Cowboys are loaded at tight end.

“I think we are more talented than we’ve been at tight end with Wes Mangan, Corday Clark and Brandon Broussard,” said Viator. “We’re excited about who we have catching the ball.”

The biggest question mark for the offense looks to be up front where only one of five starters returns on the offensive line. It helps that the lone returning starter is senior Casey Richter, who is considered one of the elite tackles in the Southland Conference.

“We have some new faces on the offensive line, but they are guys that we think have talent. We’re excited about them,” said Viator.

There will also be plenty of new faces on defense. Only three starters return from a defense that performed rather poorly in 2008. The Cowboys allowed nearly 30 points per game, and surrendered at least 35 points in five games.

“I think we have a chance defensively. We have some really good players who are not necessarily returning starters, but we’re not going to put anyone out there who hasn’t played,” said Viator. “I think we’ll have some speed. I think overall what we have to improve on is tackling. We have to have a better tackling team than we had, and I think we will.”

For the Cowboys to improve on their 7-4 record from one season ago, they have to find a way to win the close games.

“We lost to North Carolina by seven points and out gained them,” said Viator.

“We lost by three points to Texas State, lost by three points to Nicholls and had a chance to beat Central Arkansas in the last game of the year. The games that were close, we lost. The year before in 2007, we won those games. Last year we lost them. So we have to figure out a way to win those games.”

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August 20, 2009

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New Drug & Alcohol Collection Center Contractors Drug Free Alliance *Quick electronic sign up with an easy, user-

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1201 Ryan Street Grand Opening

*Managed rehabilitation program

The Safety Council of SWLA is proud to announce the opening of our Drug & Alcohol Collection Center. The new center provides service to the Contractors Drug Free Alliance. Our collection center is a state of the art location.

*Independent Medical Review Officer

Drug Free Alliance

www.csefcu.org Main Office • 4321 Nelson Road • 337.477.2000 Sulphur Branch • 2154 Swisco Road • 337.625.5747 20

August 20, 2009

*On site random testing at facilities

The Contractors Drug Free Alliance is committed to a drug free workplace for all of Southwest Louisiana construction workers. The Alliance provides a database that captures drug and alcohol screening results & makes the compliant/non-compliant status available to all Alliance Members. If you are interested in improving your drug program please visit our website at www.safetycouncilswla.org to sign up.

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For more information on the new drug and alcohol program contact: Mason Lindsay Manager of Customer Service mlindsay@safetycouncilswla.org (337) 436-8809

1201 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601

Surviving College Chaos

By Chaney Ferguson ollege is difficult enough without adding more stress. One way to minimize anxiety is through organization. Freshman year holds many unknowns and dorm life can be daunting. If you are lucky enough to know the person you will be rooming with, it will be easier to decide what you should bring in the way of necessities. You can discuss your needs with your future roommate and make a decision about who will supply what items.

However, many people do not know who they will be sharing a room with. If this is the case, then you will need to make a list of essential items. The first step in making your list is finding out what items are allowed in dorms and those that are not. Some universities do not allow microwaves or toaster ovens. It is important to know the rules so you don’t get off on the wrong foot with your resident advisor.

Decorating a dorm room can be tricky. The most important thing is to remember that you share that space with someone else. Try to make the small room feel as comfortable as you can for the other person.

When choosing bedding, it is important to know the size of the dorm bed. Many twin size beds in dorms call for extra-long sheets. Lighting is another aspect to consider. Choosing a desk lamp to study by may be enough, but sometimes additional lighting is necessary.

Posters on the walls can make things feel cozier, but once again you should define your space and your roommate’s space before making too many decisions.

Also remember not to do too much damage to the walls.

This isn’t your bedroom at home. This property belongs to the university. Resident advisors will check the room for damage at the end of the year, and you can be held responsible.

Since many students choose to go away to college, it is necessary for roommates to know how to contact each other’s families in case of an emergency. Important family contact numbers should be written down and posted somewhere in the room. If there is ever a problem, each student knows how to get in touch with the other’s family members.

Dorm life is crowded enough as it is without a lot of personal items. Only bring what is essential. Most likely many organizational items with be purchased the day you move in, with a quick trip to the store. Closet hooks, storage units to shove under beds and closet organizers will all depend on how big the space is.

C

There are some necessary items that can be collected before arrival: Study/Desk Items: Dictionary Thesaurus Notebooks Paper Paper Clips Tape Pens Pencils Stapler Highlighter Hole punch Calendar Extra Computer Supplies Laundry Items: Laundry soap Stain remover Laundry basket

Fabric softener Bag of quarters Iron Ironing board Food and Utensils: Bowls Plates Cups Eating utensils Small Refrigerator Microwave (if allowed) Toaster (if allowed) Paper towels Can opener Dish soap Sponge Trash bags Trashcan

August 20, 2009

21

FREE STUDENT CHECKING FREE GIFT

EXCLUSIVELY at Cameron State Bank, specially designed McNeese State University checks and checkbook covers.

• Free First Order of Specially Designed Checks • Free Internet Banking • Free Mobile Banking • Free Bill Pay • Free ATM/Debit Card with no annual fee • Free RediCall 24-hour account information • Free ATM usage at any Cameron State Bank ATM

So, saddle up and stop by any of our 21 banking centers and open an account at Cameron State Bank,

The Official Bank of McNeese State University Athletics.

22

August 20, 2009

McNeese Football Schedule 2009 Date

Opponent

Location

Time

Sat, Sep 05

Henderson State

Cowboy Stadium

Sat, Sep 12

Appalachian State

Boone, NC

Sat, Sep 19

Savannah State

Cowboy Stadium

Sat, Sep 26

Tulane

New Orleans, LA

2:30 p.m.

Sat, Oct 10

Stephen F. Austin

Nacogdoches, TX

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 17

Nothwestern State

Cowboy Stadium

7:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 24

Southeastern Louisiana

Cowboy Stadium

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 31

Nicholls State

Thibodaux, LA

Sat, Nov 07

Sam Houston State

Cowboy Stadium

Sat, Nov 14

Texas State

San Marcos, TX.

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 21

Central Arkansas

Cowboy Stadium

7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

TBA 7:00 p.m.

1:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

LSU Football Schedule 2009

Date

Opponent

Location

Sat, Sep 05

Washington

Seattle, Wash. (Husky Stadium)

Sat, Sep 12

Vanderbilt

Tiger Stadium

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 19 UL-Lafayette

Tiger Stadium

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 26

Mississippi St.

Starkville, Miss. (Davis Wade Stadium)

TBA.

Sat, Oct 03

Georgia

Athens, Ga. (Sanford Stadium)

TBA

Sat, Oct 10

Florida

Tiger Stadium

7:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 24 Auburn

Tiger Stadium

7:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 31

Tulane

Tiger Stadium

7:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 07

Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Bryant-Denny Stadium)

Sat, Nov 14

Louisiana Tech

Tiger Stadium

Sat, Nov 21

Ole Miss

Oxford, Miss. (Vaught-Hemingway Stadium)

Sat, Nov 28 Arkansas

Tiger Stadium

Sat, Dec 05

Atlanta, Ga. (Georgia Dome)

TBD

Time

9:30 p.m.

TBA 7:00 p.m.

TBA 7:00 p.m.

3:00 p.m.

U of L Lafayette Football Schedule 2009 Date

Opponent

Location

Time

Sat, Sep 05

Southern

Cajun Field

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 12

Kansas State

Cajun Field

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 19

Louisiana State

Baton Rouge, La.

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 26

Nebraska

Lincoln, Neb.

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 10

North Texas

Cajun Field

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 17

Western Kentucky

Bowling Green, Ky.

Sat, Oct 24

Florida Atlantic

Cajun Field

4:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 31

FIU

Miami, Fla.

11:00 a.m.

Sat, Nov 07

Arkansas State

Jonesboro, Ark.

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 14

Middle Tennessee

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

3:15 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 21 ULM

Cajun Field

6:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 28

Cajun Field

6:00 p.m.

Troy

August 20, 2009

23

with toddrick pendland by garrett lumpkin

24

August 20, 2009

be good, you should have told them that you were going to set the single season rushing record!

Pendland: (Laughs) I tell my coaches all the time, I told you so!

Lumpkin: If you could single out one characteristic that makes you a special runner, what would it be?

Pendland: I work hard, that’s the main thing. At practice my coaches tell me all the time, it doesn’t matter if you get tackled or not. Get up and run and finish the play. That helps out in the games. I don’t take my helmet off at practice even if it is hot. I just spray a little water through the helmet. Those are little things, but they all add up.

Lumpkin: No offense, but your not a very big guy. (Todd is 5’9’’, 175 lbs) Pendland: That’s alright.

Lumpkin: What has it been like having to overcome the “small back” stereotype?

I

n 2008 McNeese State running back Toddrick Pendland took full advantage of the opportunity that he received. Given the chance to start for the first time in his collegiate career, Pendland did not disappoint. The Newton, TX native ran for a school record 1,431 yards, and scored a team leading 15 touchdowns. Pendland was named the 2008 Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year, and he’s been tabbed a preseason All-American pick in 2009.

Lumpkin: Do you go by Toddrick or can I call you Todd?

Pendland: It really doesn’t matter. Toddrick is cool or you can call me Todd.

Lumpkin: Alright Todd. Last season you set the MSU single season rushing record after rushing for a total of just 647 yards during your first two years combined. How did it all come together for you?

Pendland: It was just a blessing really. My offensive line was doing their thing, and I’m just glad that Coach Viator gave me an opportunity to run the ball. I told coach for two years that I was ready, and I guess I just had to wait for my turn.

Lumpkin: Every college football player was a star on his high school team. What’s it like coming to college, where a lot of guys just like you, have to wait for their turn to play?

Pendland: Sitting on the bench, it hurts you know. I got here my freshman year and sat down for the first game. I hadn’t sat down like that since pee wee. I wanted to quit. I wanted to transfer, but I’m glad I stayed here. I talked to my coaches and they helped me out. They asked me before last season if I was going to be ready. I told them that I was going to be good. They put their faith in me and it all worked out.

Lumpkin: I’ll say! But instead of telling your coaches you were going to

Pendland: Man, I’ve heard that ever since I first started playing football.

I’m tough you know. I come from a small school, and I feel like I have something to prove every time I step on the field.

Lumpkin: You ran for all of those yards last year behind an offensive line that returns only one of five starters. How has it been running behind a new group of linemen?

Pendland: Those guys have come a long way. At the beginning of the spring they were a little shaky, but by the time spring practice ended we were running the ball really well. They’ve gotten off to a good start here in August, and I think they’ll be ready by the time we kick off that first game.

Lumpkin: Can you turn in another record breaking season running behind these guys?

Pendland: I’m not worried about stats or records. All I care about is winning conference and making it to the playoffs. I haven’t been to the playoffs since I’ve been here, so I got to get my feet up in there.

Lumpkin: Wait. Weren’t you on the 2007 team that went undefeated during the regular season and made it to the playoffs?

Pendland: Oh yeah. We lost in the first round, but I didn’t get to play in the playoff game because I pulled my hamstring the week before.

Lumpkin: Maybe that’s why the Cowboys lost in the first round, because you were injured.

Pendland: (Laughs) I don’t know about that!

Lumpkin: Last year the Cowboys finished 7-4 and missed the playoffs.

What is it going to take for this team to get back to the playoffs?

Pendland: Hard work, dedication and sacrificing. We have plenty of talent on this team. If we all stay committed, then we’ll be fine.

August 20, 2009

25

McNeese Athletic Schedules

2009-10

Women’s Soccer

26

Fri, Aug 21

at Lafayette

7 p.m.

Fri, Aug 28

Gonzaga at Spokane, WA

3 p.m.

Sat, Aug 29

Eastern Washington at Cheney, WA

4 p.m.

Fri, Sep 04

Baylor

4 p.m.

Sun, Sep 06 Alcorn State

1 p.m.

Fri, Sep 11

Houston Baptist

4 p.m.

Sun, Sep 13

Houston at Houston, TX

1 p.m.

Fri, Sep 18

Louisiana-Monroe at Monroe, LA

4 p.m.

Sun, Sep 20

Grambling at Grambling, LA

1 p.m.

Fri, Sep 25

Southern at Baton Rouge

4 p.m.

Sun, Sep 27

LSU-Shreveport

2 p.m.

Fri, Oct 02

Sam Houston St.

4 p.m.

Sun, Oct 04

Stephen F. Austin

2 p.m.

Fri, Oct 09

UT-San Antonio at San Antonio, TX

7 p.m.

Sun, Oct 11

Texas State at San Marcos, TX

1 p.m.

Fri, Oct 16

Central Arkansas

4 p.m.

Sun, Oct 18

Northwestern State

2 p.m.

Sun, Oct 25

Lamar

2 p.m.

Fri, Oct 30

Southeastern La. at Hammond, LA

3 p.m.

Sun, Nov 01

Nicholls State at Thibodaux, LA

1 p.m.

August 20, 2009

Women’s Volleyball Aug. 28-29

at Mississippi State Tourney

Sept. 1

Houston Baptist

Sept. 4-5

at Alabama Bama Bash

Sept. 11-12

McNEESE STATE INV.

Sept. 11

UL-Lafayette vs. Texas Pan Am

3 p.m.

McNeese St. vs. Prairie View

6 p.m.

Sept. 12

UL-Lafayette vs. Prairie View

10:30 a.m.

McNeese St. vs. Texas Pan Am 1p.m.

Prairie View vs. Texas-Pan Am

3:30 p.m.

McNeese St. vs. UL-Lafayette

6 p.m.

Sept. 18-19

at UL-Monroe Tourney

Sept. 22

Louisiana Tech

7 p.m.

Sept. 25

*Northwestern State

7 p.m.

Sept. 26

*Central Arkansas

4 p.m.

Oct. 3

*Stephen F. Austin

4 p.m.

Oct. 8

*at Southeastern La.

7 p.m.

Oct. 10

*at Nicholls

3 p.m.

Oct. 14

*at Texas-San Antonio

7 p.m.

Oct. 17

*Texas A&M-CC

2 p.m.

Oct. 23

*at Lamar

7 p.m.

Oct. 24

*at Sam Houston State

7 p.m.

Oct. 30

*UT-Arlington

7 p.m.

Oct. 31

*Texas State

3 p.m.

Nov. 5

*at Central Arkansas

7 p.m.

Nov. 7

*at Northwestern State

4 p.m.

Nov. 10

*at Stephen F. Austin

7 p.m.

Nov. 13

*Nicholls

7 p.m.

Nov. 14

*Southeastern La.

2 p.m.

Nov. 20-22

Southland Conference Tournament (San Antonio, TX.)

7 p.m.

Men’s Basketball

Men’s & Women’s Cross Country

Fri, Nov 13

Northern Colorado at Honolulu, HI

TBA

Sun, Nov 15

Hawaii at Honolulu, HI

TBA

Mon, Nov 16

Southern Utah at Honolulu, HI

TBA

Sat, Nov 21

Louisiana College

1 p.m.

Mon, Nov 23

Samford at Birmingham, AL

7 p.m.

Sat, Nov 28 UL-Lafayette

1 p.m.

Tue, Dec 01

Paul Quinn College

7 p.m.

Sat, Dec 12

Ole Miss at Oxford, MS

7 p.m.

Wed, Dec 16

Tulane at New Orleans

7 p.m.

Sat, Dec 19

Louisiana Tech at Ruston

7 p.m.

Tue, Dec 22

Southern (N.O.)

7 p.m.

Tue, Dec 29

Rice at Houston, TX

7 p.m.

Fri, Jan 01 Mon, Jan 04

Texas Tech at Lubbock, TX LSU at Baton Rouge

3 p.m.

7 p.m.

Sat, Jan 09 UT-San Antonio

3 p.m.

Sat, Jan 16

TBA

Lamar at Beaumont, TX

Wed, Jan 20 Southeastern La.

7 p.m.

Sept. 4th

McNeese Cowboy Relay

Sat, Jan 23

Central Arkansas at Conway, AR

3 p.m.

Sept. 12th

LaTech Mook 4mile/4k

Wed, Jan 27

Nicholls State at Thibodaux

7 p.m.

Sept. 18th

UL-Laf Invite 4mile/5k

Sun, Jan 31

Stephen F. Austin at LC Civic Center

3 p.m.

Sept. 25th

TXAMCC Islander Splash (pre-conference) 8k/5k

Wed, Feb 03

Northwestern State at Natchitoches

7 p.m.

Oct. 3rd

McNeese Cowboy Stampede Men & Women 5k

Sat, Feb 06

Texas State at San Marcos, TX

7 p.m.

Oct. 17th

Chili Pepper Inv., University of Arkansas

Oct. 31st

SLC Championships, Corpus Christi, TX

Wed, Feb 10 Sat, Feb 13

Texas-Arlington at LC Civic Center 7 p.m.

Stephen F. Austin at Nacogdoches, TX 4 p.m.

Nov. 14th

NCAA Regionals, Waco, TX

Nov. 23rd

NCAA Cross Country Champsionship, Terra Haute, IN

Wed, Feb 17 Northwestern State

7 p.m.

Sat, Feb 20

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

3 p.m.

Wed, Feb 24

Sam Houston State at Huntsville, TX

7 p.m.

Sat, Feb 27

Nicholls State

3 p.m.

Wed, Mar 03

Southeastern La. at Hammond

7 p.m.

Sat, Mar 06

Central Arkansas

3 p.m.

August 20, 2009

27

McNeese State University 2009 - 10 Academic Calendar August

12

13

17

19 September

3

7

11

18 October

6

29

November 23-27

30 December

1

1

2

3

8

8

10

12

18

August

13

17

18

September

10

23 October

6

7

9

Freshman Orientation, 8:00 a.m.

Late registration begins Classes begin Last Registration Official Reporting Day (14th Class Day) Labor Day Holiday (University offices closed) Last date to make grade appeal from previous semester Last date to file for degree for fall commencement Mid-Term Last date to resign from the University or withdraw from courses Thanksgiving Holiday (Classes will not meet Saturday, November 28. University offices closed November 25-27.)

Classes resume Last date for faculty to remove “I” grade from previous semester for currently enrolled students Classes end (Classes beginning at or after 4:00 p.m. will not meet.)

Study Day (Final examinations for evening classes begin.)

Final examinations begin Final examinations end Grades for graduating students due by 3:00 p.m.

All remaining grades due by 10:00 a.m.

Commencement exercises, 10:00 a.m.

University closes at 4:30 p.m. and reopens on Monday, January 4.

Session A (8 Weeks) Late registration begins Session A classes begin Last date to register, add courses, make section changes, and change credit or audit classification for Session A Mid-Term Last date to withdraw from Session A courses Session A classes end Session A final examinations Session A grades due by 10:00 a.m.

August

13 October

8

9

November

2 23-27

December

3

4

8

10 December

14

15 23-25

31 January

1

4

8

11

13 January

4

14

15

18

19

21 February

5

12

15-17

19 March

9 29-31

Session B (8 Weeks) Late registration begins Session B classes begin Last date to register, add courses, make section changes, and change credit or audit classification for Session B Last date to withdraw from Session B courses Thanksgiving Holiday (University offices closed November 25-27.)

Session B classes end Session B final examinations Session B final grades for graduating students due by 3:00 p.m.

All remaining Session B grades due by 10:00 a.m.

SPRING 2010 PRE-SESSION Spring Pre-Session classes begin Last date to add or drop Spring Pre-Session courses Christmas Holiday New Year’s Eve Holiday New Year’s Holiday Last date to withdraw from Spring Pre-Session courses Spring Pre-Session classes end Spring Pre-Session final examinations Spring Pre-Session grades due by 10:00 a.m.

SPRING 2010 SEMESTER University reopens Freshman Orientation, 8:00 a.m.

Late registration begins Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (University offices closed) Classes begin Last Registration Official Reporting Day (14th Class Day) Last date to make grade appeal from previous semester Mardi Gras Holiday (University offices closed) Last date to file for degree for spring commencement Mid-Term Spring Vacation (Classes will meet on Saturday, March 27.)

Continued on Page 30

28

August 20, 2009

Another Succes Story

Good Luck Cowboys!

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August 20, 2009 LDL_4405_JDFootball_TSWLA_AD.indd 1

29 8/17/09 12:04:11 PM

McNeese 2009 - 10 Academic Calendar cont.

April

1-2 Spring Vacation (University offices closed.

Classes will not meet Sat., April 3.)

5 Last date for faculty to remove “I” grade from

previous semester for currently enrolled students

5 Classes end (Evening classes beginning

will meet.)

6 Thursday Study Day (Final examinations for evening classes begin.)

7 Final examinations begin

12 Final examinations end

12 Grades for graduating students due by 3:00 p.m.

14 All remaining grades due by 10:00 a.m.

15 Commencement exercises, 10:00 a.m.

January

15

18

19

20 February

11 15-17 March

1

11

12

15 January

15 March

10 29-31 April

1-2

14

27 May

7

10

12

14

Session A (8 Weeks) Late registration begins Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (University offices closed.)

Session A classes begin Last Registration Mid-Term Mardi Gras Holiday (University offices closed.)

Last date to withdraw from Session A courses Session A classes end Session A final examinations Session A grades due by 10:00 a.m.

Session B (8 Weeks) Late registration begins Session B classes begin Spring Vacation Spring Vacation Mid-Term Last date to withdraw from Session B courses Session B classes end Session B final examinations Session B grades for graduating students due by 3:00 p.m.

All remaining Session B grades due by 10:00 a.m.

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August 20, 2009

Delta Tech Academic Calendar 2009 August 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mid Quarter Point September 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No Friday Plus September 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Labor Day Holiday (School Closed) September 22-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Final Exams September 29 . . . . . . . . . . . Quarter Classes Begin (Day and Night) November 3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mid Term and Final Exams November 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mid Quarter Point November 25-27 . . . . . . . . . Thanksgiving Holiday (School Closed) December 15-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Final Exams Note: See the new website for updates: www.deltatech.edu.com

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SOWELA TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2009 – 2010 (Subject to Change)

FALL 2009 SEMESTER – August 17 – December 4, 2009 Fall 09 Registration August 12–14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall 2009 Late Registration August 17 . . . . . . . . . . . Classes Begin / Add / Drop Period Begins August 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day to Add Classes August 19 . . . . . All Fees Due for Late Registration and Add (3:00pm) August 20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purge Unpaid Schedules (3:00pm) August 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day for 75% Refund August 28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day for 50% Refund September 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . 14th Instructional Day / Reporting Day September 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Labor Day Holiday October 19 . . . . . Last Day to Drop a Class or Withdraw from School November 9 – 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advising Days November 17–19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2010 Registration November 25 – 27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thanksgiving Holiday December 4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fall Semester Ends December 4 . . . . Deadline for Removal of Incompletes from Previous

Semester December 10 . . . . . . . Deadline for New Applications for the Spring

Semester SPRING 2010 SEMESTER – January 12 – May 10, 2010 January 5 . . . . . . . Fees Due for Spring 2010 Registration (3:00pm) January 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purge Unpaid Schedules (3:00pm) January 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2010 Late Registration January 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2010 Late Registration January 12 . . . . . . . . . . Classes Begin / Add / Drop Period Begins January 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day to Add classes January 14 . . . . . . . . . . . All Fees Due for Late Registration and Add January 15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purge Unpaid Schedules January 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday January 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day for 75% Refund January 26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day for 50% Refund February 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14th Instructional Day / Reporting Day February 15 – 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mardi Gras Holiday March 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Last Day to Drop a Class or Withdraw March 15 – 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advising Days March 17 – 19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . STEPS Testing Days March 25 – Apr 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring Break April 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2010 Registration April 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summer 2010 Registration May 6 . . . . Deadline for New Applications for the Summer Semester May 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring Semester Ends May 10 Deadline for Removal of Incompletes from Previous Semester May 14 . . . . . . . Fees Due for Summer 2010 Registration (3:00pm) May 17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Purge Unpaid Schedules (3:00pm) May 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring 2010 Commencement

August 20, 2009

31

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August 20, 2009

877-95-FOCUS

“The Times of

Southwest Louisiana has been instrumental in establishing the first two years of my business.”

— Stacey Vezinot, Owner, Stacey’s Armoire

F i n a nc ial Focus Get Educated About Investing

I

by Mike Allen

f you have children at home, you’re no doubt aware that it’s the traditional back-to-school time. But even if your days of parentteacher conferences are in the past, or even in the future, you can still find a place in your life for education.

You might want to start by educating yourself about investing.

To get the most out of your investment education, ask yourself these questions: • W hat are my goals? Your financial goals should drive your investment decisions.

You probably have short-term goals, such as making a down payment on a home or paying for a vacation, and long-term goals, such as saving for your children’s college education or building resources for your retirement. Once you’ve identified your goals, you can create an investment strategy to help achieve them.

you’re a moderate investor, less risk-averse than some but less aggressive than others.

However you’d characterize yourself, it’s essential that you factor in your risk tolerance when choosing investments.

Otherwise, you’ll likely end up causing yourself needless worry over your investment portfolio’s performance.

• W hen should I make changes to my investments? Once you’ve built an investment portfolio, you shouldn’t leave it on “autopilot.”

Over time, you most likely will need to add new investments or sell others. However, try to avoid selling quality investments

just because their share price has dropped — they may still have good long-term prospects.

In general, you should sell an investment under certain circumstances. For example, if your goals have changed, you may find the need to sell some investments and purchase others. You may decide to sell an investment if it’s no longer what it was when you purchased it. For example, maybe you’ve invested in a company whose products are less competitive than they once were, or perhaps the company belongs to an industry now in decline. And finally, if your portfolio has become “overweighted” with certain types of investments, you may decide to sell some of them to bring your holdings back into balance, based on your goals, risk

tolerance and time horizon.

• W hom should I consult for help? You can do a lot to educate yourself about investing, but when it comes to making the right choices for your future, you may need help. A professional financial advisor who is familiar with your family situation, short- and long-term goals and investment preferences can help you build and maintain a portfolio that can help meet your needs. The investment world can be complex, so the more knowledge you have on your side, the better off you’ll be.

Take the time to learn as much as you can about investing. It’s an education that can pay off in the long run.

• W hat is my risk tolerance? Selfawareness is important in every aspect of life, including your approach to investing. As you create your investment portfolio, you need to understand your own views on risk. Would you consider yourself an aggressive investor — that is, someone who can accept a relatively higher degree of investment risk in exchange for potentially higher returns? Or are you a more conservative investor — someone who is willing to take lower returns in exchange for lower potential risk? Or perhaps

August 20, 2009

33

The Ugly Truth (2009) rr 1/2 (Grade B-) Directed by Robert Luketic Starring Gerard Butler, Katherine Heigl, Cheryl Hines, Bonnie Somerville, Bree Turner, Vicki Lewis Columbia Pictures—Rated R—Comedy—101 min When Abby (Heigl), a Sacramento morning show producer is forced to work with Mike (Butler), the station’s popular, but offensive late-night, love-coach, emotional daggers fly. Then Mike presents Abby with a challenge. If she follows Mike’s advice to the tee, and still can’t win the heart of her handsome doctor neighbor, Mike pledges to quit TV for good. Abby eagerly accepts, then is shocked to find Mike’s advice has merit. The pairing of Butler and Heigl manages to ignite a few romantic sparks though ramping up the laughs could have taken this one beyond merely competent. Lacking competition, “The Ugly Truth” should turn a pretty buck from the dating set and girls’ night out.

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra (2009)

Kids Save the World Yet Again

By Lisa Miller Aliens In The Attic (2009) rr1/2 (Grade B-)

Directed by John Schultz Starring Robert Hoffman, Carter Jenkins, Ashley Boettcher, Doris Roberts, Ashley Tisdale, Kevin Nealon, Henri and Regan Young, Austin Butler, Andy Richter, Gillian Vigman, Tim Meadows Voices of Thomas Haden Church, Josh Peck, J.K. Simmons, Kari Wahlgren Fox—Rated PG—Sci-Fi—85 min An attempt by tiny aliens to invade Earth is thwarted thanks to teens and their siblings in this kid-friendly sci-fi. Presumably because both are small and reptilian, some have compared these aliens to the critters from “Gremlins,” but it is the filmmakers’ approach to the humorous action and comical extraterrestrial creatures that is the most similar feature of the two movies.

Kevin Nealon and Andy Richter play Stuart and Nathan Pearson, two adult brothers gathering up Granny (Doris Roberts) and the kids for a familybonding vacation at a Michigan lake house (picturesque New Zealand stands in for Michigan). Stuart’s kids consist of a brainiac teen (Carter Jenkins), a young daughter (Ashley Boettcher), and a hormonally motivated older daughter (Ashley Tisdale), the latter in danger of falling prey to the creepy intentions her tagalong boyfriend (Robert Hoffman). Nathan is father to a bullying, but dreamy alpha teen (Austin Butler), and a pair of long-haired, 12-year-old identical twins (Henri and Regan Young).

Soon after they arrive, the kids discover that a meteor shower is actually a sign that tiny aliens have descended from the sky and infiltrated their attic. These small, green CGI creatures are commander Skip (voiced by J.K. Simmons), female warrior Razor (Kari Wahlgren), hulky Tazer (Thomas Haden Church) and Sparks (Josh Peek), a four-armed techno-genius from a race enslaved by the others—and who is only to happy too help the kids prevent the invasion.

The warlike aliens count on high tech gadgets to overpower larger humans.

They immediately fire a mind control unit into Ricky (the pesky boyfriend), using a joystick and a bluetooth headset to make him say and do whatever suits their needs. Before too long, the same fate befalls Granny, but the kids appropriate her remote control and reprogram Grans to fend off Ricky’s Kung-Fooey attacks move-for-move.

The kids, who defend against the alien incursion using a paintball gun, a spud launcher, and other items from their homemade arsenal, discover the aliens have hidden a machine beneath the house that they must not be allowed to retrieve.

The nonstop action remains perfectly coherent throughout while the story arc is a family comedy best serving parents and the under-12 crowd. A nice addition to the burgeoning genre of family-friendly science fiction and fantasy, the film makes little pretense at achieving plausibility, relying instead on comical family dynamics, particularly between teen males, to save its bacon.

34

August 20, 2009

rrr (Grade B)

Directed by Stephen Sommers Starring Dennis Quaid, Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Christopher Eccleston, Sienna Miller, Rachel Nichols Paramount—Rated PG-13—Action, Fantasy—113 min After the success of the first “Transformers,” Paramount studios was itching to make another film based on a famous line of toys. “G.I. Joe” fit the bill, though a number of script revisions, character additions and subtractions, were necessary before both fans and the studio powers were content. Director Stephen Sommers made his G.I. Joes futuristic, claiming that “almost 100 percent of the technology depicted will be available within 20 years.” Whether he’s correct about that or not the result is wall-to-wall action, consisting of dozens of chase scenes and battles that rely on flying soldiers wearing suits described as NFL superhero outfits. The PG-13 rating is retained by having the worst damage, and untold deaths occurring off-screen. The production designers modeled the interior of a private submarine on a Handley Page Jetstream, a piece of machinery that appears to fly through the water. Critics complain that some of the special effects are blurry, but acknowledge the film is every young gamers’ fantasy come true.

Julie & Julia (2009) rr (Grade B-) Directed by Nora Ephron Starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Chris Messina, Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Jane Lynch, Helen Carey, Frances Sternhagen Columbia Pictures—Rated PG-13—Comedy—122 min Julia and Julie each have a story to tell, but while one has meat on its bones, the other is slim pickings. Back in 1949, Streep portrays Child’s adventures at the French Cordon Bleu Cooking School and her subsequent efforts to write a cookbook explaining French technique to Americans. In the present day, blogger Julie Powell (Adams) is an American secretary trying to cook her way through Child’s 524-page cookbook while blogging about her culinary successes and

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failures. Child’s quirky personality is treasured by Streep’s surefooted portrayal, but writer-director Nora Ephron pushes Powell’s efforts to the foreground—and the film suffers for it.

Shorts (2009) rrr (Grade B) Directed by Robert Rodriguez Starring Jimmy Bennett, James Spader, Kat Dennings, Jon Cryer, William H. Macy Warner—Rated PG—Science-Fiction, Fantasy—89 min After a rainbow-colored rock falls from the sky and hits young Toe Thompson on the head, the lad and his friends discover that the rock grants the wish of anyone holding it. Though the idea seems wonderful the kids soon learn the rock’s diabolical wish fulfillment is anything but. After just a few wishes their suburban town of Black Falls becomes overrun with tiny spaceships, crocodile armies, and giant boogers. Though the kids’ wishes have been problematic, the real trouble begins when know-it-all adults appropriate Toe’s wishing rock for themselves, certain they can overcome its wish fulfillment defects.

Directed and written by Robert Rodriguez of “Spy Kids” fame, the imaginative “Shorts” should be families “movie wish” come true.

A Perfect Getaway (2009) rrr (Grade B) Directed by David Twohy Starring Timothy Olyphant, Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Kiele Sanchez, Chris Hemsworth, Marley Shelton Universal—Rated R—Action—97 min Cliff and Cydney (Zahn and Jovovich) are backpacking to an isolated, remote Hawaiian beach when they are joined by two other couples (Olyphant, Sanchez, Hemsworth and Shelton) they’ve only just met. While making friendly chitchat, Cliff and Cydney learn that recently others have been mysteriously murdered on this very path. Uncertain of whom they can trust, soon Cliff and Cydney are fighting for their lives in a fast-paced thriller sure to leave you shivering despite its tropical setting. Shot in just over a month, a heart-pounding sequence occurring in a sea cave has caused a tide of Internet buzz.

Funny People (2009) rr 1/2 (Grade B-) Directed by Judd Apatow Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Jonathan Hill, Eric Bana, Leslie Mann, Jason Schwartzman, Begonya Plaza, Maude Apatow Universal—Rated R—Comedy—146 min When superstar comic George (Sandler) is diagnosed with a terminal illness, he reevaluates his life and finds it wanting because his self-centered ways have prevented him from maintaining close relationships. Needing help, George hires struggling young comedian Ira (Rogen) as his assistant and in turn George assists the young man to achieve standup comedy success. This nicer version of George looks up old flame Laura (Mann), and rekindles their romance. Then George gets the startling news that he may be recovering, and immediately reverts to his old ways. While Apatow’s writing has matured, it’s a mixed blessing since most of the fun goes MIA during the film’s final act.

By Terri Shlichenmeyer It’s a small world. And it’s getting smaller.

Case in point: you strike up a conversation with a stranger at the airport and find that you both worked in the same building twenty years ago. Or you overhear a dear friend discussing someone you just met that morning—and it turns out she’s distantly related to your new acquaintance. Or you suddenly discover that you really are “six degrees separated” from the Queen of England and Brad Pitt.

Our paths cross with so many people every day, it’s almost inevitable that we’re all connected. But in the new novel A Disobedient Girl by Ru Freeman, two women with different lives are linked in the most heartbreaking way.

Latha loved the finer things in life.

Though she couldn’t use the Lux soap in front of Madam, the wonderful smell made her smile, perhaps in part because the soap was stolen. Stolen, like the best things Latha owned. Sure, she wore nice saris, but they were always hand-me-downs. Because she was a servant, Latha was expected not to want the finer things in life.

She didn’t remember a time before she came to the Vithanage home. They told her that she had no mother, and that was why she became Thara’s servant. Latha and Thara were friends, but Vithanage

Madam never let Latha forget her place.

Long ago, Biso tried to drown herself and her three children in the ocean but when the waves broke over her body, she lost her courage, walked out of the water, and returned home to another beating.

Biso loved her children: the oldest, Loku Putha, big-boned like his father but way too impressionable.

The middle child: Loku Duwa, who knew her mother’s favor lay elsewhere. Chooti Duwa: the baby, the child whose father was not Biso’s husband.

The favored daughter whose father was stabbed and killed by the man Biso was forced to marry.

Latha always wanted children, but who would marry a servant? Her first child, conceived in revenge, was taken from her. Her second, conceived by an American, was ripped from her. But her third child would allow her to make a family.

Every now and then, I get a book that makes me want to do nothing but go to the sofa to read. This is one of those kinds of books.

Beautifully written (although a little wordy at times), A Disobedient Girl pulls you into another world completely. You know that no good will come to defiant Latha, and though you truly want her to have those fine things, you know it will come at a price. You’ll want to wring haughty Thara’s little neck. Watching Biso unravel is unsettling, and— while you may have the “secret” figured out by the middle of this book—it hurts to read the way it happens.

Judging by this—Ru Freeman’s first book—she’s an author you’re going to want to keep an eye on. For a debut novel, A Disobedient Girl ain’t no small thing.

A Disobedient Girl

By Ru Freeman c.2009, Atria Books 384 pages, $25.00 Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

August 20, 2009

35

Thursday August 20 Homer LeJeune @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Neal Smith-Acoustic Rock @ Syliva’s Bistro, 7 pm T-Broussard & The Zydeco Steppers @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Rick Marcel & Radiance @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm Da Classics @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Friday August 21 Jerry Jeff Walker @ L’Auberge Casino, Event Center, 8:30 pm Wayne Toups @ GG’s Club, 9:30 pm Howard Noel Cajun Boogie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Ron Thibodeaux @ Speckled Trout, Hackberry, 8 pm Wilson Miller & Still Kickin’@ Linda’s Lounge, 8:30 pm Mike Taylor Band @ Engine 89-DeQuincy, 8 pm Mike Richard & Step-n-Out @ Scottie Tee Judi’s Konstruxion Zone, 9:30 pm Tom Brandow @ Outriggers Tavern, 5 pm Briant Lloyd Smith & Hot Gritz, Fridays @ Blue Duck, 9 pm

Fresh Nectar

36

August 20, 2009

6 Pack Deep @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Sugarhouse - Funk and Blues @ Sylvia’s Bistro, 9 pm Targeting Aorta, Godspeed The Jackle @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Losers Reunion, The 94’s & Midnight Sons @ Toucans Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm Pat Benatar @ Paragon Casino, Marksville, 12 pm Raging Apathy, Research Turtles (cd release party!) @ Scout Bar, Beaumont, 8 pm Ridin’ High @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Do Not Destroy @ OB’s, 7 pm Kadillacs @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Rick Marcel & Radiance @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm ISIS @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Saturday August 22 The LakeSide Gamblers @ VFW, Country Club Rd, 7:30 pm Jerry Jeff Walker @ L’Auberge Casino, Event Center, 8:30 pm Briggs Brown Bayou Cajuns @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Cajun Nation @ GG’s Club, Alexandria, 9:30 pm Pork Chop Express @ Blue Duck, 9pm Blues Tonic and the Von Dukes @ Toucan’s Bar & Grill, 9 pm MynameisJohnMichael, Givers @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Magdalene, Straightfork @ Scout Bar, Beaumont, 8 pm Cheater Pipe, 2nd Party Program, Dead End Lake @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Salsa Dance - Jay & Maria Cotto @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Craig Mouton & Slingshot @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Twangster’s Union @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Rick Marcel & Radiance @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm ISIS @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Sunday August 23 Jimmy/Wilson Band, Sundays @ Shorty’s Ice House, Moss Bluff, 5 pm Lacassine Playboys @ Wayne & Layne’s Deli, Sulphur, 4 pm

Warren Storm, Willie Tee & Cypress @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Tuesday August 25 T-Joe Romero @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Alvin Touchet & Wine Tasting @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Wednesday August 26 Al Roger Louisiana Pride @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Jimmy Wilson Band @ Cuz’s Lounge, Sulphur, 6 pm Alvin Touchet @ The Blue Duck 7:30 pm Mike Zito @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Foret Tradition @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Thursday August 27 Ganey Arsemont & Lakeside Ramblers @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Dave Pellerin - Piano Bar @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Kadillacs @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Derryl Perry @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm X-IT 43 @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Friday August 28 Soilent Green, Choke and Broken By The Burden @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Ron Thibodeaux @ Speckled Trout, Hackberry, 8 pm Wilson Miller & Still Kickin’@ Linda’s Lounge, 8:30 pm Mike Taylor Band @ Engine 89-DeQuincy, 8 pm Mike Richard & Step-n-Out @ Scottie Tee Judi’s Konstruxion Zone, 9:30 pm Tom Brandow @ Outriggers Tavern, 5 pm Briant Lloyd Smith & Hot Gritz, Fridays @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Lions, Forever Falls, Knuckle Deep @ Scout Bar, Beaumont, 8 pm Goatwhore, Choke and Broken By The Burden @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Colorcast Veteran w/ The Silent Planet & The Last Place you Look @ Toucan’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm Andy Smith Band @ GG’s Club, Alexandria, 9:30 pm Cajun August and Friends @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Southbound - Classic Rock @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Kadillacs @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Susan Cowsill Band @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Crooks Carnival @ OB’s, 7 pm Steel Shot @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Derryl Perry @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm Bayou Katz @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Saturday August 29 Travis Matte @ GG’s Club, Alexandria, 9:30 pm Hamilton Loomis @ Toucan’s Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm Howard Noel Cajun Boogie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm

Crooks Carnival

Pork Chop Express @ Blue Duck, 9 pm George Jones @ Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino, 8 pm Du Lac Live @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Metal.Shop @ Scout Bar, Beaumont, 8 pm Spoiled Royals, Von Dukes @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Gator and True Spirit - Reggae Party @ Syliva’s Bistro, 9 pm Cold Sweat @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Dustin Sonnier @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Derryl Perry @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm Bayou Katz @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Sunday August 30 Tantric, Aranda, Vayden, Altar Ego @ Scout Bar, Beaumont, 7 pm Jimmy/Wilson Band, Sundays @ Shorty’s Ice House, Moss Bluff, 5 pm Lacassine Playboys @ Wayne & Layne’s Deli, 4 pm Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Night @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Sonny Bourg & The Bayou Blues Band @ Yesterday’s, 7 pm Tuesday September 1 Don Fontenot Les Cajuns de la Prairie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Wednesday September 2 Jimmy Wilson Band @ Cuz’s Lounge, Sulphur, 6 pm Alvin Touchet @ The Blue Duck 7:30 pm Hubert Maitre @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Thursday September 3 Errol Jenkins Louisiana Tradition @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm

Don’t see your band or venue mentioned? Send schedules to editor@timessw.com August 20, 2009

37

the best i n lake area enter tai nment

New Season Announced At ACTS Theatre ACTS Theatre has announced productions which are to be staged at the theatre during its new season. ACTS will celebrate its fortyfourth year of continuous production in Southwest Louisiana as it prepares the season. ACTS director, Marc Pettaway, will stage the productions for performances at the theatre’s One Reid Street Theatre.

Beauty and the Beast - November 7 through November 15 Doubt - January 15 through January 24 They’re Playing Our Song - March 19 - March 28 The Real Saga of the Three Pigs - April 22 through May 22 You may join the theatre by becoming a season ticket holder. Adult membership is $70, senior citizen membership is $60. All members are listed in the programs. Regular admission is $30 for musicals, $20 for nonmusicals. There is no senior reduction on the single admission. Students to twenty-five years of age with picture ID are admitted for $20 for musicals and $17 for each non-musical. For more information call 433-ACTS or 4365908.

The Zigler Art Museum will present “Camps Variations on a Theme” August 8 - September 26 Featuring paintings by Dutch Kepler and mixed media sculptures by Diane Pecnik, The Zigler Art Museum will present “Camps Variations on a Theme.” An artist reception for the exhibit opening will be held Saturday, August 8, 2009, from 6-8 PM at the Zigler Art Museum, 411 Clara Street in Jennings, LA. The featured artists, Dutch Kepler and Diane Pecnik, are from the Acadiana area, but their works are represented in collections both nationally and internationally. The public is invited to meet these two outstanding artists at the Zigler Art Museum’s artists reception Saturday, August 8 from 6-8 PM.

Roastin’ with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival September 11 & 12 You’ll need them all this summer as Jeff Davis Parish unveils its newest attraction, the “Roastin’ with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival.” Rosie, the parish’s familiar roseate spoonbill mascot, is dressed up in her best apron and chef’s hat for the first annual event.

Over the space of two days - Friday and Saturday, Sept. 11 & 12 - the festival will be taking over the new Grand Marais Courtyard in uptown Jennings, allowing serious grillers and amateur cookers the chance to compete for cash and prizes. The festival is officially sanctioned by

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the International Barbecue Cooker’s Association (ICBA), which judges nationwide contests and provides certified, impartial, out-of-town judges to help determine the festival’s best grillers. For more information on the “Roastin’ with Rosie Bar-B-Que Festival” or to sponsor or volunteer for the event, call (337) 821-5534.

Schedule of Events Sunday, September 6 Bar-B-Que Festival Beauty Pageant, Strand Theatre, Downtown Jennings Friday, September 11 4 p.m. - Festival Gates Open!

6 p.m. - Muzic Unlimited 7:30 p.m. - Barry Badon 9 p.m. - Pine Leaf Boys 10:30 p.m. - Jamie Bergeron Saturday, September 20 7:30 a.m. - 5K Rice Run (Founders’ Park, Downtown Jennings) 10 a.m. - Festival Gates Open!

10 a.m.-6 p.m. - Kid’s World 11 a.m. - Parish Cheerleader and Dance Line Competition 12 p.m. - Barbecue Competitions begin 4:30 p.m. - Barbecue Competition Awards Ceremony 4 p.m. - Bayou Katz 6 p.m. - Travis Matte 8:30 p.m. - Static 10:30 p.m. - Wayne Toups The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century August 14 - October 17 Opening Reception: August 14th 6:00pm - 9:00pm 1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center Lecture with Realist painter Albino Hinojosa: August 28 6:30pm 8:00pm The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century is the first show of this century to not only look at the state of Realism painting around the world, but to also compare those artworks with their historical predecessors. Fifty-

“Exotica” by Mark Thompson, Egg Tempera on Board, 2006

“Grand Canyon along the South Rim” by Fredrick Denys, Oil on Canvas, 2006

six artists from the International Guild of Realism display artworks in a variety of media; from oil and acrylic, to egg tempura and colored pencil. Each artist was asked to identify one historical painting to compare and contrast their work with the pioneers of the Realist movement.

“On Broadway” by Anne Kullaf, Oil on Canvas, 2006 Artists sited included Ingres, Durer, Vermeer, and Da Vinci. In some cases the contrast between the old and the new is startling; in other cases, one can almost see the contemporary artist adapting the Old Master’s techniques for modern visuals. The New Reality: The Frontier of Realism in the 21st Century will open with a reception on August 14th from 6pm to 9pm and run through October 17, 2009. Special Events include an Artist Lecture featuring Realist painter Albino Hinojosa on August 28th at 6:30pm. Hinojosa is a member of the International Guild of Realism and a participant in this exhibit, as well as a former faculty member at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.

Sesame Street At the Civic Center September 4 – 6 Great family fun comes to town in September. Sesame Street Live’s “When Elmo Grows Up” has Elmo and his Sesame Street friends thinking about growing up, it’s a musical show-and-tell! Bert dreams of becoming a forest ranger, Telly longs to be a cowboy and their newest friend, Abby Cadabby, wants to be a Fairy Godmother just like her mommy. Elmo thinks about becoming a ‘weather monster,’ but has a hard time predicting his own forecast—he wants to be anything and everything all at once! “When Elmo Grows Up” includes lessons on perseverance, teamwork and the power of imagination. Children learn that if they believe in themselves and are willing to try, the possibilities are endless. Performances are: Sept. 4, 7 p.m. (Opening Night Discount); Sept. 5, 10:30 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sept. 6, 1 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Performance is at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Tickets: $12 & $16. Opening Night, all seats (excluding Premium/Gold Circle) are $12. For more information, call 337-491-1432. To charge tickets by phone, please call Ticketmaster at 800-745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Exhibition will be 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday, August 22, at The Iowa Multipurpose Community Center, 207 W. Highway 90. The festival is free and open to the public. Live entertainment, refreshments, arts and crafts demonstrations, a make-and-take craft, and displays are all part of the fun.

The Iowa Librarians will present a story hour for children 10:00 to 10:50 a.m. Children may visit the face painting table at any time between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. Mercia Paul will assist young adults in grades 6-12 in creating corn husk dolls, 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Shriner Clown “Hobo Bill” will create balloon art for children from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. To reach the Iowa Multipurpose Community Center from I-10, take exit 43 south, and pass through 2 traffic lights. Turn right on Hwy 90, and find the center ¼ mile on the left, near the Sheriff sub-station.

Acts Theatre Sponsors “Mahalia: A Gospel Musical” August 22 - 23 Acts is sponsoring the production of Mahalia, a gospel musical about the life of Mahalia Jackson on Aug. 22 and 23 at A One Reid Street Theatre in Lake Charles. The production will be performed by members of the Upstage Theatre Company, directed by Ava Brewster-Turner. Tickets can be purchased on line at Acts website, at the door , Lakeshore Pharmacy or the Civic Center.

Tickets are $25.00.

Elvis Tribute Artist Nathan Belt At Grand Opera House of South and Alexandria October 28 - 30 Belt will be returning to the Grand Opera House of the South on October 29th and then we will be in Alexandria on either the 28th or the 30th of October (contact the venue for more information). On July 25th, Belt won first place at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest in Myrtle Beach, SC. This win qualified him for the World finals Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition in Memphis, TN on August 11 & 12. Nathan is considered by his peers to be one of the top Elvis tribute artist’s in the Country. Performing with Nathan will be the Legendary band “XPG”. The Grand Opera House performance will be 7:00 pm. The contact number is 337-785-0440. The Coughlin Saunders Theater of Performing Arts at Alexandria contact number is 318767-2600 for more information.

The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Presents First Monday in the Atrium

First Monday In The Atrium The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital is pleased to present First Monday in the Atrium, a musical interlude held on the first Monday of each month from 11am until 1pm in the atrium at Memorial Hospital on Oak Park Boulevard.

September’s performance will feature pianist Diana Castleberry on Tuesday, September 8 rather than Monday due to the Labor Day holiday. On Monday, October 5 we will welcome the Bill Rose Trio, who will perform the music of the Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul and Mary and other classic 1960s folk. First Monday in the Atrium is free and open to the public. The performances are made possible thanks to the generous support of Business First Bank, The Eye Clinic and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. For more information on First Monday in the Atrium or The Foundation at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital, please call (337) 494-3226.

Iowa Arts and Crafts Exhibition August 22 Sponsored by the Calcasieu Parish Public Library, the Town of Iowa, CocaCola Bottling Company and Friends of the Library, the Iowa Arts & Crafts

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Legis-Gator Luncheon

By Chaney Ferguson

O

n August 13, the Chamber of Southwest Louisiana held its annual Legis-Gator Luncheon.

Politicians, business owners and many others entered the L’Auberge du Lac Casino and Resort for a beautifully displayed lunch and to hear what is going on in the state of Louisiana.

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Updates were given by Congressman Charles Boustany and Congressman Charlie Melancon.

The topic on everyone’s mind was healthcare, but the speakers covered many items from the legislative agenda as well as currently relevant topics.

Senator Mary Landrieu and Senator David Vitter were unable to attend the luncheon. However, they prepared a tape to be shared with the luncheon attendees. Landrieu and Vitter spoke to the crowd providing encouragement for the future, information on the present and regrets for not being present to speak to the group in person.

Senator Willie Mount provided information to the group, always giving a personal touch since many in the audience remember her as a hands-on mayor.

Representative Jonathan Perry added comic relief with his stories of Washington and how he has represented Southwest Louisiana.

When the Washington updates concluded there was a time for state information to be provided.

Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Mike Strain, Insurance Commissioner James Donelon, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, and Public Service Commissioner Clyde Holloway, all gave brief updates on the current state of things with the economy and their area.

Each update included statistics of past performance and stated goals for future achievement.

Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu was the keynote speaker. He spoke on ethics in state government, higher education and where the state needs to be heading.

Overall the luncheon should have left those who attended with a more well-rounded knowledge of where our state stands on many critical issues.

Pr E s E n T s Free expo

Thursday August 27, 2009 Lake Charles Civic Center 8am to 3pm

The Young at Heart Expo is an event focusing on healthcare, education, leisure and useful information for seniors and their caregivers. There will also be guest speakers, activities, entertainment and food presentations, all geared toward the everchanging lifestyles of people 50 and over. Contact KPLC at 337.437.7551 to reserve a booth.

Our Policies Come With an Agent Your Shelter Agent can help you review options and help you find the right coverage for your needs. We’ll look for ways to keep your coverage affordable without compromising quality.

Karla Hunt

After all, personal service has always been our policy.

3028 Ryan St. (337) 433-9720

August 20, 2009

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MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER When I attended the Making Strides kick-off breakfast on August 4th at Reeves Uptown, I came away encouraged as well as distressed. I was encouraged that so many are working together through events such as Making Strides because these events help create more birthdays for ourselves, our friends and those we love. I came away distressed that because of inadequate funding, fewer than one in five eligible women get breast cancer screenings. Go to www.acscan.org/ makingstrides.com to learn more. Angela Brumley and Courtney Estes were warm and lively greeters so I snapped their pictures. The two young ladies are McNeese students majoring in Public Relations. They graduate in May. After snapping a few more pics, the Shadow chatted with Brandilyn Solieau and Syrine Joubert. The Making Strides kickoff breakfast had all the makings of a huge success. There was a lot of food and a lot of support. Britney Glaser opened the function with a film giving facts and statistics, before she introduced speakers. Dr. Thomas Strong spoke briefly and pointed out how things have changed since he started out in 1983. “Back then, a lot of women went into surgery and didn’t know if they’d come out

with breasts or not,” he said. The Shadow says, “Thank God for progress!” Cancer research is what gets us to this point—Making Strides. Cancer survivor Glenda Andrepont credits American Cancer Society for getting her needed information. “Cancer does not have an age,” she said. “Teach your daughters to do self-examinations.” Cancer survivors know that cancer involves everyone in the household. The American Cancer Society is there for them—24/7. Board member and cancer survivor Jean Ann East stressed the importance of staying informed and on top of what legislators pass and don’t pass, and the necessity of fully funded lifesaving programs. The Making Strides against Breast Cancer 5 mile Walk/Run will begin at Sulphur’s Heritage Square on October 3rd. Participants have the opportunity (and privilege) to show their support for friends and loved ones who have faced a breast cancer diagnosis. Of course, participation is free but wouldn’t it be fantastic to register a team and raise money for this never-ending battle? The Shadow commends KPLC –TV and First Federal Bank of Louisiana for sponsoring the kick-off breakfast, and encourages everyone to Make Strides against Breast Cancer.

Pamela LeBlanc and Cora Broussard work for American Cancer Society

Brandilyn Brandilyn Solieau Solieau and and Syrine Syrine Joubert Joubert having having breakfast breakfast

Lori Dugas, Assistant Director, admires a quilt made

by Connie Miller.

Beth Suttle and Vickie Maggio attend Making Strides Kick Off Breakfast.

Melanie Landry and cancer survivor-board member, Jean Ann East

Thomas Trahan stands beside Native American Artifacts display.

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Tanya White, Chairperson Glenda Andrepont and Melanie Landry

Angela Brumley and Courtney East are McNeese students and ACS interns.

CANVASSING THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Nathan Spencer collects Native American Artifacts.

Michael Sanders and Chester Thompson

Ron Griffith, Francisco Cunningham, and former Houston Oiler Robert Hubble

The Shadow stopped by the Henning Cultural Center in Sulphur to check out the Canvassing the Neighborhood exhibit that featured several local artists (and friends) who all live in the same west Sulphur neighborhood. The title of this exhibit is what grabbed the Shadow’s attention: Canvassing the Neighborhood.

Interesting, and I sure wanted to know the story behind such a title. As it turns out, these five neighborhood artists approached the director of the Henning Cultural Center about an exhibit, and it was a go. The artists who came up with this innovative idea are quilter Connie Miller , Johnny Thomas who sketches using charcoal or pencil, Margaret “Maggie” Nelson whose medium is oil on canvas, photographer Karen Buller, and Ken Stine who works with oil and charcoal, but who also creates clay or wood sculptures. There’s a lot of creativity wrapped up in these five artists. The Shadow met Lori Dugas who is Assistant Director of the Center. Lori posed beside one of Connie Miller’s quilts and did a great job of enticing the Shadow to attend more of their exhibits. August 13th will open Mark John’s photography exhibit, lasting through September 10th. Another exciting and unique exhibit coming up is called “Chaos Theory” and will feature amateur artists throughout the area. There’s no specific theme—anything goes! Mark your calendars now for “Chaos Theory” which opens on September 17th. The Shadow wandered into the Brimstone Museum where I met Executive Director Thomas Trahan and saw hundreds upon hundreds of Native American artifacts on loan from John Guy of DeRidder, Mike Tenney of Sulphur and General Erbon Wise of Sulphur. The exhibit is accompanied by a series of lectures every Thursday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. When leaving, the Shadow ran into Nathan Spencer, an amateur collector of artifacts. You can bet he was in ‘artifact heaven’ as he perused the many displays. If you have an interest in Native American artifacts, you still have time to enjoy this exhibit and catch the last of these lectures. They run through September 3rd. For more information, call 527-0357.

2009 TOURNAMENT OF THE STARS Hal McMillian and actor Chris Mulkey

Eric and Stacy Martin

When I received the press release to shadow the Tournament of the Stars press conference, I assumed I’d be rubbing shoulders with other news and print reporters, and learning about the weekend events.

Special guest this year was the one and only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, an all time great in the history of basketball. I figured I’d stand on the sidelines and hear Kareem speak; I had no idea I’d be shaking hands with actor Chris Mulkey. But back up and let’s start from the beginning. First of all, I couldn’t find a parking place and as usual, I was early. That should have been my first clue that this was way more than a press conference. I parked Rhonda, Shadow daughter’s little abandoned Honda Civic in the circular drive behind a huge SUV,

Billy Bush, Buford Jordan and Pat Stanford

Coach Ed Biles, Rob Smith, Gerald Papilion and Lehmon Bell

Basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

and prayed Rhonda didn’t get towed. I was thankful for the red ‘PRESS’ sticker on the windshield. And then, I entered the Graywood Club House. I’m sure I must have gasped. Jocks and wannabe jocks everywhere.

One familiar face hovered over me, but I couldn’t tack a name to it if my life depended on it. Thankfully, it didn’t. When I finally conjured up the nerve to ask if I could take his picture, I learned I was standing right beside former NBA star Michael Sanders. Michael is a native of DeRidder, and was inducted into the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 2000. He graduated from UCLA in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in History and that’s what’s important here—that he got his college degree and can encourage our youth to do the same.

Tournament of Stars is all about helping our young people and promoting a better future for our world.

Easing myself into the crowd, I saw another familiar face but this time, I had a name: Hal McMillin, our very own star and police juror. Hal came to my rescue and pointed me to Eric Martin and Buford Jones.

Eric played for LSU. Buford played for the McNeese Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints. And then Hal posed with his friend, actor Chris Mulkey. I also met Ed Biles, former coach of the National Football

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League’s Houston Oilers. Each of these men came to Lake Charles to help raise funds for scholarships for deserving high school players. Tournament of Stars is a nonprofit organization that puts on sporting events such as this one. There’s an adult basketball tournament held every year since 1995. Since its inception, the Tournament has grown tremendously and now hosts a field of over 60 teams. It’s recognized as one of the best and largest adult open league tournaments in the country. Each year more sporting events are added. In 2007, the Celebrity Golf Tournament was added and has proven to be a big draw. But back to our super-star, Kareem. I’ve watched him play basketball a lot, but it’s where he is now that I find most appealing. Kareem is spreading the word on just how important education is.

He’s encouraging youngsters to pursue college—like he did. His four year degree came first—before his superstar status. Kareem told KPLC’s Tiffany Blackmon, “It’s the most important thing we can do. Each successive generation has an opportunity and an obligation to educate the following generation.” Check out Kareem’s official website at http://kareemabduljabbar.com.

Michael and Melinda Fuhrmann

Beau and Maria Faul

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BENEFIT DINNER FOR AUTISM SUPPORT ALLIANCE Did you know that one and a half million Americans are diagnosed with autism, a neurological disorder that affects a person’s ability to communicate, to reason, and to interact with others? Did you know that one in 150 babies will be born with autism and that it affects four times more boys than girls? I didn’t either until I read the press release sent out by Family & Youth. The Shadow is always impressed by the organizational skills of Family & Youth. Their informative media packets are a reporter’s dream. On Sunday, August 9th, the Shadow attended the benefit dinner for Autism Support Alliance (a program of Family & Youth Counseling Agency) at Harlequin Steaks & Seafood. Nic Hunter, chef and owner of Harlequin hosted and from what I heard, he really out-did himself. But then aren’t things always to perfection at Harlequin? The guy has a gift, and the benefit was a sell-out! I arrived early and studied the many donations for the silent auction. The Shadow especially liked the beautiful Asian iris wall art donated by Ken and Karen Chamberlain, the LSU inspired gift basket donated by Leslie Duhon of Sally’s Designs & Gifts, and the basic Last Will and Testament donated by Attorney Jennifer Cummings. As I eyed the other auction items, I noticed the room filling up fast. Time to shoot some pictures. The Shadow snapped Michael and Melinda Fuhrmann who were eyeing the LSU gift basket. In addition to the silent auction and wonderful dinner, the event included a wine tasting by Mike and Martha Holleman, owners of The Wine Store. I snapped them too. Then I saw one of my favorite ladies, Maria Faul from First Federal Bank with her husband Beau. After chatting with them for a few moments, the Shadow took three pictures of the lovely Susan Henning and Susie Book. Three pics? Susan kept closing her eyes when the camera flashed and the Shadow always offers do-overs. The dining area looked beautiful. Fresh flowers adorned every table. The music of Brad Brinkley permeated the air. My friend Candis Carr from Family & Youth, made her entrance and I believe we could have gabbed all night. Candis introduced me to Shantele Guidry, Support Coordinator with Autism Support Alliance.

According to the press packet, the Autism Support Alliance promotes access and opportunities for persons with autism to be fully included as participating

August 20, 2009

members of their communities. In order to achieve this, the Alliance offers case management, family guidance, social skills groups, consultation and training. For more information about their services, call 337-436-9533 or visit www.fyca.org.

Lynsi Conner and Dr. Steven Caraway

Susan Henning and Susie Book

Shantele Guidry and Candis Carr

WHAT’S

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I often feel rushed at my doctor’s office. I trust that he’s a qualified doctor, and I don’t want to change doctors. Is there a way I can get more out of the visits and not leave feeling confused?

In a word: yes. Medical information is complex, just like engineering, accounting or carpentry, but the difference is, we participate in the solution.

Choices we make every day with nutrition, medications and exercise affect our health. Clear communication is vital for a good doctor-patient relationship. I suggest writing down your questions or concerns before your visit and bring a notebook with you. Take notes about the instructions and repeat them back to the doctor to make sure you understood correctly. Ask questions about medications such as when you should see an improvement, what you can do to prevent the condition, and so on. Patients who don’t understand their doctor’s orders are at greater risk for infections, medication errors and repeated hospitalizations.

Todd Peavy, MD, family medicine physician, Lake Charles Medical and Surgical Clinic I have an ulcer and I’ve heard that aspirin and even Advil can cause problems for people with ulcers. Is that true?

Many commonplace drugs, such as aspirin, Advil and Aleve can cause serious problems by irritating the stomach lining and aggravating ulcers.

Studies show that people who take these drugs are about three times more likely to have gastrointestinal bleeding. If you’ve been diagnosed with an ulcer, talk with your doctor about what over-the-counter medications are safe to take.

James McNally, MD, family medicine physician, medical staff of Jennings American Legion Hospital My 8-year-old daughter has a bed-wetting problem and never wants to go to sleepovers or have anyone over because she is embarrassed. Is there anything I can do to get rid of this problem?

There are a number of behavioral modification tricks such as limiting fluids past 6pm and setting up a bathroom break alarm. If these tricks do not work, check with your physician. Some doctors may prescribe nasal spray, which can help block urine production during the night.

Kenneth Verheeck, MD, urologist, Urology Center of Southwest Louisiana My mother is in her early 70s, small framed and just seems frail. How much bone strength, on average, do women lose each year?

In the first five to ten years after menopause, 25 to 35 percent of bone density can be lost. It varies from woman to woman, as each individual’s risks determine the likelihood for osteoporosis. It sounds like your mother’s risk for osteoporosis is high, given the small frame and frailness that you reported. Her doctor can best determine her bone strength and may order a bone density scan to know for sure. It’s recommended for women 65 years of age and older. I’d suggest talking with him or her about having the scan and see what can be done to boost her bone health.

Scott Bergstedt, MD, ob/gyn specialist with OBG-1

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“Flip It”—puttin’ it down and reversin’ it.

by Matt Jones ©2009 Jonesin’ Crosswords Brought to you by Melanie Perry, Agent State Farm Insurance

Last Issue’s Answers

Across 1 Boggy area 6 Actor Wyle 10 “Iron Chef America” chef Cat 14 Identical 15 “The Joy of Cooking” author Rombauer 16 Far from easygoing 17 Boarded a gold bar-shaped vehicle?

19 Snowy beast 20 Orlando Magic coach Van Gundy 21 Pet item subject to some laws 22 Jazzman Allison 23 The Wallflowers lead singer Jakob 25 Site with a “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” section 27 Teensy bug 30 22-across’s instrument 31 “Yeah, maybe” 32 Cautious 33 Nothin’ 36 Get set, briefly 37 Irk 38 It may be inside 39 Blue whale relative 40 Extra weight 42 Packaging strings 44 Sound in an emergency

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46 It gets thrown on the grill 47 “Supergrain” used in some gluten-free recipes 49 Like old Norse alphabets 50 Second-in-command: abbr.

51 “Nothing ___” (“Fuhgeddaboudit”) 53 Perlman of “Cheers” 57 “Don’t ___ me, bro!” (2007 catchphrase) 58 Bans all alcoves?

60 “Barrel of ___” (Depeche Mode song) 61 No-cost 62 Band of eight 63 Sax mouthpiece 64 Jamie of “M*A*S*H” 65 Oil painting primer Down 1 O and W, for short 2 Heaps 3 Singer Coolidge 4 Like beauty, so it’s said 5 “One, Two, Buckle My Shoe” bird 6 Workday start, for some 7 Donor’s offering 8 Author Oz 9 Flat, messy do on a hot day, perhaps 10 ___ Islands (British territory near Cuba) 11 Really tiny amt. of a form of oxygen?

12 Rizzo of “Midnight Cowboy” 13 igourney Weaver sci-fi film 18 Abbr. denoting pictures in a book 24 “Abso-friggin-lutely!”

26 Jewish American Heritage Month 27 Takes teeny bites 28 “Revenge of the Nerds” bully 29 The debate topic: Grafton, the author?

30 Peace, to the Pope 32 Part of www 34 Company that sells EFFEKTIV office furniture 35 Fumigation target 37 Mover’s rental 38 “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown” singer 40 Way to swing 41 Start a song, like with a drummer’s beat 42 Dance with a rose 43 It started in 1914: abbr.

45 Mean 46 “Homestar ___” (popular Internet toon) 47 Country home to Al Jazeera 48 Grammar subject 49 Platform for choir members 52 Gumbo ingredient 54 Have the ___ for (get a crush on) 55 Squeaks by, with “out” 56 Concerning 59 Holiday drink

I Had Cancer.

And now I don’t.

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, the one thought that comforted me is that I’d had regular mammograms for years, so the cancer that was found was in the early stages. I went through the treatment and today I’m cancer-free. That small lump could have resulted in big problems.

Early detection is a key in cancer survival. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if I hadn’t gotten that mammogram?

The chances of getting cancer here are about the same as nationwide - approximately 1 in 3 will be diagnosed*. But, here in Southwest Louisiana, the survival rate is lower. One reason is because many people don’t see their doctor until the cancer is in later stages. Early detection gives more time to beat cancer. Take control of your cancer risk: get screened, get active and learn the facts. *American Cancer Society

Fight Cancer with Facts.

A community partnership between: Virgie Hughes, winning the battle against cancer

Proudly Serving Southwest Louisiana

www.brightonbridge.com

1-888-878-0337 August 20, 2009

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COMING AUGUST 28TH

The Times of SWLA is continuing its commitment to the people of our region to bring you the very best coverage of events possible.

“Gridiron Prep Preview” is a comprehensive, in-depth look at the 2009 high-school football season. 25 area teams will be highlighted in this “must-have” publication, one that families will cherish for a lifetime. Rival schools from Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, Beauregard, Allen and Vernon parishes will be included!

See the entire 2009 schedule of games, player and coaching stats, team photos and much more!

The Times of Southwest Louisiana’s “Gridiron Prep Preview” will bring the excitement of the upcoming high school football season directly to parents, families, friends and businesses that follow and support our local athletes and favorite schools!

Final Ad Deadline: August 18th To Reserve Your Advertising Space Call Andy, Katy or Brian at 337-439-0995 or email: andy.jacobson@timessw.com, katy.corbello@timessw.com, or brian.chriceol@timessw.com