Times of Southwest Louisiana

WWW.TIMESSW.COM • NOVEMBER 26, 2008 / VOL. 13, NO. 24

• Celebrate the Season in SWLA • Give the Gift of Massage • Republican Roundtable: Analysis of Obama’s “Mission Accomplished”

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . .

617 Drew St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-439-0995 Fax: 337-439-0418 PUBLISHERS Patrick Marcantel Scot Hebert

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november 26, 2008 Volume 13 • Number 24

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contents 12

NEWS . . . . . . . . . . .

MANAGING EDITOR Lauren de Albuquerque lauren.dealbuquerque@timessw.com

EDITOR Lisa Yates timesedit@timessw.com

CONTRIBUTORS Kay Andrews J. Shirlene Cooper Jim Doyle Matt Jones Jon Kenton Bill Krull Terri Schlichenmeyer

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Yes He Did! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

POLITICS John Maginnis Dan Juneau ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Andy Jacobson

E N T E R P R I S E B O U L E VA R D

COLUMNS Who’s News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Business Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Inside Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Patricia Prudhomme Shanda Sonnier

COVER STORY Celebrate the Season in SWLA . . . . .30

F E AT U R E S

GRAPHICS . . . . . . . .

ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Darrell Buck

Louisiana is Top Five in Ethics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Home Grown Business: The Perfect Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Gadget Gift Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Book Gift Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Give the Gift of Massage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Decorator Decks the Halls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

The Times of Southwest Louisiana is published every two weeks

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Copyright 2008 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.

Book Beat: Pressure is a Privilege by Billie Jean King . . . . . . . .34 Coffee Break Crossword Puzzle: Court Case . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Coushatta Nation Honors Israel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Times Pics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 The Shadow: An Affair to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Dispatches from DeRidder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

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Visit us online at: www.timessw.com

On The Cover: This holiday season, visitors are encouraged to come to Prien Lake Park to see the beautiful Christmas tree and other decorations, made possible by the Calcasieu Police Jury. The tree is 30’ high and has 2,700 clear lights nestled inside. The holiday lights will be officially turned on for the public on Fri., Nov. 28 at 6 p.m., and remain on display through New Year's. Photo by Andy Jacobson NOVEMBER 26, 2008

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Judge Inducted Into LSU Hall of Honor The late John T. Hood, Third Circuit Court of Appeals Judge, was recently inducted into the Hall of Honor at Louisiana State University. The honor came from the LSU and Cadets of the Ole War Skule. Hood was given the honor based on his affiliation with LSU, his distinguished military career, and his contributions to the university, state and nation.

Hood was born in Mississippi, and entered LSU in 1928. He received a bachelor’s degree in 1931 and his Juris Doctor in 1933. He completed ROTC at LSU in 1931 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant that year. He was called to active duty in 1942 as a first lieutenant. During his career, he served as Judge Advocate at the New Orleans Port of Embarkation and Africa-Middle East Theater of Operation. He

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was discharged from active duty with the rank of major in 1946. His decorations include the Legion of Merit.

Hood retired as Chief Judge of the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in 1978 after 32 years on the bench. He served 14 years on the 14th Judicial District Court and 18 years on the Third Circuit.

He served as president of the LSU Alumni Federation and president of the LSU Law School Alumni Federation, and received numerous civic honors throughout his lifetime.

Hood and his late wife, Alvina Ruth Good, raised their two children, City Court Judge John Hood and Mrs. Susan Cretini, in Lake Charles. Hood passed away on March 20, 1980, at the age of 70.

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ABOUT

SOUTHWEST

LOUISIANA

ENTERPRISEBOULEVARD Who’s News

Republican Roundtable Co-chairs Terry Backhaus,Pam Mattingly and Bob Dewey, (front row, L-R), welcome guest speakers McNeese State University Dept. of Accounting, Finance and Economics faculty: Salvador Contreras, Ph.D.; Michael Kurth, Ph.D.; and Daryl Burckel, Ph.D.

Yes He Did: An Analysis of Obama's 'Mission Accomplished'

By Lisa Yates fter the Nov. 4 election, lake area Republicans decided to take a look at how America elected to the presidency Barack Hussein Obama – the son of a Kenyan immigrant.

Eight years ago, no matter what your party affiliation or political persuasion, would you have believed it possible? Probably not.

That’s why members of the Republican Roundtable of Lake Charles made this the topic of their noon meeting, Nov. 14, at Reeves Uptown Catering on Ryan Street.

Leading McNeese State University specialists in accounting, finance and economics analyzed the Nov. 4 presidential election and presented a program entitled: “The Obama Promise: Analysis and Policy Implications.”

The speakers addressed what the election results told attendees about the economic, racial, gender and foreign affairs issues that figured prominently in the campaign, and what remains at the top of the agenda.

A

Speakers included Mike Kurth, Ph. D., a professor of economics who heads the department at MSU; Daryl Burckel, Ph. D., a professor of accounting and specialist on demographics; and, Salvador Contreras, Ph. D., an assistant professor of economics who specializes in research and technology.

Black voters “Do not delude yourself – Obama did not win because of black voters,” Kurth said. “That’s not to say that racism is dead.

Racism is not dead and there were some voters who went to the polls just to vote against the black guy.

But 75 percent of his votes came from outside of the African American community.”

In the interest of full disclosure, Kurth admitted a bias – he and Burckel are both Republicans, while Contreras is a Democrat, who supported Obama, he said.

“That makes our presentation fair and balanced,” he joked.

Kurth said he did not vote for U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona,

but instead supported U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas for president.

He spoke openly, sharing his opinions and backing these with data displayed on a large screen in the room during the multi-media presentation.

One of the graphics displayed was a large bell-shaped curve named the “Median Voter Model.”

Kurth said the model illustrates the challenge faced by both candidates in the 2008 election.

“The key to getting elected is to capture the group in the middle,” he said. “Whoever gets to the center first – after the primaries – wins.”

Kurth said Obama played to the middle more effectively than McCain. Obama’s ability to win this large middle group surprised a lot of people.

Never underestimate your opponent “Just like in football games, never underestimate your opponent,” Kurth told the crowd.

Continued on Page 6

LOCAL TEACHERS GET A+PEL AWARDS Five teachers from Calcasieu Parish were among those receiving scholarships, stipends and grants from the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) at its annual conference in Rayne on Nov. 8. Adrianne Ogea received a $500 Professional Development Scholarship. She will use the funds to pursue a master’s degree in Special Education at McNeese State University.

Marianne Wallace of Lake Charles received a $500 Instructional Stipend, which she will use to purchase materials for her students to use for science and social studies experiments. Angel Carroll and Misti Labbie were each awarded $500 First Year Teacher Stipends. Carroll, a first year kindergarten teacher at Fairview Elementary, will use her funds to enhance the curriculum in her classroom. Labbie, a fifth grade teacher at Frasch Elementary, will use her stipend to purchase a projector that will be used to create educational lessons for her students. Samara Dugas, a student at McNeese State University, received the $500 Association of American Educators (AAE) Student Teacher Scholarship.

CALCASIEU PARISH REGIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING ACADEMY GRADUATION According to Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso, the Calcasieu Parish Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy completed its 93rd Basic Academy by conducting graduation ceremonies recently for 36 officers representing 14 agencies in the five-parish area.

There were 34 officers who completed 324 hours of instruction in all phases of basic law enforcement and two officers who completed a refresher course of 80 hours of instruction. All 36 law enforcement officers passed the Louisiana Peace Officer Standard Testing (POST) exam and are now certified as Basic Peace Officers.

William Johnson, Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office, was selected class president of the 93rd Basic Academy.

The Highest Scholastic Average honor was awarded to Vinita Dewaine DeRidder Police Department.

Continued on Page 7 NOVEMBER 26, 2008

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Ent. Blvd., Continued from Page 5

Although Democrats outnumbered Republicans, Kurth said party affiliation wasn’t a key factor to Obama winning. Instead, voters consider a wide range of issues when they cast their ballots.

“For example, after the terrorist attack on 9/11, more voters identified themselves as Republicans,” he said.

“There’s been a steady decline afterwards.”

Kurth used another example to make his point. While many black and Hispanic voters are registered as Democrats, he said, a large number in these communities are not sympathetic to gay marriage and voted to end it in California.

“Forty percent of voters don’t identify with either party and tend to vote independently – Many of these are conservative voters,” he said.

“That’s why to win, you have to capture the independent voter; and, that didn’t happen (for the Republicans) in this election.”

Kurth said one issue, and one issue alone, dominated the 2008 presidential election – the economy.

He said the Republican Party dropped the ball on this issue when they had a chance to pick it up and run.

“The bailout plan was the stupidest thing I ever saw,” Kurth said.

“This was an opportunity the Republicans should have seized.”

The Republicans had their chance when they controlled both the Congress and Presidency. So now that President-elect Obama is in office, what can we expect?

Really scary Burckel painted a picture he called “really scary.”

That’s not so much a result of the election, but rather, a result of huge deficit spending over the past decade, he noted.

“The budget is pretty much on autopilot,” Burckel said.

He said the Senate’s huge rescue package raised the national debt to $10.6 trillion. That, coupled with rising health care costs, are reasons why Burckel and others believe the nation is on an unsustainable fiscal course.

In fact, federal spending on Medicare and Medicaid alone is expected to jump 30 percent in the next decade – from 4.6 percent of the GDP (gross domestic product) to 6

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

percent in 2018. By 2050, it could jump to 12 percent of the GDP. “We are in a permanent state of unbalance in our budget,” he said.

Campaign promises With the economy in disarray and the nation’s treasury draining, many are skeptical Obama can make good on his campaign promises.

Contreras crunched the numbers and presented to the group some of the conclusions of his research.

Obama promised to improve America’s education system. Can he do it?

His education plan outlined $8 billion for recruiting, performance pay and other initiatives to update the education law known as No Child Left Behind. But his plan also offered grand proposals for every level of education, including a $4,000 tuition tax credit that would make college more affordable for millions of students and a $10 billion expansion of early childhood programs.

The challenge will be how to finance all these proposals, according to Contreras.

“I’m not sure how he’s going to make good on this promise,” he said.

Obama also promised to invest $150 billion over 10 years to develop renewable sources of energy, like wind, solar and biofuels, and to encourage energy conservation in homes and offices. He also promised to help the auto industry to develop high-mileage and electric cars.

“I think he’ll do good in this particular promise,” Contreras said.

The future of the nation’s economy He was not so optimistic when it came to the future of the economy.

“From all indications, the U.S. Is in very bad shape,” Contreras said, adding that unemployment numbers are beginning to climb.

“Things look bleak,” he said.

“Prices are the only thing that are stable. Gas is at $2 a gallon, and oil is $56 a barrel.”

Many who voted for Obama are hopeful that he will deliver on his campaign promises, but if our local economists are correct, Obama’s agenda just doesn’t add up.

Only time will tell.

Who’s News, Continued from Page 5

Firearms awards were presented to: David Pettine - Lake Charles Police Department, first; Bryan Leonard - Sulphur Police Department, second; Nicholas Stratton - Lake Charles Police Department, third.

Defensive Tactics honor was presented to Bryan Leonard - Sulphur Police Department.

Officers graduating after completing 324 hours of instructions: Karen Jones - Westlake Police Department Keeba Barber, Bo Dronet, Lacey Everett, Yvonne Fontenot, Derek Goss, Ty Istre, Preston Jean, Kelly Long, George Orphey, Shawn Pappillion, John Perry, Jordan Robertson, Joseph Smith, Phillip Young - Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office Ronald Martin - Jeff Davis Parish Sheriff’s Office Kenneth Haertling, Kyle Young - Cameron Parish Sheriff’s Office Jill Seahmer - Coushatta Tribal Police David Pettine, Tina Pettine, Nicholas Stratton - Lake Charles Police Department Gary Benoit, Brock Hymel - McNeese Police Department Bryan Leonard, Joseph Richard - Sulphur Police Department Garrick Chambers - LA Office of Youth Development Christopher Duplechian, William Johnson, Keith Breaux - Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office Frederick Evans - Oakdale Police Department Vinita DeWaine - DeRidder Police Department Roger McGee, Jr. - Kinder Police Department William Phillips - Merryville Police Department Kenneth Raimer and James Terrell - Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, graduated after completing 80 hours of refresher courses.

The Calcasieu Parish Regional Law Enforcement Training Academy is located in Lake Charles and provides accredited training, serving law enforcement agencies in the parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis. It was established in 1974 and is administered by Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Tony Mancuso.

BISHOP NOLAND EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL WELCOMES NEW FACULTY AND STAFF MEMBERS Nicole McFatter has been added to the faculty as the new health and physical education teacher and co-Athletic director. Nikki also teaches spinning at Gigi’s Downtown and was previously employed at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital in the Cardiac Rehab unit. She is degreed in Health Promotion with a minor in science.

Laurie Ardoin has joined EDS as the Director of Annual Giving and Development Services. She has a degree in Mass Communications/Public Relations from McNeese State University. Ardoin comes to EDS with years of experience in fundraising and was previously with the American Cancer Society. In her new position, she will coordinate all annual giving efforts including annual auction, carnival and the Eagle Fund.

Brad Comeaux joins EDS as the new band director. He has returned home to Lake Charles to complete his Masters Degree of Music Education at McNeese State University. He previously earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from MSU. He has over eight years experience teaching and directing bands in Louisiana and Texas. As the band director for Hudson ISD High School, in Lufkin, he continually produced a sweepstakes band. Comeaux occasionally performs with the Lake Charles Symphony, as well as other venues, and is currently a graduate assistant with the McNeese State University’s band program.

Crystal Pappion joins EDS as a new second grade teacher. Crystal will also be an Assistant Track Coach working with the sprinters. She earned a Master’s Degree in Education with a minor in educational technology from Northwestern University, and also attended McNeese State University on an athletic scholarship, where she ran track and played softball. With her experience in management, training and social work, she will be a great asset to the EDS faculty.

Taryn Mendelson has joined EDS as the teaching assistant in the Pre-K 2 program as well as the Summer Daycare program. Previously, Taryn taught at First Methodist School in the two-year old program.

Lisa Leubner is the new director of admission and marketing. She earned her degree in marketing and business administration from McNeese State University, and joins EDS with over 13 years of experience in management, recruitment, marketing and public relations.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 7

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Louisiana Moves to Top Five in Ethics

By Bill Krull

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Ethics reform passed earlier this year by the Louisiana Legislature propelled the state from the bottom of one of the “good lists” to the top. In a report released by the Better Government Association (BGA), Louisiana ranked fifth and was the top-ranked southern state.

Louisiana’s economic development secretary, Stephen Moret, said the BGA ranking would boost its business expansion and recruitment efforts considerably.

The BGA-Alper Index ranks all 50 states on the strength of their laws relating to transparency, ethics, and accountability in government. By issue area Louisiana ranked third in open records laws, second in whistleblower laws, 20th in campaign finance laws, fourth in open meetings laws and 44th in conflict of interest laws. Despite its number 5 overall ranking, Louisiana achieved a modest 61 percent overall score, meaning a lot of work yet remains.

“Louisiana should be congratulated that it beat out 45 other states.

However, there is clearly a lot of room for improvement, ” said BGA Executive Director Jay Stewart. “We hope that legislators and leaders in Louisiana will use the Integrity Index as a tool to spur reform and upgrade their laws in regard to transparency, accountability and limits. Better yet, we hope Louisiana comes up with a tough new standard that then becomes the measure against which other states will be judged.”

The top five states in this edition of the Integrity Index are: New Jersey Rhode Island Hawaii Washington Louisiana At the bottom of the rankings: Montana Tennessee Alabama Vermont South Dakota “The top five states should be congratulated for their performance,” said Stewart. “However, all of the states have room for improvement. The topranked state, New Jersey, earned a combined score of just 65 percent.

When the top state fails to break 70

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

percent, clearly all 50 have a long way to go in improving transparency and promoting ethics.”

The BGA reviewed the relevant state laws and created a point-scale scoring system for each one. The better the law, the higher the point total and score in each category and overall.

Scoring was generally based on limits to campaign contributions, the presence and depth of transparency laws, and strict penalties for violations of ethics rules.

More information, including a full copy of the BGA-Alper Integrity Index is available for download on the BGA’s Web site at www.bettergov.org.

In addition, the Web site has state-specific press releases.

The BGA-Alper Integrity Index is the only tool that attempts to measure all 50 states across a number of criteria, relating to good government. As with any analysis, it can’t measure every variable that impacts government integrity. Rather, laws are merely a reference point against which ethical standards are measured.

“We hope legislators and leaders in all 50 states will use the Integrity Index as a tool to spur reform and upgrade their laws in regard to transparency, accountability and limits,” Stewart said.

BUSINESS West Calcasieu Association of Commerce Seeks New Executive Director — The Board of Directors of the West Calcasieu Association of Commerce has announced its search for candidates seeking the position of executive director for the organization. “After 33 1/2 years of dedicated service as our executive director, Glenda Vincent has elected to retire at the end of December,” said Sheron Faulk, WCAB president. “With her departure, we are actively seeking an experienced and energetic person to serve as our association’s new executive director, effective January 1, 2009.”

The WCAB board has assembled an executive search committee that is conducting the search. The new position would be filled on a contract basis with built-in performance incentives. The contact involves 20-25 hours per week, and compensation will be commensurate with experience. Responsibilities will include membership development, marketing coordination, communication management and general organizational coordination. The WCAC currently has more than 120 members and closely works with the network of chambers of commerce operating throughout Southwest Louisiana.

Manpower Inc. celebrates 60th Anniversary — From a small business launched in a rented storefront in 1948, Manpower has become a $21 billion global enterprise that annually serves 9 million people and 400,000 clients from a network of 4,500 offices in 80 countries and territories. “While the workplace has changed dramatically over the past 60 years, Manpower has been a stable, reliable organization with a mission of helping individuals find employment and new opportunities while assisting businesses in finding talented workers,” said Beau Brown, of Manpower Inc. of Lake Charles. “It’s exciting to know that we’re able to make a long-term difference in people’s lives.” Manpower has been a part of the Lake area for over 30 years and is an active member of The Chamber of SWLA, ICHRMA, Louisiana Workforce Commission, Blueprint Louisiana, Junior Achievement and Habitat for Humanity.

notes Memorial Hospital receives HHS Organ Donation Medal of Honor — Lake Charles Memorial Hospital was recently awarded the Organ Donation National Medal of Honor from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) for its success in raising organ donation rates. Marilyn McSwain, chief nursing officer, and Denise Collett, RN, director of intensive care, accepted the National Medal of Honor on behalf of Memorial during the Fourth Annual National Learning Congress on Organ Donation and Transplantation in Nashville, Tenn. Memorial earned the recognition by collaborating with its partner, Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA), in an effort to achieve the national goal of converting at least 75 percent of eligible deaths into actual organ donors.

Memorial is one of six Louisiana medical facilities to receive the National Medal of Honor for organ donation this year. Its work with LOPA is helping to close the gap in Louisiana between the number of organ donors and the more than 1,800 Louisiana residents in need of a life-saving organ transplant. Last year, there were 160 organ donors in Louisiana hospitals, leading to 456 transplants.

American Cancer Society Recognizes Local Relay For Life Event — The American Cancer Society is proud to announce that the Relay For Life Team, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, has been ranked 23rd out of 573 Relay For Life teams participating in the Mid-South Division of the American Cancer Society Relay For Life events. These teams are ranked nationally in money raised per capita. The rankings were based on Relay For Life events across the nation with populations ranging from 25,000 to 100,000. “We are very proud of the West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Team and their participation in the Relay For Life of Calcasieu Parish,” said Lindsay Ardoin, Development Representative for the American Cancer Society. “Everyone worked extremely hard to make this Relay For Life event successful, and these high national rankings are proof that their work paid off.” Information about how to form a team or become involved in Relay For Life of Calcasieu Parish is available from the American Cancer Society at (800) ACS.2345 or by visiting www.RelayForLife.org.

Cameron Communications Donates Saddle to Sulphur Rodeo Club — Cameron Communications Public Relations Coordinator, Trina Johnson presented a saddle to the Sulphur Rodeo Club. Cameron Communications is the Saddle Sponsor for the annual Sulphur High School Rodeo, which was held on Nov. 21 – 23 at the West Cal Arena.

Tony Caraway, CCOA executive director, left, accepts the check from Carol Collins, ConocoPhillips public relations director along with CCOA staff member Charlene Bennett. Employees of the refinery and the community delivered the baskets on Nov. 22.

Merchants & Farmers Bank Grand Opening

Merchants & Farmers Bank Grand Opening — Merchants & Farmers Bank recently celebrated the grand opening of its new 6,230-square-foot facility at 4091 Nelson Rd. in Lake Charles. From its beginnings in Lake Charles as a small, but successful, loan production office, Merchants & Farmers Bank evolved through planned growth into this new, contemporary facility. The new operation will continue to cater to the needs of business customers while adding the products and amenities of full service consumer banking. Chairman of the Board, Claude “Buddy” Leach, led the festivities as emcee and recognized local dignitaries, bank personnel, and the architectural and construction teams responsible for the classically derived design. The latest technological advances are woven through the building in everything from enhanced-video remote transaction units and remote-capture business transaction units to multi-media conferencing technology. Traditional banking services are also provided with lobby transactions, vaulted safety depository, and drive-through facilities.

ConocoPhillips Provides Food Baskets to the Elderly — ConocoPhillips, its employees, and the Calcasieu Council on Aging teamed up again to provide Thanksgiving food baskets for the elderly. ConocoPhillips donated $6,000 to CCOA to purchase groceries to fill 350 - 400 holiday baskets. Most of the recipients are CCOA clients who receive assistance from the “Meals on Wheels” program.

CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Recognized by American Heart Association — CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital was one of 228 unique hospitals in the United States recognized by the American Heart Association’s Get With The GuidelinesSM (GWTG) program. St. Patrick Hospital received the Gold Performance Award for coronary artery disease care and GWTG Gold Performance Award for heart failure care. Cardiologist, Richard Gilmore, M.D., represented St. Patrick Hospital at the association’s annual Scientific Sessions 2008. To achieve gold level recognition, hospitals must reach an aggressive goal Continued on Page 10 NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 9

BUSINESS

notes

INSIDE BATON ROUGE — by John Maginnis

Two Pivotal Years Ahead for Landrieu and Vitter

Business Notes, Continued from Page 9

of treating patients for at least 24 months with 85 percent compliance to core standard levels of care as defined by the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology’s secondary prevention guidelines.

n biennial Washington, an election cycle ends and the next begins: Two years that will be pivotal in the careers of U.S. Senators Mary Landrieu and David Vitter.

Triumphant Landrieu begins her third term, her first with her party controlling both Congress and the White House. With advancing seniority and her centrism, she approaches the level where John Breaux played so effectively.

Vitter returns with fewer Republican colleagues to a less hospitable capital.

Still recovering from last year’s disgrace from his involvement with a D.C. escort service, in two years he faces trial by re-election without even being assured of renomination by his party.

The currency of power in Congress is committee assignments, which undergo a serious game of musical chairs at the start of each term. It so happens that all three of Landrieu’s major committees are in the middle of the dance.

She stands to gain her first chairmanship, that of the Small Business Committee, when Sen. John Kerry leaves it to take over the Foreign Relations Committee, to be vacated by Vice President-elect Joe Biden. The panel has oversight of the Small Business Administration.

Drama encircles the Homeland Security Committee, likely not to be chaired much longer by Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats but who campaigned for John McCain. He could be stripped of his chairmanship if he doesn’t bolt to the Republicans first. If so, say Senate sources, the subcommittee Landrieu chairs could have its jurisdiction expanded to cover both disaster preparedness and response.

The music just started on the allimportant Appropriations Committee, once Sen. Robert Byrd, who turns 91 this month, announced he will step down as chairman. In the ensuing chain reaction, Landrieu is said to be maneuvering to chair the subcommittee on military construction, which could have major impact from Barksdale to Belle Chasse.

On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the senator stands to be the point person for Louisiana with the new administration. Given that she has been the loudest critic of FEMA, the new president likely will seek her input on a

I

Parrot Head president Gary Primeaux (far right) presents the check to LAPAW volunteer Shelia Gilley (holding Brittany, a rescued puppy mill Pomeranian). Joining them are Parrot Head Carol Lilly-Reynolds, and Parrot Head Vice President Nancy Rogers (far left).

Parrots are Going to the Dogs — On November 15, the Pelican Coast Parrot Head Club of Lake Charles surprised the Lake Area Partnerships for Animal Welfare (LAPAW) with a $2,500 check from their organization. LAPAW is a local network of animal lovers who rescue homeless and abused dogs that are either stray, surrendered, or getting ready to be put down at various shelters, and then foster them in their homes until the dogs get adopted. The available dogs are posted on their website at www.lapaw.org and are on display at PetsMart every Saturday from noon - 3 p.m.

Parrot Heads in Paradise, Inc.(PHIP) is a Not-For-Profit Corporation, whose purpose is to assist in community and environmental concerns and provide a variety of social activities for people who are interested in the music of Jimmy Buffett and the island lifestyle he personifies. The Pelican Coast Parrot Head Club is a local chapter of PHIP and has made donations to Abraham’s Tent, Goodwill, the Tsunami Relief fund (through the Red Cross,) and many more. “Leave it better than you found it “ is the Parrot Heads motto. To learn more about the local chapter of the Parrot Heads, visit their Web site at www.coastalparrots.com.

Dr. Nikos Kiritsis, right, college of engineering and engineering technology dean and Dorothy Ortego, center, engineering technology department head, accept the donation from Willie A. Tempton, Jr., general manager of the ConocoPhillips Lake Charles refinery.

ConocoPhillips Supports McNeese State University — ConocoPhillips donated $10,000 to the McNeese State University Department of Engineering Technology’s process technology curriculum through the McNeese Foundation.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

new agency director and some stalled decisions affecting the state’s recovery.

Chief among them is how much FEMA is to fund a new public hospital in New Orleans to replace Big Charity, shuttered since Katrina. The state says it is due $493 million, while FEMA has dug in its heels at $23 million. Gov. Bobby Jindal is still trying to get the Bush administration to move FEMA off the dime, but time is running out on a resolution in this term.

The impasse could be broken and the hospital funded under the Obama administration, in line with the next president’s support for public works projects to stimulate the economy longterm. If such comes to pass, Mary Landrieu’s earmarks and fingerprints will be all over it.

The next two years won’t be as balmy for Vitter, but he’s preparing for the storm. Despite his scandal, polls show him maintaining healthy, though not Jindalesque, approval ratings. It has helped that he has steadfastly refused to further elaborate on his self-described “sin,” but the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee won’t be so discreet.

Potential Democratic opponents mentioned include Congressman Charlie Melancon of Napoleonville, Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick and Shaw Group CEO Jim Bernhard.

Yet, Vitter could be challenged within his party. There are Republicans who think Secretary of State Jay Dardenne would have made a stronger Senate candidate than was John Kennedy and would be more electable than Vitter in 2010. Dardenne has said or done nothing to encourage the speculation.

Yet, one wonders if Republicans have the stomach for a civil war, while there is little doubt that Vitter will do what it takes.

In the bigger picture, consider that the 2010 elections will be a mid-term referendum on Obama’s presidency.

Even if things are going well for the new administration, and not so great for Republicans, Vitter has to like his odds in a state where Obama could not crack 40 percent overall or 15 percent among whites.

The state’s two senators will have vastly different relationships with the new president, but his administration might just work out well for both.

PERSPECTIVES — by Jim Doyle

You Say Tomato, I Say… t dawned on me last night, floating in my hot tub, smelling the smoke from one of my neighbor’s wood fires, alternately warmed and chilled by the 50degree variation between my water temperature and the air, that we are closing in on winter. Winter in Lake Charles, of course, means thoughts turn to idle consideration of when, or if, a freeze will kill my banana trees, and whether I should cook some fish (maybe even some pork) in those gorgeous leaves before that happens.

And if it’s getting colder, then the Megaholidays are on the way.

Remember when the Macy’s Parade was the traditional start of the Christmas season, Santa Claus and big balloons with turkey roasting in the oven? Now we’re lucky to get past Halloween before the trees are for sale. I actually saw potted pines with ornaments in my grocery store last week. My staff has already placed a rather generous holiday schedule on my calendar. Soon, we’ll have one seamless celebration from Labor Day to Mardi Gras to Easter.

Harrumph!!!

This may be the year without a Christmas tree at my house. I’m down to one teenager and one returnee, and as for me, I’d be satisfied decorating my immortal tomato plant. Hey, at least it would be a “live tree.” This is, of course, a fantasy on my part. My son Harry would like to have the house decorated in National Lampoon mode (Clark Griswold and the many mini-lights). Probably should put something up.

Now, about my tomato plant.

I began gardening this year. In pots. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to commit actual labor by digging a garden; pots just seemed so much more, I don’t know, portable.

Then there were the birds. An unguarded garden in my back yard would be vulnerable to all kinds of casual eaters, and since I planned to have a bounty of fresh, organic vegetables available, I wanted to keep them on my patio where my various domesticated animals, including five grandchildren, would likely shoo them away.

So, with optimism, I ordered tomato plants and other seeded mini-

I

pots from some anonymous ad on the back of a Parade magazine. You know the type. They arrived a couple weeks later in a box, which someone helpfully deposited on my breakfast table, where they stayed for a couple of months until one of the members of the Former Mrs. Doyle Club opened the box and took a couple of the plants to her house. This was, I don’t know, maybe April.

By June, I figured I had to move the box. Looked at the seed pods.

Didn’t seem too complicated. Bought some bags of dirt and planted them in the pots, and lo and behold, Magic!

Green sprouts! I never knew I could do that!

Now I was hooked. I called over my yard guy and got him to transplant my then-dying banana trees, left there by another Club member, into my yard. As I watered them, an amazing thing happened. They grew! By this point I was out of control.

One day at the hardware store getting copies made of my house keys, I saw a pack of squash seeds. I love squash. Bought some more dirt and a couple more pots and planted the suckers in my patio garden. Damned if they didn’t sprout, too! My plants became my afternoon companions and part of my routine: work all day, go home, feed the dog, feed the teenager, water the plants. Even though I never spoke to my plants, I now sympathized with those who do, people I had previously considered eccentric.

Hell, I’m not eccentric!

Spent most of my afternoons in the garden section of Wal-Mart.

Bought two lemon trees on line and planted them in pots in my house.

Bought two Bonsai trees, for God’s sake, in Florida. Added some lowlight (as opposed to low-life) greenery in my kitchen. Made plans for harvest.

No harvest.

There must be something about this gardening thing I haven’t figured out. One of my tomato plants did produce five or six small fruit. The squash bloomed beautifully but yielded one miserable, hard, tasteless gourd. Finally I pulled up all the offending greenery and was about to plow the pots after Josie the Dog jumped onto a patio chair and broke my biggest remaining tomato stalk.

But I never got around to it.

I decided instead to do some research. My ultimate resource is Google, which gave me a clue. Seems one of my tomato plants was engineered for cooler weather, like, say, Vermont, and that’s why it grew like Topsy but never “fruited” (and I never knew that was a verb until I became a gardener). I suppose that’s what happened to the squash, too.

Right about the time I was planning to yank my old friend the tomato from his roots, he started flowering.

Last week – in November! – three fair-sized tomatoes appeared. And that’s when the idea struck me. I could move it into my house and decorate it

with other ornaments, maybe a fulltomato theme. Maybe I’ll even flock the damned thing.

Since the tomato plant is either immortal or undead, it’s good for any number of stops on the seamless holiday trail. Hide eggs in the Easter Tomato, symbol of everlasting life.

Scare little kids with the Halloween Tomato, a zombie with small fruit.

Call him Scrooge for Christmas because he’s stingy with his produce.

Harrumph!

Hope you guys have better luck getting fruited.

See y’all on the flip.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

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S O U T H W E S T

L O U I S I A N A ’ S

H O M E

G R O W N

B U S I N E S S E S

The Perfect Gift Offers a Variety of Gift Items for the Holidays

By Lisa Yates et a head start on the season’s hottest gift trends at The Perfect Gift – a Cottage Shop boutique.

“The biggest thing this year is anything with initials,” said Carol Henry, the owner. “Monogrammed wine stoppers, flat wallets, wine glasses, garden flags, and note pads – anything with bright, colorful initials is big right now.

She said these personalized gifts for women, men and children not only make great holiday presents, but are great for birthdays, anniversaries or any occasion.

If you like shopping, you will love The Perfect Gift, located at 2712 Hodges Street, in Lake Charles. The store is filled with beautiful displays of gifts and home décor – trinkets, treasures and inviting fragrances – the solution to

G

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Secret Santa gift-giving.

“I try to find fun things – unique things – where you can find gifts for all occasions and something fun for yourself, too,” Henry said.

Best-selling items include circle flap handbags, she said. She added, they come in a variety of stylish colors and make great gifts for the serious “fashionista” on your Christmas list.

What’s new?

New items include designerinspired, long-sleeved cotton tees and knit tops.

“I’ve just started getting into clothing,” Henry said as she opened a box containing a new collection arriving at the store. “These are fun tops – with LSU and Fleur Di Lis designs.”

Upscale OKA b’s footwear is also a new item at The Perfect Gift.

Carol Henry, owner of The Perfect Gift – a Cottage Shop boutique

Reflexology-inspired, these fashionable shoes feature an ergonomic footbed enhanced with massage beads to pamper feet with every step.

But unlike a lot of therapeutic-type shoes, OKA b’s are cute and come in a variety of colors and styles - sandals, mules and clogs.

Not only are the shoes fashionable, they have made headlines for being eco-friendly. Customers can send their old pairs to the company’s corporate headquarters, where they will be ground and mixed with virgin material to create a new product.

Tre’s chic!

For the kids, The Perfect Gift has one of the hottest Christmas toys this season – the Elf on the Shelf.

“He’s one of Santa’s little helpers and he makes trips to the North Pole every night,” Henry said.

She explained “Elf on the Shelf” is a book set with an antique-style Elf, formed to sit on a shelf. The book explains what the Elf does.

“He has a job,” said Henry. “This Elf is assigned to watch over your family and report back to Santa each night about who has been naughty or nice that day. By morning he’s back but he’s usually in a different place in the house. If you see him move, he loses his magic.”

It’s a new family tradition created by a very creative mother, as a way of keeping her kids behavior in check on the holidays.

“Kids love playing the daily hideand-seek game with the elf,” Henry said. “Parents love it too, because they have no trouble getting their kids to bed. They want to go to bed, so they can wake up the next day to see where the elf is next.”

A little something extra As with any gift, presentation counts.

A beautifully wrapped present heightens the fun and anticipation.

That’s why The Perfect Gift offers complimentary gift wrapping with purchases.

“We all lead such hectic lives these days,” Henry said. “We have some customers who will call us and tell us what kind of gift they are looking for hand how much they want to spend. We’ll have it wrapped and ready to go when they get here.”

It’s like having a personal shopper. The store owner just calls it good customer service.

“It’s just so hard to find good customer service nowadays,” she said.

As a boutique owner for many years, Henry said customer service is the key reason for the success of her

business.

“I enjoy helping people; and, enjoy the merchandise,” she said.

“You have to love what you do to be successful – and, I do. I thoroughly enjoy it.”

The Perfect Gift has been a part of The Cottage Shops of Lake Charles for 10 years, according to Henry. She purchased the store in February, 2000, after her husband retired.

“I had owned a boutique years before,” she said. “When my husband retired, this just fell into my lap.”

It was a good fit for Henry, who loves talking to people and getting to know them. When her out-of-state customers pass through town, they stop in for a visit.

“They say, ‘We just had to stop in and see you,’” Henry said. “That makes you feel so good!”

A civic-minded shopkeeper As a natural “people-person,” Henry is very active in the community. This includes serving on the board of directors for the local Better Business Bureau, and serving on the Executive Board of the Women’s Commission of Southwest Louisiana.

“I believe it’s important to give back to the community,” she said.

She said that’s a quality she shares with the other business owners of The Cottage Shop district.

“We’re all locally-owned, women-owned businesses,” Henry said. “We support our local schools, our churches and sports activities.

We give back to the community.”

That’s something to think about this holiday season, she said.

“People need to realize how important it is to shop their locallyowned businesses,” Henry said.

She said there are many benefits to shopping local, including helping the local economy. In fact, local money helps to promote entrepreneurship and create local jobs.

Through paying local taxes, shoppers also help fund neighborhood, community and city projects.

“The tourist bureau sends out-oftown visitors to The Cottage Shops, because we have a variety of different shops here and we offers customers quick and easy parking,” Henry said.

She added that over time, local merchants develop more personal relationships with their customers.

“We connect with our customers and form relationships,” she said.

“We know them and we care about them. We find that people like to do business with friends.”

Think outside the box By thinking outside the big box stores, you’ll find affordable one-ofa-kind gifts, all while making friends with small businesses in your community, keeping money in the local economy and creating a more unique town.

Instead of spending cash on the same cheaply-manufactured gizmo everyone else is getting at chain megastores – shop local.

“If you only have a few dollars to spend, stop and think how and where you will spend those dollars,” Henry said.

Shake up your shopping habit this season. Find the most thoughtful and unique holiday gifts at The Perfect Gift.

For more information, call (337) 439-7693, or visit The Perfect Gift at 2712 Hodges St. in Lake Charles.

Store hours are 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., Mon. – Fri., and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., on Saturdays.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 13

By Jon Kenton

The holiday season is with us once again.

Whether you’re adding to your own personal wish list or racking your brains for gift ideas, here are a few of this season’s latest gadgets and gizmos.

New cell phones and PDAs were recently introduced at CTIA, one of the wireless industries major events. Touch screens are appearing everywhere and they are perfect for smartphones. HTC’s Touch Pro combines a slide-out keyboard with touch screen technology—the best of both worlds and very iPhone-like.

Running Windows mobile 6.1, it has all the usual productivity tools along with great connectivity options.

Bluetooth, WiFi and even a GPS antenna are included.

An unlocked version won’t be cheap, but could be in the $300-$400 range with a service agreement. Sprint and Verizon are potential service providers for this device.

If you’re one of the numerous BlackBerry fans but would prefer a flip phone, then the Pearl Flip 8220 could be what you’ve waited for. The first handset from RIM using the clamshell design is very sleek. It has everything you would expect of a BlackBerry, including multimedia capabilities, camera, browser and email.

It also has built in WiFi so you can take advantage of your home network or local coffee shop hotspot. Pricing is around $349, and T-Mobile will be one of the providers.

This season, most of the camera manufacturers are continuing the trend towards greater adoption of D-SLRs with new and updated models. There are many new mid-range models, including the Pentax K-m, Panasonic Lumix G1 HTC Touch Pro and Canon 50D. With resolutions ranging from 10-to-15 PAGE 14

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Canon SD 990 IS

Megapixels (50D), and a slew of features including auto dust removal and anti shake technology (body or lens), they are all great options to take that step up into the realm of Digital SLR photography.

If high resolution in a pocket-sized point and shoot package is more your thing, then check out the Canon SD 990 IS. 15 MP, manual controls, internal image stabilization and their DIGIC 4 processor (for great results and fast response times) all make this a powerful package for approximately $400.

If you’re looking at the other end of the spectrum, Canon recently announced an MKII version of their

5D full frame DSLR. Along with a stunning 21 megapixels and everything you would expect from a pro level camera from Canon, it also captures HD video, shooting uninterrupted at full 1080 resolution at 30fps. It’s a great camera with a body-only price tag of $2,700, but if you need full frame and high quality, then this could be the option for you.

In the world of gaming, the advent of titles such as Rock Band and Guitar Hero have turned our living rooms into grand concert stages. This September, Rock Band 2 was announced. While basically an update to the previous version, it has enhanced

many features, added some new modes, and there is a new improved drum kit. The game comes with 100 songs and there is a constant stream of new downloadable songs released every month.

Also be on the lookout for Guitar Hero World Tour. The folks at Guitar Hero are now matching the Rock Band configuration with the addition of a drum kit and microphone. Is one of these on your gift list? It’s on mine, and I know my house will be rocking around the TV come December.

While I personally love the feel of a physical book, e-books and e-book readers are gaining in popularity. They do have a distinct advantage, being able to hold many hundreds (or thou-

sands with additional memory cards) of titles in a lightweight portable package. I have to admit trying to carry my usual three books every time I travel is a little inconvenient.

Popular models include the Reader Digital Book from Sony, iRex technologie’s Digital Reader Series and iLiad Book Edition and of course the Kindle from Amazon. With hundreds of thousands of titles from classics to current bestsellers and a wide selection of newspapers and magazines, there is no shortage of things to read. Prices range from $300 to more than $600 depending on size and features.

Love scratching your head trying to solve Sudoku? Then how about adding an electronic version of the game to your wish list? Excalibur Electronics have created a touch screen, PDA-style version of this ever-popular puzzle. It has over 800 different puzzles, graded from easy to difficult, all created by Will Shortz, The New York Times Crossword Puzzle Editor. There are a few different-sized versions ranging from $20-$80. Hours of fun, but keep some Advil handy!

Jon Kenton is a consumer technology/business writer. He can be reached at kentonjm@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 15

Books are always a great gift.

Here’s a list of interesting reading for all the folks on your list.

General Non-Fiction The holidays can be a romantic time, so why not match it with a different kind of love story: The Geography of Love, by Glenda Burgess. This is the story of love against all sorts of roadblocks; love against all the quirky things life can throw at two people. Be aware that this isn’t some fluffy paperback novel. It’s a true story, and

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very satisfying for anyone who believes in the impossible.

For the Civil War buff, there are two notable books out this year on Abraham Lincoln: first, Charles Lachman weighs in with The Last Lincolns: The Rise & Fall of a Great American Family. This book goes beyond Lincoln’s death in 1865, and talks about his family and what went on behind closed doors and in public after the Great Emancipator was assassinated. On the same note, The Assassin’s Accomplice by Kate Clifford Larson is a book about Mary Surrat, who was hanged for her complicity in Lincoln’s death, and the late Webb Garrison’s Civil War Dictionary is also available in time for the holidays. Tip: Wrap up all three books for a big smile from your Civil War buff or reenactor Do you need to buy a gift for someone who yearns to be famous someday? Then wrap up Starlust: The Price of Fame by Jesse Cutler.

This cautionary true story is about a guy who did everything right on the path to fame, but may now be the most famous person you’ve never heard of. Bonus gift: a portion of the proceeds of this book goes to benefit Habitat for Humanity and music edu-

cation through the Guitar Center Music Foundation.

Who’s making your holiday dinner this year? Whoever it is, the cook will love a nice hostess gift of cookbooks.

Keep your eyes peeled for, and your stomach warm with Enlightened Soups

by Camilla V. Saulsbury or The Military Wives’ Cookbook by Carolyn Quick Tillery. Either of them is sure to get you invited back. Somebody’s got to do the taste-testing, right?

Looking for something for the pophistorian on your list? Pick up Peaches & Daddy by Michael M. Greenburg. This is the (true) story of the Roaring 20s, a romantic scandal, and the birth of those wonderful tabloid papers. Wrap it in newspaper (a tabloid, naturally) and give it with a grin. Another cool pop-history book to find is A Pocketful of History by Jim Noles, a book about the state quarters and why they are designed the way they are.

True crime fans will stop unwrapping their other presents when they open I Am Innocent

by Jay Robert Nash, the King of True Crime, He presents this huge, comprehensive book about history’s wrongly convicted people from ancient times through the last few

months. This extremely browse-able book is a crime buff’s dream gift.

Another true-crime book to find is The Lizard King by Bryan Christy. This is the story of a reptile smuggler and the federal agent who tries to catch him. I mean, what’s better than good guys, bad guys and snakes?

Christmas, for a cancer survivor, is always a sweet milestone. Show your survivor that you recognize the triumph by giving CrazySexy Cancer Survivor by Kris Carr. This book is filled with atta-girl ideas and

tips that will make life a little less about the c-word and a lot about living.

Added bonus: It doubles as a healing journal.

You might think the December holidays are a strange time to think about ghosts. But if there’s a ghost-lover on your list, you can’t go wrong with Dixie Spirits: Tales of the Strange and Supernatural in the South by Christopher K. Coleman. Filled with true stories of ghosties, goblins, and graveyards, this is a book that will scare the daylights out of your giftee.

Bonus: Included are addresses, phone numbers, and websites of real places to visit for more chills.

Going for the big surprise this holiday – big, like a new house or a remodel? Then look for Good Design Can Change Your Life by Ty Pennington. You know the author by his television show, and you know he has some fanciful (and do-able) ideas about decorating your home. Tip: Look hard at the pictures in this book and let your imagination fly.

Having trouble finding a present for Mom? How about finding Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers, edited by Kathryn Kysar?

This anthology is about Mom from the vantage point of 21 women who had a mother, became mothers, and grew up to learn that Mom was the most important person in their lives. Wrap it up for the most important person in yours.

Hint: Would make a great gift for anyone who is expecting a daughter.

Got a TV-lover on your list, one who can’t tear away from the tube?

Try this: Sitcoms: The 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time by Ken Bloom & Frank Vlastnik. This big, beautiful coffee-table book is full of pictures and memories of shows we loved (and can probably catch on repeats). It’s perfect

for the couch potato and anyone who loves pop culture.

Novels Undoubtedly, you’ve got a sleuth or two on your list, and I’ve undoubtedly got some suggestions to make your giving easy: look for Crime by Irvine Welsh, a book about a murdered child and the messed-up guy in charge of saving her; Irrational Numbers by Robert Spiller, another in the “Bonnie Pinkwater” series (your giftee will want them all, by the way); or find The Fourth Victim by Tony Spinosa, a thriller-mystery with multiple bodies.

Speaking of thrillers, look for Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan; Calumet City by Charlie Newton; or Flight of the Hornbill by Eric Stone. Better yet, wrap up all three for the armchair spy on your list.

Sometimes, it’s just nice to relax with a good western and if your giftee is a cowpoke in disguise, you can’t go wrong with Texas Sunrise by Elmer Kelton. With two stories (kind of books-within-a-book), Kelton tells a tale of the Texas Revolution before the Lone Star State was a state. Also look for The Long Knives are Crying by Joseph M. Marshall III, the second book in the Lakota Western series (this book can stand alone, but your giftee will love getting the first one, too).

Looking for a gift for someone who’s looking for love? Then wrap up Manless in Montclair by Amy Holman Edelman. This cute book is about one widow’s reluctant search for love in very-married suburbia. Also consider Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani (a book about three women and the men they might – or might not – love), or Confessions of a Contractor by Richard Murphy (the story of a man who renovates houses and his love life).

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Animals At this time of year, you can’t forget the animals. Read Where the Blind

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 17

Horse Sings by Kathy Stevens and find out about the Catskill Animal Sanctuary, where abused farm animals are given a loving home. This is a fourhankie book, so pack up a box of tissues with it.

Will you have a dog at your holiday celebration? I know I will because my dogs are family, and if you have a giftee who thinks the same; you can’t go wrong with Dog Blessings edited by June Cotner. This book is filled with poetry, anecdotes, and prayers for and about dogs. Puppy parents will sit up pretty for this book. Also check out Izzy & Lenore by Jon Katz (excellent for a household with a new puppy) and Bliss to You: Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life by Trixie Koontz, as told to Dean Koontz. It’s cute, cute, cute…

Do you know someone head-overheels over horses? If you do, wrap up The Ultimate Horse Lover by Marty Becker, D.V.M. Published by the same folks who brought you the Chicken Soup for the Soul books, this new release is filled with stories about horses and the love they have for their human friends (and vice versa). Also look for The Ultimate Cat Lover for the cat-loving pals on your gift list.

Is someone on your list missing their animal pal this holiday? Show you understand by giving Saying Goodbye to Your Angel Animals by

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Allen & Linda Anderson. This helpful book will bring on the tears, but it will also offer comfort for anybody missing that friendly wag or purr. Hint: wrap it up with a candle, because there are exercises in this book requiring one.

Sports Christmastime also signals the near-end of the football season, and if someone on your list will be bereft, then wrap up The Hurricanes by Jere Longman. This heartwarming book is about a high school football team in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Not only will this book bring smiles (and maybe a tear or two?), it will extend the football season just a little bit.

Somebody on your list is planning on making a New Years’ Resolution for fitness in 2009, and you can help by giving T.O.’s Finding Fitness by Terrell Owens (with Buddy Primm & Courtney Parker). The cover is inspirational and the exercises are challenging, which will make this an “I believe in you” kind of gift this year.

If you know someone who was glued to the TV this summer for the Olympics, you know you can’t go wrong by wrapping up Rome 1960: The Olympics That Changed the World

by David Maraniss. This book is filled with stories of courage, defeat, and Olympic history and will definitely

thrill any athlete or sports fan.

Undoubtedly, there’s an outdoor enthusiast on your gift list. Make the days go quicker by wrapping up This Water Goes North by Dennis Weidemann. This is the story of four young men who undertake a two-plusmonth trip from Minnesota to the Hudson Bay by canoe. Anyone who’s dreamed of adventure – or grabbed adventure in a past life – will eat this book up.

African-American Authors It seems that every family has a history buff, and yours will love to read The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette GordonReed. This book takes a good long look at the family that was, in part, owned by Thomas Jefferson. Be sure to include a bookmark when you wrap up this book. At nearly 800 pages, this is a gift that will last for a while.

Does your giftee work tirelessly for your community?

Give him (or her) a well-deserved rest by giving The Sea is so Wide and My Boat is so Small by Marian Wright Edelman. This

small book is filled with lots of gigantic thoughts about how we can make our country better for our children, our grandchildren, and for the future in general. This is also a great gift for a young person with fire in their soul and eagerness to make a difference.

Sometimes, a biography is just the thing to wrap up for Christmas, and The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper is the right one. This is a story of a child (Cooper herself) who escaped a brutal childhood in Liberia almost 30 years ago. As an adult, she returned to her birth-country in search of family. It’s a beautiful, brutal, can’tput-it-down story, perfect for wrapping up for Christmas or Kwanzaa.

Business Is there a businessperson on your gift list who’s ready to shake things up?

How about wrapping up A Peacock in the Land of Penguins by BJ Gallagher Hateley and Warren H. Schmidt? A business fable, this is a book about being brave enough to bring new ideas to the table and embracing creativity.

Wrap it up with one of those brainboosting “executive toys” you see in catalogs for a great present.

On the flip side, is there someone on your list who’s having a hard time dealing with change at work? Then wrap up The Change Cycle by Ann Salerno & Lillie Brock. This book can only help the person who’s baffled by downsizing, upsizing, reshuffling, and restructuring on the job. Or try The Dysfunctional Workplace by Peter Morris. That’s a book about the psychology of business and how to deal with it. Either book is great when wrapped with wishes for a smoother New Year.

When you’re in charge, you want to do the right thing to keep the business afloat. Cautionary tales abound in Billion Dollar Lessons by Paul B. Carroll and Chunka Mui. You can probably think of quite a few businesses that have failed in the past, and this book examines many of them. In this economy, a gift like this book may mean a lot to someone in business.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Your giftee, of course! So why not wrap up How to Think Like a Millionaire by Mark Fisher with Marc Allen. This is a skinny book with big ideas and even bigger motivation.

Better hope you give it to someone who will remember you when he (or she) hits it big. Are you looking for something to give the boss, team leader, or favored co-worker? How about Quick Meeting Openers for Busy Managers by Brian Cole Miller? This fun book is guaranteed to jump-start staff meetings with all sorts of teambuilding, get-to-know-you, let’s-go-get‘em activities. Give it and get ready for some fun at work.

Children Do you have a young explorer in your house? If you do, you can’t go wrong with The Field Guide to Safari Animals by Paul Beck or The Field Guide to Ocean Animals by Phyllis Perry. These cool interactive books are filled with facts and information, but the bonus is that there are easy-to-assemble cardboard animals and pullout dioramas that your child can play with while reading these books. While you’re probably going to want to keep them away from little kids, these books are perfect for boys or girls ages 8 to 13.

Does your child know what he or she wants for the holidays? Then show them What Dogs Want for Christmas with this cute book by Kandy Radzinski. Quick to read and with many of your favorite canines inside, enjoying this book will quickly become a holiday tradition at your house. And if you want a classic book to read aloud, pick up A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz. Newly released in a beautiful picture book, this will delight any fan of any age.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

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1115 N Martin Luther King Hwy Lake Charles, LA 70601 337-497-1110 Did your young stargazer ask Santa for a telescope this year? Be sure to add The Planet Hunter by Elizabeth Rusch in that package. This is a (fictional) story about what “happened” to the (real) planet Pluto, and it includes a poster of the Solar System inside so your child can become a Planet Hunter, too. Another book for the scienceminded kid is Weird Weather by Kate Evans. It’s a bit of science in a sort of comic-book format and will make any young meteorologist smile.

Did you ever find a kids’ book that’s almost too good for kids? For instance, there’s Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, with art by Ed Young. This is the story of a cat in Japan who wonders what her name means. That’s not the best part, though. The artwork is in a collage style, and it has to be seen to be appreciated. Buy this book to give as a gift, but be sure to steal it back often to enjoy yourself.

Is there a kid alive who doesn’t enjoy hearing their own story of how they came into the family? As much as you love telling it, you’ll also love reading these books aloud: You Are My Wish Come True is the story of a little bear who loves hearing how his mother waited for him and imagined him before he was born. In I Wished For You: An Adoption Story, a young bear hears the story of how he and his Mama became a family. Both of these books are written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, and they’re both perfect for kids ages 3 to 8.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

TAKE THE STRESS OUT OF GIFT-GIVING, GIVE THE GIFT OF RELAXATION

By Lisa Yates Choosing the perfect gift for Christmas – or any occasion - can be a stressful experience, even for the most seasoned shopper. Is it the right size?

Is it the right color? Sometimes it’s hard to find just the right gift for that special person on your list. This year, consider giving the gift of relaxation – massage therapy.

Robert Patten, a licensed massage therapist in Lake Charles, says giving the gift of relaxation is perfect for any occasion.

“People with high stress jobs hold a lot of tension in their bodies, especially in their necks,” he said. “Massage therapy can be very beneficial for these people as a chance to escape the stress of everyday life and enhance their overall health.”

Even so, giving the gift of massage therapy must be thoughtfully planned.

The ideal recipient is someone who already knows about bodywork, or someone who has hinted at wanting to give this form of therapy a try. Not everyone is comfortable lying in the nude, under a sheet as a therapist does bodywork.

Patten agreed. Other than athletes, men sometimes feel uncomfortable receiving massage therapy from another man, he said. He described the ideal candidate for a massage therapy gift certificate.

“Women who work in high stress jobs, stay-at-home moms, or single moms - it means a lot to them,” he said. “They are really appreciative of receiving a gift certificate for massage therapy.”

Reflexology Patten said there are options when it comes to giving the gift of massage therapy. Not all forms of therapeutic massage involve disrobing.

“Reflexology is the best option in that case,” he said. “It’s great for stress relief; and, many people enjoy having

their feet worked on.”

He said reflexology reflex points in the feet correspond to different body organs and systems in the body.

Applying pressure to these points is believed to have a beneficial effect on the organs and a person’s general health, according to Patten.

“The entire body is in the foot,” he said. “Working on the feet helps to break up adhesions. For example, working on the points of the feet associated with the sinuses helps to remove blockages allowing the sinuses to drain. It’s very fast-acting.”

Patten experienced the benefits of reflexology first-hand. While training to be a massage therapist, he was suffering from a sinus infection and needed relief from the pain.

“The instructor worked on the sinus pressure points of my feet and almost immediately my sinuses started draining,” Patten said, adding he felt much better as a result of the treatment.

He cautioned: Reflexology - and all forms of massage therapy - should not replace medical treatment, but only used as a complementary therapy.

“It’s always a good idea to consult your doctor,” he said.

For those in excellent health, a stress releasing massage to relax and soothe tense, knotted muscles can be very beneficial – and, it makes a wonderful gift!

The seated chair massage The seated chair massage is another option for a busy person who may not take the time for a hour table massage.

It is also a great introduction to massage therapy and perfect for gift-giving, according to Patten.

He said the best thing about the seated chair massage is that you can keep your clothes on and it does not require much time – 15 or 20 minutes to get you back on track and feeling energized.

“There are special chairs for this, but it can be done on a standard office chair,” he said.

Patten said express services like these are popular because they allow busy people to receive treatments almost anywhere.

In fact, chair massage can often be found at large airports, shopping malls, health fairs and in many large corporate offices, where practitioners are brought in on a regular basis to relax personnel.

A traditional table massage For those who enjoy a traditional table massage, Patten recommended a deep tissue massage.

“Some people are scared when they hear the term,” he said. “It is more intense, but it’s very beneficial for something that’s causing you any kind of pain and needs to be worked out.”

He said massage therapy shouldn’t be painful. If you feel discomfort, be sure to tell the massage therapist. A professional practitioner should always work within your comfort zone.

“It’s not so hard as to be painful, but it’s not uncommon to experience some soreness the day after,” Patten said. “After the initial soreness leaves, expect to really notice a difference.”

For those who prefer a lighter touch, there’s always the option of get-

ting a light, deep tissue massage, or a Swedish massage.

“A Swedish massage is great for relaxation,” Patten said.

Any one of these bodywork therapies can make a great gift for several people on the Santa list – including that someone special!

Patten said the most meaningful – and memorable – gifts are those that are all inclusive. He suggested having the massage therapist visit the recipient’s home, or office, for the service.

Also, remember to include the tip when purchasing the gift certificate.

“If someone is getting the gift of massage, it’s nice if they don’t have to worry about money,” Patten said. “Tell the recipient that the tip is included – that way, they can just leave after receiving the service. It’s especially nice if the therapist is coming to them.

If they are at home, they can just soak in the tub afterwards or go take a nap.”

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with Patten, call him at (337) 274-0967.

Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5th & 6th from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

At the Henning Cultural Center, 923 Ruth Street, Sulphur, LA For more information call 337-527-0357 THIS YEAR’S HOLIDAY HOUSE WILL INCLUDE:

Holiday House Shopping

Breakfast with Santa

A large variety, from arts and crafts to standard retail vendors

From 8:30 – 10:30 on Sat., Dec. 6th., Tickets are $5, and include a pancake breakfast and photo with Santa

Our Annual Preview Social

Music by the Bayou Jazz Kings, Marcia Ball, and more

Thurs. night from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Tickets are $35, purchased at the Henning Cultural Center.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 21

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA), the leading direct marketing trade association, offers expert advice for consumers on how to shop smartly and safely during the holiday season and beyond: • If you enjoy shopping by mail, telephone, or online, visit www.dmachoice.org where consumers are in charge. You can choose what commercial communications you receive in your mail and email boxes, opt-out of mailings you would prefer not to receive and have the added benefit of opting-in to get the catalogs, magazines, or other commercial mailings you do want. Return to the site at any time to change and customize your preferences as often as you like.

• Before ordering, check the com-

pany’s return policy.

• Keep a record of your order, including the company’s name, address, and telephone number; identifying information about the item you purchased; your cancelled check, a copy of your money order, or the credit card used; and the date you place the order.

• Never send cash.

• If merchandise is damaged, contact the company immediately. If you’re asked to return it, get a receipt from the shipper.

• If you do not receive your order and your package is lost in transit, the

company will probably take responsibility for tracing it, which is another reason record keeping is so important.

• If your prepaid order is not shipped when promised, you may cancel the order and get a full refund. If the company did not give you a shipping date in its solicitation (for example, “allow four to six weeks for shipment”), the company must ship your prepaid order within 30 days of receiving enough information to process it.

• If you cancel an order charged on your credit card, the seller must credit your account within one billing cycle.

After-Hours Christmas Shopping Extravaganza!

Over 20 Locally Owned Gift Shops and Boutiques Draped in Twinkling White Christmas Lights.

The Finest and Most Unique Gifts Available in our Region.

Refreshments will be available.

Thursday, December 4, 2008 from 6pm – 9pm, PAGE 22

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

• If you return merchandise to a company, get a return receipt from the shipper.

• When you buy CDs, DVDs, books, collectibles, etc. through the membership in a negative option club or plan, the FTC’s Prenotification Negative Option Rule gives a minimum of 10 days after your receive notification in which to decide it you want to receive the selection. If you want the merchandise, do nothing, and it will be sent automatically. If you do not want the merchandise, tell the company by returning the form.

• If you ever get something that you didn’t order (and it is not from your negative option or club plan) you can keep it without paying for it. According to the FTC, it’s a legal right.

Imperial Calcasieu Museum Gift Shop The Frame House and Gallery Stacey's Armoire TeCi’s Paradise Florist The Paper Place Expressions Bella Cose La Grenouille Vallier at Home T-FiG Once in a Blue Moon Focal Point Antiques The Perfect Gift Louisiana Market Honey Luv Lingerie Jon Margeaux Treasured Moments Benchworks Fine Jewelers & Gifts My Favorite Things Rhinestone Runway Cruella’s Accessory Zone Emily’s Childrens Store Precious Gifts and Baskets

Thanksgiving

is Top Day for Home Cooking Fires In 2006, Thanksgiving Day topped the charts once again as the peak day for home cooking fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports, there were 1,400 home structure fires involving cooking equipment that year, which is more than three times the daily average.

Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire injuries.

Each year, hundreds of people in the United States are killed in fires that involve cooking equipment, and thousands more are injured. Annually, these fires result in more than half a billion dollars in direct property damage to homes and their contents.

“Cooking fires can easily be prevented by following a few simple precautions, such as staying in the kitchen when preparing a meal, because fires often start when items cooking are left unattended,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communica-

tions. “As much as unexpected guests are sometimes a part of the holidays, you don’t want the fire department arriving because your feast is going up in flames.”

NFPA offers these tips for safer cooking: • Stand by your pan.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food.

• If you must leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.

• If you are simmering, baking, boiling or roasting food, check it regularly, remain in the home while food is cooking, and use a timer to remind you that the stove or oven is on.

• Keep inmind that you should avoid wearing loose clothing or dangling sleeves while cooking. Loose clothing can catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner.

No kids allowed • Keep kids away from cooking areas by enforcing a “kid-free zone” of 3 feet around the stove.

• If you have young children, use the stove’s back burners whenever possible, and turn pot handles inward to reduce the risk that pots with hot contents will be knocked over.

• Never hold a small child while cooking.

Keep it clean • Keep anything that can catch fire—potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags, food packaging, towels or curtains—away from your stovetop.

• Clean up food and grease from burners and stovetop.

For more information and additional safety tips on cooking and other topics, visit www.nfpa.org.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 23

Celebrate Your Holiday Season With

Trees

When President Bush lights the national Christmas tree this year, he continues a longstanding tradition that began with a gift from American Forests in 1924. That gift, accepted by President and Mrs. Coolidge, was a 40-year-old, 35-foot Norway spruce, and it became the first living symbol of Christmas for the entire nation—the National Community Christmas Tree. This year, it is predicted that 30 million to 35 million families will bring home a cut Christmas tree. Christmas trees also provide benefits from the time they are planted until after the holiday season when they can be recycled.

For decades, American Forests has encouraged the commercial growing of Christmas trees and the planting of living trees. The gift of a living National Christmas Tree was American Forests’ way of urging the use of living Christmas trees as a conservation measure.

Before the Christmas tree industry, people cut trees from the wild, sometimes illegally, and always with little consideration for the continuance of the forest.

The benefits of Christmas trees It takes a Christmas tree an average of five to 16 years to grow, and as they grow, they support life by absorbing carbon dioxide and other gases while giving off fresh oxygen. Every acre of Christmas trees planted gives off enough oxygen to meet the needs of 18 people. Today in America, there are enough Christmas trees planted for 18 million people a day to be supplied with oxygen.

Also, the farms that grow Christmas trees stabilize soil, protect water supplies, and provide a refuge for wildlife while creating a scenic view.

Often, Christmas trees are grown on soil that will not support any other crops. In addition, according to the National Christmas Tree Association, when one Christmas tree is cut down, one or two are planted in its place—an average of 56 million trees each year.

Keeping a live Christmas tree American Forests recommends enjoying live Christmas trees because of the many environmental benefits of planting trees. Buying a live tree also makes your holiday “green” go farther.

If you have space for a “ball and burlapped” or PAGE 24

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

containerized tree, and can provide the extra care this type of tree requires, it’s well worth the additional effort.

First, decide where to plant your tree, and prepare the area. Remember, your Christmas tree will be a full-grown tree someday. To care for your living Christmas tree, keep the root ball of your replantable tree moist at all times. After 710 days of indoor appreciation, move the tree to a protected place outdoors for several days to help it make the adjustment from a warm house.

Your local nursery should be able to answer any questions you have concerning the care of your tree. As soon as you can, plant the tree in the hole you previously prepared. If you don’t have the space, check with a local tree-planting group to see if it has a program to accommodate your tree.

How to purchase, care, and dispose of a cut tree Check the condition of the needles—fresh needles bend rather than break with gentle pressure.

Shake your tree gently to check for loss of needles. Losing needles may mean the tree is too dry and could be dangerous for your home.

Check the cut end of the trunk. A fresh tree should be sticky with sap rather than smooth and dry.

Trim the end of the trunk before placing it in water. This allows a fresh route for water to travel into the trunk.

Check the water level every other day, adding more if needed. If the water level drops below the trunk, a seal will form, preventing the tree from absorbing water.

Keep your tree away from heat sources such as a heating duct or television set.

Recycle your tree. If you are not sure how, call your local municipal trash collection office for options. Mulch your tree for the garden. It’s important to note that you must

never burn your Christmas tree in the fireplace. The pitch content in the bark and needles can cause them to burst into flames from the intense heat.

Give the gift of trees

The Christmas tree tradition Trees haven’t always been a part of the Christmas tradition. Ancient Egyptians and Romans used some form of an evergreen to decorate their homes for their holidays. But it is generally agreed that the Germans started the first use of a tree as part of the Christian Christmas celebration over 400 years ago.

Eventually, the Christmas tree came to America by Hessian mercenaries, paid to fight for the British during the Revolutionary War. In 1804, soldiers stationed at a fort near Chicago hauled trees to their barracks during Christmas. In 1842, a German named Charles Minnegerode introduced the custom of decorated Christmas trees in Williamsburg, Virginia. His tree was described as being “splendidly decorated” with strings of popcorn, nuts, and lighted candles. By 1900, one in five American families decorated trees during Christmas, and by 1930, the tree had become a nearly universal part of the American Christmas tradition.

To give the gift of trees this year, plant trees with American Forests to restore damaged forest ecosystems around the world. Planting trees give us cleaner air and clearer water. It builds life in our communities and provides animals with homes and nourishment.

Let American Forests plant some trees in the name of the people on your holiday gift list. They’ll send your gift recipient a personalized certificate. Choose to plant trees on the hurricane-damaged areas of the Gulf coast, on wildfire-burned areas of California, or to protect the Mexican habitat of the Monarch butterfly.Visit www.americanforests.org, or call (800) 545-8733 to make this year a green holiday for all.

American Forests is a world leader in planting trees for environmental restoration, a pioneer in the science and practice of urban forestry, and a primary communicator of the benefits of trees and forests. It is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization, founded in 1875.

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2925 Ernest St., Lake Charles

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 25

Pre-holiday Preparation Tips The holidays may be upon us, but don’t panic. Here are some useful ways to eliminate some of the holiday stress before the season even starts.

Clean the refrigerator Did you take advantage of Clean Your Refrigerator Day on Nov. 15?

Yes, there really is such a day—created in 1995—to motivate us to clean the icebox before it’s loaded with turkey, mashed potatoes, and all those holiday treats.

Everything in our refrigerators was once a fresh, healthy food, ready for consumption. It may have been a tasty leftover, intended for later enjoyment. Unfortunately, over the course of weeks or more, things get pushed to the back of the refrigerator and slowly transform into something impossible to identify. How many unrecognizable items do you have living in your fridge? Yes, it’s frugal to save leftovers. But only if you actually use them — otherwise, they’re nothing but food clutter (and a potential health hazard!)

What’s that in the back of your refrigerator? You probably don’t want PAGE 26

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

to find out. Don’t even open it. Hold your breath, and get rid of it.

Remember, when it comes to food safety, fall back to the old saying, “When in doubt, throw it out!” You should automatically toss anything that’s been around longer than a year.

To make room in your fridge, try to combine similar ingredients. Three opened cans of salsa or two bottles of ranch dressing take up too much space—especially at this time of year, when you’re fridge will be more crowded than usual.

To clean the refrigerator, remove the shelving and drawers and spray down the interior with a solution of one cup of water and one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid. Don’t forget to clean condiment tops, which can get gooey. And make sure you clean the outside of the fridge, and all along the door seal.

Finally, store an opened box of baking soda in the refrigerator and freezer to help eliminate odors.

Replace at least every three months, although the box may need replacing sooner if it begins to absorb too many odors. Try dating the box to help remember to replace it.

While you’re working on the fridge, you may want to tackle the pantry as well. Be especially careful of anything with oils in it. Nuts, peanut butter, vegetable shortening and bottled oils can go bad very quickly without you even realizing it.

If you find canned or boxed foods that haven’t been opened and you don’t think you’re going to use them, think about donating them to one of the local shelters or social services in our area.

Polish the silver After spending a year in storage, silver serving pieces and candlesticks may become dusty or tarnished. Did you know that you can clean your silver without harsh, toxic chemicals?

If you have a small job, the best silver polish is white toothpaste. Dab some on your finger, and rub into the tarnish.

For bigger pieces, use baking soda and a clean, damp sponge. Make a paste of baking soda and water.

Scoop the paste onto the sponge, and rub the paste into the silver. Rinse with hot water and polish dry with a soft, clean cloth.

For badly tarnished silver, leave the baking soda paste on the silver for an hour or so, before cleaning off with the help of the sponge and hot water

Clean the fireplace and stock up on wood/propane Place newspaper around the fireplace to protect the floor and shovel ashes into a bag. Use a vacuum to pick up the remaining lightweight ashes. For glass doors, scrape off any baked-on soot with a razor and use a vinegar-water solution (1/2-cup vinegar to one gallon water) to clean the glass. Stock up on wood and fire starters, or check the propane tank to ensure the fire will burn brightly throughout the holiday season.

Prepare the guestroom If your guest room hasn’t been used in a while, chances are it needs a thorough cleaning. Get rid of anything that doesn’t belong there (it’s much too convenient to use guest rooms as storage rooms!) Wash the bedding; clean up pet hair to avoid allergic reactions and dust drawers, closets, dressers and nightstands.

Make sure light bulbs are working and add extra hangers in the closet.

Plug in a holiday air freshener and you’re all set.

Now relax and enjoy the holidays!

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 27

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Busy Decorator

Decks the Halls

—and Chandeliers

Wouldn’t you love to go away for Thanksgiving and return home to a house that’s been perfectly decorated for Christmas? No, it’s not just wishful thinking—Tara Landry is a professional decorator who does just that for her clients.

Landry works at the Frame House Gallery in Lake Charles three days a week. The rest of the time, she’s beautifying homes from here to Baton Rouge. And, as you can imagine, this is her busiest time of year.

Originally from Plaquemines, Landry started her career a lot differently than most decorators. At 13, she began working in the gift-wrap section of a local upscale department store. At 13? “It was a hometown thing,” she laughed. “My friend was working there and asked me to help.”

Landry discovered that she loved retail. From gift-wrap, she eventually switched to the junior department, working there all through high school.

“I used to dress all my friends,” she said. She also found she had a knack for window-dressing. Eventually, she was promoted to buyer.

After high school, Landry entered LSU with plans of majoring in fashion merchandising. It wasn’t long before she realized that what she was being taught in textbooks could not substitute for the real thing. “I was already doing what I was reading about,” she said. So she made the decision to leave college and continue on her career path. It’s a choice that she has never regretted.

Her first big decorating job was her sister’s home. But it was actually a lot more than that. “First, I picked out a house for her,” she said. “Really. I walked into this house and told my PAGE 28

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

sister that she needed to build one exactly like it.” Landry then purchased everything for the home—without any input from her sister. “She had no say,” Landry laughed. “That was the deal. I would decorate, but I would buy everything!”

Luckily, her sister was thrilled with the results—and so were visitors to her home. “People would come to her house and ask who decorated it,” she said. Her career took off at this point.

Unlike most people in the field, Landry has never advertised, preferring to obtain her clients through word of mouth. And when it comes to the holidays, she’s been decorating some of the same houses for years. “As soon as the holidays are over, they just book for next year,” she said.

Landry generally works with people who have a budget, and points out that there are lots of relatively inexpensive ways to decorate your home.

Take Christmas presents, for example.

“I make them part of the decor,” she said. She wraps gifts in her unique style and will arrange them on a table in a foyer, so guests entering the home are immediately greeted with a colorful display.

Another way to add festive color to the home is draping garlands over the mantel, around doorways, entwined in chandeliers, and around columns.

For her own home, Landry prefers fresh greenery, which is difficult to get here because of the climate. “It comes in at the last minute and it’s hard to keep fresh, so I can’t decorate my own house until a few days before Christmas,” she said.

Landry doesn’t do Christmas trees, unless it’s a themed tree. “Trees are personal—a family thing—so I leave it

to the family to put up,” she said.

It’s very important for children to have their own tree, Landry said.

“People can get so fussy about the Christmas tree. So they need to get a little tree for $9.99 and put one in each child’s room,” she said. “Let them decorate it any way they want. Who cares if it’s messy or doesn’t look right? It’s their very own tree.”

She recommends that parents give their children a nice ornament each year. “Not only does it make their tree special, but when they grow up and move out, they already have their own ornaments for their family tree. My daughter is now 23, and I still give her an ornament every year,” she said.

She does find that special ornaments have a tendency to get lost among all the others in most trees. But an impressive way to showcase them is to hang them from a chandelier over the dining room table, which is her specialty.

“I did a house in Baton Rouge, and the homeowner loved what I did with her chandelier and just never took the decoration down,” she said. “She put her house up for sale that June with the chandelier still decorated for Christmas. The people who made an offer on the house specifically asked

that they get the decoration in the sale.” The homeowner refused, insisting that the decoration was going with her. There were a few tense moments, but the homeowner stood her ground!

Landry prefers working with traditional holiday colors of red, green and gold, although she once did a home completely in silver. She’s always researching new ideas, and shops yearround for holiday items. “If I see it, I get it,” she said.

Because she’s been working with so many of the same people for so many years, Landry’s clients consider her part of the family—which makes her work so much easier. “They know what to expect,” she said. For example, she expects everyone to be out of the house when she decorates. “I don’t want anyone asking me why I’m putting something somewhere,” she laughed. “They’ll just slow me down!”

To get in the spirit of things, she puts on reindeer antlers while she decorates. “Once in awhile, I’ll just step back and say ‘This is really pretty,’” she said. But the best reward is when the family walks through the door.

“When I see the look of amazement on their faces, that’s my Christmas present,” she says.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 29

Celebrate the Season in Southwest Louisiana

No matter where you live in Southwest Louisiana, you won’t have far to go to find the magic of the holiday season. From Jennings to DeRidder, there are Christmas parades, festivals, fireworks and fun.

So, bring the whole family and enjoy!

Light Up the Season in Lake Charles Santa Claus is coming to town during the annual Light up the Lake Christmas Celebration! The Jolly Old Elf will take to the streets of Lake Charles during the annual Christmas parade, starting at 2 p.m. on Sat., Dec. 6, at the corners of Pine Street and Lakeshore Drive.

Local groups, including schools, businesses, neighborhoods, civic groups, performance groups and other organizations will join Santa for a journey south on Lakeshore to Clarence and north on Ryan to Pine Street. Lake Charles Toyota/Scion will award prizes in several categories for parade entries.

Prizes will be given for best float, best decorated vehicle, best marching band, best specialty group and judges’ choice.

Follow the parade to the Lake Charles Civic Center where the celebration continues. Kids of all ages are invited to join in the fun with arts & crafts, games, prizes, activities, music and food during Santa’s Workshop from 3-5:30 p.m. in the Coliseum. The Community Band Christmas Concert begins at 3:30 p.m. in the second floor mezzanine. Gather around the front lawn from 5-6 p.m. for more entertainment before Mayor Randy PAGE 30

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Roach flips the switch to light up the Civic Center grounds.

92.9 The Lake FM Radio is calling all captains to round up your crew for the lighted boat parade at 6:30 p.m. An assortment of seaworthy vessels reflecting the spirit of the season will parade past hundreds of spectators lining the Lake Charles Civic Center seawall.

Along with the lights and excitement of the parade, spectators will be able to catch trinkets, candy, and beads from the cavalcade of boats. Awards will be given to the top five captains with the best Christmas displays. The evening is topped off at 7:30 p.m. by the Fireworks Extravaganza sponsored by the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.

All events are free. Parade entries will be accepted through Wednesday, December 3. For entry forms or more information, please contact the City of Lake Charles at 491-9159, www.cityoflakecharles.com or the Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau at 436-9588, www.visitlakecharles.org.

Visions of gingerbread houses will be dancing in their heads as the winners of the Annual Gingerbread House Contest will be announced at noon Sat., Dec. 6 at 1911 Historic City Hall

at 1011 Ryan St. The contest will feature awards for amateurs, professionals, organization and school groups.

Gumbeaux Gator will be on hand to present the awards. The winning houses will remain on display at Historic City Hall throughout the month of December. All visitors that month will be allowed to vote for the People’s Choice Award, to be announced on Dec. 29. For more info, call 436-9588.

Sleigh Bells in Sulphur Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening?

Snow will definitely be glistening in Sulphur for the 7th Annual Christmas Under the Oaks celebration with all activities centering around the Henning Cultural Center at 923 Ruth Street on Fri.–Sat., Dec. 5 and 6. There are all sorts of Christmas activities, from carnival rides, fireworks, and the Spectacle of Lights, to performances and live music from a myriad of genres and talents.

Music lovers will enjoy live entertainment including a star-studded performance by Marcia Ball, Bayou Jazz Kings, LA Dust, Barry Badon, and more! The Sulphur Kiwanis Balloons on Parade starts at 3 p.m. on Saturday, complete with many larger than life, colorful balloons! At the Henning

Cultural Center, there will be live music leading up to the 7th annual Spectacle of Lights at 6 p.m., where Old Man Winter always delivers bundles of snowflakes. Sulphur’s biggest fireworks display will light up the night sky during the Spectacle of Lights.

There is also 100 percent chance of snow in the forecast. The festival also includes carnival rides and food vendors as well as the Holiday House shopping event at the Henning Cultural Center, right next to the Brimstone Museum. The Holiday House will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday-Saturday, December 5 and 6.

This year’s Holiday House at Christmas Under the Oaks will be preceded by a special “Preview Gala” on Thursday night from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

This exclusive event is being held to help raise money for the Brimstone Historical Society. Tickets must be purchased in advance from the Henning Cultural Center, or from the Brimstone Historical Society Web site www.brimstonemuseum.org. The preview gala will allow guests to find those perfect gifts before the festival actually begins.

The Holiday House festivities feature a tea room and performances by Our Lady of Prompt Succor School’s choir from 11 – 11:45 a.m., and

Sulphur High School Choir, noon 12:45 p.m. on Friday., followed by The Bayou Jazz Kings from 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., and Barry Badon from 7 – 9 p.m. on Friday. Breakfast with Santa will be back this year, starting Saturday morning at 8:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. Advance tickets must be purchased at the Henning Cultural Center.

Historic buildings of Sulphur will be featured on commemorative ornaments, which will be available for purchase. The ornaments are collector’s editions, made by the same company that makes ornaments for the White House. The ornaments will be on sale at the festival for $17 or the set of five for $75. The set includes those from 2005 - 2008. There are a limited number of these available, so be sure you get them while they’re here!

Don’t miss the Sulphur Yuletide Promenade from 6-8 p.m. on Thurs, Dec. 11. Several Sulphur stores will be open past their normal closing hours for some late-night shopping.

For more information, either call the Henning Cultural Center at (337) 5270357, the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau at (337) 436-9588, or visit www.visitlakecharles.org, or www.holidayhousesulphur.com

Merriment in Moss Bluff Santa and his elves will march into Moss Bluff Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. in the Moss Bluff Christmas Parade.

It begins at Market Basket and will travel down Highway 378 to Park Rd. to Recreation Blvd., and then finish at the Recreation Park. For more information, contact Don Manuel at 855-7183.

Holiday Magic in Jeff Davis Parish The holidays get an early start in Jeff Davis Parish! On Sat., Nov. 22, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Holiday Magic will take over Founders Park on Main St. in Jennings. Have your picture and/or your pet’s picture taken with Santa Paws on the porch of the gingerbread house. If you don’t have a pet, adopt one at the ARF: Adopt-a-Pet. At high noon, the JHS Jazzers will be performing. Then it’s time to start your Christmas shopping. Jesus Worship Center will be selling their famous “funnel cakes,” and they will have hamburgers and hot chocolate, too. For more details call: (337) 821-5532.

Next is the 12th annual Jennings Christmas Gumbo Cook-Off, which will be held at 4:30 p.m. Sat., Dec. 6 at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park. Local chefs will compete for cash prizes and trophies, and samples of the gumbo

will be available after judging. For more information contact Polly Henry at 821-5532. At 5:30 p.m. is the annual Jennings Christmas Parade and Festival on Main Street and at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive atop a city fire truck surrounded by holiday sounds and merriment. Immediately following the parade, holiday activities continue at the Louisiana Oil and Gas Park.

Festivities include a bonfire, live entertainment, pictures with Santa, food and a giant fireworks display. Don’t miss it!

DeQuincy Decks the Halls The streets of DeQuincy will be filled with joy and festive cheer for the annual DeQuincy Christmas Parade winding down the streets at 11 a.m. on.

Experience visions of sugar plums during the Taste of the Holidays at the JCE Center, 500 Grand Ave., sponsored by the Civic Club. It will begin at 5 p.m., and you won’t find a more scrumptious array of luscious desserts this side of Candyland. There will also be food to stick to your ribs such as etouffée, cornbread dressing and more. Tickets can be purchased at City Savings Bank in DeQuincy. The cost is $10 and includes the tour of decorated homes.

For more information, call Heather Royer at (337) 513-5124.

Christmas in DeRidder Don’t miss Christmas in DeRidder!

The annual Beauregard Christmas Parade will begin promptly at 10 a.m. in the historic downtown district.

Directly after the parade is the holiday festival, Miracle on Washington St. Activities and events include the Gumbo Cook-off, the Snow Plaza and the Exotic Petting Zoo. Good food, live entertainment, and festive shopping are just a few of the reasons why the festival has become a special tradition for the community, providing a familyfriendly way to celebrate Christmas and its festivities. Anyone interested in learning more about the festival may contact the Beauregard Tourist Commission at (337) 463-5534.

First Baptist Church of DeRidder will be offering joyful sounds of the seasons. Living Christmas Tree and their Celebration Choir presents “Tonight, Heaven Touches Earth” on Sat., Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. and Sun., Dec. 7 at 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. Next is The Sounds of Christmas. String and wind players from Lake Charles, Beaumont, DeRidder and Alexandria will present orchestral selections, an organ soloist, a piano duo and hand-bell choir. Sun., Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. Admission is free at both events. The Christian Big Band, Denver and the Mile High Orchestra,

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will perform on Dec. 18 at 6:30 p.m.

The church’s children’s choir will be featured in two selections. Fee-will offerings will be accepted. Tickets are available in the church office. The church is located at 313 W. First St. for more information, call (337) 463-9047.

In the Christmas Mood in Iowa The Iowa Merchants will usher in the holiday season with the 15th annual Christmas parade on Sat., Dec. 13. The parade, sponsored by the Iowa Merchants, will start at 2 p.m., with the route beginning at J.I. Watson Middle School and ending at the Factory Stores of America Mall. There will be a surprise Grand Marshal for the parade. The annual Christmas program will be held at the Iowa Community Center at 6 p.m. with area churches and schools participating. Hot chocolate will be served.

Celebrate With Starks Starks will spring into the Christmas spirit with their annual Christmas Parade, to be held on Sat., Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. It starts and ends at VFW Post # 4759 on Hwy. 12 in Starks. Following the parade, spectators can enjoy gumbo while trophies are awarded to the best floats. This year, the parade is sponsored by the Starks VFW Post # 4759, the Ladies Auxiliary and Calvary Apostolic Church. The Starks Lion Club will also sell Christmas trees. The celebration of the season will continue throughout the month, ending on Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. with a fireworks display on the Mayhaw Festival Grounds.

Vinton Festivities Christmas is coming to Vinton with a variety of holiday events scheduled for Fri., Dec. 5. The Christmas Parade kicks off the festivities at 5 p.m. at Vinton High School, rolling down Grace Ave. to Vinton Elementary, where there will be a performance of A Cajun Christmas. After the parade, downtown will be decked out for Santa’s arrival, and shops will be open so everyone can get a start on the holiday rush. Visit with Santa, have hot chocolate, and enjoy visiting with the community.

Wonder in Westlake Everyone in town is getting ready for the Westlake Christmas parade on Sat., Dec. 20 at 4 p.m. Sponsored by the West Cal Kiwanis, it will roll down Sampson St. through the heart of downtown Westlake. Candy and Christmas fare will fly through the air and spectators will be dazzled by the holiday spirit. After the parade, don’t miss the lighting ceremony at city hall, with caroling and hot chocolate with Santa.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Lake Charles Symphony Holiday Home Tour The Lake Charles Symphony has scheduled the 2008 Holiday Home Tour, for Sun., Dec. 7 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The two time slots available for the tour are 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets are $25; advance sales only. They will be available until Fri., Dec. 5 at the Symphony office. This is one of two fundraisers that are held each year to supplement the budget of the orchestra. Contact the Lake Charles Symphony office at 433-1611 for more information or to purchase tickets.

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Book Beat

By Terri Shlichenmeyer

Billie Jean King’s Life Lessons Once upon a time, women were expected to be demure. It was unthinkable for a woman to have an opinion on world events, and even more unbelievable that she might voice it in the presence of a male.

Less than 100 years ago, many women weren’t allowed to vote. In the not-so-distant past, a woman couldn’t get credit without a man as cosigner. And just two generations ago, only boys’ sports were funded in school.

And then, along came Billie Jean King. Has it been 35 years already since she beat Bobby Riggs?

Sure enough, and this book brings it all back.

Remember “The Battle of the Sexes” in 1973?

Sports-minded girls were cheering for Billie Jean King. Swagger-filled boys were sure Bobby Riggs could beat King in a best-of-five tennis match.

What many kids didn’t know was that the way they’d play school sports was about to change.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

King says that Riggs had been asking her for a match for months. He was eager to go head-tohead with one of tennis’ top women players; he had, in fact, challenged several women to a match.

Finally, top-ranked (in 1973) Margaret Court agreed to a televised match and was trounced in 57 minutes.

Knowing that Court’s loss could affect America’s opinion of women in sports, as well as the acceptance of Title IX (legislation that required high schools, colleges, and universities to spend federal funds equally between boys and girls), King agreed to Rigg’s challenge.

Riggs – no pun intended – met his match.

In her new book, Pressure is a Privilege (written with Christine Brennan), she writes about her life, her beliefs, her family, and how she helped pave the way for Mia Hamm, Michelle Wie, Venus and Serena Williams, and millions of little girls

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who yearned for equality in their games. She also discusses her wonderful friendships with other athletes, as well as with celebrities, reminding readers that making and nurturing relationships is “everything.”

King says to give your all in whatever you do (but give yourself time to celebrate victories); visualize what you want to happen to ensure that it does; avoid labeling people before you get to know them; keep life in perspective; maintain your integrity; and always consider pressure a privilege.

Without it, you can’t grow.

Partly about that monumental game, partly about her life, and partly a gentle book of advice, Pressure is a Privilege is thoughtful and surprisingly humble. King writes with a quiet voice that is proud of her accomplishments but not filled with bragging. After a summer of books packed with boasting, I thought this skinny tome was very refreshing in its lack of “look-at-me.”

Don’t think that this book is for the sports-minded only. It’s more about how to live with grace. Ask for it at your local bookstore, and make a “racquet” ‘til you get it.

Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned From Life and the Battle of the Sexes

By Billie Jean King with Christine Brennan Copyright 2008 LifeTime Media $19.95 / $21.95 Canada 192 pages

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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.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 35

"Court Case" — time to mix and match.

by Matt Jones • ©2008 Jonesin' Crosswords Brought to you by Melanie Perry, Agent State Farm Insurance

Last Issue’s Answers

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Plus Sizes Available. Gift Certificates & Gift Baskets Available.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

Across 1 Horrorcore hip-hop group whose fans are called Juggalos, for short 4 Longtime Boston Symphony Orchestra director Ozawa 9 World book?

14 Org. whose logo displays an eagle holding two guns 15 Statement accepted as true 16 Occasional Stooge 17 Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong et al.?

19 Transition from one topic to another 20 Introduce a new product 21 Florida city about an hour and a half from Disney World 22 Chinese name of Taoist philosopher Lao-Tzu 23 Key at the top left 26 More sharp 27 Much-maligned imports of the 1980s 29 Brain scans, for short 31 Goes bad 32 Device that cuts your fingernails without even touching them?

35 Electric shaver company 36 People who walk nervously during loud, stormy weather?

42 Greek god of love

43 "Bonne fete ___..." ("Happy Birthday" line, in Quebec) 44 Donald Sutherland mystery film of 1971 46 Gift recipients 48 Dir. opposite SSW 50 Abbr. meaning "in the same place," in footnotes 51 Sweater fabrics 52 Sesame seed paste 54 ___-ski 55 Amount paid on a natural gas bill?

58 Actress Witherspoon of "Four Christmases" 59 In base 8 60 Prefix meaning "ear" 61 Word before code or shirt 62 Character who dies in "Top Gun" 63 "Smoking" alternative Down 1 When Independence Day and Bastille Day take place 2 Board game with the categories "Data Head" and "Word Worm" 3 Spanish actress who starred in "Sex and Lucia" and "Spanglish" 4 Short story writer H.H. Munro's pen name 5 Force out of the country 6 "There's no ___ team" 7 Exercise in the park

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Contacts while surfing the Web, perhaps Org. Band who sang "Pictures of You" in 1990 Will bequeather Necklace charms with powers "Womanizer" singer of 2008 Like weightless situations in space, for short Antiperspirant brand once advertised as "strong enough for a man" Budget brand of Intel CPUs Org. with a shelter outreach program ___ Fein (Irish political party) Actress Peri of "Frasier" Musical conclusions Pit left by an acne scar Highway cop Roast subject, perhaps Good-for-nothing Former Secretary of State Root River famously crossed by Caesar ___ high heaven (really reek) First name of a 1990 Johnny Depp title character Phonograph inventor Curvy letters "At Last" singer James and namesakes Competent Keep all for oneself "The Name of the Rose" author Umberto Get from ___ B

t i m e s

picks the best in lake area entertainment

THE RETURN OF THE MODEL RAILROADERS NOV. 29-DEC. 30 — The Lake Charles Model Railroaders are once again exhibiting at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum. The layout on display this winter is set in the 1940s to 1950s era. All of the engines, rolling stock, vehicles, etc. are correct for this time period.

The layout is a small reminder of less hectic times. Club members have built sophisticated scenes for the trains, including small towns, mountains, bridges and tunnels. Several different types of animation can be seen on the layout including an operating oil pump, a welder busily repairing an old lathe, crossing signals in town and other highlights to be discovered by kids and adults alike during their visit. A big hit with kids is a lighted Christmas tree along with Santa Claus, plus many new interactive features. Club members will often be on hand to answer any questions that the viewing public may have. The opening reception is Sat. Nov. 29 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. For more information, call 439-3797.

THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE CO. PRESENTS CINDERELLA HOLIDAY DINING DEC. 6 — The magic begins as snow and festive sounds fill the air. Children enter through a castle glistening with icicles and falling snow surrounded by toy soldiers before dining. To join their favorite characters from the storybook classic Cinderella for a holiday lunch. Character meals include pizza, dessert, drink and a visit from Cinderella, Prince Charming, Fairy Godmother, Stepmother and the Wicked Step Sisters as they make their way around the dinner table. Children will received photographs and autographs from these famous characters, and are encouraged to wear their favorite costume. Hot cocoa and gingerbread will also be served. This magical encounter occurs at Central School (809 Kirby Street in downtown Lake Charles) on Saturday, Dec. 6, with seating at 12 noon. The cost is $25. per person. Photographs may be purchased for $5. Personal photography is not allowed. Seating is limited and reservations must be made by calling the theatre box office at (337) 433-7323. For more information, visit the Web site at www.childrenstheatre.cc.

ZIGLER ART MUSEUM PRESENTS WHIMSICAL CHRISTMAS NOV. 22- DEC. 22 — The Zigler Art Museum, 411 Clara Street, Jennings, presents its 32nd annual Festival of Christmas, Nov. 22-Dec. 22. The theme for this year’s exhibit is “Whimsical Christmas.” The entire east wing of the museum will become a winter wonderland filled with Christmas trees, lights and decorations complete with Santa’s workshop with his elves busy at work. A special feature of the workshop is a display of original, handmade air-powered machines designed and handmade

by Cedric Robicheaux of Jennings. Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for students. For more information, contact the museum at 824-0114.

FRENCH MARKET BAZAAR DEC. 6 — St. Theodore Holy Family Catholic School’s annual French Market Bazaar will be on Sat., Dec. 6, in the Enrichment Center and on the grounds at 785 Sam Houston Jones Parkway in Moss Bluff. The bazaar is from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and will feature crafts, Christmas décor, gifts, religious items, cosmetics, homemade goodies, a gumbo contest, toys, art, pets to adopt, etc. Admission is free! French Market customers will also receive a complimentary Christmas gift shop list for more holiday shopping in the ‘Bluff and Lake Charles. Please contact Billie Chavanne at 855-9465 or bchavanne@sthfcs.com or Elizabeth Swain, eswain@sthfcs.com for more information, or look at the school Web site, www.sthfcs.com.

SUNDAY LUNCH AT THE HARLEQUIN BENEFITING THE USO DEC. 7 — Let’s help our troops overseas enjoy a happy holiday season with a Sunday Brunch at the Harlequin! The Harlequin is normally closed on Sunday, however, on Sun. Dec. 7, they will be open for a reservation-only lunch in honor of our men and women overseas. The cost of this lunch is $30 per head, and profits will be donated to the USO. This amount includes tax and gratuity. The menu will consist of a choice of many of the usual luncheon entrees and salads and a continuous supply of mimosas and bloody marys. Seating in limited, so call Nic Hunter or Mike Sperandeo at 310-0077 to book your group!

JENNINGS TOUR OF HOMES DEC. 7 — The Zigler Art Museum, 411 Clara St., will hold a Christmas tour of homes from 1-4 p.m. and a tea from 3-5 p.m. on Sun., Dec. 7. Tickets are $25, which includes a tour of five homes, the tea and entertainment at the museum. Tickets are available at the Zigler Art Museum. For more information, call the museum at (337) 824-0114.

HOLIDAY PROMENADE DEC. 11 — Don’t miss the Holiday Promenade by Friends of the Central School on Thurs., Dec; 11 from 6-8 p.m. at 809 Kirby St. Free and open to the public, there will be musical performances and refreshments, along with the unveiling of the Central School Plaza project. Buy a brick or a park bench for yourself or as gift. For more info, call (491) 9159.

A CELTIC CHRISTMAS RALPH SQUIRES AUDITORIUM DEC. 13 — The cast of A Celtic Christmas will once again celebrate the true Christmas spirit of the Celtic Nations of Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Cornwall, Brittany, Galicia, Astoria and the Isle of Man in a one-day only concert on Sat., Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. The show will tell the tales of the charming and unique yuletide customs that evolved over the centuries in the nations of the Celts. Ralph Squires Auditorium is located in the Shearman Fine Arts Building on the campus of McNeese State University at 275 Calcasieu, Lake Charles. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students. They are available for purchase at Imperial Pageant/Mr. Formal, 2603 Ryan St., Lake Charles or at the door. Celtic Christmas is sponsored in part by McNeese State University. For more information contact Beth Eriksson at (337) 564-4702.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 37

Kevin Sickey, chairman of the Coushatta Tribal Council (left) with Asher Yarden, Israeli Consul General of the Southwest.

Consul General Yarden meets the Coushatta Princesses.

Yarden and Kevin Sickey share a laugh while David Sickey, Coushatta Tribal Council vice chairman, looks on.

Israel and the Coushatta Nation:

Affirmation of Friendship Established Story by Lauren de Albuquerque; Photography by Katherine Tolentino, www.ktolentino.com

The Israeli delegation meets the Coushatta tribal dancers who entertained at the event.

Consul General Yarden congratulates the Stomp Dancers on their performance.

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NOVEMBER 26, 2008

On a beautiful autumn day, a delegation of high-ranking Israeli officials met with the Sovereign Nation of the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana in an unprecedented affirmation of friendship. The Nation became the first North American Tribe to recognize the State of Israel.

Esteemed guests included Consul General Asher Yarden, Vice Consul Tamar Yarden, Deputy Consul General Belaynesh Zevadia, Economic Consul Roee Madai, along with the Consul of Spain, the honorable Daniel Chamorro Garcia, and the Consul of Panama, the honorable Erich Rodriguez.

Officials of the Coushatta Nation signed a Proclamation of Friendship on the grounds of the reservation, witnessed by a crowd of attendees waving Israeli and Coushatta flags. Students from local high school history classes

were bused in for the historic event.

The proclamation was presented to Consul General Yarden at an elegant luncheon held in his honor at Koasati Pines. The countries exchanged gifts from their native lands and enjoyed an afternoon of camaraderie that included the singing of the Israeli national anthem and a performance by Coushatta Stomp Dancers Both Yarden and David Sickey, vice chairman of the Coushatta Nation, commented on the similarities between the two sovereign nations.

“We have common histories,” said Sickey. “Our nations have a shared spirit of endurance.”

The agreement with the State of Israel is the latest step in an ongoing effort by the Tribe to build relationships with other governments and explore new business opportunities.

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An Affair to Remember

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hen The Shadow and The Daughter arrived at the Lake Charles Country Club, Affaire d’ Art was in full swing. This annual fundraiser for Associated Louisiana Artists is co-presented by the McNeese Visual Arts Department.

Shadow and Daughter quickly browsed the offerings that included gorgeous watercolor prints by Patsi Prince and Imogene Dewey, pottery by Kenneth Baskin and Rex Alexander, photography by Lynn Reynolds and Hillary Gayle, graphite on paper by Don Derouen, and oil paintings, etchings, collages and more. The excitement mounted as Sheila Babineaux welcomed the guests and began the drawing. After the numbers were called, ticket holders chose their favorite pieces of art, much to the chagrin of attendees who had made the same choices—who now had to quickly look for their next favorite. The evening provided an opportunity for relaxed social mingling with plenty of food, drink and laughter, along with valuable pieces of art donated by some of the Lake Area’s finest artists. It was also a time for the ALA to recognize a member who has worked exceptionally hard and contributed much to the organization and the community. Anne Dentler presented this year’s award to Sheila Babineaux. Congrats to Sheila! The Shadow sees Affaire d’Art as a great way to support the arts and to start your own collection!

PHOTOS SHOWN: 1–Ada Vincent and friend Richard Reid attend Associated Louisiana Artists’ Affaire d’ Art. 2–The welcome team, Rebecca Brown, Kierra Babineaux, Latania Ramirez, Veryl Cook and Sheila Babineaux at Affaire d’ Art. 3–Jim and Marilyn Cox with friend Sue Stodder at the Associated Louisiana Artists’ Affaire d’ Art. 4–Poised to win a great piece of art at Affaire d’ Art are Julie Engert and her sister Sue Burke.

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5–PULS-N-ATORS team members Cory Jones, Bernadette LeBlanc and Dorene Gothreaux were one of many teams walking for the American Heart Association.

6–Diamonds Sam, Santina Taylor, Krystal Ray and Kendrick Frank doing it for the American Heart Association Heart walk.

7–Diesel brought the whole family--Gary, Jerry, Crystal and Donna Matthews--out for the American Heart walk.

8–Cheering the walkers at the American Heart walk are Taylor Tinsley, Page Prather, Courtney Downs and Abigail Sullivan.

NOVEMBER 26, 2008

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PHOTOS SHOWN: 9–Art N Style guests Kelly and David Sickey, Cynthia and Larry Eagle and Scot and Bea Hebert enjoying the evening at Art N Style.

10–First Federal Bank employees, Debbie Battaglia, Roxanne Breau, Tiffany Wasson, Heidi Jo Bloomer, Katrina Washington and Ann Houston, making a difference at the American Heart Walk.

11–Kaysie Bolton, Barbara Dubose and Irene Vandever admire a selection from the couture trunk show presented by The Perfect Fit and Arts and Humanities Council.

12–Sharon Boniol, King Bolton and friend Barbara at Art N Style.

A balmy, breezy morning welcomed the hundreds of walkers for the 11th annual American Heart Association Walk. Cheerleaders from area schools kept the momentum going with their encouraging shouts of “One more lap! One more lap!” The 2008 Southwest Louisiana Heart Walk drew participants of all shapes and sizes— friends and families and family pets— who walked along the boardwalk and around the Lake Charles Civic Center.

Cassondra Guilbeau, Regional Director for the American Heart Association, guessed that as many as 1000 walkers came out for the event.

Generous sponsors such as Christus St. Patrick, Delta Downs, Cameron State Bank and Turner Industries provided vital support to this community effort.

Lana’s Body Shop offered complimentary massages, and free blood pressure screenings were also available.

Congratulations to the American Heart Association for another successful Heart Walk!

A welcoming Art N Style signature martini set the tone for an elegant evening of fashion and entertainment as The Perfect Fit couture trunk show was unveiled in the ballroom at L’Auberge du Lac. Barbara Dubose pulled out all the stops to provide topof-the-line fashions at the second annual Art N Style fashion event, which

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PHOTOS SHOWN: 13–Tom Flanagan and Sarah Ehlers with Chuck and Jan Ehlers at The Perfect Fit couture event, Art N Style.

14–A.C. Bourdier, Debbie and Kent Howrey socialize prior to the Lake Charles Symphony performance.

15–Joshua Alfred and Terrance Freeman attend the Lake Charles Symphony performance.

featured designer collections by Ricco Antonio, Lourdes Chavez, Leonard Goodman Furs, Kevan Hall, Vionie of Germany and Christian Weber of Italy, all to benefit the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana. M.B. Rich Jewelers provided jewelry to complement the fabulous designer fashions. The guest list included notables such as Kelly and David Sickey, Bea and Scot Hebert, Cynthia and Larry Eagle, Ann Caston, GayNell Clements, Lola Carpenter, Janie Jacobson, Patricia Prudhomme, Heather Fazzio and Lonnie Palmer, to name a few. Local talent, including Ann Marie Hebert, Alexis Habetz, Angie Archer, Nomica Guillory and

Brittany Glaser gracefully modeled the wide range of fashions, all available for purchase. And all of this came with a repast of delicacies such as roasted breast of chicken and garlic-roasted shrimp with all the trimmings, ending with a pyramid New York cheesecake with a chocolate top and strawberry garnishing. WOW! The Lake Charles Symphony knows about “our kind of music,” which was evident as Maestro Harvey Benstein directed another extraordinary program of symphonic musical enjoyment. Gary Scroggs, Symphony President, welcomed all to the Rosa Hart Theatre and this second installment of the Lake Charles Symphony NOVEMBER 26, 2008

PAGE 41

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PHOTOS SHOWN: 16–Gary Scroggs, Symphony President, Debbie Reed and symphony member Renee Flash before the performance of the Lake Charles Symphony.

17–Maxine Gordon and Alline Kestel arrive at Rosa Hart Theatre for the Lake Charles Symphony performance.

18–Scott Burrell, head of the Theatre and Dance program and Alan Ernstein, Assistant Professor of Technical Theatre and Scene Design at Northwestern State University, await participants at the Louisiana Theatre Festival.

Season 51 Segue. Jennifer, MacKenzie and Lane Stanford, daughter and grandchildren of Walter Eugene Dripps were recognized as special guests of “The Walter Eugene Dripps Memorial Concert.” The Shadow said hello to symphony members Michael and Boriana Buckles, Judy Hand, Renee Flash, Jay Ecker and Barbara Belew. The opening selection by Haydn, “Adagio et Allegro Molto”’ featured Peggy Demers, French Horn and William Rose, Trombone. A very timely number, “Lincoln Portrait” by Copland, was narrated by Lewis E. Whitlock, III and spoke about issues from the past that continue to be relevant today. The closing selections from “Beethoven’s PAGE 42

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Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Opus 55, Sinfonia Eroica” set a happy tempo for the ending of a lovely afternoon.

During the performance, the Shadow caught a glimpse of Donna Little, Jessie Kelly, Patsy and Herman Manuel, and Mary and Joe Richardson. Stay tuned for the next installment of the Lake Charles Symphony and don’t miss out on a generous dose of cultural entertainment.

It was deceivingly quiet when the Shadow crept into the Central School Arts and Humanities Center for the second annual Louisiana Theatre Festival, but it didn’t take long to find some activity. Workshops throughout the day included everything from

19

20

Come join us for a night of shopping at

Sulphur’s Yuletide Promenade Thursday, Dec. 11th, 5–8pm Drawings and Refreshments

21

The Baby Cottage Consignment & Gift Shop

2304 A Maplewood Dr. (337) 626-6020

PHOTOS SHOWN: 19–Musical Theatre – Dance Workshop participants Sarah Clay, Melanie Crinion and Kelsey Manning pose for the camera at the Louisiana Theatre Festival.

20–Make-Up: Masks, Feathers and Fur….. is where Alyssa Ross and Hannah Hunter expressed themselves at the Theatre Festival.

21–Mrs. Badger and workshop student Alyssa Gough show off their creative make-up designs at the Louisiana Theatre Festival.

make-up to set design, and acting and technical theatre classes. Seventy-plus theatre enthusiasts made their choices and began a day of experiencing and learning. According to Kerry Onxley, director of the Children’s Theatre Company, the Louisiana Theatre Festival was born from an idea to pull together the experience, expertise and enthusiasm of professional artists and organizations and present a festival of acting and technical theatre workshops.

The community reception has exceeded the expectations of the creators and has drawn participants from as far away as Shreveport and Baton Rouge. Marc Pettaway of Artists Civic Theatre and Studio, Susan Kelso, Cynthia Doyle of Les Danseurs, Charlie McNeely,

Dennis Craft, Jr. and Shelly Appleby of the Children’s Theatre, Scott Burrell and Alan Bernstein of Northwestern State University and professional actresses Carol Anne Gayle and Alli Partin added their expertise to the event, along with the support of the SWLA Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA. Before exiting stage left, the Shadow caught glimpses of an American Bandstand-type dance class, “Instant Inspiration and Immediate Creation” with toilet tissue in the costume design workshop, and glitter and feather masks in “Masks, Feathers and Fur…Make-up from the Cupboard” class. What fun!

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Dispatches from DeRidder Delectable Delights at La Cuisine de Beauregard

P

J. Shirlene Cooper

robably not since its heyday has DeRidder seen its downtown streets so packed with people as during the recent La Cuisine de Beauregard. The food and music fest, designed to highlight and increase foot traffic in the historic area, more than surpassed its goal with the attendance of hundreds of hungry visitors.

Planned in conjunction with DeRidder’s recent acceptance as an official Louisiana Main Street Community, the first-ever food festival was such a huge success that its coordinators, who projected a crowd of as many as 700, were happily surprised at the turnout of well over 1,500.

The Historic Downtown Alliance, Louisiana Main to Main, the Chamber of Commerce, the New Broom program, and community volunteers made the event possible, along with grants from the Office of the Lt. Governor, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, and the National Park Service Preserve America The event took place on Sat., Nov. 8. Almost a full block of Washington Street was roped off early to allow participating cooks to set up an equal number of food booths on each side of the street. Attendees were given the opportunity to try a variety of palate-pleasing offerings from area chefs. Admission was free, but to really satisfy your taste buds, a $5 ticket gave you a chance to sample a food portion from each of the ten vendors.

Among the families and friends making their way between the serving tables were Charles and Beverly Barfields, who were spotted stamping their ticket at the Mexico Lindo while the Rev. Mike and Luann McLaurin discussed which booth to visit next. Faimon and Christa Roberts stopped by to give a hearty endorsement for the Lebanese food. And between bites, Chamber President Dick Myers, camera in hand, was busy recording a pictorial account of the happening.

From Longville, the Lewis family, (from left) Robert, Eli, Mechelle, and Hannah stop to sample some of the menu offerings at DeRidder’s first food festival.

The downtown streets of DeRidder were crowded with taste testers at the first ever La Cuisine de Beauregard Food and Music Festival.

Brandon Phillips, of Anacoco (from left), Suze’ Latour and Angie Sanders, both of Lake Charles watch as gem maker Jim Marler, from Alexandria, demonstrates the art of gem faceting.

Southwest Louisiana Flint Knappers, Dennis Leach, Kent Holloway, and Darrell Jeane, show the process of making arrowheads at the DeRidder Gem, Rock and Mineral Show.

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In addition to Mexico Lindo’s spicy, south-of-the-border fare served up by Ismael Lopez and Luis Lopez, other cooks and eateries included Amporn Mantasawan from the Thai Basil Restaurant, Mary Whitman of Mary Ann’s Cake Shop and Fausto’s Chicken. Karl St. Romain stirred Italian linguine, and Joseph Rosendoll of Cecil’s Cajun Café served some Louisiana favorites. Glen and Brenda Foster prepared creole food, while Dicky Crider and Toby Richmond spooned soul food onto waiting plates. Aaron Broussard’s Asian cuisine, Lebanese fare from Jennie Sliman, and the German food created by a team from Sowela Tech’s culinary department completed the outdoor buffet.

Terry and the Zydeco Bad Boys provided festival entertainment. The group recently released a new CD entitled “Creole to the Core,” and their brand of southern country/blues/jazz certainly was a crowd pleaser. Many folks chose to grab a partner and kick up their heels after their noontime meal.

A highlight of the festival was a visit with Marcelle Bienvenu, celebrity chef and author of Who’s Your Mama, Are You Catholic, Can You

Make a Roux?

Known as “the Queen of Cajun and Creole cooking,” Bienvenu was born and raised in St. Martinvillle, in south Louisiana. She began her career working at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, and since then has swapped wooden spoons with the famed Chef Emeril Lagasse. She regularly writes newspaper columns as well as feature stories.

Inside the new Amerisafe Pavilion, Bienvenu greeted visitors, talked “turkey,” and signed cookbooks for fans. Helping at the display table was Erin Chesnutt, administrative assistant librarian of the DeRidder library branch. She explained that the chef’s visit and book signing was a kick-off to the “Beauregard Parish Library Presents,” a special library project, supported through a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts.

Nearby, and appropriately attired in an apron, DeRidder Project Manager Matt Young greeted visitors.

Throughout the day, he promoted the People’s Choice contest, where festivalgoers voted for their favorite food.

In the end, the spicy offerings of Mexico Lindo’s claimed the title.

By festival end, Young and other coordinators already were looking for-

ward to making La Cuisine de Beauregard an annual event and an even bigger one—involving more space, more vendors and, naturally, more food.

Hard Rock Club: The DeRidder Gem, Rock and Mineral Show As the food festival rolled on downtown, another event was rocking the exhibit hall at the Beauregard Parish Fairgrounds.

The DeRidder Gem, Rock and Mineral Show offered an awesome 10,000-plus square feet of displayed jewelry, gemstones, beads, and art, along with an educational presentation for rock hounds and nature lovers alike. Additionally, it provided a convenient outlet for early Christmas shopping.

At an assortment of booths, visitors watched various demonstrations, such as rock polishing and gem faceting. In one corner, the Southwest Louisiana Flint Knappers, including Darrell Jeane from Evans, Kent Holloway from Sulphur, and Dennis Leach from Many chipped away at

Below: The gold medal winning Olympic Women’s Softball team, led by Jennie Finch of Sulphur, visits with L’Auberge du Lac General Manager Larry Lepinski (center) before enjoying some authentic Louisiana cuisine at Le Beaucoup Buffet on November 22nd. From left to right: Toni Mascarenas, Jaime Clark, Caitlin Lowe, Jennie Finch, Mackenzie Vandergeest, Crystal Bustos.

rocks, fashioning perfect arrowheads or spear tips. A few booths away, another vendor used a complicatedlooking tool resembling an enormous pair of pliers with chainsaw teeth on the end, to slice large geodes in half, revealing the sparking crystals inside.

Dealers from across Louisiana and Texas displayed mineral specimens and uncut rocks and gems. There was a rainbow of “bling” at every turn and, at some booths, for a small price, wannabe gemologist of all ages were given the opportunity to fill small treasure bags with an assortment of colorful pebbles. And, there were lots of “oohs” and “aahs,” as visitors tried on earrings and necklaces and stopped to inspect various stone art pieces.

Sponsored annually by the DeRidder Gem and Mineral Club, the show was initially held in Leesville, but with an ever-increasing turnout, it was moved to the larger venue in DeRidder. Club meetings still are held in Leesville at the Vernon Parish Library on the second Tuesday of each month. Members are always looking for those with a like interest in the adventures of rock collecting or fossil finding. For more information, visit their Web site at www.lutheransonline.com/gemandmineral.

Below: Lexi LaBove is caught posing as a witch at Little Learners Montessori School’s Fall Festival. She is the daughter of James LaBove of Sulphur.

Above: Vista with his companions Jaeger Wuerde Klienstine and Sable Wualde Pelagia.

Their owners are Marcelo and Katsie Fanelli.

Left: McNeese cheerleaders and tailgaters celebrate another great season at the last Cowboys home game.

Parting Sh o ts 1) E-mail your snap shots to myphoto@timessw.com. Must include a contact name and phone number.

2) Photos should be attached as a file and not imbedded in copy or photoshopped into a format. Original size, please, do not compress the file. No mailed or fax photographs can be used.

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3) Subjects in photo must be identified by name. Children should also be identified by parent or guardian. Unidentified or anonymous photos will not be considered for publication.

4) The Times reserves the right to decline publishing photos of questionable taste or subject matter, or for space limitations.

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