WWW.TIMESSW.COM • OCTOBER 2, 2008 / VOL. 13, NO. 20
Images from the Storm
Pain, Optimism in Galveston
Coping with Hurricane Fatigue
FEMA: Past Mistakes, Future Hope
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
GENERAL . . . . . . . . . . . 617 Drew St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: 337-439-0995 Fax: 337-439-0418 PUBLISHERS Patrick Marcantel Scot Hebert
october 2, 2008 Volume 13 • Number 20
contents
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NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . MANAGING EDITOR Lauren de Albuquerque lauren.dealbuquerque@timessw.com
EDITOR Lisa Yates timesedit@timessw.com
CONTRIBUTORS Kay Andrews Johnny Belenchia, M.D. Harry Castle, D.D.S. Matt Jones Maureen Lannan, M.D Cindy Nassar, L.P.C., L.M.F.T Matt Robinson Terri Schlichenmeyer Kenneth Verheeck, M.D
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E N T E R P R I S E B O U L E VA R D Ike: The Aftermath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
POLITICS John Maginnis Dan Juneau ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Andy Jacobson
15 COLUMNS Who’s News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Business Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Inside Baton Rouge: Hurricanes Cause Political Power Outage . . . . .14 Biz Bytes: The Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Frankenstein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Patricia Prudhomme
FEATURES The Bolivar Peninsula . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Pain, Optimism in Galveston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Images of Ike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Coping With Hurricane Fatigue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 FEMA: Mistakes of the Past, Hope for the Future . . . . . . . . . . .30 Minimizing Risks From Mold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Protect Yourself From Post-Hurricane Pests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33
GRAPHICS . . . . . . . . ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Darrell Buck
ENTERTAINMENT Book Beat: Life With My Sister Madonna . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Coffee Break Crossword Puzzle: On an Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Times Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 The Shadow: Lights, Camera, Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43
The Times of Southwest Louisiana is published every two weeks by Patsco Publishing, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 439-0995. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $25 per year. Bulk mailing permit #9 paid at Lake Charles, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Times of Southwest Louisiana, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. FAX to (337) 439-0418. The Times of Southwest Louisiana cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. Copyright 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.
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Visit us online at: www.timessw.com Cover: Yvett Young looks over the damage caused by the storm surge of Hurricane Ike. Photo by Andy Jacobson OCTOBER 2, 2008
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Why Not Call A Mandatory Evacuation For All? By Lisa Yates Many wondered why officials did not call for a mandatory evacuation for all residents of Calcasieu Parish prior to Hurricane Ike making landfall, Saturday, Sept. 13. After all, a mandatory evacuation was called for all residents of the parish prior to Hurricane Gustav. So, why not Ike? “We make that determination based on information from the National Weather Service,” said Randy Roach, mayor of Lake Charles. “We’re fortunate to have a regional center here in Lake Charles. We rely heavily on forecast information in making those determinations.” The mayor said the forecast indicated that Hurricane Gustav was predicted to make landfall as a Category 3 storm vs. Hurricane Ike, which was predicted to arrive as a Category 2 storm. A mandatory evacuation was ordered for special-needs individuals and those living in low-lying areas and mobile homes. Roach said that determination was made on areas the forecast predicted would be impacted by the storm. “It’s a very, very difficult decision to make,” he said. “You make it, and then you pray that you’ve made the right decision. That’s all you can do.” Lingering questions about the mandatory evacuation call alerted officials to the need for better communication with the public regarding the entire process. Mayor Roach explained the three levels of warnings are voluntary, recommended, and mandatory. He said anytime there’s a tropical storm in the forecast, officials call for a voluntary evacuation. A recommended evacuation is much stronger, stressing that dangerous conditions exist. Dick Gremillion, Director of the Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said the primary factor in calling for a mandatory evacuation is “to protect human life.” He said the decision is made by a committee of public officials known as the Executive Policy Group, which is comprised of area sheriffs, six mayors, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury president along with the CPPJ administrator and CPOHSEP director. Gremillion said based on information received from the National Hurricane Center, officials were convinced that a mandatory evacuation for all in Calcasieu Parish would not be necessary. “The threat was moderate to severe, PAGE 4
OCTOBER 2, 2008
but not life threatening,” he said, noting the exception of those residing in low-lying areas, special-needs individuals and people living in mobile homes. Those populations were evacuated safely according to plan. Then Ike’s course changed suddenly, overnight, and the 72-hour deadline for the mandatory evacuation for all had passed. At the last minute, officials in Galveston ordered a mandatory evacuation for all residents. City officials there were reluctant to order the evacuation and wanted to be sure it was necessary. When the storm surge in Galveston reached 12-18 feet, officials issued the order. (By comparison, officials Calcasieu Parish reported the storm surge in this area reached between 1111.5 feet.) Ike’s erratic behavior changed emergency plans in Galveston in less than a day. Officials in Galveston took a big risk. Traffic gridlock could have trapped evacuees in the path of the hurricane. It was a difficult call – officials ignored a city plan that provided for evacuation 72 hours before a hurricane was expected to hit the region. Fortunately, the last-minute evacuation in Galveston went smoothly, but it was a gamble. Police Jury President Tony Stelly said ultimately, people have to make up their own minds when it comes to evacuating. “When a recommended evacuation is called, people need to think about evacuating,” he said. “Also, they have to remember the decisions we make affect our families, too.” Stelly said his family evacuated during Hurricane Ike, as recommended. Gremillion said there is no glory in “riding out the storm” when a recommended evacuation order is given. He said his family evacuated, also. Mayor Roach said officials have to get away from “an all or nothing approach” when it comes to issuing evacuation orders. “When we issue evacuation orders, there are retail and medical implications – We have to be careful,” he said. “Also, timing is critical, things have to be done 12-18 hours before the hurricane is predicted to make landfall.” Gremillion asked everyone to remember one thing. “We’re just human beings giving advice based on our best judgment,” he said.
NEWS
ABOUT
SOUTHWEST
LOUISIANA
ENTERPRISEBOULEVARD IKE
The Aftermath By Lisa Yates; Photos by Patrick Marcantel
he incredible destructive force of Hurricane Ike that demolished the Texas coast near Galveston Bay is a prime example of what can occur during a major storm. Hurricane Ike proved that for a direct hit, virtually nothing will survive the unbridled fury of 110 m.p.h. or higher winds. Although Southwest Louisiana survived a direct hit, the peripheral damage was extensive. Nearly every square inch of coastline in Southwest Louisiana flooded as the storm surge ahead of Ike blew ashore. The Category 2 hurricane produced a storm surge the magnitude of a Category 4. Hundreds of people had to be rescued, including 363 people who were rescued by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Search and Rescue teams in conjunction with the Louisiana National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard. In Lake Charles, by 5 a.m. on Sept. 13, the rising storm surge began overlapping the seawall by the civic center. As a result of the surge, the community suffered power outages and major flooding, which damaged homes and businesses. Even though there were advance evacuation plans, Randy Roach, mayor of the city of Lake Charles, estimated that more than 25 percent
T
of the city’s residents paid no attention to calls for them to evacuate. “Part of the reason was hurricane fatigue,” he said. News that another hurricane was coming – and more official warnings — had many saying “enough already!” That, coupled with economic challenges and the popular perception that Gustav was a false alarm, kept many people from evacuating their homes for the second time in 10 days. To counter the complacency, public officials walked a fine line during Hurricane Ike. They worked to keep the public safe; at the same time, they tried not cause undue angst. What was the thought process behind some of their decisions? City and parish officials recently sat down with The Times to discuss emergency planning, preparedness and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. This is what they had to say. Emergency Planning With a “boots on the ground approach,” Mayor Roach said the city’s role was and is to ensure that the City of Lake Charles can respond effectively to any major incident and recover from it as quickly as possible. “Our role is to provide police and fire protection and to help manage
the evacuation process,” he said. “We worked very closely with the parish through Hurricanes Gustav and Ike managing the evacuation at the civic center. Our employees were very involved. ... It was a very labor intensive, high energy process.” Roach said city employees, in conjunction with members of Louisiana’s National Guard and state authorities, worked from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. assisting citizens, both the general population without transportation, and those with special needs. A total of 1,500 evacuated to shelters in Northwest Louisiana. Mayor Roach explained the difference between the two populations evacuated. Those with special needs require a certain level of specialized medical care, while those of the general population are generally healthy and do not require specialized medical care, but lack transportation to evacuate. “Some of the general population use wheelchairs, but they are generally healthy – lack of mobility is their only handicap. Otherwise, they can travel on a coach bus and they don’t require specialized care,” Roach said. Nurses and public health officials assisted critical care patients with transportation to Chennault International Airport, where they Continued on Page 6
Who’s News
Jason LeCronier recently joined E2E Technology, a local company and AVAYA business partner, as a sales consultant. LeCronier holds accolades as a top sales representative nationally with AT&T/Suncom Wireless in addition having been a professional baseball player in the late 1990s with the Baltimore Orioles and Tampa Bay. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a gifted and knowledgeable consultant on our Jason LeCronier team. He will be a ‘homerun’ with our customers on many levels,” said Andrea Bacarisse, CEO of E2E Technology. LeCronier was awarded the President’s Circle by AT&T, which is selected from the top five percent nationally. LeCronier joins E2E from his most recent position at the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office. E2E sells, installs, maintains and upgrades communications equipment from phone service to computer systems. The Council for A Better Louisiana (CABL) has announced the names of several individuals who were appointed to serve on CABL’s Regional Advisory Boards. The Regional Advisory Boards were created in eight regions throughout the state with the purpose of creating an opportunity for citizens to provide CABL with a local perspective on statewide issues as well as bring awareness to the issues affecting their region. The members of the Regional Advisory Board in the Lake Charles region who were nominated and approved by CABL’s Board of Directors include: Tim Aguillard, Integrated Financial Management; Christine Bailey, State Farm Insurance; Mike Clary, State Farm Insurance; Mack Dellafosse, State Farm Insurance; D’Ann Derbonne, State Farm Continued on Page 9 OCTOBER 2, 2008
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
were loaded aboard C-130 cargo aircraft and flown to hospitals around the region. Within 72 hours, the entire process was repeated in reverse, bringing people home. By contrast, during Hurricane Gustav, even more citizens were evacuated and returned, including, 230 with special care needs and 2,000 of the general population. “The evacuation during Gustav was the largest ever in the history of the state,” Roach said. Evacuation was just one of the planning challenges during Hurricane Ike. Planning for safety, security and city services were other challenges. “In addition to fire and police, public works employees are part of the first response team,” the mayor said. Armed with chainsaws, public works employees efficiently removed debris following the storms. Dick Gremillion, Director of the Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said planning for debris removal after a storm is critical. “Down power lines and debris in the roads is dangerous after the event,” he said. “It slows down search and rescue – also, it slows utility workers trying to repair lines and restore power.” Gremillion said many agencies work together coordinating communications and services in preparation for a disaster. The Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness; American Red Cross; Louisiana State Police; Louisiana’s Department of Health and Hospitals; Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development; and, Louisiana’s Department of Social Services are amongst the state agencies involved in the planning process. “Planning is a 12 month-of-the-year process,” Gremillion said. He added, there’s a plan for providing transportation, disaster information, shelters, evacuation routes and more. “After Gustav, we adjusted the transportation and sheltering parts of our
plan,” Gremillion said. “There were a lot more people than we anticipated.” As a result, the plan for Hurricane Ike went much smoother, he said. Citizens evacuated from the Lake Charles area were sent to shelter facilities in Shreveport. Accommodations were better, security was provided and residents were brought home in a timelier manner, according to reports. Officials also reported that technical glitches with the CalcaShout Emergency Alert System were fixed and the system worked well during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike. A reported 22,000 people are currently enrolled in the system. The CalcaShout Emergency Alert System is a free service and it allows residents in Calcasieu Parish to designate an alternate e-mail address or telephone number where an e-mail, voice or text message can be quickly sent in an emergency. To enroll in CalcaShout, residents may call the Office of Emergency Preparedness at (337) 721-3800, or register online at www.cppj.net, or www.calcasieustorm.com. Preparedness/Response Emergency planning, preparedness/response and recovery are the three phases you go through with disasters such as Ike, according to the mayor. “The response is the implementation part of the plan,” he said. Planning and preparation can prevent the worst, but flexibility is a key factor in responding to disasters. For example, the city opened temporary emergency shelters called “shelters of last resort” to give residents a place to go, where they would not be alone. Officials asked evacuees using the shelters to furnish their own medicine, bedding and personal items as American Red Cross volunteers would not be available and no food would be served. “We were not faced with a Category 3 storm, so we had some flexibility,” Roach said. Anything a Category 3, or higher, would have put the evacuees at the shelters in danger, he said.
All throughout the storm, residents and others were kept informed by news conferences held by local elected officials and emergency responders. Gremillion said that officials met regularly to update the public. A mandatory evacuation was ordered in Calcasieu Parish for those living in low-lying areas or trailers. Special-needs residents were also asked to evacuate. For everyone else, evacuation was strongly recommended. “We have a short window – 72 hours to implement our plan,” Gremillion said. During that time, he said that the special needs population was evacuated, including those in nursing homes and hospitals. Provisions were also made for prisoners and pets. Those heeding early evacuation orders experienced problems evacuating on I-10 towards Texas. Many were unaware of mandatory evacuations in Texas that brought traffic to a standstill. When asked if Louisiana and Texas co-operated implementing evacuation plans, Gremillion said “no.” “In Calcasieu Parish, we advise people to go north,” he said. “It is not recommended to go east or west. In Southeast Texas, you have almost a million people vs. 300,000 in Southwest Louisiana.”
Another source of information is a printed guide entitled: Louisiana Citizen Awareness & Disaster Evacuation Guide: Southwest 2008. The guide is available by calling the Louisiana State Police at (800) 4694828, or American Red Cross at (800) 229-8191, or GOHSEP at (225) 9257500. “One day you’re watching the news, then one day you’re on the news,” Gremillion said.
He said the recommended routes are U.S. 171 North to Shreveport, or U.S. 165 North to Alexandria. Other recommended routes included U.S. 27 North and U.S. 109 North following state signs, he said. Gremillion said not to believe the old adage that big hurricanes hit this area only once every 50 years. “That reminds me of what (National Weather Service forecaster) Steve Rinard once said, ‘your chances of getting hit by a hurricane this year are just the same as last year,’” Gremillion said. “Only God decides.”
In an effort to keep the public informed and to help the community prepare for hurricane season, Gremillion said he participates in educational outreach programs speaking to local civic groups and other organizations. “If you’re going to live in Southwest Louisiana, you’ve got to learn about this – and, there are many sources of that information.” he said. In addition to the parish’s Web sites, Gremillion said the public can visit www.getagameplan.org to find out what to do, where to go and who to call when there’s a hurricane.
Recovery Officials said the most destructive element of Hurricane Ike was the storm surge. The hardest hit areas were in and around Cameron Parish, which also sustained catastrophic damage in 2005 from Hurricane Rita, and in 1957, from Hurricane Audrey. In Calcasieu Parish, as predicted, the storm surge backed up water in the Calcasieu River and caused flooding in low-lying areas. In addition, wind gusts of 75 m.p.h. and higher caused widespread and extended power outages. In the aftermath of a hurricane the size of Ike, getting back to everyday living has been difficult. Recovery efforts started early and have been ongoing. City, parish and state officials took immediate action.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
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“Recovery efforts started the next day,” Mayor Roach said. “It started with search and rescue … That was the primary focus of Day 1.” After a flood, drinking water sources can potentially be contaminated with waste. A lack of clean water can pose a serious health threat. The potential for cholera, typhoid and dehydrating diseases can come as a result of stagnant water and flood conditions. Flooding can destroy sewage systems and wash toxic chemicals and agricultural products into the mix. The biggest problem is the sewage
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
contamination of the water. Mayor Roach said water treatment plants were checked to see if they were operating, and whether to issue a boil water notice. He said a boil order was not issued. However, residents were asked to stop all unnecessary water use, and the use of wastewater facilities, for a couple of days beginning on Sept. 13. The mayor said rising flood waters threatened discharge pipes located above the lake and bayous. Power and utilities are being restored rapidly and, by the time of publication, most businesses and
homes will have utilities fully restored. Clean up has already begun and in no time, Lake Charles and the surrounding communities are expected to be back as good as ever. “Cameron is altogether different,” Roach said. “We need to be thinking about our friends and our families in Cameron Parish. Right now, the urgency is to clean up the debris and rebuild the business community.” As a former representative of Cameron Parish, the mayor said he became close to the people there and he values their friendship, spirit and
unique way of life. He fears that the recent storms will have many residents leaving the community permanently, thus changing the cultural identity of the region. “As tragic as the devastation to the infrastructure, more tragic would be to allow the storms to rob us of our unique cultural heritage,” Roach said.
Who’s News, Continued from Page 5
Insurance; Stephen Dwight, Dwight Law Firm, LLC; Sharon Galicia, Coastal Insurance Group; Kevin Guidry, Isle of Capri Casino; Tommy McClelland II, McNeese State University; Marshall Simien, Simien Law Firm; Shannon Spell, Spell Structural Consulting; Toni Stelly Hebert, Richard Law Firm; and Mike Viator. Members of the 2008 CABL Board of Directors, who represent the Lake Charles region on a statewide level and in a greater capacity, include Mark Abraham, Gulf Island Shrimp & Seafood and Philip C. Earhart, Business First Bank. CABL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan statewide organization working on issues in the public interest. For more information, contact Barry Erwin at (225) 344-2225. Maureen Lannan, M.D., has joined the Wound Healing Center at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital as its Medical Director. Lannan will be responsible for reviewing patient care and results, evaluating new clinical products and providing oversight and guidance on policies and procedures. A Carlyss resident, Lannan is a Family Medicine Physician at the Cypress Medical Clinic in Sulphur. She earned her medical degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Kay Morgan is the new CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation Annual Giving Manager. Morgan is responsible for all philanthropic efforts related to the Children’s Miracle Network of Southwest Louisiana, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving pediatric medical care and health-related education opportunities in the Southwestern Louisiana region. Morgan, a 12-year associate of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, most recently served as the Community Relations Coordinator. Under her direction, many of the hospital’s advertising campaigns earned awards of excellence at the regional and national levels. Morgan is a native of DeRidder and a graduate of McNeese State University. She replaces Poddy Champeaux, former Children’s Miracle Network Director who served the community for over 21 years. The Children’s Miracle Network of Southwest Louisiana (CMN) covers the entire region, from the Atchafalaya Basin to the Sabine River. For more information about funding, or to learn about CMNrelated giving opportunities, call (337) 491-7750. Governor Bobby Jindal recently announced the appointment of Leonard Pauley, Jr., of Lake Charles, to the Louisiana Real Estate Appraisers Board. Pauley is a general appraiser and president of the Pauley Corporation. He is a member of the Realtors National Marketing Institute, the National Association of Realtors, and the Southwest Louisiana Association of Realtors, Inc. Courtney Fenet, Jr., of Lake Charles, was appointed to the State Licensing Board for Contractors, which serves to regulate licensed contractors who wish to practice in Louisiana. Fenet is the president of R.E. Heidt Construction Company and was nominated by the Louisiana Asphalt Pavement Association. Governor Jindal also appointed Robert G. Jones of Lake Charles to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. The Board serves to regulate public policy of the state’s gaming industry. Jones is a financial advisor for Wachovia securities and is on the board of directors for the First Federal Bank of Louisiana. He is a former Louisiana State Senator and the son of former Louisiana Governor Sam Jones. Steve Floyd, owner of Safari Realty in Lake Charles, recently earned e-PRO certification from the National Association of Realtors. The e-PRO certification course is the only technology certification program offered by the National Association of Realtors. The rigorous certification program is designed to help real estate professionals maximize their ability to leverage the enormous power of the Internet when helping clients buy and sell property. By completing this certification, Floyd is one of less than 1 percent of real estate professionals in the nation, and one of only three locally, with this advanced training. Safari Realty has been in business for five years and has grown to include a staff of 11. Safari recently moved to a new, expanded office located at 1200 E. McNeese Street in Lake Charles. Call 478-1601 or visit www.SafariRealtors.com for more information.
Lake Charles Mayor’s Commission on Disability Seeking Nominations for 2008 Employer Recognition Awards The Employment Committee of the Lake Charles Mayor’s Commission on Disability invites citizens to submit nominations for the 2008 Lake Charles Employer Recognition Awards. The Awards are presented to people and organizations whose contributions have advanced the opportunities for individuals with disabilities for full participation in life by providing employment opportunities. Considerations for nominating an employer are to include the following: • Hires individuals with disabilities as regular practice; • Accommodates employees with disabilities in the workplace; and • Encourages policies and/or practices that demonstrate equitable treatment of employees, i.e., wages, promotions, benefits, etc. To nominate an employer for this recognition, nominations should include five copies of the Nomination Form, which are available at Community Services, fifth floor, City Hall; a letter of nomination describing how the nominee has met the above criteria; and any supporting documents. Questions regarding the nomination may be directed to Esther Vincent,
Mayor’s Liaison to the Commission, by phone at (337) 491-1440 or e-mail (evincent@cityoflc.us). Employer Recognition Awards are presented annually. Awards are given to five employers in the following categories: three awards in the For-Profit Businesses category and two awards in the Non-Profit Businesses category. All other nominees receive honorary recognition. The Judging Committee consists of five representatives: two employers/recipient of award, one Mayor’s designee, one person with a disability, and one Commission member. The Employment Committee of the Commission will be responsible for the judging process. Nominees will be recognized at the December 2008 Commission Meeting. Nominations and supporting evidence are to be submitted to: Lake Charles Mayor’s Commission on Disability Employment Committee P.O. Box 900, Lake Charles, LA 70602-0900, Attn: Esther Vincent Deadline for submission is October 16, 2008.
Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission (IMCAL) to Hold Visioning Workshops A series of three visioning workshops hosted by the Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission (IMCAL) to gather community input on the upcoming metropolitan transportation plan (MTP) update for the Lake Charles urbanized area, which includes the cities of Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Moss Bluff and Carlyss. The meetings will take place at the following times and locations: Tuesday, October 7, 2008 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. SWLA Chamber of Commerce 120 Pujo Street, Lake Charles Wednesday, October 8, 2008 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Central Calcasieu Parish Library 301 West Claude Street, Lake Charles
IMCAL invites all interested members of the public to one of the workshops. The views of the public regarding the Lake Charles urbanized area’s transportation system, including highways, public transportation, pedestrian facilities, bicycle facilities and freight operations will be used in the development of the metropolitan transportation plan (MTP). IMCAL, which is the federally mandated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for the Lake Charles urbanized area, is responsible for conducting the urban transportation planning process for the area, which includes Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Moss Bluff and Carlyss. IMCAL must perform updates to the metropolitan transportation plan every five years in order to receive federal and state transportation funding.
Thursday, October 9, 2008 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Westlake Managan Recreational Center – Old Gym 1221 Sampson Street, Westlake OCTOBER 2, 2008
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Looters Target Hurricane Victims Victims of the heavy flooding associated with Hurricane Ike had many things to worry about, including cleaning and getting their homes back to normal. Many also had to deal with looters. In Calcasieu Parish, sheriff’s deputies arrested several people and charged them with looting. Sheriff Tony Mancuso tells The Times there have been reports of stolen property, including guns, cash, video gaming
equipment, and even baseball cards. Thieves also broke into a liquor store whose owners had evacuated for Ike. Smaller items like shovels, brooms, and other gardening supplies, said Mancuso, have likely gone unreported. “We made eight arrests during Hurricane Ike and several during Gustav, including one juvenile,” Mancuso said. “We tripled the amount of police on patrol. We had to do that
with residents gone as they are the eyes and ears of the community. Unfortunately, bad people do bad things, even though we work very,very hard to stop them. We put hundreds of police on the street, which helps keep control over looting problems during a state of emergency.” People in one neighborhood just outside the Lake Charles city limits were hard-hit by looters when a
By Lisa Yates mandatory evacuation was called for Gustav. Three apartments in one fourplex apartment building were looted. One of the residents who wished to remain anonymous said thieves stole a computer and some other electronics from her apartment. She had just moved to the area from Texas and many of her belongings were still packed away in boxes when she evacuated. “You can see where they (the thieves) ripped open the boxes and looked to see what was in them,” she said. The woman said she felt violated after the incident. Although her brother lives in Lake Charles, after the break-in, she wasn’t sure she wanted to stay in the area. “You don’t feel safe after someone has broken into your home,” she said. If you have to evacuate your home for a hurricane, officials say there a few things you can do to keep your home safe. Here are some tips: • Lock your doors with a deadbolt lock. • Use safety locks on your windows. • If you can, install a security system. • Report suspicious activity in your neighborhood. • Record serial numbers on items such as guns, electronics, lawn equipment, etc. and store that information in a secure place. “Unfortunately, if thieves want in, it’s difficult to stop them,” the sheriff said. “Looting is no more than a simple burglary that happens when a state of emergency is called. But, in a state of emergency, the charge carries with it more time.”
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
BUSINESS
Above: Cameron Communications Public Relations Coordinator Trina Johnson and Switching Supervisor Tommy Prejean present a check for $800 and a framed print to Art Little. The donation was used for the annual Carlyss Bon Ton Festival that was held on Sept. 19 - 21 at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Carlyss. Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Telemedicine Department and SWLA Center for Health Services have partnered in an effort to enhance the quality of care being given to patients. Similar to video conferencing, Telemedicine is using technology, going beyond hospital walls, to bring the knowledge of physicians and other healthcare providers to rural and underserved areas that don’t normally have access to healthcare specialists. Through Telemedicine, clinical consultations can be conducted between physicians and patients; continuing education seminars can be hosted for health care professionals; and health education programs can be facilitated for members of the community, simultaneously, all across the gulf region. The Lake Charles Memorial Hospital Telemedicine Department made a $53,000.00 donation to install video conferencing equipment at the SWLA Center for Health Services main site in Lake Charles. Some of the services provided through Telemedicine are: Family Practice, TelePsychiatry, Chronic Disease Management as well as Digital technologies. The Moss Regional Oncology Department was recently presented 24 10x10 box-style canvases for the oncology patients of Moss Regional Medical Center by Artist Tony Forrest and his wife Martha. Tony and Martha Forrest own The Tin Rooster and The Blue Diamond Gallery in Greensboro, North Carolina. Dawn Hinton, RN Supervisor at Moss, has visited other facilities where Art Therapy was a very successful alternative for symptom management. She contacted the Forrests back in January 2008 and inquired if they were interested in helping with this project. The hand sketched, color-by-number canvases will give twenty-four oncology patients the opportunity to experience this stimulating project. Once all the canvases are completed, they will be hung together to create one painting. This project was conceived to give oncology patients the opportunity to experience the therapeutic aspects of art through movement and creative expression. For more information, call (337) 475-8252.
notes CARF International announced that CHRISTUS St Patrick Hospital / Regional Physical Rehabilitation Center has been accredited for a period of three years for its Inpatient Rehabilitation Program- Hospital (Adults). The latest accreditation is the fourth consecutive Three-Year Accreditation that the international accrediting body has awarded to CHRISTUS St Patrick Hospital / Regional Physical Rehabilitation Center. This accreditation decision represents the highest level of accreditation that can be awarded to an organization and shows the organization’s substantial conformance to the CARF standards. An organization receiving a Three-Year Accreditation has put itself through a rigorous peer review process and has demonstrated to a team of surveyors during an on-site visit that its programs and services are of the highest quality, measurable, and accountable. CHRISTUS St Patrick Hospital / Regional Physical Rehabilitation Center is a nonprofit organization located at 524 South Ryan Street in Lake Charles. They have been providing Inpatient Rehabilitation Program- Hospital (Adults) in Lake Charles since 1988. For additional information, contact Kathryn M. Simmons RN, CRRN – Director of Rehabilitation Services at (337) 491-7705. The United Way’s next report meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7, at Treasures of Marilyn’s at noon. Volunteers and contributors, family agencies and staff will gather to hear campaign division reports, recognize outstanding achievement employee awards and vote for the employee group who had the best United Way Campaign shirt. The luncheon, sponsored by ConocoPhillips and emceed by Carol Collins, is open to anyone who wants to attend by calling United Way at (337) 433-1088 and making a reservation. The 2009 campaign goal is $4,531,000. The theme of this year’s campaign is “LIVE UNITED - it’s what we do.” The United Way of Southwest Louisiana supports 78 health and human service programs in 55 agencies, which touch the lives of 100,000 people in the community.
Telephone System Maintenance • Computer Maintenance Business Services Telephone Systems Computer Repair Wireless Networking Wired Networking
Wireless Network Setup Phone Label Templates Home Service
Beauregard Electric Cooperative (BECi) was recognized at the 54th annual meeting of the Association of Louisiana Electric Cooperatives (ALEC) in Baton Rouge when it was presented the Electric Cooperative Statewide Safety Trophy for having the best overall safety record among electric Co-ops in Louisiana. BECi posted over 692,036 man-hours without a lost time accident since December 2005. The safety trophy is presented annually for best year-to-year Co-op performance. The statewide award continues a strong safety tradition at BECi. In 2004, the electric cooperative achieved an unprecedented record for safety by logging two million consecutive employee-hours without a lost-time accident, something no other cooperative in the nation had achieved. BECi’s 121 employees operating out of offices in DeRidder, New Llano and Moss Bluff also reported driving 1,478,131 miles from June 2007 to May 2008 without a vehicle accident. Deridder-based BECi serves more than 38,000 members along 5,593 miles of power line in Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Evangeline, Jeff Davis, Rapides and Vernon parishes. It operates branch offices in New Llano and Moss Bluff. OCTOBER 2, 2008
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On October 16, The Times will present the annual special section saluting
Women in Business Highlights prominent women, dedicated and hard-working female employees, and owners & partners in your business Also: Special articles about Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Space Deadline: October 9th Call 439-0995 to reserve your space Or email: timessales@timessw.com
Oct. 12 is Clean Out Freezer and Pantry Day to Benefit Abraham’s Tent Take aim and help feed the hungry! The area Sportsmen for the Hungry organization will be hosting a food collection drive on Sunday, October 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Gordon’s Drug Store parking lot, located at 2716 Lake Street. A convenient drive-thru service will be provided. All food collected will be directly donated to Abraham’s Tent, a local non-profit organization whose mission is to provide food for the poor and hungry in Lake Charles every day of the year. Food items needed include wrapped and labeled frozen meats (wild game included), canned or boxed foods, rice, cooking oil, seasonings, vegetables and paper goods. For more information, please contact Sally Foret at (337) 433-7090 or George Paret at (337) 477-6773.
Animal Angels Mega-Garage Sale Oct. 3-4 to Benefit Cats and Dogs Animal Angels, a Lake Area nonprofit animal rescue group, will be holding a mega-garage sale at 416-B Post Oak Road, Sulphur on Fri., Oct. 3 and Sat., Oct. 4 from 8 a.m. – until. We have a warehouse full of household items, antiques, gifts, new and used clothing—you name it, we have it! Don’t miss out! All proceeds will benefit the cats and dogs of Animal Angels. For more information, call (337) 263-4736.
Misha’s Pets of Lake Charles and Animal Angels Feline Friends Adoption Day Oct. 4 Misha’s Pets and Animal Angels will be holding a cat and kitten adoption day on Sat., Oct. 4 at Misha’s Lake Charles location from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Adopt a feline friend at special discounted prices! Misha’s is located at 3459 Nelson Rd. For more information, call Misha’s at (337) 480-3738.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
United Way’s SWLA Volunteer Housing Center to House National Volunteer Group
The Christian Reform Worldwide Recovery Committee, a key provider of non-profit, faith-based volunteer hurricane relief support to Southwest Louisiana for the past three years, is returning to Lake Charles and the fiveparish region next week – and plans to stay through December. “Volunteer labor support from outside our community has played a key role in our impressive recovery effort following Hurricane Rita,” said Jim McGough, chairman of the United Way of Southwest Louisiana board of directors. “And, we’re excited to announce that the CRWRC feels there is work left to be done from Rita and new challenges provided by the recent Hurricane Ike, and that they will be bringing teams of workers from many states to help us through the next several months.” Next week, the lead element of the CRWRC contingent will arrive at the Southwest Louisiana Volunteer Housing Center in Moss Bluff to begin preparations for teams of skilled workers who will report in for two-threeweek tours – one right after the other through the end of the year. The SWLA Volunteer Housing Center, an initiative of the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, was created out of a decommissioned 15,000square-foot middle school in Moss Bluff and has become a comprehensive housing facility that has served 4,796 volunteers since it opened its doors in July 2006. The center also serves as a support center for first responders in case of other natural disasters. During and following Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the center was “home” for more than 500 ambulance drivers, law enforcement officers and national guardsmen. The center would not have been possible without the support of an array of partners, including the Calcasieu Parish School System, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Entergy, Lake Area Ministers Group, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, Enterprise Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, Christian Reform World Relief Committee, and the volunteers, themselves. “Work for the CRWRC teams will be focused on previously identified reconstruction or rebuild projects under the coordination of the Southwest Louisiana Disaster Recovery Station, Habitat for
Humanity, Rebuilding Together and other local recovery groups,” said Catherine Thomas, disaster recovery specialist for the United Way. “At the same time, we are confident that we will have new project for them to address related to Hurricane Ike.” CRWRC is a service-oriented arm of the Christian Reformed Church of America, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Mich. “Our mission is to show God’s love and bring hope to disasterimpacted communities in North America by restoring the homes and lives of those who are most vulnerable,” said Doug Guikema, CRWRC project coordinator. “We help communities that need assistance in preparing for and recovering from disasters, and we provide opportunities for Christians to honor the Lord by using their time, talents and financial resources in service to others. “We became aware of the needs for our services in Southwest Louisiana following Hurricane Rita, and we have been truly impressed with the reception we have received throughout the community,” he added. “The hospitality and genuine friendships we have come to value at the housing center and among the nonprofit and faith-based community here has been most heartwarming.” Guikema noted that because of CRWRC’s relationship with Southwest Louisiana and the continued need for CRWRC services, there was no hesitation in making the decision to bring teams of CRWRC volunteer workers back to Southwest Louisiana. Thomas explained that close coordination between the SWLA Volunteer Housing Center, the CRWRC and local non-profit rebuild organizations has identified critical unmet housing needs and will address those needs this fall. “I want to add that we are in need of local volunteers from within our five-parish area to augment these fine teams of CRWRC workers,” she explained. “Working side by side with these folks is a truly blessed opportunity.” McGough noted that rebuilding Southwest Louisiana is a long-term process that is very demanding for many resources in addition to volunteer labor. “We are in need of additional corporate and individual philanthropic
support as we continue to field new housing-related unmet needs in our five-parish region,” he said. “If our Southwest Louisiana neighbors are unable to lend a hand, we are certainly grateful for a contribution, regardless of the size.” Contributions from corporations and private citizens can be made to the United Way Hurricane Fund, which is dedicated to assisting with hurricane
recovery in Southwest Louisiana. Individuals and companies wishing to learn more on how they can become involved in volunteer support or contribute to the Hurricane Fund can contact the United Way office at (337) 433-1088. Donations can be mailed to the United Way Hurricane Fund, c/o United Way of Southwest Louisiana, 715 Ryan Street (Suite 102), Lake Charles, LA 70611.
LA Department of Natural Resources Receives Over $8 Million for Rockefeller Refuge Project United States Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., recently announced that the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources will receive $8.5 million for the Rockefeller Refuge Shoreline Demonstration project. The refuge, located in eastern Cameron and western Vermilion Parishes, included 86,000 acres when it was deeded to the state, but the effects of beach erosion have reduced that area to an estimated 76,000 acres. These funds will go toward the installation and analysis of four different test sections of shoreline protection on the refuge’s Gulf of Mexico shoreline. These funds are being issued by the Minerals Management Services (MMS) as part of the Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP). Sen. Landrieu was instrumental in the creation of CIAP, for which she secured the funding in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 as a member of the Senate Energy Committee. “Coastal restoration in Southwest Louisiana is particularly important, as erosion has greatly diminished the coasts’ natural protection against major storms,” Sen. Landrieu said. “The effects of our weakened coast are
especially noticeable during hurricane season, and already this year we have witnessed the devastating potential of major storm surge and flooding. “The Rockefeller Refuge is one of the most quickly eroding sections of the Louisiana coast, and estimates state that the shoreline retreats about 30 to 40 feet each year. It is very important that we initiate projects like these, that help us determine the best way to reduce erosion along this portion of the shoreline.” The four alternatives being tested with these funds include a 700-foot section of beach filled with gravel/crushed stone; a 500-foot section of reef breakwater with gravel/crushed stone beach fill; a 500foot section of reef breakwater with lightweight aggregate core; and a 500foot section of concrete panel breakwater. CIAP distributes $250 million annually (from 2007 to 2010) to six eligible offshore oil- and gas-producing states. Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas, as well as California and Alaska, receive these funds to restore and protect their coastal areas.
MIKE ALLEN Financial Advisor
To schedule your complimentary financial review, call or visit today.
4840 Lake Street Suite B Lake Charles, LA 70605
337-477-0040 OCTOBER 2, 2008
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BIZ BYTES — by Dan Juneau
INSIDE BATON ROUGE — by John Maginnis
Hurricanes Cause Political Power Outage utumn’s twin seasons in Louisiana, elections and football, rarely take a back seat to anything, but hurricane season knocked the wind out of both this year. Compared to the suffering and loss by thousands of citizens—especially in coastal parishes torn up by Gustav and flooded by Ike—any disruption to politics and sports barely registers as a matter of public concern. But it matters to some, because football, even amidst ruins, can be a useful community diversion, and elections, even when largely ignored, still have major consequences. The postponement of the Sept. 6 congressional primaries, for instance, could trigger a power outage of sorts for new lawmakers. This was supposed to be the year that Louisiana solved a problem with its election calendar that was causing its new congressmen and senators to be elected in December, rather than November, like representatives from other states. Getting to Washington a month late meant that Louisiana’s new lawmakers had very last dibs on committee assignments, staff and office space. Though sworn in at the same time as the rest of the freshmen class, Louisiana’s new congressmen started their careers at the back of the line in every way that matters in Washington. The state Legislature tried to fix that situation and remain in compliance with federal court decisions by replacing the open primary system, which required no more than two elections, with a return to closed party primaries, which can necessitate three votes. To provide for three elections (primary, runoff and general), the first vote was moved up one month to the first week of September. The same thing happened to football season years ago, as schedules grew from ten games to 12. That seemed to work, except that it put the start of both seasons at the peak of hurricane season, in harm’s way. So, when Gustav blew away the Sept. 6 primary, it was pushed back to Oct. 4, and the party runoff, if needed, to Nov. 4, and the final, general election to Dec. 6. Right back where we started.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
Not all the state’s congressmen will get a late start. December elections will only apply in two of the state’s congressional districts: the 2nd, based in New Orleans, and the 4th, based in Shreveport-Bossier. Those are the only two with contested party primaries that are almost certain to require runoffs before general elections. The U.S. Senate election and four congressional elections will wrap up on the first Tuesday in November. Already decided is the 3rd District, where Congressman Charlie Melancon was unopposed. In the two districts to be decided in the December elections, the storm delay exacerbates the loss of clout already felt: In the 4th by the retirement of Cong. Jim McCrery, RShreveport, and in the 2nd by Cong. Bill Jefferson’s indictment and pending trial (set to start four days before the December election). Either way, the New Orleans area will start the next Congress in the hole: With the last elected rookie or a disgraced member stripped of his committee assignment and facing possible removal if convicted. Not much can be done to change the election calendar again to accommodate hurricanes. The Legislature wrestled with that issue enough to not want to revisit it. Louisiana may just have to live with future storms’ effects on its congressional clout, as well as on other power rankings, those of its college football teams, from LSU to McNeese State. Gustav-affected LSU fans, having endured a 10 a.m. season opener and a postponed second game, would have been inconsolable had school officials been forced to move the third game to avoid Ike. Instead, both the LSU and Southern contests went on as scheduled, though to the chagrin of some frazzled Baton Rouge officials and residents. They were rightly concerned about the effects of football traffic on streets with stoplights still not working and with mountains of debris protruding from curbs. The games went on and all survived. The state's new congressmen will get by too. By November, football and politics may be king again, but future Septembers will find them ever subject to a higher power.
The Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac Frankenstein he Bush administration has put the mammoth quasiprivate lending agencies— Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—into conservatorship and punted the problem to the next administration. It would be wise for the media and debate moderators to press John McCain and Barack Obama regarding what exactly they will do to clean up this mess that is being left at their doorstep. The Fannie-Freddie debacle is a textbook example of what is wrong in Old Washington. The two agencies are supposed to be regulated by the executive branch with Congressional oversight. Somehow, those “protectors” of the taxpayers either didn’t have a clue regarding high-risk practices of Fannie and Freddie or were too indebted to campaign contributions and largesse from their lobbyists to call them on the carpet until it was too late. As a result, taxpayers could be on the hook for hundreds of billions of dollars in losses from bad loans and questionable lending practices. Not all of the blame, however, can be laid at the feet of the suspect management of the two agencies. Over the years, Congress has passed laws and pushed practices designed to pressure Fannie and Freddie to make home loans to buyers who could not afford them. Some of those same members of Congress are now screaming the loudest and pointing fingers at everyone but themselves. Particularly troubling for Senators McCain and Obama should be the recent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) pronouncement that costs involved with the Fannie/Freddie conservatorship should be included in future federal budgets. It is often the practice of presidents and members of Congress to not include federal fiscal liabilities in the budget. Disaster relief and wars, for example, aren’t considered federal debt for the purpose of the budget. At the same time the CBO was dropping its bombshell about the Fannie/Freddie problem, it was also giving its official estimation of a $407 billion federal budget deficit for this fiscal year and a $438 billion deficit for the next. The deficit figures don’t factor in any other bailouts likely to
T
occur because once some entities are determined to be “too big to fail,” the demarcation line for making that decision becomes very hazy. Senators McCain and Obama would do well to heed the words of Peter Orzag, director of the CBO, who recently said: “This nation is on an unsustainable fiscal course.” To illustrate his point, Orzag noted that Medicare and Medicaid spending alone is expected to jump 30 percent in the next decade from the current level of 4 percent of the GDP to 6 percent in 2018 and 12 percent by 2050.
TAXPAYERS COULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN LOSSES FROM BAD LOANS AND QUESTIONABLE LENDING PRACTICES. The question is: What will either of them do to reverse this recipe for fiscal disaster if elected to the highest office in the land? Both say they will cut taxes in some form or fashion, but will not offset spending sufficiently to pay for the reductions. Some of the new spending being proposed would greatly add to the problem. It would be interesting if the arbiters of the election debate would forget about minutiae, add up all the debt (on and off the budget) that will be coming due during the next decade, demand an answer from the two candidates about how they will deal with it— and not accept spin or evasion for an answer. Perhaps some of us don’t want those questions asked, because, to paraphrase Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, maybe we can’t handle the truth.
Application Period Opens for Cameron Prairie and Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge Lottery Waterfowl Hunts As of this printing, there’s a good chance that the following hunts will happen in November, thanks to the hard work of the Refuge staff.
The Southwest Louisiana National Wildlife Refuge Complex has four different Lottery Drawn Waterfowl Hunt opportunities on Cameron Prairie and Lacassine refuges. The application period for all lottery hunts is September 20 through October 15, 2008. All applications will be mailed or delivered to the Complex Headquarters at Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. Below is a description of each hunt, which hunters are eligible to apply, and how to apply. The Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge Youth Lottery Waterfowl Hunt is open to hunters 10–17 years of age. The youth hunts are scheduled on Saturdays and selected school holidays within the western zone Louisiana waterfowl-hunting season. The 14 available hunt dates for the 2008-2009 Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge youth hunt are November 1* (*Youth only hunt
on youth waterfowl day. Adults must supervise youth, but adults cannot hunt on this day). November 8,15, 22, 26 and 29 (2008), December 13, 20, 24, 27, and 31 (2008), and January 3, 10, and 17 (2009) youth and adult supervisor can hunt on these dates in compliance with state law. Youth hunters must harvest their own limit. The Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge Youth Lottery Waterfowl Hunt is open to hunters 10 - 17 years of age. The youth hunts, with four blinds, are scheduled on Saturdays within the second split of the western zone Louisiana waterfowl-hunting season. The six available dates for the 20082009 Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge youth hunt are December 13, 20, and 27 (2008), and January 3, 10, and 17 (2009). The adult hunter will be allowed to harvest a limit of waterfowl in compliance with state law. Youth hunters must harvest their own limit.
To apply for refuge Lottery Hunts: Submit ONE 3 x 5 index card for each hunt that you are applying for to: SW LA National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge, 1428 Highway 27, Bell City, LA 70630, by 4 p.m. Monday, October, 15 with the following information: 1) Name of Hunt Applying for: Cameron Prairie Youth Hunt or Lacassine Youth Hunt or Lacassine Senior Hunt or Lacassine Managed Duck Pond Hunt (only one card per hunt) 2) Applicant name 3) Applicant age by Oct. 15, 2008 4) Applicant address 5) Applicant telephone number
For both the Cameron Prairie and Lacassine Youth Hunts, youth hunter applicants and their youth guest must be 10-17 years of age by October 15. One adult will supervise no more than two youth hunters. Youth hunters and supervisors born after September 1, 1969, are required to possess a Louisiana Hunter Safety Certification card or equivalent from another state prior to application. If the course has been taken, but the card has not been received please send a copy of certification completion with the application. Three hunters (an adult 21 years of age or older, youth applicant and youth guest) are allowed in each of the pit blinds. Decoys are provided. The Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge Senior Lottery Duck Hunt is open to seniors age 55 and older by October 15. Senior hunts, with four blinds, are scheduled on Wednesdays during the second split of the western zone Louisiana Duck Season. The five
available dates for the Lacassine Senior Hunt are December 17, 24 and 31 (2008) and January 7and 14 (2009). Chosen senior hunters are permitted to bring two guests, one of which must be a senior 55 years or older, or a 10 17 year old youth and a second guest of any age. Blinds and decoys are provided. Lacassine National Wildlife Refuges Managed “Duck Pond” Hunt is open to hunter applicants 21 years of age or older as of Oct. 15, 2008. Applicants are drawn for one of two hunt sites for each date. Blinds and decoys are not provided and a boat is required to access and hunt these hunt sites. Each selected applicant will be allowed to bring two guests. Available dates for the Lacassine Managed “Duck Pond” Hunt are: November 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29, December 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, and 31, and January 3, 7, 10, 14 and 17 (2009).
6) All applicants born after Sept. 1, 1969, must include their hunter safety certification number or a copy of the certification completion if a card has not been received yet. 7) Preferred hunt date and TWO alternate dates. No phone applications will be accepted. If the required information is not provided, the applicant will be ineligible for the drawing. Individuals submitting more than one card per hunt will be disqualified from the drawing. Successful applicants will be issued a special permit for each hunt they are chosen to participate in. All applicants will be notified of the results by November 1. For additional information about any of the SWLA National Wildlife Refuges, call (337) 598-2216 or view the Web site at www.fws.gov/swlarefugecomplex. OCTOBER 2, 2008
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NEWS Since McNeese State University lost almost five days of the fall 2008 semester because of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the academic calendar has been revised to make up some of the days missed. Classes will now meet Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 3-5, and final exams will begin on Monday, Dec. 8. Originally, Dec. 3 was a study day and Dec. 4-5 were final exam days. “With this change, we will regain class meeting time for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday classes, as well as Tuesday night classes,” said Stephanie Tarver, dean of enrollment management and registrar. In the original calendar, classes meeting at or after 4 p.m. were not scheduled to meet on Tuesday, Dec. 2. Several academic deadlines have been rescheduled as follows: • Wednesday, Dec. 3. Last date for faculty to remove “I” grade from previous semester for currently enrolled students. • Friday, Dec. 5. Classes end. • Monday, Dec. 8. Final exams begin. • Thursday, Dec. 11. Final exams end; grades for graduating students due by 1 p.m. • Monday, Dec. 15. All remaining grades due by 10 a.m. The complete revised academic calendar, the revised final exam schedule and a revised refund schedule can be found on the McNeese Web site at www.mcneese.edu. Students wishing to withdraw from classes or resign from the university will follow normal procedures published in the fall class schedule or on the Web at www.mcneese.edu/registrar. For more information, call the registrar’s office at (337) 475-5356 or (800) 622-3352, ext. 5356.
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McNeese State University and administrators with the Pôle Universitaire Léonard De Vinci have signed an agreement that will create opportunities for McNeese students to study in France. Administrators of the Paris-based university have signed agreements with the eight universities of the University of Louisiana System, which includes McNeese. Once completed, the partnership will eventually provide study abroad opportunities for students studying business, engineering and engineering technology, computer science and liberal arts at McNeese. The agreement between McNeese and the Pôle Universitaire Léonard De Vinci demonstrates a local step in a nationwide trend. Last summer, Congress unanimously approved the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation Act of 2007, which “creates a national program that will establish study abroad as the norm, not the exception, for undergraduate students,” according to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisors. The French delegation includes Philippe Dubost, Associate General Director, Mark Louis Uhrich, School of Management, Michel Bernadou, School of Engineering and Marie Josèphe Gridel, International Relations. Dr. Brad O’Hara, UL System provost and vice president for academic affairs, is leading the delegation on a tour of the eight UL System campuses. The deadline for entries for the 2008 McNeese State University Homecoming Parade scheduled for Oct. 23 has been extended to 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Entry fee is $50 for community organizations or business floats. This year’s theme is “The
David Chozen and his nieces, Stephanie and Pamela Chozen, have donated $15,000 to the McNeese State baseball program with plans to continue supporting the baseball program. David has also established the Harry Chozen Baseball Scholarship through the McNeese Foundation in memory of his father. From left: Terry Burrows, McNeese head baseball coach, accepts the donation from David as Melissa Ellis Northcutt, McNeese director of development operations and special events, looks on. PAGE 16
OCTOBER 2, 2008
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Cowboy Way.” The parade is set to roll down Ryan Street at 7 p.m. that Thursday, with line-up beginning at 4 p.m. in the freshman parking lot near Cowboy Stadium. Last year, almost 100 businesses, organizations and bands participated in the parade. McNeese student organizations and community participants compete for prizes for best floats in the parade. The parade will start at the intersection of Ryan and East LaGrange streets, turn south on Ryan and travel to McNeese Street, and turn east on McNeese and travel to the Doland Athletic Complex, where it will disband for the homecoming pep rally and fireworks display, which is sponsored by the McNeese Alumni Association. Parade entry forms can be obtained by calling the McNeese Office of Student Services at 475-5266. The Doré School of Graduate Studies at McNeese State University has announced that the Master of Business Administration degree program now offers an accounting concentration component. The McNeese MBA program has long been recognized and cited in such listings as the Princeton Review’s “Best Business Schools” and U.S News and World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools” The program is 33 semester hours in length. The traditional baccalaureate program is 120 hours; however, various regulatory boards in accounting nationwide have all agreed to a minimum requirement of 150 credit hours in higher education before an individual is eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accounting exam. The MBA graduate faculty initiated the accounting concentration after discussions with local busi-
ness leaders, alumni, university administrators and current students. These stakeholder groups created the foundation for the new offering, which was developed with the oversight of Dr. Bruce Swindle, former director of the MBA program and currently head of the McNeese accounting department. A consulting practicum has also been developed as an elective course toward the MBA. The consulting practicum was also designed in response to the needs of businesses and organizations. The practicum allows students to solve real-life business challenges for area businesses and non-profit groups. For more information on the McNeese MBA, contact the program office at (337) 475-5576 or e-mail ccaldwell@mcneese.edu. McNeese State University and the Louisiana Consortium of Insurance and Financial Services at Louisiana State University in Shreveport will present a property and casualty insurance prelicensing course from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, Oct. 10-18, on the McNeese campus. This course provides 32 hours of class time designed to prepare an individual for the Property and Casualty Licensing exam and for a career in insurance. Topics include basic terminology, concepts, sales, the fundamentals of insurance law and agent responsibility. Cost is $200 per person, including the textbooks. For more information or to register, contact Sarah Leonards at (337) 475-5075. Nursing students from McNeese State University recently visited residents of Kingsley Place, an assisted-living facility in Lake Charles, to educate them on preventative health methods.
Marie Josèphe Gridel, left, international relations representative for the Pôle Universitaire Léonard De Vinci in Paris, France, shakes hands with McNeese State University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jeanne Daboval. Gridel recently arrived in Lake Charles with colleagues Philippe Dubost, left, and Michel Bernadou to discuss a study-abroad agreement between the universities.
NEWS
ROUNDUP
The program is part of the graduating seniors’ community health requirement, which allows them to integrate classroom knowledge with clinical practices. Through the capstone project, students assess data to determine best health practices and present their findings to a specific community health population. According to Kingsley Place Executive Director Christin Bennett, the partnership is mutually beneficial. “The community health program in general benefits our community by providing recent health data and educating the public
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about how they can use the information,” Bennett said. “Specifically at Kingsley Place, both the residents and the students have definitely benefited. The residents have learned more about how to remain healthy and the students have learned more about the geriatric setting.” Kingsley Place residents were educated on how to prevent falls; the importance of water and dangers of dehydration; medicinal side effects; and how to combat loneliness. These topics were selected based on assessments made by the students earlier in the semester.
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Memorial Hospital for Women Announces Upcoming Prenatal and Family Education Classes A woman’s journey to motherhood can be less stressful and more rewarding for herself—and her family—with knowledge and support. Prenatal classes help prepare mothers-to-be and their families for the incredible change that are taking place in their lives. The following is a list of education classes being offered by Memorial Hospital for Women in October, November and December. For more information or to pre-register, call (337) 480-7243. Prepared Childbirth Series Recommended during the first three months of pregnancy. Learn comfort, relaxation, positioning, breathing, and massage techniques for increasing the comfort level and enhancing the birth experience. Tuesdays, Oct. 14, 21, 28 Nov. 4, 11, 18; $35/couple One-Day Prepared Childbirth Class Recommended for the last two months of pregnancy. Learn comfort, relaxation, positioning, breathing, and massage techniques for increasing the comfort level and enhancing the birth experience during this condensed version of the Prepared Childbirth Series. Saturdays, Oct. 11 or Nov. 8 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; $35/couple
Breastfeeding Class Recommended during the last three months of pregnancy. Learn positioning, latch-on, early feedings and the importance of assessing baby’s intake. Thursdays, Oct. 16, Nov. 13 or Dec. 11 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.; $10/couple Sibling Class Recommended during the last three months of pregnancy. Help siblings prepare for the new arrival. Wednesday, Oct. 15 or Monday, Nov. 3 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.; $10/family Baby Care Class Recommended during the last 3 months of pregnancy. Review newborn characteristics, general baby care, early parenting issues and community resources. Mondays, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, or Dec. 8 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.; $10/couple Infant CPR for Family and Friends Learn and practice rescue for choking and CPR for infants. This is not a certifying or credentialing course, but is recommended for expectant parents, new parents and support persons. Monday, Oct. 6 or Tuesday, Dec. 9 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.; $5/person
OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 17
THE BOLIVAR PENINSULA WHAT’S LEFT BEHIND
By Lauren de Albuquerque; Photos by Phil de Albuquerque
Beaumont Dr. on Crystal Beach.
he Gulf waters softly lap the shoreline on this balmy Sunday afternoon. Pelicans soar overhead as sandpipers scurry about in the breaking waves, looking for dinner. The sound of the surf and the seagulls’ cries enhance this scene of peace and tranquility–until I turn around and see the destruction wrought by Hurricane Ike. This is Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula in Southeast Texas. Long a vacation playground for families and spring-breakers, the area had grown by leaps and bounds through the years. New developments sprang up from High Island to the Galveston Ferry. Restaurants like DeCoux’s and Stingaree’s always brought in the crowds, and the Big Store with its brand-new castle façade had absolutely anything a vacationer could possibly want—from imported wines to incense to garden hoses. Until now.
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Before
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The Return This is the third day of the Bolivar Return. Beginning Friday, Sept. 26, area residents can “visit” their homes on the island between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., with everyone off the peninsula by 4 p.m. Because there are no utilities or water, no one is allowed to remain in the area overnight. On Friday, the lines getting into Bolivar were reportedly backed up for five miles. But this Sunday morning, there’s only a 10-minute wait to hand the officers your registration form and proof of residency at the checkpoint before Rollover Pass. FEMA is giving out water, ice, hand sanitizers and tetanus shots at a staging area on High Island, but we’ve decided to skip it, since we’re anxious to see what, if anything, is left of our house. My husband Phil and I had a vacation home on Crystal Beach. Four bedrooms, right on the water. We’ve been
told it’s completely gone. The bridge at Rollover Pass between Gilchrist and Caplen suffered extensive damage and has been reduced to one usable lane. Once over the bridge, the ride approaching Crystal Beach is harrowing: Rows of telephone poles snapped in two, vehicles smashed and submerged in muck by the side of the road, bed linens and clothing twisted around trees and flattened fences. And initially, no houses anywhere—just pilings and cement slabs. ‘We’ll Be Back” is scrawled on a piece of plywood propped up against a block of cement. We eventually start seeing some homes in various stages of destruction. Ironically, some look barely touched by Ike. Others are half smashed, slanted on their pilings, looking like houses of cards about to fold. DeCoux’s Pub is gone without a trace. All that’s left is the sign. The
same for True Value Hardware. Mama Theresa’s Flying Pizza is a pile of rubble. We come to the Big Store. It actually looks pretty good in the front, with its fish plaques and statuary intact, but as we drive by, we can see that the inside is heavily damaged. Our street is shortly after the store. The driving is treacherous, as the road is covered with thick sand. Halfway down, we realize that we’re going to get stuck, so we decide to pull over and walk the rest of the way. Gone with the Waves The rest of the way leads to nothing but a cement slab and some jagged pilings. That’s it. No furniture, nothing. It’s all gone. It’s a lot to take in. The beach in front of our house has gotten a complete facelift. The dunes, wild grass and flowers have disappeared. Many After
OCTOBER 2, 2008
of the houses around us have been obliterated. Our house was named Amaris West. We had another beach house called Amaris on Dauphin Island, Alabama, that was claimed by Katrina. Amaris means Child of the Sea, and it’s ironic that both houses were taken by it. We rented out Amaris West on a week-to-week basis during the summer months, but in the off-season, we would come down on weekends, bring friends, and enjoy the Gulf breezes and spectacular view from our deck. We had just installed new floors and French doors. We notice people slowly moving through the nearby ruins in rubber boots and gloves, searching for something that Ike left behind. Ron and Bonnie York live in Arkansas. They bought their twobedroom vacation home on the beach this past June—two days after they got married. They had only spent a total of 16 days in their house, which, like ours, is now just a slab. “We’re going to rebuild,” Ron York said. “We’re not leaving. We love it here.” He is not concerned about the rumors that the State of Texas may not let homeowners rebuild due to beach erosion and the Open Beaches Act. He points to
what’s left of the beachfront homes. “Look there, “he said. “There are too many big money people who have homes here. They’re big taxpayers. The state’s not going to stop them from rebuilding.” Meanwhile, Bonnie York is digging through the piles of debris that randomly dot the sand—smashed DVD players and Mardi Gras beads and battered frying pans. If she finds something intact that doesn’t belong to her, she painstakingly removes all the mud and sets it on the sand, in hopes that the owner will eventually come along to claim it. “What I’m really looking for is my T-shirt with my daughter’s picture on it,” she said. “She died a year and half ago. She was only 16.” As I walk with Bonnie, I discover a bright yellow dish from my house, just sitting on top of the sand—completely intact. With her help, I find two more pieces. I can’t imagine they survived Ike’s fury without a crack. Cathie and Dan Mouton’s home was right behind ours. The Beaumont couple is sitting under an umbrella on their cement slab, facing the Gulf— which they can see unobstructed now that our house is gone. Like the Yorks, they want to rebuild. “We’ve only had it two years,” Cathie Mouton said. “We completely remod-
eled it. And we came every weekend. We’re not giving this up.” She is apprehensive about the Open Beaches Act, however. “They say they’re going to wait a year— have the beach go through the four seasons—to see exactly how much erosion there is,” she said. “I’m worried.” Various mud-encrusted tools, rakes and shovels are lined up next to their slab. “These are ours,” Dan Mouton said. “We found them in that ditch way over there.” Cathie wishes they had taken their professional margarita-maker home when they boarded up the house, but they thought about it too late. “Oh, well, it’s all gone,” she said. Meanwhile, our insurance adjuster, a pleasant young man from Kentucky, shows up. “This is the eighth house I’ve looked at today,” he said. He shakes his head. “They’re all bad, really bad,” he said. “I worked on Katrina claims and let me tell you, it’s much worse here.” As the witching hour of 4 p.m. approaches, we gather up our three dishes and a rusted sunburst plaque that hung over our fireplace and head for home. Will we rebuild, if we can? Probably not. There comes a time when you just have to leave it all behind.
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PAGE 19
UNITED WAY OF SWLA HURRICANE FUND CONTINUES TO SERVE REGIONAL RECOVERY
hree years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and in the wake of the recent Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the United Way of Southwest Louisiana continues to seek corporate and individual contributions for its Hurricane Fund. “Since September 2005, our United Way Hurricane Fund has received more than $3.8 million in public and private contributions,” said Jim McGough, chairman of the United Way of Southwest Louisiana board of directors. “From the fund’s inception, its steering committee has been committed to focusing on long-range recovery efforts, and has dispersed or dedicated95 percent of the funds collected to date.” While recovery efforts initially focused on recovery from the 2005 storms, they now transcend a growing family of storms to include Gustav and Ike this year, he added. “We are finding that the human needs associated with hurricanes impacting our fiveparish region are not going away as we move from one hurricane season to another.” McGough cited a myriad of unmet needs programs that have been funded by the UW Hurricane Fund, including food, clothing, mental illness treatment, child welfare, furniture, household goods, temporary shelter and long-term housing. But, he highlighted the Southwest Louisiana Volunteer Housing Center as the most dynamic initiative funded through the UW Hurricane Fund. The volunteer housing center has risen from a decommissioned 15,000square-foot middle school in Moss Bluff to a comprehensive housing facility that has served 4,796 volunteers since it opened its doors in July of 2006.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
“While this is impressive, there’s more to the story,” McGough explained. “Since the center’s inception, plans were in place to make the facility available to support first responders in case of other natural disasters,” he added. “That concept was put into action for both Gustav and Ike as the center was ‘home’ for 386 ambulance drivers, law enforcement officers and national guardsmen.” McGough offered his gratitude to a wide range of partners who have made the volunteer housing center possible, including the Calcasieu Parish School System, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office, Entergy, Lake Area Ministers Group, Habitat for Humanity, Rebuilding Together, Enterprise Foundation, Fannie Mae Foundation, Christian Reform World Relief Committee, and the volunteers, themselves. “But, we are in need of additional corporate and individual philanthropic support as we prepare for a new influx of volunteers from across the country ready to lend a helping hand in the wake of Gustav and Ike,” he added. “Contributions from corporations and private citizens to the United Way Hurricane Fund will help make the volunteer housing center viable for many more years.” Individuals and companies wishing to learn more on how they can support the United Way Hurricane Fund can contact the United Way office at (337) 433-1088. Donations can be mailed to the United Way Hurricane Fund, c/o United Way of Southwest Louisiana, 715 Ryan Street (Suite 102), Lake Charles, LA 70601.
FOUNDATION PROVIDING
HURRICANE RELIEF
HURRICANE RELIEF IN SWLA he Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana is assessing the needs of nonprofits in the region, a prelude to distributing relief grants to nonprofits that cared for Louisiana residents after Hurricane Ike. The Foundation, which works across Southwest Louisiana, has committed $200,000 to nonprofits, many of which were stretched thin after Ike caused widespread destruction, including flooding thousands of homes. “We have heard from nonprofits about the money they spent to shelter, feed and care for Louisiana residents after the storm,” said Lisa Verrette, CEO of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana. “Thankfully, donors have provided us the funding to help nonprofits cover some of the unexpected expenses of relief and recovery.” The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana is a sister organization of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, which raised $45 million after Katrina to fill gaps in services, such as providing grants to shelters that cared for thousands of evacuees but were not considered under government rules for federal assistance. The foundation in the Capital City also paid for planning projects in Southwest Louisiana that recommended strategies for building more vibrant cities and towns that could withstand future hurricanes and other disasters.
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The Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana expects to begin making hurricane relief grants within a few weeks to nonprofits, just as the Baton Rouge Area Foundation did this week, issuing $257,000 from a Gustav relief fund to nonprofits that include the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank and Big Buddy. The foundations, along with the Northshore Community Foundation, also have launched FoundationsForRecovery.org, a standing Web site for accepting donations for disaster relief. “Community foundations across the country have assisted people in need for generations and now are working with governments and businesses to create great places for all of us,” said John Davies, CEO of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation. “With our I-10/12 initiative, we are working with leaders in Lafayette, Lake Charles and other parishes that border the interstates to create an economy that lures entrepreneurs and creates jobs.” About the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana: The foundation connects philanthropists with worthy nonprofits in Calcasieu, Beauregard, Allen, Cameron and Jefferson Davis parishes. It also takes on projects that improve the quality of life across the region. For more information, visit FoundationSWLA.org. For more on community foundations, visit COF.org.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 21
PAIN, OPTIMISM IN
IKE-TORN GALVESTON
By Lauren de Albuquerque
he city of Galveston allowed its residents to return to their hurricane-ravaged island on Sept. 24, just 11 days after Ike made landfall. Approximately 45,000 people evacuated prior to the storm, and as they return, many are discovering that their homes are uninhabitable. Their plight has the city scrambling to find shelter for them. City officials hoped that the majority of the evacuees would stay away until the City was better prepared for them. Water and electrical services are limited at best (at this writing, 30 percent of Galveston has electricity, but an inspection is needed before residents can turn on their meters) and there are real dangers from snakes, vermin and mold. Medical services are limited and there are few working sewers. The city council has extended the declaration of a local state of disaster for 90 days. But residents poured back in as soon as they could.
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Shelter Shortage In conjunction with the Red Cross, the City recently set up a tent city on the grounds of a school that is no longer in use. It can hold up to 500 people, but more shelter is needed—especially since all the public housing developments have been condemned until the necessary repairs are made. At this point, there’s a chance that the building may be torn down and rebuilt—a task that will take time and money. In the meantime, the 1,800-plus public housing residents who were evacuated to Austin have returned. They were ordered to clear their belongings out of their condemned apartments by Sept. 26 , but they have no idea where they are supposed to go. To help alleviate the situation, FEMA will be setting up 15 mobile shelters at the Port of Galveston with a capacity for 600 people. The shelters, equipped with kitchens and operated by local church groups, can each house 42 people. The city also is working with FEMA to find long-term housing for those who need it. The federal government is looking to Harris County and Houston housing authorities to help people relocate.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
Historic District in Recovery Mode In contrast, Galveston’s Downtown Historic District, though flooded, was spared significant damage, for the most part. “Residential areas were hit the worst,” said RoShelle Gaskins, public relations manager for Galveston’s Convention and Visitor’s Bureau. She said that the big hotels and the area’s main tourist attractions did better than expected. “The hotels did amazing,” she said. “They just needed cleanup.” At the moment, they are at 100 percent capacity, housing evacuees and Centerpoint Energy workers. The Grand Theater suffered street and basement level flooding, but no structural damage, and cleanup is underway. Moody Gardens also escaped major damage. It is located on the bayside, which did not have as much of a storm surge that the Gulfside properties did. “The hotel is already open,” Gaskins said. “And the aquarium and the golf course will open soon.” Luckily, the animals at Moody Gardens survived, and have been temporarily relocated to other zoos and aquariums during the clean-up stages. Restaurants and bars are gradually reopening, day by day. “Most businesses are in the recovery process,” Gaskins said. “Some restaurants are just serving drinks. It’s going to take time.” So, who’s going to be visiting Moody Gardens and these bars and restaurants in the near future? Gaskins said that the Lone Star Biker Rally, scheduled for the last weekend in October, has not been canceled. The Rally is one of the largest in the state. “It’s still going on,” she said. She believes there will be room to lodge the thousands of bikers who make the yearly run to the island, as most of the utility workers will be gone by then, and FEMA is trying to make other arrangements for evacuees. Dickens on the Strand, the annual Victorian extravaganza, is supposed to take place the first weekend in December. Gaskins believes it will happen. She is optimistic, pointing out that Ike affected only 1,500 of the 7,000 buildings and museums in the downtown historical district, and for the most part, damage is minimal. “We’re trying to get it going,” she said. “We’re working very hard.”
Déjà vu.
Images of
IKE
A scant three years after Hurricane Rita made her mark on Southwest Louisiana, we again find ourselves in the unenviable position of recovering from the effects of a hurricane. With water damage even worse than with Rita, our region is struggling once more, and our patience is being sorely tried. Ike’s images portray our latest round with Mother Nature, and the spirit of a people who refuse to let her get the best of them. We thank our contributors, Edward Leger, Sylvia Ney, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, Andy Jacobson, Patrick Marcantel, and Darrell Buck.
The lake washes over the grounds of the SWLA Convention and Visitors Bureau.
A mobile home in Hackberry succumbs to the storm surge of Ike.
Rising waters threaten the state’s coast once again.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 23
Devastation under the Cameron water tower.
Cattle struggling to stay alive near Choupique. Flooded homes in Grand Lake.
Deer on the run after Ike.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
West Prien Lake Rd. becomes a waterway in the post-Ike hours.
Cameron residents Durk, Gilbert, Jr., and Chris Landry in front of the family home that has survived three hurricanes.
Ike kills 2 in Cameron Hurricane Ike’s gargantuan size – not its strength – pushed an extra large storm surge in this region. In Cameron Parish, Ike is blamed for two deaths. The details have not been released, but were confirmed. Damages from the storm are still being tallied. Thousands of homes and businesses were flooded – areas still recovering from Gustav. Officials said the flooding was worse than 2005’s Hurricane Rita, which hit the area.
Public meeting at Cameron Prairie headquarters. Help from a far off place. K&M Electrical came from New Brunswick, Canada to lend a helping hand.
Aptly-named ride (Chaos) describes the scene at Kemah, Texas. OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 25
A common sight in Cameron Parish.
L’Auberge du Lac rises above the flood.
Orange, TX
?????
Bobbie and Robert Landry from Creole cleaning up the storm damage.
Water engulfs Hackberry home.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
Redfish that became trapped as the water receded.
Intersection of 6th and Bank.
Poole Roofing trying to save some of their inventory.
Rikenjaks is ready for looters.
The day after in Sulphur.
The site of the former Lake Front Hotel.
A big loss in Orange.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 27
COPING WITH
HURRICANE FATIGUE By Cindy Nassar, L.P.C., L.M.F.T
f all the things I’ve ever lost…I miss my mind the most.” Mark Twain’s famous quote seems to describe how many Gulf Coast residents may have felt recently as they faced the uncertainties of the current hurricane season. With the memories of Rita and Katrina still intact, it is no wonder that many residents behaved a little out of character with panic buying and erratic driving as they scrambled to make plans for evacuation. Making mental notes of preparations to keep your family safe can be mentally draining. Imagine the confusion of visitation schedules for co-parents who are separated or divorced and may not agree on when and where to evacuate. If you’ve been feeling somewhat
O
“
robotic and weary, and have been short-tempered with loved ones and others, you’re not alone. You may be experiencing Hurricane-Related Distress, commonly called Hurricane Fatigue. Hurricane Fatigue takes an emotional toll and can lead to forgetfulness, confusion, numbness, difficulty in making decisions, changes in appetite, crying for no apparent reason, lack of energy, and even increased effects from allergies and colds. You may feel heightened sensitivity to others and lash out inappropriately. Despite these symptoms, many reject outside help and may isolate from family, friends, and social activities, and in some cases, turn to substance abuse. You must understand that these behaviors may be symptoms
of the stress that hurricane season can produce—and realize that it won’t last long. Phases of Hurricane Fatigue The definition of HurricaneRelated Distress, or Hurricane Fatigue, is divided into four phases, as described by Dr. Charles Figley of the Florida State University Traumatology Institute: Phase I: Anticipation and Preparation Lasts from warning to impact (if any) of the storm. Phase II: Disaster Impact Lasts as long as there is perceived immediate danger. Phase III: Immediate PostDisaster Impact – Starts with return to a sense of safety and ends with a sense of normality (or new normality). Phase IV: Long-term PostDisaster Impact – Longest phase, associated with creating a new normal, grieving the losses, thankful it was not worse, potential growth, and efforts to recover by drawing upon personal and social resources. If there is an overlap in recovery phases, which is what we recently experienced, (for example, Phase IV of Gustav with Phase I of Ike), it
could result in more severe symptoms for those most affected. Cumulative Effects While we may become more efficient as we prepare for each storm, individual stress and fatigue levels can often increase with each successive storm, due to having less energy to deal with it all: The emotions of excitement, fear, uncertainty, and stress all over again; the familiar drills of making strategic hotel reservations, boarding up windows, and making sure there’s a full tank of gas in your escape vehicle. The most dangerous symptom of Hurricane Fatigue may be a fatalistic attitude and a refusal to take action. When we have a desire for things to be normal and routine, we can fall into denial by ignoring evacuation warnings and failing to stock up on supplies. Preparation is Key So, what do we do to feel better during these times? It is important to increase our sense of safety and control and decrease our level of fear. By focusing on preparation and communication, we can reduce Hurricane Fatigue. Preparation should occur before each hurricane season, by talking with Continued on Page 29
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE POST-IKE he Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance has opened a Business Counseling Center on the first floor of the Willis Noland Resource Center (120 West Pujo Street, Lake Charles). It is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
Due to construction on Pujo Street between Ryan Street and Lakeshore Drive, the Willis Noland Resource Center parking lot is accessible through the neighboring MidSouth Bank parking lot or visitors can park at the Lake Charles Civic Center and walk across Lakeshore Drive. SBA Customer Service Representatives are ready to assist businesses with low interest disaster recovery loans of up to $2 million. Loans are available to businesses of any size; and non-profit organizations that have experienced any physical damage, loss of inventory, or equipment damage, as well as those who
require working capital to keep their businesses in operation until their recovery is complete. No appointment necessary. Also on hand to offer counseling and recovery options are representatives from the McNeese State University Small Business Development Center as well as representatives from The SWLA Economic Development Alliance, the Louisiana Department of Economic Development and the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE). For more information about the Business Counseling Center, call The SWLA Economic Development Alliance at (337) 433-3632. The SBA does recommend that business owners register with FEMA by calling (800) 621-FEMA or by logging on to www.fema.gov prior to coming to the center. For more information about the SBA, call (800) 659-2955 or check out their Web site at www.sba.gov.
Continued from Page 28
family and mapping out a plan. Coping with unpredictability is much easier when we take small steps to prepare in advance. There are many hurricane checklists available in the community with a wealth of information. Buy necessary items in small increments, and keep them in a cabinet or drawer that you can easily find in case of power outages.
Ways to Cope When people communicate and help each other, there is an increased sense of hope. Talking about your feelings can decrease stress symptoms. It is important to reach out to others through phone call and emails and check on loved ones and friends, especially those who may live alone and don’t have much outside contacts. Keeping in touch during evacuations and letting others know where you are helps you realize you are not alone. Proper exercise, nutrition and rest is important. Try to continue some form of ritualized activities in which you normally participate and keep your mind occupied. Remember to be patient and accept that restoring your life to what was normal for you will take time. Recognize and accept your feelings and realize that others are also struggling. If you do evacuate, it is important to take small steps to recover when you return home so you don’t feel overwhelmed. There may be damage to your property and windows to uncover. As with Hurricane Rita, familiar streets may look completely different, as the landscape can change dramatically. Therefore, allow yourself to take on one task at a time. Realize that it is okay to feel the way you are feeling. Many people do not allow themselves the “right” to be worn-out, angry or sad. It is a normal reaction to the major disruption in your life and in the lives of your family, so take it slowly and accept help from others. If you believe you are having difficulties adjusting, remember that counseling and wellness programs are available and can help to lessen the burdens of trauma and stress. Talking with a mental health professional can help you begin to recover from emotional distress and begin to feel like yourself again. You deserve that.
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Cindy Nassar, L.P.C., L.M.F.T. is a psychotherapist, divorce and family mediator, and parenting coordinator in private practice in Lake Charles, who specializes in co-parenting issues in families of divorce. For more information, Cindy can be reached at cindynassar@gmail.com.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 29
Image of Hurricane Ike on Sept. 10, 2008, taken by the crew of the International Space Station. Photo Credit: NASA
By Matt Robinson
t is too early to judge the success of FEMA’s response to recent hurricanes Ike and Gustav, as streets throughout Texas and coastal Louisiana are littered with debris, hundreds remain in emergency shelters, and hundreds of thousands of residents are still without power. But now is the time for the nation’s premiere disaster relief agency to show what it has learned from the mistakes of the past. In Louisiana, there is reason for optimism. Food, ice, water, and supplies have been distributed throughout affected parishes. Glitches have been endured, but, as Denise Everhart, spokesperson for FEMA’s Joint Field Office in Baton Rouge, the bureau overseeing the initial stages of recovery from the two storms, said in a recent interview, such challenges are to be expected. “There always are glitches in major relief work,” she said. “There always have been.” On the other hand, since 2005, FEMA in Louisiana has improved deficiencies revealed by the postKatrina and Rita experience, when communication was problematic, delivery of supplies was hamstrung, and the shelter of victims, as well as the ultimate evacuation of New Orleans, was described by some as “hell on earth.” Everhart says that FEMA has strengthened communications between various authorities, has adjusted aid programs to assist survivors, and has also improved media access to information.
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Encouraging Improvements The result of these improvements, she said, has been encouraging. When PAGE 30
OCTOBER 2, 2008
Southeast Louisiana evacuated in advance of Gustav, FEMA coordinated with the governor’s office and local municipalities to prepare for the dislocation of over a million people. “The evacuation was an amazing thing to watch,” Everhart said. Stephanie Allen, press secretary for La. Senator Mary Landrieu’s office in Washington D.C., agrees with Everhart about the success of the Gustav evacuation. “The evacuation went much better this time, and there was much more coordination” between federal, state, and local governments,” said Allen in a recent interview. “It was largely successful.” Since the storms pounded the state, FEMA has overseen the distribution of over six million pounds of ice, 24 million bottles of water, and over 11 million meals. FEMA has done a better job this time in preparing for distribution on commodities to stricken people, but Allen remarked that there were some “hang-ups” in the distribu-
tion of goods, and shelters for evacuees weren’t always comfortable or accommodating. Senator Landrieu toured a shelter in Shreveport, and found cots crowded together and no air conditioning. Landrieu “found the shelter to be inadequate,” Allen reported. With the scope of the storms’ damage still being assessed in Louisiana, Allen is guarded about FEMA’s ability to fulfill its mission. “As far as giving FEMA a grade on how they did with the two storms, it’s still too early to say,” she said.
the height of the evacuations. Not everyone can return home, though. FEMA’s Everhart says that Cameron and Vermillion Parishes remain closed as of this writing. In parishes where restrictions have been lifted, residents are returning to an unknown future. Many communities have been heavily damaged by wind and storm surge, and in some areas, restoration of services such as water and electricity may be weeks away. As evacuees from these areas return, they may find their homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
Unknown Future for Many One benchmark in any catastrophe recovery is how long it takes evacuees in emergency shelters to transition into long-term housing. Louisiana shelters are slowly emptying, and only about 800 people remain in acute crisis housing, down from almost 34,000 at
Electrical crews gather at Burton Coliseum before heading out. Photo by Andy Jacobson
Photo by Patrick Marcantel
They will have to start over, and they will need a place to stay. The number of storm survivors in need of housing assistance has yet to be tallied, but so far, FEMA has given out over $25 million to victims through the Individual Housing Program, which assists with rental payments and uninsured home repairs. Separately, FEMA has paid for hotel rooms to assist victims in need of emergency shelter. Everhart says that FEMA’s goal is to utilize the resources available in storm-affected communities to house the displaced. “We want to get people into [housing] that’s already there,” she said.
Trailers – the Last Resort Using rental assistance and direct payment of hotel stays for evacuees, FEMA hopes to address the need for temporary housing. If, however, the need for long-term shelter outstrips the available supply, FEMA has acknowledged that the flawed flagship housing program from the relief efforts of 2005 – the now infamous FEMA trailers – will be used again. FEMA’s Everhart says she has heard no discussions on the use of trailers for housing Louisianans left homeless after Gustav and Ike. But, she notes, FEMA’s Deputy Administrator and Chief Operations Officer, Admiral Harvey Johnson, has admitted recently that trailers “remain an option.” Senator Landrieu’s office is well aware of the potential for Southeast Louisiana to once more see the boxy travel trailers installed on home lots in stricken communities. The Senator’s office was recently critical of this aspect of FEMA’s Disaster Housing Plan, revealed in July a year after the report was due to Congress. In this plan, said Allen, “[FEMA] was supposed to highlight ways they would house people other than trailers.” But the plan lacked vital details. Annexes at the rear of the report were to provide the nuts and bolts of the disaster housing strategy, but the annexes were left blank. “Instead of putting in the annexes, they left seven blank pages where the annexes would be,” Allen said. “All the things that they were asked for, literally all of them, are incomplete.” What the plan did reveal, she added, was FEMA’s continued reliance on manufactured living structures, like travel trailers. In the plan, she said, “Trailers happen to be the final solution again.” Whether trailers will be needed to provide housing for Louisianans in the wake of Gustav and Ike has yet to be seen. If they do become the long-term shelter of choice, FEMA’s
BBB
history of emergency housing as shown after Katrina and Rita calls for close oversight. Problems From the Start Although trailers used in the 2005 temporary housing mission proved dangerous for occupants, with threats ranging from poor maintenance, formaldehyde fumes, and mold, to the fact that the structures were not intended to provide long-term accommodations, the trailer program itself had problems long before the first evacuee took possession of their unit. The initial contracts for FEMA trailers were awarded to four politically connected, massive engineering firms. A recent Department of Homeland Security Inspector General report on these contracts was highly critical of the no-bid deals, and revealed the housing program’s deep vulnerabilities to waste and abuse. The DHS-IG investigation found up to $45 million in questionable or improper charges from prime contractors Bechtel, CH2MHill, Fluor Inc., and Baton Rouge-based Shaw Group. In response to widespread criticism of the first no-bid deals, FEMA bid the tasks of maintenance and deactivation of the trailers to three dozen smaller firms, but the problems of improper servicing of the units remained. While the contractors provided shelter for tens of thousands of storm survivors, many of the trailers were poorly maintained. Contractors lacked proper permits to do some trailer-related work in Louisiana, and a CDC report on the trailers released in July found moldy, leaky units, some without functional smoke detectors – all problems which contractors were responsible for addressing. Final Thoughts As the nation’s premiere disaster relief agency gears up for the longterm recovery of coastal Louisiana from the effects of Gustav and Ike, the many lessons of post-disaster housing from 2005 should be fresh in the minds of FEMA personnel. The safety of temporary housing, and the qualifications of contractors to do the job right, should be at the center of their thinking.
OFFERS TIPS AFTER A DISASTER he damage caused by a natural disaster often brings out the best in people, as strangers reach out to help others in need. Unfortunately, according to Better Business Bureau president Carmen Million, the aftermath of a crisis also brings out those who take advantage of people who have already been victimized. “Be patient, don’t make quick decisions without doing your homework,” warned Million. Some of the most common “afterdisaster” scams involve home repairs, clean-up efforts, heating and cooling equipment, and flood-damaged cars. The BBB offers the following advice for consumers: • Check with your insurance company about your coverage and their specific filing requirements. • Although anxious to get things back to normal, avoid acting in haste. Don’t be pressured into signing a longterm contract. Make temporary repairs
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Local City Halls Lake Charles City – (337) 491-1442 Sulphur City – (337) 527-4500 DeQuincy City – (337) 786-8241 DeRidder City – (337) 462-8900 Iowa City – (337) 582-3535 Jennings City – (337) 821-5500 Kinder City – (337) 738-2637 Leesville City – (337) 239-2444 Rosepine City – (337) 463-8908 Vinton City – (337) 589-7453 Welsh City – (337) 734-2231 Westlake City – (337) 433-0691 Cameron City – (337) 775-7511
if necessary. • For major repairs, shop around for contractors, get competitive bids, and check references. • Be wary of door-to-door workers. Check with your city or parish to find out about door-to-door rules and company licensing. • If possible, get more than one bid. Bids should be in writing and should detail the work to be done, the materials to be used, and the price breakdown for labor and materials. • Review any written agreement carefully before signing, and keep a copy. • Never pay in full until all supplies and subcontractors are paid eliminating a possible lien on your property. For additional information, or to check a company’s record, call the Better Business Bureau at (337) 4786253 or (800) 542-7085. For permit or licensing information in a particular area, contact:
Local Parish Government Calcasieu Parish – (337) 721-3640 Allen Parish – (337) 639-4396 Beauregard Parish – (337) 786-3311 Cameron Parish – (337) 775-5718 Jeff Davis – (337) 824-4792 Vernon Parish – (337)-238-0324
Louisiana Contractors Licensing Board: (800) 256-1392 Dept. of Agriculture (tree-trimming): (337) 788-7529 (Note that the above numbers may be subject to change without notice.)
Matt Robinson is a freelance writer from New Orleans.
Ruth St. in Sulphur. Photo submitted. OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 31
MINIMIZING RISKS FROM
MOLD
looding from Hurricane Ike is causing many unfortunate residents of Southwest Louisiana to once again cope with clean up, relocation and restoration. Those affected also need to be aware that underneath the visible destruction caused by high water lurks another insidious risk: mold. “As a result of the Hurricane Rita experience, most people in our area should be familiar with the risks associated with mold after storm damage,” said pulmonologist Johnny Belenchia, M.D., with Lake Charles Medical and Surgical Clinic. “Mold growth poses special problems for the thousands of people with existing lung disease and may increase the likelihood of the development of lung problems for others.”
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Mold is Everywhere Dr. Belenchia explained that mold is everywhere, especially here in the warm,
Because a storm’s aftermath can be truly devastating, Shelter has specially trained Storm Follow-up Teams. They are ready to help you pick up the pieces after Nature’s raging fury flies. Consider us the calm after the storm.
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
humid climate of the South. He said most people have no problem living with this ever-present fungus. It reproduces by making spores, which travel unseen through the air and grow on any moist surface. “People who have asthma or allergies may be especially sensitive to molds. They may develop a stuffy nose, wheezing, eye irritation, or a skin rash when exposed, “ he said. “Other people may have more severe allergic reactions and experience breathing difficulty. People whose immune systems are weakened by chronic diseases, or those who are taking any drugs that suppress immune function are at risk for development of infections in the lungs.” Invasive Problem According to restoration professional Ray Wright, owner of SERVCO Restoration, you can have mold even if your home did not suffer significant water damage.
“You can’t always see evidence of mold,” Wright stressed. “The outside of your walls may look fine, but mold could be growing on the inside. Clothes can be washed or dry-cleaned, and furniture can be restored if dried and remediated properly.” The same goes for carpeting, insulation, wallpaper and drywall. “This is a very invasive problem. For example, mattresses that didn’t get wet are likely to grow mold if they were in a room that did,” he added. Wright explained that one big “mold myth” he and his staff encounter is that airing out your house after water damage prevents mold growth. “This is completely opposite of what you should do. Opening windows and doors lets the humidity in,” he said. “Humidity keeps things wet, and provides the perfect environment for mold growth. If you are trying to dry out your home and furniture, close up your house and turn the air as low as you can.”
Dr. Belenchia said it’s important to understand that you can’t just kill the mold to reduce health risk—you have to remove it. “This isn’t something that will disappear if you ignore it. Even dead mold can provoke asthma in susceptible people, and people without prior allergies or sensitivity to mold can also develop them after significant exposure.” Wright offers the following advice for minimizing the risk of mold growth and exposure in your home: • Professionally dry the home or building as quickly as possible with dehumidifiers and air movers, if possible. • Remove carpet, insulation, upholstery, drywall, and other porous items that cannot be cleaned if these were wet for longer than 72 hours. If not removed, these items may remain a constant source of mold growth in the home. • Removal of mold from hard surfaces can be accomplished with commercial remediation products. • If mold growth is related to faulty plumbing or another problem with the water supply, be sure to fix that problem first or the mold issue will never go away. • Wear protective masks in closed areas where mold growth is known or suspected, or when doing work that could kick up dust. When is professional help needed? Wright said a mold assessment by a team of professionals can identify if mold is an issue. “We have an in-house environmental hygienist who can help detect the level of mold in your home or business. And if there is any doubt, because of the health risks associated with mold, it’s advisable to be extra cautious and have a professional evaluation.” Dr. Belenchia added that if you are in one of the categories for mold exposure risks, such as asthma, try to avoid being in and around areas of potential mold growth. “If this can’t be avoided, be sure to take your asthma medication as prescribed, keep you emergency response inhaler nearby, and discuss any acceleration of symptoms with your physician immediately.” For information regarding mold testing and restoration services, call SERVCO Restoration at 477-8400. Immediate response and free assessments are available.
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM
POST-HURRICANE PESTS
s if the property damage caused by Hurricane Ike weren’t enough for Southwest Louisiana to cope with, the storm also brought with it some unwelcome pests: mosquitoes and fire ants. “We’re getting numerous of calls from people who are battling fire ants and mosquitoes as they work to clean up their yards and repair their homes,” said Robert Soileau, manager of J&J Exterminating in Lake Charles “The biggest problem we see in the aftermath of hurricanes and floods is standing water which is a fertile breeding ground for both of these pests, and with all the flooding we experienced, we’re seeing a population explosion.” Soileau said the mosquito problems that are being experienced would likely last for several weeks. “Mosquitoes are attracted to, and breed in standing water, such as that found in roadside ditches, storm sewers, birdbaths, or any container or depression that holds water for more than seven days.” He offered the following tips for controlling mosquitoes:
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• Use a mosquito repellent each time you go outside. • Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, when possible, and avoid dark colors. • Avoid outdoor activities from dusk to dawn – when mosquitoes are more active. • Fight mosquitoes. Don’t allow water to stand – or have standing water treated to kill mosquito larvae. • Repair window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out of your home. • Use an insecticide to spray areas of thick vegetation in your landscape. • Remove debris from your yard. • Use pesticides safely and effectively. Read and carefully follow label directions on any insecticides or mosquito repellents you use. • Consult a pest control expert for widespread or persistent problems.
Fire ants are also causing serious problems in areas hard hit by flooding from Hurricane Ike. “When the waters rise, the fire ants are forced out of their underground nests and float in a
mass on top of floodwaters,” explained Soileau. “Flood waters will not drown fire ants. Instead, their colonies will actually emerge from the soil, form a loose ball, and float with the flow of water until they reach a dry area or object they can crawl up on.” After the water has receded, the problem actually becomes worse in most areas. That’s when fire ants can be found almost anywhere – including inside your home or in debris piles. Fire ants can cause extremely painful stings and even allergic reactions in some cases, and both people and animals area risk. Soileau says extra precaution should be taken after a flooding event. “General preventive treatments for controlling fire ants aren’t what are needed at this point. Ant colonies or ants encountered now need to be dealt with quickly.” He offers these suggestions for dealing with fire ants while cleaning up after the storm:
• When debris is picked up, pay attention to what is on, under or in it, especially if the debris has been sitting in one area for several days. • Keep in mind that fire ants love to get under furniture, carpet strips and old wood to re-establish their colony. • If fire ants are seen in a pile of debris that must be handled, use a shovel or other tool to avoid ant contact, or consider treating the pile with a fast-acting household or lawn and garden insecticide. • Consult a pest control expert for large colonies or persistent problems.
safe place to recover,” he said. “Homes that have been damaged provide easy access for a variety of pests, and there may be an increase in snakes and rodents outside homes near piles of debris, around stalled automobiles, near or inside outbuildings or any area that provides a welcoming environment,” he said. “We advise everyone to be extra cautious in the weeks ahead as recovery gets underway.” J&J Exterminating can provide immediate response and assistance for post-hurricane pest control problems. They also offer sanitizing and treatment for flood-damaged walls and floors. Free consultations are available. Call (337) 474-7377 for more information.
Soileau added that in some areas, rodents and snakes might also be a problem in the aftermath of the storm. “Basically, pests aren’t much different than humans during and after a storm – they want to find shelter and a
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PAGE 33
RECOVERY CORPS
Recovery,” or strong recommendations and lessons learned, to inform human service officials and planners in the government and nonprofit sectors.
FACING THE “REALITIES OF RECOVERY”
he Louisiana Family Recovery Corps is strongly encouraging local, state and federal leaders to focus on the realities of long-term human recovery as they plan and implement human service efforts around Hurricanes Ike and
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Gustav and continue efforts on the Katrina and Rita recovery. “There are a myriad of programs and services available to citizens recently impacted by Ike and Gustav and citizens still recovering from Katrina and Rita,” said Raymond Jetson, CEO of the Recovery Corps. “It is absolutely critical that nonprofit, government and foundation leaders in
Louisiana and across the U.S. Gulf South keep in mind a few fundamental lessons learned from previous disasters as they relate to human recovery.” Through its efforts assisting more than 30,000 individual and family households affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and unfolding efforts assisting those impacted by Gustav and Ike, the Recovery Corps has released a series of “Realities of
REALITY ONE: Case management is most effective when accompanied by the tools citizens need to be successful in their recovery. Case management, or recovery planning services offered to impacted citizens should be accompanied by direct assistance, or financial support for critical necessities lost during disaster, such as appliances, basic furniture, medicine and housing assistance.
Downtown Ryan Street. Photo by Patrick Marcantel
R. Dale Bernauer, M.D.
4150 Nelson Rd., Bldg. D, Ste. 1 Lake Charles, La. 70605 PH: 337-474-6960 FAX: 337-474-6970
A non-surgical technique to fight against arthritis and sports injuries. Do you need a joint replacement or suffer from arthritis or sports injuries? We offer a non surgical solution. Regenerative Therapy is designed to regenerate joint cartilage and decrease arthritic changes and pain. This therapy uses a combination of injection therapy, laser therapy, exercises, bracing and other modalities. Parts of the program can be covered by insurance while parts are not. A commitment to the whole program is necessary for success. This is how it works: The physician introduces natural medicine into damaged, arthritic cells by means of a precise injection. This process is followed by infrared laser as well as several other modalities in order to accelerate the process. Depending on tissue damage, severity of the condition and the size of the joint that needs to be injected, people usually need a series of 1 to 6 treatments to improve. There is usually no downtime, and people can go back to their usual activities or work immediately. The treatments can help most musculoskeletal problems such as knee pain, shoulder pain, whiplash, tendonitis, sprain, strains, torn ligaments and cartilage damage. For more information and to schedule your treatment call 337-474-6960. PAGE 34
OCTOBER 2, 2008
Case management pairs an individual or family with a social service professional to assist them in planning their recovery. Most case management programs only offer this professional assistance and not direct financial aid. The Berkeley Policy Associates study indicates that case management, accompanied by needed financial assistance, allows households to set not only recovery goals, but gives them the resources they need to meet goals and become self-sufficient postdisaster. REALITY TWO: The need for services spans beyond those traditionally served by government programs. Service systems and funding streams must be aligned with the demographics and needs of the disaster-impacted population. Impacted residents typically need services, such as one-time financial support, that fall outside of conventional service offerings and traditional eligibility criteria, such as a federal poverty level requirement. Services must be available in places that residents are most likely to access them and must be offered by organizations beyond government providers.
Louisiana citizens. Any technology used to track citizen outcomes should include a holistic view of the issues that affect long-term recovery (i.e., household re-establishment, child care, employment, education, health, transportation). REALITY FIVE: Help with managing the stress of recovery or feelings of depression are significant barriers to recovery. Positive mental health and emotional well being is at stake for many individuals and families as they seek to cope with the daily stress of manag-
ing the personal recovery of their homes and property. Previous research by the Recovery Corps indicates that recovery-related stress and depression are common across all households, regardless of income, geography or race. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of disaster, so effective interventions will be required to alleviate that issue. The Recovery Corps will launch several new programs for disasterimpacted individuals and families in the coming weeks. To get up-to-date information and announcements, please visit www.recoverycorps.org.
About the Recovery Corps The Recovery Corps, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation based in Baton Rouge, coordinates humanitarian services for the State of Louisiana in the aftermath of disaster, natural and manmade. Formed in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the Recovery Corps assists families and individuals with their comprehensive recovery needs through its human service and non-profit partners across Louisiana. To learn more or donate, visit www.recoverycorps.org.
REALITY THREE: Housing repair and household re-establishment assistance are critical needs of impacted households. While, damage to homes and personal property caused by Gustav and Ike is still being assessed, we know the number of damaged homes and property could reach into the hundreds of thousands in Louisiana. During Katrina and Rita, more than 200,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. According to the Recovery Corps May 2008 study “Progress for Some, Hope and Hardships for Many,� paying bills and maintaining a household are still critical barriers to recovery for Katrina- and Rita-impacted citizens. REALITY FOUR: If programs are focused on outputs instead of outcomes, they will be inadequate and yield consequences for the future. As nonprofit service providers, organizations should insist on outcome-driven programs, which ensure that citizens progress on a continuum of recovery and are meeting real benchmarks in their recovery. Programs merely outputting the number of citizens served with no description of results will be inadequate. Outcome-based technology platforms must accompany recovery programs to ensure positive results for OCTOBER 2, 2008
PAGE 35
JOHNSON BAYOU AND HACKBERRY PASTORAL RURAL HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES UPDATE ARRANGEMENTS ue to storm damage from Hurricane Ike, the services of the Johnson Bayou Rural Health Clinic, managed by West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, have been temporarily relocated to the Family Care Center of Southwest Louisiana, 2345 Sampson Street in Westlake — the offices of Jody George, M.D. and Brent Hutson, M.D. Anyone needing services should call 439-1484.
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Patients of the Hackberry Rural Health Clinic are now being seen in the March of Dimes and SWLA AHEC mobile unit located in the parking lot of the Hackberry clinic. Julie Galley, RN, APRN, with the Hackberry Clinic announces the hours of operation are Monday from 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. For more information, call 762-3762.
ANNOUNCED
n response to the devastation brought by Hurricane Ike and for the pastoral care of the faithful in Cameron Parish, Bishop Glen John Provost has announced the following arrangements, effective until further notice:
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St. Peter the Apostle Parish in Hackberry and Our Lady of the Assumption Church in Johnson Bayou The Rev. Rommel Tolentino will reside and maintain an office at St. Teresa Church in Carlyss. Masses will be celebrated at the local Fire Station in Hackberry. Contact info: (337) 274-2686 Sacred Heart Parish in Creole and Our Lady Star of the Sea in Cameron The Rev. Joseph McGrath will reside at his family residence and maintain an office at St. Patrick Church in Sweetlake. Contact info (337) 304-3071. See Mass schedule below.
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St. Eugene Parish in Grand Chenier The Rev. Vincent Vadakkedath will reside at St. John Vianney Rectory in Bell City and maintain an office at St. Patrick Church in Sweetlake. See Mass schedule below. Contact info: (337) 570-4173
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For St. Mary of the Lake Parish in Big Lake The Rev. Msgr. Harry Greig will reside in Lake Charles and maintain his office at the Chancery. See Mass schedule below. Contact info: (337) 598-3101 (Parish office) (337)-4397400 (Chancery office) Masses at St. Patrick Church in Sweetlake For Cameron, Creole, Grand Chenier and Big Lake: • Saturday: 4:30 p.m. Father Joseph McGrath • Sunday: 8 a.m. Msgr. Harry Greig; 10 a.m Father Vincent Vadakkedath • Weekdays: Monday thru Friday, 5:30p.m.
Please continue to join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike.
Book Beat By Terri Shlichenmeyer
Madonna’s Brother Dishes on Material Girl Did you ever wonder what it would’ve been like to grow up with a different family? If you were an Only, you might have dreamed about the fun you’d have with a houseful of kids to play with. Maybe you even gravitated toward friends with siblings, a little covetous of their raucous households. If you had siblings, you might have wistfully thought about never having to share toys, the bathroom, or Mom. Though you loved them, there were times, perhaps, when you would have happily shipped your brother or sister to another planet, no questions asked. Undoubtedly, Christopher Ciccone felt like that, especially with his sister being hot-and-cold with him over the years. In the new book Life With My Sister Madonna (written with Wendy Leigh), you’ll read about the star’s peccadilloes, her rise to fame, her demands, and the brother who loves her, always.
Born two years after his big sister, Ciccone says that he and Madonna weren’t close as children. Motherless at three, he says he has few memories of his early childhood. He does recall, though, that Madonna was their father’s favorite; even after their Dad re-married and there were more additions to the family, Madonna was singled out and treated special. Mythology says that Madonna went to New York for the first time with $35 in her pocket. True or not, it didn’t take her long to hone in on what she wanted, or to get it. Ciccone says she invited him along for the fame-ride, repeatedly yanking away the invitation and then extending it again. Still, he always went running when Madonna called, partly because he was awed by her, but mostly because he loved her. Just before her first tour, she asked him to be her dresser. Later, he decorated her homes, her sets, and her clothes; and he protected her, both
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PAGE 37
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physically and mentally. In this book, which takes readers from the very beginning through to Madonna’s latest tour, Ciccone has everything to say about his famous sister: her loves (thumbs down to Penn, thumbs up to Beatty, thumbs down to Ritchie) and her friends, both male and female; her passions, ego, tantrums, and embarrassments; the things she really did; that which she only pretended to do; the truth behind the rumors; and their spat. I was a bit taken aback by this book. I was expecting another blah-blah-blah praise-filled star bio. Instead, what’s inside Life with My Sister Madonna is a thoughtful, warts-and-everything, not-quitetell-all from a brother who alternates between adoration, gleeful tattling, outraged pain, snarkyness, and pouting. While this is definitely a book about Madonna, artist/designer and author Christopher Ciccone also seamlessly includes his own story of life as a gay man living in the shadow of the famous, beloved sister who often infuriates him. If you have a sibling, you may occasionally find yourself in this book (minus the million$, of course), but even if you don’t, you’ll enjoy this gossipy, star-studded, behind-and-in-the-scenes book. It’s not for the whole family, but Life with My Sister Madonna is still high-living fun to read. Life with My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone (with Wendy Leigh) Copyright 2008 Simon & Schuster $26.00 / $28.99 Canada 343 pages
PAGE 38
OCTOBER 2, 2008
"On an Axis" — from one end to the other.
by Matt Jones • ©2008 Jonesin' Crosswords Brought to you by Melanie Perry, Agent State Farm Insurance
Last Issue’s Answers
Across 1 Messy entree 5 ___ Lingus (Irish carrier) 8 Apres-ski drinks 14 Name of a lake and canal 15 Wheat-based Japanese noodles 17 Newspaper publisher William Randolph ___ 18 Cincinnati home of the Musketeers 21 McDonald's magnate Ray 22 Gangster's gun 23 Potting need 24 Technique used by photocopiers 28 Tubular pasta 29 Smog watchers: abbr. 30 It'll be taken in January 2009 31 Mimic 33 Cones' mates, in the retina 35 Alley ___ 37 Bikini, for one 40 Actor who played George Mason on "24" 44 California town with an accidentally palindromic bakery 45 Squeeze (out) 46 Disneyland memento 48 Prefix meaning "within" 50 Took way too much 53 Spinach or onion, e.g. 54 Attractive
57 Marvel Comics series, as of February 2008 60 Clapton or Cartman 61 Gnarls Barkley lead singer ___-Lo 62 Charlie Chaplin wife O'Neill 63 Official press group of the Chinese government 69 "Try not to cause ___" 70 Like some pregnancies 71 Luke Skywalker's sister 72 Liam in the upcoming "Lincoln" 73 Super Bowl scores, for short 74 Spend some time in the tub Down 1 Oscar winner Harrison 2 NPR "Science Friday" host Flatow 3 1990s R&B group Bell ___ DeVoe 4 Official timekeeper of the Nagano Winter Olympics 5 Luminescent phenomenon 6 One with a teaching degree 7 Harry and Hermione's friend 8 Wyatt's piggish brother, in "Weird Science" 9 "Love, Reign ___ Me" (the Who song) 10 Dish in its own dish 11 Constellation with a belt 12 Sean of "Lord of the Rings" 13 Arrange hair
16 19 20 24 25 26 27 28 32 34 36 38 39 41 42 43 47 49 51 52 54 55 56 58 59 61 64 65 66 67 68
Near Therefore "___ Con Dios" Generation ___ Adhesive resin Fly under the ___ Suffix after "xeno" or "germo" Wentz of Fall Out Boy Golfer Se Ri ___ Star-bellied Seuss characters Black tea variety "You can ___ horse to water..." Song snippet Fashion design label headquartered in Manhattan Grab a bite Like Rudolph Operative Teamed beasts Modern-day cash advances Former Communist leader ___ Xiaoping Steve Martin, by birth Get up Subsequently Bump into Scottish Highlanders Columnist Herb who coined the word "beatnik" Card game with four colors Like fresh paint Role for Keanu Govt. group with a Director Have a gabfest
OCTOBER 2, 2008
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t i m e s
picks the best in lake area entertainment
NOT YOUR ORDINARY CINEMA SOUNDTRACKS OCT. 2 — Academy TV presents Not Your Ordinary Cinema Soundtracks — a teenage twist to your favorite movie tunes, Thursday, Oct. 2, at 1911 Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center, 1001 Ryan Street. A meet and greet reception will take place at 6 p.m., after which the clips will be shown at 6:30 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. The event is free and the public is invited. The music video montage was produced by Television Production students at Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning. The group selected music tracks from iconic movies through the decades. The music was then set to parodies, which were shot and edited to correspond. The Academy TV class is under the direction of Pam Dixon. The program debuted at LCB Academy in August 2008. High school students from across Calcasieu Parish can learn how to shoot and edit video, report news stories, produce and anchor newscasts, and produce commercials and PSAs. ANNUAL FOX29 ETHEL PRECHT BREAST CANCER BREAKFAST OCT. 3 — FOX29 announces the First Annual FOX29 Ethel Precht Breast Cancer Breakfast to salute Lake Area women whose lives have been touched by breast cancer. Everyone is invited to a memorable morning of education and inspiration on Friday, Oct. 3 at 8 a.m. at L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort. Tickets are $25 ($200 per table) and can be purchased by visiting www.myfoxlakecharles.com or by calling 474-1316. All proceeds benefit the Ethel Precht Foundation, which helps women in Southwest Louisiana purchase wigs and prosthetics. FOX29 will be the media sponsor for the fifth year of the Ethel Precht Hope Breast Cancer 3K on Saturday, Oct. 18. To register, visit www.ethelbreastcancerwalk.org . ZIGLER ART MUSEUM’S “LOUISIANA SATURDAY NIGHT” OCT. 4 — Enjoy a night of fine arts, performing arts, and culinary arts at the Zigler Museum in Jennings. In this rural community, Louisiana Saturday Night showcases duck hunting in a light other than “putting meat on the table” and is a rare occasion when avid sportsmen visit a fine arts museum. This is truly a cultural event for the whole family. There will be performances by the Backdoor Band and the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys, an exhibit of paintings by Murrell Butler, duck and goose calling competitions, and a delicious wild-game dinner prepared by local chefs. Activities begin at 1 p.m. For more information contact the Zigler Art Museum, at (337) 824-0114.
Among the participants for the Rouge et Blanc wine dinners are from left, Chef Justin Sells of Snake River Grill at L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort, Nic Hunter, owner of The Harlequin, and Arthur Durham, co-proprietor of La Truffe Sauvage. Orangefield High, Kountze High and Hudson High of Lufkin. The Pride of McNeese Cowboy Marching Band will conclude the evening with exhibition performances of their pre-game and half-time shows. Admission is $5. MASTERWORKS CHORALE PRESENTS AMERICA LISTEN! OCT. 10 & 12 — Join the Masterworks Chorale as they present their 2008-2009 season America Listen! Sing! and Dance! The concert series begins with America Listen! on Oct. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Lake Charles. The Chorale will be joined by the Ladies Choirs of St. Louis ad Sulphur High Schools to present Paul Winter’s planet-conscious Missa Gaia (Earth Mass). Pianists Lisa Tauzin and Abbie Fletcher will accompany the Chorale for Mack Wilberg’s three-piece movement Dances to Life. For general information or information about joining the Masterworks Chorale, call (337) 491-9348.
MCNEESE BAYOU PLAYERS PRESENT “BLITHE SPIRIT” OCT 8-12 — McNeese Theatre Bayou Players will open the fall season with “Blithe Spirit,” a high-spirited classic comedy by Noel Coward. Show dates are 7:30 p.m., from Oct. 8-11, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, Oct. 12. Performances are in Ralph Squires Hall, Shearman Fine Arts Center. Tickets at the door are $15 for adults; $10 for McNeese faculty/staff, senior citizens, and youth (K-12). McNeese students are admitted free with a current ID. Season subscriptions (four shows for the price of three) are available through “Blithe Spirit” production dates. The box office opens 10 days prior to ”Blithe Spirit” opening date. Box office hours are 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-noon on Saturdays. For reservations, call 475-5043.
ROUGE ET BLANC WINE DINNERS OCT. 11 THROUGH 17 — An entire week of wine dinners will lead up to Rouge et Blanc, an event scheduled for Oct. 18 that will feature foods from 21 restaurants and more than 100 fine wines from Republic National Distributing Co. Six restaurants have prepared menus in which each course has been paired with a special champagne, wine or dessert wine. “Each chef has been working with Jared Cocke, the fine wine specialist at Republic National Distributing Co., to find the most perfect, the most delectable wine to complement each and every course, from beginning to end,” said Carrie Kudla, one of the organizers of Rouge et Blanc. “Each dinner will have the kind of magic that happens when food and wine are paired with care and imagination.” The dinners will take place at La Truffe Sauvage on Oct. 11, Pujo Street Café on Oct. 13, Blue Duck Café on Oct. 14, Snake River Grill on Oct. 15, The Harlequin on Oct. 16 and Vista Grill and Delta Downs Casino and Racetrack on Oct. 17. More information is available at www.rougeetblanc.us. For ticket information for Rouge et Blanc, call the McNeese Banners Series office at (337) 475-5123.
HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND FESTIVAL OCT. 7 — The McNeese State University Cowboy Marching Band will host the “Showdown at Sundown” High School Marching Band Festival at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 7, in Cowboy Stadium. Gates will open at 5:15 p.m. Ten high school marching bands from Louisiana and Texas will participate in the early-season festival. Bands will be adjudicated by a panel of music educators and receive written and recorded comments, along with a festival rating. Participating Louisiana bands are Sulphur High, Barbe High of Lake Charles, Westlake High, Jennings High, Iowa High, Abbeville High and Delcambre High schools. Participating Texas bands are
ST. JOHN VIANNEY BAZAAR OCT. 12 — Bring the whole family to the St. John Vianney Church Bazaar on Sunday, Oct. 12. Dig into fried chicken lunches with all the trimmings and homemade hamburgers. There’ll be games for the kids, bingo, a raffle, a country store, religious items, Elton Louviere’s “Sunrise at Lorrain” prints (only a very few left!), homemade sweetshop items, and an auction at noon. The 2008 Lorrain Bridge Pageant winner will be introduced. See you there! It will be held at the KC Hall; East HWY 14; Bell City. For more information, contact Pauline Poole at (337) 391-9522
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t i m e s
picks the best in lake area entertainment
PIANIST AMBER SHAY NICHOLSON AT MCNEESE OCT 17 — The Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University will present pianist Amber Shay Nicholson in a guest recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, in Ralph Squires Recital Hall at the Shearman Fine Arts center. Nicholson performs regularly as a soloist and collaborative artist throughout the United States. Nicholson, a faculty member with the University of Southern Mississippi, won the 2001 Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 competition at the Eastman School of Music and performed the work with the Eastman Philharmonia under Mendi Rodan. Nicholson, a Liberace Scholar with the Eastman School, is the only U.S. citizen to be accepted into the 2001 Texas Christian University/Van Cilburn International Piano Institute in Fort Worth, Texas. Admission is $5. Students with a valid ID Amber Shay Nicholson are admitted free.
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WINE CLASSES AND TASTINGS KICK OFF ROUGE ET BLANC OCT. 18 — Three wine classes and tastings will be held the morning of Rouge et Blanc, the wine and food tasting event scheduled Saturday, Oct. 18, by the Lake Charles Downtown Development Authority and the McNeese State University Foundation. Each class will cost $10 and will be held in the historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan St from 10 a.m. to noon. Topics are “Differences and Similarities of Pinot Noir,” “Discover Washington” and “French Fizz.” All wines will be supplied by Republic National Beverage Co. Participants do not need to hold a ticket to the Rouge et Blanc event in order to take part in the wine classes. To enroll in the classes, call the McNeese Banners Series at (337) 475-5123 or go online at www.rougeetblanc.us. Classes will be limited to 40 participants. FORE FOR FAMILIES GOLF TOURNAMENT OCT. 20 — The 3rd Annual Families Helping Families of SWLA Golf Tournament - “Fore for Families” will be held at Gray Plantation Golf Course on Monday Oct. 20. Families Helping Families SWLA still has sponsor opportunities for this annual event. There are several sponsor levels to fit all donors: Title Sponsor $5,000, Masters Sponsor - $1,000, Eagle Sponsor - $500, Birdie Sponsor $250 and Friends of FHF Hole Sponsor - $100. Each sponsorship has its own unique incentives, including two-man teams, program, sign and banner recognition as well as others. Proceeds from the Golf Tournament will support the programs of FHF SWLA which include the annual School Supply Drive for students with disabilities, the annual Christmas Party which gathers over 800 individuals with disabilities and their families each December, Sibshops for siblings of individuals with disabilities and the Next Chapter Book Club. For more information, contact the Families Helping Families at (337) 436-2570 or (800) 894-6558.
Providence is located at the south end of Pecan Acres Drive off of Country Club Road.
Office: (337) 474-9891 • Fax: (337) 474-9876 300 E. McNeese St. Suite 1-A, Lake Charles, LA 70605 www.ProvidenceofLakeCharles.com
OCTOBER 2, 2008
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Cook-Off Teams Turn Up the Heat at Jennings’ Roastin’ With Rosie Barbecue Festival Story by The Shadow; Photos by the Shadow and Edward Leger
Emma-Kate Mack at Roastin’ With Rosie Barbecue Festival
Star Steppers from Elton High School are ready to take on the competition at the Roastin’ With Rosie Festival.
Boyd Smith showing off his entry for the cook off at the Roastin’ With Rosie Festival. PAGE 42
OCTOBER 2, 2008
The first “Roastin’ With Rosie Barbecue Festival” was held September 19 and 20 in the Grand Marais Courtyard in Jennings. Members of The Jeff Davis Parish Tourist and Economic Development Commission put their heads together and planned this fun festival to provide important funding for the Southern Petroleum Art & Recreation Center (the SPARC) and to promote the building of a global energy center in Jennings. Key to the success of this endeavor was a team of worker bees including Marion “Butch” Fox, Polly Henry, Kirk Bertrand, Bert Tietje, Deone Sablehaus and Tracy Dosier— not to mention 300 volunteers. “We had no idea what to expect,” said Fox, executive director of the commission. She was a bit concerned because there were a few sprinkles. “But we had great attendance. Five thousand people came!” With 28 barbeque teams competing, there was a lot of finger lickin’
good food on hand. The purchase of a People’s Choice Award ticket allowed attendees to taste from all of the pits. The Citgo Team of Boyd Smith, Darrell Crochet, Riddy Crochet, Wayne Bergeaux and Garrett Dugas cooked up some delicious chicken and brisket. The jalapeno-stuffed bacon-wrapped chicken from the LSU tent was smokin.’ According to Kirk Bertrand, this is serious business for these teams, some of which will also be competing in the International Barbecue Cookers Association. Along with great food, there was musical entertainment, cheerleading and dance competitions, children’s activities, and performances by Wayne Toups, Jamie Bergeron, Travis Matte, Barry Badon, the Grammy-nominated Pine Leaf Boys and Muzic Unlimited. “Everything was wonderful,” said Fox. “We will definitely do it again!”
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nce again, the annual Cajun Bon Ton Festival provided the community with three days of fun, food and entertainment. Set on the grounds of St. Theresa Catholic Church in Carlyss, the festival has something for the young as well as the young at heart. Carnival rides and games kept the young folks happy while bingo, cake walks, raffles and live and silent auctions provided activities for adults. Oh yeah, the food was mouth-watering and this North Carolina girl and Cajun wannabe had to have some of that delicious gumbo. Fried catfish dinners, crawfish etouffee, pork jambalaya, funnel cakes, snow cones and other treats gave festival-goers plenty of choices for grub. Live music by Britt Godwin and Bubba Moore, Foret Tradition and the Louisiana Scramble Band provided some great two-stepping and toe-tapping entertainment. With such a wide variety of fun activities, crafts and entertainment with shade trees for lounging, plenty of seating and good food to heat you up and cool you down, the Shadow thinks this is one of the best allaround festivals in town. This would be an event to mark on your 2009 calendar so you don’t miss the fun next year.
PHOTOS SHOWN: 1–From Sulphur High School Kayleigh Guidry, DJ T-bo and Lauren Little having fun at the Cajun Bon Ton Festival. 2–These friends Sam Moore, Mitzi Conn, Brennon & Simone Moore got out of Dodge (Orange, TX) for some R & R at the Bon Ton Festival. 3–Ty and Demi Picard and Zac Sonnier check out the Garage Sale items at the Bon Ton Festival. 4–Girlfriends Edith Bergeron, Jenell LeBlanc and Amie Grimes smile for the camera at the Bon Ton Festival.
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5–Robert and Dondra Hayes, and Kim, Sawyer & Danny Campbell came out to enjoy the fun and games. 6–Shamralie Manuel, Aubrey Hatley and Deidre Cholley relax on the lawn. 7–Mary and Joe Richardson at intermission during the Metropolitan Opera Opening Night Gala HD transmission at the Cinemark Theatre. 8–Julie Speights with daughter Kaylee came to see the screening of The Misfits at 1911 Historic City Hall.
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PHOTOS SHOWN: 9–With popcorn in hand Nancy Burleigh and friend Judy Fuller get ready to watch The Misfits. 10–Seated and ready to see The Misfits is Tom and Carol LeBeau and Ron & Sandra Futrell. 11–Donna Little, Laurie & Linda Cormier await the start of the movie. 12–Namcy Draughn, Bill & Judy Robertson and Paulette Mercer smile nicely for the camera.
Unique Gifts and Accessories
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OCTOBER 2, 2008
A new and novel presentation of opera is fast becoming a box office regular. In its third season of live, high-definition performance transmissions to movie theaters around the world, the Metropolitan Opera is causing quite a sensation. The Shadow was thrilled to be a part of the live Opening Night Gala from the New York Opera House at the Cinemark Theater. With HD streaming, viewers went from the Grand Tier of the Opera House to Times Square for an elegantly fantastic gala without leaving town. Broadcast in almost 800 venues and in countries outside of the United States, theater goers saw the makings and mechanics of a production through the eye of a camera, going backstage with the sets, designers, producers, stagehands and more. Interviews with opera diva Renee Fleming, tenor Ramon Vargas, the Maestro and other key members of the operatic production provided a wonderful insight into the lives and loves of this world of musical production. The 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center is full to the brim with new and exciting ways to view cinema. Celebrating cinema with the “Magnum Cinema” Photo
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PHOTOS SHOWN: 13–Lynn Reynolds and Hilary Gayle view the Between Takes exhibit prior to the screening of The Misfits. 14–Kevin & Pam Mattingly, Duane and Angie Brassette Canales attended the Southern Circuit film screening. 15–Film goers Louise DeLuca, Keith Franklin, Carol Anne Gayle and Lynn Barchak socializing after the Southern Circuit film screening.
PHOTOS SHOWN: 16–Arts and Humanities Council V.O.I.C.E. (volunteers) Diane McCarthy, James Raley and Barbara Cahee ready to serve refreshments at the Southern Circuit screening of Ripe For Change. 17–Members of the Lake Area Film Group D’Ellen & Carl Bergeron, Scot Waldrop and Carol Ann Gayle pose with Ripe For Change film producer, Jed Riffe, second from right. 18–Arthur, Cameron and Pat Durham along with Marty Berry came for the Independent Filmmakers screening of Ripe For Change.
Exhibit, a pictorial history of some of the most well known and important movie sets of our time, and the “Between Takes” Photo Exhibit, a collection of photographs by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle taken on the set of independent feature films, fill the galleries on the first and third floors. The added addition of film screenings brought another dimension to the exhibits. With an introduction by renowned film historian, Dr. Peter Dart, the screening of The Misfits, Marilyn Monroe’s last movie, was presented in a theatre-like atmosphere on the second floor of the Center. Staff members Denise
of Independent Filmmakers’ screenings. Southern Circuit provides a tour across the south of highly talented independent filmmakers, giving communities an interactive way of experiencing independent film. The screenings of the independent filmmakers allow viewers to learn how the films are made from conception to the finished product. Ripe For Change, with producer, Jed Riffe explores the debate over agriculture and sustainability and the implications for all of America. Riffe is an award-winning independent filmmaker who served as series producer for “California and the
Fasske, Carol Anne Gayle, Carol Cox and Hilary Gayle provided cinema atmosphere with freshly popped corn, peanuts, candies and sodas as the guests were ushered in. The next screening will be Chimes at Midnight, an Orson Wells classic inspired by several of Shakespeare’s plays. This is a great venue for friends and family to enjoy art and culture in a lovely, comfortable and historic setting. The Arts and Humanities Council of SWLA in conjunction with the Lake Area Film Group recently presented the first installment of the Southern Circuit Tour
American Dream,” a four-hour, nationally broadcast, prime-time PBS Series that uses a lens of diversity to look at California from 1970 to the present. The Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers offers these screening free of charge and open to the public.
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The Imperial Calcasieu Regional Planning and Development Commission is updating the transportation plan of the Lake Charles urbanized area, which includes Lake Charles, Sulphur, Westlake, Moss Bluff and Carlyss and wants to hear your input on the future of transportation in the region.
Please Join Us at one of the following Visioning Workshops
We Are Seeking A Media Sales Representative
October 7, 2008 6:30 - 8:30 pm Southwest LA Chamber of Commerce 120 Pujo Street, Lake Charles
Full Time Position, Minimum 3 yrs. Experience Required.
October 8, 2008 6:30 - 8:30 pm Central Calcasieu Parish Library 301 West Claude Street, Lake Charles
Call 439-0995 Ext. 11, E-mail Resume: timespub@timessw.com or Send Resume To: The Times of SWLA, 617 Drew St., Lake Charles, LA 70601
October 9, 2008 6:30 - 8:30 pm Westlake Managan Recreation Center 1221 Sampson Street, Westlake
Below: 16-month-old triplets Hannah, Luke and Ella love their Choo-Choo Wagon. Their proud parents are Dean and Wynn Manning.
Below: Chase Wilson of Lake Charles enjoyed his visit to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Above: Ashley Wilson of Lake Charles at the Last Man Standing party of the local Parrot Heads chapter.
Above: Mei-Ling, owned by Chuck Styron and Jeff Texada, is a rare breed known as the Devon Rex. She loves to sleep in the dryer in a nest of warm clothes!
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.
OCTOBER 2, 2008
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