The Times of Southwest Louisiana by The Times of Southwest Louisiana

WWW.TIMESSW.COM • MARCH 5, 2009 / VOL. 14, NO. 5

Former Governor Roemer Touts the Gulf Coast Gardening and Home Improvement Mardi Gras Wrap-Up • Surviving the Financial Crisis

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

march 5, 2009 Volume 14 • Number 5

contents

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

EDITOR Lisa Yates timesedit@timessw.com

CONTRIBUTORS Mike Allen Kay Andrews Sara Blackwell Jim Doyle Matt Jones Bill Krull Lisa Miller Terri Schlichenmeyer George Swift

17 ICES V R E S CTS & U D O R P

POLITICS John Maginnis Dan Juneau ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Andy Jacobson

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Patricia Prudhomme Shanda Sonnier

Roemer Touts Gulf Coast . . . . . . . . . .5

COLUMNS Who’s News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Legal Eagle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Inside Baton Rouge . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Perspectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Biz Bytes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Swift Report: March 2009 . . . . . . . . .12

LA Legislators Face the Deficit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

F E AT U R E S Mayor Roach in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Does Your Child Have Asthma? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Home Grown: Sunrise Catfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Spring Home Improvement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 SWLA Home Show 2009 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Gardening Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Surviving the Financial Crisis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . OFFICE MANAGER Shalonda Gims

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GRAPHICS . . . . . . . . ART/PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Darrell Buck

The Times of Southwest Louisiana is published every two weeks by Patsco Publishing, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 439-0995. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $30 per year. Bulk mailing permit #9 paid at Lake Charles, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Times of Southwest Louisiana, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. FAX to (337) 439-0418. The Times of Southwest Louisiana cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. Copyright 2009 The Times of Southwest Louisiana all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

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A Night at the Movies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Book Beat: Nine Lives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Crossword Puzzle: Just Playing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Times Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 The Shadow: That’s What Friends are For . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Mardi Gras Wrap Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Parting Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

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BUSINESS Patients coming to Southwest Louisiana Imaging for routine Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans have a new reason to be excited. With a new MAGNETOM Verio MRI scanner from Siemens Medical Solutions, physicians at Southwest Louisiana Imaging can offer some of the most advanced MR imaging services in a magnet that is designed for maximum patient comfort. The MAGNETOM Verio 3T offers excellent image quality, superb diagnostic capabilities, and exceptional patient comfort with a large, patient-friendly 70-cm opening. With one foot of spacious headroom, patients won’t feel like they are nose to nose with the top of the magnet. The MAGNETOM Verio 3T, along with CT Imaging services, is located in the new, second location of Southwest Louisiana Imaging at 1601 Country Club Road in South Lake Charles. For more information on MRI or CT Imaging services at either of our convenient locations, contact Kim Moss, Marketing Director of Southwest Louisiana Imaging, at 439-7778.

notes has given his permission for the name “Catholic” to be attached to this project. Bear Island Catholic Youth Camp is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization operating in the Diocese of Lake Charles. It will be a place where youth of the region can grow physically, emotionally, and most of all spiritually through talks, sports, team building and the Sacraments. Bear Island will also serve as a place where youth can experience physical challenges, especially on the proposed high ropes courses; combined with faith-filled opportunities. For more information, contact: David Grove at 855-3386 or 304-6128, Ric Manuel at 532-7846, Vangie Ordinario at 499-3090, Rusty Stutes 433-0022 or Jack Robichaux at 433-0234.

The Baton Rouge-based company, The Powell Group, plans to invest up to $25 million to upgrade its Farmers Rice Milling Company and Agrilectric Power Partners facilities near Lake Charles. Construction at the two Powell subsidiaries, on Hwy. 397, just east of Lake Charles, could potentially create hundreds of temporary construction jobs of upwards of $12 million, providing a needed boost to the local economy. The Louisiana Public Finance Authority gave preliminary bond financing approval for the project on Jan. 13.

The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles, has blessed the site of the property that will become Camp Karol at Bear Island.

The Breast Care Center (formerly at 711 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive) has moved to a new location at 1601 Country Club Road, and has changed its name to the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Women’s Health Center. The Women’s Health Center will offer cutting-edge, quality services, focused on providing a full diagnostic health work-up in one visit. Services include: digital mammography, bone density services, ultrasound, breast MRI, on-site consultation and more. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 430-4444. Julio Galan, Executive Director of Family & Youth; Kerry Andersen, Director of Community and Public Relations at L’Auberge du Lac; and Dr. Candis Carr, Conference Director.

L’Auberge du Lac supports the Connection Count! Family Focus Professional Development Conference with a $5,000 donation. Family & Youth’s 11th annual conference connects professionals and practitioners from throughout Louisiana as they expand, enhance, and share knowledge, expertise, and “know how” related to services for children, youth, and families. It is the mission of Family & Youth to provide affordable and professional support through programs and services dedicated to the advocacy, counseling, and education for the people of Southwest Louisiana. For more information call (337) 436-9533. The seventh annual “Make Your Heart Race” 5K and 1-mile Fun Run was held on Sat., Feb. 14, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. With over 600 participants, this fun and healthy event was sponsored by The CHRISTUS St. Patrick Regional Heart Center, 7 At Your Service KPLC, Lake Area Runners and GiGi’s Fitness Centers. The American Heart Association was presented with a check for $2,500 from the proceeds of the race. The top male and female in the 1-Mile Fun Run received a trophy, and each Fun Run participant received a medal. More than $451,000 has been pledged or contributed, including in-kind contributions, toward the construction of a one-of-a-kind facility, Camp Karol at Bear Island, a Catholic youth camp and retreat center located in the Diocese of Lake Charles. The Most Reverend Glen John Provost, Bishop of Lake Charles, PAGE 4

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Area entrepreneurs are invited to a free business forum from 4-8 p.m. Tues., March 10, at Lydia’s Event Center at 2336 Broad St. The forum will offer information for both non-profit and for-profit businesses as well as for those interested in starting a new business in these difficult economic times. Speakers include Craig Hartberg, small business adviser for the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, Jawan Ross, director of the Statewide Capacity Building for Louisiana Association of Non-Profit Organizations and Deb King, business consultant with the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese State University. Don Cravins, Jr., director of the Small Business Committee for Sen. Mary Landrieu’s Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee in Washington, D.C., will also be at the forum. Seating is limited. To pre-register, call (337) 475-5529 or e-mail lsbdc.msu@lsbdc.org. The West Calcasieu Port has submitted three infrastructure improvement projects for consideration in the FY2010 Appropriations Act. The three projects included in the WCP’s request are the expansion of the port’s existing west barge basin, the construction of shoreline bulkheading and the installation of perimeter security fencing. The packets were supported with letters of recommendation from State Rep. Mike Danahay (Sulphur) and Calcasieu Parish Police Jury President Hal McMillin. Mashburn noted that the WCP’s largest tenant, Devall Towing, currently operates one of the largest barge fleeting facilities along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, and that demand for additional barge docking space is growing as a result of damages by Hurricane Ike in Texas and industrial expansion in Southwest Louisiana. At an estimated cost of $4 million, the project would add an additional 1,300 feet of new basin capacity – enough space for 30 additional barges.

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ENTERPRISEBOULEVARD Who’s News

Republican Co-chairs Pam Mattingly, Terry Backhaus and Bob Dewey welcome guest speaker former Gov. Buddy Roemer.

Roemer Touts the Gulf South Region By Lisa Yates ormer Gov. Buddy Roemer said the Gulf South has the best economic outlook in the nation over the next 25 years. He added, Southwest Louisiana is “at the center of the best part of the country.” Roemer, 65, voiced this optimism before an audience, Feb. 13, at the Republican Roundtable Meeting in Lake Charles. First, he cited a number of disturbing facts, including: • Of 26,000 homes, all but five were completely flooded after Hurricane Katrina ripped through Louisiana; • The country is experiencing the longest recession since the Great Depression; • More Americans lost their jobs in the last two months than in the preceding seven years; • And, 3 million Americans got mortgages from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, but didn’t make their first month’s mortgage payment. “Despite all of these facts, I am optimistic about Louisiana,” he said. In a wide-ranging speech at Reeves Uptown Catering, Roemer discussed banking, politics and the need for optimistic leadership.

Banking Roemer, who is the president and chief executive officer of Business First, announced the opening of his business in Lake Charles – Business First Bank. He said the Business First Southwest Louisiana banking center will open Feb. 26, at 728 Ryan St. It will be the fifth location in the state for his business-oriented bank. Business First Bank, part of the Shaw Group Inc., has locations also in Baton Rouge,

Shreveport, Mandeville and Lafayette. “I’m so happy to be in Lake Charles,” he said. “Calcasieu Parish voted overwhelmingly for me in every election.” Roemer was elected governor serving from 1988 to 1992. Prior to becoming governor, he served in the U.S. Congress – elected in 1980 and re-elected three times without opposition. He described himself as “an economist by trade” with a bachelor’s degree in government and economics from Harvard University and a master’s degree in business and finance from Harvard Business School. In Congress, Roemer spoke about serving on the House Banking Committee with Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat tied to the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac fiasco. Roemer said it was Frank who kept insisting that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in good shape even when the Bush administration proposed tighter regulation of the two companies. “Every night I’d see on the television, Barney Frank talking about banking,” he said. “George W. Bush should have put a lasso on him.” As an economist, Roemer said the country can be divided into five major economic regions: The West Coast, Midwest, Northeast, Atlantic Coast and Gulf South. “Louisiana is located in the heart of the best region of America,” he said. He said Louisiana’s at the heart of the Gulf South Region, which is abundant in water and energy – especially natural gas. Other regions are not as fortunate, according to Roemer.

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Nichole Churchman, M.D., board certified in family medicine, has joined the Family Care Center of Southwest Louisiana in Westlake. Dr. Churchman received her medical degree from LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She completed her residency in family medicine at the LSU Family Practice Residency Program in Lake Charles. Dr. Churchman Dr. Nichole Churchman joins Dr. Jody George in providing care to patients of all ages at the Family Care Center. The Center accepts most major insurance plans as well as Medicare and Medicaid for children. To make an appointment, call 439-1484. The City of Lake Charles announces the appointment by Mayor Roach of the seven members of the newly established Veterans Memorial Park Commission: Wes Crain, Randy Goodloe, Al Harris, George Heard, Jim Jackson, Loyd Rion and Shawn Broderick. On Jan. 27, an Executive Order was signed by Mayor Roach establishing the Veterans Memorial Park Commission, which was created to serve as an advisory board within the Office of the Mayor, as well as to the Downtown Development Authority. The Young Men’s Business Club (YMBC) announces the 2009 officers and board members as the following: President- Josh Crookshank, Vice President- Fred LeBleu, Treasurer – James Guilbeaux, Secretary – Teddy Authement, Board Members – Beau Brown, Billy Stracener, Eric Dupre, Scott Bowers, Matt Graham and Steven Caraway. The YMBC mission is to provide networking opportunities for members, and to assist local individuals, businesses and charitable organizations to become more prosperous in our community. Please visit www.lakeareaymbc.com for more information. Continued on Page 7 MARCH 5, 2009

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Ent. Blvd., Continued from Page 5

He said the economic outlook on the West Coast isn’t good with its large population and lack of water. The Midwest isn’t doing any better, he added. “Have you been to Detroit, lately?” he asked. “It’s empty.” Also, manufacturing jobs in the Northeast have disappeared. As a result, people in that region of the country have given up even looking for jobs. “The Atlantic Coast has one advantage – they are better educated,” Roemer said. “The region is clearly superior to ours in that way.” He said this is an area where Louisiana can improve and come out ahead. “The region is undervalued and that translates into opportunity,” Roemer said. Housing prices have remained steady and unemployment in Louisiana is the lowest in the nation, he noted. Politics “Leadership in Louisiana is going forward,” Roemer said. “The last three governors – Foster, Blanco, and Jindal – have brought something new and unique to Louisiana.”

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During the Q and A portion of the program, he was asked if California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger had called seeking advice. “No, thank God,” Roemer said. “Louisiana’s current $2 billion deficit is not far off from what I faced when I became governor.” Roemer entered the governor’s office facing a $1.3 billion deficit in the state budget. After winning the governorship, he balanced the state budget for three years, increased teacher pay, strengthened the department of environmental quality to enforce environmental laws, and toughened the laws on campaign finance. Despite his accomplishments, Roemer finished behind former Gov. Edwin Edwards and former Ku Klux Klansman David Duke in the 1991 gubernatorial primary. “Let me tell you what kind of politician I am - I lost to two convicts,” he joked. Roemer admitted Gov. Bobby Jindal “called twice this past year.” However, the former governor declined to discuss what was said. He said it “was a private conversation.” Admittedly, Roemer worked with U.S. Senator John McCain from Arizona as a key advisor. Like

McCain, Roemer voiced opposition to the recent stimulus bill. “If the president keeps this up, there will be a Republican president in the White House in the next four years,” Roemer said to thunderous applause. The bank Roemer started in Louisiana represents a $50 million investment in the economy. He said they were the first to say no thanks to the government’s bank bail out money. Optimistic leadership Roemer said political leadership has improved in the state because there is now real competition between Republicans and Democrats. “We’re a better state than we were 20 years ago – the reason is the Republican Party,” he said. “Competition is the thing – the exchange of ideas. With the exchange of ideas, we get better, and better and better.” Roemer said when he was growing up, Louisiana was a one party state. He said that created an environment which lead to corruption in government. In 1991, Roemer switched to the Republican Party – the only sitting governor to switch parties while in

office. He praised President Abraham Lincoln’s stance on “majority rules” saying “that’s how you build a nation.” Because of this, he urged everyone to respect the office of president. “You do not have the option to opt out,” he said. Roemer – a gifted orator – praised President Barack Obama’s ability to communicate and inspire young people. He said the country needs optimistic leadership. He said he wants to see the president succeed, because he wants America to succeed. “I’m hoping Obama can do it,” he said. “My prayer is that the president’s leadership stands up. We need it now.” Roemer was widely mocked after a story appeared in the press explaining that he had staffers wear rubber bands on their wrists to snap whenever they had negative thoughts. Nevertheless, the former governor continues to promote optimism. “I believe in the psychology of success,” he said. “Of course at the end of the day, you’ve got to do something. But, we’ve got to start talking and acting successfully if we’re going to bring our children home to Louisiana.”

Lacassine Pool Ready for Fishing March 15

Who’s News, Continued from Page 5

n March 15, anglers will be welcomed back to Lacassine National Wildlife Refuge. Ten thousand acres of the refuge’s main attraction, the Lacassine Pool, will be available for fishing this year. Repairs following Hurricanes Rita and Ike continue in various areas of the refuge. Visitors to the Lacassine Pool will be greeted by ongoing canal and levee repairs on the southern most portions of the pool and along the Tidewater-Franklin levee system. Perimeter canals will be open completely in the western portion of the pool all the way to the Intracoastal Waterway Levee. Water control structures will be set at six inches above full pool. These two actions, in conjunction with recent repairs, will allow anglers to access new fishing areas in the southern portion of the pool. All boat ramps accessing the western portion of the pool will be operational for ingress and egress. Conditions on the east side of the pool will most likely vary greatly

Above: Four schools were given an opportunity to have their students write an essay on “What does the inauguration of President Barack Obama mean to me?” The winners are: Fairview Elementary, Victoria Dantly, $20 Combre-Fondel, Michael Skinner, $20, Oak Park Elementary, Roniekia Johnson, $100, Ray D. Molo Middle, Claude F. Albritton, II, $100. The winners were presented the checks by Willie King, Jr., chairman of Essay Initiative and Linton LaCompte, president of North Lake Charles Kiwanis Club and the respective principals of each winning school.

from the west side of the pool. Both water control structures (north and southeast) will remain open all year in an effort to lower water levels in the newly isolated eastern compartment of the Pool (approximately 5,000 acres). Anglers may still access the eastern portion of the pool providing that the boat launch is still functional during the low water management period. Anglers using the eastern launch should launch their boats with caution. Lower water levels will more than likely limit fishing to canals only within this management unit. Two submersible pumps have been installed to aid in water level manipulations within the pool. One of these pumps will be operational this year to help lower the water levels within the eastern portion of the pool. When pumping, the water from the eastern side of the pool will be pumped into the western side of the pool. This will help maintain sufficient water levels within the western side during 2009-2010 for wintering waterfowl and anglers.

Above: Laskie Rougeau of Calcasieu Parish Friends of the Library, center, presents checks to the winners of the Library Tag Line Contest, Marilyn Bonnette, left, and Charles Broussard, right. Bonnette and Broussard both entered the winning tag line: Read. Learn. Connect. and each won $100. Several individual state championships were won by members of the McNeese Speech and Debate Team at the recent Louisiana Intercollegiate Forensics Association Tri-State Championship tournament held at Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City. Senior Jonathan Rutherford won the state championship in Prose, while graduate student Justin Daigle won the state championship in Program of Oral Interpretation, which marks the third straight year that a McNeese State University student has walked away with that title. Sophomore Crystal Rollins took the state championship in Impromptu Speaking. In addition, Rutherford won second place in Program of Oral Interpretation, Rollins won second place in Extemporaneous Speaking and Daigle took second place in Poetry Interpretation and Individual Sweepstakes. Overall, the team brought home the second place trophy for individual events. The team has competed in two other recent tournaments this semester.

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Call 310-2435 or visit www.southwestcallcenter.com 629 Martin Luther King Hwy • Lake Charles, LA 70601 MARCH 5, 2009

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Mayor Roach Meets with President Obama; Announces Bid for Re-election By Bill Krull While Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana face major challenges in the coming years, Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach said no doubt exists about the region’s ability to respond. Time and again, Roach said at a news conference announcing his bid for re-election, the people have risen to the occasion and turned crisis into opportunity. “Hurricanes Ike and Gustav came through almost three years to the day after Hurricane Rita. In the wake of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, we proved to the country that, yes, the people here did a great job after Rita but, guess what? It wasn’t a stroke of luck,” Roach told a crowd of about 200 people. “It was because of who we were. Who we are. What we accomplished, what we’re doing to rebuild, reshape—that doesn’t just happen. Whatever the future holds, we, the people of Lake Charles and Southwest Louisiana, we’re going to be fine, we’re going to be okay. Our strength comes from our ability to work together. We have proven our ability to accomplish great things in the midst of extreme hardship.” The next four years will be challenging, due in part to the global economic crisis, Roach said. A prolonged recession may very well affect various phases of the community development strategy currently being implemented—public and private. “We’ve focused on a vision of not just recovery, but of making things better. We’ve focused on the

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improvements needed to sustain growth that includes things like roads and water and wastewater and services, better recreation facilities for our children—the infrastructure we must have for a sustainable high quality of life,” Roach said. Lake Charles people took a major step forward when they approved a $90 million bond issue—a community wide, comprehensive capital improvement program. Planners took extra care to build in responsibility, accountability and sustainability to ensure no barriers are created today that might hinder future growth. The importance of such care was graphically illustrated when President Barack Obama laid down strict guidelines for the use of stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) that he recently signed. In a White House meeting with Roach and 84 other especially invited mayors from throughout the nation, the President cautioned mayors to use ARRA funds “with unprecedented responsibility and accountability.” The president’s warning was a pre-emptive strike meant to deal with a major concern about so much federal money being pumped into state and local governments in a relatively short time. Such sustainable projects currently underway in Lake Charles include numerous construction projects for economic and community development and for roads, parks and recreation facilities for quality

of life and for children. Many will be complete in 2009 and several others are in the design phase. What it boils down, Roach concluded, is a simple matter of responsibility. “It all translates into a very simple thing: When I was in Washington D.C. visiting with President Obama, he acknowledged that our nation is not a nation of government, it’s a nation of people. It’s a nation of people who live in communities, large and small, like Lake Charles. That’s where the real work gets done,” Roach said. “That’s where dreams are fulfilled. That is what this race is about. It’s about our dreams for our community for our children for their future.”

Free to Breathe 5K Run on March 14 he first Free to Breathe 5K run in Southwest Louisiana, hosted by the Southwest Louisiana Lung Cancer Group Partnership, will begin at 8:30 a.m. Sat., March 14, at First United Methodist Church, 812 Kirkman Street. Registration begins at 7 a.m. Proceeds will benefit the National Lung Partnership’s vital lung cancer research, public awareness, and education programs. Lung cancer is the leading cancer killer of women and men in the US, taking more lives than breast, prostate, and colon cancers combined, yet federal research funding for lung cancer lags behind many other common cancers and common diseases, according to the National Lung Partnership. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute estimated that it spent only $1,638 per lung cancer death, compared to $13,519 per breast cancer death and $11,298 per

prostate cancer death. About 85 percent of the 213,000 people diagnosed with lung cancer each year in the U.S. will die within five years of their diagnosis, according to the NLP. Roughly 10 to 15 percent of lung cancer patients are non-smokers. The 5K run and one-mile walk will travel through Lake Charles’ historic garden district. Prizes will be awarded to an overall winner and top male and female finishers in various age brackets. Registration cost is $15 on or before March 7, and $20 on the day of the event. For more information on the event or for sponsorship opportunities, visit www.freetobreathe.org. The National Lung Cancer Partnership is a group of leading doctors, researchers, patient advocates, and lung cancer survivors dedicated to raising public awareness of the disease and generating funding for lung cancer research.

“A Black Tie Affair” to Kick-off Cover the Uninsured Week over the Uninsured week begins with “A Black Tie Affair,” a fund-raiser hosted by the Calcasieu Medical Society Foundation, at 6 p.m. Sat., March 21, at L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort. This event benefits the Calcasieu Community Clinic, a free health care clinic for the working uninsured. The event will include a Silent Auction, raffle, dinner and dance show by Vince Vance and the Valiants. Vince Vance and the Valiants have performed in Washington, D.C. for President Bush’s Inauguration in 2005 and were inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in June of the same year. Their show is interactive and entertaining, with more than 14 different costume changes during the four-hour performance. The most recent statewide study revealed that the rate of uninsured adults in Louisiana is 21.2 percent. This translates to over 720,000 residents with no health insurance. Many of these people are hard working citizens, who need every dollar they earn to provide for their families and cannot afford the additional expense of rising health care costs. In 1999, a group of concerned physicians got together to address the needs of the growing population of low-income, working, uninsured persons in Southwest Louisiana. In

February 2001, the Calcasieu Community Clinic opened its doors to provide free health care for the first time. The clinic, housed at McNeese State University, is financially dependent upon the community in which it serves. The Calcasieu Medical Society Foundation held the first “A Black Tie Affair” fundraiser in 2006. After eight years of operation, the clinic, with an unduplicated patient base of 2,100, has provided more $3.3 million in medical services and pharmaceuticals to the community. Exams and medications are provided on site. Lab tests, mammograms and specialized services, not available at the clinic, are referred out. This is all at no cost to the patient. The 2007 event raised more than $363,000 to help cover the cost of medical services the clinic has provided to the community since its doors opened in 2001. Funds raised for the Community Clinic will contribute to patient care and possible expansion of the clinic, to include a pharmacy and larger facility. More than 400 guests are expected to attend the 2009 gala in support of the clinic. The fund-raising goal for this year is $400,000. Tickets are $125 per person or $1,000 for a table of eight. Purchases may be made by visiting our Web site, www.ablacktieaffair.org or calling the Medical Society office at (337) 478-3780.

E-Recycle Day March 14 housands of computers, monitors, televisions, cell phones and other electronic devises are discarded each year. This “E-waste” should not be disposed of with regular garbage. E-waste contains recyclable materials and can be hazardous if not disposed of properly. The City of Lake Charles and Team Green of Southwest Louisiana have teamed up with CITGO to host E-Recycle Day, where community members may recycle their electronics, on Sat., March 14 from 8 a.m. until noon in the Cowboy Stadium Parking Lot. Funding for E-Recycle Day has been made possible through CITGO. “Environmental stewardship is a core value for CITGO and it is our collective responsibility to protect the earth for today and tomorrow. We invite the community to bring their electronics that they’d like to recycle and we’ll take care of the rest. Team CITGO volunteers, as well as the city’s Team Green volunteers, IMPACT Lake Charles

Americorps, and NCCC Americorps will be on hand March 14 to accept the e-waste,” said David Hollis, CITGO Lake Charles environmental manager. “The City of Lake Charles is pleased to partner with CITGO and Team Green of Southwest Louisiana for this very important event. E-Recycle Day will contribute to the protection of our environment and it will demonstrate to our children the importance of being involved in recycling programs. We appreciate all of our community partners, including the many volunteers, who are helping make E-Recycle Day possible,” said Mayor Roach. Beginning at 8 a.m., Sat., March 14, vehicles may enter Cowboy Stadium Parking Lot through the Common Street entrance. Items that will be accepted include: computers, printers, fax machines, keyboards, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, telephones, cell phones, consumer electronics and thermometers. For more information, please call (337) 708-6347 or (337) 491-1201.

Safe Kids Louisiana Offers Safety Tips to Protect Young Athletes s winter turns into spring and temperatures increase, so does the amount of time that children spend outdoors playing spring sports. This means that the number of injuries to children can also increase. Each year, more than 30 million children participate in sports in the United States and more than 3.5 million children ages 14 and under are treated for sports injuries. While collision and contact sports are associated with higher rates of injury, injuries from individual sports tend to be more severe. In team sports, most injuries – 62 percent – occur during practices, not games. “The most common types of sports-related injuries in children are sprains (mostly ankle), muscle strains, bone or growth plate injuries, repetitive motion injuries, and heat-related illness,” said Sarah Anders, executive director. “When we think of sports injuries, we tend to think of dramatic tackles or falls - such as the plays you often see on highlight reels, but young athletes are also at risk of injuries. If your coach recommends certain types of warm-ups, it’s not just to make you a better athlete — it will help keep you from getting hurt.” Safe Kids Louisiana recommends these precautions for all children playing or practicing any individual or team sport: • Before signing up for a sport, get a

general physical exam. • Always wear appropriate protective gear for the activity — for practice as well as games — and make sure it’s the right size and properly adjusted. • Always do your warm-ups and cool-downs. If it’s important before and after a game, it’s important before and after practice too. • Make sure responsible adults know and enforce the safety rules of the sport, are present to provide supervision, and are trained in first aid and CPR. • Never “play through” an injury. Get immediate help from a coach or trainer and be sure to mention everything that hurts or aches. All coaches should have a plan for dealing with emergencies. • If you’re playing outside, wear SPF 15 or higher sunscreen. • Follow the rules. In most sports, the rules are based not only on sportsmanship, but safety. • Last but not least, stay hydrated “Drink plenty of water or electrolyte sports drinks before and during the activity, and rest frequently during hot weather,” said Anders. “A child can lose up to a quart of sweat during two hours of exercise, and kids get overheated more quickly than adults and cannot cool down as easily.” For more information about sports safety, call Safe Kids Louisiana at (225) 342-7077 or visit www.usa.safekids.org. MARCH 5, 2009

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INSIDE BATON ROUGE — by John Maginnis

We are constently being bombarded about how poorly the U.S. Economy is. But in Southwest Louisiana we continue to remain strong...

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ECONOMIC FACTS FOR SWLA • Lake Charles unemployment is 4.8%... Nationally 7.2% • Southwest Louisiana housing prices are up 3.3% over this time last year... Actually there is a housing shortage in SWLA. • Local Southwest Louisiana Banks and Credit Unions are “Rock Solid” with millions of dollars to lend to consumers for mortgages, businesses, automobiles and other uses. (Locally owned banks in SWLA did not get caught up in the sub-prime loans problem) • Locally, retail sales are at an all-time high.

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MARCH 5, 2009

Rumble Coming Over Who Runs Schools n case it has slipped your notice, your local school board and the man in charge of education statewide are about to go to war. Opening shots have been fired, but the real hostilities should ensue during the legislative session, when State Superintendent Paul Pastorek asks lawmakers to impose term limits on local school board members and to stop them from interfering with the day-to-day management of schools. Now that revamping public healthcare is on hold until the Obama administration gets around to reviewing the state’s new Medicaid plan, the battle over control of public education is emerging as a major issue in the year ahead, or two, or more. “I think we have to reinvigorate the governance of local schools,” said Pastorek. Until that’s done, “you will not see significant improvement in the dismal rankings.” Besides term limits, Pastorek wants to end salaries for board members and to set minimum education requirements, like a high school diploma, to hold office. He would strengthen anti-nepotism rules and would prohibit board members from interfering with the superintendent on matters of hiring, firing and entering into contracts. Not surprisingly, representatives of parish school boards think Pastorek should stay out of their business and let them run their schools, as local voters elected them to do. The state does not impose term limits, salary limits or education requirements on any other local officials. Why should school boards be picked on? They have a point, a small one. A number of parishes have term limits for school boards, and more should, without the state telling them to. A policy-making board ought to turn over at least once a decade, in order to have fresh perspectives and not to get so set in its ways. It’s usually the members who stay the longest that tend to exert the most influence on a board and school system itself, and that’s not always healthy. In some cases, in fact, that longheld power is corrupting, especially when school staffing and contracts are seen as sources of patronage and bases of power.

Yet getting hung up on another fight over term limits misses the thrust of what Pastorek is getting at. Term limits or not, the best way for the state to improve local education is to get school board members to do their jobs and not the superintendent’s or some principal’s. Board members should set policy. Superintendents and principals should run schools, without some board member telling them who they should hire, transfer or do business with. “Superintendents have been fired when they try to fire bus drivers,” said Pastorek. “Cafeteria workers sometimes rule the roost in some school districts.” School board representatives say Pastorek exaggerates, but there is enough anecdotal evidence to point to a real problem. Is there the political will for a solution? Every few years it seems we’re told of another “fundamental flaw in the system”—another Pastorek term— that is keeping Louisiana schools at the bottom of the stack. Teacher pay, certification, social promotions, lax curricula, truancy have been cited and, to some degree, addressed, though with only marginal improvements in test scores and rankings. That’s not to say the superintendent isn’t raising valid concerns about control of local schools. He has the right idea. But he will need to bring some strong political firepower to the Capitol to overcome the skepticism of legislators, many of whom started their careers on school boards and feel closer to them than to Pastorek. The key will be for Gov. Bobby Jindal to see the urgency of the cause and to support all or part of the superintendent’s agenda. So far, the governor has shown reluctance to wade into controversies, especially if he isn’t strongly confident about winning. This is one of those issues that deserves not just the governor’s attention but the public’s as well. The outcome likely will not be decided in a year, or even two. In Texas, it took well-organized advocates and the business lobby seven years to get changes through that legislature like what Pastorek proposes. If that time is to come here one day, the good fight best get started now.

PERSPECTIVES — by Jim Doyle

The Politics of Depression s one wordsmith to another, I really appreciate President Obama’s use of historical echo in his speeches. Although, I have to admit, the parallels are a little unsettling. Take, for example, his victory speech in Chicago. He addressed the 60 million people who voted against him with these words: “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.” Those were Lincoln’s words after he won the 1860 election. It was a little different. After Lincoln won, South Carolina seceded and the Civil War started. No sign of that yet. But does he know something we don’t? Then there was his speech to Congress the other night. Acknowledging our national economic travails, he said: “I want every American to know this. We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.” Hmmm. That sounded familiar. Echoes again. In his famous first inaugural, Franklin Roosevelt said: “This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will survive and will prosper. So, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is – fear itself.” Six more years of depression followed. Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with following history as a blueprint. It’s just that, well, there are some parts of history I really don’t want to repeat. Depression, for one. My brother Thomas was down for Mardi Gras and kept remarking how prosperous things looked here, compared with the Chicago suburbs where he lives, which exhibit signs of economic turmoil on every corner, like closed restaurants. I’m hoping we turn this around, that our President’s confidence in the ability of this country to turn itself around is wellplaced. “Depression” is such an evil sounding word, whether applied to personal or national life. I think it means losing your way, as an individual or a society, becoming something other than what you thought you were. I just attended a seminar in

Houston sponsored by the Texas Bar and was surprised to see an extra page inserted into the materials offering guidance if you or a fellow lawyer is showing signs of depression. Here are some of the symptoms to watch out for: • Spends hours at the office behind a closed door staring out the window; • Is confused by an inability to “snap out of it,” feels “weak,” and berates self; • Feels overwhelmed and immobilized by indecisiveness; and • Tries to feel better by using alcohol or other substances, including food. This gridlock of the soul applies equally well to our society, which is why, I suspect, President Obama channeled Franklin Roosevelt. Nobody is spending money. Nobody is buying houses. Everybody’s just holding on, hoping it doesn’t get worse. It is a national loss of selfidentity, which from my Boomer perspective, seems to be more widespread. I am a father, a lawyer, a friend, a business owner, an employer, a homeowner, and a sometimes writer. I am a mostly indifferent member of several groups. That’s my identity. But my children (except Harry, bless him) are grown and on their own. My business is a constant source of intellectual stimulation. My friends have their own lives, but provide me lots of smiles and warm feelings nevertheless. All those self-identifying characteristics, and the others, are who I am. Why, then, am I still searching? Maybe it’s that old Annie Lennox line, “Everybody’s looking for something.” Maybe we as a nation are looking for something. I remember as a child, the Cuban Missile Crisis formed the background static in my chorus of security. My brother was living in Orlando at the time, and had just recently ended his enlistment in the Air Force. I was 11 and in the seventh grade. That summer, our family had visited Orlando, and there were fallout shelters for sale in the parking lots of department stores. It was a big enough deal that our principal pulled us all out of our classrooms the day

the ships met in Cuban waters, I suppose preparing to have us “duck and cover” in the cafeteria if the worst happened. It didn’t, of course. But I spent many days in my teen years expecting a missile overhead at any minute. Knowing it was possible, however unlikely, took just enough of a chunk out of my security blanket to make things a little uncomfortable, a little unsettled. We are in those times now. Terrorism, the sight of more planes crashing into more tall buildings and the sound of truck bombs exploding outside government offices, is the echo of today, the buzz in our ears

reminding us all is not completely right with the world. The economic uncertainties now gripping us are a second layer depriving us as a society of the certainty of who we are. Like President Obama, though, I believe depression is a symptom that can be fought with support of friends and neighbors and, to some extent, by whistling past that graveyard. Maybe it does help to say, forcefully and loudly, we will get over this. In the meantime, go have a chocolate ice cream cone. It may not help, but hey, it can’t hurt. Cheer up, and I’ll see you guys on the flip.

The Times of SWLA is distributed throughout our region and via the world wide web. Call Andy or Shanda at 337-439-0995 and let them show you how to grow your business today.

MARCH 5, 2009

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BIZ BYTES — by Dan Juneau

THE SWIFT REPORT — By George Swift President/CEO: SWLA Economic Development Alliance

Where's The Crisis? ne of the most controversial proposals that will be debated in the upcoming legislative session will be attempts to increase Louisiana’s homestead exemption for residential property taxes. The only legitimate reason for doing this would be if residential property taxes in the state were out of line. I would like to forward some evidence confirming that is not the case. The Tax Foundation monitors taxation trends in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Last fall, the foundation publicized 2007 data that presents a pure, apples-to-apples comparison of property taxation among the states and counties in the United States. The comparison is pure because only owner-occupied residences are used in the study—not business or commercial property. The study clearly illustrates that Louisiana ranks dead last in residential property taxation regardless of how you measure it. When median property taxes paid per home are measured, Louisiana ranks 51st with a tax of $183. The next closest state, Alabama, is almost twice as high at $352. When it comes to taxes as a percentage of home value, Louisiana again ranks dead last at 0.14 percent of home value—less than half the rate in Alabama. Some may say that Louisiana is a poor state, so you would have to look at property taxes as a percentage of income. Under that criterion, Louisiana again ranks 51st with a rate of 0.35 percent, only half of Alabama’s next lowest percentage of 0.69 percent. The Tax Foundation study also ranks the 788 counties/parishes in the nation (with a population of 65,000 or more) relative to property taxation. To find the Louisiana parishes, one has to go all the way to the bottom of the list. The first Louisiana parish listed is St. Tammany, an area with one of the highest home values in the state. Even so, St. Tammany ranks 730 in property taxes as a percentage of home value (0.4 percent) and 713 in percentage of income (1.2 percent). The last 6 counties/parishes on the list are all from Louisiana. Twelve of the last 18 come from the Bayou State. The facts are clear: Louisiana has the lowest residential property taxes in

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the nation and at the same time leads the nation in the level of homestead exemption. That being the case, why would anyone try to raise the homestead exemption? It is interesting that most of the efforts to increase the homestead exemption emanate from Jefferson Parish. It is hard to comprehend why the homestead exemption is such an issue in that parish. According to the Tax Foundation study, Jefferson ranks 766 out of the 788 counties in median property taxes paid per residential household; 776 in property taxes as a percentage of home value; and 770 as a percentage of income. The study lists the median value of a home in Jefferson Parish at $180,000.

WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES AS A PERCENTAGE OF HOME VALUE, LOUISIANA AGAIN RANKS DEAD LAST AT 0.14 PERCENT OF HOME VALUE... Interestingly, according to Louisiana Tax Commission data, 80 percent of the residences in Jefferson Parish are covered by the $75,000 homestead exemption and are not subject to property taxes. The vast majority of homeowners in Jefferson Parish make out like bandits, while businesses, renters, and the unfortunate minority of homeowners who do pay taxes have to pick up the slack. Productive workers aren’t leaving Louisiana because the property taxes are too high. They are leaving because job opportunities are too few. Raising the homestead exemption will not reduce property taxes; it will only transfer them primarily to businesses that are already paying over 80 percent of the burden. Anyone who thinks that will create jobs is foolish. The Legislature and the governor should be looking for real problems to fix. The homestead exemption isn’t one of them.

March 2009 Economic development incorporates a lot of different things, which have to come together in order for our region to progress. I have been tapped to share some of our news--as well as an overview of the events, sidebars, and issues concerning the businesses and the economy spanning the five parishes of Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jeff Davis. n late January, representatives of Chennault, the Port of Lake Charles, the SWLA Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, The Creole Nature Trail All American Road, and the SWLA Alliance went to Washington, D.C. as part of our annual D.C. Mardi Gras Mission. It’s a working trip providing many opportunities to lobby legislators and key policymakers. This year, the SWLA Alliance focused on the extension of Go Zone Tax Incentives and key infrastructure priorities: a new I-10 bridge between Lake Charles and Westlake, a DeRidder bypass, a water tank for the Lacassine Industrial Park in Jeff Davis, an alternative to the ferry across the ship channel in Cameron, and infrastructure improvements at the Allen Industrial Park in Oakdale. For the first time ever, chambers from Lake Charles to New Orleans partnered to host a reception at the U.S. Chamber for congressional staffers and policymakers. The event featured music by our Chamber SWLA Board Member Mike Heinen and his band “Lagniappe.” We met with new Congressman Dr. John Fleming, who represents some of the Beauregard Parish area and more northern regions, and with other members of our Louisiana Delegation. “Doc” Fleming was just getting settled in his office along with his Chief of Staff Lee Fletcher. By the way, with 7th District Congressman Dr. Boustany and Dr. Bill Cassidy, the new congressman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana has three doctors in the House! Joining us on our congressional visits were our 2009 Board Chair Ken Broussard and another chamber board member James Ducote, along with fellow representatives from Cheniere Energy. Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach also attended the mission, and joined us as we met with key leaders— giving our region a strong presence. Help for small businesses may be on its way. Southwest Louisiana is fortunate that Senator Mary Landrieu is

the new Chair of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Small Business Administration (SBA). Her chief of staff is former State Senator Don Cravins, Jr. We now have a direct line to the folks who will formulate small business policy, and the Chamber SWLA will be soliciting ideas from our area businesses to relay to Washington. D.C. Often neglected, small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy. While in D.C., I was asked to participate in a U.S. Senate small business roundtable with several senators and officials of U.S. Chamber, NFIB, and other organizations. We’re going to take advantage of Senator Landrieu’s position and try to craft some legislation to truly help small businesses. It’s important to tell our story in D.C. as we continue to recover and look to the future. Speaking of the SBA, the economic stimulus package has very favorable SBA loans for small businesses. As I previously mentioned, one of the infrastructure projects we are monitoring is a DeRidder bypass. On Feb. 16, an initial project meeting was held on this project at the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) headquarters in Lake Charles. About 60 folks showed up to demonstrate the necessity of this project, including our allies Leon Lagneaux, Tim Merritt and Avon Knowlton from the Beauregard Chamber, Beauregard Police Jury President Gerald McLeod and several jurors, and Mayor Ron Roberts of DeRidder. In addition to being a vital evacuation route, the newly constructed fourlane Highway 171 would benefit from a bypass. It would open up Beauregard Parish for residential and economic growth, and facilitate development of the extensive Beauregard Airport Property. That same day, elected officials on the SWLA Partnership Board of Directors attended their first meeting of the year. There for the first time was Mayor Andrew Hayes, the new

mayor of Oakdale. Mayor Hayes has many projects in mind to provide recreation for 12 – 25 year-olds in Oakdale, such as a youth community center with recreation, and tutoring programs utilizing retired teachers. The Alliance will work with Mayor Hayes to recruit tenants to the Allen Industrial Park, the former Arizona Chemical Facility. Dr. Jim Sandefur and other volunteers have really put in the effort to secure this facility for the parish. With some clean up and repairs, this facility could host several new industries. Something else we are working on these days is Southwest Louisiana’s first ever Gulf Coast International Trade Conference. Scheduled for April 1-3 at the L’Auberge du Lac, the conference will be attended by companies interested in doing business internationally, along with international trade representatives from four Gulf Coast states. This is an opportunity to showcase our ports, airparks, petrochemical, aviation, and tourism to many who have not been here before. For more information, contact David Conner, the Alliance Regional Coordinator, who is heading up this effort. Think globally, act regionally, and support Southwest Louisiana!

Does Your Child Have

Asthma?

If your child has asthma symptoms, a doctor’s visit is a must. You can help ensure an accurate diagnosis by learning a little before you go. Does your child have coughing fits in the middle of the night, after exercise or after crying? Is there wheezing, whistling and shortness of breath? Frequent lung infections and tightness in the chest? If these are usual occurrences for your child, it’s time to find out if he or she has asthma. Lesly Varghese, M.D., a family medicine physician with CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, says that with a few questions and a simple, painless test, your child’s doctor will probably be able to recognize or rule out this chronic lung disease. If it is asthma, Dr. Varghese says that treatment can usually keep symptoms under control. Knowing what to expect from this first visit to the doctor can help you prepare yourself and your child and

help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

Prepare for questions “The doctor visit may start with a conversation about your child’s risk factors for asthma and the symptoms he or she has shown,” said Dr. Varghese. Be ready to talk about: • A family history of allergies or asthma. • Your child’s symptoms, including when you first noticed them, when they show up, what makes them worse and any patterns they may follow. • How frequent and severe the symptoms are and if they interfere with daily activities, physical activity, sleep or school performance. Expect tests After asking about your child’s symptoms and health, the doctor may listen to your child’s lungs. “A spirometer may be used to

measure your child’s lung capacity. This machine has a hose that your child blows into before and after inhaling medicine,” said Dr. Varghese. It measures the airflow from your child’s lungs, and the results are compared to average readings for your child’s agegroup. Dr. Varghese said that the physician may also check your child for signs of allergies, such as skin rashes, swollen nasal passages and nasal discharge, or perform allergy skin or blood tests. Up to 90 percent of children with asthma also have allergies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Allergic reactions can make asthma symptoms much worse.

Join the treatment team If these tests show that your child has asthma, you and your doctor can work on a treatment plan. This plan will detail the medicines and other measures that will help control your child’s symptoms and keep his or her growth and development on track. With the right treatment, most children can live and play symptom-free. For questions about asthma and other health concerns, call Dr. Varghese at the Family Medical Center at 478-2650.

HealthCARE MARCH 5, 2009

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S O U T H W E S T

L O U I S I A N A ’ S

H O M E

G R O W N

B U S I N E S S E S

Area Anglers are Hooked on Sunrise Catfish Farm By Lisa Yates he catfish is out of the bag! Sunrise Catfish Farm has been a favorite of local fisherman for years. Local anglers just stand at the shore and hook into line-busters at this favorite fishing sight. The business evolved – from all things – a dairy farm! Brian Schmidt, who owns the business with his father and brother, explained the transformation. “In 1995, we established the first pond,” he said. “By 1996, we had two eight-acre ponds and raised fish commercially.” At the same time, the family operated a dairy business – a business established in 1982, he said. Schmidt, 45, said the family allowed people to bring their fishing poles and catch fish while waiting for their cows to be milked. Word spread and a new business was born. “In 2002, we sold our dairy cows and began the public fishing business full-time,” he said, adding the family is no longer in the commercial fishing business.

How it works For free-of-charge, the public has a chance to fish ponds with names such as the Horse-Shoe Pond, the Well Pond, the Behind-theHouse Pond and the L-Shaped Pond. The L-Shaped Pond, located behind the barn, is also called the Fish Market Pond. “We only sell what people catch,” Schmidt said. “They can take the fish live, or we’ll clean it – cut off the head, gut it and skin it – or, we can fillet it.”

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Brian Schmidt, co-owner of Sunrise Catfish Farm in DeRidder.

The fish are sold by the pound. Clean it yourself and pay $1.50 per pound. Cleaned fish cost $2 per pound. Filleted fish cost $2.25 per pound. “We only have one rule – No catch and release,” Schmidt said. No fishing license is needed. The fish were bought and fed by the business owners, so the state doesn’t require it. As a business owner, Schmidt pays taxes. “A lot of people think this is a church-owned business, but it’s not,” he said. “It’s a family-owned and operated business. A Mennonite family owns the business.” Sunrise Catfish Farm, located at 155 Milton Schmidt Road in DeRidder, can be a challenge to find. It’s eight miles south of downtown DeRidder, located off of U.S. Highway 171. There’s a blue highway sign at the intersection of 171 and Mennonite Road. Once on Mennonite Road, just follow the signs. No experience necessary Even the most casual angler – or the outright beginner – stands a chance of coming home with an ice chest full of catfish. “We try to make sure everybody gets to take home as many fish as they want,” Schmidt said. He said someone is always available to give novices extra help. Beginning fishermen may want to come on a weekday. “We can give extra special care during the week,” Schmidt said. “On Saturday, we’re too swamped. We’ll have two people cleaning fish, one person filleting, one person filling ice chests, one person running the cash register and two people here (at the store).” On Saturdays, the store sells brisket sandwiches and hamburgers, in addition to its regular menu items – cold drinks, candy, chips and seven flavors of homemade ice cream. Visitors can bring their own fishing poles, or rent them at the store for $3 per day. Hooks, weights, floats, bait, ice and ice chests are also available at the store. Nets on loan (for free) are also available – first come, first serve. Schmidt recommends using 20- to 25-lbs. test line on poles brought from home, as that is what he keeps on the rental poles. “We also don’t recommend laying your fishing pole down,” he said. “We’ve had to fish out a lot of fishing poles from the bottom of the ponds.” Schmidt doesn’t recommend loading a stringer. “It gets tangled,” he said. “When the water is hot, the fish die and turn to mush.” Instead, Schmidt recommended

placing live fish on ice inside the ice chest. He said this works better than placing pond water in the ice chest. More oxygen is available longer from the ice than from the warm pond water, he said. One ice chest is all that is needed. If guests choose to have their fish cleaned, their ice chests will also be cleaned during the process. Clean restrooms facilities are available on the property. Also, there’s a large dining room, which is available for birthday parties and family reunions. “If you fish, there’s no charge – it comes with the fishing,” Schmidt said. Otherwise, there is a $50 charge. Year-round fishing Sunrise Catfish Farm is open from sunrise to sunset, Monday through Saturday, year-round. “Our motto is: I catch my fish at sunrise,” Schmidt said. He said there are 60,000 lbs. of catfish to catch; and, the ponds are stocked year-round. Schmidt said the fish are well-fed and large, ranging from about 1.5-lbs. to about 15-lbs. in size. During the summer months, fish are fed floating catfish food. In warm weather, fish move quickly to the surface to feed. They are fed sinking food in the winter, since they move slower in colder weather. “The floating food would drift to shore in the winter before the fish could get to it,” Schmidt said. Recently, a 16.8-lbs fish was caught, with an 18.75-lbs. one being the largest. “People from about an 80-mile radius come to fish here,” Schmidt said. “We get people coming from nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and school children on field trips.” What’s the reason for the success of Sunrise Catfish Farm? “One thing, we have the only business in the area like this,” Schmidt said. He added, other fishing businesses are in the area, but have fewer amenities. “Another thing is, people can actually catch fish here,” he said. Schmidt said on the previous Saturday – a rainy day – they cleaned 13,000-lbs. of fish. “Our busiest was on Good Friday weekend,” he said. “We cleaned 45,000 lbs of fish. Last Good Friday, we cleaned 109,000 lbs.” For more information, call (337) 462-6990, or visit Sunrise Catfish Farm at 155 Milton Schmidt Road in DeRidder. Hours are from sunrise to sunset, Mon. - Sat. MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 15

By Sara Blackwell

LOUISIANA TREASURE LAW It’s almost spring, and we all know what that means: neighborhood garage sales! The neighbors are looking to sell their trash and the browsers are searching for a cheap price on a valuable item. But suppose a buyer purchases a $3 urn, which is later discovered to be full of cash unbeknownst to the garage seller? Of course the purchaser of the urn could keep the money without alerting the owner. However, what if the windfall recipient’s desire is to act in a legally correct manner? Who rightfully owns the cash? Louisiana law states that a treasure hidden in a thing belongs to the owner of the thing in which the treasure is found. If a treasure is found in a thing, which belongs to another person, half of the treasure belongs to the finder and half belongs to the owner of the thing in which the treasure was found. A treasure is specifically defined as anything hidden in another thing for such a long time that its owner cannot be determined. It would seem at first glance that the lucky person who purchased the cashfilled urn would be the rightful owner of the cash since he was the rightful owner of the thing in which the treasure was found, the urn. However, there is

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Tickets available through membership, Web site and at the door.

much to ponder over whether the cash falls within the definition of ‘treasure’ as defined in the statute. We would have to know if the cash had been stashed in the urn for such a long time that its owner cannot be determined. The garage seller may have simply forgotten that she had stored her money in the urn or perhaps her son had planted it there as a surprise for another time. In such cases, the cash’s owner can be easily determined and, therefore, the cash is not a treasure as defined by Louisiana law. On the other hand, if the garage seller was wholly unaware of the cash’s presence, then the cash could perhaps be considered a treasure for it possibly could have been hidden for such a long time in the urn that the original owner cannot be determined. In the event the cash is not considered a “treasure,” it would, in all probability, be considered a lost thing. Louisiana law requires that anyone who finds something that has been lost make a diligent effort to find the owner of the lost item and return it to such owner. If a diligent effort is made but the owner is not found for three years, the finder of the lost thing acquires ownership. The issue would be whether an item is a lost thing and whether the finder made a diligent effort to find the original owner. As for the urn situation, at a minimum, diligent effort would require returning to the home in which the garage sale took place and explaining to the owner of the house about the urn and the cash. If neither the owner of the home nor any other participant in the garage sale recognizes the urn, then there may still be other required actions before a diligent effort has been made. The finder of the cash may want to also post a notice in the newspaper describing the urn and requesting the previous owner contact the finder. A diligent effort must be made; not a minimum effort. If the cash is considered a “lost thing,” and no one claims ownership of the cash or the urn after three years, the buyer at the garage sale is the rightful and legal owner of the urn and the cash. However, if the garage sales person claims the urn and recalls the money placed therein, the lost cash is returned to the rightful owner. The purchaser at the garage sale keeps the urn for which he paid three dollars and the money is returned to its rightful and legal owner. Treasure hunters need to assure that the newfound item is in fact a treasure as defined in the Louisiana statute. After which, the owner of the item in which the treasure was found must be determined. A finder of a lost thing must make a diligent attempt to locate the owner of the lost item. This may create a cost to the object finder; however, if such a cost is unwanted, the finder can hand over the object to the local police department, releasing the finder of any obligation to locate the owner and possibly relinquishing any rights of ownership to the lost item in the event an owner is not found. It is important to note that if the treasure or found item is a large diamond ring, the finder is advised that such an item should be quickly given to the writer of this article.

The provided information is fact-sensitive and jurisdiction-dependent; consult an attorney before employing the above legal concepts. Sara Blackwell is an attorney, writer and mother. She has worked as an attorney for the United State’s Department of Justice, a federal district judge and the United States Attorney’s Office. Her current legal interest is in immigration law, where she works part-time for an immigration firm. She is currently working on her second novel. PAGE 16

MARCH 5, 2009

s Yate a s i By L

The Louisiana Legislature returns for its 2009 Regular Legislative Session on Monday, April 27. With an anticipated budget deficit and a struggling economy, state lawmakers voice their views on the upcoming legislative session and the work ahead of them. Each of the state legislators representing Southwest Louisiana was asked to respond to several questions. For example, they were asked what their priorities were as they work to draft a final version of the budget; and, they were asked what they saw as their most difficult challenge this legislative session. In addition, the lawmakers were asked to discuss specific bills they will be authoring/co-authoring and what they hoped to accomplish with the legislation. Also, they discussed whether or not they anticipated taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus legislation. Finally, the legislators were given the opportunity to discuss anything else they felt was important to note about the 2009 Regular Legislative Session in April. What follows are responses received from state Senators Dan “Blade” Morrish and Willie L. Mount; and, state Representatives Dorothy Sue (Tramel) Hill; Mike Danahay, and John E. “Johnny” Guinn.

SENATORS Sen. Dan “Blade” Morrish District: 25 Residence: Jennings/Lake Charles Terms served: Three in La. House of Representatives; One in La. Senate Contact: dmorrish@legis.state.la.us (337) 274-4759, Cell (337) 824-3979, Office

Sen. Dan Morrish

Budget priorities: To make sure that within this new budget, the legislature does as little harm to those individuals, who through no fault of their own, cannot help themselves. I speak specifically of the sight and hearing impaired, the mentally challenged and the elderly.

Most difficult challenge this legislative session: The dramatic number of major issues that will be addressed in an odd-numbered year session (Fiscal Session of only 60 days). The legislature will have last year’s $800 million surplus, this year’s $350+ deficit, next year’s $1 to $2 BILLION deficit, and the Stimulus Package just for starters! Specific bills you will be authoring/co-authoring: The creation of the Cheniere Plain Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority which will include all of Calcasieu, Cameron and Vermillion Parishes. The purpose being, to provide Southwest Louisiana with one voice when bringing coastal projects to Baton Rouge and Washington D.C. Do you anticipate taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus bill: Yes, but only

MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 17

when those funds are not tied to future expenditures that the State of Louisiana will not be able to afford. I would support one-time spending for highway and bridge projects, coastal protection and restoration projects and support for the agriculture industry. Other: This session will involve a long list of controversial issues. It is important that I stay informed of all citizens’ concerns and opinions on these issues. Please contact my office with your concerns and suggestions as my duty is to represent you to the best of my ability. Sen. Willie L. Mount District: 27 Residence: Lake Charles Terms served: Third term Contact: lasen27@legis.state.la.us, or (337) 491-2016 Budget priorities: Since the state MUST operate a balanced budget, the governor and the legislature approved state spending reductions to address this year’s shortfall. State budget officials now estimate, even with the budget cuts adopted Sen. Willie L. Mount this year, that we face a $1.6 billion budget shortfall for next fiscal year to keep current state services and programs adequately funded and to meet increased costs associated with certain operations. We must balance the budget! Most difficult challenge this legislative session: Legislators will face two different kinds of money questions at the regular session - how to deal with the looming budget deficit for the next fiscal year and how to best invest a sizeable budget surplus from the last fiscal year. Both money questions are mostly the result of changes in state mineral revenue collections, at first much higher than expected and now much lower. Specific bills you will be authoring/co-authoring: Bills under consideration for authoring or co-authoring include health care reform, crack down on child sex offenders, improving the state’s education and workforce training programs, addressing the state’s dropout rate, DWI law changes and creation of a lung cancer fund for research. Do you anticipate taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus bill: The stimulus package will afford the state to utilize the federal transportation funds in the bill to initiate shovel-ready projects. The terms of the federal legislation require that half of the funds must be committed within 120 days and the remaining funds within a year. Other: Beyond the fiscal issues, debate at the 2009 Regular Session is expected to center around on-going key issues such as workforce training, health care reform, education, highway safety and public safety.

REPRESENTATIVES Rep. Dorothy Sue (Tramel) Hill District: 32 Residence: Dry Creek Terms served: First term Contact: hilld@legis.state.la.us 1-800-259-2118

Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill

Budget priorities: My priorities in the budget session this year are my moral obligations to my constituents and to the people of Louisiana. I believe the vocational technical colleges will help in training and retraining our workforce. I am concerned about our infrastructure – highway systems, health care, education, elderly care. This is

my moral obligation to you. Most difficult challenge this legislative session: The legislators face a most difficult and challenging session beginning April 27, 2009, because of our present day economy along with all the tax cuts we so graciously granted

PAGE 18

MARCH 5, 2009

last year. Balancing the budget without hurting our elderly (those on fixed income and retirement), our working poor and our children will be a real challenge. I pray we can do this with the citizens of Louisiana on our minds. Specific bills you will be authoring/co-authoring: At the present time, I am working on several bills that I am interested in filing. Do you anticipate taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus bill: I will vote to take advantage of the federal stimulus funds. They are jobs - jobs that will boost our economy to help our citizens and constituents get back on their feet. Our citizens and I pay federal income taxes - this is our money that is coming back to Louisiana for us to use in an accountable way to improve our economy. If we use these stimulus funds in the correct way, our companies, plants, small businesses, and timber industry will be revived and our citizens will be back to work. Other: If the legislative and the executive branches work together in a Christian way, we will have a very productive session.

Specific bills you will be authoring/co-authoring: I am still in the process of receiving request from my constituents for legislation. My legislation is still a work in progress. Do you anticipate taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus bill: At this time the governor is still studying the rules the state would have to follow in order to accept these federal funds. I feel his decision to accept or reject federal funds will be based on what is best for the state. I will support his decision. Other: This session is a Fiscal Session. It is shorter session and legislators are limited to filing only five bills not pertaining to taxing matters. I feel this will serve to concentrate the legislature’s efforts on finalizing a budget that attempts to serve the needs of our citizens in the best fashion possible.

Rep. Mike Danahay District: 33 Residence: Sulphur Terms served: First term Contact: (337) 527-5581, or danahaym@legis.state.la.us Budget priorities: Being that this a fiscal session and we are facing a $1.2 to $2 billion short fall in the 2009-10 budget, the goal will be to balance the budget without increasing taxes and with the least amount of interruption of essential services provided to the citizens of Louisiana. Most difficult challenge this legislative sesRep. Mike Danahay sion: Of course balancing the 2009-10 budget will take center stage this session. With the downturn in the economy and declining natural resource revenues, the challenge for Louisiana will be to be financially prudent with current dollars. We must also address the budget with the future in mind. There are future financial considerations, such as health care and education, that if not addressed today may become the crisis of tomorrow. Specific bills you will be authoring/co-authoring: There are few bills I will be filing concerning local matters. These bills will help to clean up some discrepancies for some local entities. Other bills that will have statewide impact are currently under consideration. Do you anticipate taking advantage of federal funds offered by the recent economic stimulus bill: Yes. I do anticipate that the state will take advantage of most of the stimulus funds. It is important to note that these are one-time monies and should not be applied to reoccurring expenses. The state should not become dependent upon these funds. Other: Constitutional mandates, protections, and dedications have hampered efforts to make meaningful changes to reform Louisiana government. There is the possibility to begin this discussion through legislation that could be brought forth this session.

Karla Hunt 3028 Ryan St. (337) 433-9720

Rep. John E. “Johnny” Guinn District: 37 Residence: Jennings Terms served: First term Contact: guinnj@legis.state.la.us, or (337) 824-0376 Budget priorities: The legislature does not draft a budget. The governor submits the budget to the legislature. I understand the governor’s staff is still working on the document and plans to submitted it to the legislature sometimes in March. Rep. John E. Guinn Most difficult challenge this legislative session: The most difficult challenge this session will be to balance the budget with the projected deficit the state is facing.

MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 19

Home Improvement

Cost-efficient Home Improvements for

Spring

Spring is in the air, which means it’s time once again to gear up for spring home improvement. This year, unfortunately, things are different. Homeowners have a lot more on their minds than just improvement. With increased energy bills and the U.S. economy in turmoil, homeowners need to find cost-efficient ways to improve their homes. The following tips will help: Add a layer of insulation to the attic. According to the Department of Energy, one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to help cut cooling costs, save energy and make home more comfortable is to add more insulation in the attic. As a general rule, if you have less than 11 to 12 inches of attic insulation, you probably need more. Check roof damage. Here in Southwest Louisiana, it seem our roofs are always in need of repair. Catching problems such as blistering or curling, before they become too severe, can prevent unnecessary repairs and expense. Replace wood windows with new vinyl energy-efficient windows. Replacing a home’s current windows with low-emissivity (low-e) glass-coated windows will help save money on energy bills because they block the sun’s rays— keeping the air conditioner from working as hard. If you can’t afford to replace all your windows at once, replace south and west facing ones to save money on cooling costs, then replace north and east facing windows in the fall to save on heating costs. Low-e glass windows also come in decorated styles that can add a touch of elegance to any home. Check gutter systems for proper drainage. Over the winter, gutter systems can get PAGE 20

MARCH 5, 2009

blocked with leaves, branches, etc., causing drainage problems and water leaks. Cleaning gutters now can help prevent spring and summer water drainage problems. Change the lighting. Replacing light fixtures can be a simple and easy way to add flare and style to any room in a house. Light fixtures range from simple glass designs to elegant crystal chandeliers and can easily change the look and feel of a room. When choosing fixtures, make sure to buy ones that can accommodate compact fluorescent bulbs. Replacing 25 percent of incandescent bulbs in a house with compact fluorescents can reduce electricity costs by 50 percent. New appliances in the kitchen. It’s amazing what replacing an old appliance can do for a kitchen. With today’s colors and styles, homeowners can create just about any atmosphere for their kitchen from modern to elegant. In addition, manufacturers are creating appliances that help save money on energy bills and protect the environment. Check out www.energystar.gov to see how different appliances stack up. Painting. Painting a room is one simple and easy way to create a whole new look for little expense. Using light colors will help make a room look bigger while dark colors will make it look smaller. Typically, the only expense for painting is the cost of the paint, brushes, cleaning supplies and the homeowner’s personal labor. Before any homeowner begins spring home improvement, they should research the project to see if they have the time and skills to complete it. Though many of these projects can be done by an experienced do-it-yourselfer, some may require the special skills of a qualified remodeler. Be sure to get advice from an expert at your local home improvement store, or check out sites like ImproveNet.com for expert tips and instructions before starting a project Source: Exterior Business Systems, Owens Corning

Home Improvement

Common Household Problems — and How to

Make Them Go Away

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, developed to help households across the country save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all the while saving $16 billion on their utility bills. The following information from ENERGY STAR will help you alleviate some common household problems—and save both money and energy.

Moisture on Windows Diagnosis It is difficult to completely eliminate moisture on existing windows. Inefficient windows (e.g., single pane with aluminum frames) or high moisture with inadequate ventilation can result in condensation or pools of water on windows and sills. Moisture in the air condenses when it touches a cold surface. (The same effect causes a glass of ice tea to “sweat” on a hot humid day.) Continued excess moisture can lead to mold, mildew, and deterioration of your windows and sills. Prescription Checklist To reduce humidity levels in your home: Use ventilation fans in kitchens and baths to

control moisture. Your clothes dryer should be vented directly to the outside. Inspect the vent duct. Make sure it is attached securely to the dryer. Check that it is clear of obstructions (e.g. lint). Check for holes that leak air. If the vent duct is damaged, replace it with a metal duct. The vent duct should be cleaned at least once a year.

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If you have single pane windows, especially with metal frames, install storm windows or consider replacing your existing windows with ENERGY STAR labeled windows. If you can’t afford to add storm windows or replace your windows now, purchase and install a shrink film or polyethylene sheet window insulation kit from a home center or hardware store. If you have a humidifier, check it regularly for proper operation Dust Diagnosis Dust comes from several sources

and is difficult to eliminate completely. Increased dust could be a sign that it’s time to change a dirty furnace or air conditioner filter or vacuum cleaner bag. Activities that produce dust (such as sanding) can also be a source of the increase. Dust can also be introduced into your home through air leaks in ducts, or air infiltration through leaky doors and windows. Prescription Checklist Change or clean your furnace and air conditioner filters once a month or according to the filter manufacturer’s instructions. Temporarily seal the filter in place with metal-back duct tape. Write the date on the tape with a marker

so your know when it was last changed. Your clothes dryer should be vented directly to the outside. Inspect the vent duct. Make sure it is attached securely to the dryer. Check that it is clear of obstructions (e.g. lint). Check for holes that leak air. If vent duct is damaged replace it with a metal duct. The vent duct should be cleaned at least once a year. Consider leaving your shoes at the door so you don’t track outside debris— often the largest source of dust—into your house. Sealing air leaks can help to reduce air infiltration that could be a source of dust.

Sealing duct air leaks, especially the return duct, can help prevent dust from being circulated throughout your house. Peeling Paint Diagnosis Peeling or cracking paint, on your home’s exterior may be a sign of a humidity problem or improper application. Peeling exterior paint is caused by moisture being absorbed through the back of wood siding and passing through to the exterior surface under the paint. The paint loses adhesion and peels off. The exterior should be vented to allow any moisture behind the siding to escape. Prescription Checklist Air sealing can keep moist air from leaking through your walls. To adequately prevent moist air from moving into wall cavities, you may need to hire a contractor who is a building science specialist. Apply primer to surfaces before painting and follow the paint manufacturer’s application instructions. High Energy Bills Diagnosis One reason for high energy bills is an increase in the price of electricity or heating fuel. However, its common to trace high energy bills to an in-efficient component (windows, heating and cooling equipment, ducts insulation) of your home or a failure of one of these components to perform as intended. It’s not always easy to pin-point the problem, but fixing it can make your home more energy-efficient and comfortable. Prescription Checklist To improve the energy efficiency of your home, start with an evaluation of your homes energy use. For best results, hire a contractor who is an energy specialist to do an in-home evaluation. A good specialist will use diagnostic equipment to evaluate the performance of your home and generate a customized list of improvements. Improvements may include sealing air leaks, adding insulation or sealing duct air leaks. Some of these you can do yourself, but you may prefer to hire a contractor. Turn down the temperature on your water heater to 120 degrees F. Replace the light bulbs in your highest usage lights with ENERGY STAR CFL bulbs. When replacing lighting or appliances, look for ENERGY STAR qualified light fixtures and appliances. Install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat, and use it to save energy while you are away at work. Contact your utility company and ask if they offer any programs to help lower energy bills.

PAGE 22

MARCH 5, 2009

2009 See You at the

HOME SHOW!

Getting ready for some spring remodeling? Need a new kitchen countertop? Tired of that old bathroom vanity? Then mark your calendars for March 14 and 15 and head on down to the Lake Charles Civic Center for the 2009 Home Show, presented by the Home Builders Association of Southwest Louisiana. Check out over 160 vendors, indoor and out, and talk to the experts! Here is the list and layout for Home Show 2009 exhibitors (as of press time). 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 17.5 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42

LB Computers Williams Wood Terminix Lake Arthur Butane Lake Arthur Butane Gen Set CenterPoint Sears Commercial Sales Eco Water Eco Water Eco Water Tomboy Tools SERVCO Merchants & Farmers Kitchen Craft-The healthy Kitchen Craft-The healthy O'Charleys Moss Bluff Floors Moss Bluff Floors Jeff-Davis Bank Cajun Storage Superior Windows Superior Windows Superior Windows LA Mortgage Gen Set Browne-Stewart Browne-Stewart Scentsy Wickless Candles Moffett Mortgage ERA Moffett Realty C&C Audio/Video Holiday Travel Mid-South Bank Stine Lumber Stine Lumber Stine Lumber Stine Lumber J & J Exterminating LA Mortgage Superior Windows Superior Windows

43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

Superior Windows Redd Properties Sundance Solar Systems Lake Area Mosquito Lake Area Mosquito Knot Wood Vinyl Absolute Gutters Hixon's Pest Control Dupont Sewer Gulf Coast Carpets Vac Central Closet Tailors Closet Tailors Budget Blinds Budget Blinds Budget Blinds A Door Works LaMaison Dautriel Plumbing Coburn's Coburn's Goodyear Audio First National Bank Joseph's Electric Reed Gas Fence Stainers CSE Credit Union Advantage Insulation Open American Press Rebuilding Together A Door Works Budget Blinds Acme Brick Lake Area Electrical Lake Area Electrical Coffin BBQ Pits Streamline Tops Gulf Coast Carpets Open Open Open C&C insulation C&C insulation C&C insulation Open

The hours are Sat., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 per person; children under 10 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. For more information, contact the Home Builders Association of Southwest Louisiana at (337) 478-7893 or visit www.hbasswla.org.

89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136

National Wastewater The Plumbing Warehouse The Plumbing Warehouse K&K Bottled Water K&K Bottled Water RSC Equipment Rental Creative Door Creative Door Creative Door Creative Door Pretzels Plus LSU Ag CPPJ BBB La Providence La Providence Andreas Designs Andreas Designs Home Builders Assoc. Richey's 3-D Foam Ins. Richey's 3-D Foam Ins. Richey's 3-D Foam Ins. Open Majestic Homes Whitney Bank Tony Bourgeois LLC Aquatic Pools & Spas Calcasieu Stone Open Creative Concrete by Ron Fender Homes Open State Farm Insurance Water Purification Systems Armstrong Spas Armstrong Spas Open sliding door JDI Building Materials JDI Building Materials Huggy Bears Elite Countertop Elite Countertop Elite Services Elite Services Elite Insulation Sister's Gourmet Nuts

137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160

New Creations Norandex Southern Marble Southern Marble State Farm Insurance State Farm Insurance First Federal Bank Creative Concrete Granicrete of SW LA APIC Systems McNeese Open Open Open CJ Tech Services Bailey's Audio Swashbucklers Open Open Heritage Builders Tony Houseman Homes Cameron State Bank Biofoam of La. Therma A/C

Outside Exhibitors Include: Star Concrete Pumpers Gen Set Dunham Price Transit Mix Port Aggregate Angelle Concrete Concrete Eaters Henderson Implement Complimentary Booths: LifeShare blood Drive Better Business Bureau CPPJ LSU AG Center Rebuilding Together Swashbucklers McNeese American Press

MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 23

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107 Andreas Designs

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Andreas Designs

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LB Computers

Williams Wood

Pat Landreneau, Lake Charles & Jennings

1-800-497-5425 • 230-3598 www.shaklee.net/patsnc

Larry Toups

ENTER Exibition

103

FROM Hall

BBB

102 CPPJ

101 LSU AG

Holiday Travel

Josephʼs Electric

Reed Gas

Creative Door

First National Bank

Fence Stainers

Creative Door

ERA Moffett Realty

Mid-South Bank

116

Open

Stine Lumber

BrownStewart

Dautriel Plumbing

American Press

J&J Ext.

LaMaison

Rebuilding Together

K&K Water

La Mortgage

Superior Window

Tomboy Tools

La. Mortgage

A Door Works

Superior Window

Budget Blinds

Acme Brick

Superior Window

Budget Blinds

Lake Area Electric

Cajun Storage

Redd Properties

Closet Tailors

Lake Area Electric

Sundance Solar

Closet Tailors

Coffin Pits BBQ

SERVCO

Merchants & Farmers

Kitchen Craft

Moss Bluff Floors

Lake Area Mosquito

FIRE EXIT

MARCH 5, 2009

Streamline Tops

Gulf Coast Gulf Coast Carpet Carpet

National Wastewater

88 Open

C&C Insulation

84 Open

128

129

JDI Building Materials

Dining Table

115 Whitney Bank

114 Majestic Homes

113 Open

HOME SHOW PRODUCTS & SERVICES

112

Richeyʼs 3-D Foam Insulation

111

Richeyʼs 3-D Foam Insulation

150

153

Open

Swash Bucklers

149

154

Open

148

155

Open

147

156

McNeese

Heritage Builders

146 APIC Systems

145 Grancrete of SWLA

143

EXHIBITION HALL

First Federal Bank

“RUG GALLERY” 477-2266 5500 Common St. Mon-Fri 9-5 • Sat 9-1

133 Elite Granite

134 Elite Granite

158

159

131

Elite Services

Cameron State Bank

BioFoam

Carpet • Wood Laminate • Ceramic Floors

132

Tony Houseman Homes

144

Rest Area

Elite Services

157

Creative Concrete

6 months – No Interest No Payments (with approved credit)

135

Elite Counter Tops

160 Thermal A/C

136 Gourmet Nuts

Amid recent market volatility, we’ve seen substantial upswings and downturns. But when the market reacts one way, it doesn’t mean you should, too. The actions you take today can significantly impact your financial future. So before you alter your investment strategy, schedule a financial review. We can help you stay focused despite the market’s recent disappointments and find opportunities for the long term. Call today to schedule your financial review.

137

110

New Creations

Richeyʼs 3-D Foam Insulation

138

109

Norandex

Home Builderʼs

142

141

State Farm C. Bailey

State Farm Jim Mitchell

HOME SHOW ENTRANCE

140

139

Southern Marble

Open

82 48

Knot Wood

Absolute Gutters

Hixonʼs Pest

Dupont Sewer

17.5 OʼCharleys

PAGE 24

Vac Central

Kitchen Craft

Tony Bougeois

LCR

Superior Window

Jeff Davis Bank

117

LCR

58 57

Superior Window

COLISEUM FLOOR

Eco Water

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company – Bloomington, IL

K&K Water

Gen Set

statefarm.com®

RSC Rental

Gen Set

Center Point

Cal. Stone

Aquatic Pools

Coburnʼs

Lake Arthur Butane

118

BrownStewart

127

130

126

Huggy Bears

125

152

124

Baileyʼs Audio

123

State Farm Water JDI Armstrong Armstrong Slide Door Chris Purification Building Blank Spas Spas Gaudet Systems Materials

CJ Tech

Creative Door

Open

151

CSE Credit Union

122

Open

Goodyear Audio

Creative Door

121 Fender Homes

119

Stine Lumber

Advantage Insulation

Eco Water

P057015 9/05

120

Creative Concrete Ron

Moffett Mortgage

Coburnʼs

Eco Water

LIKE A GOOD NEIGHBOR, STATE FARM IS THERE.®

C&C Audio

Stine Lumber

Sears Commercial Sales

Christopher J Gaudet, Agent 1528 E Prien Lake Road Lake Charles, LA 70601 Bus: 337-475-2740 Cell: 337-515-0448 chris.gaudet.midv@statefarm.com

100

Pretzels Plus

Terminix

See me today and get the discounts and service you deserve.

104

Larry Toups

Scentsy Wickless Candles

Lake Arthur

The Times of SWLA is distributed throughout our region and via the world wide web. Call Andy or Shanda at 337-439-0995 and let them show you how to grow your business today.

105

Lifeshare Blood Drive

OUTSIDE BOOTHS: Dunham Price • GenSet Transit Mix • Angelle Henderson Implement Star Concrete Pumpers Port Aggregate Concrete Eaters

Open

FIRE EXIT

2009 HOME SHOW • March 14-15 LC Civic Center Sponsored by the Home Builders Association of SWLA MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 25

Home Improvement

Louisiana’s Homebuyers Can Take Advantage of

Current Housing Market By Phil Hoffman

With so much news coming out of the nation’s capitol about bailouts and stimulus packages, it’s difficult to determine how or if any of the action can directly benefit us. The good news is that one part of the stimulus package signed by Congress can help home buyers in Louisiana. The package stipulates that new home buyers can receive an $8,000 tax credit for homes purchased in 2009, and unlike the tax credit passed last summer, this tax credit does not have to be repaid. The sunset date for this tax credit extends through Dec. 1, 2009, so consumers can utilize it during the peak summer and fall buying months. The package also allows home buyers to participate in the mortgage revenue bond program, whereby state

housing finance agencies can advance to the home buyer at the time of closing the tax credit amount as a loan, using tax-exempt bond proceeds. This tax credit plan comes on top of others incentives that make now a great time to buy a home in Louisiana. Interest rates are at a record low, loans are available – and the government is helping banks further “loosen” up credit – and a good inventory of quality homes is available throughout the state’s various markets. Louisiana’s housing market is not like the rest – our state has not experienced the high foreclosure rates and rapid decline in values suffered by other states. Rather, our market has remained fairly stable, making owning a home in Louisiana one of the best investments you can make in these

uncertain times. The Louisiana Home Builders Association is working with home buyers to better inform them of the current economic conditions and the various incentive options that are available. Visit www.LAhomeownership.com for more information, or contact the LHBA central office at (225) 387-2714 for a listing of licensed, professional builders

in your area whom you can consult for answers to your questions. Phil Hoffman is the president of the Louisiana Home Builders Association.

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PAGE 26

MARCH 5, 2009

Spring

Gardening Get

Crape Myrtles Off to a Good Start

Crape myrtles are the most popular of our flowering trees, and questions abound about their proper care and cultural practices. Keys to crape myrtle success include abundant sunlight, ideal soil pH and drainage, proper pruning, regular fertilization, proper mulching and insect control. Crape myrtles need full sun to grow the best, perform the best and bloom the best. This means eight hours or more of direct sunlight daily. Less than eight hours is not sufficient for ideal performance. Many of us underestimate the amount of sun our landscape receives. Check sun patterns in the morning, during the middle of the day and during the late afternoon. Soil pH is important for crape myrtles, but maybe not as important as it is for some of our other landscape plants. Crape myrtles like a soil pH of 6.0-6.5. This is considered slightly acid. Do not guess what the pH is – have your soil tested. You can lower pH with sulfur products

and raise pH with lime products, but always do one or the other based on the test results of a soil sample. What about pruning? February is the time to prune crape myrtles, but your particular crape myrtle may not need pruning. When it does, however, maintain its natural shape. Thin out the branches instead of hacking off the top like a buzz cut. This travesty is commonly referred to as “crape murder.” Don’t do major pruning to reduce height. Fertilization is important. It is especially important if you aren’t following other cultural and care practices. To maximum spring growth and the resultant summer bloom, fertilize your crape myrtles in early spring just prior to new growth. A fertilizer like 8-8-8 or 13-13-13 will work fine and is recommended. It is better to place fertilizer in drilled holes in the ground (about 8 inches deep) than it is to just throw it on top of the ground. You can delay fertilizing until late spring or summer, but the trees won’t benefit as much as when you fertilize in late winter or early spring. Mulching is, unfortunately, incorrectly done in many residential and commercial landscape plantings these days. Go “out” with mulch instead of “up” with mulch. Many times you will see mulch piled around the base of trees. Do not do this. Spread mulch out toward the end of the branches. Mulch crape myrtles with pine straw, pine bark or wood chips to a depth of 2-3 inches. Refresh the layer of mulch as needed. Keep

mulch off the stem and lower trunk areas of the trees. One of the frequent problems for crape myrtles is insect damage. Actually, insects do not do that much damage, but aphids feeding on the new shoot growth in the spring can be a problem. White flies also can cause problems. Left unchecked, these insects will release their bodily fluids onto the foliage. The resultant honeydew on the foliage leads to sooty mold on the leaves – the black discoloration that occurs normally in the early summer through fall. By controlling the insects, you can greatly reduce or even eliminate sooty mold. Follow these practices to help your crape myrtles be successful, longterm attractions in your landscape.

For more information, go to www.lsuagcenter.com MARCH 5, 2009

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Think Ahead When Choosing

Landscape Plants The spring gardening season is upon us. It’s time to begin purchasing new trees, shrubs and related plant materials for our landscapes. When selecting ornamentals, think how they will look when they mature, as well as how they look now. Consider size, form, texture and color. Plant size is often overlooked in landscape design and installation. Know the mature size of a plant, including its height and spread. A common mistake is to select plants that become too large for their location. The drastic pruning that becomes necessary adds to the cost of maintenance and may reduce the grace and beauty of the specimen. If left unpruned, overgrown plants will alter the balance as well as the accent of the design, and may partially hide the house they should complement. The landscape picture constantly changes because the plants that give it form and substance continually grow. Choose plants that will immedi-

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MARCH 5, 2009

ately create the desired composition and yet retain an appropriate size over many years. Trees and shrubs can develop many distinct forms in the landscape. The more common forms are prostrate or spreading, round or oval, vase, pyramidal and columnar. Mature shrubs and trees are usually more open and spreading than young plants. For example, the head of a young oak tree may be pyramidal. During middle age, the head is an irregular oval, but during old age, a large, massive oak may have a spreading vase form. Ground covers, such as turf, low-spreading shrubs, creeping plants and prostrate vines, are essential materials in landscaping. The principal use of turf is for the lawn area. Other ground covers are commonly used on banks that are too rough or steep to mow, or under trees where grass will not grow well. Shrubs are woody plants that reach heights of

12 to 15 feet. They may have one or several stems with foliage extending nearly to the ground. The more common shrub forms include low-spreading, round or upright (most shrubs fall into this general form), vase, pyramidal and columnar. Trees are woody plants that typically grow more than 15 feet tall and commonly have one main stem or trunk. The head or leafy portion of the tree develops a typical form. Examples include round or oval (most common trees such as maple, oak and pine), vase (elm), pendulous or weeping (willows), pyramidal (spruce, fir and hemlock) and columnar (Lombardy poplar). Pyramidal and columnar trees are not as common in Louisiana as the other forms. The texture of plant materials depends on the size and disposition of the foliage. Plants with large leaves that are widely spaced have coarse texture. A plant with small, closely spaced leaves has fine texture. Extremes in texture that prevent harmony in the composition should be avoided. On the other hand, some variation in texture is needed to give variety. Texture can be influenced on a seasonal basis, depending on whether the plant is deciduous or evergreen. Green is the basic color of most plant materials in the landscape picture. The color comes in many shades, however. For variety, select plants with lighter or darker foliage. Add some accent with flowering shrubs or those that produce colorful, persistent fruit. Be careful, however, not to plant too many showy shrubs because they could end up dominating the landscape and destroying the balance and unity of the composition. For more information, go to www.lsuagcenter.com

Spring

Gardening

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MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 29

Many Low-Maintenance

Roses Now on the Market

Growing roses in Louisiana has been a challenge for home gardeners, mainly because of diseases brought on by our environment. Heat and humidity adversely affect the many rose varieties we grow. Landscape shrub roses have made that challenge easier. Shrub roses require minimum pruning and less irrigation, fertilizer and disease management. The enhanced popularity of landscape shrub roses has stimulated new interest in roses over the past few years. Traditionally, modern roses, such as hybrid tea, floribunda and grandiflora varieties dominated the market. Shrub roses were a small percentage of the modern rose market in the 1990s, but that trend is now totally reversed. This trend has been driven, in large degree, by the tremendous success and popularity of the Knock Out rose. Millions of the Knock Out roses are being sold

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MARCH 5, 2009

annually since the initial variety was introduced in 2000. That year, approximately 7 percent of roses sold in the modern rose category represented shrub roses. The remaining 93 percent were dominated by hybrid teas, floribundas and grandifloras. In 2005, the percentage of modern rose sales in the landscape shrub rose category increased to 17 percent. By 2010, that percentage is estimated to reach 45 to 50 percent. Knock Out was an All-America Rose Selections (AARS) winner in 2000. It took a couple years of Knock Out being on the market for most horticulturists to realize how great a plant it is. The bush is advertised to grow to a mature height of 4 to 5 feet with a spread also of 4 to 5 feet. If not pruned, however, it easily can grow 8 feet tall. Blooms are deep, fluorescent cherry red complemented by glossy burgundy-green foliage. In addition to the original Knock Out rose are Knock Out Pink, Blushing Knock Out, Rainbow Knock

Out, Double Knock Out, Pink Double Knock Out and Sunny Knock Out. Sunny is new for 2009 and sports bright yellow buds that open to yellow petals fading to light yellow and a yellowish white. Knock Out also is one of the original 11 Earth Kind varieties being promoted by Texas A&M University. The Earth Kind program uses researchbased techniques for maximum gardening enjoyment while preserving and protecting environment. The other original varieties are Belinda’s Dream, Caldwell Pink, Carefree Beauty (Katy Road Pink), Climbing Pinkie, Else Poulsen, Knock Out, Marie Daly, Mutabilis, Perle d’Or, Sea Foam and The Fairy. In the last few years, more varieties have been added to the Earth Kind list. They include Spice, Duchesse de Brabant, Ducher, Georgetown Tea, Madame Antoine Mari, New Dawn, LaMarne and Souvenir de St. Anne’s. Some hybrid tea roses also require less maintenance and also are less susceptible than others to blackspot disease. These include Gemini, Elle, Valencia, Mister Lincoln, Tiffany, Veteran’s Honor, Olympiad, Tahitian Sunset, Midas Touch, St. Patrick and Moonstone. For more information, go to www.lsuagcenter.com

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Wild Beast Feast Chefs Haylie Loftin, Bernard Leger, and Mike Terranova prepare to cook for the 8th Annual Wild Beast Feast.

8th ANNUAL WILD BEAST FEAST Bring the entire family to sample savory dishes of game pork, poultry and seafood presented by local sportsmen, while enjoying the music of “The Crawford Brothers.” Stay for an exciting live auction. Date:

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Time:

5- 8 p.m. Auction begins at 6:30 p.m.

Location: The Brick House, 110 Pine Street (downtown Lake Charles) Music:

The Crawford Brothers

Tickets: Available at the Symphony office (Call 433-1611) Gordon’s Drug Store Adults $25 Children (ages 7 -14) $10 Under 7 admitted free Tickets purchased at the door are Adult $30, Children $15 Refreshments:

CASH BAR

Title Sponsor: Major Sponsors: Event Sponsors:

Whitney National Bank The Stream Family AT&T Pat Hight Allstate Insurance Brian & Mary Shaddock Jones William B. Lawton, Company, L.L.C.

For information, please contact the Symphony office: (337) 433-1611 PAGE 32

MARCH 5, 2009

RECIPES FROM THE WILD BEAST FEASTERS! Here are some unique dishes that you may find at the annual Wild Beast Feast. Corn & Crab Bisque 1/2 cup butter 1/2 cup flour 2 cups 1/2 and 1/2 2 cups whipping cream 1 can creamed corn 1 can corn 1/2 lb. lump crabmeat Seasonings to taste

Directions: In a saucepan, combine butter and flour to make a white roux. Add 1/2 and 1/2 and whipping cream. Blend well. Add corn. Adjust seasonings. Cook down to desired consistency. Add crabmeat. Fold in gently. Remove from heat. — Lesley Leger

Manitoba Bear Meatballs With Gravy Recipe for Bear Meatballs 10 lbs. of bear ground back strap 2 lbs. of ground round 1 lb. of pork Tasso finely ground 4 teaspoons of Lawry’s season salt 3 teaspoons of sea salt 2 teaspoons of finely ground pepper 3 cups of finely chopped cilantro 6 free range Bobby Jones eggs 1 stick of Heavy D butter 3 cups of Progresso garlic and herb bread crumbs 1 bottle of Ravenswood Red Zinfandel Directions: Wear an apron, do not cook bear bare. Combine all bear meat, ground round and pork Tasso with all seasonings and mix thoroughly in a large bowl. Shape meatballs into the size of a golf ball. Pour a glass of Red Zin, and toast to the bear. Brown the meatballs in a large black iron skillet using peanut oil. Once brown, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove meatballs, place in a large stainless bowl and set them beside the Zin. Toast to the bear. Recipe for Manitoba bear sauce 1 stick of Heavy D butter 20 ounces of sliced mushrooms 1 clove of fresh cut garlic 3 white finely cut onions 4 cups of finely cut coulee celery 2 large finely cut bell peppers 5 tablespoons of flour

5 teaspoons of Gault’s Rudy’s sauce 60 ounces of condensed beef broth 5 packages of dry onion soup mix 5 cups of dairy sour cream 2 cups of finely cut cilantro Directions: Add the stick of butter to the skillet and sauté mushrooms, garlic, onions, celery and bell peppers and then remove from the heat. Toast to the bear. Stir in flour, Rudy’s, soup mix and add beef broth slowly and then bring to a boil, then reduce heat and add meatballs. Stir in sour cream and cilantro. Bring up heat but not to a boil. Serve over Louisiana rice or angel hair pasta. Toast to the bear. Bon Appétit! — Mike Terranova Bernard’s Cassoulet 1 lb. dried Great Northern beans 2 & 1/2 quarts water 1/2 lb. salt pork 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1 onion (whole) 2 carrots, scraped and cut in half 1tsp. dried thyme 1 bay leaf 6 to 7 lbs. wild duck 1lb. deer sausage cut in 2 inch pieces 2lbs. pork loin 1 medium onion, chopped 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 cup dry white wine 1(14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1 c. French bread crumbs 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley salt to taste pepper to taste Directions: Sort and wash beans. Place in an 8-quart ovenproof Dutch oven. Cover with water 2 inches above beans; let soak 8 hours. Drain. Add 2 1/2 quarts water to beans; add salt pork and next 6 ingredients. Bring to a boil; cover and cook 2 hours or until beans are tender, adding water if necessary. Remove and discard salt pork, onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf. Set beans aside. Place duck in a roasting pan, season with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 until done. Cool completely and cut into serving pieces. Cook sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat until browned; remove sausage, reserving drippings in skillet. Set sausage aside. Add pork loin to skillet and brown on all sides, remove pieces, reserving drippings in skillet. Add chopped onion to skillet over medium-high heat and cook until tender. Add minced garlic and cook 2 minutes. Add wine and cook 6 minutes or until removed by half. Add tomatoes, 1 tsp of thyme, and pepper to beans. Spoon half each of the beans, sausage, duck and pork into a Dutch oven; repeat layers with remaining ingredients. Sprinkle breadcrumbs. Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle with parsley. Yields 8 to 10 servings. — Bernard Leger

A Checklist for Surviving the Financial Crisis By Mike Allen

Over the past few months, the news has been almost incomprehensible. It’s hard for many of us to make sense of the failure of major Wall Street firms and large banks, and the $700 billion bailout of the financial sector. And it’s hard for investors to be calm when stocks have fallen more than 40 percent between Oct. 2007 and Inauguration Day in 2009. What can you do to cope? Consider the following “checklist” for surviving a financial crisis: • Close your ears — but open your eyes. These days, you may hear some so-called “experts” talking about end-of-capitalism scenarios. Try not to listen to these doomsayers. We still have the most powerful economy in the history of the world and we will recover from these setbacks. However, even if you close your ears, you should keep your eyes wide open. Specifically, look for opportunities. Stock prices are down now, but they won’t always be — and, all else being equal, investors who buy into the stock market at lower prices are likely to earn higher returns than

those who buy stocks when prices are higher. • Focus on things you can control. During a financial crisis, your success at weathering the storm depends on your ability to stay calm and concentrate on the things you can control. For example, you can control your emotions so that you aren’t panicked into making unwise, short-term decisions, such as putting all your money under your mattress. And, to a certain extent, you can even control your portfolio’s ability to withstand volatility. How? By diversifying your holdings as broadly as possible. The wider your range of investments, the less you’ll be hurt by downturns that primarily affect one asset class. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification, by itself, cannot guarantee profits or protect against loss.) • Review and rebalance your portfolio. During this market decline, some of your holdings have probably fallen more than others. As a result, you may now own a lower percentage of a specific asset class

than you had originally intended when you built your portfolio. Consequently, you may want to meet with your financial advisor to determine if you should rebalance your portfolio by adding more money to those asset classes that have fallen the most. You may also want to rebalance if your risk tolerance or long-term goals have changed. • Look for quality investments. In this economic environment, it’s more important than ever to focus on quality investments. When you buy stocks, look for those companies with strong balance sheets. If you’re purchasing bonds, stick with those that receive high credit ratings. If we are entering a prolonged economic downturn, these types of investments will, in all likelihood, fare better than lower-quality stocks and bonds.

investors have the courage to stay the course and take advantage of opportunities while others are “bailing out” of the financial markets. We may still have some rough roads ahead of us. But if you can check off every item on this list, you can smooth out some of the bumps you’ll encounter on your journey toward achieving your long-term goals. Mike Allen is a financial advisor with Edward Jones at 4840 Lake Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605. For more information, call (337) 477-0040.

• Be patient. No one can predict when a bear market will end, but history has shown that turnarounds can happen quickly and unexpectedly. So be patient. The most successful MARCH 5, 2009

PAGE 33

In the Theater

A Granny With 'Tude To Spare Madea Goes To Jail (2009) (Grade C) Directed by Tyler Perry Starring Tyler Perry, Derek Luke, Keshia Knight Pulliam, David Mann, Tamela Mann, Ronreaco Lee, Ion Overman, Vanessa Ferlito, Viola Davis Lionsgate — Rated PG-13 — Comedy — 103 min. Tyler Perry, the auteur of all things Madea, embraces faith-based messages and slapstick humor with equal fervor. Perry began as a playwright and the star of his own musical comedy-dramas. A big, tall fellow, Perry dons Madea-drag in order to funnel his perception of American life through her reading glasses and curly gray locks. His impish expression befits a matriarch prone to both brutal honesty and full-scale self-destruction. Though Madea is Christian and conservative, she abhors going to church and craves nothing more than getting her just revenge. Strange bedfellows are born of the whipsaw action between Madea’s comedic fight for parking lot spaces and young Joshua Hardaway’s (Derek Luke) dramatic efforts to do the right thing. One moment, Madea’s rants and bad behavior incite belly laughs, the next, Hardaway’s struggle to

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MARCH 5, 2009

step up to the plate is painfully gutwrenching. Perry’s jarring storytelling technique indicates that he probably envisioned two wholly separate tales, and then decided to meld them into one. Given her anger and me-first issues, can Madea stay out of jail or once there, get out? Given his ambition, can the aptly named district attorney Hardaway ever see the people he loves for who they really are? The film, between bouts of ogling Madea’s juvenile outbursts, casts Hardaway as a saint-in-the-making. Perry, appearing as two male characters in addition to his starring turn as Madea, fully fleshes-out the film’s conniving or trampled feminine characters, leaving his rather ineffectual males to flounder. Keshia Knight Pulliam appears as Candace Washington, a once bright college student who has thrown her future away for a streetwalker’s life. Candace’s childhood pal Hardaway abandoned her while they were in college and therefore feels responsible to help Candace regain her footing. He enlists the help of Ellen (Viola Davis) a tough love minister and one of the drama’s few credible characters. Meanwhile, Madea’s anger issues land her in therapy with a befuddled Dr. Phil. She answers his probing questions with prying questions of her own, indicating she has no intention of considering a change in her insufferable behavior. One of the few Madea scenes that quickly wears out its welcome is an extended version of the therapy session that plays over the closing credits. Perry’s movie, a misfiring effort to balance satire and melodrama, wants more of the outrageous Madea and less of everyone else.

Fired Up 1/2 (Grade C-) Starring Eric Christian Olsen, Nicholas D’Agosto, Sarah Roemer, Molly Sims, David Walton Screen Gems — Rated PG-13 — Comedy — 90 min. Already chided as a lesser American Pie, two jocks looking to hook up drive this raunchy take on cheerleader movies. A male-fantasy premise calls for high school athletes, Nick and Shawn (Olsen and D’Agosto), to ditch their annual football training in favor of cheerleading camp. The guys look forward to a string of babes, but their plans are waylaid when the lads start crushing on hard-working cheerleaders and are drawn into the camp’s cheer-team competition. Sweet as romance can be, the emphasis on gross-out jokes and female anatomy will leave girls cheerless. Confessions of a Shopaholic 1/2 (Grade B-) Starring Isla Fisher, Hugh Dancy, Joan Cusack, John Goodman, Krysten Ritter Disney — Rated PG — Comedy Based on the popular novel by financial journalist Madeleine Wickham (under the pen name Sophie Kinsella), viewers are invited to take a break from penny-pinching to get vicarious thrills from the shopping adventures of Rebecca Bloomwood (Fischer). Having indulged her addiction to designer labels and with the credit card debt to prove it, Rebecca tries to conceal her compulsion to buy buy buy buy after she is hired to write an investment column for a financial magazine. Clever dialog, to-die-for locations (Oh the stores!) and Fisher’s pitch perfect timing enliven the spendy comedy. The International 1/2 (Grade B-) Starring Clive Owen, Naomi Watts, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Ulrich Thomsen, Brian F. O’Byrne, Jack McGee Sony — Rated R — Action, Thriller — 118 min. Despite a sketchy script failing to flesh out character motivations, it doesn’t take much to persuade us that

banks are hotbeds of corruption. Are we also ready to believe the notion of an international bank funding terrorists and killing anyone standing in its way? Clive Owen appears as scruffy Interpol agent Louis Salinger, assigned to investigate the IBBC bank, headquartered in Luxembourg. Run by European smoothies, the bank brokers arms deals with baddies then hires hit men to clean up the mess. MuellerStahl appears as a bank exec on the radar of a Manhattan Assistant DA (Watts). The film takes a break from its European locales for a shoot-’emup chase in the Big Apple on the curving ramps of the Guggenheim Museum. Now that’s eye-candy. Friday The 13th (Grade C) Starring Jared Padalecki, Amanda Righetti, Derek Mears, Danielle Panabaker, Aaron Yoo Warner — Rated R — Horror — 97 min. Attempting to top the original, the redo rethinks hockey-masked killer, Jason Voorhees as carefully stalking his victims and pouncing when the moment is right. After Whitney Miller (Righetti) goes missing from a group of young partiers at Crystal Lake, big brother Clay (Padalecki) arrives to find her despite warnings from locals to “leave it alone.” As feared, Clay and his pals are soon targeted by Jason’s murderous axe. Try as she might, Jason’s interfering mamma ain’t never gonna make thirteen killings into the stuff of a family film. He’s Just Not That Into You 1/2 (Grade B-) Starring Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Ginnifer Goodwin, Ben Affleck, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Justin Long Warner — Rated PG-13 — Comedy — 129 min. Barrymore, Aniston, Goodwin and Connelly play coworkers and friends navigating the pitfalls of both singlehood and marriage — awkwardly. Barrymore’s character tries to find love online, Goodwin’s goes looking in bars, Aniston’s contemplates dump-

ing a noncommittal jerk (played by Affleck) and Connelly’s frets over her husband’s indiscretion with Johansson’s good-time girl. Adapted from a bestseller by former Sex and the City story editor Greg Behrendt, this Barrymore-produced vehicle is fun for its female cast, but sets back the feminist movement 20 years. New In Town 1/2 (Grade C-) Starring Renee Zellweger, Harry Connick Jr., Nathan Fillion, J.K. Simmons, Frances Conroy Lions Gate — Rated PG-13 — Comedy — 96 min. Hollywood initially mocks, then tries cozying-up to small town America in a comedy that never should have found its way off the editing table. Zellweger seems too nice for the role of snooty city-girl, Lucy Hill. Packed off to New Ulm, Minnesota, to reorganize a manufacturing plant, Lucy is unprepared for the town’s plainspoken, churchgoing residents and their pie-baking contests. Naturally, she meets a handsome hunk (Connick Jr.) whose beerchugging, pickup-truck-charm changes Lucy’s perspective. Zellweger, badly lit and filmed in variety of unflattering getups, must

hope her innate appeal will put this one in the plus column. Not! The Pink Panther 2 1/2 (Grade C-) Starring Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Alfred Molina, Emily Mortimer, Aishwarya Rai, Andy Garcia, John Cleese, Jeremy Irons, Lily Tomlin Sony — Rated PG — Comedy — 92 min. Martin pulls out all the stops to cash in on a mediocre sequel to his mediocre remake of the iconic film starring Peter Sellers. Having been demoted to meter maid, Clouseau (Martin) is given the opportunity to redeem himself and regain his Inspector status when the fabulous Pink Panther Diamond, and other European artifacts are stolen. Cleese steps in as Clouseau’s nemesis Inspector Dreyfus while Molina and Garcia play bumbling international detectives. Mortimer returns as Clouseau’s shy love interest, Reno reprises his role and Irons comes on board as the chief suspect. Add Tomlin as an etiquette teacher and Rai as a mysterious diamond expert and you have a dream team — theoretically. Juvenile sight gags, lackluster writing and a lurching plot leave this Pink Panther red-faced.

MARCH 5, 2009

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Book Beat By Terri Shlichenmeyer

Tales from the Crescent City

FocalPoint Media & Marketing is currently seeking a Graphic Artist. The successful candidate must possess strong graphic art - design skills complimented with good organizational skills, excellent verbal and written communication skills, be attentive to detail, and able to juggle multiple projects in a creative environment. The candidate must have expert computer skills, consisting of experience with Adobe Products, Quark and other imaging or creative software used in conjunction with graphic design, illustration and web design.

Mail or drop off resume and samples of work to FOCALPOINT MEDIA & MARKETING 617 Drew St. Lake Charles, LA 70601 PAGE 36

MARCH 5, 2009

It happens every time: You’re busy, in a hurry, and somebody starts blah-blah-blahing, making a long story longer. You wonder if he’ll ever get to the point. Maybe you even say that: Get to the point. Everyone has a story. In the new book, Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans by Dan Baum, you’ll read about nine people from the Crescent City; their stories, bracketed by storms. In 1965, Ronald Lewis found something more powerful than Mama: Hurricane Betsy. Betsy went through the Lower Ninth Ward like a hot spoon through a snow-cone. Still, the neighborhood couldn’t be kept down by a storm, could it? All his life, Anthony Wells heard about New Orleans, but it seemed that life took him everywhere but there. He was in Vietnam, Los Angeles, and later, Tennessee. John Guidos hid his secret from everyone, because he knew what they’d say: Women’s clothes are for women. But inside his mind, John was a woman, believing he was alone in his feelings. By the time John became JoAnn, he knew otherwise. During her first years of marriage, Joyce Montana slept restlessly before Mardi Gras. Tootie, her husband, was an Indian, meaning he would likely come home bloodied. But Tootie knew there was another way to fight: with splendor. Billy Grace’s father wasn’t Uptown, so it was a surprise when Billy was enfolded into society. Still, Billy wondered if he’d ever be fully accepted. All Tim Bruneau dreamed of was being a cop. But it took an accident – and a storm – to show Tim what life was like for the people he arrested.

When gynecologist Frank Minyard wanted to help his city, he ran for the office of coroner. His new job meant he would be in charge of New Orleans’ dead, no matter how they expired. Jazz jangled Wilbert Rawlins, Jr.’s bones, right alongside responsibility. Wilbert was passing that legacy on to his band kids. He was the only family some of them had, and no storm would keep him from that. All Belinda Carr ever wanted was to leave New Orleans because she came up hard. When she married Wilbert Rawlins, Jr., she hoped life would be different. It took a storm to see the preciousness of what she had. Can I say now that I loved this book? Nine Lives reads like a novel: it sucks you in with the first page, moving you along with short-short chapters, swaddling you in little dramas, making you gasp every now and then. But it’s not a novel. It’s all true. I loved how author Dan Baum unfolds each of his subjects’ stories, telling most of them at a just-right pace, allowing each of them to blurt his own tale. I loved the brutal honesty between the pages, I loved the uniquely “New Orleans” feel I got when I was reading. I just plain loved this book. When you’re ready for a good set of stories, don’t miss this one. Nine Lives: Death and Life in New Orleans By Dan Baum Copyright 2008 Spiegel & Grau $26 352 pages Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old, and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

"Just Playing" — it's what's on the outside that counts.

Last Issue’s Answers

Across 1 Univ. guy with status 5 Two fives for ___ 9 MySpace adjunct, perhaps 13 Poland's Walesa 14 Average knucklehead 16 Seldom seen 17 ___ Spumante (sparkling wine) 18 Phrase in a Spanish Valentine's Day card 19 The yoke's on them 20 Red MacGregor, McEwan's Lager, or Tennent's Super, in pubs 23 Listening device 24 Start of long-distance dialing 25 Atlantic Coast clock setting: abbr. 26 College football championship circuit: abbr. 29 Lowlife 31 With 45-across, contact a pedestrian from a tall building, in a way 34 Public hanging? 36 The other woman 37 Race place, for short 38 Play like the phrases at 20-across, 31/45-across and 57-across? 41 Actress Fisher of 2007's "Hot Rod" 43 Ring bearer, maybe 44 "Chuck" network 45 See 31-across

48 Otherworldly 52 "Danny and the Dinosaur" author Hoff 53 El ___ (Spanish hero) 54 Woolly female 56 Pull the plug on 57 Understaffed situation 60 "___ it in a heartbeat!" 63 ___-Croatian 64 "___ Nagila" 65 It may come with answers 66 Courtroom drama, e.g. 67 Gluttonous exchange student on "The Simpsons" 68 To a degree 69 Lord's worker 70 Sci-fi conventiongoer, stereotypically Down 1 N-test events 2 Distilled spirit from the agave plant 3 Armed swimmers 4 IOU of sorts 5 Actor Sean of the "Lord of the Rings" series 6 Grad school papers 7 "In the Valley of ___" (Tommy Lee Jones movie) 8 Person who really counts? 9 Bert's prominent feature

10 11 12 15 21 22 26 27 28 30 32 33 35 38 39 40 41 42 46 47 49 50 51 55 57 58 59 60 61 62

Airport of the SW U.S. Refinable rock ___-Y Come really close to "___ is human..." Greek vowel Fictional character often introduced last name first Cow's mouthful Farm structure Cousin of a cockatoo Spanish actress often seen on "The Love Boat" Chop into tiny bits Least likely to be spotted Downhill racer Ducks, when moving around "Since ___ Gone" (Kelly Clarkson song) "___ alive!" Just short "That's gross!" Home entertainment area with a sink Give a new ranking "Well!" Actor Furlong of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" Author Virginia "The Usual Suspects" bad guy Keyser ___ Lake near Niagara Falls "Street Fighter: The Legend of ___-Li" (2009 movie) Figs. averaging 100 The Captain and Tennille, e.g. Poorly lit

MARCH 5, 2009

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t i m e s

picks the best in lake area entertainment

BLACK HERITAGE FOUNDATION PRESENTS JAZZ ON THE LAKE MARCH 6 — The Black Heritage Foundation of SWLA is proud to present Jazz On The Lake featuring international violinist Michael Ward on Fri., March 6, at 6 p.m. in the Civic Center Amphitheater. This event is free to the public. For more information on BHF programs, contact Shannon Ryan Moore at (337) 540-2304, shadmryan@bhflc.org or Stella Miller at (337) 488-0567. You can also visit their Web site at www.bhflc.org MCNEESE FRATERNITY SICKLE CELL FUNDRAISER MARCH 7 — The McNeese Zeta Mu Chapter of Iota Phi Theta Fraternity is holding its inaugural gala March 7 to raise funds to benefit the Southwest Louisiana Sickle Cell Anemia organization. The event will be held at 6 p.m. in Parra Ballroom of the McNeese Student Union Annex. Cost is $80 a couple/$45 a person, and includes food and live music performed by Corey J. Dotson. Special guests for the event are Gerald Williams, founder of the Louisiana Association for Sickle Cell Anemia, and the 2008 Creole Heritage Festival Queen Ashley N. Deculus. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Justin Manuel at 290-2552 or by e-mail at fastjsm@yahoo.com, or Marc Nichols at 562-6502 or by e-mail at statedirectorla@hotmail.com. BARBE HIGH SCHOOL WALK FOR AIDS MARCH 7 — The Barbe High School Student Government is sponsoring a Walk for AIDS on March. 7. The walk will start and end at Central School, 809 Kirby St. Lake Charles. Everyone is invited to join in the walk and make a donation. The event will include refreshments and entertainment by the Cowgirl Kickers, and T-shirts and mugs for sale. Louisiana currently ranks fifth in the nation for incidence of HIV/AIDS, and these high school students want to do their part to improve those numbers. The proceeds from the walk will benefit the Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council, helping to fund client services that are not covered in traditional government funding, such as eye and dental care and transportation to medical appointments. For more info, contact Marcianna Shogan, Southwest Louisiana AIDS Council at 439-5861.

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ANNUAL BANQUET MARCH 12 — The League of Women Voters will hold its annual banquet at 6 p.m., Thurs., March 12 at Reeves Uptown Catering, located at 1639 Ryan Street. Attorney General Buddy Caldwell will be the featured speaker. Registration and networking will take place just prior to the meeting. Membership applications are available at the registration desk or at www.lwv-lc.org. The public is invited, encouraged to attend and get informed on the latest reforms in the Louisiana Attorney General’s office. The cost is $25 for members, $30, for non-members. To insure seating and sponsorship recognition, please make your reservation no later than 2 p.m. Tues., March 10, by emailing Alfred Doucette, Jr. at douce6539@gmail.com or calling 474-1864. For additional information, please contact Lollion Elmer at (337) 439-3896. CTC PRESENTS ALADDIN’S CHARACTER DINING MARCH 14 — The magic begins as soon as children enter through a magical castle into the dining hall filled with fantasy music. They will join favorite characters from the storybook classic Aladdin during this extraordinary dining experience. Character meals include pizza, dessert, drink and a visit from the characters as they make their way around the dinner table. Children will receive photographs and autographs from these famous characters and are encouraged to wear their favorite costume. This magical encounter occurs on Sat., March 14 at 12 noon. The cost is $25 per person. Seating is limited and reservations must be made by calling the theatre box office at (337) 433-7323, or visiting the Web site at www.childrenstheatre.cc. CMFA’S FAMILY FUN DAY AND FUNDRAISER MARCH 28 — The Cajun French Music Association will host a fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sat. March 28 at 3482 Prien Lake Rd. There will be live Cajun music, an Easter bonnet contest, sack races, face painting, Easter egg decorating, and more. BYOB; hot dogs and burgers for sale. General admission is $3; kids under 12 get in free! For more info, call Janet Piraro at 217-0880. MERRYVILLE HERITAGE FESTIVAL MARCH 27-28 — Celebrate the unique heritage of SWLA with two days of music, dancing, pageants, and art. Festival begins Fri., March 27 at 4 p.m. Jump City will be there with fun jumps for the kids, along with live bands. Saturday is a full day of entertainment, good food, crafts and pageantry. Don’t miss the Kossa Indian Dancers, Circle 8’s square dancers, Sha Na Na and the Louisiana Express. For more information, contact David Williamson at (337) 825-8118 or visit www.classof95.org/MerryvilleMuseum. PROPELLER CLUB GOLF TOURNEY AT LAKE CHARLES COUNTRY CLUB MARCH 30 — The Ports of Southwest Louisiana Chapter of the Propeller Club of the United States will hold its annual golf tournament on Mon., March 30, at the Lake Charles Country. The Propeller Club golf tournament annually raises funds for maritimerelated college scholarships and to underwrite other community-related activities associated with the maritime industry in Southwest Louisiana. The golf tourney will carry a four-person scramble format with a $300/team registration fee, or $75 per person for single players. Tee-time is set for 10 a.m. Lunch will be provided courtesy of Talen’s Marine. A variety of corporate sponsorship levels are available as well as hole sponsorships. The Propeller Club also is accepting donations of logoed items for the tournament “ditty” bags. For more information, local golfers should contact Kelly Clark at Kelly.c@ers-nbc.com or at (337) 562-0002. HALL & OATES AT L’AUBERGE APRIL 3-4 — Daryl Hall & John Oates will perform at 8:30 p.m. on Fri., April 3 and Sat., April 4 at L’Auberge du Lac Event Center. Hall & Oates is one of the most successful duos of all time. With over four decades of live performances and 60 million albums sold, attendees are guaranteed a night of memorable music. Tickets are priced at $75 for floor seats; $60 for stadium tickets, and can be purchased now by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 488-525 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available at the L’Auberge Business Center. All major credit cards are accepted. Guests must be 21 years of age and present a valid photo ID. For more information, log on www.ldlcasino.com or call 395-7569.

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McNeese Cowgirl Kickers Audition March 28

Actors Samuel Owens and Alex Landry rehearse a scene from Little Red Riding Hood during class.

CTC Announces Acting Classes for

Auditions for the 2009-2010 McNeese State University Cowgirl Kickers dance team will be held from 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Sat., March 28, in the aerobics room of the recreational complex on the McNeese campus. Candidates will learn the dance in the morning session and be required to perform the routine that afternoon in small groups for a panel of judges. Applicants will be judged on technique, stage presence, flexibility, memory of choreography and audience appeal. In addition to the routine, candidates

will be required to demonstrate mastery of specific core dance and high kick skills for the judges. Applicants are required to wear black dance shorts, any color dance tank top, and jazz shoes of their choice—any color or style-for the audition. Any appropriate dance attire is acceptable in the morning session. All candidates must meet the academic standards for enrollment to the university to be considered for the Cowgirl Kickers. They are also required to complete an application with a $10

non-refundable audition fee prior to the audition date. Applications are available at the Cowgirl Kickers office in the McNeese Student Services office or online at www.mcneese.edu/kickers. Scholarships are available. In addition, there is an audition workshop from 6-9 p.m. Friday, March 27, in the aerobics room of the recreational complex. This is optional, and there is a $5 fee. For more information, contact the Cowgirl Kickers office at (337) 475-5604.

The Velveteen Rabbit Acting classes for The Velveteen Rabbit have been announced by The Children’s Theatre Company (CTC); Kerry A. Onxley, artistic director. This production will open the spring season for CTC. This unique production brings to life this charming tale of love and devotion, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience for the whole family. The Velveteen Rabbit was published in 1922 and features a plush rabbit, given as a gift to a young boy, who yearns for the day the boy will choose him as his special playmate so that he can become real. Themes of acceptance, growing up and finding one’s place in the world are explored in this children’s story that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Classes are open for boys and girls ages 9 – 18 years old. No experience is necessary, and enrollment in classes is required. Classes are held at the Central School of the Arts & Humanities Center (809 Kirby; Suite 313). The performance of The Velveteen Rabbit is scheduled for May 1 – 3. For more information, contact the theatre at (337) 433-7323 or visit the Web site at www.childrenstheatre.cc and click on “Classes.” This project is supported by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Cultural, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administer by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana. Additionally, supported by a partnership grant from the Arts and Humanities Council and the city of Lake Charles. THE CHILDREN’S THEATRE COMPANY is a 501 3c nonprofit organization dedicated to theatre education for children ages 5 to 18. MARCH 5, 2009

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That’s What Friends Are For

f ever a community joined together for a common cause, it was truly evident at the Friends for Tony Benefit Concert held recently at Central School Arts and Humanities Center. Artists and art appreciators opened their hearts and poured out a tremendous show of love and kindness to one of our local artists/business owners in his time of need. Having suffered an injury a while back with added complications and much red tape, Dupuis found himself in a tight spot. As is often the case in our area, when there is a need, everyone comes together to find ways to help. Tina Willis and Rick Wall contacted Irene Vandever at the Arts and Humanities Council and planted a seed of need for Tony. From that planting came an event that exceeded the expectations of all involved. A call for entertainers to perform and artists to donate went out and the offerings poured in. An evening of entertainment was provided by individuals, groups and bands from the area including Daniel Ieyoub, who sang a selection from Mame, the Harrell Family, Chester Daigle, Boom A Rang, Fresh Nectar and Ashes of Babylon. Silent auction items included a Swashbucklers Sports Package from Thom Hager, a limited edition LSU print from Billy Navarre, lovely porcelain items by Paula Lavergne, custommade wrought iron candle sticks by Garden Paths, LLC, custom made Luna Acoustical Guitar by Dave Evans and way too many more to list. It was a successful event to honor and assist one who has given much to his community, all a result of the gen-

PHOTOS SHOWN: 1–Becky and Marie DeRouen peruse the silent auction items at the Friends for Tony Benefit Concert. 2–Lauren and Brian Harrell attend the Friends for Tony Benefit Concert. 3–Coming together for a fellow friend and artist are Chris Larson, Blaine Miller, and Kira Rice at the Friends for Tony Concert. 4–Mary Fruge with husband Woody. Mary donated items for the silent auction at the Friends for Tony concert.

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5–Irene Vandever and Tony Dupuis at the Friends for Tony Benefit Concert. 6–Amanda Glaub helps daughter Sara Nelson make a skeleton at the Kids Matter day at Prien Lake Mall. 7–Alice Lemelle and Jawanna Berard learned how calling 911 works with Ron Hunt at Kids Matter. 8–Louise McDaniel, Sr. Health Promotion Coordinator, Karen Stubblefield and Kay Morgan, Clinical M.N. Director at Christus St. Patrick are making it all work at Kids Matter.

PHOTOS SHOWN: 9–CC Da Clown, aka Helen Dunn, Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, gives balloon creations to Keelan and Laryn Racca at the Kids Matter event. 10–Lane Owers gives Alonnie and Avrie Celestine a look at an emergency vehicle at Kids Matter. 11–Kelly Savoie, Activity Director at Stonebridge Place, dances with Clyde Regan at the Krewe de les Sagesse Mardi Gras Ball. 12–The Royal Court 2009 Krewe de les Sagesse Mardi Gras Ball King Albert & Queen Wyvonne Khoury with Duchess Sybil Moore and Duke Joseph Picard.

erosity of those who know Tony Dupuis and those who just wanted to be a part of a community coming together for such a cause. Best of luck, Tony! Kids of all colors and sizes came out for Kids Matter, an event sponsored by KPLC, the Children’s Miracle Network of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital and a conglomerate of community groups. The event focused on children up to 17 years of age and their families, and provided a day of fun learning activities, childhood immunizations and information. Many family and child service agencies were on hand to offer handouts and contact information for a multitude of childrelated issues. The Safety Council-Southwest LA provided fire safety information, and with the use of a simulator, allowed children to make a 911. Ron Hunt told the Shadow that unfortunately, many of the children did not know their own address. Lane Owers with Acadian Ambulance Service had an ambulance inside the mall, giving kids an opportunity to learn about what’s inside and how it works. The Spirit Team of Veggie Reggie (Howard Guillory) and Workout Wendy (Monesha Eddie) were on hand to entertain, as well as CC Da Clown from the City Recreation

Unique Gifts and Accessories 3204 Ryan St. • 337-433-6200

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PHOTOS SHOWN: 13–Relaxing at the Krewe de les Sagesse Mardi Gras Ball are Marjorie Fontenot and Dot DeWoody. 14–Jane Gould and Beryl Rohrman are ready for some fun at the Krewe de les Sagesse Mardi Gras Ball. 15–Bill and Jane Crise, married 60 years, are all dressed up for the fun at the Stonebridge Place Mardi Gras Ball.

Department, who pumped out balloon creations throughout the day. This huge event would not have been possible without the support of the many groups, businesses and individuals. Lindsay LaBove, Christus St. Patrick Public Relations Coordinator could have used a pair of roller skates along with her walkie-talkie! One thing for sure, Stonebridge Place residents know how to party. Positioned just inside the foyer were two mannequins dressed as a regal Mardi Gras King and Queen, and Mardi Gras decorations were hung throughout the halls and dining room, creating the scene for the Krewe de PAGE 42

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les Sagesse’s Mardi Gras ball. Kelly Savoie, activity director, welcomed the Shadow and gave a quick tour of the evening’s party layout, directing me to the Napoleon Room where Sam Hewitt and LA Dust were just setting up their equipment. After a private toast to the new royalty, the 2009 Royal Court was presented. With a lovely Mardi Gras boutonnière pinned to his tuxedo and wearing a bejeweled crown, His Majesty Albert Khoury escorted Her Majesty Wyvonne Khoury, attired in a royal blue sequined gown and a glittering crown, into the ball. Completing the Royal Court were Duke Joseph

PHOTOS SHOWN: 16–Rickey Miller, maintenance director at Stonebridge Place with Wilma “Lois” Cheadle, Queen of Stonebridge Palace. 17–At the Symphony are Sydney Terranova, Donna Richard and A.C. Bourdier to hear the “Sounds of the New World.” 18–Symphony goers Ted & Mary Jo Cullen come to hear the “Sounds of the New World” performed by the Lake Charles Symphony.

Picard and Duchess Sybil Moore. King Albert toasted the crowd and after numerating the many wonderful things about Stonebridge Place, he decreed that the name be changed to Stonebridge Palace and promptly dubbed Wilma “Lois” Cheadle as Queen of Stonebridge Palace, presenting her with special Mardi Gras beads. The King and Queen took the floor for the first dance, joined by the Duke and Duchess. Oh, and after that a crowd of dancers hit the floor. Seen doing some fancy footwork was Kelly Savoie and Clyde Regan. Happily married for 63 years, the King and Queen were

pleased to have members of their family in attendance: Katie, Diane, Alma, Vaughn and Wade Khoury, Susie and Randy Lyman and Connie and Danny McCauley. Good times were rolling!!! The Lake Charles Symphony Discovery Series preview of “Sounds of the New World” was just a teaser compared to the presentation on the following Sunday afternoon. Directed by Guest Conductor Joshua Zona, the presentation featured three percussionists, Lonny Benoit, Troy Breaux and Brett Dietz. Symphony President Gary Scroggs got the program under-

PHOTOS SHOWN: 19–Family enjoyment at the Lake Charles Symphony – Jimmy, Marty and Matthew Berry. 20–Bill Dutridge welcomes Marie Davidson, Edgar McCanless and Allain Davidson to the Lake Charles Symphony presentation of “Sounds of the New World.” 21–Heather Hayes and Jacey Fuselier at the Lake Charles Symphony for “Sounds of the New World.’

way with a welcome to all and the introduction of Maestro Joshua Zona. Zona began the afternoon musical delight by sharing interesting bits of information about the “New World” sounds from the 1800s that involved a variety of ethnic groups including American Indians, East Indians and sounds from Mexico creating a distinctive and exciting sound. Lonny Benoit, assistant professor of music and coordinator of percussion studies at McNeese, Troy Breaux, coordinator of percussion studies at ULA-Lafayette and Brett William Dietz, assistant professor of percussion at LSU School of Music per-

formed a round of solos and a musical and visual performance that brought the audience to their feet. Relative newcomers Ted and Mary Jo Cullen, residents of Lake Charles for four years, enjoyed the opportunity to see and hear fine symphonic presentations. Long-time music enthusiast and musicians Dorothy and Fred Salhmann were in attendance; also seen in the audience were Jessie Kelly, Patricia Prudhomme, Donna Little, Donna Richard, Jim Mathis, Brenda Bachrack and Barbara Belew.

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Seen at the Cajun Extravaganza and Gumbo Cookoff are Peggy Griffith, Brad, Kelly and baby Griffith Kilgore.

Danny & Curtis Thibodeaux, Benton Scott, Ricky Thibodeaux and Glenn LeBlanc of the Krewe du le Originales et Les Enfant.

12th Night Revelers Red Carpet Krewe members Wilma Michaud, Juanita McCray and Martha Crowder.

The Krewe of Omega brings it on down the parade route. Waiting on a parade are Shannon Ceasar, Maria Verduzco, Casey, John & Adrienne Ceaser.

s a r G i d r Ma

Princesses with the Spirit Man are Kennedi Langton, 2009 Tiny Miss, Katelynn Morris, 2009 Petite Miss, Mea Lopez, 2009 Little Miss.

Variety is the spice of life! That’s a statement heard many times, and if that be the case, there is much spice in the life of Lake Charles, because the Shadow saw lots of variety throughout the weekend preceding Fat Tuesday. Loving gumbo as I do, it was a nobrainer for the Shadow to arrive at the Civic Center right in the middle of the Cajun Extravaganza and Gumbo Cook off. As I entered the Civic Center Exhibition Hall, I gave a sweeping gaze around the outer perimeter of the room where the Krewes were set up, all touting their prize-winning recipes. With so many contest entrants, the Shadow had to strategize her gumbo tasting. There are times when one could use an extra stomach, because it didn’t take long to get to my limit, and I didn’t even get started! Sounds like my strategy didn’t work too well. The Shadow did get a sample from the Krewe of the Marsh, who was a PAGE 44

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first- place winner. I saw Cora Broussard, a new acquaintance of mine, hanging out there, watching Mark Spell cooking up their prizewinning gumbo. The Shadow also visited with Paula and Bobby Deperrodil and Benton Scott from Gueydan Krewe des Originales et Les Enfant. The 2009 Queen of Golden Years, Juanita McCray was seen in her 12th Night Revelers costume, along with her friends and fellow Revelers, Wilma Michaud and Martha Crowder. Martha and Edward Comeaux, along with other Krewe of Autre Chance members, Walter

Gotreaux, Angie Stevens and Ron Walters, served up me some good hot gumbo. After the cook-off, the Shadow moved on down Broad Street to catch the Krewe of Omega Parade. Lots of beads, candy, cups and I don’t know what else were tossed from the floats as they rolled by. Tommy Tuminello and friends Linda Rossitto, Cheryl Cooley, Liz Mueller, Charlotte Lee and Karen Finchum took advantage of Tommy’s Broad Street residence and viewed the parade from the comfort of his front porch. I happen to know that Tommy T. provided some tasty looking snacks and I am sure a good time was had by all. Nope, that’s not all. Back to the Civic Center went the Shadow to see

One of many lovely Queens at the Mardi Gras Royal Gala: Miss Mardi Gras SWLA 2009 Morgan Murray.

Gracie Belle the Bassett Hound brought Lynette Marcantel and Judy Bradley to the Krewe of Barkus parade.

Krystal & Sherry Sutherland brought Roxy to the Krewe of Barkus parade.

Dolores LeGros with Cloe at the Krewe of Barkus parade.

Cookie Phillips puts some finishing touches on Dale Evans, aka Judy Boudreaux, Krewe of Grande Bois at the Royal Gala.

From the Krewe of Cosmos, Bella Bazinet, Jeff Bimle and April Basinet at the Royal Gala.

Joe Champeaux, J. D. Allen, Poddy Champeaux and Rick Richard of Krewe of Mystique at the Royal Gala.

all the cute little dogs in the Krewe of Barkus parade. Some of these dogs have way more Mardi Gras accessories than the Shadow. The KYKZ 96 chicken led the parade down Bord du Lac Drive handing out doggie biscuits for the parade-goers (the dog parade goers, silly). It was a beautiful day for parades and fun, and that’s what it was – a day of fun! And once again they strut their stuff: Mardi Gras Kings and Queens, Dukes and Duchesses and all the extras. The 2009 Royal Gala is somewhat the beginning of the end, especially for all the partying and parading. One last full-dress, walk down the runway for the 2009 Krewes and Krewe members and then a year of

reign for the royalty that will culminate in yet another Mardi Gras celebration. The Shadow arrived a bit early and had an opportunity to visit behind the curtain with some of the Krewe members as they costumed themselves in beautiful sequined and feathered outfits that transformed them into members of Courts of Royalty. Dan Carlson, of Krewe de Charlie Sioux, was the wearer/bearer of the imposing back piece built by George Jacobson featuring the pyramids of Egypt. Dressed in traditional Cajun costumes, the Krewe des Originales et Les Enfant introduced their honorary Krewe members, Barbara and Gordon Barron from Canada. Barbara and Gordon just kind of hap-

Krewe des Originales et Les Enfants Captain Benton Scott, center, with adopted krewe members Barbara & Gordon Barron.

pened upon the Mardi Gras festivities and their new Krewe friends, but took to their new roles quite naturally. The Shadow meandered around for a bit and then found Jessie in the crowd and took a seat with high expectations of an awe-inspiring evening. And we were not disappointed. Craig Guillory, Chairman of the Royal Gala, opened the event and introduced Dale Mann, Master of Ceremonies. A milestone 30th Anniversary was celebrated as the 12th Night Revelers strutted their stuff as they entered the arena. The crowd raised the roof when the Lake Charles Little League, the Children’s Parade Marshals, entered. There were roars from the crowd many times during the evening, and one was for Darnel Lee,

Carington and Craig Guillory with Detective Franklin Fondel at the Royal Gala.

Swashbucklers head Coach. The parade of entrants seemed to last forever, much to the delight of all in attendance. The Spirit Stick was awarded to the Krewe of the Marsh, and you know that created some noise. Shelly Johnson, Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, called it the “Cinderella Moment for the Royalty” and indeed it was. A sea of swaying feathers, the glitter and sparkle of the bejeweled costumes, back pieces and trains and the beat of the music created a time for us all to become Kings and Queens vicariously—and what a rush it was.

Marshals and Chairmen at the Royal Gala, Lighted Boat Parade Marshal, Darnell Lee, Chairmen of Lighted Boat Parade, Brenda & Dr. John Masse and Red Hat Marshal, Shirley Witherwax.

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Cody LeBlanc, Nathan & Pat Hebert and Barbara LeBlanc on the Krewe des Originales et Les Enfants Mardi Gras Run.

Manning the pit on the Originales Mardi Gras Run is Julian LeBlanc.

Ethan & Emma Broussard, skilled chicken chasers on the Originales Mardi Gras Run.

More horse riders taking advantage of the lunch stop on the Mardi Gras Run are Stoney Broussard and Denise Mouton.

The Krewe des Originales et Les Enfant in traditional costumes.

Cody LeBlanc was faster than the chicken shown with Barry Hardee, Co-Captain and Benton Scott, Captain of Krewe des Originales et Les Enfants.

Run, Chicken, Run! The Krewe des Originales et Les Enfants got its start in Lake Charles, but kicked off their Mardi Gras Run three years ago in the town of Gueydan. Bennett Scott, who was cocaptain for 17 years, helps to keep the local traditions alive through the annual Mardi Gras Run, harking back to the customs of their ancestors. It was a practice by poor farmers hundreds of years ago to beg for food from house to house, mocking the kings, queens, bishops and teachers by dressing like them but in rags and tattered clothing. Although some variation can be seen in some of the costumes of today. the look of tattered and torn clothing persists. Most of the costumes are made by the individual, but some are purchase from local dressmakers. According to Bobby Deperrodil, when he was growing up, family and friends would ride horseback through the countryside and stop at local PAGE 46

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homes to ask for chickens for the gumbo. He said they would knock on the door to beg for a chicken, and the old man would say “yeah, you can have a chicken if you can catch it.” And we all know people can catch chickens. Kim and Joey Hebert grew up in Gueydan, but never got involved in the Mardi Gras rituals until Joey’s family and friends got them interested. Now it’s an annual affair. Kim shared her snacks with us and they were some pretty hot, spicy crackers. Yum! Thanks, Kim. Tractor-trailers, a fifth wheel bus (that’s right folks), four wheelers, horses and a few bicycles carried partygoers along the trail at a comfortable pace. Lavergne Scott had her “horsey” bicycle on board, and it wasn’t long before she unloaded it and rode leisurely alongside our trailer for a while. At times, others could be seen

taking turns on her bicycle. Periodic stops were made along the trail, where people disembarked from their conveyances to either chase a chicken or watch someone else chase a chicken. Captain Benton Scott released the chickens and it was on. Cody LeBlanc and Zack Thibodeaux were two of the chicken chaser winners. There were about four stops and a stop for lunch along the ride, with jambalaya, hamburgers and other lunch items prepared by Krewe members for the trail riders. The Shadow and Jessie disembarked and stood in line for some jambalaya to get the full experience. Well, you know I like some good jambalaya. The ride lasted throughout the day and was filled with the sounds of good old time Cajun music; laughter; tasty offerings of pork steaks, deer sausage and more served up from the pit by

Julian LeBlanc; remarkable countryside views; the antics of those on the ride (hello Barbara); colorfully costumed participants; conversations with new acquaintances; horseback riders, four-wheeler riders, the Traveling Roses bicyclists; riding in the parade and throwing beads to a clamoring crowd. Beginning and ending at the Gueydan Duck Festival Grounds. the trail ride was one great big rolling party. Back at the Festival Grounds, the party didn’t stop as there was live music, dancing and lots of food and drink awaiting the weary trail riders. It was an educational and delightful day for the Shadow, who is learning more and more about Louisiana, the place I call home. Many thanks to the Krewe des Originales et Les Enfant and especially the folks on the trailer of Bennett and Lavergne Scott for their warm Southern hospitality!

Below: Connie Windsor and her grandson, Kayman Bourgeois of Lake Charles, enjoyed the Krewe of Illusions presentation.

Below: Krewe de Charlie Sioux members Joy and Roger Caudron of Sioux City come to Lake Charles every year to laissez les bon temps roulez!

Above: Chuck and Linda de Albuquerque of Dallas get ready to party on the Deja Vu du Monde float on Fat Tuesday.

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.

3) Subjects in photo must be identified by name. Children should also be identified by parent or guardian. Unidentified or anonymous photos will not be considered for publication. 4) The Times reserves the right to decline publishing photos of questionable taste or subject matter, or for space limitations.

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