Community Leader

from Social Northshore | March 2022

La Belle Maison

OYAL HEARTSR The New Orleans area is synonymous with Mardi Gras and, of course, the many krewes that operate throughout the local community, keeping their fingers on the pulse of needs and issues that affect that community.

BY LIESEL SCHMIDT For the past 36 years, the Krewe of Eve has been one of those communityminded krewes, involving themselves with many community projects and contributing to such organizations as the Greater Mandeville Police Foundation and The Food Bank in addition to helping with Habitat for Humanity’s Women's Build and being part of the D.A.R.E. convention. Clearly, they are much more than the beautiful parades for which they have become so well known.

As part of the krewe, Barbara and David Burns were elected to be king and queen in November of 2021, with a year of reign ahead of them. “We knew that we were going to be king and queen for quite a while before the announcement was finally made in November,” Barbara recalls. “It was really hard keeping that a secret! You know, and you want to share with family and friends because it’s so exciting and such an honor.” Celebrating their 35th anniversary a year late because COVID shut down the parades for an entire year, the Krewe of Eve is looking forward to once again operating at full strength, and the Burnses are happy to be part of that future and what it holds for their community. “Like everyone, I hope to see the pandemic in my rearview mirror,” says Barbara. “I would also like to see more programs for our young people that will keep them active and out of trouble. We also need to better our education system to provide our youth with the skills that will help to make them successful in life.”

For Barbara, the youth of the community—and their education—is a passion. A retired teacher who began her teaching career in Morgan City and then returned to Hammond to teach Social Studies at various schools, Barbara eventually found her way to Southeastern Louisiana University, where she was a member of the History and Political Science faculty. She primarily lectured in Western Civilization and American History classes but also worked with

the Social Studies Education majors before beginning to work with the dual enrollment program for schools in nine different parishes. Now, she devotes herself—both with time as well as financial support—to various fundraisers. “Too often, there aren't enough volunteers,” she notes.

That civic mindedness is something that both Barbara and David share, and something that made them ideal to hold the roles as king and queen of the krewe—as is their love for the krewe itself. “My favorite thing about the Krewe of Eve is the friendships that I have made,” Barbara says. “Each friendship brings a new perspective on ways to serve the community. A friend will be involved in a particular community project and will say, ‘Why don't you join me?’ Once you are in, you are in.”

Married 41 years, the Burnses love living on the NorthShore. “Just think about the atmosphere on the NorthShore,” says Barbara. “You don't have to do anything in particular to have a good time here. We love to dine at some of our fabulous restaurants, and we go to the farmer’s markets—usually just to see what is available and to talk to the people that we meet along the way. Walking along the lakefront is something else we enjoy, as is biking the Tammany Trace. We don't have any one particular trail head that we like to start from, we just love the serenity of the ride. We get some exercise and get to enjoy nature at the same time, and sometimes we will bring a picnic lunch—particularly if we are biking into Fontainebleau State Park. We go to the lake for our picnic, though sometimes we stop at restaurants along the way.”

Clearly proud members of the community, David and Barbara Burns are looking forward to the year ahead as king and queen of their krewe, giving their all to the roles and bearing those titles with pride and dedication.