MARCH 3, 201402 Vol. 5 • No. 25

MARCH 3, 2014 03Vol. 5 • No. 25

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March 13, 2014 • Volume 5 • Issue 25

715 Kirby St.Lake Charles, LA 70601Phone: 337-436-7800Fax: 337-990-0262www.louisianajam.com PublisherPhil de Albuquerquephil@louisianajam.com

Executive EditorLauren de Albuquerquelauren@louisianajam.com

ContributorsNicole Shuff ArabieAngie Kay DilmoreGeorge ClineDan EllenderBraylin JenkinsMike McHughRoger MillerMary Louise RuehrBrandon ShoumakerKarla TullosDavid Yantis

Salessales@louisianajam.com

GraphicsArt/Production DirectorBurn Rourk

Art AssistantSarah Bercier

Associate PhotographerJohnny OwensCajun Pirate Photgraphy

BusinessOffi ce ManagerJeanie Taggart

Legal Disclaimer

The views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not necessarily refl ect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.

Louisiana Jam is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, LLC, 715 Kirby Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 436-7800. Whilst every effort was made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time of going to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors or omissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers nor by the editorial contributions. Louisiana Jam 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. The views expressed do not necessarily refl ect those of the publisher.Copyright 2013 Louisiana Jam all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited.

COVER STORY 27 A Fusion of the Arts: Assemblé 2014

REGULARS5 We Are SWLA!6 Hospital Roundup8 The Dang Yankee8 Adoption Corner9 Tips from Tip10 Huntin’ Tales12 Sports Report14 Stir Dat Pot!15 Soul Matters

FEATURES16 The Romance of Orchids18 Spring Brings Pests to Landscapes19 Mower Maintenance Tips22 Add Some Spring to Your Home!24 Can Race for Hunger28 Flea Fest

THE SPICE OF SWLA30 Wild Beast Feast30 Disney on Ice32 Event Guide33 Family Fun Night at the Movies34 Nightlife Guide36 Lake City Beat!38 Red Hot Books40 Society Spice43 Funbolaya48 Cajun Classifi eds55 Gator Tales

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On cover: LCCB Principal Dancer Grace Helms as Cinderella in Assemblé 2014

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MARCH 3, 201404 Vol. 5 • No. 25

The Remains of Winter So the worst winter in umpteen

years is supposedly over (I say sup-posedly, because the weather has been so freaky, I wouldn’t be sur-prised if I woke up tomorrow with polar bears and Sarah Palin peeking in my bedroom window. Actually, I wouldn’t mind the polar bears, as long as they didn’t eat my cats.)

We’ve had very little sun and lots of raw dampness that cuts to the bone. Mardi Gras 2014 ended up on a very chilly note. It was the fi rst year that I didn’t ride in the parade. I was getting over a bad cold and didn’t even make the Gala. We were invited to eight Mardi Gras balls and Phil had to go solo to the last one. When I don’t fi nish up the season with the usual big bang, you know I’m sick and you know I’m cold. Let’s hope this doesn’t happen again.

Now, we are left with the af-termath of all this deep-freezing nonsense. Brown grass and dead stuff everywhere. Th e hibiscus and bougainvillea bushes are dead. Th e sago palms made it, but our other varieties of palm have turned brown. Our aloes and other succulents are history. Even some of our oleander trees died. It’s the saddest spring in 10 years. Th e spring aft er Hurricane Rita wasn’t as bad. Yes, the devasta-tion was terrible, but the winds blew in all kinds of strange seeds so weird plants and vegetation popped up in

odd places and everything ran riot out of the moist ground. We didn’t know what we’d see next.

Let’s face it, we live in a semi-tropical jungle and I am concerned that all the good stuff won’t come back. My favorite plants are the Elephant Ears, which grew to spec-tacular heights last year due to the mild winter we had in 2013. Th ey just grew and grew and grew and took over everything. Just look at this photo of Phil.

I also love banana trees. We used to have three at one time, but now we are down to one, and the Last Man Standing isn’t looking too chip-per. Most of him is down, actually. Our bougainvillea is withered and dead, and there’s a lot of it. Hope-fully we can just cut it back and see what happens. We had a yard person totally cut it down to nothing a few years back, misunderstanding my directions, but lo and behold, it came back the following year with a vengeance. I don’t have much hope this time.

Th ere’s just dead on top of dead here, and the weather better coop-erate this weekend, because it’s out with the old and dead and in with the new. Or at least, we’ll make room for the new and hope that something is down there in that rich soil that wants to come out and say hello. Or there’s a palm tree that isn’t quite dead. Of course, if there’s a tiny bit of green in the center, Phil will

declare it saved and keep it even though it looks like an abomination. I hope I can convince him to uproot it and replant it somewhere out of the way while it’s recovering.

I haven’t seen patchy brown grass since we left Boston. Even the golf courses are embarrassed. Th en again, our rela-tives in Michigan haven’t seen their lawn in four months, and emailed us photos of their home surrounded by huge snowdrift s. Th ey’ve had 83 inches of snow this season and there may be more to come. Uncle George did tell us that it’s only been the 7th coldest winter on record and that they’re running out of time to beat it. He seemed disappointed. He must have frostbite of the brain. Can you get that?

All I know is, if I still lived in Boston I would have gone crazy by now. I can’t even imagine it. My friend Kelly has to take a commuter bus into Boston from the suburbs for work and every day, there’s a horror story of snarled traffi c and icy roads and conked out snow-plows—complete with photos and expletives. She videotapes accidents,

ambulances and snoring passengers. She’s actually made friends with a bunch of women who ride the bus every day and they all go out for drinks and complain. Th ey’ve made lemonade out of lemons or in their case, frozen daiquiris out of snow.

Me, I’ve had enough of Old Man Winter. Th e clocks have moved for-ward, the sun is trying to shine and even though I still have the space heater on in my offi ce, I’m thinking positive. Unless I catch Sarah Palin at my window. Th en all bets are off .

A Note From Lauren

Lauren de Albuquerque

MARCH 3, 2014 05Vol. 5 • No. 25

Clemons Appointed to Louisiana Supreme Court Committee

Todd S. Clemons, a local attorney and founder of Todd Clemons and Associates, was recently appointed by the Louisiana Su-preme Court to serve on the Committee on Bar Admissions. Clemons is the Examiner for Criminal Law, Procedure and Evidence, which is one of nine subjects on the ex-amination. He is responsible for draft ing the exams and grading guidelines. Th e bar exam is administered in February and July of each year to law school graduates. Todd Clemons and Associates primarily handle

criminal and personal injury cases. For more information, visit www.toddclemons.com.

Gradney Appointed to CVB’s Board of Directors

Evette Biagas Gradney was recently appointed by the City of Lake Charles to serve on the board of directors for the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), representing the Southwest Louisiana Lodging Association. Gradney is a member of BDK Associates, LLC, the ownership group for SpringHill Suites by Marriott Hotel located on West Prien Lake Road in Lake Charles. She is also the owner/president of CKR Group, LLC. For more in-formation on Lake Charles/Southwest Louisi-ana, visit www.visitlakecharles.org.

SOWELA Achieves Record Enrollment for Spring Semester

Southwest Louisiana Technical Community College (SOWELA) enrolled 3,275 students for its spring 2014 semester. Th is is the second semester in a row that SOWELA has achieved record enrollment growth of over 20 percent. For more information about SOWELA and its programs, visit www.sowela.edu.

United Way Recognizes Volunteers United Way of SWLA wrapped up another campaign season with

the annual “Leaders & Legends” Meeting and Victory Celebration recently. Th e 2013 campaign raised $4,125,757 and a 103.1% of the

campaign goal of $4 million. Buddy Hamic, Dan Losey, James McGee, and Mark Haser were all honored for their years of service as they retire from the United Way Board of Directors. Also receiving recognition were Robyn Elias, 2013 Allocations and Review Committee Chair and Libby Leon with CARC, 2013 Agency Executive Director’s Chair. Recipient of the Th omas J. Morris, Sr. Volunteer of the Year Award was Jason Guidry with CITGO. Starla Coody with Phillips 66 received this year’s Harper L. Clark, Sr. “Spirit of Southwest Louisiana” Award. West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital was given the 2013 Corporate Pride Award, and Industrial Contractors Co-Chairs, Jon Manns with Axiall and Ben Bourgeois with Turner Industries received the Jim Leigh Award. For more information about United Way of SWLA, visit www.unitedwayswla.org.

L’Auberge Guest Hits $1.5-Million Jackpot

L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles created yet another instant millionaire

recently. A guest from Athens, Ala-bama who works in Lake Charles won more than $1.5-million play-ing a Wheel of Fortune® $5 dollar slot machine. Th e guest, named Dennis, chose not to reveal his last name but lined up the winning reels shortly before 10 a.m. on Feb-ruary 11 aft er playing just $60, or six spins, into the machine to claim the statewide progressive jackpot. Dennis is the fi ft h instant mil-lionaire created at L’Auberge Lake Charles by a Wheel of Fortune® progressive machine since 2008.

L’Auberge Donates to Connections Count Conference

On February 12 and 13, L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles hosted Family & Youth Counseling Agency’s 16th Annual Con-nections Count Professional Development Conference and donated $5,000 in kind toward food and beverage. Family & Youth Counseling Agency, an award-winning organization, was established as a nonprofi t organization in 1970 to provide aff ordable and professional family services to people in SWLA.

Todd Clemons

Evette Gradney

Pictured (L-R): Keith W. Henson, L’Auberge Senior VP and GM; Dr. Candis Carr, Family & Youth Senior VP; Julio Galan, Family & Youth President and CEO.

MARCH 3, 201406 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Doucet Presented Highest Award in Regional Advertising

O’Carroll Group’s Pam Doucet was awarded the Silver Medal by the American Advertising Federation- Lake Charles Chapter (AAF-Lake Charles) at the group’s annual Addy Awards cer-emony at Isle of Capri Casino recently. Doucet is the Senior Account Manager and Media Buyer for O’Carroll Group in Lake Charles. She has an extensive record of community involvement and service in Southwest Louisiana, including active roles with the Chamber Southwest Louisi-ana and the Southwest Louisiana Econom-ic Development Alliance. She has gener-ously given her time and talents to the Family & Youth Foundation, the American Heart Association, the National Parkinson Foundation and many other causes that benefi t the community.

HBA of SWLA Announces 2014 Offi cers and Board Th e Home Builders Association of Southwest Louisiana is

pleased to announce the new offi cers and board of directors for 2014:

Harvey Bessette of Bessette Development, president; Chad Deshotel of Manuel Builders, vice-president; Tommy Coyne of Port Aggre-gates, secretary-treasurer; Kevin Richard of Acadian Brick & Stone, associate vice-president; and Don Veronie of Heritage Builders, past-president. Th e 2014 directors are as follows: Jon Ladner of Construc-tion Services of SWLA; Ken Robbins, Robbins Contracting; Chad Sarver, Legends Development; Randy Tupper, Tupper Homes; Mike Bertrand, Louisiana Mortgage; Lee Bruney, Star Concrete Pump-ers; Ricky Hanks, First Federal Insurance Services; Mona Hastings, JD Bank; Buddy Kohnke, Sears Commercial Sales; and Ben Stine, Bancorp South.

NAI Global Ranked Among Top Five Lipsey SurveyNAI Global, the world’s largest, most powerful network of owner-

operated commercial real estate fi rms, earned the top fi ve spot in the 2014 Lipsey Survey of Top 25 Commercial Real Estate Brands. Th e survey was conducted among 100,000 commercial real estate profes-sionals. NAI Global is the only commercial real estate network repre-sented in the top fi ve. NAI Lake Charles is a Member of NAI Global. “We are proud that the strength of the NAI Global network is refl ected in the results of this year’s Lipsey survey,” said Matt Redd. “With the economic boom slated for Southwest Louisiana we are very fortunate to be associated with one of the nation’s top real estate networks.”

Pam Doucet

CHRISTUS Physician Group Hires Dr. Dennis FletcherCHRISTUS Physician Group has hired Family Practice Physician Dennis Fletcher, MD. Aft er receiving his bachelor’s degree from McNeese State University in 1978, Dr. Fletcher received his medical degree from the Louisiana State University Health Sci-ences Center Shreveport and completed both his residency and internship at W.O. Moss Regional Hospital (now W.O. Moss Memorial Health Clinic). He is board-certifi ed in fam-ily medicine and a member of the American

Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Fletcher will be located at the new CHRISTUS Family Practice-Lake Charles clinic at 711 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive. Th e clinic will open on March 17.

CHRISTUS Promotes Joy Huff CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital has named Joy Huff Vice President (VP) of Physician Sales and Marketing, and Direc-tor of Mission Integration. In her new role, Huff will oversee the physician sales and marketing functions of the hospital and ensure that the CHRISTUS mission of extending the healing ministry of Jesus Christ is integrated into hospital opera-tions and throughout the community. Huff has worked at CHRISTUS Health for 28

years in three diff erent locations. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and is currently pursuing an MBA as well as a certifi cation in Mission Leadership.

Moore Named Safety Award RecipientWest Calcasieu Cameron Hospital re-cently named Heather Moore, registered nurse, as the recent recipient of its safety award. Th e award, which honors em-ployees for their promotion of safety and safety awareness in and around the hos-pital, is distributed to those employees that demonstrate extraordinary aware-ness and action in minimizing potential safety risks.

Memorial Physicians Among Louisiana’s Top DocsTh e Memorial Medical Group recently had eight physicians make the list of Louisiana’s top doctors in a recent survey of their peers con-ducted for Louisiana Life magazine for 2013. Th ey include Cardiol-ogy: Dr. J. King White; Family Medicine: Dr. Alan LeBato; Internal Medicine: Drs. Brian Clements, Susan Ieyoub and Peter Karam; Orthopedic Surgery; Dr. Nathan Cohen; and Pulmonology: Drs. R. Craig Broussard and Ben F. Th ompson, III. For more information on Memorial Medical Group physicians included in Louisiana’s Top Doctors, visit www.lcmh.com.

New CEO of Imperial Health System AnnouncedKeith Broach, MBA, FACHE, has been named Chief Executive Offi cer of the Imperial Health System in Lake Charles. Broach, an Alabama native, has over 30 years of experience in the hospital admin-istration and healthcare services manage-ment fi elds. Broach most recently served as president and CEO of Ferrell Hospital

Dennis Fletcher

Joy Huff

Heather Moore

Keith Broach

MARCH 3, 2014 07Vol. 5 • No. 25

in Eldorado, Illinois. He earned an MBA from Aspen University and a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala-bama. For more information about Imperial Health and the Imperial Health System, go to www.imperialhealth.com.

WCCH Hospital Hosts Adolescent Class For Girls March 29“Between Us Girls,” an adolescent class off ered by West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, will be held Saturday, March 29, from 8:30.– 11:30 a.m. in the hospital’s cafeteria conference room. Class sessions are designed for girls ages 9-11 and 12-15 and their mothers or guard-ians. Age-appropriate material will be presented in large and small group settings. Presentations will be made by Dr. Kelly Fuqua, family medicine physician; a registered nurse; and an aesthetician. Th ere is a $20 fee for each girl attending. Class size is limited. Call (337) 527-4361 to reserve space.

Lake Area Medical Center Announces March 19 Bariatric Seminar Lake Area Medical Center (LAMC) will host a free surgical weight loss seminar on Wednesday, March 19 in the LAMC First Floor Classroom at 4200 Nelson Rd., located next to the main entrance of the hospital. Th e seminar will be presented by board-certifi ed bariatric and general surgeon Keith Chung, M.D. at 6 p.m. Th e session will provide an overview and answer questions regarding the three surgical weight loss procedures off ered at LAMC, an accredited Bariatric Surgery

Center. Call (337) 475-4760 to reserve your place. A support person is welcome to attend with you. For more information, visit www.lakear-eamc.com/bariatrics.

Lake Area Medical Center to Host Healthy Woman Event March 29Lake Area Medical Center (LAMC) will host their next Healthy Woman event on Sat-urday, March 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Treasures of Marilyn’s located at 3510 Fift h Ave. in Lake Charles. Th e theme is “Southern Charm on the Avenue” featur-ing etiquette expert Karen P. Bowles. Women are encour-aged to put on their best hat and heels and enjoy a fun la-dies day out. An expo featur-ing Healthy Woman partners will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. where attendees can enjoy mimosas and light hors d’oeuvres. Th e interactive program and lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. Bring your mothers, daughters and friends. To purchase your $25 ticket, go to www.lakeareamc.com/healthywoman by March 19 or call 475-4102. Table sponsorships are available for $250 each.Kevin Chung

Karen P. Bowles

MARCH 3, 201408 Vol. 5 • No. 25

On the first day of our visit to Ireland with my sister and her family, I sensed that there was going to be trouble. It was clear from the start that we all em-barked with different agendas.

My sister Mary’s goal was to visit every gift shop in the country. This didn’t sit well with the token males of our group—namely, my brother-in-law, Jake, and I. Our feelings were that if you’ve seen one handmade cardi-gan sweater, you’ve seen them all.

So we compromised. My sister agreed to look only in gift shops that were within walking distance of a pub. That allowed Jake and I to pursue our own agenda, which was to have a pint of Guinness in every pub in Ireland. It wasn’t much of a compromise, because no matter where you are in Ireland, there is always a pub within walking distance. She’s a shrewd lady, my sister, but Jake and I didn’t care.

My wife, Susan, would not

be satisfied until she visited every castle in Ireland. That was understandable, America be-ing such a castle-poor country. “Take me to a castle!” she’d cry from the back seat as we were driving along some country road, at which point I’d pull over to peruse the library of travel guides we’d brought along.

Usually I’d find one that was not too far off our route, there being nearly as many castles in Ireland as there are pubs. But often, the castle turned out to be well off the beaten path, where asphalt turns to gravel which turns to grass, narrowing to where two leprechauns couldn’t pass each other without scraping beards. But then, just before the grass would yield to peat bog, there the castle would be.

Many of these castles stood in ruin, missing important parts such as roofs and a wall or two (but never a gift shop, much to my sister’s delight). This, we learned, was due to the nature of

the real estate business in me-dieval times. Back then, if you wanted a castle, you’d go find one that you fancied and then attack it, there being no special “Castles” section to peruse in the Sunday newspaper. You would then stage your catapults and bombard the structure while the owner poured boiling oil over you from the battlements. And you thought that modern real estate practices were messy.

My niece, Jenny, took lit-tle time in revealing her own agenda, which was to pet every dog in Ireland. Luckily for her, it turns out that all dogs in the country are friendly, just like their owners. Legend has it that Saint Patrick not only drove all of the snakes out of Ireland but all of the mean dogs, too, these having been snapped up by American owners of car in-poundment lots.

By the end of our week, we each got to fulfill much of our individual agendas. On our way

back to the airport, we heard on the radio of a nationwide barley shortage, which Jake and I attrib-uted to our tireless pub-crawling. Another report indicated a spike in the country’s export trade, due in no small part to the cargo ship that my sister chartered to carry home all of her souveniers.

We all loved the trip so much that we vowed to return to Ireland someday. Jenny insists that she may have missed a dog or two, and Susan won’t rest until she’s photographed every single pile of rubble—I mean, castle. And I won’t rest until I’ve downed a pint in every pub in Ireland. I believe I missed a few.

Mike McHugh’s column has appeared in the Jambalaya News for nearly five years. He also contributes stories to the “Not Your Mother’s Book” anthology series and makes public speaking appearances. To inquire about having him speak to your group, contact Mike at thedangyan-kee@mail.com.

Erin Go Blah!

Homer Paul, aka Pauley, is a Brussels Griffon mix around 2-3 years old that has been with us for a short time. He

came from a kill shelter with very little hair. Note that now, he has plenty! According to the vet, the hair loss was due to an allergy to fleas—he will always need flea prevention. Weigh-ing about 10 pounds, not only is

he one of the most charm-ing fellows around, he is a genuine rascal—the dog who would be king! He is a play machine with other

dogs and his favorite sport is chasing cats, especially those bigger than he is. So, his new home will need to be cat-free. He is a lover-boy, bonds quickly, and is a snuggle buddy on cold evenings. He is perfectly crate trained and is doing well with house training. For more in-formation on this sweet boy, call or email (337) 478-7294; lapaw@bellsouth.net. Vet check, home visit, and commitment to heartworm prevention required prior to all adoptions.

Can’t adopt? Consider fostering. Can’t foster? Consider sponsoring! LAPAW dogs (and cats) can be seen at www.lapaw.org.

Featured by LAPAW Rescue • Contact us at www.lapaw.org

MARCH 3, 2014 09Vol. 5 • No. 25

Mardi Gras MamboEven with the nasty weather

on Mardi Gras day itself, this year’s celebration in Southwest Louisiana was a wonderful experience for many local resi-dents and visitors. The damp cold weather conditions on Fat Tuesday, quite over the top for a March here in Lake Charles, did not allow for as magnificent a parade as was hoped for, but there were many hardy partici-pants both on the ground and on the parade floats, all passing a good time and ready to return next year in force. And we hear that the attendance at the Gala was up from previous years.

We owe a big thank you to the many people behind the scenes that help make our Mardi Gras the success it is each year. The vast, vast major-ity are volunteers who receive no financial compensation, only the enjoyment of the expe-rience itself and the satisfaction of seeing that enjoyment on the face of others. They work long hours to make sure our experi-ence is the best it can be. Well done!

Civic Center Needs Hand Railings

We are glad to learn that some form of stair railings are to be installed at Burton Coliseum. Accordingly, we hope that the Civic Center will find a way to put some hand railings in the upper seating levels of their coliseum arena.

Many folks, both young and old, have trouble negotiating those steps without some trepidation. Take

a look the next time you are there. We have

heard many concerns that an accident

could result in a serious

injury as well as costly liabil-

ity issues. Common sense makes it obvi-ous that some form of hand hold or railing is necessary for a more

secure transverse of the seat-ing area. At the least, it could prevent us from landing in someone’s lap.

Supermarket Round-Up

For our shopping survey this issue, I am in the mood for chicken and dumplings, so we shall check the prices on some of the ingredients. We’ll need a whole chicken, some onions, milk and Bisquick. These prices were obtained on Wednesday, March 5 and reflect the posted price on the shelf where the product was made available for sale. The stores we checked this time were: Albertsons-Country Club Road, Market Basket-Nelson, Kroger-McNeese Street and Walmart-Nelson Road.

Yellow onions, per pound: Albertsons $1.29, Market Basket $1.19, Kroger $.99, Walmart $.88.

Whole chicken, per pound: Albertsons $.98, Market Bas-ket $1.29, Kroger $.98, Wal-mart $1.09.

Bisquick, 40-ounce box: Al-bertsons $3.99, Market Basket $3.85, Kroger $3.79, Walmart $3.25.

Whole milk, store brand, per gallon: Albertsons $3.79, Market Basket $3.99, Kroger $3.99, Walmart $4.14.

MARCH 3, 201410 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Another winter of my content is dying. With its sad demise hunting season ends yet again. However, with its forlorn passing the yearned-for fishing season arises. Brim will pop feed in the lily pads, marsh bass explode out a top water lure,

and specs and reds will tear jerk into chartreuse baits. That’s exciting but it is not hunting, it’s what I do be-tween duck seasons.

Hunting for a good number of us is an epiphany. Those of you who don’t hunt wonder why sane people

willingly wander out in the rain, sleet, and even snow to shoot hapless game. Certain-ly, it seems folly. Meat can be purchased vastly cheaper in the store. Hunting of any sort is a very expensive hobby and far from being cost effective.

I introduced former Mc-Neese photographer Ron Foreman (Bayou Fire & Protection) to the sheer joy of hunting waterfowl, snipe, and doves. On my birthday (Dec. 1) in 1979, we sat atop his new mud boat just off the Hackberry Salt Ditch. We were there to play at re-freshing blind cover, check-ing decoys, and clearing the trails on local attorney E.C. Hunt‘s lease. Truth be told, we were really there just to take in the aerial antics of hundreds of geese and ducks and the marsh’s exhilarating khaki and whip grass green beauty.

“Hey, Roger,” Ron said.“Yea,” I mumbled semi-

coherently while munch-ing on my shrimp poor boy sandwich.

“I want to thank you for teaching me to hunt. I didn‘t know what I was missing,” he said.

“My honor,” I replied somewhat taken aback by his so openly expressed grati-tude.

“Before we started this all I ever did was work. Now I have a hobby I love,” Ron shared.

I munched and tried to appear humble, a real feat on

A Hunter’s Lament

MARCH 3, 2014 11Vol. 5 • No. 25

my part.“Now I have a Browning

Citori over and under shot gun, 100 decoys, hunting outfits from Cabala’s, knee, hip and wader boots, a case of shells, and this brand new mud boat,” Ron proudly explained.

I didn’t know quite what to say so I munched on.

“And now, for the first time in my life, I’m in debt up to my ass, have no love life, and work mostly to support my hobby. I owe you,” Ron added with what I hoped was a mischievous grin.

I choked on my poor boy.So why do we hunt if it

is an act of near insanity? I can only answer for myself and not as well as William Faulkner did in his epic Southern hunter’s tale, The Bear. It’s what Southern boys grew up with. Most of our dads worked so much they had little time to hunt but they or a friend of theirs took the time to teach us. There were many lessons to be learned. We were soon to know the hard work a duck blind or deer stand is along with the art of site selection, construction, and mainte-nance. We were to learn that it was an honor to have a place to hunt and to share it with others who weren’t so fortunate.

Our teachers made us re-alize that the killing of game was secondary to the hunt with its patience, skill, and timing. The hunter’s rule of “If you shoot it you eat it,” was emblazoned in our con-sciousness and conscience. This saved the lives of thou-sands of robins, blackbirds, and snowy egrets that might have fallen to our youthful exuberance. Hunting eti-quette, steeped as it is in the

consideration of others, was made part of our trips afield.

As a long-time guide, I soon learned from the other guides to divide our clients into two groups, “hunters” and “sports.” Those that had learned the code were “hunt-ers.” Those that hadn’t were “sports.” And we labeled them as such to each other.

Hunting to me was the one place where the cares

and woes of life abandoned me. I was at peace and awed by my adventures afield. All of us need a place we can go to and be at peace. Some of you may stroll in a place like Prien Lake Park, or sail, read, or simply sit on your patio. It doesn’t matter where it is, what’s important is an actual place where we can feel, “The peace that passeth all understanding.”

One freezing North wind-driven sleeting morning Ron and I were duck hunting. Hunkered down in our blind, ice forming on our slickers and hunting hats, my friend turned to me and said, “Our wives wouldn’t even attempt to shop a half off Christmas sale in this weather.” He was right and we were insanely having a hell of a grand time. Still do.

MARCH 3, 201412 Vol. 5 • No. 25

A dynasty is a difficult period of time to measure; it’s open to wide interpretation.

The Hapsburg Dynasty, which nearly covered the whole of Europe and included the monarchs of all of the most powerful countries in the world at the time, ran

from about 1027 to 1780, roughly 750 years. The House of Windsor, which is the cur-rent holder of the monarchy in the United Kingdom, was established in 1917.

By contrast, the television show Dynasty lasted just eight years, much to John

Forsythe’s disappointment, I’m sure.

In sports, a dynasty usu-ally doesn’t even last that long, typically three to five years. Exceptions like Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls (six championships in eight years), the Joe DiMaggio-led

Yankees (six championships in eight years) or the Green Bay Packers of the 1960s (five championships in seven years) are exceptionally rare, especially in the modern era of free agency and player loy-alty to money over team.

On a local level, the St.

St. Louis Soccer: They’ll be Back

MARCH 3, 2014 13Vol. 5 • No. 25

Louis Catholic boys’ soccer team is just such a rare dynas-ty. Since 1997, the Saints have won 10 state championships, including an amazing four consecutive titles from 2010-2013. The team has been nationally ranked six times in that period, which, consider-ing how (American) football crazed the area is compared to futbol, is immensely im-pressive.

The only local teams I can compare them to, in my experience as a sportswriter, are the girls basketball teams from Hackberry and Fairview.

Sadly, though, dynasties, like all things, come to an end eventually. The Hapsburgs ran out of male children. Michael Jordan retired. The writers put Krystle Carrington in a coma, leaving Alexis with no one’s hair to pull.

For St. Louis, the dynasty didn’t so much as end as reach an interregnum at the hands of Lusher Charter a few weeks ago.

The game was a strange one. St. Louis spent most of the first half in the Lusher end, pressuring the Lions’ defense, but at the half it was the Lions ahead 2-1. The Saints, for all of their pres-sure, did not finish in front of the goal as they are usu-ally accustomed while Lusher used a lightning counter-attack to take the lead.

St. Louis pulled one back on a laser-beam Michael Mack goal, but, instead of as-serting their dominance and wearing Lusher down, the Lions kept pace sending the game to one overtime, then another, then penalty kicks.

In PKs, Lusher’s keeper was too good besting St. Louis and propelling his team into the finals.

It was a disappointing result. This wasn’t the most talented St. Louis team, but it was certainly one of the classiest. One thing I consist-

ently heard all season was how this team did things the right way on the field and in the classroom. On the field at that last game, in the face of a physical Lusher team and a wildly inconsistent officiat-ing crew, there was very little complaining coming from the Saints.

On the other hand, Lusher was classless pure and simple. Of course, everyone knows about how Alex Fuselier cel-ebrated a meaningless goal in the quarterfinals with a “dou-ble bird” salute to the oppos-ing team’s fans and earned a suspension. What was learned later was that coach Dan Perez was going to let Fuselier play against St. Louis before school officials suspended the kid from school, precluding any playing time.

During the St. Louis game, Lusher’s Joe Roberts managed to earn a yellow card for a foul (which is fine; St. Louis got one too), but he nearly managed a soft red card for putting his hand on and talk-ing back to the official. Addi-tionally, he spent much of the game working the officials, the kind of petulant whining that most soccer fans hate.

And never mind Lusher’s fans, the majority of whom have encouraged the team’s bad behavior and behaved less than adult themselves.

As I heard postgame and, upon refl ection I tend to agree though I acknowledge my

local bias, it was like the bad guys won. It seemed like hard work on the fi eld and in the classroom, sportsmanship, and teamwork went unrewarded while selfi shness, crudeness, and enmity won out.

But, as I said, surely this is not the end of the dynasty so much as a brief break before the next group of St. Louis soccer players restarts the dynasty.

Michael Jordan retired, came back, and the Bulls won three more championships. The Seinfeld-era Yankees (ye of Danny Tartabull and Buck Showalter) were hor-rible, but, being the Yankees, they started another dynasty and won four World Series in eight years from 1996-2003.

So, while I feel for St. Louis and understand how hard it will be for them to watch the bad guys play in the state championship, I also under-stand that with the founda-tion that has been laid and the talent the coaching staff nurtures each season, the Saints’ dynasty will resume sooner rather than later.

Brandon Shoumaker is a graduate of McNeese State University and has covered sports for more than a dec-ade for various publications. Coaches or parents with story tips or comments may contact Brandon at bshoumaker@yahoo.com or send him a message on Twitter (@bshou-maker).

MARCH 3, 201414 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Hello everyone!I looked in the rearview mir-

ror and saw Fat Tuesday and that can only mean one thing: the season of Lent is upon us. Well, it can mean a lot of other things too, but I’m going to stick with my original thought.

Most folks, no matter their faith, choose to eat seafood on Fridays throughout the Lenten season. Not hard to do here in the great state of Louisiana where we are blessed with an abundance and variety of fresh seafood.

As a matter of fact, I was giv-en some fresh catfish the other day and the only problem I had was trying to decide how I was going to cook it. I had narrowed it down to a court bouillon or fried catfish, and since I didn’t give up fried food for Lent this year…well, you can guess what won.

This is my standard for fried fish. I like to use catfish but it works just as well on flounder, redfish, brim, trout, bass. Heck! Any Fish. I serve mine with a jalapeno tartar sauce, fried po-tatoes and my special romaine coleslaw. Top the platter off with some fresh wedges of lem-on and sliced onion and pickles and you’ve got a wonderful and easy meal for everyone to enjoy.

Jalapeno Tartar SauceWhat You’ll Need

1 tablespoon Creole Mustard1 cup mayonnaise (I use Blue Plate)1 fresh jalapeno (seeded and diced fine)2 Tablespoons dill relishSeason-All to tasteSqueeze of lemon

What You’ll DoMix all together in a bowlWrap and place in the refrig-

erator until ready to use.

Catfi shWhat You’ll Need

1 ½ pounds of catfish (filets or nuggets)1 cup yellow mustard½ cup olive oil1 teaspoon granulated garlic1 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon Season-All½ teaspoon Louisiana Hot SauceVegetable oil for frying

BreadingWhat You’ll Need

2 cups AP flour1 cup cornmeal1 teaspoon granulated garlic1 teaspoon black pepper2 teaspoons Season-All

What You’ll DoIn a large bowl, whisk the

combined ingredients for the breading and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk all the other ingredients together, except the catfish and the oil for frying. Once it is mixed well, add the catfish (make sure it is completely covered with the mustardy goodness), cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to fry. Heat your oil in a fryer or on the stove in an appropriate pot or pan to 350 degrees.

Remove the catfish from the mustard mixture two or three at a time. Cover with the flour and cornmeal mixture and set aside on parchment paper. Once you’ve finished with all the catfish, start frying, being careful not to “crowd the pot.” Each batch should take 4-6 minutes depending on the size and thickness. Just look for that golden brown color. Remove and place on paper towels to rest a bit before serving with the jalapeno tartar sauce and any other sides you want, such as French fries, potato salad, coleslaw, etc.

So head to your “Honey Hole,” wet your line and get you some fish. And don’t forget to “Stir Dat Pot!” See ya’ll soon!

Fried Catfi sh with Jalapeno Tartar Sauce

MARCH 3, 2014 15Vol. 5 • No. 25

When we are young, we all think that there’s plenty of time. As we get older, we start to think there’s never enough time. A day can go by so fast or last so long that it feels like there is no end.

Each day, we write a new page of our own personal story. We decide each movement we make by the use of our time. There are some of us that are always on time, and others that are always late. Have you ever noticed the ones that are always on time are almost never rushing? They seem to be present…in the mo-ment, not stressing at all. Then there are all the rest of us franti-cally speeding through every minute of our day.

Are we afraid that we are fall-ing behind? We want to do more when we are actually exhausted. Is time really not our own? I’ll bet you have plenty of explana-tions why you don’t have enough time. All of those commitments and responsibilities are justified. My point is there is always an explanation why our time really isn’t our own.

There are a few reasons that might explain why time goes by so fast:

Telescopy is simply the un-derestimation of time. We tend to perceive events more recently than they actually occur. That might be why we say, “Why, it only seems like yesterday…”

Then, there’s the Reminis-cence effect. You could call them emotional speed bumps in the road: your first kiss, first day of high school, getting mar-ried, having children, having a grandchild or losing a loved one – these memories are recorded in

more detail than what we might call “regular events” which just pass by in a blur. Time marches on…life becomes more routine. The result is that you create fewer memory speed bumps, which give you the feeling that time is moving very quickly.

Our brain’s biological clock can contribute to the perception that time is flying. Your inner time meter slows down, the outside world seems to speed up. This feeling can make you age too fast.

I do believe that there are a few ways that we can slow this process down just a bit.

• Slow Down: that sounds easy enough, but for most people that I know, this is one of the hardest things for them to do. We wake up and run for our caffeine that we can’t make it through the day without. We should take advantage of new and unique experiences. When we go to the same places and do the same things, we don’t make unique memories and time seems to fly by. Focus on posi-tive (rather than negative) past memories, try to live more in the present, and hold a positive outlook of the future - a future full of hope and optimism.

• Meditation or Yoga: Studies at the Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation reveal that you can positively impact your telomeres (a compound structure at the end of a chro-mosome) as well as claim many other health benefits, in only 12 minutes a day.

• Pay Attention: Go for a walk and take a look at what is all around you. Notice the sky, the

tress, and the clouds. Really slow down and taste your food. Be grateful. This will help you enjoy a more meaningful life. You will gain peace of mind, a rare and beautiful gift in today’s crazy, fast-paced world.

Do you remember when growing up seemed to last for-ever? At least, in my eyes it did. And now, I can’t believe that I’m almost halfway through my forties and have to do all the “grown-up” things that face me each new day. I’m not sure where the time went (don’t we all say that?), but I’ve certainly become more aware of how I spend my days. It’s becoming less about what I think I should be doing and more about listening to my heart. We all deserve to be truth-ful with ourselves and define our own lives. Otherwise, life will pass us by.

SO, if you could pick any-where to be right now, where would you go? Is there a memory that comes to mind, for example, that instantly brings you to that time and place where you all

gathered together with a family member that is no longer with you? Maybe sitting together, eat-ing at the table, sharing stories, and laughing a LOT. I would give anything to be in that place right now, even for just a moment.

Life is what you make of it. And I know that I have so much to learn.

Don’t be afraid of time passing you by.

Live and love your life to the fullest.

Smile, do things that make you happy, things that make you laugh.

The most important thing to remember is to try as hard as you can to leave this beautiful life that God gave you with as few regrets as possible.

Sending you all HUGS of LOVE…

NicoleTo book a Soul Matters Ses-

sion with Nicole Shuff Arabie, call (337) 540-6573. You can also go to her Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Declutter-ingYourSoul

The Passage of Time

MARCH 3, 201416 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Orchids are among the most romantic and alluring of fl owers. Th ey are synonymous with elegance, with special occasions, with the exotic.

“Th ey aren’t necessarily hard to grow,” claims Dr. Joseph Richardson, president of the Calcasieu Orchid Society. “And Southwest Louisiana can be the ideal place for them to grow.”

Th e Orchid Society will have a display at the Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference and Expo, and they will also have a booth with many orchids for sale at reasonable prices. Th e expo will be held at Burton Coliseum March 22-23, and information is available at www.gardenfest.org.

Richardson says the Orchid Society wants to issue a special invitation to people who have been intrigued with orchids, but who have felt they wouldn’t be successful in growing them. “Come and talk to us,” he said. “We have a lot of nov-ices in our organization and we are all learning together.”

Richardson’s own collection began with orchids from a Kroger grocery store. “Th ey bloomed a long time, and we just put them in our porch over the winter,” he recalled. “We were amazed when they bloomed for us again the next spring.”

Since then, he and his wife have collected many more orchids. “We are trying to take care of them and give them the best conditions for growth that we can,” he said. “When they bloomed in spite of our neglect several years ago, we felt guilty. Now, through our Orchid Society,

we are trying to do better.”

While many people grow or-chids in greenhous-es, Richardson does

not. “My wife wants one, but it hasn’t happened yet,” he said. So, in the meantime, his orchids grow in an enclosed porch during the winter, and, when spring comes, he hangs them under the crape myrtle trees in their backyard.

Orchids come in all shapes and colors. Th ey grow all over the world, even in fairly inhospi-table places, but are especially abundant in the world’s tropical rain forests. Th ere are an estimat-ed 25,000 wild species and 1,400 genera, accord-ing to one of the books Richardson has collected, Orchids for Every Home: Th e Beginner’s Gide to Growing Beautiful, Easy-Care Orchids.

Th e Orchid Society will have several types for sale at the garden show, including phalaenop-sis, paphiopedilums, cattleyas, oncidiums, and dendrobiums.

One oncidium called “Twinkle,” is one of Richardson’s personal favorites. It is a small plant and produces a number of tiny, perfect blooms that quiver in any breeze. “Th is orchid is completely diff erent from orchids that are more familiar, such as the big cattleyas,” he said. “It just points out the tremendous diversity of orchids. You are going to see some amazing fl owers.”

Th e Calcasieu Orchid Society meets on the third Sunday of the month (except during the summer). Programs usually have a speaker, and also off er hands-on advice. “We have people come who need to have an orchid repotted, or who have an orchid that is sick and they don’t know what is wrong,” he said. “We will do our best to help. And if we don’t have the answer, we can usually fi nd someone who does.”

Meetings are open to all. Yearly membership dues are $15 for an adult, $25 for a family, and $5 for youth, but membership is not required to

MARCH 3, 2014 17Vol. 5 • No. 25

March means spring and spring says it is time for the Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference & EXPO (formerly the SWL Garden Festival). Th e weather is right, the sun is bright; let’s make ready our gardens to grow!

Th e Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference & EXPO inside the Burton Coliseum is celebrating gardening with its 15th Annual Show and Plant Extravaganza about gardening, fl owers, trees, shrubs, garden ac-cessories, books, demonstrations, educational lectures, and general garden tools. Area, regional and interstate exhibitors and vendors will be there to assist you with your plant and garden needs.

Th e Federated Garden Clubs of Southwest Louisiana will present: “Art In Bloom” their 2014 fl ower show theme, where they will be displaying their fl oral design and horticulture talents. Th ere will be new and exciting educational programs about garden topics of interest by LSU AgCenter specialists, as well as regional, and state guest speakers.

“Th e Garden EXPO is a wholesome, educational envi-ronment and the perfect activity to bring together friends and families,” said LSU AgCenter Extension Horticulturist, Robert Turley.

Th e EXPO attracts over 4,000 garden lovers, residents, and visitors each year. Th ere will be a Plant Health Clinic with profes-sionals from the LSU AgCenter as well as Master Gardener

volunteers who will help diag-nose plant problems and answer garden questions. Educational garden seminars will be on-going throughout the two day event. Th e 4-H Cart Service will be there to help EXPO-goers carry out items to their vehicles.

Educational programs include “Home Vegetable Gardening” and “Fruit Production” held on Friday while programs on “Ornamentals and Landscape

Gardening & Herbs” being held on Saturday.

Th e SWL Master Gardeners will present their Garden EXPO Preview Party with a Gumbo Supper & Silent Auction in the Chalkley Room of the Burton Coliseum on Th ursday, March 20, 6-8 p.m. Th ere is a donation of $10 in advance for admission. Tickets can be purchased at the LSU AgCenter, 7101 Gulf Hwy., Lake Charles. Attendees will

enjoy the gumbo supper, partici-pate in the silent auction, allow to preview the Garden Show and purchase from the participat-ing Garden EXPO vendors that evening.

Regular Garden EXPO hours are Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admis-sion is $3 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.garden-fest.org.

attend meetings.Th ere are two remaining meet-

ings of the current year:April 27 – Anthropod Pests with

Dr. Bob Danka, Research Ento-mologist with the US Department of Agriculture. Danka studies the behavior and breeding of honey-bees as related to crop pollination. As an orchid grower for 20 years, he has experienced all of the pest problems common to South Louisi-ana. He will describe the prevalent anthropod pests – what they are,

how they live and what they do – and how the average orchid grower can control them.

May 18 – Cattleyas with Bobby Gianelloni. Gianelloni, the past president of the Acadian Orchid Society in Lafayette, will give advice on growing what may be the most popular of orchids – cattleyas. Th is orchid is so familiar because it is generally used for corsages. Gianel-loni says that orchid growers usually fi nd one type of orchid that gives them the most success, and for him,

it’s cattleyas. He will show how to pot them, water them and generally care for them in a way that should result in spectacular bloomage. He stresses that there is no “one way” to do something. “You’re never com-pletely locked in,” he said. “Each person will fi nd what works best, but I’ll tell them what’s worked best for me over the past 25 years.”

For more information, email Margo Racca at mracca@centu-rytel.net or call Fred Sahlmann at 433-2423.

MARCH 3, 201418 Vol. 5 • No. 25

By Allen OwingsLSU AgCenter horticulturist

We have many wonderful plants coming into flower and foliage this time of year, but our landscapes also have diseases, insects and weeds that need to be monitored and dealt with when appropriate.

Lace bugs are a problem on azaleas each year in Louisi-ana. These little pests are now beginning to emerge from the eggs laid in leaf tissue last year. Azaleas that receive radiated heat from nearby buildings are the first to show injury.

Lace bug adults and nymphs feed with piercing, sucking mouthparts, and this injury to leaf cells causes the upper surface of the foliage to appear stippled and gray in color. This damage makes the azaleas look bad, and the leaves will appear this way all season. Three to four generations of lace bugs appear throughout the year,

with the first emerging just after the plants begin to bloom and the last in the early fall.

To examine plants for lace bugs, knock the azalea leaves against a piece of white paper. If they are present, lace bugs will fall on the paper and be eas-ily seen. If you fi nd the bugs, you can use several materials to manage them. Th e insecticides acephate, malathion, Bayer Advanced Garden with imida-clorpid, summer horticultural oil and spinosad are all eff ective materials for managing this pest.

Fire ants currently are becoming a problem, with mounds visible in area land-scapes. Worker ants are building mounds high above ground to avoid saturated soil. Many fire ant baits on the market work great. Broadcast baits across your lawn and landscape each March and September for a couple of years, and you can remove almost all fire ants from

your property. Also treat indi-vidual mounds for quick re-sults.

One of the best defenses against pest problems is keeping your plants in tiptop condition through good culture. This in-cludes proper plant spacing and planting the right plant in the right location where it receives the proper soil, drainage, water, light and nutrients.

An excellent way to avoid insect and disease problems is through plant selection. Choose plants that are well adapted to our climate – those that have been bred and selected for in-sect and disease resistance and those that are simply not prone to major problems.

If you have a plant or plants that constantly seem to have something attacking them de-spite your best efforts, consider

removing them and replac-ing them with plants you have found to require less care.

In vegetable gardens and annual fl ower beds that are replanted from season to sea-son, crop rotation is important. Planting the same type of plants in the same bed year aft er year can lead to a buildup of disease organisms in the soil that use the plants as a host. If possible, plant diff erent things in your garden in diff erent places every year.

Proper sanitation is another important factor in controlling insect, weed and disease prob-lems. Always keep your yard, gardens and adjacent areas as weed-free as possible. Fruits and fallen leaves infected with dis-ease should be raked up, bagged and thrown away.

Cool-season weeds are abundant right now, and warm-season weeds have germinated and are growing. Mulches are the best way to save work and reduce the use of herbicides to control weeds in beds.

Weeds certainly are a lead-ing garden pest. Weed control, by whatever method you use, is always more eff ective when done regularly and before problems become major issues. Apply herbicides for lawn weeds in February and apply fertilizer to your lawn in April. Avoid use of weed and feed products early in the season.

MARCH 3, 2014 19Vol. 5 • No. 25

Riding Mower Maintenance Tips• Periodically check to make sure the lawn mower blades come to a complete stop within approximately five seconds after operating the blade disengagement control. If the blades do not stop within this time frame, take your machine to an authorized service dealer.

• Check the lawn mower blade(s) and engine mounting bolts at frequent intervals for proper tightness. Also, visually inspect blade(s) for damage. Replace riding mower blade with the original manufacturers (OEM) blade only. Use of parts that do not meet specifications may lead to improper performance and compromise safety.

• Keep all nuts, bolts and screws tight to be sure the equipment is in safe working conditions. The natural vibrating motion of your riding lawn mower can cause them to loosen throughout the sea-son, so it’s important to check periodically before use.

• Sharpen lawn mower blades frequently to maintain the health of your lawn. Brown grass tips may be an indicator it is time to sharpen or replace blades.

• Add fuel stabilizer to fresh gasoline before adding it to your mower. Otherwise, the gas will begin to destabilize and leave de-posits that gum up the engine. Stabilizer can extend the shelf-life of your gas pas 30 days and help keep the engine clean.

• Watch for wear and damage on the grass catcher components, discharge cover and trail shield that could expose moving parts or allow objects to be thrown. Frequently check components and replace immediately with OEM parts only.

MARCH 3, 201420 Vol. 5 • No. 25

CITGO Lake Charles Manu-facturing Complex is partnering with the City of Lake Charles, Team Green of Southwest Loui-siana, Keep Calcasieu Beautiful, McNeese State University, and Waste Management to host the sixth annual E-Recycle Day, where community members

can bring their electronics for recycling, on Saturday, March 22, from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Mc-Neese Cowboy Stadium parking lot.

“Th e sixth annual E-Recycle Day is an extension of the core value of environmental stew-ardship CITGO upholds as a

socially responsible neighbor in Southwest Louisiana. We are privileged to serve our commu-nity by off ering E-Recycle Day to the communities we serve,” said CITGO Vice President & General Manager Tomeu Vadell.

“Our community looks forward to this event because it helps residents properly dispose of electronic items,” said Mayor Randy Roach. “We appreciate the sponsorship of CITGO and the eff orts of our community partners and volunteers that help make E-Recycle Day pos-sible. Th is event makes a strong statement about the spirit of cooperation which enables us to work together on these types of worthwhile projects.”

Vehicles should enter the Cowboy Stadium parking lot through the Common Street en-trance to drop off their E-waste

items. Only residential deliver-ies will be accepted.

Acceptable items include: computers, computer monitors, computer peripherals, print-ers, fax machines, keyboards, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, home and offi ce phones, cell phones and consumer elec-tronics.

Mercury items accepted include: lamps (fl uorescent, high intensity discharge, neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide), and thermostats and thermometers containing metallic or liquid mercury.

Unacceptable items include: smoke detectors, fi re alarms, dehumidifi ers, large appliances (refrigerators, etc.), medi-cal equipment, and units with sludge or liquids. For more information, call 491-1481.

Recycle�Your�Electronics�on��CITGO�E-Recycle�Day,�March�22

MARCH 3, 2014 21Vol. 5 • No. 25

Lake Charles Charter Acad-emy of Lake Charles is plant-ing an American Heart Asso-ciation Teach-ing Garden, sponsored by L’Auberge Lake Charles Casino Resort, as part of an education initiative to help build healthy bodies and minds.

The Lake Charles Charter Academy Teaching Garden will use American Heart Association science and nutrition guidelines as well as information from gardening and education experts. The program combines nutrition education with garden-based learning. It is a real-life labora-tory where students learn how to plant seeds, nurture grow-ing plants, harvest produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits. Numer-ous studies have shown that participating in school garden programs can improve students’

attitudes about fruits and veg-etables.

“Here at L’Auberge, high-quality produce is so important to the success of our food and bev-erage outlets,” stated Stephanie

Miller-Vincent, L’Auberge Lake Charles Director of Food & Beverage. “Coupled with guid-ance from our talented chefs, the Teaching Garden program will help the students develop a positive attitude about fresh fruits and vegetables at an early age that they will take with them into adulthood.”

Studies show that healthy be-havior positively impacts learn-ing. The goal of the program is to improve children’s health. The facts are startling:

Nearly one in three American children is overweight or obese.

American eating habits are leading to modern day “malnu-

trition,” with diets full of foods that have little nutritional value.

French fries make up one-fourth of children’s vegetable intake and are the most com-mon vegetable. Fruit juice, which may lack important fiber found in whole fruits, accounts for 40 percent of children’s daily fruit intake.

L’Auberge is consistently rec-ognized by the American Heart Association as a Fit Friendly Worksite for providing successful

wellness programs to its employ-ees and continuously encourag-ing healthy living practices.

L’Auberge Cares and the SWLA – American Heart As-sociation have already begun the planning process and are part-nering with school officials to ensure a successful plant day in early fall 2014. Members of the L’Auberge culinary team will play an integral part in developing the garden and reinforcing healthy eating choices for participants.

L’Auberge Underwrites American Heart Association Teaching Garden

MARCH 3, 201422 Vol. 5 • No. 25

By Lauren de AlbuquerqueSpring is almost here. It’s

been a long, cold winter, and our thoughts are turning to sunshine, warm weather, and all the good things this season brings.

It’s the perfect time to make some colorful, in-expensive changes in your home. Whether you’re putting it up for sale or just want to give it a lift , there are lots of aff ordable ways that won’t break the bank.

If you’re thinking of sell-ing, this time of year is ideal for families. Selling in the spring and moving in the summer when the kids are out of school is a win-win situation all around—and your home always looks better when fl owers are blooming and the grounds are nicely landscaped.

Denise Miller of Aff ordable El-egance in Lake Charles has some great ideas for you:

Change out those heavy winter curtains. “Go for something light, like linen or sheers,” Miller says. “Or, you can just pull them back

with unique tie-backs and let the sun in. It will open up your house.”

You may be tired of your sofa, but that’s a big expense to replace. “Instead, brighten it up with new throw pillows in pastels or vibrant colors,” she says. “Or, throw an embroidered shawl over the back of the couch. And a beautiful slipcover makes all the diff erence in the world.”

Purchase some new vases, candles or bookends for your coff ee or end tables. Try rearrang-ing pictures on the walls. Mirrors will make the rooms look bigger.

“You’d be surprised how a coat rack by the door, a folding screen, or a decorative wine rack will en-

hance your space,” Miller says.If you have boring re-

cessed lights in your dining and living rooms, consider replacing one of the room’s

lights with an eye-catching chandelier. You can also

buy replacement fan blades (leaving the fan body in place) to update a ceiling fans and lights.

Set your dining room table with natural linen or

cotton placemats and napkins and pastel-tone dishes. Flowers can brighten anyone’s day—and your home. While there is nothing like fresh blossoms, dried or silk fl ow-ers are a much better investment. “And you can change them out occasionally,” Miller suggests. “Put them in diff erent vases in diff erent rooms. Th e possibilities are end-less.” Of course, if you’re selling your home, fresh fl owers for an open house are perfect!

Miller says that carpeting is another detail that can quickly update your home and make it

look fresher. A professional carpet cleaning is a relatively inexpensive investment, especially if your rugs are in good shape. And throw rugs are always a good idea. “Stra-tegically placed area rugs will give your rooms a whole new look, even over carpeting,” she says. “And they’re reasonably priced enough to replace every year.”

For your kitchen, put fresh potted herbs on the windowsill and display some pretty plates and favorite cookbooks on your counter. “New pendant lighting over your island will really make a diff erence!” Miller says.

A new shower curtain, bath mat and colorful towels will liven up the bathroom Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are oft en the most important rooms to update and can be improved without a lot of expense. And it’s an easy room to paint, too!

Need more ideas? Visit Den-ise Miller at Affordable El-egance at 925 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles, LA 70601, (337) 377-6616. Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.- 5:30 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

MARCH 3, 2014 23Vol. 5 • No. 25

The Westlake High School Theatre Department’s techni-cal class, under the instruction of Kerry A. Onxley, Director of Theatre, will feature theatre masks during the month of March as a celebration of Theatre in our Schools Month.

“Theatre and drama are essential in the lives our students all year, but March is designated to celebrate and increase public awareness of the impact of theatre in our schools,” said Onxley. “Often, we think of theatre only in terms of performance. This year, WHT decided to spotlight our tech-nical theatre class. These students are responsible for design-ing and creating costumes, sets, masks and puppets, as well as executing lighting cues.”

The original use of masks to depict theatre characters is attributed to Thespis, the first person ever to appear on stage as a principal actor in Greece in the 6th century B.C. From these Greek theatrical masks was developed.

The theatre masks are on display in the Westlake High School lobby in the school lobby from 9 a.m. -2 p.m. through the month of March. Visitors are reminded to check in at the front office upon entering the school, located at 1000 Garden Drive in Westlake. For more information, call (337) 217-4950. Free admission.

Southwest Louisiana resi-dents are invited to provide input for the Regional Im-pact Study by completing an online survey. Th e one-page survey is an opportunity for residents to give their valu-able feedback on ways to pre-pare for a positive outcome regarding the infl ux of new jobs and residents expected in Southwest Louisiana in the next 10 years. Th e sur-vey can be accessed at www.gogroupswla.com.

Th e Southwest Louisiana Regional Impact Study starts with a baseline assessment of the community and examines the cumulative impact of all projects throughout the area. Information from the study will provide a comprehen-sive socioeconomic model, which will aid in identifying risks and opportunities as-sociated with the growth, as well as strategies to provide a high quality of life through-out the fi ve parish region.

More information about the GO Group’s mission can be

found at their website www.gogroupswla.com.

Westlake High School Theatre Department Features Theatre Masks

Displaying their Theatre Mask Creations are Julian Grice, Jennifer Miller and Brittany Hagan.

Public Invited to Participate in a Regional Impact Study

MARCH 3, 201424 Vol. 5 • No. 25

McNeese students in Dr. Keith Credo’s Business Management 300 class were recently given an interesting and rewarding assign-ment: work together in groups and plan a fundraiser project for any local nonprofi t. Group members Savannah Carter, De-siree Smith, Sanjib Bastola and Michael Lemelle put their heads together and came up with the idea for a barrel racing event for horses. “One of our members knows a lot about that kind of thing and lots of horse groups,” said Carter. But when they con-tacted West Cal Arena, the only time slot available was March 14. So they had to move fast.

Th e nonprofi t they chose is the Faith & Friends Food Pan-try. “We chose them because it makes such a great impact on our community,” Carter said. “It’s been in operation since 1999 and it serves all of the zip codes in Calcasieu Parish. Th ey have been

trying to raise money to for a new building since the one they are renting barely meets their needs. We also are trying to get people to bring canned goods to our event because I know pan-tries are always in need of food.”

Faith and Friends is the only food pantry open four days a week from Monday – Thurs-day and is located across from SOWELA on Legion Street. The pantry started as a cooperative effort between two churches, but is now supported by the follow-ing seven churches: Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, Im-maculate Conception Cathedral, Our Lady Queen of Heaven, The Dwelling Place and Trinity Bap-tist Church.

With monetary donations and the hard work of the volunteers from the churches, the pantry is able to buy and prepare boxes

of food for people in great need. Almost all of the money from the churches goes toward food; however, the pantry also col-lects specific donations for their building fund, with a dream of having their very own place.

“We would like to raise at least $3,000 for the food pantry’s building fund,” said Carter. “We believe that we will have a very good turnout for the barrel races on Friday evening. We will also be posting boxes up around the area for people to bring canned food for the pantry.”

Carter said that all four mem-bers came up with ideas and had a part in managing the project. “One objective of the project is to give us experience with the four steps of management: plan-ning, leading, controlling, and organizing.” she explained.

Admission is free to watch the barrel races, and attendees may bring canned food to donate, as

well as give monetary donations. The group asks that donations be mailed to Faith and Friends Food Pantry at PO Box 7344, Lake Charles, LA 70606 and ref-erence the McNeese project.

Can Race for Hunger March 14 Benefi ts Faith & Friends Food Pantry

The Can Race for Hunger March 14 at the West Cal Arena. Exhibitions and silent auction: 5-7:30 p.m.Open 4D Barrel Race starting at 8 p.m. Th e Youth Jackpot follows the open.•Exhibitions Fees: 1-$5 or 3-$12•Entry Fees 4D: $35 (if you bring up to fi ve canned goods you will receive up to $5 off per entry, with $5 max per entry)•Youth Jackpot (16 and under) Fees: $25 (if you bring up to 5 canned goods you will receive up to $5 off per entry, with $5 max per entry)

MARCH 3, 2014 25Vol. 5 • No. 25

Central Library will host musicians Phillip Lancaster and Alison Moore as they bring their “Riders on the Orphan Train” program to the library on Saturday, March 22 from 2 – 4 p.m.

Th e one-hour multi- media program combines live mu-sic by Lancaster and Moore, video montage with archival photographs and interviews of survivors, and a dramatic reading of the 2012 novel Rid-ers on the Orphan Train by award-winning author Alison Moore.

Th e library is located at 301 W. Claude Street in Lake Charles.

Although the program is about children, it is designed to engage audiences of all ages and to inform, inspire and raise awareness about this little-known part of history.

Few people today know much about the largest child

migration in history. Between 1854 and 1929, over 250,000 or-phans and unwanted children were taken out of New York City and given away at train stations across America.

Children were sent to every state in the continental United States; the last train went to Sulphur Springs, Texas in 1929.

Th is “placing out” system was origi-nally organized by Method-ist minister Charles Loring Brace and the Children’s Aid Society of New York. His mis-sion was to rid the streets and overcrowded orphanages of homeless children and provide them with an opportunity to fi nd new homes. Many of the children were not orphans but “surrendered” by parents too

impoverished to keep them. The New York Foundling

Hospital, a Catholic organiza-tion, also sent out children to be placed in Catholic homes. This 76-year experiment in child relocation is filled with the entire spectrum of hu-man emotion and reveals a great deal about the successes and failures of the American Dream.

Th e program is free and open to the public. For more infor-mation on musicians Phillip Lancaster and Alison Moore, visit their webpage at www.ridersontheorphantrain.org.

For more information on this and other library pro-gramming, contact Central Library at (337) 721-7118 or log on to the library website at www.calcasieulibrary.org.

Orphans to be Given a Voice in Vivid, Multi-Media Program

MARCH 3, 201426 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Southwest Louisiana’s Flea Fest is growing like a spring weed! The semi-annual festival, which will celebrate its one year anniversary this March, has grown to be one of the largest events in the state! Vendors and shop-pers alike have fallen in love with this fun and unique flea market and shopping festival, which takes place over an un-precedented two days – and four covered acres.

Rain or shine, gates are

open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Satur-day, March 29 and Sunday, March 30 at the Burton Coli-seum Ag Barn, located on the south side of the coliseum. Early bird admission will give those who are the most eager an opportunity to begin the shopping extravaganza an hour early at 8 a.m. on Satur-day. “Flea Fest is unlike any other festival in Southwest Louisiana,” said Lisa Sonnier, event organizer. “Our last show in November attracted

nearly 12,000 visitors!”Powered by Greentek

Solar, the spring Flea Fest will welcome visitors with an exciting display of beautiful spring plants, shrubs and trees from Greengate Garden Center. Inside will offer a little of any-thing and every-thing, including antiques, comics and collectibles; retro, vintage, and handcrafted items; toys; tools; hunt-ing accessories, clothes; art work; furniture; gifts; and jewel-ry. Vendors will include antique and vintage shop owners, artisans, fund-raising groups and even individuals hold-ing yard sales. “We anticipate around 300 vendors at this show,” added Sonnier. “It is so exciting to have this many vendors all con-verging in one place to sell their wares at our festival!”

Pony rides, a

petting zoo and other kid-friendly activities will help occupy younger shoppers, while those looking for some-thing in the “homegrown cat-egory” will enjoy the Farm-ers Market, with everything from freshly grown produce to unique local products like goat’s milk soaps, and honey from local beekeepers. Lov-able cats and dogs will also be available for same-day adop-tion through local animal rescue groups.

Any respectable Louisiana festival would not be com-plete without food vendors, and Flea Fest does not dis-appoint, featuring an array of delicious options from a number of food booths in the Flea Fest Diner. Tony Sum-mers, a former member of the KYKZ 96 morning team, will provide entertaining retro music throughout the event, giving the festival an upbeat and fun atmosphere.

Tickets for Flea Fest are available only at the gate. Ad-mission is $5 per person for general admission. Early Bird Hour admission is $10. Chil-dren 12 years and under are admitted free all day, every day with an adult. Plenty of free parking is available. Pre-ferred, up-close VIP parking is also an option for an addi-tional $2. Vendor space regis-tration will be available until March 21, with spaces start-ing at $29. For more infor-mation, visit www.FleaFest.com or call (337) 502-8584.

MARCH 3, 2014 27Vol. 5 • No. 25

By Angie Kay DilmoreTh e Lake Charles Civic Ballet (LCCB)

has been hard at work preparing to wow their audiences with another spectacu-lar show. Last year, their debut Assemblé performance was such an outstanding success, they want to do it again.

In their concept of Assemblé, the or-ganization strives to bring together and showcase art in all its many forms – mu-

sic, story, visual arts, and of course, dance.

“Th is show is such a great oppor-tunity to develop appreciation for lo-cal artists, whether they are established and well-known artists such as Chris Miller and Bayou Roots, new artists such as chil-dren’s book author Eloise Huber, or our young up-and-coming artists and performers,” said Lady Holly Hathaway Kaough, artistic director for LCCB. “Th e Civic Ballet is primarily made up of chil-dren, the majority between fi ft h grade and high school seniors. To see the

quality of production that these young people give to our Lake Area audience is an amazing thing.”

Seventy-fi ve young performers and guest artists have been mastering this production since last summer. Scheduled for March 22-23 at the Rosa Hart Th eater at the Lake Charles Civic Center, Assem-blé 2014 promises a delightful theatrical experience for art lovers of all ages. Th e line-up includes the classical ballet Cin-derella accompanied by the Lake Charles Symphony; Louisiana Saturday Night, a Cajun fais-do-do with a live perform-ance by Chris Miller and the Bayou Roots; a tribute to famed choreographer Bob Fosse staged by Amanda Edge and Billy Ward; a rousing Flamenco dance; and the debut performance of Th e Tortoise and His Hair, a precious children’s book by local author Eloise Huber, brought to life onstage by local musicians and LCCB dancers.

“I’ve fallen in love with all of these pieces,” said Kaough. “I get to work from so many diff erent angles on each diff erent piece. It’s really artistically rewarding and a lot of fun. Th is is a wonderful celebra-tion and a wonderful coming together of so many people in our community to sup-port each other, to support these kids, to support these artists who all have day jobs but fi nd it important in their daily lives to continue to develop their talents. It’s an honor and I feel more and more fortu-nate every year as we continue to do these performances. I get to work with so many amazing people, all from right here in the Lake Area.”

LCCB Principal Dancer Grace Helms

MARCH 3, 201428 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Assemblé (pronounced a•sahn•BLAY ) is a French ballet term meaning “to come together.” It entails an athletic jump in which a dancer’s feet or legs are brought together in the air and the dancer lands on both feet. Th e name perfectly describes the goal of LCCB – to collaborate and bring together many diff er-ent facets of the Southwest Louisiana arts community. In addition to classical ballet, the show includes various other dances, live vocal and instru-mental performers, and visual arts.

With the fusion of so many diff erent art forms all in one show, there truly is something for everyone to appreciate. LCCB hopes that their Assem-blé performances will become a beloved Lake Charles tradi-tion.

“If the community will con-

tinue to support us, that is our intention; to make Assemblé an annual event to celebrate local artists and their incred-ible work,” said Kaough.

HighlightsHere are some highlights

from a few of the pieces pa-trons will enjoy at this year’s Assemblé performance.

Th is is the fourth time since the 1970s that LCCB will present Cinderella, inspired by the classic fairytale and set to the challenging music of Russian composer Sergei Prokofi ev. For the ballet and the Lake Charles Symphony to perform together for this special event is indeed a treat for the community. Kaough is particularly fond of this Cin-derella piece.

“I performed in the 1987 version,” she recalled. “In the 1990s, I choreographed

and staged the produc-tion, and now we’re doing it again, so it’s a fun return to what I know. And having the Lake Charles Symphony perform with us is a treas-ure. It tugs at

my heart-strings because

this is something I worked on with my mother [Lady Leah LaFargue, founder of LCCB]. Th at makes it extra-special and heartwarming, when I go back and put things together and I’ll walk down memory lane and remember things she said about certain scenes or things she particularly appre-ciated about a certain piece.”

In addition to the graceful dancers in spectacular cos-tumes depicting the plight of a poor girl who becomes a prin-cess, the audience will also be entertained by the comedic talents of local performers Damien Th ibodeaux and John Ieyoub, who portray the mean ugly stepsisters.

LCCB is delighted to bring back Lake Charles native Billy Ward and Amanda Edge, a current performer with the Broadway hit Phantom of the Opera. Th is dynamic duo has compiled and staged a Bob Fosse medley that is guaranteed to thrill the au-dience. Choreographer and director Fosse is best known for his award-winning shows such as Chicago, Pippin, and Cabaret, and is credited with popularizing many dance sta-ples such as the shoulder roll, turned in knees, and “jazz hands.”

Chris Miller and the Bayou Roots return to the Rosa Hart

stage to accompany the danc-ers with “Louisiana Saturday Night,” an original LCCB bal-let set as a Cajun fais-do-do. “We’ve performed this piece before and it is such a crowd-pleaser,” said Kaough.

Like so many of LCCB’s breathtaking sets, backdrops, and props, the scene was designed and created by local artist Fred Stark, who also painted a brand-new castle interior for Cinderella. Ka-ough describes the Cajun scene. “Th e band is set up on the front porch. Th e dancers portray young Cajun girls and boys who have come together to enjoy a typical Louisiana Saturday night. Th ey are dancing, fl irting, and having a good old time.”

Chris Miller is excited to once again perform with LCCB. “I love being able to bring the unique sounds of Louisiana’s music to a diff er-ent audience,” he said. “Our indigenous music has an infectious energy that blends remarkably well with the cho-reography and story of this ballet. It is a real treat for me to see the music ‘come alive’ in a whole new way with the addition of dancers, costumes, and scenery.”

Kaough enjoys the chal-lenge of working on some-thing she’s never done before. “It’s always fun to work on something brand new,” she said. “Th e process tests our

MARCH 3, 2014 29Vol. 5 • No. 25

creativity.” Her creativity was challenged

this past year when she decided to transform the pages of her friend Eloise Huber’s debut picture book, Th e Tortoise and His Hair, into a brand-new ballet piece. When Kaough suggested the possibility of working together on the project, Huber was thrilled.

“I did not dare get my hopes up,” Huber said. “I thought she was kid-ding, of course, or at a minimum, merely pondering the possibility.” In this twist on Aesop’s fable, Huber’s main character learns to accept and celebrate his uniqueness. “Some-times, I thought that message had been done too many times before, but I think as children and adults we can’t hear it enough.”

Once Kaough decided to bring Huber’s book to life onstage, her fi rst task was to fi nd music to accompany the story. She called LCCB resident photographer Danley Romero of Romero and Romero Photography because she knew his children were musically inclined. “I asked Danley if they would be interested in com-ing onboard for this project of creat-ing music for Eloise’s book,” Kaough said. “Danley spoke with his daugh-ter Th eresa, son Danley, Jr., and their friend Th omas Townsley and they all agreed. In our fi rst meeting, they began to play and it was perfect.” What Kaough didn’t realize was that Danley, Sr. has musical talent, as well.

“Th e melody for Th e Tortoise and His Hair piece was taken from an unfi nished song I wrote on guitar

nearly 20 years ago,” said Romero. “Th eresa, Th omas, and Danley used that melody to arrange their own parts in the piece. I’m looking for-ward to seeing them perform it with the ballet.”

Once music was set to the story, Kaough created original choreog-raphy to accompany the tale. “Th is kind of collaboration strikes at the heart of what Assemblé is – to promote local artists and the incred-ible talent we have here in the Lake Area,” she said. “It was so exciting to get to work in a diff erent medium. We’ve worked with visual artists in the past, but never before with a picture book author.”

Kaough encourages people to come out and see the show. “Maybe they’ve never been to a ballet before. It might not have been their thing in the past. But what we do is a little bit diff erent. Th ey may discover a love of the arts by coming to an event like this -- to see beautiful scenery, fabu-lous costumes, and amazing musi-cians in addition to the dancing.”

Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind entertainment experience. Purchase tickets at Ticketmaster.com, the Lake Charles Civic Center box offi ce (337-491-1432) or on the LCCB website at www.lakecharlescivicballet.com. Ticket prices vary, depending on seating choice. Show times are March 22, 7 p.m. and March 23, 3 p.m.

Assemblé 2014 has been made possible by the fol-lowing generous sponsors: L’Auberge Lake Charles, Fox 29/Th e Lake Charles CW7, Th e Townsley Law Firm, Marcus P. LaCombe, Romero & Romero Photography, and Walnut Grove. LCCB also received grants from the Louisiana State Arts Council through the Louisi-ana Division of the Arts, the City of Lake Charles, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, and the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bu-reau as administered by the Arts and Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana.

MARCH 3, 201430 Vol. 5 • No. 25

The Lake Charles Symphony’s 13th annual Wild Beast Feast returns to the Historic Cash & Carry Building, 801 Enter-prise Blvd. on Saturday, March 29. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the public is invited to feast on savory dishes prepared by over 20 cooking teams. For the price of admission -- $50 (ages 14 and over); $25 (ages 7-13 years); and free (6 years and under) –- tick-etholders can sample the seafood and wild game which abound in Southwest Louisiana.

Talented cooks from the industries and local businesses, professional chefs, and amateurs alike will gather early to fire up their grills and smokers at the Cash & Carry to the delight

of area “foodies.” Prizes will be awarded from a panel of judges. This year’s offerings include pecan-smoked quail with wild rice pilaf, rabbit sauce piquante, venison sausage and duck gumbo, fried soul roll with sea-food, jerk chicken, and andouille sausage, and the always popular boiled crawfish.

A ticket to the Wild Beast Feast entitles the bearer to sample these culinary creations from 5-7 pm., listen to live folk and bluegrass music from the Lafayette-based band the Onlies until 9 p.m. and participate in live and silent auctions. Among the auction items will be duck hunts, fishing trips, and gourmet dinners. Auctioneer will be Hal

McMillin. The Wild Beast

Feast is a major fundraiser for the Lake Charles Symphony, raising money to support its educational and outreach pro-grams. Generous contributions by volunteer cooks, ticket buyers, and corporate sponsors are valuable components of this fundraiser. Sponsors include iBERIABANK, Empire of the Seed, Flynt Family LLC, The Lacassane Company, Marine One, The Stream Family and Walnut Grove.

“Gator Chompers” may be purchased for $1,000 and in-clude a reserved table of 8 and signage at the event. “Gator Bites” at $500 will include four reserved seats (half table) and

signage. Individual tickets are $50 (14 years and up); $25 (7-13 years), and free (6 years and under). For tickets, please call 433-1611 or go online at www.lcsymphony.com. Tickets are also available at Gordon’s Drug Store and Bella Cose.

The Symphony greatly ac-knowledges Romero and Romero Photography, Kathleen Higgins Design, and IN THE LOUPE Design for their many generous contributions.

Tickets for Disney on Ice Presents Princesses & Heroes!

On Sale Now in LafayetteBelieving is just the begin-

ning in Disney On Ice presents Princesses & Heroes! Witness the magic when Ariel, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Tiana, Jas-mine, Aurora, and Snow White all make their wishes come true in this collection of celebrated tales wonderfully told through artistic skating and acrobatics.

With the help of the magi-cal pixie Tinker Bell, the Disney Princesses embark on the ad-venture of a lifetime. Jasmine discovers a whole new world with Aladdin after meeting her unlikely hero in the marketplace. Prince Philip defeats the evil fire-breathing dragon Maleficent in a race to save his true love Aurora. Prince Eric breaks Ursula’s spell so that Ariel can remain part of his world. Rapun-zel, Tiana, Cinderella, Belle and Snow White also find happiness in this beautifully imagined ice show.

Produced by Feld Entertain-ment, Disney On Ice presents

Princesses & Heroes features an incredible display of special effects, stunning set design and breathtaking choreography on the ice. Tickets are on sale now and available at Ticketmaster, online at www.disneyonice.com, by phone at (800) 745-3000, or at The Cajundome Box Office.

To learn more about Disney On Ice, log on to www.disneyon-ice.com, or visit them on Face-book and YouTube.

Show TimesThursday, March 27 7 p.m.Friday, March 28 10:30 a.m. & 7 p.m.Saturday, March 29 2pm & 6 p.m.Sunday, March 30 1pm & 5 p.m.

Ticket Prices: $15, $18, and $25, with a limited number of $35 and $40 VIP, and $50 Rink-side seating available.

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33 disneyonice.com#DisneyOnIce

Opening Night Tickets Start at $10!Restrictions, exclusions and additional charges may apply. Subject to availability.

MAR. 27 – 30 CAJUNDOME

Seafood and Game Abound at The Wild Beast Feast

The Onlies

MARCH 3, 201432 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Sulphur Centennial March 13-16

Sulphur will be celebrating its centennial March 13-16! Enjoy all the wonderful events including a parade, an old-time rodeo at the West Cal Arena and FREE live entertainment including Smash Mouth and John Michael Montgomery and local bands in Heritage Square. Too many events to list here, so go to their FB page for more information or call (337) 527-4500.

Noises Off! March 14-16, 21-24

ACTS’ production of Noises Off! will open with an evening perform-ance on Fri., March 14, with the curtain going up at 7:30 p.m. Evening performances will continue on March 15, 21 and 23, all starting at 7:30; matinee performances will be held on Sun., March 16 and 24, with curtain at 3:00 p.m. Reserved seating tickets are priced at $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens and $10 for students and may be purchased online at www.actstheatre.com or at The Lake Charles Civic Center Box Offi ce, Lakeshore Medic Pharmacy or at Moss Bluff Flower and Gift.

Iowa Rabbit FestivalMarch 14-15

The 28th annual Iowa Rabbit Fes-tival will have food, crafts, a carnival, rabbit show, parade, a rabbit cook-off and more! Live entertainment includes Travis Matte, Bag of Donuts, Wayne Toups, Geno Delafose Hours are Fri., March 14 at 5 p.m.-midnight and Sat., March 15, 9 a.m.-midnight. For more information, go to www.iowarabbitfestival.org.

Stellar Beans Gallery by the Lake Exhibit March 14

During the month of March, ALA Gallery by the Lake invites you to en-joy coffee and treats at Stellar Beans downtown where you will have the opportunity to view unique paintings and drawings in various styles, many available for purchase. An artists’ reception will be held March 14 from

6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Please stop by at 319 Broad Street in Lake Charles and join the artists who look forward to meeting you! For more informa-tion, go to info@gallerythelake.com.

Parsons Dance at Lutcher Theater March 14

Internationally renowned con-temporary dance company Parsons Dance takes the Lutcher stage March 14 at 7:30 p.m. with traits described as sexy athleticism, exuberant personality and joyous movement. Based in New York City, the company presents uplifting, family-friendly contemporary dance to audiences around the world. Tickets from $35-$50 are available at www.lutcher.org or by calling the Lutcher Theater Box Offi ce at (409) 886-5535 in Orange, Texas.

Live @ The Lakefront March 14, 21, 28

Live @ the Lakefront will take place on three consecutive Fridays March 14, 21, and 28, from 6-10 p.m. at the Lakefront Promenade’s Arcade Amphitheater. On March 14, enjoy The Pine Leaf Boys and Fresh Nectar. The Flamethrowers will headline the March 21 concert with their high energy cover rock hits. Opening for the evening will be local rockabilly and country band, the Loaded 44rz. March 28 concludes the series with Ashes of Babylon and their popular roots reggae music. La-fayette-based Acadian folk/indie folk duo, the Onlies, will open the concert with their diverse range of bluegrass, Cajun, blues, and indie sounds. For details, visit www.facebook.com /ArtsCouncilSWLA.

Jazz in the Arts March 16

Jazz in the Arts concert will be held Sun., March 16 at Central School Arts and Humanities Ben Mount Theatre at 5 p.m. Featured guests are two seasoned jazz musi-cians, Sylvester “Stank” Leblanc and Charlene “Salemah” Broussard. Tick-ets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Call 794-5744 for tickets.

SWLA Gardens Conference & EXPO 2014 March 21-22

The Southwest Louisiana Garden Conference & EXPO inside the Burton Coliseum is celebrating garden-ing with its 15th Annual Show and Plant Extravaganza about garden-ing, fl owers, trees, shrubs, garden accessories, books, demonstrations, educational lectures, and general garden tools. Regular Garden EXPO hours are Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children 12 and under. For more information, visit www.gardenfest.org.

Lake Charles Civic Ballet’s Assemblé 2014 March 22-23

LCCB has once again joined forces with the Lake Charles Symphony and collaborated with many other local arts organiza-tions and individu-als for Assemblé 2014. Performance dates at the Rosa Hart Theatre in Lake Charles are Satur-day, March 22 with the Lake Charles Symphony at 7 pm and Sunday, March 23 at 3 pm. Ticket prices start at $20 and are available by contacting The Civic Center Box Offi ce/Ticketmaster at (337) 491-1432 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue March 26

Gal Holiday is a Country Swing band from New Orleans that incorporates original material

with the best of country, rockabilly and western swing classics. See them on Wed., March 26 at 7 p.m. in the Ben Mount Auditorium at Central School in downtown Lake Charles. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA, second fl oor, Central School. (337) 439-2787.

Jesus Christ Super-star March 28-30

KC Productions SWLA will present the iconic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar at Westlake High Theatre, March 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. and March 30 at 3 p.m. Tickets available for purchase at www.KCPRODUC-TIONSSWLA.org and also at the door.

Flea Fest March 29-30

Flea Fest is one of the largest Flea

Friday, March 14: Pasta Necklace FunCreate a fun and colorful pasta necklace using

noodles in the ArtSpace at 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 15: CyPhaKids Join us at 11 a.m. for a fun and interactive program

brought to you by CyPhaCon!

Tuesday, March 18: Rainstick Workshop Rainsticks are cylindrical instruments that mimic the sound of rain when shaken. It is believed that rain-sticks originated from South America. We will make

our own with paper towel tubes and beans at 2 p.m.!

Thursday, March 20: Paper Domroo Drums Paint your own drum noise makers and then play

with them! Class begins at 2:30 p.m. and is limited to 20 children.

Friday, March 21: Spirograph FunJoin us from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the ArtSpace and play with this classic geometric drawing toy that

produces mathematical roulette curves.

Friday, March 28: Playdough FunJoin us in the ArtSpace from 3:30-4:30 p.m.

and build something fun with Playdough!

The Children’s Museum is located at 327 Broad Street downtown Lake Charles. Museum hours are from

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Admission is $7.50 for children and adults. (337) 433-9420

MARCH 3, 2014 33Vol. 5 • No. 25

Markets ever held under one roof in Southwest Louisiana! A bargain hunters dream, it will be held in the Burton Coliseum Livestock Exhibit Building and will be a fun weekend of shopping for antiques, vintage items, hand crafted gifts, artwork, homeg-rown produce from farmers, and so much more! Hours are Sat., March 29, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., March 30, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.fl eafest.com.

Wild Beast Feast March 29

Support the Lake Charles Sym-phony! Savor tasty seafood and wild game dishes prepared by local cooking teams! Enjoy music by the Onlies and a live auction at the Historic Cash and Carry Building on Enterprise Blvd. in downtown Lake Charles. Tickets are $50 ages 14 and up; $25 ages 7-13. Doors open at 5 p.m. For ticket information, call 433-1611 or go to www.lcsymphony.com.

Good Shepherd’s Annual Book Sale March 29-30

Good Shepherd will hold its annual book sale Friday, March 28, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday, March 29, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday, March 30, noon – 3 p.m. Don’t miss Sunday’s Fill a Bag for $5! The sale will be held in the EDS gym at the Church of the Good Shepherd, 715 Kirkman Street, Lake Charles. Over 15,000 books, new and used, as well as audio books, CDs, and DVDs for sale. All proceeds are given to local charities. For more information, call 794-5717.

MaciFest April 5Bethany Hamilton, American

professional surfer and inspiration for the 2011 major motion picture Soul Surfer, will headline MaciFest on April 5 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the LC Civic Center. There will be delicious food, an auction, and loads of family fun including rock-climbing, face-painting, an obstacle course, Young Band Nation, high school show choirs and so much more! Named after 10-year old Maci Fontenot, who was diagnosed with optical glioma, the event raises funds for rotating nonprofi ts. This year, the American Red Cross will be the benefi ciary. For more information, go to www.facebook.com/macifest.

The most recent movie about the life of Jesus of note was The Passion of Christ, released in 2004. This new version comes after the producers created the story as part of The Bible, a 10 hour miniseries aired last year on the History Channel.

Son of God begins with an aged St. John living in exile on Patmos. He reminisces about his time with Jesus, which forms the basis of the movie. We are shown early scenes of the Roman occu-pation of Palestine, then scenes of Mary, Joseph, and the birth of Christ. Of note in this section is the establishment of Pontius Pilate (Greg Hicks) in Israel. Why are the actors playing Pilate always so convincing?

Son of God begs comparison to The Greatest Story Ever Told, among many other versions of the life of Christ. It was filmed in Morocco, with computer graphic simulations of Jerusalem. Mary is played by one of the producers of the film, Roma Downey, who appeared in the TV series Touched by an Angel.

Diogo Morgado, who plays Jesus, is a Portuguese actor and former model. His rendering of Christ is compassionate, as Jesus calls his disciples into service in the spreading of God’s message.

Since much of the film was lifted directly from the

miniseries, it’s no surprise that Son of God feels like a TV movie. But this also makes the movie seem much more relevant to our time than the old-fash-ioned Hollywood blockbuster. In this age of factual overload, Son of God comes across as a matter-of-fact representation of the story of Jesus. At the same time, its production values are first-rate, even though the actors are relatively unknown.

Of particular interest is the interaction of the disciples with Jesus. Their reactions to his teachings and miracles involve a sense of human satisfaction and pride when he feeds the five thousand or outwits the Phari-sees. We also get a real sense of Jesus winning over traditional Jews like Nicodemus, a Pharisee and part of the Jerusalem estab-lishment.

Possibly one of the most moving scenes is the calling of

Matthew, a hated tax collector working for the Romans. He comes across as a scoundrel and an outcast among his people, but then is outed by Christ and reacts with sorrow and humil-ity. Which brings me to my next point. As well done as this movie is, it still hits the high notes of the faithful in a way that may be off-putting to non-Christians. Sorrow and humility, compas-sion and obedience may seem foreign, or just plain boring when going up against current movie plots.

With our movie diet of Legos, dystopias, and superheroes, rais-ing Lazarus from the dead seems more like a school lesson than the miracle it is supposed to be. In a sense, this is fine, because to attempt to compete with big Hollywood probably would make the story of Jesus blend in with all the other movies. Son of God doesn’t go that route, but neither does it try to hit us over the head with some required reverential attitude. (An exception is the death of Jesus, where special effects and the elements come together in an attempt to knock us out of our seats.)

But for the most part, this Jesus seems like someone you might really want to have as a friend. Because of this, we feel a sense of rightness when Jesus reappears to the disciples and finally to John on Patmos.

Son of God is rated PG-13 for nails through hands, torture, and cutting off of an ear. Not for small children, but recommend-ed for everyone else.

Son of God(20th Century Fox, 2014)

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Thursday, Mar. 13Denny White6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Rock The Clock!Domestic beer for $2.509 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Thursday Dollar Night9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer & Bar All Night!5329 Common St., Lake Charles

“Flipping Thursdays!”10:30 p.m. @ My Place BarFree shot, Heads or Tails!630 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles,

Friday, Mar. 14Live @ the Lakefront w/ Pine Leaf Boys & Fresh Nectar6 - 9 p.m. @ Arcade Amphitheat-er, Lakefront Promenade900 Lakeshore Dr., Lake Charles

Denny White7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Joe Harmon & The Harmonics9 p.m. @ Gator LoungeDelta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel2717 Delta Downs Dr. Vinton

Half Off Everything for Everyone!10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Saturday, Mar. 15Smash Mouth Concert7 p.m. @ Heritage Square3295 Hwy 27 S, Sulphur

Denny White7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave. Lauberge, Lake Charles

Kory Fontenot7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Ladies Night Part IILadies get $1 domestics & $1 silver shelf!7 - 10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Saturday Night Party Time9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer & Bar 12 - 2 a.m.5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Joe Harmon & The Harmonics9 p.m. @ Gator LoungeDelta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel, 2717 Delta Downs Dr. Vinton

DJ Swing9 p.m. @ American Legion #551632 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles

Jud Norman BandChris Shearman BandHappy Hour 5 -8 p.m.10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Sunday, Mar. 16Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

DJ Swing9 p.m. @ American Legion #551632 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles

Monday, Mar. 17“Cheese & Wine Night!”1/2 OFF WINE!7 - 11 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Lucky Monday!Midnight @ My Place BarWin a $50 Bar Tab!630 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles

Tuesday, Mar. 18Trivia Night!Happy Hour 2 - 6 p.m.Winner gets a $50 gift certifi cate7 p.m. @ MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub417 Anne St., Lake Charles

Live Team Trivia8 p.m. @ OB’s Bar & Grill1301 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Ladies Night8:30 p.m. @ My Place BarWomen receive $1 Well & Wines630 Prien Lake Rd., Lake Charles

2 for 1 Tuesdays!9 - 11 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Wednesday, Mar. 19Ladies Night! Cover free for ladies until midnightAcoustic set from Night Shade7 - 9 p.m. @ OB’s Bar & Grill1301 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Ladies Night!All ladies drink free!7 - 9 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Comedy Night 10-12 ComediansJosh Hessier, Leo Morgan, & Nick Cronan8:30 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

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Karaoke 2014 @ Mikko Live8 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort, 777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Wasted Wednesdays w/ DJ Dispo8:30 p.m. @ My Place BarGet $1 Pitchers & $2 Wells630 Prien Lake Rd., Lake Charles

Thursday, Mar. 20Julie Williams6 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Richard LeBouef & Two-Step7 p.m. @ Mikko Live Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Rock The Clock!Get domestic beer for $2.509 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Karaoke with $3 Cover9 p.m. @ Frosty Factory4688 Common St., Lake Charles

Thursday Dollar Night9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer & Bar All Night!5329 Common St., Lake Charles

Flipping Thursdays!10:30 p.m. @ My Place BarFree shot, Heads or Tails!630 Prien Lake Rd., Lake Charles

Friday, Mar. 21Live @ the Lakefront w/ Flamethrowers & Loaded 44rz6 - 9 p.m. @ Arcade Amphitheat-er, Lakefront Promenade900 Lakeshore Dr., Lake Charles

Julie Williams7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Kevin Naquin & Ossum Playboys9 p.m. @ Mikko Live

Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Bigg Redd & Creole Soul9 p.m. @ Gator LoungeDelta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel2717 Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Dead Winter CarpentersHappy Hour 5 -8 p.m.10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Half off Everything for Everyone!10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Saturday, Mar. 22Elms District7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Julie Williams7 p.m. @ Ember Grille & Wine Bar777 Ave L’Auberge, Lake Charles

Ronnie Milsap7 p.m. @ Delta Event Center

Delta Downs Racetrack 2717 Delta Downs Drive, Vinton

Bernie Alan @ Mikko LiveBlock Party w/ Cajun, ZydecoSwamp Pop, R&B, & Country7 p.m. @ Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Bigg Redd & Creole Soul9 p.m. @ Gator LoungeDelta Downs Racetrack Casino and Hotel2717 Delta Downs Dr. Vinton

Ladies Night Part IILadies get $1 domestics & $1 silver shelf!7 - 10 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Saturday Night Party Time9 p.m. @ Cowboys Night Club$1 Beer & Bar 12 - 2 a.m.5329 Common St., Lake Charles

DJ Swing9 p.m. @ American Legion #551632 Enterprise Blvd., Lake Charles

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Nightlife Guide (continued)Josh Garrett BandHappy Hour 5 -8 p.m.10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

Sunday, Mar. 23Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill719 Ryan Street, Lake Charles

Ashes of BabylonFortunate Youth7 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St, Lake Charles

DJ Swing9 p.m. @ American Legion #551632 Enterprise Blvd,Lake Charles

Monday, Mar. 24Cheese & Wine Night!1/2 OFF WINE!7 - 11 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Lucky Monday!Midnight @ My Place BarWin a $50 Bar Tab!630 Prien Lake Rd., Lake Charles

Tuesday, Mar. 25Trivia Night!Winner gets a $50 gift certifi cate7 p.m. @ MacFarlane’s Celtic Pub417 Anne St., Lake Charles

Live Team Trivia8 p.m. @ OB’s Bar & Grill1301 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Ladies Night!8:30 p.m. @ My Place BarWomen receive $1 Well & Wines630 Prien Lake Rd., Lake Charles

2 for 1 Tuesdays!9 - 11 p.m. @ Micci’s Piano Bar3606 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Wednesday, Mar. 26Gal Holiday & The Honky Tonk Review, 7 p.m. @ Central School 809 Kirby St., Lake Charles

Tab BenoitJonathon “Boogie” LongHappy Hour 5 -8 p.m.7 p.m. @ Luna Live

The Next Celebrations

With Mardi Gras behind us, you might be wondering what we can celebrate next. There’s no reason the good times have to stop rolling. With the numerous festivals, outdoor concert series and special events planned over the course of the next few months, just about every weekend can be a party.

The great thing about outdoor concerts is that they are usually free of charge. Live @ the Lakefront, for example is put on by the Arts & Humanities Council of Southwest Louisiana, the City of Lake Charles and Deep South Productions along with other area organ-izations. The concert series occurs three Fridays in a row on March 14, 21 and 28. You might want to arrive by 5:30 to get a great parking spot and perfect view on the hill. The outdoor series will offer a variety of music, fresh air and opportunities for chil-dren to run around and have a great time. while allowing you food options from area eateries all within walking distance of the arcade am-phitheater.

On March 14, local jam rock band, Fresh Nectar will set the stage for every-thing to come. Next up, the Pine Leaf Boys from Lafay-ette will bring Southwest Louisiana their Grammy-

nominated Cajun sound.

On March 21, we’ll do it all again, this time with

The Loaded 44rz bringing their rockabilly style

mixed with a bit of country followed

by the highly sought-after party rock band, the Flamethrowers. Wrapping up the concert series will be Lafayette’s The Onlies, bring out their Acadian Folk/In-die style of tunes with roots and reggae favorite Ashes of Babylon as the finale. We hope to see you there and look forward to one of the largest outdoor music con-certs in our region. Check out the Lake Charles/SWLA Convention and Visitor’s Bureau’s new blog for more entertainment options. Go to www.visitlakecharles.org for more details.

Between The Lake Charles Little Theatre, ACTS Thea-tre, McNeese State Univer-sity’s Department of Per-forming Arts, The Children’s Theatre Company, Itinerant Theatre, Inc. and the numer-ous other on-stage produc-tions at local schools, etc., there is no shortage of dra-ma and talent in our area. Recently, we had Tarzan and Aladdin Jr. on stage, along with productions such as And the Rain Came to Mayfield and Tuesdays with Morrie that brought forth much thought and a deeper subject matter.

The art scene of SWLA is endless. Mark your cal-endars for the Spring Art Walk scheduled for April 25 from 5-9 p.m. where you can explore a variety of galleries throughout the downtown’s Charlestown Cultural Dis-trict and surrounding areas. And on any given day, you can explore artwork at 1911

Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center, Central School, McNeese State Uni-versity and dozens of galler-ies and spaces throughout the region.

I’m an advocate for the arts and support anyone who is willing to put in the work necessary to improve their skills. I personally do not consider myself an artist, however, I do have a voice and a platform that I choose to use to better our community. With that said, I would like to mention MusicMakers2U. The foun-dation accepts donations of musical instruments that are no longer used and in turn cleans and refurbishes them with the help of band direc-tors and music teachers. Thee instruments are then given to deserving students. To find out what you can do to help, contact Eva LeB-lanc at (337) 244-9314 or by e-mail at musicmakers2U@gmail.com.

If you have a passion for playing music or some other form of art, go out on a limb and share it publicly with us here in Southwest Louisiana. I know at first it may seem like a challenge, but after taking that first leap of faith, it may just turn out to be one of your great-est accomplishments. I have discovered some great talent on the lakefront and they are now close friends. Singer Kimberly Stegall was playing with her band Consequence of Silence when I first met her, and saxophonist Will Cryer was playing along the lake when I heard the tunes of his sax through the harsh cold wind of winter. Support the people around you and don’t be afraid to start doing something new. Let’s work together to make each day a great one, Southwest Loui-siana!

MARCH 3, 2014 37Vol. 5 • No. 25

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I read somewhere recently that in 1801, 95 percent of Americans identifi ed themselves as farm-ers, and today only 2 percent do. Th at got me, a farmer’s daughter, interested in how farmers today think of their profession.

In One Woman Farm, author Jenna Woginrich describes her life “shared with sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, and a fi ne fi ddle.” Her year-long memoir starts and ends in October.

Woginrich tells us she was bored with her offi ce routine. She realized that “People who farmed had a diff erent way of under-standing time, one based on sunlight and seasons, ebbing and fl owing in activity like river wa-ter. Th eir year was alive, growing and dying.” So, the single woman bought a farm.

“I have discovered a wealth of ritual,” she notices almost at once. Her annual holidays become Apple Gathering, Lamb-ing, Shearing Day. “I now was a part of the timeline of human civilization, a part of an infallible religion: Traditional Agriculture.”

She raises a variety of animals and plants on her farm, and she teaches herself to play the fi ddle. She has a wood stove and splits her own wood. Farm work is not easy. “Most mornings I get up at 4:45 a.m.,” but “My farm is bring-ing out a more spiritual side of me,” she writes. “I do what I do because it fi lls my mind, body, and spirit.”

Woginrich’s writing is oft en delightful: “Winter is here. It has turned around three times, made itself comfortable, and lain down at my feet.” She has added excerpts of songs and poems, and there are pretty little illustrations.

Why Cows Need Names and More Secrets of Amish Farms was written by Randy James, who for almost 30 years was the county agricultural agent work-ing among Amish farmers.

Th e book follows one Amish family’s struggle to start a small farm and their progress over fi ve years. Eli Gingerich contacts James for advice about starting his own dairy farm. Starting a farm would mean a big change for the whole family; everybody – his wife and kids included --

Down on the Farm will have chores to do. James sits down with him and goes through the costs and details of starting a dairy operation. Th en James sets up kitchen meet-ings with small groups of local farmers to deter-mine the actual costs of farm equipment, etc.

James follows the farm’s progress, sometimes observing, sometimes helping. He describes what it’s like to drive a team of 2,000-pound Belgian horses and tries to convey the intimacy of a small farm: “Something strangely spiritual is gained when we truly know the food we eat -- some-thing is lost when we don’t.”

He also gives a brief history of the Amish faith and details some of the Amish way of life and work, explaining that each Amish church district has its own set of rules and what it will allow in the way of equipment, elec-tricity, etc. James is sincere and likable, as when he walks among the peaceful

cows and tells us “I’m reminded once again that cows really are some of my favorite people.”

Sylvia’s Farm and its recently published sequel Th e Improbable Shepherd by Sylvia Jorrín are both fi lled with anecdotes and refl ections of farm life in the Cat-skills, raising sheep. Her literary-quality memoirs oft en read like poetry and remind me of Walden in her thoughtful relationship with nature.

She cooks, bakes and

MARCH 3, 2014 39Vol. 5 • No. 25

preserves, talks about family and about farm creatures as if they were family, celebrates holidays, reminisces about her childhood, and ponders birth, death and, mostly, life. “My job is a paradoxi-cal one. Keep eve-ryone alive, safe, and healthy in order to kill them.”

Th e writing is oft en lovely (“Th e morning brings glory to the color of the fl owers. Th ere is a stone window in my outdoor living room with a view of the barn and an apple tree and newly framed leafed ash. Th e willow against the dark gray carriage house gleams in the sun, gold and green. Th e wind moves the leaves, making it all almost too dazzling to look at.”) and lyrical (“Th e rain comes, tin sounds on the porch, the buzz and sizzle of cars driving by, a rat-a-tat-tat on the porch roof, a plaintive wail from a drenched lamb looking for her mother.”)

In Gene Everlasting: A Con-trary Farmer’s Th oughts on Living Forever, author Gene Logsdon from his farm in Upper Sandusky philosophizes about life and death as a result of his cancer diagnosis: “I have a no-tion that it is a little easier for gardeners and farmers to ac-cept death than the rest of the populace. Every day we help plants and animals begin life and help plants and animals end life. We are acculturated to the food chain.”

He shares memories of his childhood in the 1930s and ’40s on a farm, ques-tions religious mysteries, and ponders aging, illness,

facing death, and the idea of permanence. “In nature, noth-ing much really dies. Th e various life-forms renew themselves. Renewal, not death, is the proper

word for the pro-gression of life in nature.”

For kids, there’s Th e Cow in Patrick O’Shanahan’s Kitchen by Diana Prichard, illustrated by Heather Dev-lin Knopf. Young Patrick wakes up one morning and walks into the kitchen for break-fast, only to fi nd a cow standing there. Patrick has always thought

food came from the grocery store, but as his father cooks the breakfast, he asks Patrick to bring him the ingredients: eggs (from chickens in the kitchen), milk (from the cow) and maple syrup (from the trees that sud-denly spring up indoors). Th e author hopes the book will spark a “farm-to-fork” conversation between children and adults about where food comes from and what a farm is.

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Louise Ruehr.

MARCH 3, 201440 Vol. 5 • No. 25

Madison and Shelbie ThierryDanyla Reado, Anissa Zeno

and Lathan Williams

Alyssa, Gavin and Amber Zeno with Sacorah Avery-Green

Kiven Hadnot, Charles Bell and Desmond Hadnot

Chalessa and Malinda Stevens with Tracey Fuselier

27TH ANNUAL BLACK HERITAGE FESTIVALThe cultures of Africa and SWLA merged together for some great family fun at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Praise dance teams and gospel performers took to the stage, along with legendary Zydeco,

Jazz and R&B artist Lenny Williams and other fi ne performers. The younger crowd made friends in the “Kid Zone,” and everyone loved the mouthwatering

food, vendors and exhibits. Still going strong after 27 years!

Vickie Causey and Nikki Vital Ona Jines with Cindy and Jeff Hebert

Jay and Courtney DevallMary Guidry, Sharon Comeaux,

Anna Mason and Sandy Doherty

Lillian Porche, Cynthia Douglas and Barbara Forsythe

2014 MARDI GRAS GALAHere we go again--SWLA enjoying life to the

fullest! It was lights, camera, action as the 2014 Krewe Royalty came out with feathers, glitz and glamour at

the Lake Charles Civic Center. Spice met tourists from Canada, Missouri and San Antonio who came here

especially to witness the fun and excitement of a SWLA Mardi Gras! And the frosting on the

King Cake was The JAM’s 2014 Mardi Gras issue, which came out that night! See ya next year!

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Brian Guidry, Jessica and Sheila White and Doug Comeaux

Madison and Emily Huff manTina LaVergne, Edwin Maldonado, Margo

Arceneaux and Troy Miller

Dareyn Burns and Darein CauseyJeaux and Rita Crochet with Gerald Breaux

KREWE OF KREWES PARADEThrow Me Somethin’ Mister! Neither cold nor rain nor sleet could keep SWLA away from the annual Krewe of Krewes parade. Yes, the crowds were a lot thinner,

but they still came out to catch beads, candy, cups, and more! Over 50 krewes braved the

cold to ride the fl oats and make Mardi Gras memories!

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Harlee Bell, DJ Myers and Maddie Benoit

Timothy and Benjamin Drymon Kenzie Fitkin with Karli and Kayli Leger

LaDonna Randlle and Tressa LandryBernadette Seaberry, Mayor Randy Roach

and Floyd Mitchell

BOWLING FOR KIDS SAKE The annual Bowling for Kids Sake fundraiser for

Big Brothers/Big Sisters at the Petro Bowl brought out teams of excited bowlers to support their

life-changing work for kids.Friends, families and companies decked in their

team T-shirts had a blast! Lots of high scores and everyone was a winner at this fabulous “fun-raiser!”

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Azaleas

Beginning

Blossoms

Butterfly

Daffodil

Gardening

Landscaping

Lawn Mower

March Twenty

Mulch

Renewal

Saint Patricks Day

Shamrocks

Spring Equinox

Sunshine

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Players take turns connecting two dots. When you make a square, put your initials in the box and take another turn. When all dots are connected,

the player with the most boxes wins.

SpringSpring is isHere!Here!Spring isHere!

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