March-April 2012 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

HOT HUSBANDS • THE CABILDO • RUNNING WITH THE BULLS • OUTDOOR LIVING$450 MARCH-APRIL 2012VOL. 27, NO. 2

The community magazine of the northshore, serving St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.

Publisher Lori Murphy

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Associate Publisher Poki Hampton Editor Jan Murphy Art Director Brad Growden Managing Editor Katie Montelepre Editorial Staff Writer Stephen Faure Contributors are featured on page 12.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Business Manager Jane Quillin Advertising Account Executives Brenda Breck Poki Hampton Candice Laizer Jolie McCaleb Barbara Roscoe Interns Akila Ananth Jasmine Beard Derric Boudreaux

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For advertising information

phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 email [email protected]

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––Please send items for Inside Scoop to [email protected].

Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to [email protected]. Submit items for Inside Input

or Dining Guide to [email protected].––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contact Inside Northside P.O. Box 9148 Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 website www.insidenorthside.com Subscriptions 1 Year $18 2 Years $30 email [email protected]

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the cover Artist Marcia Holmes––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

INSIDE NORTHSIDE MAGAZINE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tam many and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy right ©2012 by M and L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork.

March-April 2012 Vol. 27, No. 2

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6 InsIde northsIde

March-aprIl 2012 9

table ofcontents

departments

14 Reflections Cover Artist Marcia Holmes.

38 Hot Husbands 2012

50 The Cabildo 200 years of Louisiana history.

55 War of 1812 Bicentennial Blue Angels and Tall Ships.

58 Running with Bulls A father-son adventure.

66 100 Years of Girl Scouts The legacy continues.

72 Humberto Fontova Nutria, beware!

84 Blue Ridge and Bluegrass North Carolina vacation.

10 Publisher’s Note

12 Contributors

18 Inside Scoop

30 Worthy Cause Court Appointed Special Advocates.

32 IN the Arts Happenings in the art world.

36 IN Better Health Carol Rains.

83 Insider Stephanie Swords Fredericks.

93 Flourishes Treasures for your pleasure.

97 Inside Look Lucky charms.

121 Pets and Their People Pompom the duck.

122 IN Love and Marriage Notable northshore weddings.

124 IN the Spotlight The Mystic Krewe of Olympia.

127 IN the Spotlight Krewe of JUNO.

128 Inside Peek

129 IN the Spotlight Geaux Arts Ball.

medical profiles

104 Bamboo Gardens Planting tranquility.

109 Viking Cooking School Outdoors

111 The Tree Doctor Will See You Now St. Tammany’s tree guru.

outdoor living

80 Dr. M. Celeste Lagarde and Dr. Richard Celentano

82 Northlake Periodontics

outdoor living profiles

featurespage 72

page 112

page 93

page 50

page 97

page 121

132 IN the Spotlight Krewe of Bilge.

136 IN the Spotlight Tchefuncte River Foundation Fundraiser.

137 Real Estate Spotlight Up-tick in single-family home building.

140 Inside Dining

145 Ad Directory

146 Last Bite Paul Murphy of Nuvolari’s, Jacmel Inn and Brady’s.

92 EMB Interiors

business profile

117 Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights

118 La Pavers

119 Perino’s Garden Center

10 InsIde northsIde

Growing up a Girl Scout makes me proud to share

a story (page 66) about their 100th birthday. Girl

Scouts have touched so many lives—including mine.

In scouting, we learned to be creative,

resourceful, independent and so much more. Lessons

learned around a Jamboree campfire are still important. We focused

on a goal and figured out the steps needed for success. Working

towards big goals—as a team sometimes and independently when

necessary—helped prepare us to be good spouses, employees, friends

and mothers. When we reached a goal, we got a patch. Proudly displayed on

our sash, our patches identified issues and activities that were important to us. I

wonder what my sash might look like today.

Aunt Jane was my first Girl Scout leader. She and her dear friend, Phyllis Dusang,

led our troop at Atonement Lutheran in Metairie. I am happy to say that I still know many of

the girls who said the pledge with me every week when I was 8. We sang about the smile hidden

in our pockets, made sit-upons and learned to cook pancakes on the top of an upturned coffee can.

Great life skills! My cousin Kelly had the best Indian name—Tippie Canoe and Kelly, too!—adopted for

a camping trip to the cabin in City Park, one of our favorite places to go. My moniker was not memorable,

but the fun and friendship certainly are.

I could not wait to get my daughters involved in scouting, but I had no idea how much I would enjoy

it as an adult. First Donna Blossman and I established a Daisy troop at St. Timothy with our daughters

Amber and Lauren. Those girls are now freshmen in college, but I can still feel their pride of earning a pin.

It wasn’t long before I was helping to lead the Pontchartrain Elementary Brownie Troop 379. My co-leader

was a girl from the neighborhood named Jane. It was our first cooperative endeavor, but certainly not

our last! Today, we work together every day at Inside Northside—she’s our business manager. You never

know where working together on a cookie sale might lead! Angie Naden and Louise Bairnsfather also

helped with the troop. Though they’ve both moved away, they remain dear friends to Jane and me—and

their daughters to our daughters. That’s just one of Girl Scouting’s many gifts.

Happy Birthday, Girl Scouts! And, thank you.

Patchesby Lori Murphy

Megan HillNew Orleans native Megan Hill is

a freelance writer. Her work includes

feature writing for magazines like Inside

Northside, Country Roads and Louisiana

Life; web copywriting; and grant writing

for nonprofits around the country. She

enjoys the perks of her job: meeting

interesting people, learning new things

and writing it all off on her taxes. Megan

graduated from Spring Hill College with a

degree in political science and completed

two years of volunteer service with

AmeriCorps.

Contributors

Contributors: Ann Gilbert, Poki Hampton and Webb Williams.

Michael GegenheimerMichael Gegenheimer graduated from St. Paul’s

School and is attending Lousiana State University,

where he is studying print journalism in the Manship

School of Mass Communication. Michael was the

St. Paul’s student journalist for the Times Picayune

during his senior year. As a summer intern at Inside

Northside, he gained valuable experience in the field

of magazine journalism, broadening his spectrum of

abilities. He is now a sports writer for the LSU student

newspaper, The Daily Reveille.

Heather BurbrinkHeather Burbrink is a photographer

with Kristin and Heather LLC,

specializing in children’s portraits and

wedding and boudoir photography.

She was an elementary teacher for four

years, but after having her first daughter,

she turned her passion for photography

into a career that allows her to be a

stay-at-home mom. A graduate of

Mandeville High School and Louisiana

State University, Heather is married to

her high school sweetheart, Brian. They

live in Madisonville with their two

daughters, Ava Grace and Emery Rhea.

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14 InsIde northsIde

WE’RE CELEBRATING MARCIA HOLMES’ second

Inside Northside cover. For our first interview, we

spoke with her in her kitchen/studio, and that hasn’t

changed—it’s still where she prefers to paint.

What has changed is that her career as an artist

(she’s a recovering CPA) has grown. Steadily and

surely, it has built since her first excursion into art

in 1999 and her February 2004 IN cover painting of

Venice’s St. Mark’s Square.

“It’s been a long time,” Marcia says. “I had just

gone to Venice to paint plein air.” Her travels have

also taken her to Paris, where, on one trip, plein air

(when an artist paints on site, out in the open) took

on a new meaning. “We [September 2008 IN cover

artist Susan Morgan and artist Terri Ford] were set

up and painting in a garden at the Louvre and they

turned the sprinklers on!”

Over the years, along with her interesting

travels, Marcia has developed a steady following

among both art buyers and fellow artists. She’s

also expanded her talents into a new medium. “I

guess the biggest change is that

I’m painting in oil,” Marcia

says. “This past year, I really

started to enjoy working in oil.

I had stuck with the pastels

because they were fast, and I

was learning. Oil has been very

freeing.”

One of the neatest things

about Marcia’s kitchen is that her

favorite place to paint is not far

from the places that give her a

lot of inspiration. A small grove

of live oaks on the property is

footsteps away from a pond,

which in turn is just a skip and a

jump from the Tchefuncte River.

“People really love my oak trees.

Every time I do a large oak, it

sells right away,” she says.

While a veteran of numerous

pastel workshops over the years, she doesn’t attend

many now. The trees, however, got her out on a

freezing cold day last November for a class with artist

Richard McKinley that was sponsored by the Degas

Pastel Society, of which she is treasurer. “Richard’s at

the top of his game; I wanted

to support the society, and I

love the trees!”

The pond and river near

her home inspired some

creative muscle stretching with

her newfound fondness for

oils. “For the waterscape and

water lily paintings, I just walk down to the river. It’s

so pretty.” Marcia takes photos of these scenes and

then sets off to painting. No matter what has changed

in the world since Monet’s lily paintings, peace and

beauty can still be found by gazing into a reflective

pool, and Marcia’s work captures the same beauty

that inspired the master so many years ago.

When she noted that one of her lily scene >>

ReflectionsCover Artist Marcia Holmes

by Stephen Faure

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to:

STEP

HEN

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March-aprIl 2012 15

Meet cover artist

Marcia Holmesand see some of her

favorite works on display at

EMB Interiors4510 Hwy. 22 Mandeville, LA

Thursday,March 15, 20125:30-7:00 p.m.

For more information, call

626-9684

Everyone’s Invited!

16 InsIde northsIde

oils was sold recently to a family in

Connecticut, Marcia was reminded

of another positive change since IN

last visited with her: “Now, I’m selling

nationally from the gallery and my web

site.” The two galleries she’s featured in,

one in uptown New Orleans and one

in Breaux Bridge, La., have also helped

expose Marcia’s work to new audiences.

“New Orleans gets so many people

coming in, and that’s cool. People are

buying who don’t know me.” Don’t

make any mistakes, though—she still has

a great following on the northshore. “My

bread-and-butter is here, and that’s what

I’m most appreciative of. It gives you

validation.”

Validation has been coming in by

the bushel from her peers. Every two

years, the International Association of

Pastel Societies has a convention. In

2011, she was presented with a gold

medallion signifying her admission into

the association’s Master Circle, an honor

earned through points she received by

winning awards at exhibits during her

years as a member.

A Master Circle exhibit was held

at the convention. Out of 50 paintings,

only eight awards were presented.

Marcia and her fellow Degas Pastel

Society board members Alan Flattmann

from Covington (an IN cover artist)

and Sandra Burshell from New Orleans

took home prizes. Marcia and Burshell,

who won the exhibit’s top honor, were

participating in their first years in the

IAPS Master Circle.

In 2011, American Art Collector

magazine asked three times to include

her work. “I did a botanical feature, a

horse feature and then an American

expressionist. I’m getting calls from New

York!”

So how did a corporate accountant

find a new career as an artist? Upon

reflection, Marcia says it really came

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March-aprIl 2012 17

to her, while maybe late in life, quite

naturally. Her first paintings in 1999

didn’t come completely out of the blue;

creativity runs in this Southern lady’s

blood. (Marcia’s from Laurel, Miss., and

an Ole Miss grad, to boot.)

“My mother, Arlene Perry, was an

artist—she’s deceased; my dad built

custom homes and now makes custom

furniture; and my grandfather was a

jewelry designer. So it all came through

the genes!”

Her mother remains an inspiration.

“My mother said you could paint

anything—no rules! She did a lot of

collages,” Marcia says. She suddenly

recalls, “Oh, my God! She did acid

on steel. She did burnt X-ray film!

It probably could have killed her. I

think somebody told her not to do that

anymore.”

While the March/April cover piece,

a pastel-on-paper work called Spring

Reflection, might appear to be one of

the waterscapes from her home, it’s

actually the product of a trip to the

Southwest with friends Connie and

Jim Seitz. (He’s yet another IN cover

artist—Marcia keeps great company!)

“We went to a gallery in Santa Fe

called Nedra Matteucci. They have

a gorgeous sculpture garden with a

pond and falling-water features. The

sky out there is so blue. I took these

water-sky reflection pictures, the

blue-green water and some leaves.”

Earlier, they had gone to see a well-

established Santa Fe landscape artist,

Forrest Moses. “His is a kind of style I

admire. I had a photograph.” Inspired

by Moses, she says, “I just zeroed in on

the water.”

Marcia’s work can be seen at the

Garden District Gallery in New Orleans, the

Rue du Pont Galerie in Breaux Bridge, La.,

and online at MarciaHolmes.com.

18 In s I d e no rt h s I d e

INSIDE

the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment

1 Copic Markers Workshops. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 1-2:30pm and 4-5:30pm. $5 each. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

1 Opera on Tap. Casual concert of opera, Broadway and more. The Inn On Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7-8:30pm. Free. (504) 524-7611.

1-3 In Katrina’s Wake: Restoring a Sense of Place. Photographs by Stephen Wilkes. Williams Research Center, 410 Chartres St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm. Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

1-10 Exhibit by Artist Michael Ledet. Henry Hood Gallery, 325 E. Lockwood St., Covington. Thurs-Sat, noon-5pm; also by appointment. 789-1832.

1-15 Art Exhibit. Ben Diller (sculpture/painting), Mark Haller (glass) and Martin Needom (sculpture). The Oak Street Gallery, 111 N. Oak St., Hammond. Mon-Fri, 1-5pm. 345-0251. theoakstreetgallery.com.

1-26 Live Harpist Concert. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. Thurs, 12:30-2:30pm. Free. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com.

1-30 Amy Guidry: Hyperreality. Blend of photorealism and surrealism. Slidell Cultural Center, 2055 Second St. Tue-Fri, noon-4pm; Sat, 9am-noon. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

1-30 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Mandeville Junior High Talented Artists. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

March

Chef Soirée March 18 Youth Service

Bureau fundraiser. Bogue

Falaya Park, Covington.

5-9pm. $125. 893-2570.

chefsoiree.com.

1-June 17 Furnishing Louisiana: 1735-1835. Distinctive cabinetmaking traditions. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Opening reception: 3/8, 6-8pm; gallery: Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4pm. Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

1, 7 Coffee with Christie. Enjoy coffee with your Golden Opportunity friends. 3/1: Ochsner Medical Center, Slidell, 9:30am. 3/7: Ocshner Health Center, Covington, 10am. Free; Food Bank donations will be accepted. 875-2799.

2-3 Hansel and Gretel and the Big Woods. The Swan, 70326 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs. Fri, 7pm; Sat, 2pm, 7pm. 590-3645. dramaandmusic.com.

2-3 Stephen Petronio Company. The New Orleans Ballet Association and The NOCCA Institute. Freda Lupin Memorial Hall, NOCCA, 2800 Chartres St., New Orleans. Fri, 8pm; Sat, 2pm, 8pm. (504) 522-0996. nobadance.com.

2-3, 9-10 God of Carnage. Cutting Edge Theater, 747 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm. $18.50. 649-3727. cuttingedgetheater.com.

2-4 Ponchatoula Trade Days, Arts & Crafts Fair. Antiques, collectibles, food, live music. Downtown Ponchatoula. 9am-5pm. Free. Mary Scandurro, 386-0026.

2-18 Girl Scout Cookie Booth Sales. Find your favorite Girl Scout cookie with the free Cookie Locator mobile app. gsle.org.

2-18 The Widow Bride. Original musical about a Gulf War widow and her family. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr. Fri, Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $19; children, $14. 641-0324. slidelllittletheatre.org.

2, 4 Strauss’ Salome. Presented by the New Orleans Opera Association. Mahalia Jackson Theater, New Orleans. Fri, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. (504) 529-2278. neworleansopera.org.

2, 9, 23, 30 Mandeville Live. Evening concert series. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. 6:30-8:30pm. Free. Alia Casborné, 624-3147. cityofmandeville.com.

2, 16, 30 Get Down with Motown. Dance the night away with dinner and music. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 10pm-2am. Reservations, 626-5566. ntinis.com.

3 Traditional Japanese Folk Dancing Lessons. St.Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. 3-4:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us.

3-4 Soul Fest. Celebration of African American music and culture. Audubon Zoo, New Orleans. 10am-5pm. Adults, $35; children, $19; seniors 65+, $19. (504) 861-5103. auduboninstitue.org.

March-aprIl 2012 19

3-31 Camellia City Market. Robert and Front Sts., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org.

3-31 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8am-noon. Free. 966-1786. covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

3-31 Italian Cooking Classes. Paul Cimino. Simplee Gourmet, 110 Hwy. 21, Covington. Sat, 1:30-3:30pm. $55 per session. 892-8370.

3-31 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.

4 Celebration of Innovation. Culinary showcase benefiting Children’s Museum of St. Tammany. Castine Center, Mandeville. 6-10pm. $75; reserved table of 8, $1,000. Vanessa Mayfield, (917) 526-1632. jlgc.net.

5 Arts Round Table. St. Tammany Parish Library, Causeway Branch, 3457 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 6-7:30pm. Free. 626-9779. sttammany.lib.la.us.

6 Dawn Brown Cookbook Signing. Dawn Brown’s Stable to Table Menu Cookbook. Simplee Gourmet, 110 Hwy. 21, Covington. 892-8370. Y6, 13, 20 Play & Learn. Parents/caregivers and children 16 months to 4 years; 3-week session. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $15 per month; members, $24. 898-4435.

7 Mystery on the Menu: Murder in Three Courses. Explore the crime fiction genre with Terri Landry. St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. 6-7:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us.

7, 21 Corey Mack Comedy Show. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 9pm-11pm. $10. 626-5566. ntinis.com.

8 St. Tammany Photographic Society Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-8650. stphotosociety.org.

Y8, 15, 22 Cuddle Buddies. Parents/caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. $12 per month; members, $6. 898-4435. 9 Live Art Demo. Featuring art by Sandra Burshell. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 6:30pm. $15; STAA members, $10. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

9 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon. >>


Inside ScoopReservations required. 845-0013.

9 The Hullabahoos. All-male a capella group. Columbia Theatre, Hammond. 7:30pm. $25. 543-4366. columbiatheatre.org.

9-10 Feathered Friends. Lacombe Art Guild. The Louisiana Artists Gallery, 813 Florida St., Mandeville. Reception: Sat, 5-8pm; gallery: Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm; also by appointment. Free. Bobbie, 624-7903.

9-25 Moon Over Buffalo. Farce set in 1953. Playmakers Theater, Covington. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $15; students, $10. 893-1671.

10 8th Annual Garden Show. Madisonville Garden Club. Madisonville Town Hall, 403 St. Francis St. 9am-3pm. Free. Molly Stillinger, 845-7348.

10 Abbey Youth Festival. St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College, Covington. 9am-9pm. On-site registration, $35. 867-2233. abbeyyouthfest.com.

10 Children’s World’s Fair. Culture, cuisine and continental travel. Louisiana Children’s Museum, New Orleans. 10am-5pm. Members, $16; non-members, $20; Early Explorer package, 4 tickets, $125. (504) 523-1357. lcm.org.

10 LSU Ag Research Center Annual Spring Garden Day. Learn tips and tricks for successful planting. 21549 Old Covington Hwy., Hammond. 9:30am. Free. RSVP, 875-2799.

10 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in Old Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 643-5340. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

10 Pearl River Roller Derby. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. Advance tickets, $10; at the door, $15. (228) 547-1803. pearlriverrollerderby.com.

10 Safari After Dark. Spend the night camping at the zoo. Audubon Zoo, New Orleans. 5:30pm-9:30am. Members, $40; non-members, $50. (504) 861-5103. auduboninstitute.org.

10-11 Jane Austen Literary Festival. Contests, readings, lectures and more! Sat, 9am, Mandeville Trailhead and North Star Theatre; Sun, noon, The Lakehouse, Mandeville. Sat, free; Sun, $35 (includes brunch and reception); students, $24. janeaustenfestival.org.

10-April 1 Sculpting the Portrait and Figure in Clay. 4-weekend course with Objector Snark. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 9am-noon. $370; STAA members, $350. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

10-April 7 Engagement Exhibition. Artists Jessica Danby, Gerald Cannon and Kathy Rodriguez. St.

March-aprIl 2012 21

Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. Opening reception: 3/10, 6-9pm; gallery: Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

10, 24 Hammond Farmer’s/Crafts Market. W. Thomas St. and S.W. Railroad Ave., Downtown Hammond. 9am-3pm. Terry Lynn Smith, 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

11 Bubbly on the Bayou. Benefits Rainbow Child Care Center. Patton’s Catering, 127 Cleveland Ave., Slidell. 11am-2pm. 646-1603.

11 Real Men of St. Tammany Gala. Benefit for Safe Harbor; dinner, live music, silent/live auctions. LSU and Saints memorabilia. Fleur de Lis Event Center, Mandeville. 6-10pm. $100; table of 8, $600; $5 per vote (online or at event). Peggy, 892-6855. safeharbornorthshore.org.

12-17, 19 St. Patrick’s Day High Tea.St. Patrick’s Day lunch specials, featured desserts. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 9am-6pm. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com.

13 We Can Do It! Helping Women to Overcome Their Money Insecurities. Professional Women of St. Tammany. Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. Noon. Members, $24; non-members, $29. Janet Fabre Smith, [email protected]. pw-st.org.

14 Cookbook Tasting. Tastings from Stable to Table Menu Cookbook. Rug Chic, 4240 Hwy. 22, Mandeville. Noon-2pm. 674-1070.

14 Memoir Writing Class. St. Tammany Parish Library, Causeway Branch, 3457 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 10-11:30am. Free. 626-9779. st.tammay.lib.la.us.

14-16 Women’s Pants Trunk Show. The Villa, 1281 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. 10am-6pm. 686-9797.

14-18 Art in Bloom. Floral designers, garden club members and artists. New Orleans Museum of Art. 3/14: Patron Party, 6pm; Preview Party, 7pm. 3/15: lecture by Patrick Dunne, 9:30-10:15am; lecture by Jonathan Sage, 10:45am-noon; luncheon, 12:30pm. Kristen Jochem, (504) 658-4121. noma.org.

14, 28 Civil Discourses. New discussion topic each week. St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. 6-7:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us.

16 Concert in the Courtyard. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 6-8pm; doors open, 5:30pm. $10; members, free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

16 Sunset at the Landing Concert. Columbia Street Landing, Covington. 6-9pm. Free. cityofcovingtonla.com. >>

16 The Bikinis. Fuhrmann Auditorium, Greater Covington Center, Covington. 7:30pm. Adults, $30; seniors (65+), $27; students (with ID), $20; children, $15. (504) 885-2000. jpas.org.

16-17 Gretchen Armbruster Special Showing. The Louisiana Artists Gallery, 813 Florida St., Mandeville. Celebration reception: Sat, 5-8pm; gallery: Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm; also by appointment. Free. Bobbie, 624-7903.

16-17 Northshore Garden Show and Plant Sale. St. Tammany Fairgrounds, Covington. 9am-4pm. $3. LSU Ag Center Office, 875-2635.

16-17 Tara Keely Spring 2012 Wedding Gown Trunk Show. Olivier Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointment only. 674-6994.

16-18 41st Annual Audubon Pilgrimage. Tours through historic structures and events throughout the weekend. St. Francisville, La. (225) 635-6300. audubonpilgrimage.info.

16-18 Amite Oyster Festival. Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds, Amite. Fri, 3-11pm; Sat, 10am-11pm; Sun, noon-5pm. (800) 617-4501.

16-18 Northshore Boat-N-Fishing Show. Northshore Harbor Center, Slidell. Fri, noon-8pm; Sat, 10am-8pm; Sun, 11am-5pm. $7; children under 7, free. boat-n-fishing.com.

16-18 Strawberry Jam’n Toast to the Arts. Louisiana Renaissance Festival Grounds, 46468 River Rd., Hammond. Ruth Rolling, 974-0630. strawberryjam.org.

16-31 Nunsense. A humorous musical. Cutting Edge Theater, 747 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm. $18.50. 640-0333. cuttingedgetheater.com.

17 Abita Springs Opry. Live Louisiana roots music including the Crescent City Celtic Band to honor St. Patrick’s Day. Abita Springs Town Hall. Pre-show performance on porch, 5-6:45pm; show, 7-9pm. $18. 892-0711. abitaopry.org.

17 Abita Springs Street Dedication. Celebrate local artist Ann O’Brien as Abita Springs names a street after her. Ann O’Brien Lane, next to the Traffic Circle in Abita. Noon-2pm. Free.

17 Girl Scouts Centennial Extravaganza. Rides, games, parade of flags and other activities. Lamar Dixon Expo Center, Gonzales. $8 by 3/2; $10 at the door; children 3 and under and seniors 70+, free. gsle.org.

18 Bayou Jam Concert. Featuring The Topcats. Heritage Park, Slidell. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

18 Chef Soirée. Youth Service Bureau fundraiser. Bogue Falaya Park, Covington.

5-9pm. $125. 893-2570. chefsoiree.com.

18 Earth Fest. Crafts, plants, music, children’s activities, raffle, door prizes, food and beverages. Abita Springs Trailhead Park. Noon-5pm. Free. 373-6415. abitapark.com.

Y19, 26 Children in the Middle. Simultaneous two-night sessions for divorcing parents and their children. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Adult session: $35/person; $45/couple. Children’s session: $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435.

20 Time Management Seminar. St. Tammany West Chamber, 610 Hollycrest Blvd., Covington. 7:30-9am. $10; members, $15; non-members. Michelle Biggs, 273-3006. sttammanychamber.org.

20-24 Mardi Gras Tea Time. Teacher/student spring break specials. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 9am-6pm. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com.

21 Emerging Young Professionals. Networking opportunity during Happy Hour. Palmettos, 1901 Bayou Ln., Slidell. 5-7pm. Linda Larkin, [email protected].

21 Women of Infinite Possibilities Evening Meeting. Garden Room at Christwood Retirement Center, Covington. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. womenofwip.org.

Inside Scoop

March-aprIl 2012 23

21-25 Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival. Discussions, interviews, master classes, theater, food, music, literary contests and more. French Quarter. (504) 581-1144. tennesseewilliams.net.

22 Chamber after Hours. Networking. Festival Building, Memorial Park, S. 7th and Beech St., Ponchatoula. 5:30-7pm. Liz, 386-2536.

22, 23 360 Sweater Trunk Show. The Villa, 1281 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. 10am-6pm. 686-9797.

23 Bus Trip: New Orleans Fairgrounds. Day at the races. Bus from Ochsner Health Center, Covington. 9:30am-4:30pm. $52. 875-2799.

23 SBAC New Member Orientation. St. Tammany West Chamber, 610 Hollycrest Blvd., Covington. 8-9am. Free. Michelle Biggs, 273-3006. sttammanychamber.org.

23-24 Justin Alexander Spring 2012 Wedding Gown Trunk Show. Olivier Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointment only. 674-6994.

23-24 Smokin’ Blues and BBQ Challenge. Downtown Hammond. 419-9863. hammondbluesandbbq.com.

23-24 The Secret Gardens Tour. Tour exquisite private gardens. Benefits brain injury recovery. Guided tours, Fri, 9am-1pm; self-guided tours, Sat, 9am-4pm. Guided, $60; self-guided, $30. (504) 838-3098. secretgardenstour.org.

23-25 Annual Jackson Assembly Antiques Show and Sale. Browse through historic antiques. Historic District, Jackson, La. Noon-4pm. $10. felicianatourism.org.

24 An Evening with Pam Tillis. Recording artist, songwriter and Broadway star. 7:30pm. $38-$44. 543-4366. columbiatheatre.org.

24 Catholic Home Schooling: A Way of Life. Home schooling curricula, materials and speakers. St. Mary’s Hall, St. Peter Catholic Church, 125 E. 19th Ave., Covington. 9am-5pm. Free. Beth, (504) 220-4626. rchal.org.

24 Danielle Inn 2nd Annual 5K Walk/Run. Hosted by LSU’s Students in Free Enterprise to raise $10,000 for Danielle Inn. Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville. 8:30am. $20; group of 5 or more, $15/person. 285-8072. danielleinn.net.

24 Falaya Fling. St. Scholastica Academy fundraiser; dinner, live entertainment, live and silent auctions. The Castine Center at Pelican Park, Mandeville. Patron Party, 6pm; Fling, 7pm. $60. Elaine Simmons, 892-2540.

24 New Orleans International Beer Festival.

Champions Square, New Orleans. 2-6pm. $45 in advance; VIP and other tickets available. neworleansinternationalbeerfest.com.

24 Northshore Kidney Walk. Fontainebleau State Park, Mandeville. 8am. Missie Lindsey, (504) 861-4500. kidneywalk.org.

24 Simply Southern Grand Opening. View accessories, fine art, furniture and more from Southern artisans. Simply Southern, 70488 Hwy. 21, Covington. 10am-6pm. Free. 871-1466.

24 Visit with the Easter Bunny. Silver Plum and 1.. 2 Buckle My Shoe, The Village Shopping Center, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 1-4pm. Free. 674-4343.

25 Music in the Park. Cate Square Park, Hammond. 3-6pm. 345-4457. hammondchamber.org.

26 MPG Spring Golf Scramble. Benefiting Mandeville Project Graduation. Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. Check-in, 11am; dinner and awards, 6pm. $125. 773-0307.

27 N’Tini’s Wine Dinner. Four-course meal served with wine. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 7pm. $50. 626-5566. ntinis.com.

Y28 Easter Egg Hunt. Bring one dozen filled plastic eggs per child. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10-11am. >>


Free. 898-4435.

29-April 1 A Taste of Covington. 4-day food and wine experience hosted by the Covington Business Association. Downtown Covington. (3/31: Fine Arts Market, Lee Lane, 10am-5pm.) (504) 439-2543. atasteofcovington.com.

29-April 1 Rich Mauti Tennis Classic. Tennis, food, drinks and tournament party. Stone Creek Club & Spa, 1201 Ochsner Blvd., Covington. $94.48. 801-7100. stonecreekclubandspa.com.

30 Columbia Street Block Party. Columbia Street, Downtown Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free. cityofcovingtonla.com.

30-31 Hayley Paige Spring 2012 Wedding Gown Trunk Show. Olivier Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointment only. 674-6994.

30-April 1 Flanagan’s Wake. Comedy. The Jefferson Performing Arts Society. North Star Theatre, 347 Girod St., Mandeville. Fri, Sat, 7:30pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $30; seniors (65+), $27; student (with ID), $20. jpas.org.

31 Crimson and Navy Gala and Auction. Roaring 20’s-theme. Music, dancing, food and silent and live auctions. Archbishop Hannan High School Gym, 71324 Hwy. 1077, Covington. 7pm-midnight. $60. Jill Hogan, 249-6363.

31 Kiwanis Dance. Dance to the oldies; casual. BYOB and BYOF. Covington Lions Club, 2027 Ronald Reagan Hwy., Covington. 7-10:30pm, doors open at 6pm. $15. Lillian Wood, 502-4572.

31 Northwest St. Tammany Relay for Life. Overnight event includes food, games, entertainment and fundraising activities. Covington High School. 6pm-6am. Free. relayforlife.org.

31-April 1 Jazz on the Bayou—20th Anniversary Edition. Fundraiser benefiting STARC, Easter Seals Louisiana, The Kidney Foundation and the arts in St. Tammany Parish; food, music and dancing. Chateau Kole on Bayou Liberty, Slidell. 3-7pm. $100. Ronnie Kole, (504) 524-5716. jazzonthebayou.com.

April 1 A Taste of Covington. Food and wine experience hosted by the Covington Business Association. Downtown Covington. (504) 439-2543. atasteofcovington.com.

1 Bayou Jam Concert. Godspeed3. Heritage Park, Slidell. 5:30-7:30pm. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

1 Chef’s Evening. Fundraising event with wine

Inside Scoop

March-aprIl 2012 25

tastings, slilent and live auctions. Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond. 5-8pm. 549-3770.

1 Flanagan’s Wake. Comedy. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. North Star Theatre, 347 Girod St., Mandeville. 2pm. Adults, $30; seniors (65+), $27; student (with ID), $20. jpas.org.

1-30 Hand Painted Porcelain. Sue Van Hoose. Slidell Branch Library, 555 Robert Rd. Mon-Thurs, 9am-8pm; Fri-Sat, 9am-5pm. Free. Christy J. Lassalle, 863-5364. sttammany.lib.la.us.

1 Jazz on the Bayou—20th Anniversary Edition. Fundraiser benefiting STARC, Easter Seals Louisiana, The Kidney Foundation and the arts in St. Tammany Parish; food, music and dancing. Chateau Kole on Bayou Liberty, Slidell. 3-7pm. $100. Ronnie Kole, (504) 524-5716. jazzonthebayou.com.

1-June 17 Furnishing Louisiana: 1735-1835. Distinctive cabinetmaking traditions. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. Tues-Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm; Sun, 10:30am-4pm. Free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

2 Arts Round Table. St. Tammany Parish Library, Causeway Branch, 3457 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 6-7:30pm. Free. 626-9779. sttammany.lib.la.us.

2-6 Spring Break Drama Camp. Louisiana Center for Theatrical Arts, 301 E. Mulberry St., Amite. 9am-3pm. $175 (includes recital performance, t-shirt and healthy snacks); before 3/27, $150. Kimberly, 517-6637. lcta.biz.

2-6 Spring Fingerprints Art Camp. Fun for ages 6-12. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 9am-3pm. $220; STAA members, $200. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

2-7, 9-11 Easter High Tea. Lunch specials with featured desserts; children’s Easter High Tea available. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 9am-6pm. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com. 2-30 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Anne London, wildlife and endangered species artist. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am-4:30pm. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144.

3-7 Engagement Exhibition. Artists Jessica Danby, Gerald Cannon and Kathy Rodriguez. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

4 Mystery on the Menu: Murder in Three Courses. Explore the crime fiction genre with Terri Landry. Covington Library, 310 W. 21st Ave. 6-7:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us. >>

4 Opera on Tap. Casual concert of opera, Broadway and more. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs. 7-8:30pm. Free. (504) 529-3000. neworleansopera.org.

4-28 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8am-noon. Free. 966-1786. covingtonfarmersmarket.org.

4, 5 Coffee with Christie. Enjoy coffee with your Golden Opportunity friends. 4/4: Ochsner Medical Center, Slidell, 9:30am. 4/5: Ocshner Health Center, Covington, 10am. Free; Food Bank donations will be accepted. 875-2799.

4, 18 Corey Mack Comedy Show. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 9-11pm. $10. 626-5566. ntinis.com.

5-26 Live Harpist Concert. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. Thurs, 12:30-2:30pm. Free. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com.

5, 12, 19, 26 Rockin’ the Rails Concert. Covington Trailhead. 5-7:30pm. Free. cityofcovingtonla.com.

6 Mad Hatter Tea Party. Easter egg hunt, costumed characters, children’s high tea. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 2-4pm. 898-3988. englishtearoom.com.

7 Easter at the Trailhead. Egg decorating,

petting zoo, aquatic fountains, arts and crafts, live music and pictures with the Easter Bunny and Disney Princesses. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. Free. cityofmandeville.com.

7-28 Camellia City Market. Robert and Front Sts., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org.

7-28 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. 845-4515. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.

10, 17, 24 Play & Learn. Parents/caregivers and children 16 months to 4 years; 3-week session. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $15 per month; members, $24. 898-4435.

11 Memoir Writing Class. St. Tammany Parish Library, Causeway Branch, 3457 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 10-11:30am. Free. 626-9779. sttammany.lib.la.us.

11 Stepping out in Style. Fashion show provided by Coldwater Creek. Benedict’s Restaurant, Mandeville. 11am-1pm. $18. 674-5093.

11, 25 Civil Discourses. New discussion topic each week. St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. 6-7:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us.

12 St. Tammany Photographic Society Meeting. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. 7pm. Free. 892-8650.

stphotosociety.org.

12-15 French Quarter Festival. Music, food, special events. French Quarter, New Orleans. Free. (504) 522-5730. fqfi.org.

Y12, 19, 26 Cuddle Buddies. Parents/caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. $12 per month; members, $6. 898-4435.

Y13 Get Lucky! Golf Tournament. Benefits Advancement of Pediatrics at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington. Registration, 11:30am; shotgun start, 12:30pm; party and awards, 5pm. Charley, 898-4141.

13 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon. Reservations required. 845-0013.

13-14 Anne Cicero Special Showing. The Louisiana Artists Gallery, 813 Florida St., Mandeville. Celebration reception: Sat, 5-8pm; gallery: Tues-Sat, 10-6; also by appointment. Free. Bobbie, 624-7903.

13-14 Lea-Ann Belter Bridal Spring 2012 Wedding Gown Trunk Show. Olivier Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointment only. 674-6994.

13-15 16th Annual Great Louisiana Bird Fest. Sponsored by the Northlake Nature

Inside Scoop

Center. Various locations. 6am-evening. $18-$50. Rue McNeill, 626-1238. northlakenature.org.

13-15 Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival. Memorial Park, 301 N. 6th St., Ponchatoula. Fri, 4-10pm; Sat, 9am-11pm (parade, 9am); Sun, 10am-6pm. Free. (800) 917-7045. lastrawberryfestival.com.

13-June 15 Salad Days 2012. Juried exhibition of student art. The Slidell Cultural Center, 2055 Second St., Slidell. Opening reception: 4/13, 6-8pm; gallery: Tues-Fri, noon-4pm; Sat, 9am-noon. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

13, 20 Mandeville Live. Evening concert series. Mandeville Trailhead, 675 Lafitte St. 6:30-8:30pm. Free. 624-3147. cityofmandeville.com.

13, 27 Get Down with Motown. Dance, dinner, music. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 10pm-2am. Reservations, 626-5566. ntinis.com.

14 Madisonville Art Market. Water Street in Old Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 643-5340. madisonvilleartmarket.com.

14 Traditional Japanese Folk Dancing Lessons. St. Tammany Parish Library, Covington Branch, 310 W. 21st Ave. 3-4:30pm. Free. 893-6280, ext. 120. sttammany.lib.la.us.

14 Why walk? When you can soar! Autism awareness walk and family fun day. North Oak Park, Hammond. 10am-2pm. Adults, $20; 12

and under, $10. 875-0511. soarwithautism.org.

14-May 5 Jose Maria Cundin Solo Exhibit. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N. Columbia St., Covington. Tues-Fri, 10am-4pm; Sat, 11am-4pm. Free. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

14, 28 Hammond Farmer’s/Crafts Market. W. Thomas St. and S.W. Railroad Ave., Downtown Hammond. 9am-3pm. Terry Lynn Smith, 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

16 Aces Against Aneurysms. Tennis tourney to raise funds for aneurysm awareness. Pelican Athletic Club, Mandeville. 8am-2pm. $40 (registration deadline, 4/9). Rebecca, [email protected].

17 Targeting Your Customer Base. SBAC Seminar. St. Tammany West Chamber, 610 Hollycrest Blvd., Covington. 7:30-9am. $10; members, $15; non-members. Michelle Biggs, 273-3006. sttammanychamber.org.

17-23 War of 1812 Bicentennial. Navy celebration in New Orleans. Special events include fireworks (Tues, Fri, 8:30pm), general public visiting of Navy ships (Wed-Sun), Cook-off with Louisiana Seafood (Fri, 2-4pm) and Air Show with Blue Angels (Sat, Sun). NOLANavyWeek.com. navyweek.org. ourflagwasstillthere.org.

18 Emerging Young Professionals. Networking. Castaway’s Daiquiri Shop, Pontchartrain Dr., Slidell. 5-7pm. Linda Larkin,

[email protected].

Y19 Annual Patron Party and Auction. Benefiting St. Tammany Cancer Fund.Money Hill Golf and Country Club, Abita Springs. $100. Sharon Landry, 674-6949.

19 Pajamas and Play: How I Became a Pirate. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Columbia Theatre, Hammond. Pre-show activities, 5pm; performance, 6:30pm. Children 12 and under, $13; adults, $19. 543-4366. columbiatheatre.org.

20 Art in April with Champagne. Downtown Hammond. 5-10pm. Terry Lynn Smith, 277-5680. dddhammond.com.

20 Concert in the Courtyard. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 6-8pm; doors open, 5:30pm. $10; members, free. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

20 Stone Creek’s 3rd Annual Twilight Run. A one mile and a 5-kilometer run. Stone Creek Club and Spa, 1201 Ochsner Blvd, Covington. 801-7100. stonecreekclubandspa.com.

20 Sunset at the Landing Concert. Columbia Street Landing, Covington. 6-9pm. Free. cityofcovingtonla.com.

20-21 14th Biennial Quilt Show. Free classes and demonstrations. Northshore Harbor Center, Slidell. 10am-5pm. Adults, $7; children under 12, $4; 2-day pass, $10. Melissa Newman, 781- >>


3650. gulfstatesquilting.org.

20-21 Sassi Holford Spring 2012 Wedding Gown Trunk Show. Olivier Couture, 1901 Hwy. 190, Ste. 24, Mandeville. Fri, 10am-5pm; Sat, 9am-5pm. Appointment only. 674-6994.

20-May 30 The Producers. Musical comedy. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Adults, $19; children, $14. 641-0324. slidelllittletheatre.org.

21 Abita Springs Opry. Live Louisiana roots music. Abita Springs Town Hall. Pre-show performance on porch, 5-6:45pm; show, 7-9pm. $18. 892-0711. abitaopry.org.

21 Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Special NOBA-commissioned world premiere with guest artist Wendy Whelan and the New York City Ballet. Mahalia Jackson Theater, New Orleans. 8pm. (504) 522-0996. nobadance.com.

21 Earth Day Celebration. Louisiana Children’s Museum, 420 Julia St., New Orleans. Members, free; non-members, $8. (504) 523-1357. lcm.org.

21 Hospice Crawfish Cook-off. 45,000 pounds of crawfish, 60 teams, bands and a children’s area. Fritchie Park, Slidell. 11am-6pm. Presale at Whitney Bank, $25; at gate, $30. Kathy Busco, 643-5470. hospicefoundationofthesouth.org.

21 Some Enchanted Evening with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Heritage Park, Slidell. Mayor’s Picnic Contest, 5pm; Enchanted Art Walk, 5pm; twilight concert, 6pm. (Rain date, 4/22.) Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us.

21 Spring for Art. Live music, artist galleries and merchants throughout Downtown Covington. 6-9pm. Free. 892-8650. sttammanyartassociation.org.

21 Tchefuncte River Festival. Food, arts and crafts, children’s activities and live music. S. Water St., Madisonville. 10am-10pm. $15; children under 10, free. Shawn, 373-6442. ilovemyriver.com.

21-22 Olde Towne Slidell Street Fair. Over 150 vendors with antique furniture, vintage jewelry, collectibles, food, live music and more. 1st, 2nd and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 10am-5pm. Free. 641-6316. slidellantiques.com.

22 Abita Springs Music and Arts Festival.In partnership with The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation. Featuring artwork, music, food and drinks. WHERE?? TIME?? Free. 892-0711. abitaopry.org.

22 Music in the Park. Cate Square Park, Hammond. 3-6pm. 345-4457. hammondchamber.org.

22 Northshore Literary Society Meeting. Guest speaker, food and drinks. 4-6pm. Non-members, $10; members, free. northshoreliterarysociety.com.

March-aprIl 2012 29

22 Sentimental Journeys 2012: Venetian Carnevale. Venetian-inspired entertainment and and dinner. Longue Vue House and Gardens, 7 Bamboo Rd., New Orleans. 3-7:30pm. Jen Gick, (504) 293-4723. longuevue.com.

22 Spring Fairy Photos. Take pictures in fairy costumes (provided). Silver Plum and 1.. 2 Buckle My Shoe, The Village Shopping Center, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. Appointments available. 9am-2pm. 674-4343.

24 N’Tini’s Wine Dinner. Four-course meal served with wine. N’Tini’s, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville. 7pm. $50. 626-5566. ntinis.com.

24-Sept 9 Paintings by Gustave Blache III. Celebrating Leah Chase’s 90th year. New Orleans Museum of Art. Tues-Sun, 10am-5pm; Fri, 10am-9pm. $10; discounts for seniors, students, children and members; Wednesdays, free. (504) 658-4100. noma.org.

25 Madisonville Garden Club Flower Show. Flower arrangements; theme “Broadway Plays.” Madisonville Town Hall, 403 St. Francis St. 1-3pm. Free. Molly Stillinger, 845-7348.

26-May 12 Spring Senior Exhibition. Department of Visual and Performing Arts. Contemporary Art Gallery, 100 E. Stadium on SLU Campus, Hammond. Opening reception: 4/26, 5-7pm; gallery: Mon, Tues, Thurs, 8am-4:30pm; Wed, 8am-8pm; Fri, 8am-12:30pm. Free. 549-5080.

27 Columbia Street Block Party. Columbia Street, Downtown Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free. cityofcovingtonla.com.

27-May 6 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Fair Grounds Race Course, 1751 Gentilly Blvd., New Orleans. 11am-7pm. nojazzfest.com.

27, 29 Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Orff’s Carmina Burana. Special double-bill by the New Orleans Opera Association. Mahalia Jackson Theater, New Orleans. Fri, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. (504) 529-2278. neworleansopera.org.

28 5th Annual Covington Clean & Green Race. 1-mile walk/run and 5K race sponsored by Keep Covington Beautiful. 867-3652. keepcovingtonbeautiful.org.

28 East St. Tammany Relay for Life. Join in the fight against cancer. Slidell Airport. 4:30pm-6am. Free. relayforlife.org.

28 Richard Murphy Hospice Gala. Chesterton Square, Ponchatoula. 7pm-1am. Patricia Westmoreland, 386-0400. richardmurphyhospice.com.

Y29 TLC’s Derby for Cancer Care. Food, beverages, full bar, live music, silent auction and Ladies Derby Hat Contest. The Lakehouse, Mandeville. 5-8pm. Charley, 898-4141.

30 InsIde northsIde

“IT’S THE MOST WORTHWHILE THING I’ve

ever done,” says CASA trainer Dana Wolcott of the

11 years she’s spent serving abused and neglected

children as a Court Appointed Special Advocate.

When she first heard about the Youth Service

Bureau’s CASA program 14 years ago, Dana knew

she wanted to get involved. “I thought, ‘That really

gets to the meat of what our community problems

are—it starts with the family.’ I wanted to be on the

preventative side, establishing healthy families.”

A mother of three with no prior training or

experience, Dana is now in her ninth year on the

staff, recruiting and training CASAs. “We love to have

a diverse group of volunteers because our kids are

diverse,” she says. “CASAs don’t all look the same,

and you don’t need experience. If you care about

kids, we can train you!”

The YSB’s CASA program serves children

in the 22nd Judicial District—St. Tammany and

Washington parishes—who are in the legal custody

of the state because of abuse or neglect. By serving

as advocates to the court on behalf of these children,

CASA volunteers respect each child’s right to grow up

with dignity in a safe environment.

CASAs meet monthly with the child and

sometimes with the parents, who have one year to

cooperate with the court by addressing the problems.

“You are going as the eyes and ears of the court,

without any budgets, restrictions or boundaries, to

see what’s in the best interest of the child and to

work with the court to make sure these kids don’t fall

through the cracks,” Dana explains.

In an effort to fully grasp the child’s situation,

CASAs also contact social workers, relatives, school

officials and health providers and review school

records, caseworker reports and medical records.

Because CASAs are not seen as authority figures,

Dana adds, they are non-threatening and can

sometimes obtain good information just by being

good listeners.

“The reward for me is to bring a positive change

in a foster child’s life,” says Nancy Reed, who’s been a

CASA volunteer for 14 years. “Many times the foster

child moves from foster home to foster home and

has different case workers from DCFS (protective

services). I am the ‘constant’ in that child’s life when

everything else is in turmoil or changing frequently.”

All meetings, research findings and discussions

are documented and presented in a fact-based report

to the court after six months and then again after a

year, when the final decision for the child should be

made. “Our judges really believe in our program,”

Dana says. “We help them sleep at night because they

really have a tough job. As in any decision, the more

Court Appointed Special AdvocatesWorthy Causes by Katie Montelepre

March-aprIl 2012 31

information you have, the better.”

Applications for CASA are taken

year-round and trainings are held three

times each year. Upon completion,

CASAs are sworn in by a judge. Once

appointed by the court to a particular

case, a CASA is expected to work until

the case is permanently resolved, usually

about 18 months. “There’s a lot of

flexibility with this,” Dana says, noting

that CASAs spend an average of 10

hours per month of their personal time

working on a case.

“After 14 years, I still strongly

believe in this program,” Dana adds. “I

know my presence made a difference,

if nothing more than letting that child

know they had someone walking

through this with them. I was holding

their hand, bringing information

that changed the decision, or at least

empowering them at a time when they

feel that they’ve disappeared.”

For more information about CASA,

including how to volunteer, call 649-4092

or visit ysbworks.com.

CASA is a nationwide volunteer

program that began in 1977 in

Seattle, Washington. The National

CASA Association has 955 programs

in 49 states, with 75,000 volunteers

advocating for 240,000 children in 2010.

The Youth Service Bureau’s CASA

program started in 1989, the second

one in the state. Several members

of the original training group are still

involved today. In 2011, 124 YSB CASA

volunteers advocated for 286 children

in foster care in St. Tammany and

Washington parishes.

by Katie Montelepre

32 InsIde northsIde

Chef Soirée Poster Artist Jane Brown

Being selected as poster artist for Chef Soirée

2012 came as a huge surprise to Mandeville artist

Jane Brown. Her husband, John, was tapped to do

last year’s poster and Jane thought there was no way

she’d be asked—she didn’t even make a submission.

However, John conspired with Chef Soirée

coordinator Debbie Bressler to get some of Jane’s

artwork to the board for consideration. After seeing

her work, the board chose Jane to do the poster.

When Debbie told her the theme of this year’s

event, “Geaux Green,” Jane took off from there.

Inspired by the time she spent as a child traveling

in Haiti and South America, she sketched out the

poster’s design in 45 minutes. “When I hear ‘go

green,’ I think ecology. The tree frog is an icon

of conservation, so I made him the chef. He’s got

shamrocks on his hat because the event is right after

St. Patrick’s Day. I put a pinwheel instead of an

outboard motor on his pirogue and a lamp instead

of running lights.” Jane says that the flowers, night-

blooming cereus and bird of paradise, are straight

from her memories of the Amazon and Haiti. The

final touch, she says, is the bee. “I took people on

home tours during Spring Fiesta in the French

Quarter. Lindy Boggs’ home had a bee motif in

the drapes, which was Napoleon’s symbol—‘b’ for

Bonaparte. She had ‘b’ for Boggs. For me, it’s ‘b’

for Brown, and for ‘Bum-bum,’ which is what my

grandchildren call me.”

STAA Juried Artists ExhibitionThe St. Tammany Art Association announces

a call for entries to its 47th National Juried Artists

Exhibition July 14 to August 11, 2012. Open to

artists ages 18 and up. Artwork should be original

visual art completed within the past two years and not

previously exhibited at STAA. Entries will be accepted

until March 31, 2012. To enter, download an entry

form from sttammanyartassociation.org or email

request to [email protected]. Entries

will be accepted via e-mail to summershowentry@

gmail.com or on CD mailed to STAA at 320 N.

Columbia St., Covington, LA 70433.

Jane Austen Literary Festival On March 10 and 11, the Jane Austen Literary

Festival in Old Mandeville will attract ladies,

gentlemen and children costumed in British attire

from the late 1700s and early 1800s. The fifth annual

community literary festival, which begins during the

Triple Crown, watercolor

by Jane Brown.

the ArtsIN

Mandeville Trailhead Community Market on Saturday at 9

a.m., is also a cultural festival, with music, dancing and other

activities in addition to literary readings and discussions.

Saturday’s festivities at the amphitheatre stage feature

a Looking for Mr. Darcy reading contest, a No Plain Janes

costume contest and vintage dance demos with audience

participation. Activities for children and adults include

quill pen writing, calligraphy demos, wax seals demos and

hairstyles of the era. Local authors and other vendors will be

located near the stage. Starting at 1 p.m., nearby restaurants

will offer Jane Austen-themed meals. At 2:30 p.m., free

lectures and panels will begin at the North Star Theatre,

continuing throughout the afternoon.

On Sunday, the festival begins with a noon brunch

at The Lakehouse featuring a harp concert, Jane Austen

readings and a silent auction. After the brunch, the

Northshore Literary Society will host a panel that will

discuss the writing process and publishing options available

in today’s markets. Guest speaker Mary Mocsary of

Southeastern will present Austen-related games and quizzes.

A flute concert and a cake and champagne reception will

round out the day’s activities.

Saturday: free. Sunday (includes brunch and

reception): $35; students, $25. For more information and

a detailed schedule, see the festival’s Facebook page and

janeaustenfestival.org.

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Northshore Literary Society

If you love to read or write, you

are invited to join the members of the

Northshore Literary Society at their next

meeting April 22. Authors, journalists,

free-lance writers, book club members

and avid readers all come together in

NLS, which was formed in 2008 as a

gathering point for the northshore’s

vibrant literary community.

Six times a year, the society meets

for guest speakers, food, libations and

friendly discussion. These meetings

provide a central place to find out

the latest information on writing,

publishing and marketing, as well as

literary events such as festivals and

writing contests.

For more information, visit

northshoreliterarysociety.com.

Calling All Artists!For information on how to submit

original art to be considered for

the 2012 Harvest Cup Polo Classic

poster, log onto jlgc.net or contact

Stephanie Dupepe at 960-1212 or

[email protected].

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Cultural Explorers ClubChildren ages 4 to 18 are invited

to discover the arts for themselves

through a recent initiative of the City

of Slidell. The Cultural Explorers Club

encourages children and parents alike

to explore many different types of art,

including symphony, dance, theatre

and the visual arts.

“The idea is to expose kids to the

arts. You never know when they will

discover a love they didn’t know they

had,” says Kim Bergeron, director of

Cultural & Public Affairs for the City

of Slidell. “The program is designed to

get the parents exposed, too. We want

it to be families discovering the arts

together.”

To be inducted into the Cultural

Explorers Club, children must attend or

participate in five cultural events outside

of the school environment—a symphony

concert, a dance exhibition, an art

exhibit, live theatre and a participatory

event. Most events are free through

city-sponsored cultural programs,

but participants can also fulfill the

requirements through other venues.

Upon successful completion of

the program, inductees will receive

a Cultural Explorers Club patch and

certificate from Slidell Mayor Freddy

Drennan during one of the city’s

cultural events in Heritage Park.

The inaugural Cultural Explorers

inductees will be honored at this

year’s Some Enchanted Evening

concert on April 21. (This event will

also fulfill the “symphony concert”

requirement.)

The City of Slidell’s Cultural Explorers

Club cards are available at the Department

of Cultural & Public Affairs, 250 Bouscaren

St., Ste. 304, in Olde Towne Slidell, or

online at slidell.la.us. For more information,

call 646-4375.

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Life Well PlannedLife Well Planned

36 InsIde northsIde

MANY PEOPLE CONSIDER teeth grinding a bad habit,

but for Carol Rains, it was also the cause of pain, a loss

of confidence and severe damage to her teeth.

“When I was younger, I had nice teeth,” Carol

says. But as an adult, the surfaces of her teeth were

severely flattened by years of night grinding, or

bruxing. Her habit of grinding gradually worsened to

the point that she was even grinding during the day.

“I had gotten used to it, but the more I ground

my teeth, the more I was in danger of losing my

teeth,” Carol says. Several doctors had told her that

she had about five years before she would have to

make some serious decisions about her teeth. “I was

grinding so close to the nerves that it was only a

matter of time before the teeth would be too short

to even save, and no matter how hard I tried, I just

could not stop doing it.”

Bruxing is often a symptom of a

temporomandibular joint disorder caused by

malocclusion, or misalignment, of the teeth, which

can cause health problems. Carol suffered from

headaches, neck and shoulder pain and even ear

pain, all due to the tension on her facial muscles and

jaw joints as they tried to find a comfortable position.

“Because I had done so much damage to my

teeth, they didn’t fit together properly anymore,”

she explains. She also became self-conscious about

her appearance—as her teeth got shorter, so did the

length of her face.

Finally, Carol decided to see what she could

do to eliminate the pain and restore the youthful

appearance of her teeth. After unsuccessful visits with

several dentists, she researched enough to realize that

she needed someone who understood neuromuscular

dentistry. Her search ultimately ended with Dr. Jim

Moreau of MoreSmiles in Mandeville.

“Carol had tried other therapies and been to other

doctors and nothing else had helped her,” Dr. Moreau

says. “This is very typical of TMJ patients. It can be

debilitating, incapacitating and frustrating, because

it’s easily misdiagnosed. Even with a correct TMJ

diagnosis, many medical and dental professionals just

don’t have the technology to pinpoint the cause and

methodically resolve the symptoms.”

Neuromuscular dentistry, Dr. Moreau explains,

evaluates the complex relationship between the teeth,

facial muscles and jaw joints. “Dentistry typically

IN Better Health by Katie Montelepre

Health Concern:

Head, neck and shoulder pain due to malocclusion of teeth.

Treatment: Neuromuscular

dentistry full-mouth

reconstruction.

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March-aprIl 2012 37

is concerned only with the teeth—a

one-dimensional approach. When you

add the relationship of the jaw joint

and the muscles of mastication, the

approach to dentistry becomes more

three-dimensional. It gives you a bigger

tool box, so to speak, when evaluating a

patient’s oral health.”

Dr. Moreau’s combination of

EMG computer scans in his office

and transcutaneous electrical nerve

stimulation, or TENSing, flushed toxins

and guided Carol’s muscles, joints and

teeth into a functioning and comfortable

bite. Although there are a few ways to

get optimum results, in Carol’s case,

full-mouth reconstruction not only

restored a healthy occlusion but also

gave her back her beautiful smile. This

was achieved with a combination of

porcelain veneers and onlays, restored

one arch at a time to ensure stability and

management of symptoms at each step.

“One of the things that really

impressed me was the fact that Dr.

Moreau listened to me to see what

needed adjusting,” Carol says. Dr.

Moreau agrees that patience, trust and

communication between patient and

doctor are key to the success of the

process because multiple adjustments

are usually needed, some of which are

almost imperceptible.

Since the neuromuscular

reconstruction of her smile, Carol has

stopped the habitual grinding, and

she no longer wakes up in pain every

day. “I feel so much better now and so

much more relaxed,” she says about the

positive difference it’s made in her life.

“Aesthetically, I feel more confident;

it restored my teeth back to a youthful

appearance. I had so much damage to

my teeth I couldn’t remember what my

teeth looked like, but my mom says they

look like they used to,” Carol laughs.

“[Dr. Moreau] is an artist!”

38 InsIde northsIde

Iggy RosalesSubmitted by Michelle Rosales

Iggy and I met our junior year in high school,

where we immediately became best of friends. He

was always the highlight of my days because he was

so full of life, adventure and laughter. We moved to

Mandeville when we married in 1997 and have two

boys, Alex and Andy. My husband is so hot not only

because he is easy on the eyes, but also because of the

love and compassion he has in his heart, and it is not

limited to his family and friends. Iggy is a firefighter

captain/paramedic, RN and an instructor for several

medical classes, so regardless of what hat he wears

each day, he is always working to help others.

WE ARE HAPPY to present Inside Northside’s Hot

Husbands 2012!

For the fifth time, northshore wives have

responded overwhelmingly to our call for hot

husband nominations. Many grateful women have

sent us letters expressing their appreciation and love

for their hubbies. From firefighter to pilot, this year’s

hot husbands are dedicated not only to their jobs but

also—and most importantly—to their families and to

our community.

Because there were so many responses, we could

not include all of them. Here, we present edited

selections from the chosen submissions. We hope that

each husband who was nominated received the letter

his wife wrote as a unique Valentine!

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(left to right)

Mark Malkemus,

Iggy Rosales,

Rob Habisreitinger,

Perry Cookmeyer,

James Ober,

John Seeger,

Christian Shofstahl,

Richard Peed,

Duke LoCicero

and Carroll Dupre.

All photos shot on

location at Nuvolari’s.

March-aprIl 2012 39

At a fire scene or at the Emergency Room, he treats

each and every person as family. From helping families

salvage their belongings after a fire to simply holding a

patient’s hand, he always treats people well. There have

been occasions where he returned to check on a family

after a fire only to get a confused look from the people

questioning if that is procedure. He says he could never

lay his head down at the end of a day without knowing

he did his very best. Unfortunately, in his professions

he has experienced pain and suffering, so he puts his

faith in God to give him the trust and strength he needs

to continue his work.

Iggy as a husband and father is the same as Iggy

the firefighter, RN and instructor—he gives his best.

Every morning, he fixes my coffee exactly the way I

like it—trust me, it’s complicated. On the mornings

he leaves before I awake, he still has it waiting. I

always smile while thinking he all but drank it for

me. What I appreciate about Iggy is he never takes

me for granted. We are a team, and we both take on

the duties to maintain our home. On the days he is

not working, you will always find him with his boys.

From field trips, coaching, playing in the yard or

simply hanging out watching a game, they are always

together. The “full of life,” adventure and laughter

that first attracted me to Iggy still hold strong. I could

not imagine my life any other way.

Rob HabisreitingerSubmitted by Joann Habisreitinger

I met Rob when traveling by private plane on

a business trip. In walked this tall, dark, handsome

pilot—complete with a leather bomber jacket and a

dazzling smile that stretched from ear to ear. I knew

right away he was special. I had always heard people

say “when you meet the right person, you’ll just know

it.” I never understood what that meant until I met Rob.

On one of our first dates at a local restaurant,

I spent the night nervously swinging my foot and

repeatedly kicking what I thought was a post under

the table. I realized at the end of our date I had been

kicking Rob’s leg the entire time. He was too much of

a gentleman to say anything! I was smitten.

Our marriage has been my life’s greatest blessing;

however, we have had our challenges. We lost our

March-aprIl 2012 39

Iggy Rosales

Rob Habisreitinger

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40 InsIde northsIde

home in Katrina and the experience was a true test

of “through better or worse.” We lived in a friend’s

garage and spent most of our days wondering how

and where we would rebuild. Throughout this

stressful time, Rob still made me laugh every day and

reassured me that everything was going to be all right.

Whether it’s flying a plane, helping a neighbor fix

an irrigation system or entering a poker tournament,

if Rob is going to do something, he is going to give it

100 percent. And he approaches every project with

joy. Have you ever seen a man sing a tune and dance

around the yard while killing weeds? Rob does.

Rob’s dedication to his dream of finishing an

Ironman triathlon was such an inspiration to me that

I joined him on the incredible 140.6-mile journey

and we crossed the Ironman finish line together (after

exchanging a victory smooch, of course!).

Rob has always supported me professionally,

making sacrifices with his own career. After a long

day of work, I come home to the most gorgeous, fun,

intelligent and loving husband a girl could hope for.

Did I mention he’s an incredible cook, too?

I am proud to be Rob’s wife. I thank God for

bringing us together. And after 14 years of marriage, I

still think he’s the hottest husband anywhere!

Richard PeedSubmitted by Cindy Peed

My husband, Richard, and I have been married

for 22 years, and he still refers to me as his “bride.”

We have two college-age sons and a 6-year-old

daughter. Richard’s understanding of life’s priorities is

what makes him my hot husband.

In our early years, Richard was driven to provide

for his young family. He climbed the corporate ladder

at full speed ahead, relocating our family from state

to state every few years. While each promotion came

with greater pay and wonderful perks, it stole his

time from being at home. His business meetings and

trips were so frequent that we wouldn’t even bother

putting away his suitcase; we’d just swap out the

worn clothes for fresh suits and off he’d go again.

While living in Portland, Oregon, we got

the news of an unexpected third child on the

way. Richard rejoiced, but I was scared and

overwhelmed. This was when my husband turned

the course of our lives around! At 43 years old, with

two teens and a baby on the way, Richard made the

decision to step off of the corporate treadmill and

give his family what we wanted and needed most—

him! Richard quit his job of 20 years and relocated

the family back to Madisonville where the boys could

attend high school with their childhood friends and

our daughter would grow up with complete stability.

Three months after the move, Katrina occurred and

his job search was halted. Unphased, he simply became a

temporary lumberjack. We were broke but happy.

Today, Richard is back in the business world,

but he works from home and is present for every

parent-teacher conference, every dance recital and

every holiday. Sharing life’s moments with him is

Richard Peed

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so much better than trying to describe them to him

over the phone! His bravery to step off of a safe and

familiar path to create a richer, deeper and more

connected relationship with the children and me is as

hot as I could ever wish for!

John SeegerSubmitted by Kathy Seeger

Some people would think that after almost 40

years of marriage life would become humdrum and

adventure-less. Those who would think that don’t

know my husband, John. Yes, he and I have gotten

older, but our love has grown and made our life

together better. Each day brings lasting promises of

more love and adventure.

We met as young teenagers. He was the

cousin of close family friends, and I was just one

of Evelyn’s little girlfriends. Years later, our paths

crossed again at Southeastern in Hammond. We

dated often, but I wasn’t ready for any serious

commitment. John was my best friend. He was

always there for me until August 1971 when he

went to pursue a master’s degree in South Carolina.

Looking back, John gave me the chance to grow

and find myself. He knew already, I think, that

he and I would be great as a couple…one day we

could become “us.”

After John left for graduate school, we wrote

letters (no e-mails existed then), talked on the phone

and visited back and forth. We became closer as I

matured and realized that my “friend” held my heart

in Clemson, South Carolina.

In December 1971, I graduated from college.

My graduate student drove home for the ceremony,

John Seeger

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42 InsIde northsIde

bringing my heart back to me along with his own in

a promise in the form of an engagement ring. What

could be hotter than that?

In a world of ever-changing marriage values

and short-lived romances, we live in our corner of

St. Tammany Parish in a relationship of “happily

ever after.” Our commitment is 40-years strong and

growing. Now that is sizzling hot!

John was right! We have evolved into “us.” Forty

years have brought forth two sons, two daughters-in-

law and two grandchildren. The years have brought us

back to the two of “us” again. What could be hotter?

Physical attraction of the young is wonderful and

is an important part of all relationships. However, it

is the communicating, dreaming, growing, nurturing

and following God’s plan together that truly

demonstrates love. Those are the high points of our

lives, and I would challenge anyone who says my

love—my John—isn’t the hottest old guy around.

Christian Shofstahl Submitted by Vikki Shofstahl

My husband is the hottest husband on the

northshore, hands down! He is tall, extremely

good looking and he’s like a big, sweet teddy bear!

Everyone that meets him falls in love with his

easygoing demeanor, great sense of humor and fun-

loving attitude, just as I did over 10 years ago! He

was so charming that he lured me over the internet

from New York to the Big Easy! After nine years of

marriage and three children, I am more in love with

him than ever. He is my best friend, and sometimes I

feel like we are still newlyweds.

Although Christian has an extremely stressful

Christian Shofstahl

Carroll Dupre

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life, balancing his career as a local

attorney and his family of five—which

includes Erich and Olivia, our 6-year-

old boy/girl twins, and our baby boy,

Andrew, who just turned 2—he is

always upbeat and easygoing. Olivia

was born with spina bifida, requiring

additional care, and Christian takes

that on with ease as well. He always

makes sure she can actively participate

in our family outings, even if it involves

carrying her from her wheelchair to each

ride at City Park and inevitably ending

up on the recliner with a heating pad on

his back!

He is a true old-fashioned

family man who always puts us first.

Christian loves spending time with his

children, whether it’s riding around the

neighborhood looking at the lights while

drinking eggnog and singing Christmas

songs or playing 10 rounds of Sorry

with our son. I even caught him with

a face full of makeup one day after our

daughter asked him to be her “model”

for her future career as a makeup artist!

Christian recently celebrated the

one-year anniversary of opening his own

law practice in Mandeville, and I am so

proud of his hard work and dedication!

He really cares about his clients and goes

the extra mile when representing them.

Even though his profession requires a

lot of time and energy, he still comes

home ready to play with the kids and

spend some quality time with me. Most

of all, Christian is a loving husband and

devoted father, and I am thankful for

every day that I have with him!

Carroll DupreSubmitted by Joy Dupre

Where do I begin? My husband

married me when I had three daughters

from a previous marriage. We have a >>

March-aprIl 2012 45

daughter together. He has never once made me or

the older girls feel like they were not his biological

daughters. We got little child support when they

were young, but he worked to support them from the

moment we met until this day. He has made sacrifice

after sacrifice to give them everything they need and

want. He is a friend and a father to all of them. He put

them through private school and now through college.

He has always found a way to give them the best in life.

We have been through so much together. He is

a man of God and is loved by everyone he meets. We

have been each other’s rock through losing my father

and his parents at young ages and losing our house in

Katrina. He would move heaven and earth to please

our girls and me. Once when the girls were young and

we didn’t have much money, he stopped at Winn-

Dixie on the way home from work, bought a pack of

yellow envelopes and wrote us each a Valentine’s Day

card. It was so special and meaningful.

When my dad was battling cancer, he was always

helping him with his oxygen tank, taking care of my

dad’s home repairs and auto repairs. He still takes

care of my mom’s home and auto repairs since she

lives alone. He is the best grandpa to our three small

grandsons, and they love him so much. He fishes with

them and crabs behind our home. He also plays games

with them and makes them laugh. We tell stories and

go camping and to Disney World when we can.

My daughters have trouble sometimes in the

real world because, in their words, they are always

comparing the men in their lives to him. And it is

a hard act to follow. I always tell him that he has

no idea how lucky he is to have stepchildren that

actually like to be around us. He is very humble, and

he realizes how lucky he is to have us, too.

Mark Malkemus Submitted by Cheryl Malkemus

The top 10 reasons my husband, Mark

Malkemus, is one of the sexiest hubbies of the year:

1) Even after 23 years, he still makes me laugh.

2) He is generous. He was in line paying a utility

bill once and heard the woman in front of him asking

for more time to pay because she was taking care of

her seriously ill daughter at her house and had to

have electricity, so my husband paid two months of

overdue bills for her. And that is one of many stories

like that.

3) He never meets a stranger. I walked in while

he was on the phone once. I heard him talking to

the person about how she needed to stop enabling

her son by paying his bills and let him make his own

mistakes. When he hung up and I asked him who it

was, he said it was the customer service lady with the

Mark Malkemus

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phone company!

4) He is movie-star handsome and he’ll tell you

so himself!

5) He always admits when he’s wrong. It might

take a day, but he’ll always say he’s sorry.

6) He compliments my cooking and tells the

kids to thank me for making dinner. And if he really,

really likes what we’re having, he’ll get down on his

hands and knees and kiss my feet! Literally!

7) He gets things done, like no one else. I cannot

think of many things he couldn’t do.

8) He’ll try anything once. (That can be good

and bad, though!)

9) Our daughter is only 13, but he tells her that

when she starts dating, she should never put up with

a boy that is disrespectful toward her.

10) He is the most decent, hardest-working man

I’ve ever known.

A few more reasons: He volunteers for Hospice

of the South and was a past board member; he

donates his time and money to St. Tammany Parish

Crisis Pregnancy Center, the Rich Mauti Charity

Tennis Classic and the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer

Center, where he is a current board member; he also

ran the New York City Marathon on behalf of the

American Cancer Society, raising $13,000.

Duke LoCiceroSubmitted by Kelly LoCicero

My husband is Chef Duke LoCicero, and he

is definitely the hottest husband! Duke is one of

the hardest-working men I know. He is connected

with the community, holds fundraisers for kids

with medical needs and runs to the nearest disaster

to help fundraise to help rebuild communities. His

restaurant, Chef Duke’s Café Giovanni, was one of

the first restaurants to reopen after Katrina because he

wanted to help New Orleans recover. Duke selflessly

gives his time and talent to help anyone in need.

Since 1993, he has held a yearly fundraiser

at his restaurant and has formed the Chef Duke

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James Ober

Duke LoCicero

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Foundation for Kids to raise money for

medically needy families and to deliver

toys to every child hospitalized during

Christmas at Children’s Hospital and

Tulane Medical Center. He has helped

families with burial expenses for their

child, helped a child whose arm was

ripped off by an alligator and helped

a dying child with his last wish, to

buy his mother a present from a local

department store.

Duke is always ready to lend a

helping hand to anyone in need. After

the tornado in Tuscaloosa, he partnered

with Greg Reggio and the Taste Buds

from Zea’s to cook for all the people in

need, and he brought toys left over from

the previous fundraiser to give to the

kids. He also fed the oil spill victims and

assisted in that fundraiser.

Duke has also been involved in the

training of upcoming chefs, assisting

with Pro-Start at Mandeville High and

teaching at Delgado, all on his own

personal time without compensation.

He believes that we need to teach a

trade to the youth who may not have

the opportunity to attend college so that

they will also be a success in life.

Duke has been a wonderful father

as well, even though being a chef means

you are not home at night with your

family and you miss all the practices,

recitals, awards, etc. Duke would have

me videotape all of them and he would

sit down and watch them with the kids

so that he could still remain involved in

his children’s lives.

These are the reasons why I believe

my husband is the Hottest Husband!

James OberSubmitted by Shannon Ober

I believe my husband is definitely

one of the hottest men in St.

Tammany—and to me, in the world!

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and I believe he is hotter now then

when I first met him when he was

only 24 (and very hot). His increase in

hotness, in my opinion, is largely due

to the man, father and partner in life

he has become throughout the journey

of our life together. I have seen him cry

at the birth of our children, stand by

me when I lost my sister and remind

me every day, no matter what weight I

am—and with five kids, I’ve been every

weight!—that I am the most beautiful

woman in the world and the center of

his universe. That is extremely hot!

The absolute hottest thing

about him is his humility and

generosity. Once, when an older lady

was on the side of the road in a beat-up

car trying to change a tire, he stopped

and changed it for her while others

drove by. The beautiful thing is that

he does this sort of thing every day.

Whether it’s paying the difference when

the person in front of him doesn’t have

the right change, helping a neighbor

hang dry wall or just holding a door,

he never wants acknowledgement or

appreciation. Everyone knows they can

ask James if they need help.

Of course, getting to watch him

be the father of our five children and

instill these values in them has been

such a blessing to me. Did I mention

how hot it is that he is the throw-up

and diarrhea king? It’s a title most men

shirk, but he is the one to clean up

these inevitabilities of having a large

family, even if he’s quietly gagging at the

sight. Not to mention the dirty diapers,

laundry, chauffeuring kids to all their

activities and the dishes he always does

when he can.

He used to own a printing company

and was gone (as most entrepreneurs

are) all of the time. After the birth of our

March-aprIl 2012 49

third child, he started another business so he could

work out of the house most days and be an involved

parent in our children’s lives. Yes, I’m afraid no matter

who gets named to be Hottest Husband 2012, I know

who my hot husband will always be—James Ober.

Perry CookmeyerSubmitted by Lisa Cookmeyer

Perry Cookmeyer, my husband, has supported

me throughout our marriage, supports our children

and supports our community through his volunteer

efforts. When we decided that we wanted a stay-at-

home parent to take care of our newborn son, Perry

offered to take on the job. Little did he know what

a challenge being a Mr. Mom would be, as this was

even less common 20 years ago than it is now. But

Perry did a great job with our son and daughter,

being the parent at activities for the kids as I

progressed in my career. He became involved with all

of the schools, volunteering in classrooms, chairing

PTA committees, carpooling to sports practice, being

a cub scout leader and more—all while running the

house, cooking our meals, being chauffeur to our

children, taking on the role of decorator for our home

and others’ (at which he is amazing) and more!

Perry shares my passion for travel, discovered on

our wedding trip to Ireland and fueled ever since. A

few years ago when I pitched a far-fetched idea to sell

our house and move to Ireland for a year and travel,

he ran with the idea and made it a reality for us. It

was a wonderful year of travel and connecting with

each other as a family that most would not have the

courage to take on—and Perry made it happen for

us! More recently, when I decided to leave my job

and start an engineering firm with co-workers, Perry

was my biggest supporter and cheerleader.

Along with all of this, Perry has been a wonderful

supporter of our community organizations, helping

with fundraising and management efforts, from

starting a chess club for the elementary school to

supporting groups such as Amplify Resources, NAMI

St. Tammany and the St. Tammany Art Association.

I will always treasure the fact that Perry spent

hours and hours with my grandmother at the end of

her life with us. Perry was with my father when he

was hospitalized for months and helped comfort him

in his final hours. To do this takes a special person,

and that special person is Perry.

There are few chances to honor a person for this

type of dedication and support, and I am thrilled to

be able to share a bit of this aspect of my husband as

I nominate him for this distinction!

Perry Cookmeyer

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PEERING OUT WITH

BLANK EYES from a bed of

bronze sculpted to look like

soft, flowing satin, the face

of Napoleon Bonaparte has

stared out of its glass case in

the Cabildo at generations

of New Orleans-area

schoolchildren. For many,

the sight of Napoleon’s

death mask formed the

most lasting impression they

associate with the ancient

building.

A historical constant,

the land the Cabildo is built

on has been set aside for

government use since the first plan of New Orleans

was laid out in 1721. Also designated at that time

were plots for the church (St. Louis Cathedral and

the Presbytere, or priests’ home) and the public plaza,

now Jackson Square.

Built during the time of Spanish rule over

Louisiana, The Cabildo, completed in 1799, was

properly known as the Casa Capitular, or Capital

House. The new home of “The Most Illustrious

Cabildo” (the city council) was commonly called

“the Cabildo building,” or, as we now know it,

“the Cabildo.” Like the cathedral

and Presbytere, it was financed by

Don Andrés Almonester de Roxas, a

member of the Illustrious Cabildo.

While the religious buildings were

gifts to the church, the city agreed to

reimburse Almonester—in the end,

his widow, as he died in 1798—for

the Cabildo’s construction.

The later years of Spanish rule

were followed by a brief period when

Louisiana was returned to France,

which famously sold the colony to

the fledgling United States in 1803.

That led to the most historic

event in the history of the

building—and, perhaps, of

the country—the ceremony

transferring ownership of

Louisiana from France to

the United States. Taking

place on December 20,

1803, in the room on the

second floor where the

Cabildo had met (the Sala

Capitular), this ceremony

was the final act in a process

which nearly doubled the

size of the United States.

What’s remarkable is

that we can stand today

in that same room, under the gaze of a wall-size

painting commemorating the transfer. After that

historic day, the Sala Capitular was home to the

New Orleans City Council and, from 1868 to 1910,

the Louisiana Supreme Court. Several historic cases

were heard there, including Plessy v. Ferguson and

the Slaughterhouse Cases, which went on to become

landmark constitutional law cases ultimately decided

by the United States Supreme Court.

The Cabildo TodayThe Cabildo, along with the

Presbytere, the 1850 House in the

Lower Pontalba building, Madame

John’s Legacy on Dumaine Street

and the U.S. Mint, are all historical

properties owned by the Louisiana

State Museum. The LSM is part

of the Louisiana Department of

Culture, Recreation and Tourism

under the ultimate direction of

the Lt. Governor’s office—as is

the committee planning the state’s

bicentennial celebrations in 2012.

Luckily for Louisianians, Lt.

The Cabildo200 years of Louisiana history

Opposite page:

The Cabildo

and Louisiana’s

Bicentennial logo;

Congress admitted

the state into the

Union on April 30,

1812.

Top: Hoisting

American Colors,

a 1903 painting

depicting the 1803

transfer of Louisiana

to the United

States.

Right: Death

mask of Napoleon

presented to the

City of New Orleans

by the physician

who attended him

at his time of death,

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March-aprIl 2012 51

Gov. Jay Dardenne happens to be a big history

buff who has traveled the state giving presentations

on our unique history. When asked about

the Cabildo’s place in the LSM system, which

includes properties in Baton Rouge, Patterson

and Thibodaux in addition to the New Orleans

properties, Dardenne said, “It’s the bell cow. It is

absolutely the real treasure. All these great buildings

in New Orleans, but certainly the Cabildo and the

Presbytere, flanking the St. Louis Cathedral, are

part of the iconic landscape of New Orleans and

therefore of Louisiana.”

Standing in the gallery on the Cabildo’s second

floor overlooking Jackson Square, Dardenne observed,

“You look out of these windows and you see the first

plat of land in New Orleans—Jackson Square, the

place New Orleans was born. The Cabildo not only

overlooks the magnificent river and the first settlement

in New Orleans, it is also the repository for so many

great Louisiana treasures that are representative of our

colorful, unique and rich history and culture. This is

the place where you find it all.”

Dardenne was speaking within a few feet of

where, at least for me, one of the building’s most >>

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significant and tragic events took place.

On July 18, 1826, a drunken wretch

named Zephir Canonge staggered up the

stairs to the building’s second floor. As

he encountered Judge Gallien Preval, a

Creole lawyer and veteran of the Battle

of New Orleans—and my great-great-

great-great-grandfather—Canonge chose

to insult Preval verbally. Exactly what

he said isn’t known; the insult rolled off

Preval like the proverbial water on the

duck’s back. Preval’s 19-year-old son,

Theodore, however, took great offense

at the slur and, on the Cabildo’s grand,

curving staircase, challenged Canonge to

a duel. It didn’t end well for the young

Preval, as one of the local newspapers

described:

“The friends of the family of Mr.

Preval—the friends of virtue and

justice—are informed that Mr. Theodore

Preval, aged nineteen years, terminated

his career yesterday afternoon at 4

o’clock by a frightful fatality. His corpse

will be exposed at Mr. B. Marigny’s,

Faubourg Marigny, from whence the

convoy will start for the church.”

This tale was not far from my mind

as I toured the Cabildo with the LSM’s

historian, Dr. Charles Chamberlain.

Chamberlain notes that the building

now houses an exhibit of artifacts

spanning the state’s history, from

prehistoric times up until the end of

Reconstruction in 1877.

The first-floor exhibit starts,

interestingly enough, at the beginning.

A history of the Cabildo including

drawings and plans of the various

buildings that stood on the site can be

seen as the visitor walks in the entrance,

as well as plans and photos of the

present building as seen through the

years.

Chamberlain points out that the

Cabildo’s appearence, except for the

1840s addition of the third floor,

remains basically unchanged from the

day it was transferred to the United

States. One change occurred almost

immediately, however. The Americans

didn’t appreciate anything to do with

royalty, it seems. “They blasted the

Spanish colonial symbol off of the

pediment. It was blank for about 20

years, and they hired Pietro Cardelli,

an Italian sculptor, to create the very

patriotic scene we have now of an

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

March-aprIl 2012 53

eagle, the flag, the cannons and cannonballs,” says

Chamberlain.

One royal reminder that—maybe by design,

possibly by ignorance—escaped the Americans’ ire

was the iron balustrade surrounding the building’s

second floor. “We know Marcellino Hernandez was

the Isleño artisan who oversaw the balcony work, and

he used a crown and a rosary design. That reflects the

key Spanish institutions of the crown and the church.

The funny thing is, I don’t think the American

officials ever really got that. I think that if they tore

down the Spanish seal, why would they also support

the idea of a monarchy and the Catholic Church?

Americans were greatly opposed to those ideas. Had

they really known what those symbols were, they

probably would have taken them away. I think it’s

funny.” (Chamberlain also notes that local jewelry

designer Mignon Faget has a collection incorporating

some of Hernandez’s design elements called, of

course, the Marcellino collection.)

Moving on into the exhibit, early artifacts

include Native American baskets, one of which,

Chamberlain says, is a Chitimacha basket considered

one of the finest examples of Native American

basketry in the country.

Nearby is one of the most important artifacts

that mark the beginning of European influence in

Louisiana—a marble stone recovered from Fort

Maurepas, the first French outpost, founded in 1699

at present-day Biloxi. More artifacts from colonial

days include an armoire dating to the 1790s made

by Celestin Glapion. “It’s one of the finest artifacts we

have,” notes Chamberlain. “It’s an example of Creole-

style furniture. The French influence, the cabriole

legs, the scalloping of the bottom is Rococo, and the

crown molding at the top is Second Empire style.

It’s kind of a mixture. The Glapions are buried in

St. Louis Cemetery No. 1; his brother married Marie

Laveau, so it’s a very interesting story.”

These exhibits are housed in a part of the

Cabildo that incorporates the arched walls and

brick floor of the Corps de Garde, built in 1751. The >>

Top: Old-style

building techniques

used in rebuilding the

Cabildo’s third floor

and mansard roof

can be seen in the

exposed timbers.

Left: A drum owned

by Jordan Noble,

who participated

in the Battle of

New Orleans.

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structure survived the great fires of 1788 and 1794

that destroyed much of the city and were the impetus

for Almonester’s building spree.

Portraits hanging in the first-floor foyer include

one from 1822 of Father Anthony Sedella, “Pere

Antoine,” who was pastor of St. Louis Cathedral

for many years, and Phillipe de Marigny, father of

Bernard Marigny, founder of the town of Mandeville.

The Sala Capitular is located on the second floor,

along with its display commemorating the Louisiana

Purchase and the Louisiana Supreme Court; this is

also where Napoleon’s death mask resides. Next to it

is an exhibit featuring the Battle of New Orleans. An

enormous painting depicting the battle overlooks a

display of artifacts. Chamberlain explains that unlike

other exhibits featuring items that had been dug up

Above: The

Cabildo’s second-

floor gallery faces

Jackson Square

and the Pontalba

buildings, a view

unchanged since

the 1850s.

Right: Stone

purportedly left by

Iberville near what

is now Biloxi, Miss.

to claim France’s

possession of

Louisiana in 1699.

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March-aprIl 2012 55

War of 1812 Bicentennial Make way for the Blue Angels and Tall Ships!

From April 17 to 23, New Orleans will serve as the inaugural city in a three-year

national celebration commemorating the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the Star-

Spangled Banner. Highlighting the week will be a memorable air show by the Navy’s

famed Blue Angels as well as a

colorful spectacle of ships spreading

on the East Bank of the Mississippi

River from Erato Street to Upper

Poland Avenue.

Four large Navy warships will

welcome Class A Tall Ships from

countries around the world, joining

the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard,

U.S. Marines and OpSail 2012 for

the celebration. The theme “Our

Flag Was Still There” will mark

the festivities in seven ports and

across the country during the next

three years. The 2015 conclusion

of the commemoration, also in

the Crescent City, will focus on the

Battle of New Orleans.

The opening week includes a

Saturday afternoon air show over

Lake Pontchartrain by the Navy’s Blue Angels; general public visiting of the ships in

port Wednesday through Sunday; fireworks on the river Tuesday and Friday evenings; a

Louisiana seafood cook-off on Friday afternoon; and many more events and activities.

Visit NOLANavyWeek.com and navyweek.org for a complete schedule and detailed

information on the week’s events. For information on the Bicentennial of the War of

1812, visit ourflagwasstillthere.org.

after years underground on the field

in Chalmette, “This is really the best

Battle of New Orleans exhibit because it

has large objects that were kept in the

families and then handed down to us.

So we have a rifle and bayonet registered

to the Tower of London that someone

recovered right after the battle, and an

English drum major’s baton. We also

have reproductions of uniforms that

were handed down to us but are too

fragile for display. We have a drum that

belonged to Jordan Noble. In 1815, he

was a 13-year-old slave who then went

on to serve in three other wars. He won

his freedom in the 1830s and was a

military hero throughout the 1800s.”

The third floor houses a sprawling

exhibit that illustrates various aspects

of the commercial activity that drove

Louisiana’s economy through the years.

It’s a large, striking and open space. The

Cabildo’s roof and the third floor were

heavily damaged by a fire in 1988. It

was rebuilt using the original mansard

construction of heavy wooden beams

and trusses and trademark dormer

windows. The beams are left exposed

so the public can see how this great

space would have been achieved using

building techniques that pre-date power

tools and particleboard.

The story of commerce and

agriculture in Louisiana can’t be told

without reminders of less savory times.

A wooden block that was once used

in slave auctions dominates this floor’s

entrance. “New Orleans was the center

of the domestic slave trade in the pre-

Civil War years,” Chamberlain notes.

Other artifacts, such as elegant furniture,

clothes and bedding, are displayed

among the more crude items. “Slavery

produced the wealth and allowed

Above: The Battle of Lake Borgne in 1812. Below, right: The

Indonesian tall ship KRI Dewa Ruci will be among those taking

part in the celebration. Below, left: The Navy’s Blue Angels.

>>

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planters to have china, silver, glassware

and silk clothing. We also have the

artifacts of slavery itself—the slave collar

always elicits a reaction in people.”

A notable item is a life-size carving

of an Indian maiden. “This would be put

outside a tobacco shop to let people know

what they sold,” says Chamberlain. “It

is probably the most beautiful tobacco

shop sign I’ve ever seen. Most people are

familiar with crudely carved, male Great

Plains Indians. This reflects a Southeastern

Indian, and it’s female, in the most

intricate and elegant presentation.”

Nearby is an interesting and odd

piece of wood, rounded and with a

hole in the middle. “This is an actual

pipe from the Latrobe water works,”

explains Chamberlain. “They basically

used cypress logs, hollowed them

out, made male and female ones and

then joined them together. Benjamin

Latrobe was the architect of the U.S.

Capitol. He came here in 1819 to build

a waterworks—a private, subscribed

waterworks. It was located where

Latrobe Park is now, by the French

Market.” During his stay in New

Orleans, Latrobe also designed the

Louisiana State Bank building, now a

reception hall called Latrobe’s on Royal,

just a few blocks from the Cabildo.

Rounding out the third floor

and ending the Cabildo’s collection

spanning 200 years of Louisiana

history are items from the Civil War

and Reconstruction, including a lottery

wheel from the great Louisiana Lottery

scandal of the late 1800s and a display

explaining one of the last struggles of

Reconstruction in New Orleans, the

Battle of Liberty Place. Chamberlain

notes, “Honestly, it’s kind of awkward

to end the exhibit of the history of

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March-aprIl 2012 57

Louisiana in 1877 because it’s an awkward time,

the end of Reconstruction.” However, he explains

that most of the museum’s artifacts are from the

1700s and 1800s and the exhibits are kept within

that time period.

Secret HistoryAn area not included in the Cabildo’s exhibit

reflects its use over the years as a police precinct

and prison. At one time, the city’s prison extended

back behind the Cabildo along St. Peter Street to the

corner at Royal. Over the years, it was demolished,

remodeled and diminished, with only a few holding

cells remaining in the courtyard once the large parish

prison was built at the site where the Municipal

Auditorium is presently located.

Known as the “Calaboose,” its most famous

occupant was perhaps the pirate Pierre Lafitte,

brother of Jean Lafitte. He escaped on September

5, 1814, and a $1,000 reward was offered for

his return. At the same time, Jean Lafitte was

in negotiations with the governor, offering his

assistance in repelling the coming British invasion

that culminated in the Battle of New Orleans the

following January. Pierre was never returned to the

Calaboose, and the pirates won pardons for their

actions in defense of the city.

To learn more about the Cabildo, see The Cabildo

on Jackson Square by Samuel Wilson and Leonard

Huber. The Cabildo is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10

a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Visit louisianabicentennial2012.com for

upcoming Louisiana Bicentennial events.

Above: Arguably the

most historic room

in Louisiana, the Sala

Capitular saw the

transfer of Louisiana

to the United States

and was, at times,

the seat of the

Illustrious Cabildo,

the New Orleans City

Council and Louisiana

Supreme Court.

Left: Reward notice

for pirate Pierre

Lafitte, who escaped

from the Cabildo’s

jail, the Calaboose.

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Michael and

his father in

Ayuntamiento

Square just

before the run.

FOR MONTHS, I had eagerly anticipated the trip

that my father and I were going to take after my

graduation from St. Paul’s. We had planned every

detail of our visit to Pamplona, Spain, to run with

the bulls. But no amount of planning could have

prepared us for the reality.

The Spanish simply call it “Encierro,” but it is

more commonly known as The Running of the Bulls,

which takes place during Pamploma’s annual festival

of San Fermin. The festival began as a primarily

religious event to honor the city’s patron saint. Its

origins can be traced as far back as the 13th century,

when it took place in October. The move to July 7 in

1591 is considered the first official celebration of San

Fermin. (For perspective—the pilgrims wouldn’t step

off the Mayflower for another 29 years!)

“Decadence is a difficult word to use since it

has become little more than a term of abuse applied

by critics to anything they do not yet understand or

which seems to differ from their moral concepts.”

-Hemingway

Over the years, the festival of San Fermin has

morphed into a celebration that rivals Mardi Gras

with the infusion of music, dancing, food and

copious amount of wine. Its resemblance to Mardi

Gras was highlighted when the city of Pamplona and

a major local tourist shop honored Mardi Gras with a

special parade, complete with throws, floats and New

Orleans Council-Member-at-Large Arnie Fielkow. The

chief similarity to Mardi Gras is the amount of alcohol

(traditionally, wine) that is consumed at the festival.

As I stand in the cold misty dawn of a small Spanish town, my heart begins to

race in a mix of anxiety and anticipation. I stand with 3,000 other men whom I have

never seen before, but I know exactly what is on their minds. We have all gathered for the same purpose, but for different reasons. Some are old, hoping to regain

the thrills of their youth; some are young, seeking to gain the experience of a man.

We all know what may soon lie before us, but we have chosen to carry through. As Ernest Hemingway said nearly

85 years ago in The Sun Also Rises, “Everything became quite unreal finally

and it seemed as though nothing could have any consequences. It seemed out of place to

think of consequences during the fiesta.”

Running with the Bullsby Michael Gegenheimer

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March-aprIl 2012 59

Walking through the Spanish city, many

New Orleanians would feel at home

with the number of bars and restaurants

available on each block. Many small

convenient stores close down their shops

and open a bar out front for anyone

who needs a quick refresher. It is also

very popular, especially with the many

college students who attend, to spill

more wine than they actually drink.

Wineskins are commonplace, with many

partiers shooting wine all over people

during the celebration, turning white

shirts purple.

This brings me to the traditional

dress of San Fermin. Many people have

seen the iconic clothing of the running of

the bulls, the solid white shirt and pants

with the red sash around the waist and

the red handkerchief around the neck.

This is the traditional dress for the entire

festival, even for those who don’t actually

run, including most of the locals.

“I never had to choose a subject—my

subject rather chose me.” -Hemingway

Possibly the single most

influential event in the festival’s

history was when American author

Ernest Hemingway first attended the

festival in 1923 and wrote his famous

novel, The Sun Also Rises, published

in 1926. He returned to Pamplona

nine times before his death in 1961.

In appreciation of Hemingway’s

contribution to the festival’s publicity,

the people and city of Pamplona have

erected a small monument to the

author next to the bullring he made

famous. He is also recognized in the

names of many cafés and restaurants,

as well as life-sized statues in places

he is thought to have visited.

Hemingway was not the first

foreigner to attend the festival, however.

It is believed that in the early 17th and >>

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18th centuries, word got out about how

the local clergy was concerned about the

abuse of alcohol and the moral flexibility

of young men and women during the

festival. This, of course, led to many

people flocking to the Spanish countryside

during the second week in July.

PamplonaThe city of Pamplona rests in

the calmly sloping countryside of

northeastern Spain near the French

border. As my father and I flew into

the airport, we saw hundreds of wind

generators on top of the mountains

that surround the city. The old part of

town, where the celebration takes place,

lies just south of the river Arga, which

provides the perfect place for riverside

walks in the cool Spanish summer.

We stayed in the town of Burlada,

about two miles from the center of the

old part of Pamplona where the festival

takes place. We took a five-minute ride

on what is possibly one of the cleanest

city buses I’ve ever been on and arrived

at the center of the downtown city

square. I had expected a small dirt town

where the only roads that were actually

paved were cobblestone from the 17th

century and the restaurants were small

café-type places run out of people’s

homes for the festival. I could not have

been more wrong.

Pamplona reportedly spends

about four million dollars each year to

prepare the city for the festival, which

generates about 60 million dollars

each year and appears to put a large

portion of that back into the city. The

city is a beautifully modernized place

with the cozy atmosphere of a small

town. As we walk down the Avenida

de Carlos III, a pedestrian plaza in the

center of town, we begin to see upscale

shopping next to street vendors and

architecturally beautiful buildings with

March-aprIl 2012 61

Above: The local Penas

celebrate through the

streets of Pamplona.

Left: The old church in

Ayuntamiento Square.

street performers out front. But the most impressive

aspect is how the city of Pamplona mixes the modern

so perfectly with the old. Many of Pamplona’s older

buildings date back to the Middle Ages, and since the

city was surrounded by a fortressed wall to protect it

from attack, there wasn’t much room for expansion

until recently. To cope with the growing population,

Pamplona built inwards by making the city very

tight and simply modernizing older buildings rather

than building new ones. Most of the old town is

pedestrian-accessible only, with many of the shops,

bars and restaurants adapting to the inevitable influx

of visitors that San Fermin brings.

The Running of the Bulls“They’re only dangerous when they’re alone, or

only two or three of them together.” -Hemingway

The actual running of the bulls during the

festival of San Fermin was not always the major

international event it is today. According to tradition,

bullfights take place throughout the week. The bulls,

which are bred and raised by nearby farms, need

to be ushered to the ring each morning for that

evening’s fight. The night before, the bulls are led

to a small pen in the Santo Domingo area of town,

about one-half mile from the ring. In early years, on

the day of the fight only the bull drovers ran with the

six full-grown bulls to the arena. Eventually, many

of Pamplona’s young men decided they would run

with the bulls in what can only be described as either

a move of sheer bravery or one of blind arrogance.

(She must’ve been pretty.) By 1852, a new bullring

was constructed and a new route, which is still used

today, was adopted. Eventually, many people began

to run in front of the bulls instead of behind them as

the drovers do.

The first thing most people think of about

running with the bulls is the danger—and there really

is no “safe” place to run. Though many groups have

protested the event and requested that the mayor

make the run safer, he reportedly responded that

there is no way—nor is there any desire—to make

the run safer at this point. Various safety precautions

have been implemented over the years, however,

including the installation of a second fence barrier

along the route. Surprisingly, since 1910, only 14

people have died because of injuries incurred during

the run. A lot of the injuries are not from the bulls,

but from panicked people getting knocked around;

many end up with concussions.

Pamplona holds eight different runs on eight

consecutive days during the festival. Each morning

at eight o’clock sharp, a rocket explodes to announce

the official start of the run and the opening of the

gates. A second rocket explodes to indicate that all

six bulls and six steers have left the holding stable

and are heading to the Santo Domingo portion of

the route. This is considered by many to be the most

dangerous part of the run because the bulls are fresh

and are able to run quickly—very quickly; also, there

is no place to hide for cover because both sides of the

street are solid walls except for a few shops, which

are required to block all doors and windows.

Each runner can start from anywhere on

the route. My father and I chose a place near the

beginning, in the Ayuntamiento area, a small

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A monument

honoring the

annual Encierro.

square surrounded by shops that is dominated by

an old church that hosts the opening and closing

ceremonies. Many of the pictures of the revelry and

debauchery that take place at San Fermin are taken in

this square during the opening ceremony.

The most nerve-wracking part of the whole

event was waiting for the run to start. Looking

around, I saw each man nervously stretching and

trying to loosen up. The clock ticked down to the

final seconds, and many runners began to sing the

traditional prayer to St. Fermin, asking for a safe

run. As the bulls neared my section, sheer chaos

and panic surfaced. I saw men start to run away

before the bulls even reached us, and then I saw

men waiting to get a closer look. Finally, I began to

run, knowing that I definitely did not want to be

standing there while the bulls ran past. I lost my

father in the shuffle and turned back to see where

he was. My heart felt like it was about to beat out of

my chest at the sight—the group of six mammoth

bulls and their steer counterparts were bearing

down on me with their infamous horns pointing

straight at me. Luckily, I was able to get to the side

of them, just as they rushed past, with less than

a yard between us. The realization of how much

danger I had just been in hit me—the sheer size

and speed of one of those creatures is terrifyingly

breathtaking. As I stood on the side, I hoped that

one of them wouldn’t decide to turn a bit and clip

me from behind.

The whole run took only about 15 seconds for

me. My heart was still racing, not knowing if it was

over or if more were on their way. It was absolutely

the most terrifying thing I had ever done, but I had

made it—I had run with the bulls.

Though I was unscathed, the bulls were still

on the loose and more runners were about to

experience the terror I had felt. The next stage of

the route, known as “Estafeta,” is one of the most

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March-aprIl 2012 63

Per tradition,

spectators hold up

their handkerchiefs

and candles at the

closing ceremonies.

famous portions of the run because it has the most

dangerous feature in it—a sharp turn on the slippery

cobblestone street. Inexperienced runners are advised

not to run this portion. Running on the outside of the

bulls is especially dangerous because many bulls slip

and fall at this turn, crushing whatever is in their way

and some bulls are separated from the herd. (The

bulls stay relatively calm while they are together—

fast, but calm.)

The next section, the short stretch of

“Telefonica,” leads to the entrance to the bullring

known as “Callejon.” Callejon is also a very dangerous

portion of the route, because the whole path narrows

to about 3 meters in width. All the runners as well as

the bulls must squeeze through—although the bulls

will make their own room if they need it.

The arena is the final stage of the Encierro. As the

bulls run in, “dobladores” work to draw the bulls into

the pen, and the spectators cheer the runners who

have made it safely. The run into the arena signifies

the end of the running for that day. It is an amazing

feeling of accomplishment and invincibility as you

realize that you have successfully run with the bulls.

I ran on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, which was

the fastest running of the bulls ever recorded since

officials started keeping track in 1980—2 minutes

and 11 seconds. A typical run lasts around 4 minutes,

with runs being drawn out if a bull becomes detached

from the herd.

Once the run was over, the streets cleared

out of all the partiers who needed to rest before

the evening festivities. Some people were still out

drinking, and small groups of local marching bands

known as “penas” were around, but for the most

part, this was the calm part of the day—a great

time to walk around and explore the city or do

some shopping without having to fight the drunken

crowds. The party wouldn’t pick up again until the

evening’s bullfight. >>

The bullfight“Bullfighting is the only art in

which the artist is in danger of death

and in which the degree of brilliance in

the performance is left to the fighter’s

honor.” -Hemingway

A Spanish custom that can be dated

back for centuries, the bullfight has been

spread to many former Spanish colonies

throughout the world. In Pamplona, the

bullfights are held in the same local arena

used in the run, which is one of the largest

bullfighting arenas in the world. Each

night the stadium is filled to capacity, with

many of the local penas in attendance.

The partying, including the tradition of

throwing wine everywhere, continues

inside the arena throughout the bullfight.

To many, the bullfight is a daring

and courageous art form. Many

Americans feel strongly against the sport,

however, and end up cheering for the

bull. PETA has held many rallies and

protests against the sport and the running

of the bulls. A few days before the festival

begins, PETA holds its “Running of the

Nudes,” in which hundreds of people

walk through the streets of Pamplona—

you guessed it—in the nude.

In a traditional Spanish-style

bullfight, three matadors each fight two

bulls. (The bullfight we saw featured

the six bulls that had run through the

streets of Pamplona earlier that day, each

between 4 and 6 years old and weighing

about 1,500 pounds.) Each matador has

six assistants—two picadores, who are

on horseback and use large lances; three

banderilleros; and a “mozo de espadas,”

which translates to “sword page.”

Together, these men are collectively

known as “toreros,” or “bullfighters.”

The modern bullfight is highly

ritualized, with three distinct stages.

The participants first enter the arena in

a parade called the “paseíllo.” Torero

costumes are inspired by 17th-century

Andalusian clothing, with matadors

being easily distinguished by the gold

of their “traje de luces” (“suit of lights”)

as opposed to the lesser banderilleros,

called “toreros de plata” (“bullfighters

of silver”). When the bull enters, the

matador and banderilleros use special

magenta and gold capes to lure the bull

around the ring, not only to tire the bull

but also to test his ferocity.

Next, the picadors enter the arena

on horseback. A padding called “peto”

surrounds the horse to protect it from

the bull’s horns. The bull will eventually

charge the horse, which allows the picador

to stab at the bull’s neck and shoulder

muscles. The manner in which the bull

charges provides important clues as to

which side the bull favors.

In the second stage, the three

banderilleros each attempt to plant two

“banderillas,” sharp barbed sticks about

2 feet long, into the bull’s shoulders

by running at the bulls themselves and

quickly dodging the bull’s horns right

at the impact of the banderillas. This

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The matador shows bravery

while performing the famous

(or infamous) passes.

March-aprIl 2012 65

angers and invigorates but ultimately

further weakens the bull.

In the final stage, the matador

re-enters the ring alone, with only a small

red cape, or “muleta,” and a sword. The

matador uses his cape to attract the bull

in a series of passes, which serves the dual

purpose of wearing the animal down for

the kill and producing a beautiful display,

or “faena.” The faena ends with a final

series of passes in which the matador uses

his muleta to maneuver the bull into a

position that allows him to stab it between

the shoulder blades and through the

heart. The sword is called “estoque” and

the act of thrusting the sword is called an

“estocada.” This final thrust will inevitably

kill the bull, ending the fight.

If the matador has performed

particularly well, the crowd may petition

the president of the event to award the

matador an ear of the bull by waving white

handkerchiefs. Very rarely, if the public

or the matador believes that the bull has

fought extremely bravely, they may petition

the president to grant the bull a pardon

and spare the bull’s life, allowing it to leave

the ring alive and return to the ranch.

After each of the bulls has been

killed, the penas and most of the

audience begin the next phase of

festivities by parading into the streets,

which are filled with music, dancing and

more wine. It is common for the bars to

be empty on the inside because everyone

is on the street dancing and celebrating.

Once a year, the small Spanish

town of Pamplona becomes the center

of international interest and holds the

hopes and memories of thousands

of people who flock to the city for

that one week in July. If you consider

joining them, remember this quote

from Hemingway, “Every man’s life

ends the same way. It is only the details

of how he lived and how he died that

distinguishes one man from another.”

985-246-1224215 E. Gibson St., Covington

Interests include: Laparoscopic surgery, pregnancy management, difficult

menopausal transitions, management of significant pre-menstrual syndrome

66 InsIde northsIde

Top left: Juliette

Gordon Low (right)

at a White House

ceremony with Girl

Scout First Class

awardees, 1917.

Top right: Girl

Scouts wading at

Camp Covington,

circa 1920s or 30s.

ON MARCH 12, 1912, JULIETTE GORDON LOW

started the first Girl Scout troop with 18 girls in

Savannah, Ga. Only eight years later, October

1920 marked the first mention of a troop on the

northshore, when Franklinton’s Pine Tree Troop,

founded by Hallie Love, attended Camp Peter Pan.

In 1922, the first charter created the New

Orleans Council, which was later regionalized into

the Girl Scout Council of Greater New Orleans and

South Louisiana, extending its jurisdiction from three

parishes to 15, including the northshore area. By

the 1950s, troops from Slidell and Lacombe were

camping in Fontainebleau. Of the more than 17,000

girls and 7,100 adults in the 23 parishes served by

today’s Girl Scouts Louisiana East council, over 1,500

girls and 850 adults are in St. Tammany Parish.

Area events have been planned to celebrate the

100th anniversary of Girl Scouting. They include a

Centennial Extravaganza in Gonzales March 17, a

fundraising luncheon in Baton Rouge March 15 and

a FOREever Green Golf Tournament followed by the

Rhapsody in Green Gala in New Orleans June 23.

In Juliette Gordon Low’s Footsteps

Today, more than 50 million girls have had the

opportunity to build leadership skills through their

participation in the Girl Scout program. But they

didn’t do it alone.

Noel “Buddy” Anderson and Eileen deHaro

are two of the thousands of adult volunteers who

continue Low’s mission of helping girls to develop

physically, mentally and spiritually.

If you mention Noel Anderson to anyone involved

in Girl Scouts locally, you will probably get a blank stare.

But if you mention “Buddy,” a light bulb goes off and

a big smile comes on. Buddy, a long-time Girl Scout

volunteer on the northshore, was also a Girl Guide in the

Fourth Malvern Girl Guide Company in Australia, where

she lived until moving to the United States in 1981.

Buddy’s mother had been a Girl Guide in the

1920s in New Zealand, her sister Sue was a Girl

Guide in Australia and Sue’s three daughters were all

Brownies in England. (Girl Guides in other countries

are the equivalent of Girl Scouts.) With her own

by Katie Montelepre

photo: courtesy of GIRL SCOUTS NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION CENTER

photo: courtesy of GIRL SCOUTS LOUISIANA EAST

100 Years ofGirl Scouts!

March-aprIl 2012 67

Left: Juliette Gordon

Low’s birthplace

in Savannah, Ga.

Below: The Jamboree

at Camp Whispering

Pines in 1984.

daughters’ involvement in Girl Scouts in the United

States, Buddy says, “That’s three generations of Girl

Guides in four different countries!”

After settling on the northshore, Buddy started

as a volunteer leader for her youngest daughter’s

Brownie troop of first graders—Mandeville Troop

147. Her oldest daughter was in a third-grade

Brownie troop. Both girls went through Juniors, and

one was a Cadette; Buddy was a volunteer troop

leader for eight years.

Buddy recalls, “When my daughter asked, ‘Mom

do you mind if I don’t do Girl Scouts anymore?’ I said,

‘Not if you don’t mind if I do!’ I had a lot of children

in the troop who didn’t have many opportunities, so

to come to the Girl Scout meeting was the highlight of

their week.” One year, her troop had kids from seven

different schools, so she made sure each meeting

included time for socializing, and she even planned

additional Saturday activities for the girls.

Only a year after Buddy started and only a few

miles away in Lacombe, Eileen deHaro

went to a meeting to register her

daughter for a Brownie troop. But it

wasn’t that simple—“The next thing

you know, I’m a leader!” she laughs.

“I’m kind of a weird one,” Eileen

says about her Girl Scout background.

“I was in Blue Birds (a group similar

to but not affiliated with Girl Scouts),

but when it was time to move up, the

leader said there were no Camp Fire Girl openings.”

Instead, the girls and their leader decided to form a

Girl Scout troop.

“It was awesome,” Eileen recalls. “We did

everything. For Jamborees in City Park, we’d build

the biggest bonfires and highest flags, and we did it

ourselves. I’ve patterned my leadership on the way

she led.”

Eileen spent two years leading a Brownie troop,

three years with Juniors and three more years with

Cadettes. “Those were the years,” she says. “I was

having fun!” Remembering the sight of grandmothers

walking down the highway in Lacombe to register

their granddaughters for Girl Scouts, Eileen says all

the hard work is worth it. “You know that you’re

making it possible for them to take the program

because …”

“Without the leader, you don’t have a troop,”

Buddy finishes the sentence for her. “It’s very

rewarding.”

Eileen agrees. “When people ask, ‘Should I be a

troop leader?’ I immediately say, ‘Do it. You’ll never

regret it.’”

Outside of the weekly troop meetings, there are

many opportunities for the local Girl Scout troops to

interact with each other. And since Buddy and Eileen

were both very active leaders, their paths crossed

many times at numerous Jamborees (camping trips),

leaders’ weekends and other Girl Scout events.

Camping and CookingMany Girl Scouts have fond memories of

camping at one of council’s properties, which include

Camp Covington, Camp Marydale in St. Francisville,

Camp Whispering Pines in Independence and the

McFadden Cabin in New Orleans’ City Park.

Built in 1927, Camp Covington is the oldest

Girl Scout camp in the United States

that continues to function with

its original design and location;

it is also recognized as a Pioneer

Camping site. Each cabin is a unique

construction because individual

civic groups each designed a cabin

and supplied the material and labor.

Actress Dorothy Lamour camped

there in 1929, breaking her toe and >>

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passing the life-saving swimming test

all in the same day.

For the camp’s 50th birthday, it

got a new paint job (using donated

paints in a variety of colors) as well as

new electrical systems. And although

90 percent of the trees were lost in

Katrina, the camp continues to provide

a fun camping experience for each new

generation of Girl Scouts.

Girl Scout encampments are

weekend or day-long camping events

open to all troops in the area who

wish to participate. Before the leaders

take the girls camping, they have

to complete trainings for camping,

canoeing, horseback riding, cooking

and more.

In addition to camp activities

such as hiking, cooking and canoeing,

there are skits, costume contests and

presentations. Buddy says, “One year,

we decided we’d be Rockettes and

started high kicking on the field!”

Eileen remembers, “We were

always in Tall Winds [a campsite at

Whispering Pines in Independence],

the farthest unit … maybe they were

trying to isolate us because we were too

loud.” Her troop chose to be aliens for

one campout, creating costumes from

recycled items such as egg cartons and

cookie boxes.

“The best camping we did was a

joint camp. The Juniors showed the

Brownies four different ways to cook—

in a Dutch oven, a box oven, on the

grill and in the coals. The Brownies

were just stunned that we made all

those things!”

Once, Eileen’s troop met at Chahta-

Ima Elementary School to bake cookies

for the public using a box oven made

by lining a box with aluminum foil,

putting coals in it and wrapping a

blanket around it. “The head cook for

the school came out and said, ‘What are

For someone who has never been a Girl Scout, Mary Jane Becker is a staunch

promoter and supporter of the program. As a child, Mary Jane wanted to be a Girl Scout.

“I even had an old uniform, but there were no troops nearby,” she recalls.

Her involvement with the Girl Scouts began in 1978, when she volunteered as

a troop leader for her daughter’s Brownie troop in New Orleans. She led Brownies

and Junior scout troops until 1984. “We worked on earning badges, which is a very

educational opportunity for them,” says Mary Jane, recalling the camping and first aid

badges. “I took kids to Camp Whispering Pines once in the fall and once in the spring,

and they really did enjoy that.”

After moving to the northshore, Mary Jane was elected to the board of the Girl

Scout Council of Southeast Louisiana (now Girl Scouts Louisiana East) in 1996. After

serving as treasurer and vice president, she was president from 1999 until 2003. “When

I took over as president in early spring of 1999, our big concern was Y2K,” she recalls

with a laugh. “It’s funny now, but it wasn’t a bit funny when we were struggling with it!”

Mary Jane founded the Juliette Gordon Low Heritage Society to attract planned gifts

and bequests. She was also a founding member of the council’s Every Girl, Everywhere

Society, a multi-year giving society established in 2001.

In 1999, Mary Jane received the Thanks Badge, a national Girl Scouts adult award

that honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership and service have

had an exceptional, measurable impact on the Girls Scout mission. She also received

the Minnie Finley award in 2003, for dedication to and service in Girl Scouting that

personified responsible leadership, commitment to community and an undaunted belief

in the potential of youth.

Although she no longer serves as a board member, “I certainly am at the beck and

call of the Girl Scouts—especially for fundraising help,” Mary Jane says. A recent example

is the Brownie troop that meets in her office building. When one of her employees asked

for a space to have troop meetings, Mary Jane agreed. “It’s really cute. I can hear their

little voices. It’s exciting to see that starting all over again,” she says.

Mary Jane BeckerLeaving a legacy

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March-aprIl 2012 69

you doing?’ We gave her a taste and she

said, ‘You mean I wasted all that money

on an Easy Bake Oven and I could have

just given her a box?’”

Buddy remembers teaching her

troop how to cook on a buddy burner.

“We met at the fireman’s station, and

everyone had a little fire on the driveway

to practice with,” Buddy says with a

laugh. “They had to cook on it and eat

what they cooked!”

World Thinking DayIn her first year as a leader on

the northshore, Buddy established a

local celebration of World Thinking

Day. Originating in the 1920s or ’30s,

February 22 was picked in honor of

the birthday of Robert Baden-Powell,

the founder of Boy Scouts in England,

and his wife, Olive, who recruited Girl

Guides and dedicated her life to the

international aspect of the movement.

This special day was to be observed

around the world as participants took

time to think of each other and send

greetings of friendship and peace.

Buddy started with a small World

Thinking Day for her troop. Each child

chose a country to represent, drew the

country’s flag and put together a folder

about the country. The parents cooked

food from the countries their daughters

chose. Buddy invited four local troops

and asked each to bring a song or a game

from another country to teach the girls.

The only glitch in the successful

event was that other troops were upset

that they missed out on all the fun! So in

1984, Buddy organized a larger World

Thinking Day event open to every troop

in the Mandeville and Covington Service

Units that chose to participate. Each

troop chose a country and educated

the other troops through songs, dances,

costumes and displays. Three hundred

Girl Scouts participated in the fun, >>

educational day. “And we’ve done it every year since,”

Buddy says, adding that they now host two separate

events in the Mandeville and Covington areas because

of the large attendance. “It’s fun, and so rewarding.”

Though she is not a troop leader anymore,

Buddy still leads the World Thinking Day events.

This year, she is helping plan a council-wide event

to celebrate both World Thinking Day and the 100th

Anniversary of the Girl Scouts—the Winn-Dixie Girl

Scout Centennial Extravaganza on Sat., March 17, in

Gonzales, where Girl Scouts and their families will

enjoy a carnival of rides, games, a parade of flags and

other activities.

“The World’s Largest and Longest Running Bake Sale”

In the 1920s, Girl Scouts baked their own cookies

for the cookie sale each year, selling them for 25 to 30

cents per dozen. Today, although the cookies come

from a commercial baker, the experience still requires

effort from the girls. They learn important skills such

as business ethics, goal setting, people skills, decision-

making and money management.

Eileen laughs as she remembers a situation

involving both business ethics and people skills. “I was

a troop leader and the cookie mom, and my daughter

was top seller. I told her if someone says they are on

a diet, refer them to the shortbread because they have

less calories.” But when presented with the situation,

her daughter told the potential customer, “Well, buy

these cookies. They have no calories!”

In honor of the anniversary celebration, Girl

Scouts is offering Savannah Smiles, new bite-sized

lemon wedge cookies named for the city where

Girl Scouting was founded. From March 2 to 18,

Girl Scouts will be selling cookies at various booth

locations. (Call **GSCOOKIES or visit iTunes to

download the Cookie Locator mobile app.) As an

exciting touch, the girls will “bling” their booths for a

chance to win troop prizes.

An Ongoing CommitmentThough they no longer have children in Girl

Scouts, Buddy and Eileen have found many ways to

stay connected with the program.

Buddy works behind the scenes in the Girl Scout

Service Unit 681, which covers Lacombe, Mandeville

and Madisonville, helping with registrations, summer

camps and other troop activities—including, of

course, World Thinking Day. And she still recycles

aluminum cans for the Girl Scouts’ buddy burners.

Elieen, a member of the American Association

of University Women, has invited Girl Scouts to

participate in relevant AAUW presentations and events,

such as Sister-to-Sister Summits and Vision 2000. She

is also trying to find ways to encourage their interest

and participation in STEM-related fields—specifically

science, technology, engineering and math.

“I enjoy running into my old scouts,” Eileen

says, mentioning Brandi Barrios Najolia, co-owner of

Café Lynn in Mandeville, and Jessica Canik Lewis, a

medical assistant at the Ochsner Clinic in Mandeville.

One of Buddy’s troop members, Trese Taquino

Hood, now serves on the board of the GSLE. “I was very

flattered; it was a tremendous compliment. Also, a lot of

my old Girl Scouts have been troop leaders,” Buddy says.

Many times, experiences that girls have in Girl

Scouts have shaped their future careers, Buddy adds.

Her own nieces have followed career paths that

started from badges they enjoyed earning as Brownies

in England—one is a garden photographer and the

other owns and runs a preschool. Also, another of

Buddy’s former troop members discovered a love for

gymnastics at a Girl Scout function. For Julie Ballard,

that love developed into a gymnastics scholarship to

Georgia State University and trying out for the U.S.

Olympic team.

These successes may be a result of an important

rule in Girl Scouting—the girls in each troop have to

make the decisions. “We are allowed to guide them

in terms of safety, but as they grow up, they take on

more responsibilities,” Eileen says.

Buddy adds, “This is why Girl Scouts is a good

program for girls—it’s so important for girls to excel

and be their own leaders without pressure and

distractions.”

And, “It’s the best fun!”

For more information on anniversary events, visit gsle.org.

In addition to the anniversary, Girl Scouts has declared 2012

the Year of the Girl. This initiative will attempt to educate the

public about the need for women and girls in leadership roles.

72 InsIde northsIde

Above: Humberto Fontova and his faithful boxer, Hunter.

Below: Humberto’s books have been translated

and published in several languages.

THE HUNTER, FISHER, GADFLY, DEBUNKER,

writer and family man that is Humberto Fontova

has been the scourge of wildlife and communists

alike. Many New Orleans-area families have

roots in the Caribbean by way of the old French

colonial holdings. Humberto’s Caribbean roots are

a bit “fresher”—his family fled Cuba and Castro’s

revolution when Humberto was but a 7-year-old lad.

After making their escape, the Fontovas settled into

Louisiana life, which a young Humberto took to at

an early age as if he were a bona-fide, native-born

Cajun swamp person.

An author of four published books, Humberto’s

first two books recount his outdoor adventures,

while his most recent works have been directed at

debunking, in his view, the myths surrounding the

architects of the Cuban revolution. Over the years,

Humberto Fontova by Stephen Faure

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March-aprIl 2012 73

both topics have landed him television appearances and public

speaking engagements.

Humberto’s life spent embarking on hunting and fishing

exploits culminated in two books, whose rather lengthy and

quite descriptive titles are The Helldivers’ Rodeo: A Deadly,

Extreme, Scuba-Diving, Spear Fishing Adventure Amid the

Offshore Oil-Platforms in the Murky Waters of the Gulf of

Mexico (published in 2001, and hereafter referred to as

Helldivers) and The Hellpig Hunt: A Hunting Adventure in the

Wild Wetlands at the Mouth of the Mississippi River by Middle-

Aged Lunatics Who Refuse to Grow Up (published in 2003, and

which we’ll call Hellpig).

Swamp ManWhen Humberto was 11, the Fontova family settled

on Neyrey Drive in Metairie, which was paradise for an

adventurous kid. “From Causeway to Lake Villa to West

Esplanade, that was our stomping grounds,” he recalls. In

1965, much of the area was undeveloped. “You had woods

and pastures from West Esplanade to Lake Pontchartrain.

I’d get on my bike with my Benjamin pump pellet gun and

my fishing pole and a couple of buddies, and we’d spend the

whole day along the lakefront, shooting rabbits, catching trout,

crabbing—I look back on those years and, think, ‘Oh man!’”

Humberto remembers, “Technically, it was illegal to hunt

back there. We’d do it with pellet guns, dodging the cops; the JPs

would chase us into the briars—but they’d never chase us far. A

couple of times we got caught, but it was just, ‘Y’all go home.’”

Humberto got older, but, as hinted to by the titles of

his books, never outgrew being a kid on a bike with a pellet

gun. He just became an older and even more passionate

outdoorsman who hunts and fishes to this day with the same

guys that accompanied him on his boyhood adventures.

Responsibilities—they’re taken care of, but sometimes with the

migratory schedules of waterfowl calling the shots, so to speak.

A photo of Humberto and his wife, Shirley, taken during

the height of the ’70s disco craze depicts a younger version of

the couple. Because of his dress, hair, moustache and beard,

he calls this depiction of himself “Disco Che,” a reference (but,

we’ll learn, not a complimentary one) to Cuban revolutionary

Che Guevara. Taken at Nicholls State, where Shirley was going

to school, it was just a few months after they met during spring

break in Panama City Beach.

“It turned out that we grew up about two miles from each

other; I grew up on Neyrey and she grew up on Bissonet. I went

to Rummel; she went to Grace King, which was right behind

my house. Our paths had never crossed until we met at spring >>

To say that much of Humberto’s schedule during duck season

revolves around trips to the marsh is not much of an exaggeration.

break. We met in April ’77 and were

married on December 16 in ’78. I was

in graduate school at Tulane at the

time. The reason we got married that

day was that duck season has a split

in the middle, and it was the weekend

of December 16. I’m fanatical about

duck hunting and was probably

more so at the time. Not only didn’t I

want to miss a duck hunt, I probably

wouldn’t have been able to get any of

my groomsmen to come!”

Helldivers and HellpigAfter graduating from college,

Humberto worked in sales and

marketing for Dunn and Bradstreet.

“With an international company like

that,” he says, “every two years came

the option to relocate, obviously with

a promotion, but I kept turning them

down. Shirley’s family was all here; my

family was all here. Where else in the

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world can you be in your 40s or 50s

sitting around a campfire with the

guys you went to high school with

who stood in your wedding?”

“Finally,” Humberto notes, “it

came to a point where they said

they weren’t going to have a New

Orleans office anymore.”

Humberto had been writing

a monthly feature for Louisiana

Sportsman magazine detailing his

hunting and fishing adventures.

When his company closed its

New Orleans location, Shirley,

his wife said, “If we’re not going

to move, plunge into your real vocation full-time.”

Humberto decided to stick around and says, “I’ve

never regretted it.”

The Helldivers are a group of guys, a dive club.

Humberto was not a member of the club, but he was

friends with some of its members and occasionally dove

with them and some of the guys he tore around the

wilds of Metairie with as a boy.

The Helldivers book came

out with an unusual connection, a

thread, so to speak, to Humberto’s

disco days. “To dive in the summer

off Louisiana, obviously you don’t

need a wet suit to keep you warm;

that’s not the issue. You need

something to keep you from getting

ripped to shreds on the barnacles.

Cajun divers used what they called

a ‘Cajun wet suit,’ which was blue

jeans and a lumberjack shirt. Those

were cotton and absorbed water.

They were selling something in

dive shops called a ‘dive suit.’ It

wasn’t insulated; it was just polyester. As I was looking

at these suits and the price tag on them, I said, ‘I’ve got

some of this material at home: my old disco clothes.’

So we go out to the rigs, I’ve got the angel-flight bell-

bottoms and the floppy disco shirts.”

Humberto says it was an interesting, if shocking,

sight for the hard-working roughnecks out on the

rigs when they saw a boatful of guys with masks and

“Disco Che” Fontova

and wife-to-be Shirley

at Nicholls State

Homecoming, 1977.>>

76 InsIde northsIde

tanks on—and bell-bottom pants. “It

was even more interesting under water.

You’re flapping under water and your

collars are flowing and the bell-bottoms

are billowing.

He ended up writing an article

called “Disco Diving,” which evolved

into Helldivers, and also began his

television appearances. The book

caught hunting advocate and rock ’n

roller Ted Nugent’s attention, and he

recommended Humberto to Bill Maher

as a panelist on Maher’s show, Politically

Incorrect, when Maher wanted to tackle a

hunting-related topic.

As the only hunting advocate on

the panel, which was led by PETA

board member Maher, Humberto faced

down actor James Coburn on one show,

pointing out that Coburn and the other

panelists had been eating the meat-

containing hors d’oeuvres backstage

before the show. Humberto invoked

Coppolla’s The Godfather by saying,

as he recalls, “You know something?

Somebody killed those animals, so the

only difference between you folks and

me is the difference between Michael

Corleone and Don Barzini. Mikey

insisted on making his own hits; he

insisted on going into that restaurant

and shooting Sollozzo and McCluskey.

Y’all are Barzini; I’m Mikey. That’s the

only difference. We’re just as responsible

for the death of that animal.”

At a later appearance on the

show, Humberto tackled a group of

vegetarians, including comedian Tom

Green, activist Howard Lyman and

actress Florence Henderson. “Mrs. Brady

actually took my side,” Humberto laughs

as he remembers the Brady Bunch star.

Humberto confronted the group about

tofu, pointing out that soybeans that

make tofu have to come from land

cleared for cultivation. “A 50-acre tract

of hardwoods that I used to hunt in was

cleared for soybean cultivation. In the

The Fontova family poses for a portrait in Havana before fleeing the Cuban revolution.

ARE YOU ONE OF

THE NORTHSHORE’S

OUTSTANDING

YOUNG PROFESSIONALS?

Applications are now being

accepted for the 2012

Class of the Northshore’s

Finest presented by Inside

Northside and Hornbeck

Offshore Services!

Call the Louisiana Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

at 504-455-5194 or visit http://louisiana.cff.org for nomination applications or

information on sponsoring the event.

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process of that clearing, they killed more cute furry squirrels,

they rolled over more rabbits, they killed more animals in two

weeks of clearing that land for your tofu than I’ve killed in five

years with my gun and bow,” he recalls saying.

He will often humorously point out that while “free range”

chickens are the rage, he goes one step further: “I insist on

catching all of my animals in the act of free-roaming!”

The Hellpig Hunt was, he says, almost a continuation

of Helldivers. “The same cast of characters doing things that

people can relate to more than spear fishing on rigs, which is

really just a South Louisiana thing.”

Taking place in what seems like the end of the earth in

the Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management area at the mouth of

the Mississippi, Hellpig follows Humberto and his buddies

indulging in all the bounty nature has to offer in that remote

spot. A morning hunting ducks is followed by an afternoon

catching redfish and an early evening bow-hunt for deer, all in

the same area.

As if that’s not enough, “We ran into some guys who were

hunting pigs with dogs. It’s crazy. They catch the pigs alive.

They caught a gigantic pig, and that’s where the title, The

Hellpig Hunt, comes from.”

Sharing the BountyFor Humberto, it all comes down to family, friends and

sharing his catch. It also ties into living on the northshore; his

family has called Covington home since 1989.

“The beauty of hunting around here is that I can hunt

within 15 minutes of my doorstep. But the really important

thing is that I get to hunt with my father, who’s 85 years old.

He lives in Metairie right off Causeway. He hitches up the

trailer with the four-wheeler, he’s here in 45 minutes and 10

minutes later, we’re on it. He’s back home by noon. We get

some meat, and we get to hunt together. That’s the important

thing for me, to share the experience with him. Lots of times,

it will be my dad, me, my kids or my nephews hunting—three

generations of Fontovas hunting.”

Given all the creatures the Fontovas have harvested

over the years, there is a seeming lack of stuffed animals in

the Fontova home. Humberto says that’s not the important

thing—only a few people, hard-core hunters, really appreciate

trophy heads. “The way I do it, the trophy comes out on the

serving platter. Venison fajitas and nachos, deer back strap

in mushroom burgundy sauce, duck gumbo and even nutria

sauce piquant. Share that with your family and friends and

everyone can appreciate your trophy. For us, to share is the

joy of hunting. It’s a family thing. We go on vacation and we >>

March-aprIl 2012 77

78 InsIde northsIde

eat fish, ducks and deer that we pulled

out of the woods and the waters every

day. Deer nachos, duck gumbo, bronzed

redfish—that’s our family vacations.

That’s the trophy; that’s what makes it

all so rewarding.”

The DebunkerHumberto’s latest books are rooted

in his family’s experience as émigrés,

coming to America in 1961 following

the Cuban communist revolution. Fidel:

Hollywood’s Favorite Tyrant (published

in 2005) and Exposing the Real Che

Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who

Idolize Him (2008) are his efforts at

debunking what he believes are myths

perpetuated by the media and academia.

While his hunting exploits landed him

some exposure on the now-defunct

Politically Incorrect, (he’s not been

invited on Maher’s HBO show with a

similar format, Real Time), his Cuba

books resulted in Humberto’s often

being tapped as a commentator on

Cuban issues on conservative TV and

radio shows, including those of Bill

O’Reilly, Sean Hannity and Glenn Beck.

“My dad was an architect; my

Rabid Rolling Stones fan Humberto and his wife

Shirley celebrate LSU’s November 2011 victory

over Alabama—in full Keith Richards-style.

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March-aprIl 2012 79

mom was a college professor. When the

revolution took over, it was a no-brainer;

it was turning into a Stalinist regime.

My parents saw it coming.” He was

only 7 years old, but he remembers

the harrowing time of their escape.

Although his parents believed all of

their paperwork was correct, Humberto

says, “We were getting ready to board

the plane, and soldiers came out and

grabbed my dad. At that time, the firing

squads in Cuba were killing hundreds

of men and boys weekly. My mom told

my dad, ‘If you can’t come with us, we’re

not leaving.’ We were going to a strange

country with only the clothes on our

backs; we didn’t know the language.

He said, ‘Whatever happens to me, I

don’t want my children growing up in a

communist country. They have no future

here.’ So momma kind of sucked it up,

and we got on the plane.”

They arrived in Miami, where

his mother learned his father had

been placed in jail. Having some close

relatives in New Orleans, the family

headed there. After some time, they

received a call that his dad was on his

way to join them. “Our story had a

happy ending, but tens of thousands of

Cuban families did not,” he says.

Kicking it in CovingtonWhen he’s not making TV or radio

appearances or penning books—a new

one may be in the works, based on his

years of writing about the outdoors—

he enjoys the convenience of living in

Covington. Not only is he close to his

deer lease, when hunting season is over,

“I can go four blocks down the street and

put my pirogue into the Bogue Falaya

or lower Tchefuncte. I’ve got my little

pole, and I come back with a bucket full

of catfish and bream. You can’t beat that

with a stick. And people wondered why I

didn’t want to relocate?”

80 InsIde northsIde

KNOWING YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT HANDS and receiving the

right guidance can provide a large measure of comfort during

trying times. That’s what Dr. M. Celeste Lagarde and Dr.

Richard Celentano offer patients in their Covington practice.

They’re a husband-and-wife team of skilled physicians, with

Dr. Lagarde, a general surgeon, specializing in breast cancer

diagnosis and oncologic surgery. Dr. Celentano is a board

certified plastic surgeon—and one of the area’s few certified

hand specialists—who performs breast reconstructive surgery

for many of Dr. Lagarde’s patients.

Drs. Lagarde and Celentano can provide needed

surgical treatment, lumpectomy or mastectomy, followed up

by immediate or delayed reconstructive procedures. “We

don’t just perform the surgeries,” says Dr. Lagarde. “Not only

do we do the necessary pre-op work up and

the surgery, we then guide the patient through

the rest of her care, and we continue to follow

her for life.”

If a patient has any concern with her

breasts, Dr. Lagarde says, whether it’s a

breast lump, family history of breast cancer

or an abnormal mammogram, she can

come in for an evaluation. “We look at their

mammogram, perform a physical exam and

ultrasound them,” says Dr. Lagarde. Both

Dr. Lagarde and nurse practitioner Heather

Steinhauer are ultrasound-certified and have

all the state-of-the-art equipment at their

fingertips in the office. “If we see a mass

on ultrasound, we do an ultrasound-guided

biopsy, usually on the spot.”

While not every mass is cancerous, “If we diagnose

a patient with a breast cancer, then we can guide her on

her journey,” Dr. Lagarde says. She tells her patients, “Not

every breast cancer is created equal.” Finding out exactly

what type of breast cancer a patient has is the first step

in planning treatment. “We now actually do the genetics

on the breast cancer. We look at hormonal receptors;

estrogen, progesterone and herceptin. We look at the size

of the tumor. We do MRIs and PET scans. We gather all

that information and help the patient decide her treatment

plan.” Her patients also consult medical and radiation

oncologists, who plan appropriate chemotherapy and/or

radiation treatments, if needed.

The doctors are confident that northshore patients have

the best care available right here at home. They have treated

patients from all over the country. “Because of the team that

I have here in Covington, we have the best breast cancer

care in the country. Nobody’s going to believe that, but it’s

absolutely true. The medical oncologists I have are excellently

trained at the biggest cancer centers—Sloan Kettering and

M.D. Anderson—and we have Mary Bird Perkins for state-of-

the-art radiation oncology.”

Fortunately, advances in techniques used in performing

mastectomies and reconstructive surgeries can make

treatment less frightening than ever before. “They’ve pushed

the envelope,” notes Dr. Celentano. While Dr. Celentano

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Dr. M. Celeste Lagarde and Dr. Richard Celentano

Guiding patients from diagnosis through treatment and recovery.

March-aprIl 2012 81

M E D I C A L P R O F I L E

specializes in implant reconstructive surgery, Dr. Lagarde is

also associated with the St. Charles Surgical Hospital and the

Center for Restorative Breast Surgery in New Orleans; plastic

surgeons there also perform perforator flap procedures,

using the patient’s own tissue to reconstruct the breast.

“It used to be that having a mastectomy was a really

deforming procedure. But now, in most cases, patients

can leave an operating room after a total mastectomy

that preserved the nipple and areola complexes, followed

by a complete silicon implant or a perforator flap

reconstruction, and really look better than they

did pre-operatively. That’s a plus for medicine.”

Celentano notes that it makes the decision that

the patient previously thought was abhorrent

much easier to make. “Because of those

results, more women are opting for bilateral

mastectomies and reconstruction. Then they

don’t have to worry about what’s going to happen

with the other side in the future,” he says.

Dr. Lagarde also offers the latest in breast

cancer screening technology—genetic testing—

checking what are known as BRCA1 and

BRCA2 for abnormalities that lead to a high risk

for breast cancer. More and more insurance

companies are now covering preemptive

mastectomies when a high risk is indicated.

The Hand Doctor

Dr. Celentano became a certified hand specialist by

a somewhat circuitous route. Early in their careers, Drs.

Lagarde and Celentano were general surgeons practicing in

Columbia, Miss. Their mastectomy patients had to travel to

Jackson for their breast reconstructions. “When they’d come

back, I’d look at them and say, ‘I know I’m just a general

surgeon, but I think I can do better than this if I just had the

opportunity,’” he recalls.

Both were LSU medical school graduates, and he wanted

to return and do a residency in plastic surgery. The school

admitted him and asked that he help establish a hand and

microsurgery program. “So instead of going back for two

years of plastic surgery, I was actually volunteering for three

years, which meant another year out of the practice.”

The couple moved to the northshore and began their

Covington practice in 1992. In 2000, Dr. Lagarde was

diagnosed with colon cancer and, although a general

surgeon, began focusing on breast surgery after a hiatus

while successfully undergoing treatment.

Dr. Celentano’s practice, he estimates, is split 50-50

between doing breast reconstruction for about half of Dr.

Lagarde’s patients, and treating hand patients. Like hand and

microsurgery, breast reconstruction involves sewing a lot of

tiny blood vessels and nerves together. He says, “Amputation

of a finger would require you to sew vessels that size.” Much

of the hand practice consists of elective procedures, and he is

assisted in the office by nurse practitioner Ashley Steinhauer.

He is often called on for emergencies, however, and has

performed the difficult task, using his microsurgery skills,

of re-attaching severed fingers. Dr. Celentano has an X-ray

machine in the office that saves patients from having to go

elsewhere for the diagnostic procedure.

Hand patients often require physical therapy after

surgery, whether as severe as a finger reattachment or

more commonly, carpal tunnel surgery. One of the local

therapy providers Dr. Celentano refers patients to is

Advanced Hand Specialists in Mandeville. “I’m very grateful

to the owner for the fact that they have certified hand

therapists. It’s important that they use certified therapists

in the care of our hand patients.” Dr. Celentano does see

patients from all over the northshore, however, and tries to

send patients to a facility near where they live. “Often times,

a hand-therapy patient may go three or five times a week,

and if they have to travel great distances they’re either not

going to do it or it’s going to be prohibitively expensive for

them. The post-operative care by a certified hand therapist

is paramount in obtaining the maximum benefit for hand

surgery patients.”

Drs. Lagarde and Celentano’s office is located at 110

Lakeview Lane, Ste. 200, in Covington. 985-898-0589.

82 InsIde northsIde

Dr. Marija G. LaSalle’s passion

for learning ensures her

patients receive state-of-the-art treatment

that is supported by years of experience

and knowledge. She constantly reviews

the latest dental technologies and selects

only those that enhance patient comfort and

deliver the best results.

Dr. LaSalle offers the Galileos® conebeam

diagnostic imaging system, which allows her

to precisely place dental implants. With this

high-end imaging, she can see the smallest

details that normal dental X-rays are not

capable of capturing. This technology

eliminates the guess work that is common

with the antiquated approach.

At Northlake Periodontics, a laser is used as

the desirable alternative to the old traditional

“cut and sew” periodontal surgery, ensuring

painless treatment and fast recovery.

Dr. LaSalle is one of approximately 500

periodontists in the United States certified

to deliver LANAP (Laser Assisted New

Attachment Procedure).

Twenty years of periodontal experience

combined with state-of-the-art technology

allows Dr. LaSalle to provide exceptional

care through personalized service and

education for each patient.

To schedule a consultation with Dr. LaSalle

at Northlake Periodontics, L.L.C., please call

(985) 727-1133. She is located at 1580 West

Causeway Approach, Suite 5 in Mandeville.

State-of-the-Art Periodontal Technology

Dr. Marija LaSalle

M E D I C A L P R O F I L E

March-aprIl 2012 83

State-of-the-Art Periodontal Technology

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siderINONCOLOGY MASSAGE THERAPIST Stephanie Swords Fredericks has a personal

history with cancer. After surviving melanoma in her 20s, she won a battle with

breast cancer almost five years ago. Seven of her eight family members have suffered

from some type of cancer, including a sister who passed away from pancreatic cancer.

While she had cancer, Stephanie felt drawn to massage therapy.

She had done a lot of reading and knew that it was healthy,

natural, relaxing and boosted the immune system. However, when

a massage therapist friend said she didn’t think Stephanie could

support herself as a massage therapist, she let it go.

In June 2009, after 30 years in banking, Stephanie was laid off and

couldn’t find a permanent job. She says, “It just wasn’t meant to be—it

was truly the hand of God. I started looking into [massage

therapy] and began praying about it. I wanted to help people.

My job [at the bank] was about customer service, but I

wanted to take it to a more meaningful level.”

Stephanie wanted to specialize in massage

therapy for chemo patients, so in October 2010,

she volunteered in the infusion suite of Drs. Saux,

Carindar and Suarez’s office to get a feel for the

environment. “You don’t know, emotionally, if you

can handle that every day,” she says. But, “The first

day I went, I fell in love with it.”

Stephanie took special classes to become certified in lymph

drainage. Since April 2011, she has volunteered twice a week

at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, giving hand massages to

outpatients while they receive infusions. She sometimes finds

herself providing emotional support as well. One patient wrote

to Stephanie, “Not only is your kind spirit needed at times like

this, but I personally believe that you share a common bond with

us. You felt the fear we’ve all felt.” Another claimed that the therapy

“may actually make me want to come to chemo.”

For Stephanie, her volunteer time has been a very

rewarding experience. “People open up to you. You have to be

totally present to them. It’s about them,” she says. Although it’s

hard to believe, she says that—most of the time—the infusion suite

is a very happy place. “There were days when I would walk to the

car and cry, not because it was sad, but because it was awesome.”

Stephanie hopes to extend the massage services to make the

hospital a more pleasant place for all types of patients. After all, as

she says, “Who wants to be in a hospital?”

Through her professional massage business, Caring Touch Massage,

Stephanie travels to clients’ locations, providing full-body massages, relaxation

massages and more. For more information, contact Stephanie at

[email protected].

Stephanie Swords Fredericks, Massage Therapist by Katie Montelepre

84 InsIde northsIde

WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I think vacation, we

think a cabin on a creek with mountain views and

temperatures hovering around 70. For three years, we

headed to Burnsville in western North Carolina, where

three-bedroom cabins can be found for under $1,000 a

week. The grandkids fished in the Toe and Cane rivers

and splashed from a rope swing into the cold water.

Last summer, we chose a log cabin in Ashe

County, North Carolina, as far northwest as one can

get in the state. When St. Tammany was sweltering

in 100-plus degrees, we were falling asleep with the

windows open, listening to the sonorous song of the

cicadas. Upon waking to 60 degrees, we heard new

and different bird songs and calls. We were about

4,000 feet up, surrounded by forests.

We watched mist rise from the valley below

and stood stunned at the rainbow that appeared to

originate in front of our cabin. We had our own little

waterfall in the neighborhood, and after Tropical

Storm Lee dumped seven inches on us, we put on

boots to check out the flow.

From the screened porch, the deck and the

second-floor bedroom windows, we had views of the

Blue Ridge peaks. In fact, everywhere we traveled in

northwest North Carolina, hazy mountains defined

the horizon.

Our cabin was near the towns of West Jefferson/

Jefferson, with a population of 2,500, which swells in

the summer, as second-homes are a major industry.

At our mountain church, we met people from

Metairie, Hammond and Ponchatoula. “Don’t tell

anyone about Ashe,” a retired Southeastern Louisiana

University English professor cautioned.

The rhododendron and mountain laurel bushes

were finishing their bloom as we arrived, but two

dozen varieties of wildflowers brightened the ditches

and fields with color. Especially lovely was the pale

blue chicory. I admired, photographed, picked and

collected seeds from some 30 different flowers right

in the vicinity of our cabin.

Blue Ridge and Bluegrassby Ann Gilbert

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March-aprIl 2012 85

Competing with the flowers for the

sun were blackberries. At least, that’s

what I thought they were, until I was

corrected. They were black raspberries.

One day, my husband saw a black

snake, so I began to carry a big stick to

rustle the bushes before reaching in to

pluck the fruit. Checkers, our cocker

spaniel, sat patiently waiting for me on

these twice-daily excursions.

We found our mountain cabin on

the internet and were fortunate to end

up in a village where a cultural and arts

ambience abounds—it even included a

Book Fest where you could have lunch

with your favorite author and a huge

new library that serves book lovers in

the county of 25,000.

In addition to the impressive

library, Ashe has a beautiful, spacious

senior center where one has a choice

of passing the time with card games,

knitting, painting, line dancing, exercise

of all varieties, playing pool and many

more options. All without charge, even

to us outsiders.

You bump into art wherever you

walk in West Jefferson. Large murals

decorate the two-story brick buildings

of the little town, circa 1910. Painted

by professional artists and high school

art students, the murals that greet

pedestrians and drivers have their own

printed guide. (See sidebar.)

The Ashe Arts Council sponsors

monthly Gallery Crawls through the

dozen shops, and it stages monthly

concerts at the Civic Center. We heard

dueling pianos, dueling dulcimers and

a salute to Cole Porter by a jazz quintet

comprised of music professors from

major state universities. Mama Mia was

staged just before we arrived and A

Streetcar Named Desire was opening just

after we left West Jefferson.

Antique buffs love digging through

several multi-room shops in Ashe. We >>

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March-aprIl 2012 87

Top: Waterfalls

are as plentiful as

they are beautiful

in North Carolina.

Above: Cloggers

clogging. Left: Note

the Barn Quilt on

the side of Phipps.

preferred Antiques on Beaver Creek and its eye-

catching displays. Right across the street is St. Mary’s

Episcopal Church, with its famous frescoes that

attract busloads of tourists. Artist Ben Long studied

Michelangelo’s style of painting in Italy and procured

his lime for the process at the same quarry used by

the Renaissance painter.

We signed up for a pastel class at the famous

Florence Art School, only to have the teacher—who

was taught by St. Tammany pastelist Alan Flattmann—

cancel because of family obligations. Workshops are

hosted May through October in fine art and crafts at the

school right off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

On weekends, we were often faced with choosing

from an outdoor concert, a festival or a bluegrass jam

session in a turn-of-

the-century country

store. Mississippi

Delta Blues flowed

down the valley at the

River House Inn Blues Fest on the Virginia border.

The “mother of bluegrass,” Ola Belle Reed, was toasted

at her eponymous festival in Lansing. Ola Belle was

recording in the 1920s. Multiple Grammy-award

winner Doc Watson, now in his ’80s, gathered fellow

guitarists for a benefit in Historic Todd on the banks

of the South Fork of the New River.

Bluegrass is said to have been born on the front

porches of cabins in the mountains of southwest

Virginia and northwest North Carolina. After all the

work was done, people gathered

on the porches to relax and have

fun. Bluegrass has seen a resurgence

in recent decades. With all the

talented teens we heard picking

and strumming at competitions and

concerts last summer, we suspect

parents start lessons at a tender age.

We learned that the differences

between old-time mountain music

and bluegrass are that bluegrass

includes the mandolin and the beat

is much faster. We also learned that >>

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88 InsIde northsIde

the banjo is a descendant of an instrument slaves

introduced to America.

We had seen dancers clogging during previous

trips to North Carolina, but flatfoot dancing by old

mountain men wearing jean overalls was something

new to us. These men, mostly over 60, brought their

own little handmade wooden platforms (3 feet by

3 feet by 4 inches) to dance on and plopped them

down in front of their folding chairs.

Flatfoot dancing has a lot of heel action and

rhythmic slaps from the taps on the lace-up leather

shoes. Sometimes the guys appeared to tease each

other with fancy footwork, becoming a sideshow

to the band on stage. The musicians welcomed the

dancers and encouraged others to join in on the large

portable dance stages that are always found at these

outdoor events.

The arms of flatfoot dancers hang loosely by

their sides, or bend at the elbows, swinging to the

beat, and helping with balance. It all harks back to

their Scottish and Irish ancestors who settled here.

One festival even featured a Celtic band with a 5-foot

drum standing on its side, beat by a woman standing

on a stool. The sound was mesmerizing and stopped

us on our stroll to the refreshment stand.

Lively toe-tapping bluegrass and mountain

music lift your spirits. The joy exhibited by the

dancers is contagious. All wear smiles. I finally got the

nerve to stand by my festival chair in the back of the

crowd and dance, ignoring those who waved at me to

join them center stage.

On another evening, the Mountain Home Music

series, alternating their concerts between Boone

and Blowing Rock, featured two members of the

Bluegrass Hall of Fame on banjo and fiddle and a

guitarist who taught music at Appalachian State

University in Boone.

Other musicians who blew us away were

guitarist Wayne Henderson and pianist Jeff Little,

who hates to be compared to Jerry Lee Lewis. He

pleased the crowd with his boogie-woogie style—yes,

at a bluegrass concert. We searched the web for other

concerts by these two before we left, but one was in

London and the other in Colorado.

More music fun was to be had at jam sessions

in crowded, century-old general stores such as the

Historic Todd store, wrapped entirely in pressed

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March-aprIl 2012 89

tin. The only problem there was that

the jam-packed room was hot, and the

bossy owner refused to give us any tea

until dinner was served an hour later.

More relaxed was the interesting

mix of folks crowded onto the chairs

and benches one Friday night at

Phipps General Store, 10 miles north of

Jefferson. On our left was a lawyer from

Raleigh, who had a weekend home in

Ashe County, but had come without his

busy physician wife this night.

On the other side was a local man

in his 80s wearing the prerequisite

overalls. We chatted with him about

his tomatoes and beans and asked if he

danced the flatfoot. He said he did, but

we couldn’t get him to dance. “I don’t

like to be the only one,” he said with a

smile. I could sympathize with him.

A minimum of groceries lined

the shelves at Phipps, and quilts and

tobacco leaves hung in rows from the

ceiling. The mother of the owner, a little

woman about 80 with a pretty smile

and nicely coiffed hair, sold fried apple

pies. Barbecued venison was the featured

potluck, and the owner hand-dipped ice

cream for his music-loving customers.

He told us he lived in Mandeville as a

child, and his mother still goes back for

Mardi Gras in Church Point. A woman

from New Orleans was at Phipps

the week before, he said. We found

Louisiana connections wherever we went

in western North Carolina.

It was quite a drive to Phipps—

curvy, hilly, truly the backwoods,

without a house or lights in sight for

miles, just dark woods and mountains

rising around us. Did I mention it was

raining? Thank goodness for the GPS,

but “she” didn’t warn us about the black

cow in the road!

Speaking of beef, we paid a second

visit to the River House Inn when

family came to visit and had perfect filet >>

mignon. The limited menu is prix-fixe and pricey,

and reservations are a must, as they are usually

booked even on weeknights. Enjoy a drink before

dinner on the high porch of the circa 1900-farmhouse

overlooking the river at sunset.

The chef at Frazer’s Restaurant in downtown

West Jefferson is a graduate of LSU. His menu

acknowledges his Louisiana roots. It’s the only fine

dining in the town, but there is good pizza at Brick

and Hearth and a handful of barbecue joints. Play

checkers or chess at the two coffee shops or enjoy the

art or a good book.

We followed the food critic’s advice and were

most pleased with the meals we had at Vidalia’s in

Boone while watching the students in that town; half

the population is the ASU enrollment.

When we weren’t enjoying the music or the

food, we were usually out partaking of the natural

amenities of Ashe County and its neighbors. We

soaked up the mist of Elk Falls near Tennessee and

the Cascades on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We hiked

the ridges of Mount Jefferson (it’s in town), Roan

and Grandfather mountains. We passed on zip-

lining down the green ski slopes near Boone and

riding horses through the 3,500 acres of Moses Cone

National Park near Blowing Rock.

Visiting family members took day trips west

into Tennessee for whitewater rafting and north

into Virginia for mountain biking down the Virginia

Creeper Trail, an old railroad grade. The ride is all

downhill—the 17 miles takes three hours if you stop

to enjoy the view. Just make sure you take the right

trail, unlike my sister, who was faced with pushing

her bike over rotten train trestles.

The New River is slow and placid and perfect

for canoe trips with young children. The Blue Ridge

Parkway wraps around Ashe County, just waiting

when you need a quick fix from nature.

On the road again, nature often jumped right

out, as when we rounded a hairpin curve and there

was a doe and her faun. Mom jumped into the

woods, but the youngster just stared at us. We stared

back, as I fruitlessly searched for my camera. Twice,

we had to stop to let wild turkeys cross.

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90 InsIde northsIde

Another nature sighting was from

an SUV packed with three generations

looking down at various electronic

devices. I was the only one to see a

bear lumbering across the Blue Ridge

Parkway, some distance in front of

our car. I think I lost my voice at the

excitement of the sighting. Instead of

screaming “bear,” they said I let loose

with a sort of loud whisper.

As we were packing to leave, new

friends said that we had to stay for the

changing of the leaves. The photos we

saw of Ashe Country painted in golds,

reds and oranges were breathtaking,

but darn, we had a cutoff date. We

were fortunate to have had such a

wonderful extended vacation. Thank

goodness for the friends who made it

possible by cutting the grass, watering

the garden and taking care of the

house at home.

Barn Quilts

Traveling the back roads of North Carolina, we

discovered the tradition of decorating one’s barn with a

colorful geometric pattern called a barn quilt or barn square.

In the valley below our cabin, two landowners chose to use

an evergreen tree and a horse on their squares to represent

their farms.

The idea originated in Ohio some 10 years ago, and

the practice filtered down through the Appalachian states.

Barn quilts bring together the heritage of quilting and

agriculture, showcasing the history and culture of an area in a unique way. Printed guides make

it easier for tourists to find these designs on barns and sheds.

The five Florida Parishes are the site of the Louisiana Northshore Quilt Trail co-chaired

by Kim Zabbia of Ponchatoula. The purpose is to encourage artists, quilters, art students

and others to design, paint and mount the eye-catching squares on homes and commercial

buildings, in addition to barns and sheds. Almost 50 quilts have been registered and 22

are already hanging in Hammond, Franklinton and Ponchatoula.

For more information on the local effort to paint our back roads with barn quilts,

call Kim Zabbia at 974-2079.

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“We want our customers to see, touch and feel the

quality we offer,” says Ellen Bajon, owner of EMB Interiors.

Open to the public, EMB Interiors’ furniture showroom is

one of the best-kept secrets on the northshore. It is filled with

upholstery, case goods and accessories from the furniture

and design industries’ leading manufacturers. The variety of

merchandise on the retail floor from vendors showcases the

quality, finishes and collections available.

The design team attends the largest international

furniture market twice a year to view the latest design

concepts. By seeing what is new at market, they are further

educated and can better assist their customers and clients in

making the correct purchases for their home.

EMB Interiors’ design team strives to meet the

requirements of each customer with choices that will be

investments—pieces that will last decades and can be passed

down to future generations. The showroom has hundreds of

fabric and wood samples to create a custom look. The team

members pride themselves

on providing a personalized

shopping experience to help

each of their customers feel

confident with their selections.

The accessories displayed

in the store are both trendy and

timeless. A few carefully chosen

accessories can give a room

a new and exciting feeling.

Quality lamps, new and antique rugs, fine art and decorative

pieces can make a tired room look fresh and new again.

With all of the knowledge and experience of the trained

staff, EMB Interiors’ beautiful showroom is sure to keep you in

the know for years to come.

EMB Interiors is located at 4510 Hwy. 22 in Mandeville,

985-626-1522. embinteriors.com.

Simply Elegant EMB Interiors

B U S I N E S S P R O F I L E

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1. Tweet, tweet! Wooden birdhouse, $37. The

Grapevine, Covington, 893-2766. 2. Still keeping

the faith! Fleur de lis cooking utensils: measuring

spoons, $22; measuring cups, $42; stands,

$30. Simplee Gourmet, Covington, 892-8370.

3. Bring the outdoor in! 13”-putti, $19.95. Florist of

Covington, 892-7701. 4. Enhance your bedding.

Plush faux fur pillow with woodland feathers by

Bella, $300. Hestia Luxury in Linens, Covington,

893-0490. 5. Class act. Solid walnut and antique

brass oversized planter, $1,352. EMB Interiors,

Mandeville, 626-1522. 6. The creative journey

starts here. Horizon Memory Craft 12000 by

Janone. Precision Sewing, Covington, 249-6156.

7. Treasure chest. Glass boxes in various sizes:

small, $42; large, $45. deCoeur, Covington,

809-3244. 8. Oh Mother! Mother with Child oil

on canvas, by portrait artist Terry Sita, $350.

Louisiana Artists Gallery, Mandeville, 624-7903.

March-aprIl 2012 93

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1. Box it up! Wooden box with painting on metal by Michelle Y

Williams, $290. Rug Chic, Mandeville, 674-1070. 2. Something to talk

about! Tub settee/dog bed by New Orleans artist Travis Linde, $395;

handmade pillows by local Louisiana artisans, $36 each. Discoveries

Furniture and Finds, Hammond, 345-2577. 3. Chalk it up! Slate tags

with chalk: $4.50 each; chalk, $2. the french mix, Covington, 809-3152.

4. Holy home. Vintage wood birdhouse made in Southeast Louisiana,

$44. Simply Southern, Covington, 871-1466. 5. Grilled to perfection.

Cold-rolled steel jalapeño griller, $39. Outdoor Living Center, Covington,

893-8008. 6. Good as gold. Gold Annieglass pet bowls, also available

in platinum: 9”/8 oz., $74; 8”/3 oz., $67. Arabella Fine Gifts and Home

Décor, Mandeville, 727-9787. 7. Splish, splash! Monarch floral glass

birdbath with stand, $59.99. Mandeville Party Company, 674-1605.

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March-aprIl 2012 95

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1. Olive green embossed handbag with gold

chain straps, $90. OSpa at Franco’s,

Mandeville, 792-0200. 2. Susan Shaw

charm bracelet, $45. Welcome Home

and garden, Covington, 893-3933. 3. Green

chevron-printed dress with three-quarter-length

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sleeves, $46. Paisley,

Mandeville, 727-7880.

4. Green ruffle-neck tank,

100% cotton, $29. Three

Divas and a Sugardaddy,

Slidell, 288-5550.

5. 1.22ct emerald and

.70cttw diamond ring set

in 18K white gold antique

mounting, $6,999.

De Boscq Jewelry,


6. Tropical blend suit,

$595. Jos. A. Bank,


7. Friendship Seals

interlocking charms in

sterling silver and brass: 2 pieces, $70; chain

sold separately. DeLuca’s Expressions in

Gold, Covington, 892-2317. 8. Cocktail shoe

from Madeline Girl featuring green fabric with

gathered detail at straps, $69. Shoefflé,

Covington, 898-6465; Baton Rouge,

(225) 761-1105.

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1. Susan Shaw gold necklace

with dragonfly pendant, $71.

Accents & Things, Slidell,

649-4273. 2. Ladies

emerald green amethyst

antique-style fashion

ring with round diamonds;

set in 14K white gold, $795. Champagne Jewelers,

Slidell, 643-2599. 3. Bronze grande pelican pendant

handmade by local artist, $200. Izabella’s Villa, Slidell,

649-5060. 4. Fitted silhouette dress by Maggy London

in metallic textured knit accented with beads on the

shoulder, $162. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington,

809-1789. 5. Feminine Finley shirt, $224.

The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 6. Evening

dress with bodice of gold sequins, beading

and mirrored glass; semi-fitted charmeuse

skirt with slit, $410. Southern

Bridal, Mandeville, 727-2993. 7.

Neon Manolo Blahnik T-strap

patent sandal, $755. Saks Fifth

Avenue, New Orleans, (504)

524-2200. 8. Toe Blooms,

available in a variety of colors,

$26. Silver Plum and 1, 2

Buckle My Shoe, Mandeville,

674-4343.

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LUCKY CHARMS

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Janome • Brother • Pfaff • Fabric • Notions • Patterns Classes • Repairs • Sewing Cabinets • Industrial Machines

3997 Hwy. 190 E. Service Rd., Covington • 985.249.6156www.sewingmachineoutlet.com

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LUCKY CHARMS1. GEO green skinny jeans by geovanny,

$56. All About Me, Mandeville, 845-

2424. 2. Emerald pendant with .41cttw

diamond and .57cttw emerald in white gold

on white gold rope chain: pendant, $2,757;

chain, $268. Reine Diamonds & Fine

Jewelry, Slidell, 201-7415. 3. Platinum ring

with 2.63ct emerald and 2.16cttw diamond

by Jewels by Star, $39,995. Boudreaux’s

Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666.

4. Lucky green beaded peacock dress by

Rory Beca, $230. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-

7649. 5. Green flouncy dress with spaghetti

straps, $198. Fleurt, Covington, 809-8844.

6. Angie knee-length dress by Lynn Lugo,

$275; also available in long, $295. Olivier

Couture, Mandeville, 674-6994. 7. Emerald

and diamond tennis bracelet set in 14K

yellow gold, $3,150. Moseley’s Jewelers,

Mandeville, 626-5098. 8. Georgia

polarized sunglasses by Kaenon, $219.

Ban Soleil Sunglass Boutique, Covington,

875-9109.

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March-aprIl 2012 101

March-april 2012 103

2012outdoor

living

Whether it’s an afternoon spent working in the garden

or a nice evening of outdoor entertaining, northshore

residents value their outdoor living spaces. The following

section showcases the people and businesses who

have dedicated their lives to making your outdoor living

experience the best one possible.

Learn about the advantages of planting bamboo from

Lee Berry and get tips on trees from northshore arborist

Dr. Malcolm Guidry. You will also find answers to all your

outdoor needs, from outdoor kitchens and pools to

outdoor lighting and other unique landscaping features.

He who plants a garden, plants happiness.– Chinese proverb

104 inside northside

LEE BERRY STILL LAUGHS when he tells the story

of how he became a bamboo farmer almost six years

ago. Berry, owner of Bamboo Gardens of Louisiana

in Mount Hermon near Franklinton, says he started

out as a customer of the nursery. He also attended a

lecture about gardening with bamboo given by the

previous owner in City Park. He admits he was a little

skeptical at first, but he later became hooked on the

fast-growing plant.

Berry’s interest in bamboo grew even more

when he began re-greening the landscape around his

Madisonville home after Hurricane Katrina. He made

four trips to Bamboo Gardens to buy plants for the

borders of his land. On the fourth trip, the owner

said, “I’m selling the place and moving to China.”

Berry, a retired physician, decided to buy the

24-acre nursery, which had been operating since

1986. “It was a real leap of faith and a change of

life,” he says. And though it’s hard work at times, he

knows he made the right choice.

“I wanted to have a way to live differently. I had

a midlife crisis and bought the farm. Sometimes the

universe drops something in your lap and life brings

you unexpected joys.”

Berry admits that although he grew bamboo at

his home, he needed to learn a lot about the plant

and about running the nursery. “I really didn’t

know that much about bamboo,” he says. “But I’m

a quick study.” He delved into bamboo horticulture

by reading books and picking the former owner’s

brain. “He was very helpful. He has a tremendous

knowledge base,” says Berry, who learned a lot on

the fly, too. However, he acknowledges that he didn’t

anticipate all of the tough manual labor involved.

(Every time a customer buys a plant, Berry has to cut

the rhizomes—the bamboo roots—cleanly by hand

with a sharp shovel.)

Bamboo Gardens’ acreage is segmented into

individual groves for the many varieties of bamboo.

Each grove requires care and attention. “It’s like

micromanaging a lot of different forests,” says Berry.

He laughs when asked to describe a typical day at

work. “Some days it’s a wonderful meditation garden.

Other days I run around like a maniac.”

Berry made the commitment to begin growing

his bamboo organically two and a half years ago.

outdoor living

Bamboo Gardensby Megan Hill


Though he’s not officially certified, he does adhere

to the practice of eliminating all chemical fertilizers

and pesticides from his farm. Now, his 200 chickens

fertilize the bamboo groves. “I pen the chickens

in the groves, rotating them as the groves need

some help,” he says. The chickens contribute their

droppings as natural fertilizer, and Berry says he

can see the difference with his plants pre- and post-

chicken. Chicken-fertilized groves grow larger and

more densely, and their leaves take on a deeper green

hue. “It’s one big organism that is all connected,”

Berry says of his chicken-and-bamboo system. The

chickens also produce lots of eggs, which he gives to

his customers and donates to the Washington Parish

Council on Aging in Franklinton.

One unexpected aspect of bamboo farming

is keeping the rabbits and squirrels out of the

groves. Berry says these critters have a taste for

young bamboo shoots, which

they dig up and eat. His dogs

are on alert to chase away any

potential offenders.

In general, he spends time

feeding his chickens, caring

for the bamboo and “a lot of

work behind the scenes.” In

the spring, he fields phone calls

from customers who want to

place an order. In the winter,

things are somewhat slower, and

Berry spends his time planting

in preparation for the spring

buying rush. He has a limited

number of plants to sell each

year, depending on what he can

cultivate each winter.

Being a bamboo farmer

has had some unexpected perks: “I’ve met many

interesting people up here in the middle of nowhere,”

Berry says. Customers from around the Southeast

visit him to take a golf cart tour and to tap his now

extensive knowledge about this curious plant.

Bamboo Gardening 101Berry’s customers use bamboo in their

landscaping for three purposes: shade, borders and

greenery. It’s a useful plant because it grows quickly;

in 30 to 60 days, new shoots will grow to their full

height, which can be as high as 75 feet.

“They mature fairly rapidly,” Berry says,

especially compared to an oak tree, which can take

decades to grow large enough to provide shade and

privacy. Berry says his bamboo tends to be more

expensive than other trees, but you get more for your

money. “Two plants can be a mature forest in six

years. A little goes a long way.”

Berry’s customers hail from around the

Southeast, with most traveling from Baton Rouge,

Mississippi, the northshore, New Orleans and Texas.

He makes local and regional deliveries, and his plants

can be sold throughout the Southeast and even up to

the eastern seaboard. He’s sold bamboo to customers

as far away as Washington State. He generally

outsources his deliveries to other companies that use

trucks to deliver the large plants, but that comes at a

higher premium. “It’s most cost-effective for people

to come to me,” he says. “Our plants are big. The

smallest, except for the dwarfs, are 6 feet tall and

others are 18 to 20 feet tall. It takes so much effort to

ship them,” Berry says, so it’s best if they don’t have

to travel far.

Most customers from the northshore and New

Orleans are still re-greening their property after

Hurricane Katrina—the same process that made a

bamboo believer out of Berry. “St. Tammany lost >>


[a large percentage] of its trees in a weekend,” he

says, referring to Katrina. Many more died later from

storm-related damage. Northshore residents turned to

bamboo to help.

To determine which of his over 110 varieties of

bamboo are best suited for a particular customer’s

needs, Berry asks questions about the space

where the bamboo will grow. He determines the

customer’s needs for height, scale and screening,

and asks how much room there is on the ground

for the plants to spread.

“I can narrow the choices down to a few,” he

says. For example, the Phyllostachys aurea variety,

or Golden Bamboo, reaches 40 feet in height and

grows densely to make a great screen, as does the

Phyllostachys rubromarginata, or Red Margin Bamboo,

which grows up to 60 feet tall. Those interested

in ornamental bamboo may enjoy Semiarundinaria

fastuosa, Temple Bamboo, which Berry says “evokes

thoughts of faraway, sacred places.”

Berry’s buyers should also consider where they

live. Tropical bamboo varieties can only thrive south

of the lake, whereas temperate varieties are cold

hardy enough to survive winters throughout the

northshore. The farm is 280 feet above sea level and

gets quite cold. The temperate bamboo varieties do

just fine there, but Berry moves the potted tropical

varieties into a greenhouse in winter.

Bamboo is a low-maintenance plant. Berry

encourages his customers to water their plants if

they want the bamboo to grow quickly. Watering is

important for the first few years after planting, but it’s

unnecessary after a while. “Once bamboo grows to

its full height, it lives well off the normal rain cycle,”

Berry says.

Bamboo actually does have a flowering cycle,

and after the plants flower, they die. But most

flower about every 67 years—some every 100

years—and once they die, they do grow back. Most

bamboo varieties will probably outlive their owner.


Runners have to be contained.

“The public perception is that it

will take over your yard. But not all

bamboo varieties behave the same.

They’re not all aggressive. Most of them

will not take over your neighborhood.

There is a huge spectrum of growth

and expansion.” To contain running

bamboo, the owner simply must mow

around the grove. This will inhibit

new shoots from getting out of control.

Aggressive varieties can become

invasive if they are not attended to

properly. Carelessness on the part of a

gardener can result in native species of

plants being taken over by the faster-

growing bamboo.

The Zen of BambooOne aspect of the bamboo

farm that may be surprising is its

tranquility. When he’s not doing the

books, planting or helping customers,

Berry enjoys the peacefulness of his

bamboo groves. “The thing that draws

me to this is that bamboo imparts a

distinct, subtle calm on the space,” he

says. “People immediately get quiet.

You feel a sense of peace that comes

from the groves. It’s like going into

the redwood groves on a smaller scale,

or walking into a library or church.”

What he’s really doing with his

bamboo nursery, Berry says, is “selling

tranquility. You understand Zen

Buddhism standing inside the groves.

I’m selling a little part of that to my

customers.

“When you plant bamboo around

your home, it makes a haven to come

home to from a busy world. It adds that

sense of calm to a landscape.”

To learn more about the

Bamboo Gardens of Louisiana, visit

bamboogardensla.com. The nursery is

open by appointment only.


WHO SAYS you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?

Certainly not Chef Matthew Brewton, instructor

of the Viking Cooking School Outdoors in Baton

Rouge. With an upscale setting in the Hilton Capitol

Center overlooking the Mississippi River, the school

is the first of its kind in the country. It merges the

extraordinary reputation of Viking appliances with

the food-loving heritage of Louisiana.

Through the school, people who love to cook and

entertain come together in a fun and innovative way.

Its many hands-on beginner and advanced classes are

centered on themes such as Sauces, Dinner for Two and,

of course, Grilling and Barbecuing. The sessions cater to

a wide variety of cultures—from the basics of Cajun and

Creole cooking to advanced Italian cooking—and there

are special offerings for kids, teens and families. Brewton

teaches scratch-based cooking and is growing his own

herb garden to complement the various dishes prepared

in the classes.

One morning in January,

my novice-cook husband, Pete,

and I drove to Baton Rouge for

the Basic Knife Skills Class, which

was taught by Brewton and Chef

Assistant Raine. The participants for

the day included Pete, two friends

who wanted to learn more cooking

skills, a self-described foodie and a

retired couple. (I observed and took

notes.) With careful instruction,

the diverse group began by cutting

up a whole chicken, a daunting

task for even an experienced cook.

After the chicken parts were taken away to be cooked

for fajitas, the vegetables were assembled for dicing and

slicing. A salad of romaine lettuce, seeded tomatoes,

carrots, cucumbers and vinaigrette dressing was

prepared. Additional dicing was required for the pica de

gallo that would accompany the fajitas.

While the fajitas were being cooked, we

enjoyed a glass of wine before sitting down to the

sumptuous feast that ended

the afternoon. In the age of the

internet and constant social

networking, the Viking Cooking

School Outdoors slowed life

down for a moment, allowing us

to enjoy the company of others

while savoring good food. A

good time was had by all—and

yes, the old dog learned a new

trick or two!

For more information

and a schedule of classes, see

vikingcookingschool.com.

outdoor living

by Poki Hampton, with Akila Ananth

Viking Cooking School Outdoors

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SINCE 1998, ST. TAMMANY’S OWN Dr. Malcolm

Guidry has consulted on the health, care, protection

and value of the 1,000-plus live oaks on the main

campus of LSU, as well as many others in the area.

A professional consulting arborist, he is known

throughout the Southeast for his expertise in

dendrology, the study of trees.

Malcolm grew up in the woods of Old Metairie

in the 1940s and loved trees even as a kid. “In Old

Metairie in those days, we were in the woods. We had

relatives in New Orleans who thought visiting us was

a weekend trip because we were too far away!”

He’s had about 40 years of academic experience,

first graduating with a degree in agriculture from

Southeastern Louisiana College in 1957. He taught

general science in Orleans and Jefferson parishes and

then went to work in the LSU Agriculture Extension

Service. He eventually earned his master’s degree in

extension education and horticultural sciences and a

doctorate. After a time at the University of Florida doing

specialty work in horticultural and tree matters, he

returned to Louisiana to teach in East Feliciana Parish.

He then started his own horticulture business, launching

his career of the past 20 years as a consulting arborist.

Guidry has testified in court as an expert arborist

in cases involving property damage, personal injuries

and deaths caused by trees. “When a tree fails and

people are hurt or property is damaged, I testify

in court as to what precipitated that failure—an

‘occurrence of Nature’ (used to be called an ‘act of

God,’ but you can’t say that anymore) or ‘negligence’.”

He offers some advice: When a property owner

outdoor living

by Webb Williams

“The very best time to plant a tree is 25 years ago.

The second best time to plant a tree is today.”

- dr. MalcolM Guidry

The Tree Doctor Will See You Now

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Seven Sisters by

Harriet Blum.

sees that a neighbor’s tree is threatening to damage

his property, he can put the neighbor on notice

that the tree poses a threat. Ideally, this is done by

registered mail and copied to his own insurance

company. “If there is no written notice of a threat, and

a neighbor’s tree falls on your house, you are liable for

your own damages.” If a tree is growing on a property

line, Guidry says, the ownership and liability are

shared equally by both sides.

Why Trees FailSince Katrina, northshore residents have a

heightened awareness of the devastating effect storms

can have on trees—especially pine trees—and

property. When he moved recently, Guidry decided

to take out about 30 100-foot pine trees. “A 100-foot

pine tree with not much trunk taper is subject to

trunk failure. And tall trees tend to windload during

a storm, especially if they’re out in the open. The

wind causes many pine trees to break, usually about

20 feet from the ground.”

I asked if he just didn’t like pine trees. “Oh, I love

pine trees. I absolutely have a passion for pine trees.

But 100-foot pine trees next to your house is not a

good idea. This spring, I will replant my yard with

lots of hardwood trees.”

I recalled friends who told me that the 100-foot-

plus pine within falling distance of their home was

probably okay since it had weathered so many

storms. “They were lucky,” says Guidry. “That tree

may have been compromised by storms but has not

fallen. One microburst in a brief spring thunderstorm

could topple that pine tree.”

He continues, “Trees fail in two ways: either they

blow over and uproot from the ground or the trunk

breaks. During a storm, it’s all about the weakest link

in the chain. So if you have a tree that’s well rooted

in the ground, the roots will hold the lower trunk of

the tree intact during a big blow.” (Only young pines

have a significant taproot. As they age and mature,

the taproot ceases to grow.)

“[After the roots,] the next weak point is the upper

trunk. Wind loading during a storm can test a tree’s

upper trunk strength. Gravity also may play a part

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Cat Island Cypress

by Harriet Blum.

in structural failure of a tree, especially when a tree is

asymmetrical, with heavier branches on one side.”

Planting TreesLate fall to early spring is the time to plant trees,

says Guidry, and dug-and-balled trees with the roots

radiating away from the ball are the best to plant.

Guidry says that trees grown in plastic containers

can be a big mistake. They often start in a one-gallon

container, get root bound and are later transferred

to larger containers where the same thing happens.

In each step, organic mulches, not soil, are usually

used. Anything organic deteriorates, and the mulch

disappears. Bacteria eat it up as a food source.

“Also, pruning the roots properly if the tree is

root-bound/container-grown is an area where most

non-professionals fail,” he continues. “Digging a

large enough hole (three to four times the diameter

of the ball) and proper watering are also critical to

successful tree planting.

“Dig up the soil that’s there and plant it in

that. Native soil is a much better host for the long-

term growth of trees or shrubs. If you live near a

wooded area, the topsoil in the forest is a wonderful

planting soil.”

Based on his experience, Guidry has advice

that doesn’t always agree with that of others.

He does not advocate fertilizing trees and lawns

because he believes that makes them susceptible

to insects and disease. Rather, he suggests mowing

often and using the clippings and leaves as

mulch—recycling as nature does. He also believes

that sprinkler systems can lead to over-watering,

compacting the soil. This, in turn, can flood air

pockets in the ground and reduce the oxygen

supply. Roots, if they don’t “drown,” can then

become vulnerable to stresses such as heat and

drought. He adds that another misconception

some gardeners have is about buying black soil

for general planting, saying, “If soil blackens your

hands, that’s charcoal. Good soil won’t stain your

hands. Soil is basically sand, silt, clay and natural

organic matter.”

The Doctor’s PatientsSome of the high-profile live oaks Dr. Guidry

has consulted on include the General Packenham

oaks in St. Bernard, Rosedown Plantation oaks in

St. Francisville, the Seven Sisters in Mandeville’s

Lewisburg neighborhood and the Old Courthouse

oak in Covington, as well as many privately owned

ancient oaks throughout the coastal areas of Louisiana

and Mississippi.

The Seven Sisters Oak is the oldest live oak in

America and our country’s national champion. It is

also president of the Live Oak Society, which has

almost 7,000 member trees in 14 states. “We don’t

know if it’s seven trees or five trees or one tree. It

measures 36.7 feet in trunk circumference, and

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its canopy is 55 feet tall and 132 feet wide.” Some

estimates say it is some 1,800 years old! Typically,

ancient live oaks live to be 300 to 500 years. (Cypress

trees live even longer, with several in the Pearl River

Basin documented at more than 1,000 years.)

Guidry proudly showed me his prized hand-

colored portrait of the Seven Sisters Oak by noted

photo-artist Harriet Blum of Covington. He also

treasures a painting of the famous Oak Alley

Plantation, which was done by Baton Rouge artist

Henry Neubig with colorful clays taken from the soils

of Louisiana.

“In the 1700s, the Capuchin priests’ writings

talked about the Oak Alley live oaks ‘being of notable

size,’ so we have a pretty good approximation of

their age. When I visited Oak Alley, they rolled

out the red carpet after I said I was involved in

dendrochronology, the study of the age of trees.”

Changes in St. Tammany’s Trees Guidry’s years of experience give him a unique

perspective on the history of St. Tammany’s tree

population. He says, “The parish was virtually clear-

cut in the 1800s. We went from pine and cypress

forests to prairie very quickly. We probably have

more trees and more wildlife now than we did then.

“In Mandeville, about 40 years ago, the ‘Mardi

Gras Massacre’ of a stand of magnificent ancient

live oaks occurred—on Highway 190 near where

the Post Office is now. The Louisiana Department

of Transportation and Development waited ’til

Mardi Gras day to cut them down for the roadway

construction. They knew they couldn’t get an

injunction on a holiday. I guess their thinking was,

‘Let’s not ask permission—just for forgiveness.’

“When Louis Prima’s home and Pretty Acres

Golf Course were transformed into the Home Depot

and other large stores there today, I helped determine

how to save as many of the designated live oaks as

possible. We dug a continuous lineal trench, and

I cut the roots properly. Those trees are still very

healthy today.”

Guidry concludes, “With growth and

development, trees lose. But we have opportunities

with all our development to re-treescape St. Tammany.

We can plant trees of better species and higher quality,

combining the reality of development with our love

for the beautiful trees that enhance our lives. Let’s

strive to have smart growth and development so that

the planting, protection and management of desirable

trees—and the removal of undesirable ones—will

ensure the success of our urban forest.”

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DURING AN EVENING’S STROLL in the French Quarter,

you can’t help but notice the atmosphere created by the

flickering gas lanterns that grace so many of the local

establishments. Most of these lights are the creation of

Andrew Bevolo Sr.

In 1945, Bevolo, in collaboration with renowned

architect A. Hays Town, designed the French Quarter

lanterns. His unique handmade, hand-riveted copper

lanterns have since made Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights

the foremost manufacturer of this type of lights in the world,

including 50 states and 28 countries.

Under the present tutelage of Bevolo’s grandson, Drew,

that same level of superior quality is maintained. Bevolo

Gas and Electric Lights has designed and produced more

than 500 styles of lights, many of which are located on

historic landmarks throughout the country.

A new line of Pool House Lanterns has been created

to enhance your poolside décor. The lanterns are

beautifully handcrafted and hand-riveted together

to weather any environment. Made of copper,

brass and tempered glass to increase

durability, they come in two styles.

The Governor Lantern, a replica of

an Old English lantern, complements

traditional architectural styles. The Rault

Lantern was originally designed for the

Rault Center in New Orleans. Each comes

in three sizes.

Bevolo’s Louisiana-made lanterns

offer exquisite ambient lighting for many

applications. They are perfect for arbors,

breezeways, poolside and patio areas and tabletops (inside

and out). Lanterns are crafted to hold a variety of candle

options, from traditional to electric.

Experienced lighting designers work with

architects, designers and homeowners to ensure

that each fixture is appropriate for the architecture

and scale of the property. Lighting analysis is

complimentary. Each light is specifically crafted

for your home or business—just as Andrew

Bevolo Sr. did 67 years ago.

Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights

is located at 68467 Hwy. 59 in

Mandeville, (985) 249-6040; and 318

Royal St. and 521 Conti St. in New

Orleans, (504) 522-9485. bevolo.com

O U T D O O R L I V I N G P R O F I L E

Making Life Brighter

Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights

LA PAVERS HAS THE ANSWER to bringing your indoor

living outdoors—award-winning and individually designed

paved environments.

Rod Trahan, owner of La Pavers, began his career

by working with his father in the concrete business. Rod’s

eyes were opened to the possibility of pavers, so he went

to work for the international paving installation company,

Semington Interlocking Pavers. He was transferred to

Destin, where he completed projects such as Watercolor

and Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin.

Nine years ago, Rod returned to New Orleans and used

his knowledge and experience to open La Pavers (which

means “the bricks” in French). He began doing courtyards in

the French Quarter. Over the years, his business has grown

and now includes both home and commercial projects on the

southshore and northshore. The Sculpture Garden at NOMA

was a two-year project, and La Pavers paved the way to

Champion Square, where many a tailgater has enjoyed the

new addition to the Superdome experience.

Rod personalizes each job by drawing out a plan

expressly for that project. He says to every client, “Let’s

dream something.” And whether that dream is a waterfall,

fire pit, planters or special lighting, La Pavers will make your

dream come true.

La Pavers offers 18 months free financing and accepts

projects that can be completed over a period of time.

La Pavers is located at 901 Edwards Ave., Suite 300, in

Harahan. (504) 731-8755. lapavers.com and facebook.


La PaversWhere Dreamscapes Come True!


AFTER SERVING PROUDLY in World War II as a Navy pilot,

Sam Perino returned to New Orleans and opened his first

business on the busy corner of Carrollton and Claiborne.

The Carrollton Fruit Market was a 24-hour grocery store

and the go-to place for cut flowers on Easter, Mother’s Day

and All Saints Day. In 1955, Sam moved his business to

Veterans and Causeway, and it became Perino’s Nursery.

Being the first business on Veterans made for some slow

days, but it didn’t take long for things to boom.

Today, Perino’s Garden Center is operated by

Sam’s sons Buddy and Peter, who stress quality plants

and merchandise, as did their dad. Perino’s grows all

of the annuals and perennials and many of the trees

and shrubs it sells. Loads of fresh plants are shipped in

daily from its Covington greenhouses to serve customers,

many of whom come from the northshore, Baton Rouge

and Mississippi.

While you will be impressed by the freshness and

beauty of the plants, don’t miss the inside, where buyer/

decorator Kim Bantom has created a vast assortment of

unique gifts and accessories for the

home. Patio sets from Woodward,

Summer Classics and Meadowcraft

are surrounded by lamps, chandeliers and creations from

many local artists. There is even a baby department.

Perino’s manager, Tucker Bantom, says, “Our goal is

to provide the best customer service and the best value in a

warm, inviting atmosphere.”

Perino’s Garden Center is located at 3100 Veterans

Blvd. in Metairie. (504) 834-7888. perinos.com.


Perino’s Garden Center


ACTIVITIES

Horseback Riding

Swimming

Ropes Course

Tennis

Canoeing

Golf

Basketball

Gymnastics

Dance

Archery

Arts & Crafts

Outdoor Living

Campfire Fun

Rope Swing

Volleyball

Soccer

Riflery

Aerobics

Chorus & Drama

Trip Day

Counselors-In-Training

Climbing Tower

River Water Blob

Cheerleading

Flag Twirling

Sports

Riverview Camp for Girls is a community where your daughters grow in

confidence and maturity - all while having a great time in a safe, carefree and

wholesome environment.

Susan and Larry Hooks, Owners and Directors • For more information, call

(800) 882-0722. Riverview Camp for Girls, P.O. Box 299, Mentone, AL 35984

www.riverviewcamp.com

LONG-TERM SESSSIONS 1st Session: June 10-June 22 2nd Session: June 24-July 63rd Session: July 8-July 204th Session: July 22-August 3

SHORT-TERM SESSIONS M Session: June 3-June 8A Session: June 10-June 15B Session: June 17-June 22C Session: June 24-June 29D Session: July 1-July 6E Session: July 22- July 27F Session: July 29-August 3

RIVERVIEW CAMP COMES TO YOU!

March 10 - 10am-4pmLakeside Shopping Center

March 17 - 10am-4pmKids Day and Family ExpoCastine Center

March 20 - 3:30pm-5:30pmFranco’s Conference Room

March 21 - 5:30pm-7:30pmTchefuncta Country Club

Her Majesty Norah Rice

Queen of the Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws

Reigning over the 16th annual Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws parade was Queen Norah Rice,

a 3-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. The theme of the parade on Mandeville’s lakefront

was “Mardi Paws goes BARK IN TIME!”

Queen Norah was born at Luxxar Cavaliers in Arlington, Texas, where she was registered

as Luxxar Don’t Blink. Her sire was Champion Rooftop Stickwitu of Luxxar and her dam is Luxxar

Lasting Memory. Norah’s grandfather won Best in Breed at Crufts in Birmingham, England, the

world’s largest dog show. Her grandmother was a multiple Best in Show Winner.

Norah has lived with her human parents, Jennifer and Tim Rice, at Innisfree Farm in Folsom since

she was 8 weeks old. She resides there with two other Luxxar Cavalier sisters, Molly and Brigid.

Norah’s favorite activities are retrieving tennis balls and playing keep-away and chase with

Brigid, with Molly serving as umpire. All three girls also enjoy chasing rabbits and Canada geese at the farm and watching polo

matches held there. Norah loves to lay by the fireplace and watch Saints and LSU football games, as well as horseracing. Her

musical favorites are folk, Irish and opera. She especially enjoys the Saturday afternoon Live from the Met radio broadcasts.

The Mardi Paws parade serves animals and underprivileged and disabled children throughout St. Tammany Parish.

Proceeds benefit Have a Heart thru Art, Scott’s Wish and the St. Tammany Spay and Neuter Group.

AT A SMALL NURSERY on Lee Lane in

downtown Covington, there is a larger-than-

life personality. Sporting a feathery crown,

Pompom the Duck waddles around Lee

Lane as if she owns the place. Ronda Laddin

and Philip Mollere, owners of this diva

duck, treat Pompom like a daughter. With

her own room, specially designed seat in the

car and delicately refined palate, Pompom

has become part of their family. The only

thing missing is the adoption paper.

As all good family members do,

Pompom helps with maintenance around

the store. She keeps the nursery, The Secret

Garden, running like a well-oiled machine.

When she’s not entertaining customers,

she’s nibbling weeds or ridding the garden

of pesky insects. No need for insecticides

and herbicides when an adorable duck can

do the trick.

Ignoring her duck heritage, this

princess of a duck loves to “bark” at passing

dogs and keep watch for new customers.

“If we are in the back and Pompom sees a

customer, she will quack to let us know,”

Ronda says. “Quack, quack, quack, bark,

quack, quack!” Pompom always examines

new customers from their shoes up. She

follows them with a close eye and takes

flight only when alarmed.

When Pompom isn’t keeping order

over her domain, she loves to swim in her

bright blue kiddie pool. She will welcome

any youngster with open wings to share

in her fun, and if they bring watermelon,

they’ve stolen her heart.

Pompom is no ordinary duck. “She is

a crested Indian Runner; that ball of feathers

on her head is like a human having red

hair,” Philip says. Pompom’s white tiara

is caused by a recessive gene that displays

itself only in the most special of cases.

And Pompom is indeed a very special

case. “She always makes us smile,” says

Ronda. “I never knew such a little duck

could bring us so much joy.” ph

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Jones-BrewerJessica Jones and Brandon Brewer were

married at Vintage Court at sunset. The bride’s pearl-

colored gown featured an ivory tissue taffeta-draped

sweetheart bodice with rose detail. Her gown and

Haute Bride jewelry, plus the bridesmaids’ short

fuchsia dresses, were all from Olivier Couture. The

bride’s engagement and wedding rings from De Boscq

Jewelry featured a round diamond in an antique

setting. After celebrating with family and friends, the

newlyweds honeymooned in Cabo San Lucas. “It’s a

wonderful feeling knowing I get to spend the rest of

my life with my best friend,” says the happy bride.

Conn-Minaldi The wedding of Dr. Ann Conn and Thad Minaldi was officiated by Rev. Ann

Maxwell of Christ Episcopal Church at Tchefuncta Country Club. The couple had

dated in the 1980s, while Ann was attending LSU and Thad had just finished LSU

Law School. After their prior marriages ended, the couple reconnected and started

dating again. In attendance at the ceremony were several old friends from their earlier

courtship. The reception featured photos from their time together in the 1980s. The

couple honeymooned on Vieques Island; they currently reside in Madisonville.

McDaniel-HayesMcCade McDaniel and Heath Hayes celebrated their evening

wedding at Houmas House Plantation. The bride’s wedding gown

from Southern Bridal, which featured a princess-cut, sequin-

studded bodice and a full-tulle bottom, was designed by Jennifer

Pearse to complement the Southern setting. The bride was

escorted by her father down the candlelit, orchid-adorned aisle to

the sound of Scottish bagpipes. The couple celebrated with family

and friends while enjoying delicious food and music by Dirty

Play. After the festivities, the newlyweds made their way through

sparklers and well-wishers to their getaway limo for a weeklong

honeymoon in Las Vegas. They currently reside in Covington.

Miltenberger-HaunCackey Miltenberger and Ryan

Haun celebrated their wedding with

family and friends at Trinity Church in

Covington. The bride’s Sassi Holford

trumpet-style strapless gown from

Olivier Couture, featuring a vintage

corsage on a satin sash, was accented

by electric-blue suede pumps. The

bridesmaids, carrying white tulips

and greenery, wore black dresses

of varying styles and blue-and-gold

heels. Following the ceremony, guests

enjoyed an evening of dancing to the

sounds of The Gumbo Trio followed

by Countdown Sound. A photo booth

added a fun touch to the celebration

at Tchefuncta Country Club. The couple

honeymooned in Anguilla, B.W.I.

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Landry-Joffrion Lisé Landry and

Matthew Joffrion

were married at the

Mother of Perpetual

Help Chapel on

St. Scholastica

Academy’s campus.

The bride wore

a Rivini strapless

trumpet gown with

scalloped lace,

complemented

by a glimmering

crystal sash. The

bridesmaids’ deep-blue chiffon dresses from Southern Bridal

featured crisscross pleats on the bodice and a sweetheart

neckline. After the ceremony, family and friends enjoyed

signature cocktails and live music at Tchefuncta Country

Club. The ballroom was draped in silk dupioni to create

an intimate ambiance for the formal dinner that featured

whimsical tablescapes. The newlyweds honeymooned in

Mexico and will make their home in Covington.

Stryker-Hustad The wedding of Christine Caitlin Stryker and Anthony Scott

Hustad was officiated by long-time family friend Jeffrey Williams

underneath a 200-year-old oak tree at Vintage Court. The bride’s

champagne-colored

satin gown was

accented with crystal

beading. Friends and

family traveled from

all over the country

to share in the union

and to dance the

night away with the

bride and groom.

After a weekend filled

with love, laughter

and many festivities,

the couple spent a

week honeymooning on the quiet beaches of Orange Beach, Fla.

They reside in Mandeville, where Anthony is the executive chef of

Nuvolari’s Ristorante and Christine works as an executive office

assistant at The Village Executive Office Suites.

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the SpotlightIN

As Zeus and Queen

Lauren LeQuesne Murphy

reigned on Mt. Olympia,

members of the Mystic

Krewe of Olympia and their

guests danced the night away

at the Castine Center during

the krewe’s 47th annual ball.

Attending Her Majesty

were Maids Blakely Durand

Brennan, Susan Elizabeth

Broadbridge, Marjory Dayle

Case, Madeline Claire

Cristina, Melanie Holmberg

Dutel, Anna Katherine Hardy

France, Audrey Ellen Gitz,

Nicole Marie Huguley, Olivia

Joan Illing, Ashley Elise

Lyon, Kaitlin Ellen Martin

and Emily Grace Williamson.

Mystic Krewe of Olympia


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January-February 2012 125

Ladies In Waiting

were Mary Claire Ragland

Dubreuil, Ann Baker

Lagarde, Anna Ruth

Mayronne, Margaret Claire

Mayronne, Caroline Ann

Pellegrini, Brittany Caitlyn

Pierce, Landry Louise Rase,

Lauren Elizabeth Richard,

Sarah Claire Sanborn and

Lillian Marie Stegen.

Pages to Their Majesties

were Tanner Joseph Booth,

Emerson Christopher

Ambrose du Passage, Grant

Edward Harrison and Ryan

James Richard Jr.


the SpotlightINKrewe of JUNO

JUNO Les Femmes Mystique

and her Serene Highness

welcomed guests to their 46th

annual Bal Tableau celebrating

Rockin’ Women at the Castine

Center.

Her Royal Highness Queen

JUNO XLVI was joined by His

Majesty King JUNO 2012, Mr.

Wayne McCants. Pages to the

royal couple were Halle and

Hannah Boren.

Krewe members were

costumed as musical mavens Dolly

Parton, Cher, Lady Gaga and The

Supremes and as the dancers of

the Moulin Rouge. Following the

grand processional, the Captain

of JUNO and her officers offered

a salute to the monarchs. Dancing

then continued into the night.

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side PeekIN

Send your submissions to [email protected].

Bobbi Chassaignac, January-February

IN Cover Artist Ryan Perea and

Christina Bodenheimer.

Anna Papp, Bill Bennett and Charley Strickland at the Inside Northside Meet the Artist Party at Martin Wine Cellar.

Cedric Martin, Hope Martin, Paul Riley, Kevin

Raborn, Delia Schilling and Will Fauquier.

Ellen Bajon and Charlotte Knight.

Jonathan Wong, Saul Rubio and

Jason Wong at the grand opening

of Rockefeller’s Restaurant.

Queen Elizabeth Hughs at the Athenians Ball with her parents, Julie and Semmes Hughs.

the SpotlightINGeaux Arts Ball

Art came to life at the St. Tammany

Art Association’s Geaux Arts Ball. The

event kicked off with music by the

Monteleone Junior High School Jazz

Band, classical solos from Fontainebleau

High School students and professional music provided

by the Carlo Ditta Band. Art and drama students from

St. Tammany Parish schools created beautiful and

skillfully crafted live tableaux, which featured works

of art that explored the presence of “Mary” throughout

various art movements. The presentations were encased

in gold frames created by instructor Jeff Mickey and his

sculpture students at Southeastern Louisiana University.

Participating schools were Fontainebleau

High School, St. Scholastica Academy, St. Paul

School, Mandeville Middle School,

Covington High School, Lakeshore

High School and Lake Harbor

Middle School. In addition to the

art and musical entertainment,

guests enjoyed a silent auction

and exquisite food donated by

The Lakehouse, The English Tea

Room and other area restaurants.

Proceeds from the event will

fund the St. Tammany Art

Association’s efforts to support

the arts in our community.

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side PeekIN


Angel Hernandez, Tina Paretti and Kathy Williams at the West Chamber 2012 Installation and Awards Banquet.

Queen Claudia Melinda Norwood

of the Krewe of Claude.

St. Tammany West Chamber award

winners Kenny LaCour of Dakota

Restaurant, Dick Knight of Resource

Bank and Stuart Ethridge and Will

Boudreaux of Netchex.

Alberta Alley, Beau Thompson and Mary Wilson enjoy a Mardi Gras celebration at the Windsor Senior Center.


LSU’s Homecoming

King Zach Corbin

of Slidell and

Queen Mo Isom.

Mad Men star, local designer and author Bryan Batt celebrates the completion of two designer houses in Tchefuncta Club Estates with Colleen Hawley and Sharon Drucker.Kelli Binnings, Patrice

Senac and Tanya Everett at the Arabella 10th anniversary event. Resource Bank Slidell branch manager Sheila Wagner (center) received an Ambassador Award from the East St. Tammany Chamber at the annual awards banquet; also pictured: Pat Campbell and Kelly Rodriguez.

Tad Dowd was one of more than 30 participants in Franco’s Annual Ice Man Dip & Dash, a 4-mile run and a 100-yard swim across the Tchefuncte River that benefits ALS research.

the SpotlightIN


The Krewe of Bilge

celebrated its 35th year at its

coronation ball at the Northshore

Harbor Center in Slidell.

Reigning over the evening’s

festivities were King Neptune

XXXII, Thomas Wyant Sr., and

Queen Neptune XXVIII, Megan

Messina.

Maids to the Queen were

Taylor Scully, Heidi Dunne,

Darian Varnado, Caitlin

Bush, Megan Messina,

Brooke Artigue and Taylor

Artigue. Junior Maids

were Megan Thiberville,

Caroline Cenci, Rachel

Collignon and Sadie

Lewis. Ladies-in-Waiting

were Emily Gentry, Emily

Legnon, Kaylei Macdonald

and Mollie Bush.

Attendants to the King and

Queen were Laura Haag,

Wyatt Lewis, Jackson Haag

and Jacob Messina.

Members of the krewe

continued their Carnival

celebration February 4 with their

“Countries of the World” boat

parade along the Eden Isles

canals.

Krewe of Bilge


side PeekIN



The cast of Louisiana Center for Theatrical

Arts’ benefit performance of “Some

Enchanted Evening—The Songs of Rodgers

and Hammerstein”: Weston Twardowski,

Jan Gardner, Ashley Smetherman Lemmler,

Melissa Marshall and Chris Carey.

Archbishop Hannan High School senior Lauren Voelker was selected to be on the Louisiana Composite All-State Soccer team; pictured with Assistant Principal Dr. Donalyn Hassenboehler.

Mary Queen of Peace Pastor Fr. Ronnie Caulkins and Office of Catholic Schools Associate Superintendent Dr. Lisa Taylor along with Hannan parents Deanna Hollander, Tonya Booksh and Darlene Sens.

Campus Minister Leila Benoit, Kent Bossier

and Special Events Coordinator Jill Hogan at

the reception following the memorial Mass

for Archbishop Hannan.

With the help of SSA teacher Patrice Cedor, seniors Katie Carey, Katie Magee, Alexis Welliver and Nicole Cerniglia prepare for their tributes to their dads.

Michael Froeba, Shelby Guinot, Gail Benson, Mason Caillouet, Shelby Rase and Jake Doran at the reception following the memorial Mass.

Philip and Chandler Mangrum at

the SSA Father-Daughter dance.

Lakeshore juniors Caitlyn Carroll and Lindsay Chaix showing off

their new “One Book One School” novel, You Don’t Know Me.

Sami Tabor and her dad, Brent, enjoy the SSA Sports Spectacular Father-Daughter dinner dance.

SSA senior Hadley

Modeen and her

dad, Dan, were

ready to score a

touchdown.


the SpotlightIN

Over 300 guests enjoyed the

Tchefuncte River Foundation’s Second

Annual Fundraiser at Champagne

Beverage Company. The sold-out

event featured a silent auction, live

music by Four Unplugged, an open

bar and food from N’Tini’s and other

local restaurants. The highlight of the

evening was the announcement of the

donation of a 150-acre tract of land

at the mouth of the Tchefuncte River

by David Vey and Rick Hartley of

Lakeshore, LLC. The property will be

used to return approximately 650 feet

of beachfront to the east shoreline at

the mouth of the river.

“The foundation cannot reach

its goals without help and

support from the community,”

says Kyle Catalano, TRF

president. “Acquiring the land

is just the first step; we still

need the monies to fund

Phase One of the beach

project.” For membership

information or to view the

plans for Phase One, visit

ilovemyriver.com.

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Tchefuncte River Foundation Fundraiser

n o r t h s h o r e l i v i n g


WHILE THE REST OF THE COUNTRY slowly pulls itself out of

the recession, St. Tammany Parish appears to be clawing its way

out a bit faster. Single-family permits increased 13.66 percent

from 2010 to 2011. The trend is also very positive for the last

four months, during which the averages were at a two-year peak.

In 2009, DSLD Homes entered the West St Tammany

market. Since February 2010, it has averaged close to 11 home

sales per month, with an 18.5 percent market share of all new

single-family construction in the parish last year.

While the MLS data below doesn’t give the entire picture,

it does give an excellent indication of recent trends for new

construction.

The “sweet spot” for housing sales is in the $180,000 to

$200,000 range, where the majority of the sales occurred and

the marketing times were shortest. Success breeds competition,

and it appears that national builder D. R. Horton will soon be

moving into the market. Overall, the outlook for new-home

sales is on the up-tick.

Data courtesy of the New Orleans Board of REALTORS.

Real Estate Spotlight

Up-tick in single-family home building




i n s i d e d i n i n g


MCC: Major credit cards acceptedME: Menu Express deliveryRR: Reservations recommended

ABITA SPRINGSAbita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 892-0205. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and boudin. MCC.

Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 892-5837. On the Trace. Good food, great beer. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 867-9950. Southern cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tue-Sun. MCC.

Breakaway Cafe, 71667 Leveson St., 809-8998. Tue-Sat 10am-5pm.

Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59, 809-6313. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. MCC.

Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy. 59, 809-0308. Great pizza, sandwiches, pasta, fresh homemade bread. Lunch, dinner.

COVINGTON407 North, 407 N. Columbia St., 809-3131. Seafood, steaks, sandwiches. Lunch and dinner Mon-Fri; dinner Sat. MCC.

Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Established 1910 in New Orleans, 1995 on northshore. Seafood, sandwiches, local favorites. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292. Mediterranean cuisine. MCC.

Annadele’s Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more. MCC, checks.

Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St., 892-2373. Best po-boys in the world.

Bonefish Grill, 200 River Highlands Blvd., 809-0662. Specializing in market-fresh fish cooked to perfection over a wood-burning grill. bonefishgrill.com. MCC.

Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 871-6674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC.

Cheesesteak Bistro, The, 528 N. Columbia St., Covington, 875-9793. Original cheesesteak sandwiches, soups, salads, gumbo and super spuds. Breakfast, lunch. All under $10. MCC, checks.

The Chimes, 19130 West Front St., 892-5396. Lunch and dinner. MCC.

Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 893-6158. Soup and salad specialists.

Columbia St. Seafood, 1123 N. Columbia St., 893-4312. Seafood platters and po-boys.

Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill, 434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Daily specials, appetizers, sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers. Live music Thurs-Sat nights. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME.

Copeland’s, 680 N. Hwy. 190, 809-9659. Authentic New Orleans cuisine. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Online take-out orders at copelandsofneworleans.com. MCC, ME, RR. Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. MCC, RR.

Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. MCC, RR.

Di Martino’s, 700 S. Tyler St., 276-6460. Great food and reasonable prices. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Suite C, 875-0160. Conveniently located next to the new Covington Courthouse. Italian and seafood. MCC. Don’s Seafood Hut, 126 Lake Drive, 327-7111. Lunch and dinner. MCC.

Downtown Drugs with the Original Soda Fountain & Café Cabaret, 322 N. Florida St., 892-7220. Nostalgic soda fountain for lunch and after school, six days a week.

El Portal, 1200 Business 190, 867-5367.

English Tea Room, The, 734 Rutland St., 898-3988. Authentic English cream teas. Special event teas, English scones, crumpets and cakes. Serving breakfast and lunch. Mon-Sat 7:30am-6pm. englishtearoom.com. MCC, RR.

Four Seasons Chinese Buffet, 600 N. Hwy. 190, 893-3866. MCC. Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler St., 892-9992. Lunch and dinner, Tue-Sat. MCC. RR.

Isabella’s Pizzeria, 70452 Hwy. 21, Suite 500, 875-7620; 1331 Hwy. 190, 809-1900. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.

Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-5252. Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. MCC, checks.

Jerk’s Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar, 70347 Hwy. 21, 893-1380. JerksIslandGrill.com.

Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 892-4992.

Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St., 892-0708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

McAlister’s Deli, 206 Lake Dr., Suite 15, 898-2800. Great sandwiches, salads, overstuffed potatoes. MCC, checks.

Megumi of Covington, 1211 Village Walk, 893-0406.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407. Salads, pizzas, calzones. MCC. mellowmushroom.com.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 104 Lake Dr. #1, 898-6362. menchies.com.

New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208 Lee Ln., 875-0432. Grilled fish, smothered rabbit and voodoo crawfish rolls. Family owned and operated. MCC.

side DiningIN



Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Caffè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, 893-1488. Italian bakery items, luncheon salads, soups and sandwiches. MCC.

North Island Chinese, 842 N. Collins Blvd., 867-8289.

Northshore Empress, 31 Louis Prima Dr., 871-6975.

Osaka 21 Japanese Restaurant, 70340 Hwy. 21, 809-2640.

Osaka West Japanese Restaurant, 804 N. Hwy. 190, 875-0409.

Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun Deli, 1248 Collins Blvd., 892-7287. Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes. MCC, checks, ME.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. 21, 875-7894. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC.

Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME.

Sage Café, 501 N. Hwy. 190, 893-3580. Breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared from scratch with attention to detail. Drink specials. MCC.

Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 249-6990.

Schwing’s Restaurant, 1204 W. 21st Ave., 893-1899. Fresh seafood and home cooking. MCC.

Sicily’s Pizza, 301 N. Hwy. 190, 893-0005. Pizza, lasagna, salad bar, dessert pizzas. MCC, ME.

Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St., 898-2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME.

Thai Chili, 1102 N. Hwy. 190, 809-0180.

Thai Spice, 1531 N. Hwy. 190, 809-6483.

Thai Taste, 1005 Collins Blvd., 809-7886.

Thai Thai, 1536 N. Hwy. 190, 809-8905.

Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515 E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban sandwiches and more. MCC, checks, ME.

Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire St., 809-3840. Japanese cuisine and sushi in a casual atmosphere. MCC.

Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr., 327-0520. Inspired American food. MCC.

HAMMONDAdobe Cantina & Salsa, 1905 W. Thomas St., 419-0027. Fine Mexican cuisine, good spirits, great friends and fun. Ceviche (marinated fish) and Mexican pasta. Live band. adoberestaurant.com. MCC.

Brady’s, 110 Southwest Railroad Ave., 542-6333.

Cocoa Bean Bakery and Cafe, 910 E. Main St., 345-2002. Specialty cakes, pastries. Serving breakfast and light lunch. Specials. thecocoabeanbakery.com. MCC.

Don’s Seafood & Steak House, 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550. MCC.

Hon Yum Chinese Restaurant, 1905 W. Thomas St., 230-0888. Chicken, shrimp, tofu specialties. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 542-0043. Casual fine dining. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Kirin Sushi, 223 S. Cate St., 542-8888. First Japanese sushi restaurant in Hammond! Dragon roll, Kirin roll, sake. MCC.

La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 419-9990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC.

Old MacDonald’s Smokehouse, 1601 N. Morrison Blvd., 542-7529. BBQ brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. MCC, checks.

Pepper Tree Grill and Bar, 2037 W. Thomas St., 345-5525. MCC, checks.

Tommy’s Pizza, 2105 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-9726. Pizza, pastas. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600. Contemporary delights. MCC.

Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 2100 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-6789. Innovative quality Chinese food served in Imperial surroundings. MCC, checks.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2108 W. Thomas St., 345-1131. “Taste our Magic.” MCC.

Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St., 345-1112. A great place to start your day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

LACOMBEJanie Brown’s Restaurant, 27207 Hwy. 190, 882-7201. Casual dining with a great atmosphere. MCC, checks.

La Provence Restaurant, 25020 Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Owner John Besh combines hospitality with French cuisine and welcoming hearths. Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC, checks. RR.

Sal & Judy’s, Hwy. 190, 882-9443. Great food and line of retail products. Family owned for 27 years. Veal is the house specialty. MCC, RR.

MADISONVILLE

Cafe Madisonville, 410 Covington Hwy., 792-4506. Soups, salads, sandwiches and lunch specials.

Coffee’s Boiling Pot, 305 Old Covington Hwy., 845-2348. Boiled seafood in a family atmosphere.

Friends Coastal Restaurant, 407 St. Tammany St., 845-7303. Key West meets New Orleans in this island casual dining atmosphere. Lunch, dinner. MCC. RR.

Frog’s Pizzeria, 302 Hwy. 22, 845-9500.

Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Hwy. 21, 845-9940. Steak, crab cakes. Lunch Tues-Fri, dinner. MCC.

Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar, 702 Water St., 845-4970. Relaxed atmosphere, seafood, daily specials.



Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Water St. Bistro, 804 Water St., 845-3855. Casual ambiance on the Tchefuncte. Lunch, dinner Wed-Sun. MCC.

MANDEVILLE Barley Oak, The, 2101 Lakeshore Dr. 727-7420. Serving 130 styles of beer, call and premium liquors and lunch and dinner. thebarleyoak.com. MCC.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 674-9090. Bear’s po-boys and more. MCC.

Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 Lovers Ln., 626-4557. Traditional New Orleans cuisine. Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC.

Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Highway 59, 624-5066.

Broken Egg Café, 200 Gerard St., 624-3388. Excellent choice for brunch! Pasta, specialty salads, sandwiches. MCC.

Café Lynn Restaurant and Catering, 3051 E. Causeway App., 624-9007. Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia. MCC.

Casa Garcia, 800 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8226. Redefining Mexican food one meal at a time. MCC.

Causeway Café, 527 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-9997. MCC.

Chili’s Bar & Grill, 3420 Hwy. 190, 727-2771. Fajitas and the Awesome Blossom. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME.

Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-0560. Soup and salad specialists.

Coscino’s Pizza, 1817 N. Causeway Blvd., 727-4984. New York hand-tossed pizza and Italian foods cooked on stone using the finest ingredients. MCC.

Country Kitchen, 2109 Florida St., 626-5375.

Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59., 809-2929. Breakfast, lunch Sun.-Fri. MCC.

Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse, 1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704. Fresh fish daily, aged beef, traditional Italian. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME, RR. Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps Roule, 792-0200. Fresh organic foods for breakfast, lunch and takeout. MCC.

George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342. Family owned. Fajitas, George’s nachos, Carne al la Parrilla. Best top-shelf margaritas in town. MCC, ME.

Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E. Causeway App., 624-2597. Sicilian specialties by 5-star chef Gio Vancheri. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. MCC. RR.

Hong Kong Restaurant, 2890 E. Causeway App., 626-8222. MCC.

Isabella’s Pizzeria, 2660 Florida St. (in the Florida Street Market), 674-5700. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.

Italian Pie, 4350 Hwy. 22, 626-5252.

Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. MCC, checks.

Izumi, 2660 Florida St., 624-8664. Sushi, Japanese specialties. MCC.

Juniper, 301 Lafitte St., 624-5330. Progressive Creole cuisine. Lunch, dinner, brunch. MCC, checks.

K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530. Featuring Louisiana seafood. kgeesrestaurant.com. MCC.

Kickstand Café and Bike Rental, 690 Lafitte St., 626-9300.

La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway App., 624-2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC.

La Madeleine French Cafe, 3434 Hwy. 190, 626-7004.

The Lakehouse, 2025 Lakeshore Dr., 626-3006, events 807-5014. Restaurant and special events venue open 7 days for private events. Dinner, Thurs.-Sat. Sunday brunch. Lakehousecuisine.com. MCC

Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 727-1532.

Louie & The Redhead Lady, 1851 Florida St., 626-8101.

Macaroni Grill, 3410 Hwy. 190, 727-1998. Penne rustica, pasta Milano, other Italian favorites. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME.

Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App., 626-9047. Serving breakfast and lunch, daily specials.

Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea Square Shopping Center, 674-9883. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat.

Maw Maw’s, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste. 11, 727-7727. Soups, salads, stuffed potatoes, sandwiches, po-boys.

Maxein’s Coffee House, 115 Girod St., 626-9318.

Megumi Japanese Cuisine, 4700 Hwy. 22, Suite 11&12, 845-1644. Yakimono and sushi bar. Lunch, dinner.

MiMamacita’s New Mexican Cuisine, 2345 Florida St., 674-1400. Great food and margaritas. Lunch, dinner, catering. MCC.

Monster Po-Boys, 1814 N. Causeway App., 626-9183. Lunch, dinner.

N’Tini’s, 2891 N. Hwy. 190, 626-5566. Steaks, martinis. Lunch specials. Mon.-Sat. MCC.

Nuvolari’s, 246 Girod St., 626-5619. In Old Mandeville. Gnocchi, escargot, filet mignon, linguini fruta di mare. Dinner. MCC.

Pal’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Shop, 2201 Eleventh St., 626-0293. “Only 8” all-natural no-fat yogurt, banana splits, smoothies. Soups, sandwiches. MCC.

Petunia’s Place, 2020 Hwy. 59, 674-3436.



PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy. 190, 674-1565. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC.

The Pointe, 2223 North Causeway Blvd., 626-1315. atthepointe.net. MCC

Rag’s Old Fashioned Po-Boys, 4960 Hwy. 22, 792-1744. Herbie roast beef with Swiss and ham, muffalettas. MCC, checks, ME.

Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore Dr., 727-2829.

Ristorante Carmelo & Pizzaria, 1901 Hwy. 190, 624-4844. Family-oriented Italian cuisine. Lunch and dinner. MCC.

Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Sake Gardens Japanese Restaurant, 1705 Hwy. 190, 624-8955.

Sesame Inn, 408 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8888. Finest Chinese cuisine.

Shuck & Jive, 643 Lotus Drive, 626-1534. shucknjivemandeville.com. MCC

Smoothie King, 1830 W. Causeway App., 626-9159. Smoothies. MCC, checks.

Subway, 1665 Hwy. 190, 674-0733. Sandwiches, salads. Low-fat available. MCC.

Sweet Daddy’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0208. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME.

Taqueria Noria, 1931 Hwy. 59, 727-7917. Lunch, dinner.

Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Vianne’s Tea House, 544 Girod St., 624-5683. A full café menu with over 120 loose leaf and speciality teas. Breakfast, lunch. MCC.

Vigroux Po-Boys, 2625 Florida St., 231-7314. Lunch, dinner.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy. 190 E., 629-2021. “Taste our Magic.” MCC.

Zydeco Café, 68480 Hwy. 59, 871-8748. Po-boys, pasta, burgers and more.

PONCHATOULAMiddendorf’s Seafood Restaurant, 30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666.

Rockefeller’s, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., 370-0930. Fresh, global, vibrant cuisine. Open 7 days a week. rockefellersrestaurant.com MCC.

Sister’s Coffeehouse & Cafe, 18440 Hwy. 22 E., 370-9424. Warm, friendly atmosphere, unique food, gourmet coffees, teas. MCC, checks.

Taste of Bavaria Restaurant & Bakery, 14476 Hwy. 22, 386-3634. Charming Bavarian bungalow, European-style breakfast, German-style

lunch. MCC, checks.

SLIDELLA Touch of Italy Café, 134 Pennsylvania Ave., 645-0084. Seafood, veal, steaks, daily specials. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Assunta’s, 2631 Hwy. 190 W., 649-9768. Italian food, extensive wine selection. Dinner. MCC, checks.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Blvd. 201-8905. Bear’s po-boys and more. MCC. Bistro de la Reine, 2306 Front St., 288-4166. Sunday brunch, live entertainment, fine wines and spirits. Open seven days a week. MCC.

Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-6211. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. MCC.

Carreta’s Grill, 137 Taos St., 847-0020. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC.

Eddie D’s, 39510 Hwy. 190 E., 847-1000.

Java Jungle, 1071 Robert Blvd., 649-0380. Specialty coffees, casual dining, lush tropical setting. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

KY’s Olde Towne Bicycle Shop, 2267 Carey St., 641-1911. Casual dining in former bicycle shop. Kids’ menu. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

La. Pines, 1061 Robert St., 641-6196. Meet under the water tower for Ahhhfull-waffles, Sugar Watcher specials. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

Mandina’s, 2111 Gause Blvd., 690-6679. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat.

Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain Dr., 649-8055. Steaks, seafood, veal, duck, eggplant au gratin. Extensive wine selection. Dinner.

Palmettos on the Bayou, 1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050.

Phil’s Marina Café, 1194 Harbor Dr., 641-0464.

Shenanigans Irish Pub & Fare, 2165 W. Gause Blvd. Authentic Irish food, drink and entertainment in a traditional pub atmosphere.

Smoothie King, 150 Northshore Blvd., 781-3456. Low-fat health drinks. MCC, checks.

Steak Out, 1325 Gause Blvd., 645-8646. Eat in or delivered to you. MCC.

Tacos and Beer, 2142 Front St., 641-4969. Lunch, dinner and late-night.

Times Bar & Grill, 1827 Front St. 639-3335. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

Wine Market, The, 2051 E. Gause Blvd., 781-1177. Deli restaurant, lunch, 11-3pm. Sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps. MCC and checks.

Young’s Restaurant, 850 Robert Blvd., 643-9331. Steaks, seafood, nice wine selection. Dinner. MCC, checks.

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Columbia Street Mercantile .......985-809-1789 96

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De Boscq Jewelry ......................985-674-0007 13

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DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold .....985-892-2317 95

Designs in Windows ..................985-209-1689 144

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Fat Spoon Café ..........................985-809-2929 141

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Fleurt ........................................985-809-8844 96

Florist of Covington ...................985-892-7701 35

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Franco’s Athletic Club ................985-792-0200 BC

Freedom Boat Club ....................985-792-5115 114

French Mix, The .........................985-809-3152 86

Galerie d’Art Francais ................504-581-6920 70

Georgian Furnishing Berger Home ....504-733-4141 130

Girl Scout Gala ..........................504-355-5875 140

GNO Property Management ......504-525-2985 138

Grapevine ........... grapevinegiftsandgallery.com 96

Greg’s Pools and Spas ...............985-643-0484 119

Hadar Hermani Waldman MD ....985-892-1111 71

Hestia Luxury in Linens ..............985-893-0490 77

Historic New Orleans Collection .504-598-7170 56

Honda of Covington ..................985-892-0001 IFC

Huntington Learning Center ......985-727-0000 37

Inn on Bourbon, The ..................800-535-7891 24

Integrity Builders Inc. .................985-626-3479 29

Istre Hearing Care .....................985-845-3509 34

Izabella’s Villa ...........................985-649-5060 3

Jerry Coogan .............................985-626-9570 65

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Jos. A. Bank ...............................985-624-4067 19

K. Gee’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar 985-626-0530 142

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La Carreta .................................985-624-2990 142

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Mandeville Party Co. ..................985-674-1605 118

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Moseley’s Fine Jewelers .............985-626-5098 76

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NOLA Lending Group, LLC .........985-951-8479 102

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Nuvolari’s ..................................985-626-5619 63

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Last Bite

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WD

EN

Paul Murphy of Nuvolari’s, Jacmel Inn and Brady’s

and met up with his brother, Richard, who was attending what

was then Southeastern Louisiana College. They were joined in

1976 by their friend and business partner Rick Colucci.

In 1977, Paul, Richard and Rick decided to start a restaurant.

With a little capital and a lot of sweat equity, they renovated a

spacious but run-down residence in Hammond and transformed

it into the Jacmel Inn. “It was something that hadn’t been seen

before, at least in Tangipahoa Parish. We didn’t even have a

deep-fat fryer. We were doing dishes like bouillabaisse, Alaskan

king crab, redfish with crabmeat, Creole specialties and roast

duckling. We had a diverse, more contemporary menu, way

beyond what was being presented locally.”

Three years later, the team renovated another historic

building, on Railroad Avenue, and opened Brady’s,

which has a more casual and more affordable menu.

Unfortunately, Richard passed away in 1982. (The

Richard Murphy Hospice Foundation was founded in

his memory.) Paul and Rick pressed on.

Paul indulged his passion for sailboat racing

at the Pontchartrain Yacht Club in Mandeville. “There

were a lot of great people at the club—I have a lot of good

friends there today—and I was enamored with the idea of

opening a restaurant in Mandeville.”

He and Rick acquired and set about renovating

the Prieto Grocery building on Girod Street with the

help of Tim Eihausen and Wallace Simmons. Named

after legendary Italian racecar driver Tazio Nuvolari,

Nuvolari’s opened in 1983. “I had met Tim in Colorado

and talked him into coming down; Wallace had worked

for us in Hammond. We couldn’t have done it without

those guys,” Paul says. Tim was Nuvolari’s first chef,

and Wallace has managed the restaurant ever since.

While all of the restaurants share common threads,

each one offers diners its own attractions. Nuvolari’s is

Italian-inspired fine dining, Jacmel Inn is Caribbean/Creole

and Brady’s focus is American casual. “They’re all different by

design,” says Paul. “Instead of having the same concept 60 or

100 miles apart, customers can travel a short distance to enjoy

different experiences and different prices.”

Jacmel Inn is located at 903 E. Morris St. in

Hammond, 542-0043; Brady’s at 110 Southwest

Railroad Ave. in Hammond, 542-6333; and

Nuvolari’s at 246 Girod St. in Mandeville, 626-5619.

PAUL MURPHY has been

wrangling restaurants for

35 years. With two properties

in Hammond—Jacmel Inn and

Brady’s—and one, Nuvolari’s, in

Mandeville, he pretty much has the

northshore covered.

A transplant from a more northern

clime—he’s been around here long enough

that it would be rude to call him a Yankee—

Paul became affixed to the northshore in the

1970s after his 20-something, collegiate “wander

years” out West in school, tending bar and

cooking in restaurants. He came to Hammond

by Stephen Faure

March-April 2012 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

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