The Louisiana Jam - 08/15/13, Vol. 1, No. 3

VOL. 1, NO. 3 / AUGUST 15, 2013

PAGE 2 AUGUST 15, 2013 Volume 1 • Issue 3

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

PUBLISHERPhil de [email protected]

EXECUTIVE EDITORLauren de [email protected]

GENERAL MANAGERMonica [email protected]

CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISINGTRAFFIC MANAGERSenaida Ortiz

SALES ASSOCIATESMichele [email protected]

GRAPHICSART/PRODUCTION DIRECTORBurn Rourk

ART ASSISTANTSarah Bercier

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERDanley Romero

BUSINESSOFFICE MANAGERJeanie Taggart

Legal DisclaimerThe views expressed by Louisiana Jam columnists are their own and do not nec-essarily reflect the position of Louisiana Jam, its editors or staff.Louisiana Jam is solely owned, published by Jambalaya Media, LLC, 715 KirbyStreet, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 436-7800. Whilst every effortwas made to ensure the information in this magazine was correct at the time ofgoing to press, the publishers cannot accept legal responsibility for any errors oromissions, nor can they accept responsibility of the standing of advertisers norby the editorial contributions. Louisiana Jam cannot be held responsible for thereturn of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they aresent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. The views expressed do notnecessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Copyright 2013 Louisiana Jam all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or inpart without prior written permission is prohibited.

Nicole Shuff ArabieGeorge ClineAngie Kay DilmoreJason GribbleMonica Hebert

Braylin JenkinsJen KoberMike McHughRoger MillerKarla Tullos

August 15, 2013 • Volume 1 • Issue 3

On Cover: Phil de Albuquerque,president of the Children’s

Museum Board gets ready forImagination Celebration!

Photo by Senaida Ortiz

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COVER STORY10 The ImaginationCelebration: TheChildren’s MuseumGoes to Funky Town!

REGULARS

5 The Dang Yankee5 Tips from Tip6 Soul Matters6 Adoption Corner7 Jen Kober’s Big Fat

Food Column9 Fish Tales17 Lake City Beat!

THE SPICE OF SWLA

14 Restaurant Guide16 Events Guide18 Art & Culture Events Guide20 Music Guide22 Society Spice

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

4 The Green Pea Art Studio19 HeART of SWLA21 The Bulber Youth Orchestra

Celebrates 20 Years23 Funbolaya 21

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AUGUST 15, 2013 PAGE 3Volume 1 • Issue 3

Lauren de Albuquerque

When you change yourdiet, your taste budschange. Food you used toenjoy eating just doesn’ttaste the same any longer.On the other hand, some-thing you ate on occasionsuddenly becomes an im-portant part of your dailydining experience. I’mtalking about tomatoes.

When I was a child, Ididn’t eat them verymuch. I actually think Ihad some sort of an al-lergy to them, as theymade my palate itchy. Andthey seemed kind of taste-less. I just avoided them.

I did however, enjoytomato juice and tomatosoup.

As I got older, I ate moretomatoes, but usually onlyif they came from some-one’s garden or if I were ina good restaurant. Butnow that I’m on my low-carb diet, tomatoes and Ihave become very goodfriends.

Of course, since I’vemoved to Louisiana, I’vekicked everything up a

notch—or two. Or three. Ilike my food and drinksspicy. Which means plainold tomato juice doesn’tdo it for me anymore.Good-bye, old friend. I’vegone from V-8 to SpicyV-8 to Zing Zang BloodyMary Mix (without thevodka). I throw in spicygreen beans andpickles and pickledokra and bigolives. It’s deli-cious and satis-fies my salt/spicecravings.

When Ihave tomatosoup, I addhot sauceand hot pep-per cheese.Swirl all thattogether and it’sheavenly. When I’m in acheating mood, a throw ina handful of chili cheeseFritos. What a fabulouslunch. I don’t want it toend.

Since my diet calls forlots of protein and as fewcarbs as possible, I’m used

to eating protein with avegetable every day. Sothat piece of meat is auto-matically accompanied bya sliced tomato, sprinkledliberally with sea salt.Sometimes, I’ll drizzle

extra-virgin olive oil overit, or plop some gua-camole on top.

Another great way toenjoy a fresh tomato is toeat it like an apple. Sprin-kle salt on top and take adeep bite. Heaven! Of

course, this has to be afresh tomato—the realthing. Our wonderfulJam delivery guy Gerardalso occasionally brings usfresh veggies from his gar-den and they don’t lastvery long in our refrigera-tor.

I also love crispy celery.Swirl that in some home-

made onion dip, andyou have a treat. It’s

amazing how adiet can reallywork if you lovewhat you eat; if it

satisfies a craving.How many diet

foods actually do that?And while I never seem

to get tired of the won-derful tomato, I have nodesire for pasta, rice orbread anymore. Potatoesare a different story.Mashed, fried, baked,chips—this is a seriousproblem for me. And I dofall off the potato wagonoccasionally—with a big,resounding thud.

Like the other night.Phil and I had run someerrands. It was getting

kind of late and we hadn’teaten. It had been a ratherstressful week. And I washungry.

“McDonald’s.” I said.Phil did a double take.“Are you sure?”

I took a deep breath.“Yes, I’m sure.”

So off we went to Mc-Donald’s. I hadn’t beenunder those GoldenArches in month. And Iwent for the gusto.

“A Big Mac, please,” Isaid loudly. “With largefries.”

Phil raised his eyebrowsand ordered himself a lit-tle burger from the dollarmenu. I made him orderhis own fries, because if Iwas going to fall, I wasgoing to fall hard.

It tasted divine. Andthere WAS a tomato slicesomewhere in that BigMac. I’m sure there was.

A Note From Lauren

My Love Affair with the Tomato


By Angie Kay DilmoreChris Zaunbrecher is

passionate about art. As theMoss Bluff Middle Schoolart teacher, she enjoys in-structing her students, butshe’s always longed to shareher passion with a larger au-dience. Four years ago, sheopened The Green Pea, afriendly welcoming art stu-dio in the heart of LakeArthur. Zaunbrecher offersart camps for kids, paintingclasses and workshops,birthday parties for bothchildren and adults, andopen studio hours for cre-ative spirits “who just wantto come in and do their ownthing.”

Inspired by her artisticgrandmother, Zaunbrecherhas been drawing and paint-ing since she was five yearsold. A lifelong resident ofJeff Davis Parish, she recallsas a child how the weeklynewspapers were blank onthe back.

“I’d wait every Saturdayfor that grocery store news-paper so I could draw on theother side,” she said. “Therewere no art classes in theschools then, so I had tolearn on my own.”

After high school, sheworked for several years as ahairdresser. But she mostwanted to be an artist. At theage of 30, she returned toschool and graduated with aBachelor of Fine Arts degreefrom McNeese State Univer-sity. Then she earned her arteducation certificate andshe’s been teaching art at themiddle school for 14 years.

Zaunbrecher became anart instructor because shewanted to offer childrenwhat she didn’t have grow-ing up herself. “Art has beenmy passion since I was akid, and I had no outlet forit. Art and education havealways been a struggle inLouisiana.”

For many years, Zaun-brecher taught art classesfrom her mother’s home.She desired to open a studio,but could never find theright place. Ideal buildingswere either occupied or tooexpensive. During Hurri-cane Rita, most of the com-mercial buildings in herhometown of Lake Arthurwere damaged. Tenantsmoved out. Building ownershad to sell their propertiesinexpensively or renovatethem and find new tenants.As a result, Zaunbrecherfound the perfect locationfor her art studio -- onArthur Street near the parkand beach.

She describes her shop asa “boutique art studio.” Herown artwork adorns thewalls and inspires her pa-trons who come in looking

to express their creative na-tures. Zaunbrecher’s studioalso showcases gift itemsmade by other area artisans,including candles, soaps, jel-lies, decorative crosses, andunique one-of-a kind greet-ing cards.

Zaunbrecher also saysher studio is “kid-friendly.”

She encourages the childrenin her art camps and birth-day parties to be independ-ent and creatively unique.Unlike other well-known artparty studios, patrons at TheGreen Pea are not requiredor expected to paint theexact same pictures. Eachguest chooses their own de-

sign from the dozens of ex-amples on the wall or anidea from their own imagi-nation.

The Green Pea is open tothe public on Tuesdayevenings 5:30-7:30 p.m. andSaturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Itis located at 106 ArthurAve., Lake Arthur. Find TheGreen Pea on Facebook orcall Zaunbrecher at (337)789-3152 for more informa-tion or to schedule a partyor art class.

The Green Pea offers the following art opportunities:•Summer Art Camps for kids: Offered Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays for five weeks. The students participate in fun activities, learn a little art history, and paint.

•Mini-Art Camps over the holidays.•Birthday Parties for children and adults, by appointment. Kid parties are two hours and $20 per child. Adult parties are three hours and $35 per person.

•Paint and Sip Parties: By appointment. Patrons bring their own wine and snacks. “They forget to drink though, they’re so excited to paint,” Zaunbrecher said.•Art lessons and workshops ($65 per four lessons) in drawing and painting on Tuesday evenings 5:30-7:30 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m.-3 p.m. The studio is open during these same hours for people who want to come in and simply do their own thing artistically. Zaunbeacher provides the materials.

•Her own art is for sale in the studio and she also does commission work.


A friend recently toldme that you could get acertificate officially recog-nizing you as an HonoraryCajun. I want to apply.

I’ve got to do some-thing. Yankee Land hasdisowned me, probably be-cause of the negative thingsI’ve written about New Jer-sey. Never mind that it’s alltrue; they believe that I’vecaused the North moredamage than Robert E. Lee,or even that Yankee politi-cian, Anthony Wiener.

That makes me an or-phan, culturally speaking,and so I’m hoping for theSouth to adopt me. AnHonorary Cajun certificatewould be a major step to-ward that goal.

But according to myfriend, I still have somework to do in order toclaim this honor. For onething, she says that Cajunmen always pay attentionto babies. I don’t see howthey do it.

I mean, how does a guyinteract with a baby? Ican’t ask him what he doesfor a living, talk trash aboutthe upcoming footballgame, or discuss theprospects for the DowJones. Usually, I can’t eventell if it’s a he or a she. Itputs me in an awkward

place, much like certainbars in New Orleans.

Should I pay the baby acompliment? What do Isay, that it’s cute? All ba-bies are cute. Even NewtGingrich, I’m sure, startedout in life as being cute. Tocomment on a baby’s cute-ness is like commenting onthe roundness of a bowlingball.

I notice how people—women especially—willoften praise babies fordoing things that would beconsidered grotesque formore mature people. Likeburping. Mom pats herbaby on the back, and itlets out a healthy belch. Allthe ladies then fawn,“Ohhh, what a nice, big,burp!” Gals, you need tobe careful about that. Ba-bies are impressionable.Boys, especially, will oftenexpect this same feedbackwell into adulthood.

In my mind, babies justdon’t do anything that Iwould deem worthy ofpraise. I’m not trying to becallous, here; it’s just thatthey’re not yet capable. I’lladmit; they can do a fewthings that I can’t, like sticktheir toes in their mouth.As for me, given my tastefor smoked sausage andcrawfish etouffee, I can

barely see my toes muchless reach them to my lips,should I become taken bythe strange desire.

My wife suggested that Imight try to make themgiggle. “You’re good at get-ting laughs,” she said. “Justplay to your strengths.” Myattempts, however, did notmeet with success.

You should have seenthe look on one mother’sface when I approached herbaby and said, “Okay, thesetwo guys walk into a bar…”

My wife tried to correctme. “No silly, try ticklingthe baby or making a funnyface.”

“I don’t know,” I an-swered her. “Rememberhow that worked out thelast time I tried it?”

“I remember,” she said.“Next time just don’t do itwhile the priest is givinghis sermon.”

My problem may be thatI don’t have any grandchil-dren to practice on. Mywife offered to get me ababy doll for the purpose,but I refused, knowing thatit would be grounds forrevocation of my ManCard.

Man Card versus Hon-orary Cajun. No guyshould ever be put in thatposition.

Baby Blues

DISTRACTEDWALKING

We now have anew scourge rearingits ugly head thatneeds to be addressedby those who knowhow our lives need tobe lived and con-trolled. In addition to“Distracted Driving,”we are now being cau-tioned (and I’m surethere are some controlguidelines being drawnup) to the to the evilsof “Distracted Walking!” Yes, you do not need to clean yourglasses; you have read it correctly.

This horror is brought to fruition by good people listening totheir ear buds or texting on a smart device while they are perform-ing routine pedestrian locomotion. This recently studied diversiondoes not reflect the practices of paying attention to a butterfly, abird on the wing or children playing, all distractions that havegone unwarned about in the past as we strolled through life. Per-haps we can have walkblocks to verify that pedestrians are per-forming undistracted walking and not engaging in such heinousendeavor. Is there no end of the do-good intrusions into our lives?

TAKEOUT TIPPING?The recent so-called controversy over Drew Brees tipping $3

on a take-out order has brought the subject of gratuities into amuch-needed review. Only in America, where so many hands arealways out, would this have caused any commotion at all. Thewaitstaff that takes your order, brings your ice water, drinks andfood and cleans the table, etc., really earn and deserve their tips. Itis part of their normal compensation. The wage schedule for thoseemployees demands for them to be properly tipped-- 15 percent isthe correct starting point. Other restaurant personnel are paid ac-cording to a schedule that calls for at least minimum wage plus anyadditional employer compensation. It is always my practice to tip aserver at least 15 percent and more for exceptional service and ac-commodation.

Picking up a take-out order does not of itself merit a tip. Ifthere is extra service provided, such as carrying the order out toyour vehicle, then some tipping is proper. A take-out order is nor-mally cooked and handled by other kitchen personnel and there isno gratuity-generated service being provided by the person hand-ing your order to you and taking your money.

In short, tip your waiter/waitress--they need to make a living.Do not worry your head over the counter person with the tip jarhanding you a sack of fast food.

IS IT A DEAL?The trend in the some of the larger chain restaurants to adver-

tise some kind of a meal package deal for a set amount of money isflourishing, such as the $9.99 menu, the “two for the price of one”special and other promotions. These offers can be pretty good, butremember that you need to add almost another 25 percent to anyposted price. Our sales tax of 9 percent and the aforementionedminimum tip of 15 percent is part of any restaurant experience.The $9.99 meal calls for $.90 in sales tax plus $1.50 tip, so this addsup to $12.39 without any beverage, pretty darn close to a 25 per-cent increase in the final cost.

SUPERMARKET ROUNDUPFor our shopping survey this issue, we will be having some

friends over for a evening of cards. Good cold beer, potato chipsand cheese and crackers will be our snacks. These prices were ob-tained on August 7 and reflect the posted price on the shelf wherethe product was placed for sale. The stores checked were: Albert-sons, Country Club Road; Market Basket, Lake Street; Kroger, Mc-Neese Street and Walmart, Nelson Road.

Budweiser Beer, 12-ounce bottles, 12-pack: Albertsons, $10.99;Market Basket, $10.89; Kroger, $10.99; Walmart, $9.99.Lays Classic Potato Chips, 10-ounce bag: Albertsons, $3.50 (2 for$7); Market Basket, $4.29; Kroger, $2.99; Walmart, $2.68.Ritz Crackers, 13.7-ounce box: Albertsons, $2.99; Market Basket,$3.99; Kroger, $2.77; Walmart, $2.50.Kraft Pepper Jack Cheese, 8-ounce package: Albertsons, $3.99;Market Basket, $2.99; Kroger, $2.99; Walmart, $2.58.


Did you know there isa difference betweenhappiness and joy? Hap-piness is a feeling, whilejoy is a state of being. Inthe storms of life, choosejoy. In the midst ofanger, choose joy. Whenit feels like the worldaround us is too over-whelming to face,choose joy. I often won-der how different ourworld would be if every-one made a consciouseffort to choose joy, nomatter what. Sometimes,

we just need to be re-minded that we have achoice. How often do wethink that we don’t haveone, but we do? We canchoose to be happy inthe midst of our circum-stances and in spite ofthem. Here are a fewways to choose joy:

Begin Appreciating When you decide

you’ve had enough of anundesirable feeling, youcan begin to shift imme-diately by changing your

focus to appreci-ating anything.Appreciate onething, anything,

more things,until all you

feel is thevibrationof appre-ciation.

LoveThingsWhen you

are hurting and finallydecide you’ve hadenough you can love thepain to death. Once youmake the determinationto be done with the pain,you can use any methodpossible to shift yourawareness into one oflove. It may be music,poetry, spiritual books,walking in nature,prayer, meditation, orjournaling. By shiftingyour focus, you allowyourself to move into analtered state, alteredfrom the downward spi-ral you were in. You lit-erally step into a clearspace in which youchoose your next feeling.

Shift Your FocusWhatever you focus

on, you get more of.This is the Law of At-traction. What do youlike? What are you

thinking? You will beginnoticing what and whoyou are attracting inyour life. Surroundyourself with humor,fun, peace, love andwhatever else brings youjoy.

Create WellnessLearn to create peace-

fulness in your mind,and your body will beginto reflect the peaceful-ness as wellness. Creategood in your life and lifewill bring good experi-ences to you. Free your-self from all destructivefears and doubts. Beginto listen with love toyour body’s messages.Life supports you. Lifecreated you to be ful-filled.

Remove the LayersWhatever you call the

energy, anger, guilt, fearor something else, re-move the label you havegiven it. Beneath it ispure raw energy. Use itto feel good, heal your-self or get energized. Asyou move through thelayers of other people’sopinions and beliefs, youwill begin to see withinyourself, magnificent,wise, and beautiful. Startto love what you see inyourself.

This Too Shall PassWhen you feel a wave

of emotion coming to-ward you, you canchoose not to catch it.Open to the experienceand imagine yourself,your whole body andbeing, becoming like anet. Let the emotionsflow through you with-out attaching to themand getting stuck inthem. Peace begins withyou. The more peacefulyou are inside, the morepeace you have to sharewith others.

Choose JoyChoose it by first re-

membering times of joyin your life. Then BE-COME it. Become joy.Feel it. Live it. Respectyourself enough to walkaway from anything thatno longer serves you,grows you, or makes youhappy. You must releasethe need to blame any-one, including yourself.

Remember to makechoices that will lead youto a life of joy.

To book a Soul Mat-ters session with NicoleShuff Arabie, call (337)540-6573. You can alsogo to her Facebook pageat https://www.face-book.com/Declutter-ingYourSoul

Choosing Joy

by Nicole Shuff Arabie

This little Chiweeniewas found wandering thecity streets alone. Howthat could happen tosuch a tiny one, no oneknows, but for now, she issafe in a wonderful fosterhome and has blossomedinto a true princess! Sheis currently in heartwormtreatment but is doingwell. She will be ready foradoption as soon as hertreatment is finished. Sheis a lap lover with lots oflove to give. Sweet andquiet, Bella Bean is doing

great with housetrain-ing. She’s a little shy but

loves all things liv-ing! She would beterrific apartmentdog! If you are look-ing for a little girl to

light up your life, con-sider our Bella Bean.Home visit and vetchecks required prior toall adoptions. For moreinformation, call (337)478-7294 or [email protected] we will have Ms.Bella's foster mom con-tact you asap!

We are searching foradditional foster homesso that we can help savemore pets. Crates, foodand bedding are pro-vided-- you provide theTLC!

Featured byLAPAW Rescue


This week, I wantedto write about WasabiGrill, a new Japanesejoint that boasted a sushimenu I heard was to diefor. Sadly the only time Ihad to squeeze in lunchwas at 3:30 p.m., and Ilearned the hard waythat all sushi restaurantsin Lake Charles areclosed from2-5 p.m.

SO, witha heavyheart, andonly 30minutes tocram in ameal beforeI had to getto a photoshoot, I re-memberedmy oldsafety,OB's. Weall knowOB's is a legendarylocal bar with a neigh-borhood feel and arockin' Ladies Night,but did you knowthey have a lunch menuthat will leave youstuffed to the gills andtapping out at the table?I slide into a back boothand order a Diet Cokeand a basket of friedpickles and pepperswhile I peruse the menu.

So many amazingsandwiches to choosefrom. I go with my gutand order an Old Bas-tard, add bacon with anextra side of ranch on

the Jalapeno Cheddarbread, grilled. I know itsounds obnoxiously spe-cific, but I know thissandwichand Iknow howto amp itup toKober lev-els of

yumminess! Trust me onthis one.

It just feels right inhere. Like the LC versionof Cheers. I pop a few of

the friedjalapenos in mymouth as I real-ize I used tobabysit the bar-tender. Dangersof small-townliving. Andaging -- ha!

My sandwicharrives just as Ifinished my lastsip of DietCoke. I ask for

a refill and a big stack ofnapkins, cuz Mama isabout to get her eat on!This sandwich is incredi-

bly juicy.No won-der -- it'sa giantpile ofmeat in-cludinggrilledham,turkey,

and roast beefwith Swiss,American, andpepper jackcheese meltedover it andslathered in OB's

signaturegravy.Damn. Ineed moreDiet Coke.

I pay mytab andslide out ofthe booth,and I sud-denlyspring to

my feet when I remem-ber there's a new sno-cone stand down thestreet! I shoot down 7thand pull into Snow Flur-

ries and promptly or-dered a blackberry sno-cone with sweetcondensed cream on top.So. Damn. Good. Theyhave a crazy sweet selec-tion of Blue Bell icecreams and even servetheir own righteous

panini sandwiches to aravenous lunch crowd.With all this local deli-ciousness, I will misshome even more as I flyout to Los Angeles thisweek for some TV work.Salads and yogurt for 7days. Y'all pray for me!

Change in Plans

OB’s Bar &Grill



There is only one thingmore enjoyable whilefishing than catching fishand that’s guiding forsomeone who truly lovesto fish. Those times arethe memories that hap-pily haunt my dreams andwaken me softly with asmile. Judge Hood bat-tling a sailfish almost fourfeet taller and 30 poundsheavier than him. MajorKuffel expertly and liter-ally landing a 25-poundredfish. Or, a 12-year-oldSean Roach chunking, inmore ways than one,speck after speck onboard. All are enchantingvisions and many moredance in my slumber.

My fav, as they saynow, was watching Dr. JoeGray Taylor casting forthwhere few men havefished before. I’d pushpole him into pond-sizedopenings in the lily padsand he’d plop a plasticworm or black HawaiianWiggler just beyond theedge of a lily pad. Hisstraw shade hat couldn’thide the intensity that fol-lowed his touch. Pop.Drop. Wait. Reel. Pop.Drop. Wait. Reel. Justenough slack to let theworm do its enticingdance and he’d feel thatstrike almost before it

happened. Then wham!Set the hook, reel, playand keep that bass in theopen water. Joe Grayknew I’d be there with thenet.

Now, I know some ofyou out there went toschool with his son andnamesake, my fellowguide and fraternitybrother who’s now a re-tired two-star general. Hisstory will come laterwhen I start writing hunt-ing tales.

This is about McNeeseState University’s Profes-sor Emeritus, author ofmany books includingLouisiana Recon-structed-1863-1876 andmy major professor. Dr.Taylor was also a favoriteof literally thousands ofstudents, not just me.Somehow I see himspearing me with that Dr.Taylor look and saying,“Cut the BS and get to thestory.“ Enough said.

Actually, this saga be-gins in a rice field duckblind in Ardoin Covesouth of Lacassine. JoeGray had grown up inTennessee and had hishunting days clippedshort by WWII where heflew as a navigator/bom-bardier in B-17s. With hisGI Bill in hand, along

with his wife Helen, theypursued his MA and PhD.He thankfully ended uphere in Lake Charles andtaught history at MSUwith me as a student andhis son as my friend. I canfeel him looking over myshoulder and saying, “Getto the point Roger!”

I taught Joe how toduck hunt and I thoughtI’d be teaching him howto fish the marshes ofSouthwest Louisiana.Tennessee is not knownfor its marsh bass fishing.Chuckle. Anyhow, and asusual with him, I waswrong. We’d launch at theGibbstown Bridge andhead down the Inter-coastal Canal to the cuton the right that led intothe Big Burn. I had begunmy career as a push polerwith my Dad before theonset of trolling motors.There are many great liestold by fisherman, buttwo common ones are the“weed-less” lure and the“weed-less” trollingmotor. They don’t existand if so, please mail ei-ther to me via TheLouisiana Jam.

Anyway, we’d be sureto be there before day-break because those firsttwo cool hours were yourwindow of opportunity.

We’ve weave down canalsand trails until we’d hitwhat I called the StarTrek ponds. Then wewent “boldly forth wherefew men have gone be-fore.”

I would stand in theback and push pole JoeGray to where ever hewished to go. We wouldcome upon an openingin the lily pads and witha flick of his rod, it wason. With me, if the basshooked himself anddidn’t throw the hook, Icaught it. Maybe. WithJoe Gray it was like hisson’s strokes on canvas--

masterful. Oh yeah, thegeneral also paints and Ihave an original paintingof his on my wall, butthat’s for a later tale. HisDad had the touch andwith every bass he boated,the grief, practical jokes,and quips I blasted himwith while hunting were

cast back at me. Thebarbs of wit that hadstewed for months wereset in even as I pushpoled away.

But for five hours ormore I’d contentedly polehim from open pocket toopen pocket in the marsh.And now in the winter ofmy own years, I hear thechuckle and see thecrooked smile and I’m inthe enchanted marsh,push poling Joe Gray intohis next set of lily pads,the marsh khaki colored,the sun at my back, JoeGray casting yet anothertime.Push Polin’ the Prof


Dust offyour ‘70s duds andpolish your disco dancemoves! The staff and boardof directors of The Chil-dren’s Museum are gearingup for another fun-filledImagination Celebration atthe Lake Charles CivicCenter. The annualfundraiser will certainlycapture your imagination.This year’s theme is FunkyTown—so get ready toparty!

"This year's fundraiseris going to be my favorite!”said BoardPresidentPhil de Al-buquerque.“Not onlydo we havethe finestrestaurantsin town of-fering theirspecialties,and all thefun that

goes along with our silentand live auctions, we willhave a DJ playing ‘70smusic!”

de Albuquerque was inhigh school during the‘70s. “I took disco dancelessons and have such fondmemories of dancing thenight away!” he laughed.“And, in the mid-‘80s, Iwon a dance contest in oneof the top clubs in Boston.

I can’t wait toget out on thedance flooragain!”

Speakingof entertain-ment, you canlook forwardto anothercrowd fa-vorite: theCelebrity Karaoke Sing-off.

This year’s participantsinclude AngieManning, PaulGonsoulin,Jody Barril-leaux, TommieTownsley andRandy Partin.Barrilleaux isreturning forher secondyear.

“Last year, Ididn't know

what to expect,” she said.“[Board member] MariWilson called and said‘Would you…?’ and Iagreed. Ijust lovegetting in-volved inmy com-munity.”

Barril-leaux wastold shewould beparticipat-ing in a

karaoke singingcontest. “Lastyear, it was all‘60s music, and itwas so muchfun,” she said.“This year, I’mready! It’s Discomusic and I al-ready have myoutfit, along withclog shoes, andI’m working onmy accessories aswe speak. I’m

practicing my song and Imight have a surprise aswell. I don't take myselftoo seriously and I'm going

By Lauren de Albuquerque

Phil was the emcee last year.

Last year’s celebrity Karaoke contestants

Assistant director Allyson Montgomery with boardmember Mike Chapman and his wife Shanna


to have fun!”As always, there will be

food stations from over 20area restaurants and a vari-ety of mouth-wateringdesserts. “No one leavesthe Imagination Celebra-tion hungry!” said de Al-buquerque. “When I’m outthere selling tickets, every-one wants to know whichrestaurants are participat-ing and what’s on the

menu. Every year, it getsbetter! So bring your ap-petite!”

Allyson Montgomery,the assistant director of themuseum, said the boardand staff work hard on theevent most of the year.

“As soon as we closethe books in November,we turn right around and

start working on the nextone,” she said. “It’s ouronly fundraiser of the year.All proceeds benefit themuseum. We count on itfor 50 percent of our oper-ating budget.” The moneyraised goes towards exhibitmaintenance, supplies,program expenses andevents.

Montgomery is excitedabout the live and silent

auctions. Hal Macmillan isreturning once again asauctioneer. “We have allkinds of great items to beauctioned off,” she said.“Trips to St. Maarten,Colorado, Galveston;guided fishing trips, andso much more!” Thesilent auction list is exten-sive and includes every-

thingfromjewelry torestaurantgift certificatesto home décor.

“I thoroughly enjoyworking with our director,Dan Ellender, Allyson,their staff and the entireboard to help make theChildren's Museum a funand learning experience,”

de Albuquerquesaid. “And I thankeveryone for theirsupport to make allof this possible."

Imagination Cel-ebration 2013 will beheld at the LakeCharles Civic Centeron Saturday, Aug. 24at 6:30 p.m. Ticketsare $50 per personand can be pur-chased by calling433-9420 or stop-ping by the Chil-dren’s Museum,located at 327 BroadSt. in Lake Charles.

The museum would to ex-tend their appreciation totheir fundraiser sponsors:Coushatta Casino Resort,Lake Charles Toyota, theTownsley Law Firm, theLouisiana Jam, L’AubergeCasino Resort, the Ameri-can Press, CITGO andFirst Federal Bank ofLouisiana.

Artist Eddie Mormon is donating an original oil painting as part of the live auction.


The annual McNeese State UniversityTheatre Roundup will be held at 5:30p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29, in the ShearmanFine Arts Annex. The Lake Area com-munity is invited to meet the theatre pro-

gram faculty, production directors andstudents and receive information aboutthe season’s productions, auditions andtechnical work. Directors will give anoverview of the upcoming theatre seasonand explain the audition procedure. Au-dition packets will be available. Audi-tions are open to all McNeese students,faculty and staff and area residents. Thisyear’s theme is “The Family.”

McNeese Theatre Roundup Aug. 29

McNeese Theatre auditions for fallproductions, Antigone by JeanAnouilh translated by Lewis Gallen-tiere and The Glass Menagerie byTennessee Williams, will be held at 6p.m. Friday, Aug. 30, in the ShearmanFine Arts Performing Arts Theatre.Contact Charles McNeely at 475-5041to sign up for an audition time. Call-backs for both shows will be at 10 a.m.Saturday, Aug. 31.

McNeese TheatreAuditions Aug. 30

Tasting tickets for the2013 Boudin Wars are nowon sale. The event will beheld from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.,Sept. 7, in conjunctionwith the Stars and Stripesin the Park Classic CarShow at Heritage Square inSulphur.

A $5 ticket allows theholder to sample entriesand cast a vote for their fa-

vorite boudin in the Peo-ple's Choice category.

"There will be a verylimited number of ticketsavailable, and we expectthem to go quickly," saidThom Trahan, event or-ganizer and executive di-rector of BrimstoneMuseum and HenningCultural Center.

Tickets can be pur-

chased at Henning CulturalCenter (HCC), 923 RuthSt. in Sulphur, or online atboudinwars.eventbrite.com. You can also click the linkon the homepage ofwww.brimstonemuseum.org. For those boudin-mak-ing professionals through-out the area who want tobe a part of competition,there is still space available.

There are two areas ofcompetition: a category forboth standard and smokedboudin and then anotherfor exotic or alternativepreparation-style boudin.Participants will be paid asmall stipend.

"It is an opportunity forlocal businesses to show offtheir skill and gives themthe opportunity to say that

they make the best boudinin the area," said Trahan ofthe competition.

For more informationabout the competition,contact Trahan at (337)527-0357.

Boudin Wars is spon-sored by a grant from theLake Charles/SouthwestLouisiana Convention andVisitor's Bureau.

BOUDIN WARS 2013!


American/FamilyCracker Barrel249 S. Cities Service Hwy.

Sulphur337-626-9500

O’Charley’s1780 W. Prien

Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-478-9927

Ryan’sFamily Restaurant4501 Ryan St., Lake Charles, LA337-477-2707

AsianAsia at L’Auberge777 Avenue L’Auberge,Lake Charles337-395-7777

Osaka JapaneseSteakhouse3035 Gertsner MemorialDrive, Lake Charles337-990-5478

Kyoto JapaneseSteakhouse2610 Dillard LoopLake Charles337-478-2888

Fuji Japanese Steakhouse3241 E. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-480-3788

MiyakoJapanese Restaurant915 E. Prien Lake Rd.,Lake Charles337-478-1600

Peking Garden2433 Broad St., Lake Charles337-436-3597

Pho Tien4415 Nelson RoadLake Charles337-477-8557

China Taste1415 Beglis Pkwy.Sulphur337-527-5985

Yank Sing4626 Nelson Rd.Lake Charles337-477-9004

Bakery & DessertsCypi’s Cake Box520 McNeese St., Lake Charles337-478-0269

Pronia’s3101 Kirkman St., Lake Charles337-478-0785

Sweets and Treats411 Ryan, St., Lake Charles337-437-3913

BarbecueBBQ West2618 Derek Dr., LakeCharles337-564-5000

Dan’s BBQ Express2635 Country Club Rd.Lake Charles337-478-5858

Famous Foods1475 Gerstner MemorialDr., Lake Charles337-439-7000

BreakfastLe Peep Café3800 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-240-8497

Pitt Grill606 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles337-564-6724

Pitt Grill2600 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0648

Waffle House2488 S. Cities ServiceHwy., Sulphur337-626-8111

BurgersCotton’s FamousHamburgers2001 Oak Park Blvd.Lake Charles337-477-9759

Five GuysBurgers & Fries2950 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-721-1903

Novrozsky’s Hamburgers2706 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0041

Cajun& SouthernBoudin King906 West Division St.Jennings337-824-6593

Hollier’s Cajun Kitchen1709 Ruth St., Sulphur337-527-0062

Rabideaux’sSausage Kitchen105 US 165, Iowa337-582-3184

Southern Spice3901 Ryan St. Lake Charles337-474-6065

Walker’sCajun Dining603 Holiday Dr.Jennings337-616-0766

Italian121 Artisan Bistro121 DeBakey Dr.Lake Charles337-310-7499

Joe’s Pizza and Pasta1601 Ruth St., Sulphur337-528-2560

Romano’s731 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-491-1847

MexicanAgave Tamale521 Alamo St.Lake Charles337-433-4192

Agave Tamale1614 Sampson St.Westlake337-429-2987

Jag’s BistroNew Location,

Same Fabulous Food!

Jag’s Bistro has been alocal favorite since it firstopened in Lake Charles. ChefKeith Jagneaux and his culi-nary team of Joshua Attaway,Chris Landry and RebeccaLyons serve up delicious bar-beque, burgers and seafood—and who doesn’t love thedaily buffet?

Now you can enjoy Jag’swonderful food at their newlocation—right on the bayou!There’s nothing better thanhaving a meal overlooking thewater, is there? Whether it’sgrilled or fried catfish, ashrimp poboy, or homemademeatloaf, they do it right. Andyou’ll come back for more!

Jag’s Bistro1103 W. Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles(337) 564-6785

HoursMon - Fri: 11 am - 10 pmSat: 11 am - 11 pmSun: 11 am - 8 pm

Take out and catering available, too!


El Tapatio2624 GerstnerMemorial Dr.Lake Charles

337-475-9022

El Tapatio Dos808 Sampson St.Westlake337-721-7685

Rosita’s2401 Napoleon St.Sulphur337-533-9077

Casa Manana2510 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-433-4112

CancunMexican Restaurant4001 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-477-6802

La Rumba MexicanGrill & Cantina1804 Ruth St., Sulphur337-287-4846

Coyote BluesFresh Mexican Grill3624 Ryan St.Lake Charles337-502-5131

PizzaCici’s Pizza3533 Ryan St. Lake Charles337-562-2223

Gatti’s Pizza1811 Ruth St.Sulphur337-527-0318

Gatti’s Pizza3522 Ryan St., Lake Charles337-474-6225

Papa John’s Pizza1415 Beglis Pkwy., Sulphur337-528-7272

Papa John’s Pizza650 W. McNeese St.,Lake Charles337-474-7272

Rotolo’s Pizzeria4201 Nelson Rd.,Lake Charles337-478-1996

Sandwiches, Soups & SaladsNina P’s Café600 W. McNeese St.,Lake Charles337-479-2201

Pappy’s Deli2627 Ryan St., Lake Charles337-436-2813

Roly Poly2241 Maplewood Dr.Sulphur337-625-5555

Roly Poly3100 Ryan St.

Lake Charles337-433-3130

Roly Poly4423 Nelson Rd.Lake Charles337-474-3332

SeafoodGranger’sSeafood Restaurant2636 Hwy. 3059,Lake Charles337-433-9130

Regatta Seafoodand Steakhouse508 Hawkeye Ave,Lake Arthur337-774-1504

Seafood Palace2218 Enterprise Blvd.,Lake Charles337-433-9293

Kenny’sKatfish Kabin1577 W. Fourth St.,Dequincy337-786-5562

Steamboat Bill’son the Lake1004 N. LakeshoreDr. Lake Charles337-494-1070

Steamboat Bill’s732 N. Martin LutherKing Blvd.Lake Charles337-494-1700

Boiling Point1730 Beglis Pkwy.Sulphur337-625-9282

SteaksBig Sky SteakhouseCoushatta Casino777 Coushatta Dr.,Kinder800-584-7263

The Harlequin501 W. College St.Lake Charles337-439-2780

OutbackSteakhouse2616 Derek Dr., Lake Charles477-3161


Jen Kober atJack Daniels—

Every Wednesdayall Summer!

Comedian JenKober brings herHomegrown Com-

edy Show to thestage at Jack

Daniel’s Bar & Grill atL’Auberge Casino Re-

sort Lake Charles everyWednesday at 9 p.m.Tickets are $10 and areon sale now at www.tick-etmaster.com, theL’Auberge Business Cen-ter or Legends atL’Auberge. Tickets will beavailable at the door thenight of each show; cashonly please. Must be 21 toattend.

Big Night Out TourParty By the Pool @L’Auberge Aug. 15Big Night Out Tour featur-ing Fuel, Hoobastank, Litand Alien Ant Farm willrock at Party by the Poolat L’Auberge Casino LakeCharles. Tickets are $10-$20 at ticketmaster.com,at L'Auberge through theBusiness Center or Leg-ends at L'Auberge, or youcan call (800) 745-3000.Tickets may also be pur-chased the night of theshow at Legends. Doorsopen at 7 p.m. and showstarts at 8:30 p.m. Must be21 years old to enter.

Iowa Women’sLeague ChampagneBingo Aug. 17“Get your Bling On” andcome on out to the IowaWomen's League’s secondAnnual ChampagneBingo! Doors open at9:30 a.m. and a lightlunch will be served. Tick-ets are $25 for 10 gamesof Bingo, Blackout andlunch. All proceeds go toa scholarship fund forIowa Lacassine and BellCity graduates. Will beheld at the Iowa KCHall, 503 E Highway 90,Iowa. E-mail iowawom-ensleague

@yahoo.com for more in-formation.

‘Girls’ Night Out’Aug. 17Women & Children's Hos-pital presents "Girl's NightOut" on Saturday, August17 from 4:30 - 8:30 pm.Girls ages 9-16 are invitedto come hear physicians,nurses and other profes-sionals engage in dialogueconcerning a wide arrangeof topics includinganatomy, puberty and hy-giene, fitness and nutri-tion, self-esteem, sexualhealth and more. Pre-reg-istration by August 9 anda signed parental consentare required. Cost is $20per person, which includesdinner. For more informa-tion or to register, call475-4075 or visitwww.Women-Childrens.com/Girl-sNightOut.

Arts & Crabs FestAug. 17The fourth annual Arts &Crabs Fest will take placeon Sat., Aug. 17 from 5-8p.m. at the Lake CharlesCivic Center Coliseum.Sample an extensive craband beer tasting whichfeatures 15 local restau-rants each offering aunique crab dish. Livemusic, an extensive ArtMarket, and interactivecultural activities will alsoaccompany the event.Tickets are $25; no oneunder 21 years of age willbe admitted.

RattParty By the Pool @ L’Auberge August 22Ratt will rock at Party bythe Pool at L’AubergeCasino Lake Charles. Tick-ets are $10-$20 atwww.ticketmaster.com, atL'Auberge through theBusiness Center or Leg-ends at L'Auberge, or youcan call (800) 745-3000.Tickets may also be pur-chased the night of theshow at Legends. Doors

open at 7 p.m. and showstarts at 8:30 p.m. Must be21 years old to enter.

Iowa Arts & CraftsFestival Aug. 24The Fifth Annual Iowa Artsand Crafts Festival will beheld on Sat., Aug. 24 from9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the IowaCommunity Center lo-cated at 209 U.S. 90 W.This event is free andopen to the public. Enjoylive entertainment, re-freshments, arts and craftsdemonstrations, story-telling, pony rides, facepainting and displays. Freerefreshments provided byCoca-Cola and CapitalOne Bank will be available.Live music will be featuredby the band “Cloud Nine,”part of the Young BandNation. For information,contact the Iowa Public Li-brary at (337) 721-7101, or(337) 582-3597 if callingfrom within Iowa.

Dutch OvenGathering Aug. 24 The South West Chapterof the Louisiana DutchOven Society announcestheir monthly cook out.The Dutch Oven Gathering(DOG) will be held at SamHouston Jones State Parkon Sat., Aug. 24 from 10a.m. to 2 pm. Bring yourfamily for a great outdoormeal with specialtyseafood dishes cooked inCast Iron Dutch Ovens.Just show up, cook, orbring an item for the castiron buffet-style luncheon.We are having new folksand a lot of fun everymonth. Enjoy a day out-doors under the trees. Thepublic is invited to comecheck this out! For moreinformation, contactDwayne or Randy at (337)302-5025 or (337) 912-9394.

Family and YouthFestival Aug. 24 The Family and YouthFamily Festival will beheld at the Lake CharlesCivic Center Coliseum,Sat., Aug. 24. Families can

Aug 16 – Delta Tech GraduationAug 17 – Arts & Crabs FestivalAug 24 – Family Festival

(Family & Youth Counseling) Aug 24 - Imagination Celebration

(Children’s Museum)Aug 29 – United Way Annual BanquetAug 31- Sept 1 – Don & Rich Gun ShowSept 2 - Boozoo Chavis FestivalSept 7 – Lake Charles Black RodeoSept 21 – Midnight Fantasy Car ShowSept 26 – Home Health Harvest FestSept 27 - 29 – LC SymphonyOct 1 – New Life Counsel BanquetOct 5-6 - Shrine CircusOct 17 - Women’s Commission

ConferenceOct 18-19 - LC SymphonyOct 25 - Unitech GraduationOct 26 – Cultural FestivalOct 26 – Arts FestivalOct 31 – Harvest Festival

(Recreation & Parks Dept)Oct 29-31 – Chamber Theatre (tentative)Nov 1 – Chamber Theatre (tentative)Nov 9 – Patriot’s BallNov 10 - Jesus Christ Superstar

(Theatre Prod.) Nov 11-12 – Sesame StreetNov 13 – Melody HouseNov 14-17 – Film FestivalNov 16-17 – Don Rich Gun ShowNov 19 - 21 - Super Science Circus

(only 1 of the 3 days, not confirmed which day)

Nov 21-23 – Mistletoe & Moss MarketDec 7 – Lighting Festival & Boat ParadeDec 7- LHSA Cheerleading Competition Dec 13-14 – LCCBDec 27 – Moscow Ballet


enjoy wholesome ac-tivities such as ahands-on Children'sFactory, live musicalentertainment, a pet-ting zoo, a fun zonewith athletic games,clowns and more.Pathways to Careers isa hands-on experien-tial area for teens toexplore future careeropportunities. Formore information,contact the Family &Youth CounselingAgency at (337) 436-9533 or visitwww.fyca.org.

The Children’s Museum’s 8th Annual Imagination CelebrationAug. 24 Get down to FunkyTown! The Children'sMuseum's 8th annualImagination Celebra-tion fundraiser is Sat.,Aug. 25, at the LakeCharles Civic Center.Enjoy celebritykaraoke, old schooldisco music, greatfood from over 20area restaurants, liveand silent auctionsand a cash bar. Ticketsare $50 and are onsale now at the Chil-dren's Museum. Spon-sorships are alsoavailable. Call 433-9420 for more infor-mation.

Fall FashionNight Aug. 25 Head to the Chateaudu Calcasieu EventCenter on Sun., Aug.25 at 6 p.m. for FallFashion Night! Enjoylive DJ, drinks, foodand fashion and ven-dor tables. VIP ticketsare $20; general ad-mission is $10. 932 En-terprise Blvd., LakeCharles. For more in-formation, [email protected].

For all of the students out there,summer will be soon be a bittersweetscene in your rear view mirror. The firstfew weeks back to school are somewhattricky and require delicate balance. Buthere's the good news: you have the op-portunity to start fresh with the newschool year. I'm talking about familytime.

One of the tips I've learned fromsome of my co-workers is that makingMonday or Tuesday night a family nightouting is one of the best things you canplan. It's an early reward that helpsshorten what can be a long and gruelingweek. Parents don't have to worry about

preparing dinner, but instead, can let thekids pick out their favorite place andgives them something to look forwardto. You can also consider planning apicnic dinner, enjoying sandwiches atthe park or along the waterfront. A littleoutdoor activity can help on multiplelevels, plugging in fitness, good fresh airand a weekend-like atmosphere.

Speaking of outdoors, have you no-ticed the influx of water activities thathave sprouted up recently? Ship toShore on Lake Street can easily pointyou where to go and what options areout there. Paddleboarding is the “hip'”thing to do this summer and I'm sure itwill continue to grow in popularity. AtPrien Lake Park, I saw a family on thewater, each individual on their own

paddleboard, including a little guy sit-ting with his life jacket on taking histime paddling. Paddleboarding alone isa workout for you, and there are evensome local companies marketing it as afitness program. Kayaking has alsopicked up in popularity.

Switching gears, here’s another ac-tivity that is actually quite popular withfamilies, believe it or not. I've attendedFull Throttle Wrestling for the past fewmonths and you’ll be surprised at howmany families get into it. There’s an on-going storyline between the wrestlersthat plays out in the ring. Don't thinkfor a second this is similar to what yousee on TV.

The majority of the matches takeplace in Elton at the Coushatta Multi-

purpose Complex. Every month, a des-ignated organization receives a dona-tion, and raises awareness for its cause.I have seen firsthand what they do topositively impact the lives of childrenwith cancer while supporting their fam-ilies. Wrestlers from different areas ofthe country, as well as local favorites areshowcased. I must thank Teddy Nall forintroducing me to this group and enter-taining my friends.

For younger kids, Galaxy BounceHouse on Ryan is a new attraction inthe Lake City. I'm usually the go-to guywhen it comes to suggestions of whichvenue or restaurant to check out. Butwhen it comes to family things, I'm stilllearning. This is where you come in.Please contact The Louisiana Jam sothat we can learn what you and yourfamily do for fun. We may be able toshare your family activities and helpstrengthen the family unit in SWLA.

In closing, our region is truly di-verse in comparison to the rest of thecountry due to our geographic locationand surrounding communities. Onething that binds us all together is ourgenuine love and concern for people.We should celebrate our culture andfamily daily. Be proud to live in SWLAbecause every visitor and newcomerisn't afraid to spread the word of theirwonderful experience in the place wecall home. Remember, even if for onlyan hour, get out and take a breather, be-cause you never know when that chancemight just pass you by forever.

Family TimeBy Braylin Jenkins


Abraham Lincoln:The ImageHistoric City Hall1001 Ryan St., LakeCharlesMon- Fri 10 am- 5 pmSat 10 am- 2 pm8/2/2013-10/12/2013337-491-9147

Art And Crabs FestivalLake Charles Civic CenterLake Shore Drive5 p.m. -8 p.m.Saturday, 08/17/13www.artsandhumanitiess-wla.org

Art duLacPujo St. Café901 Ryan St., LakeCharles Mon-Fri 11am-9:30 pmSat noon-9:30 PMYear Around337-439-2054

Black Heritage GalleryCentral School809 Kirby St., LakeCharlesMon-Fri 9 am-5 pmYear Around337-488-8567

DeQuincyRailroad Museum400 Lake Charles Ave.DeQuincyTues-Sat 10 am-5 pmYear Around337-786-2823

DeQuincyTown Hall Museum218 E. Fourth St., De-QuincyMon-Thurs 9am-noonand 1 pm-4pm Year Around337-786-8241

Elvis: Grit & Grace ExhibitHistoric City Hall1001 Ryan St., LakeCharlesMon-Fri 10 am-5 pmSat 10 am-2 pm6/20/2013-9/7/2013337-491-9159

Imperial CalcasieuMuseum204 W. Sallier St. Lake CharlesTues-Sat 10 am-5 pmYear Around337-439-3797

Jack&John: Jack Amuny & Mark JohnHenning Cultural Center923 Ruth St., SulphurMon-Fri 10 am-noon and 1pm-5 pm Sat 10 am-2 pm8/15/2013-9/19/2013337-527-0357

Linda Gleason RitchieArt ReceptionGallery by the Lake106 W. Pryce, Lake CharlesAugust 1, 2013(337) 436-1008

Mardi Gras Museum of Imperial Calcasieu809 Kirby St., Lake CharlesTues-Fri1 pm- 5pmYear Around337-430-0043

USS OrleckNaval Museum604 N. Enterprise Blvd.Lake CharlesMon-Fri 10 am-3pm Sat10 am -4 pmYear Around337-214-7447

Vintage ArtsBy Jeanne OwensCentral School809 Kirby St., Suite 212, Lake CharlesMon-Fri 9 am-5 pmYear Around337-304-1165

W.H. Tupper GeneralMerchandise Museum311 N. Main St., JenningsMon-Fri 9 am-5 pmYear Around337-821-5532

Works of Men ExhibitHenning Cultural Center,923 Ruth St., Sulphur Mon-Fri 10 am-noonand 1 pm-5 pmSat 10 am-2 pm7/4/13-8/8/13337-527-0357

"The Buccaneer ArtistsHave Landed"Zigler Art Museum411 Clara St., JenningsTuesday, 10-4, Sunday 1-4Aug. 3-31, 2013337-824-0114


Tucked away on PryceStreet in downtown LakeCharles is a formidableart organization. It boastsa state-of-the-art teachingclassroom – The CreativeArts Center- with an ac-companying galleryknown as Gallery by theLake. During my firstvisit, I was struck by thelarge classroom, which iscapable of holding 50 ormore students at a timefor special classes andworkshops. Being anartist, I sort of drooled,emotionally. In that littlebuilding on Pryce Streetis a slice of heaven forartists.

In 1984, Anne Dentlercame up with the idea toorganize area artists forthe purpose of instruc-tion and exhibits. In thepast 30 years, she has suc-cessfully managed thisgroup andhas had hun-dreds of stu-dents withnearly asmany exhibi-tions.

Curious,as usual, I setout to findout how, why,who, whereand whenthis uniqueblend ofteaching and

exhibitions came intobeing.

Dentler was kind tooffer some of her time tovisit with me recently.

Jam: Why did youstart ALA?

AD: Because at thetime – 1984 - there wereno hands-on art organi-zations in SWLA. Therewas no place in town(Lake Charles) where anartist could take work-shops, classes, etc.

Jam: Was this a grass-roots effort?

AD: Oh yes! Ourstartup costs were paid bythe members themselves.The Arts Council pro-vided guidance muchlater as we began to applyfor our non- profit statuswith the federal govern-ment.

Jam: Is giving to thecommunity part of themission for ALA?

AD: Yes. We have al-ways had a special projectthat allows us to provideart for other non- profitsin the area.

Jam: ALA is verygood at calling attentionto local art and artists. Isthat another aspect ofyour mission?

AD: Our gallery hostsmany shows annually,and art is sold throughthe gallery. In this way,our members have an op-portunity to have galleryshowings and sell theirart. It is a win-win forthe artist and ALA.

Jam: How does ALAgive to the community?Do you have any specialprograms?

AD:ALA wasfoundedwith onegoal inmind: tobring origi-nal art tothe commu-nity and toassist in anyway possi-ble to bringthe beautyof art whereit is needed.

In usingart to makea differencein the com-munity,ALA hasworkedclosely withgroups suchas ACTSTheatre,The MentalHealth So-ciety, andUnited Way.But it was through thetragedy of hurricane Ritathat the group made acommunity-wide impact.In 2006, they wereawarded a grant by theLouisiana division of theArts creating the “Side-walks of New Art” pro-gram after HurricaneRita. The program af-forded ALA to produceworks on 58 differentsites in the downtownarea to be painted withinspiring quotes andpaintings. Not all thepaintings were done byprofessional artists; somewere created by residentswho cared. The paintingswere found to be inspir-ing and uplifting, helpingto bring the communityback together after thetragedy of Rita.

At the root of Dentler’spassion is teaching. She iseager for anyone who

wants to learn how topaint to have that oppor-tunity. It is this passionthat has allowed ALA togrow into a thriving artcenter and gallery.

Through Dentler’sleadership, ALA hasbrought many beautifulworks to the SWLA areathrough other satellitevenues such as IberiaBank and the veranda atGraywood.

Dentler is an impor-tant artist in our area, tobe sure. Her work is deli-cate yet bold, with a con-fident use of color. Butthe most intriguing thingabout her is her vision.

ALA operates Galleryby the Lake & the Cre-ative Arts Center at 106W. Pryce (Lawrence) St.,Lake Charles LA 70601,337-436-1008. Hours:M-F noon-5, Sat. 10-2.Current exhibit by LindaGleason Ritchie.

Creative Arts Center/Gallery by the LakeVision and determination provides SWLA with a state-of-the-art classroom and a gallery for fine art

by Monica Hebert

Anne Dentler

Linda GleasonRitchie


Thurs., Aug. 15Big Night Out! Tour 2013: Fuel,Hoobastank &

Alien Ant Farm7 p.m. @ Party bythe Pool’s Liquid

Society L’auberge, Lake Charles

Journey: Livein ConcertDoors open 6:30 p.m.Showtime at 8:00 p.m.The Pavillion @Coushatta Casino Resort, 777 CoushattaDr., Kinder

DJ Cage @ Jack After Dark Party10 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & Grill @ L’auberge,Lake Charles

Friday, Aug. 16Leroy Thomas & Zydeco Roadrunners7 p.m. @ Mikko Live @ Coushatta Casino Resort, 777 Coushatta

Dr., Kinder

Open Jam Night7 p.m. to 9 p.m. @ Stel-

lar Beans Coffee House 319 Broad St.Lake Charles

Street Side Jazz Band7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill710 Ryan St.Lake Charles

BB & CO Britt Goodwin/Bubba Moore8 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St.Lake Charles

Alter Ego9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge @ Delta Downs, 2717Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

MoJeaux Dance Party9 p.m. @ Mikko Live @Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr.Kinder

Sol Tribe10 p.m. @ Luna Live710 Ryan St., Lake Charles

DJ Cage @ Jack After Dark Party10 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & GrillL’auberge, Lake Charles

Saturday, Aug. 17Arts & Crabs Fest(w/music)4 p.m. to 8 p.m. @ LakeCharles Civic Center, 900Lakeshore Dr., LakeCharles

Lisa Marshall7 p.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill710 Ryan St., Lake Charles

Tracy Lawrence7 p.m. @ Isle of CapriCasino Hotel1000 Westlake Ave.Westlake

JD Newbury & Southwind8 p.m. til midnight @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri, 1000 Westlake Ave., Westlake

Karaoke w/DJ DavidVerett8:00 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & Grill, L’AubergeCasino Resort777 Avenue L’AubergeLake Charles

Leroy Thomas &Zydeco Roadrunner8:00 p.m. @ Yesterdays5313 Common St.Lake Charles

Tiffany Rene9:00 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 East Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles

MoJeaux Dance Party9 p.m. @ Mikko Live @Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder

Alter Ego9 p.m. @ Gator Lounge @ Delta Downs, 2717Delta Downs Dr., Vinton

Brad Walker Jazz Quintet (New Orleans) w/McNeese Jazz HardBop Combo!10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.@ Dharma, 329 Broad St.Lake Charles

DJ Cage @ Jack After Dark Party10 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & GrillL’auberge, Lake Charles

Sunday, Aug. 18Street Side Jazz Band11 a.m. @ Luna Bar & Grill710 Ryan St.Lake Charles

Monday, Aug. 19Karaoke w/DJ DavidVerett8:00 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & Grill, L’AubergeCasino Resort777 Avenue L’AubergeLake Charles

Brian Moore10:00 p.m. @ Dharma329 Broad St.Lake Charles

Wednesday, Aug. 21Stark Experiment8 p.m. til midnight @ The Caribbean Cove @ Isle of Capri, 1000 Westlake Ave., Westlake

Black Sticker8:00 p.m. @ Cigar Club1700 East Prien Lake Rd.Lake Charles

Thursday, Aug. 22Ratt: Live in Concert7 p.m. @ Party by thePool’s Liquid SocietyL’auberge, Lake Charles

DJ Jose Mata @ Jack After Dark Party10 p.m. @ Jack DanielsBar & Grill @ L’auberge,Lake Charles

Bernie Alan9 p.m. @ Mikko Live @Coushatta Casino Resort777 Coushatta Dr., Kinder


Music is an importantpart of every child’s educa-tion. Thousands of researchstudies indicate that kidswho study music achievehigher test scores than thosewho don’t, and having a cre-ative outlet makes for a hap-pier, well-rounded child.Schools in the Lake Area arewell known for their robustmusic programs where chil-dren can enroll to sing inchoirs or march in bands,but one local organizationhas been furthering the mu-sical education of childrenfor 20 years.

The Dr. Francis G. Bul-ber Youth Orchestra holdsclasses for kids ages seven to18, from beginners to bur-geoning experts on their re-spective instruments. Itteaches them orchestral lit-erature, performance skillsand preparations, musicreading, theory and appreci-ation, and gives them an un-derstanding of classicalcomposers and musicalstyles.

The only program of itskind in Louisiana, the or-chestra is well known fortaking a child who has neverbefore touched an instru-ment, and with their cooper-ation and dedication to thecraft, turn them into aprodigy.

“There are a lot of greatband programs in areaschools, but the skills thesekids learn in the orchestraare skills they’ll take withthem for the rest of theirlives,” said Emma Guillory,executive director of the or-chestra. “Generally, once aband student gets out of theband, they lose a feel for theinstrument. They give it upand they don’t take it withthem, aside from the memo-ries of playing at footballgames. With an orchestralinstrument, these kids willcontinue to play for theirown pleasure, or in groupsor symphonies. It’s some-thing that they’re giving

themselves that will last therest of their lives.”

The program focuses onstringed instruments such asthe violin, viola, cello andguitar and teaches classes forbeginner and intermediatestrings, with the most ad-vanced students auditioningfor and eventually becomingpart of the group’s full or-chestra. Because it is a mem-ber of the National StringProject Consortium (a coali-tion of sites at colleges anduniversities across the na-tion dedicated to increasingthe number of children play-ing stringed instruments),they are able to offer theirclasses at a reduced rate of$35 per a semester.

“It’s a very economicalprogram for parents whodon’t want to go out and buyan instrument for theirchild,” Guillory said. “Theyknow that many kids whoare really excited to play thefiddle or cello might eventu-ally lose interest after theirparents have already spent agood deal of money on aninstrument. Instrumentsalso usually have to be re-placed as the child grows, sowe are able to rent themthese instruments at a verylow cost.”

Every semester, the stu-dents learn a new repertoireor complex composition andget the chance to perform atleast once during end-of-the-semester showcases aswell as at the occasionallocal event.

“We’ve played at the Cal-casieu Parish Library and at

the Chil-dren’s Mu-seum,”Guillorysaid. “Some ofour grouphave played atthe BreastCancerAwarenessBreakfast that FOX holdsevery year. At the beginningof the summer, we played inthe courtyard of Luna Bar &Grill.”

Every semester, the chil-dren learn new music. “Wewon’t go out and performunless we feel the kids havemastered the material,” sheexplained. “Every year, it’snew and difficult music, sosometimes, we don’t getthere until right before thefinal concert. These kids arenot playing easy music--it’sdifficult. and they have topractice.”

In addition to giving kidsthe musical education thatenables them to play in localsymphonies or groups, theprogram also has a hand intraining future music teach-ers.

“McNeese music studentswork under the guidance ofmaster instructors and learnhow to teach,” Guillory said.“They spend a semester ortwo learning and as theygain proficiency, they areeventually able to have aclass of their own. Whatwe’re doing is producingqualified string teachers forour own area.”

One such local teacher,Christopher Gunther, grew

up in the Bulberprogram, became a Mc-Neese student and an internat Bulber and now has hisown program in a publicschool.

The orchestra will cele-brate its 20th anniversarywith a Christmas concerton Monday, Dec. 16, 2013,where they will invite stu-dents from years past toonce again pick up their vi-olins, cellos and violas to

join in.“We’re really excited to

have our all kids come backand play with us again,”Guillory said. “We didsomething similar for ourtenth anniversary celebra-tion, and we just had ablast.”

More information on theprogram and its upcomingperformances can be foundonline at www.fgbyo.org.


CPSO’S NATIONAL NIGHT OUTCalcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office hosted the Lake Area’s NationalNight Out activities at the Indian Bay Pavilion at Prien Lake Park.

The CPSO motor command center, a robot, the forensic investigation mobile van, a patrol car, fire truck from the Carlyss

Fire Department and more were all on display, with deputies on hand to answer questions. Kids enjoyed face painting and

refreshments. Thanks to the CPSO for keeping us safe!

WHITETAILS UNLIMITED BANQUETHunting enthusiasts of all ages gathered at the

Lake Charles Civic Center Coliseum for the annualWhite Tails Unlimited Banquet. The night included

dinner, a social hour, an auction, and prizes such as outfitter packages, firearms, hunting

equipment, artwork and one-of-a-kind collectibles. Proceeds from the evening

support WTU’s mission.

Jimmy and Leah Cureton with Jeannie Richey and Jill Cunningham Rachel, Abby and Hunter Hintom

Blayne and Jacob Jerome Jennifer and Karl Overton with Pat, Helen and Fredia Morien

Hubert Guillory, Jason Hayes, Rob McCorquodale and Joey Alcede

Michelle and Jason Firmature with Brandy and Hannah Bertrand, Troy Thibodeaux

Chance and Ashley Broussard Jerry and Missy Ellis

Lacie Carter, Rusty Sittigand Allan Carter

Aden Ory, Dauson Chandler, Michelle Robinsonand Anna Catherine Chandler

Chelsea Hayes, Sivana Reevesand Kathryn LeBert


Barry White

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Gloria Gaynor

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The Seventies

Platform Shoes

Polyester

Saturday Night Fever

Soul Train

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DISCO!

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

the player with the most boxes wins.

The Louisiana Jam - 08/15/13, Vol. 1, No. 3

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