march 2013
Whether you are recycling, repurposing or reusing items, it’s easier than you think to
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March 2013
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Contents 12
68
48
In This Issue
Home & Family 6 Give Your Home a Spring Makeover 10 Spring Into the Real Estate Market 12 Parents: Do Your Homework Before Spring Testing Money & Career 16 - 29 Special section: Going…Going…Green:
Your guide to all things green-living related. 30 Repurpose your Refund 32 Mobile Internet Security
Places & Faces 36 Crawfish Farming: Louisiana’s Gold Mine 44 Louisiana Entrepreneurs Launch a Healthcare HIT 48 Get Away to the Gateway to the Bay
Mind & Body 52 Sleep: Making it a Top Priority
54 7 Surprising Sleep Stealers 62 New Hips Give Woman New Lease on Life
Regular Features 15 Solutions for Life! 34 Business Buzz 43 By the Numbers 46 First Person: with Paul Groves 50 Who’s News 64 Community Contributors 70 Ready to Wear 73 Best Impressions 74 Happenings
36
What’s Buzzin’ in the Thrive Hive? Thrive Magazine is excited to announce the launch of our new website. Now, you can read all your favorite Thrive features with the click of a button. You can also see expanded content: all the great stuff we couldn’t fit in the print edition, online. Visit thriveswla.com to read the latest issue, check out our archives or enter featured contests.
Style & Beauty 66 Spring Fashion Trends 68 Express Yourself with Style 72 Cosmetics and Contacts Editors and Publishers Kristy Armand Christine Fisher
Don’t just live, thrive!
Creative Director/Layout
Barbara VanGossen
Assistant Editor
Katie Harrington
Business Manager
Katie McDaniel
Assistant Designers
Shonda Manuel Kris Roy
Advertising Sales Shanteé Gotte Felicia Hall ads@thriveswla.com 337.310.2099
Thrive is designed for people focused on living a happy, healthy life, one that is balanced, full of energy and contentment. Thrive readers want to make the most of every day and be successful in all areas of their lives – family, health, home and career. 4 www.thriveswla.com
Submissions edit@thriveswla.com Submitted articles and photos are welcome. Thrive assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials and does not guarantee any submissions.
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March 2013
Happy 100th Birthday, Sulphur High School! Thrive is producing the official commemorative booklet for the 100th anniversary celebration of Sulphur High School, set to take place April 20. Thanks to help from the centennial committee, this publication will feature memorable milestones of the school, recognize accomplishments from alumni and showcase the Tor spirit. The anniversary publication will be inserted in the April issue of Thrive and extra copies will be printed and distributed in businesses and at the school.
Be part of this keepsake, contact Thrive to reserve your ad space today. Ad space deadline is March 13. (337) 310-2099
Our have real
APP-titude! Look for the big reveal of the 3rd annual 13 Thriving 30-Somethings in our April issue. The nominations have ended, the choices have been made and the creative photo shoot is happening! You’ll learn why they were chosen and how they motivate, inspire and work hard to make good things happen for themselves, their families and their community.
Since 1992, the Vein Center of Louisiana has offered comprehensive diagnosis and treatment of vein disorders such as varicose veins and spider veins. Dr. James Ingram, a vascular surgeon and Board Certified vein specialist (certified by the American Board of Phlebology), was first in the state to perform the newest treatments, including: • Endovenous Laser • VNUS RF Closure • European Microsurgery • Foam Sclerotherapy Most procedures are covered by insurance.
Louisiana’s Premier Center of Excellence 155 Hospital Drive • Lafayette, LA • 1-888-499 -VEIN • www.DoctorIngram.com
March 2013
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Home & Family
Give your Home a
Spring Makeover
by Allie Mariano
In the 19th century, Americans dusted their homes in March because it was pleasant enough to keep their windows open, and the wind would carry the dust away. Today we have vacuum cleaners, so the time of year is not nearly as important. However, after the cold (and, in Southwest Louisiana, the rain) a thorough spring cleaning can signify a fresh start for the new season.
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Spring cleaning can take on two separate, but equally important, goals. The first goal is to physically clean the house. Dusting shelves, vacuuming rugs, washing linens, and scrubbing countertops make your living space more pleasant, as well as healthier. Many allergens can settle into an unclean home, so your nose will thank you The second goal of spring cleaning is to organize your home. Simple organizational techniques can streamline every room in your house. In the office, make your own file basket out of a rectangular basket. Attach little wooden dowels with craft wire and hang file folders for a prettier file system. Organize manuals and warranties for items in your home in a large binder. Slide each manual or warranty into a page protector and use dividers to further organize by room.
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March 2013
Store cables, chargers, batteries, and other accessories for your electronics in a basket and use cheap plastic cups for each item and put smaller items in a craft organizer. For laundry rooms and pantries, extra shelf space can go a long way, especially if you tend to stuff extra items in a closet. Use large crates and organize them according to their contents. Labels allow you to find things quickly. Shoeboxes cut in half can serve as drawer dividers in your sock drawer and storing bulky winter clothes in large bins that are clearly labeled can free up some much needed closet space. In the kitchen, clean your refrigerator. Wipe down the freezer and fridge, and throw things you will never eat away. Cleaning the coils can help boost energy efficiency. Go through the cabinets and throw away expired products. Move dry products to clear containers, so you can easily see when you need to stock up. Simple labels on clear jars and containers also look very pretty. Sources: Imperfecthomemaking.com, Realsimple.com
Active.
Choose orthopedic care that can help you get back in the game. Bone or joint injuries can affect your life anytime, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop doing what you love. The care you need is right here at home from the orthopedic specialists on the medical staff at Surgicare of Lake Charles. For over 38 years, the specialists on the Surgicare staff have been repairing achy knees, dislocated joints – even frozen shoulders – and helping Lake Area residents get back to doing the things they love. If you have a bone or joint injury that requires surgery, choose Surgicare of Lake Charles.
For a physician referral or more information, call 337-436-6941.
2100 Lake Street
March 2013
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Home & Family
Poison Prevention is
NoAccident
by Kristy Armand
American consumers buy more than a quarter of a million different household products that are used in and around the home for medication, cleaning, cosmetic purposes, exterminating insects, and killing weeds. These items obviously are needed, but misuse, especially when products are used in inappropriate applications or quantities, can cause illness, injury and even death, according to statistics from the National Safety Council.
The top five substances involved in poison exposures include: analgesics (pain relievers), household cleaning substances, cosmetics & personal care products, topical ointments, and cough and cold preparations. “Children are at particular risk from accidental poisoning,” says Joni Fontenot, spokesperson for the Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana. “Each year, unintentional poisonings from medicines and household chemicals kill about 30 children and prompt more than 1 million calls to the nation’s poison control centers. March 17-23 is National Poison Prevention Week, and we are using this annual observance to remind parents and caregivers to take precautions and be especially vigilant with children in their households.” The Safety Council offers the following tips for preventing the most common causes of accidental poisonings in children:
Bathroom
• Have a “child-proof” cabinet that locks. Even if your medicine cabinet is “high up,” youngsters are inquisitive and avid climbers. They can easily reach a cabinet by climbing from the toilet (or other convenient object) to the sink and thus reach into the cabinet. • Use child-resistant caps and keep medication lids tightly closed. A child-resistant cap is meaningless if not properly fastened after each use. • Always follow the recommended dosage set forth by your doctor for all medications. • Some mouthwashes contain enough alcohol to poison small children. Consider alternative products. • Keep personal care items such as hair spray, cologne, perfumes, nail polish remover, nail glue remover, and astringents where children can’t get into them.
• Keep all substances in their original containers. Using beverage bottles or cans for storing cleaning fluids, liquid floor wax, and other household mixtures is very hazardous. Children, and even adults, might mistake the contents for the original beverage. Also, labels on original containers give important usage and safety information. • Keep potentially hazardous cleaning compounds capped. Do not leave an uncapped container unattended even “just a minute” if toddlers are present.
Additional Precautions
• Keep syrup of ipecac available but use only when instructed to by a doctor or poison control center. • Use safety latches or combination locks to prevent curious children from getting into cabinets and drawers inside and outside the house. Don’t let children watch you open them. Kids learn fast. • Throw out unneeded or expired medicines (OTC and prescriptions). Look for the expiration date. Out-of-date medications may be ineffective and/or dangerous. • Never take medication in front of a child, or refer to pills as candy. Kids often mimic adults. Also, something that tastes awful to an adult may not faze a small child. • Keep the contact number for poison control center at 800-222-1222 or family doctor posted near the telephone. Have the original container and its label when you call. For more information about poison prevention, call the Safety Council at 436-3354 or visit www.safetycouncilswla.org.
Kitchen
• Check under the sink and in cabinets. Look for stored products that could be hazardous when accessible to young children. These could include such items as bleaching agents, rust removers, drain cleaners, ammonia, oven cleaners, detergents, furniture polish, floor wax, metal polish, wax remover, and wall/floor/toilet bowl cleaners. Even food extracts, such as vanilla and almond, are potential poisons. If products cannot be moved, install safety latches on cupboard doors to keep inquisitive youngsters out. • Cleaning compounds and foods should never be stored together. 8 www.thriveswla.com
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March 2013
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9
Home & Family
Spring Into the Real Estate Market by Christine Fisher
The good news: the housing market is rebounding. The not-as-good news: it has a long way to go. In many parts of the country, the recovery is a slow climb out of the seemingly bottomless hole it fell into beginning in 2005.
Thankfully, Southwest Louisiana’s housing market has remained fairly steady and spring is always a robust time to both buy and sell a home. In fact, 40 percent of homes are bought or sold between April and July. “Because interest rates are remaining low, many people are looking to buy or sell in the next few months, which means we will have a good inventory of homes,” said Nikki Hagen, REALTOR® with CENTURY 21 Bessette Realty. “We’re already seeing the usual increase of activity that comes with spring. There are more open houses, more homes on the market, and more buyers who are out looking.” According to most experts, interest rates are expected to remain low throughout 2013. Tougher lending standards make it more difficult to obtain a home loan, but weed out would-be buyers who were reaching beyond their means. “This makes a 10 www.thriveswla.com
more stable market for those who are qualified,” said Hagen. As the real estate market continues to improve and as Southwest Louisiana looks toward the economic stability that the business and industrial expansions will bring, she said the real estate market could blossom in the next few years. “As people relocate to this area, they’ll need homes for permanent workers and apartments and rent homes for the temporary workers. The real estate landscape could change dramatically in a few years.” Hagen shared these tips for home buyers: • Get pre-approved. Meet with your home mortgage lender and go through the steps necessary to get qualified to buy a home. This will tell you the price you can afford and it also shows the home sellers that you are ready to make decisions. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
• Look within your budget or a few thousand more. Going higher than that will usually lead to disappointment because the housing market doesn’t have a lot of give in it. You can negotiate depending on the circumstances, but don’t expect too much. • Work with a professional. Thanks to the Internet, there is a wealth of information available to potential home buyers. “This can be both good and bad. It’s helpful to have, but it can be overwhelming and at times, misleading. It helps to have a professional guide you through the process,” said Hagen. Working with a realtor can be a lifesaver during the negotiation and contract phase, when you need to be aware of the fine print. • Hire a home inspector. The lender will require a home appraisal to value the home, but it’s in a buyer’s best interest to hire a home inspector March 2013
to look through the home from top to bottom and give you an unbiased report on their findings. This gives buyers a clear picture of what they’re buying. Tips for home sellers include: • There are more homes on the market during the spring than any other time of the year. Make yours stand out. Potential buyers are touring many homes and you want them to remember yours. Work with a realtor on highlighting the best features of your home. • Details often make the sell. A fresh coat of neutral paint along with making any needed repairs will go a long way to making your home look inviting and well-cared for. • Follow your agent’s lead on pricing your home. You may feel it is worth more, but a professional realtor knows the local market and knows what buyers are willing to pay. Don’t aim too high expecting to lower it later. It’s best to price it realistically from the beginning.
“Even a well-staged home will have difficulty selling if it is priced several thousand too high,” said Hagen. Pricing is based on comparable sales in the area, an up-to-date appraisal, the home’s features and location. • Look for pre-qualified buyers for a quick, smooth process. Their mortgage lender has vetted them and they’re ready to buy. • Work with a legitimate offer. Even if the offer isn’t what you were hoping for, don’t reject a low offer immediately. There may be room for negotiation with the price, the closing cost or repairs. By coming to an agreement, you can sell and move on with your plans.
Double.
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337-905-2151
Dennis Miller, M.D. Family Medicine
Hilma Lisa Green, M.D. Atif Jadoon, M.D. Internal Medicine/ Internal Medicine Pediatrics
Rocky Fowler, M.D. Family Medicine & Wound Care
LAKE CHARLES 4150 Nelson Road, Building G Behind Women & Children’s Hospital
337-562-3689
LakeAreaPhysicians.com Members of the Medical Staff at Women & Children’s Hospital
March 2013
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2/14/13 1:18 PM
Home & Family
Parents Should do their Homework Before School Testing by Ann McMurry
Louisiana fourth and eighth graders are gearing up to take the first phase of the state’s high-stakes test in March and the second phase in April, and educators have been working to equip students with the knowledge and the tools that they need to be ready for the testing.
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“Test prep happens throughout the year,” said Beth Benoit, a counselor at W.W. Lewis Middle School in Sulphur. Teachers familiarize students with the format of the tests and work with them to improve their skills, and that can alleviate some of the stress that students may tend to feel during testing. On March 19, fourth and eighth graders will take part of the math and English exams on the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, or LEAP. The remainder of LEAP, which includes additional math and English, along with science and social studies, will be given April 8-11. Students in Louisiana schools will not move on to the fifth or ninth grades unless they score at or above the basic achievement level on either the English language arts or mathematics component and at the approaching basic achievement level on the other. Students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7, will take integrated LEAP, or iLEAP, on April 8-11. In Calcasieu Parish, second grade students take ITBS during that same testing period. Neither the iLEAP exam nor the ITBS is tied to promotions. With high stakes testing, some students do put stress on themselves, Benoit said. “But we encourage them to stay calm and to do their best,” she added. Preparation for LEAP and iLEAP is much more than just a two-week period before the test, Benoit said. Throughout the year, students learn test-taking tips, and they learn to answer constructed response questions in the correct manner. Benoit is a former math teacher, and March 2013
when she taught, she handed out a Mathematics Reference Sheet, so students could become accustomed to using it during the year. The reference sheet, which includes formulas and other information, is given out to students when they take the math part of the LEAP or iLEAP. During testing week, most parents are good about insuring that students are in school and on time. “Attendance is better during testing week than any other time,” Benoit said. “Kids know they have to be here.” Renee Reina, owner of Sylvan Learning Center in Lake Charles, said that since teachers work with students on skills as well as strategies, students should not be ill-prepared to take the standardized tests. “Most anxiety about testing comes from being ill-prepared,” Reina said. “When anxiety is present, most clear judgment is gone.” Reina said parents should have healthy expectations as to how a child will perform on a test. If the child is struggling in school, they are likely to struggle on the test. However, students doing well in school should do well on the test. Parents can take steps to help their children during testing periods. Students shouldn’t be playing in a ballgame at 9 p.m. during LEAP testing, Reina said. They should eat a good breakfast and be at school on time. “If there is fussing and fighting going on when the child is being dropped off at school, that is not good for the child,” Reina added. Parents should educate themselves on what the test results mean. “Have someone interpret the results for you and educate you on what those results indicate,” she said. Reina said test prep is important for students, “but it can’t be presented with fear.” Students who are overly anxious about failing the LEAP tests must overcome that fear. When parents are educated about the testing and understand the format of the test, they can help their children by reassuring them and encouraging them. Students who have the proper tools, who know test taking strategies, and who have learned the skills will be more confident and will perform better on tests. Martha Dalton, owner of Mathnasium in Lake Charles, said when students are functioning below their grade level, it’s not necessarily a quick fix, and it can be frustrating. When parents get test results and students aren’t performing at the expected levels, they should begin the process of helping those students gain better skills, and in turn, more confidence. “The first step is assessing where the students are,” Dalton said. “If the student is in the fifth grade but working at a third grade level, it’s very frustrating for the student.” It may take time to bring a student to a level where the student becomes more confident in his or her ability. “But parents need to realize that they didn’t develop those gaps overnight,” she said. When students are preparing for spring testing and need to bring their skills up dramatically, it may March 2013
be difficult to do that in a short time. If students begin working in a tutoring program in January, their skills are likely to improve somewhat, but if they begin later in February or in March, it would be difficult to see much improvement. Ideally, Dalton said, students who score poorly on standardized tests in the spring will begin working on improving their skills in the summer. During that time, students won’t be saddled with regular classroom homework while they are also getting tutored to bring up skills. In math, Dalton said, there is sometimes an over-reliance on procedures, and students don’t necessarily understand the math. For example, if a student is trying to learn percentages, Mathnasium explains that percent means “for each hundred.” With that understanding, students can think of 200 as two sets of 100. Therefore, if a student is trying to determine 25 percent of 200, they think of 25 for the first hundred and 25 for the second hundred, so 25 percent of 200 is 50. When students are already anxious about taking a test, and then they have to remember a procedure, that may make them even more anxious, Dalton said. They can’t just memorize the procedure or the rule; they must understand the math behind it. “That is critical for students taking tests,” she said, “and that can help them overcome math anxiety.” Other test preparation recommendations by Benoit, Reina, and Dalton include: • Make sure students get a good night’s sleep. • Don’t encourage PRE-K – 12 GRADE SAT, ACT & ISEE TEST PREP HOMEWORK HELP SUMMER PROGRAMS students to cram the PRE-K - 12TH GRADE SAT & ACT TEST PREP HOMEWORK HELP SUMMER PROGRAMS night before testing begins. • If students are nervous or anxious, encourage them to take some deep breaths and try to relax. • On constructed response questions, students should do as much as they can. Even if they are not sure they know the correct answer, they should put something down on paper, because they may at least get partial credit. WE ARE EXPERIENCED • On multiple choice MATH SPECIALISTS FREE CONSULTATION questions, if An in-depth look at how the students are having WE TEACH ALL LEVELS Mathnasium Method works trouble determining and how we can meet your OF MATH ABILITY family’s needs. the correct answer, have them eliminate PROVEN RESULTS any answers that they know are mathnasium.com/your web address 2744Your Country Club Road Location www.mathnasium.com incorrect first. 123 Any Street Rd. 800-123-4567 TH
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LakeAny Charles, LA 70605 Town, ST 90000 mathnasium.com/your web address 337.478.0550
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13
Home & Family
Termites and Ants Are Active in the Spring
by Christine Fisher
After the cold, rainy winter we’ve had, homeowners should be on the look out for pests trying to find food and shelter this spring; specifically ants and termites, which are typically more active this time of year. Spring cleaning often reveals evidence of pests inside the home, so homeowners are usually more aware of problems than they may have been during the winter months. “Termites begin swarming in our area during the spring. Some neighborhoods may see activity beginning in March. They’ll continue in different areas through April and May,” explained Robert Soileau, manager of the Lake Charles office of J&J Exterminating. There are several types of termites; some are more destructive than others. Using a well-qualified pest control service is key in keeping pests at bay. “The two most common types of termites in Southwest Louisiana are Formosan, which swarm at dusk, and native which swarm during the day. You may notice the Formosan termites near street lights or porch lights. Because they’re attracted to light, they’ll enter your home through the smallest of cracks around windows and doors. Most people don’t notice native termites swarming as much because it’s during the day and people are usually at work or not outdoors,” he said. Soileau says these swarms can cause concern. “When you hear that termites are swarming in your neighborhood, or you see them, most homeowners are worried and rightfully so. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that your property is infested or that your home is in danger. Termites live in the ground. Our job is to keep them there, away from your home.” Ants of various types often surface in the spring. The carpenter ant can cause damage to a home by tunneling through wood to build its nest. They often begin in areas where the wood is decayed before attacking undamaged wood. Known to eat most anything, including fruits, meats and cheeses, ants can often contaminate foods found in the pantry or cabinets. “The most common type of ant in Southwest Louisiana is the fire ant,” Soileau said, “but
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another type of ant that we’re seeing more of is the raspberry crazy ant. This type gets more active as the weather warms. They travel in large numbers, it almost looks as if the ground is moving,” he explained. They are attracted to electrical equipment, including air conditioning units, and can cause a lot of damage. These ants can swarm by the hundreds of thousands in search of food. “When they’re in this electrical equipment, they can get electrocuted, which causes them to produce a pheromone that attracts other ants, leading to an overwhelming number of ants which shuts down the electrical system. These ants will also enter the home in search of food, primarily sugary foods, and water,” Soileau said. “Ants usually enter buildings and homes through cracks around doors and windows,” said Soileau. “They’ll build colonies within the walls, in woodwork and insulation.”
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To deter ants and termites, and virtually any pest, Soileau gave these tips: • Keep tree branches and shrubs cut back from the house. • Seal cracks and holes near doors and windows. • Keep pet food and water dishes clean and remove any spilled food. If you find ants to be a problem near your pet’s food, you may need to have specific times the food bowl is available for the pet, then remove it and clean it. • Eliminate standing water or moisture near your home. • Keep food sealed in containers and dispose of garbage regularly.
March 2013
!
Solutions for Life
from Solutions Employee Assistance Program by Keri Forbess-McCorquodale, MS, LPC, LMFT, CEAP
Recycling Isn’t Always Good for the Environment I admire people who are environmentally conscious. I wish I did a better job of saving the earth. I’m pretty good about turning the water off while I am brushing my teeth. And most of the time I remember to grab the recyclable bags out of my car at the grocery store. I should divide our garbage into paper, plastics and aluminum, but I don’t. I feel very guilty about that. Recycling is very good for the environment. Not always so good for your social environment. I have worked with many clients over the years who recycle unhealthy things in their lives. They let the same people come in and out. Sometimes they get courageous enough to remove that person, only to let him back in. I have a running joke with one client: She is very “green” – the same people keep resurfacing in her life, bringing all their unhealthiness with them. Another way of recycling has to do with repeating patterns. If you feel like you are in the same bad movie over and over, and “only the names have changed,” you are probably doing this. This relationship “déjà vu” is generally played out over a lifetime. You were taught to be a people pleaser as a child (maybe because you had angry or depressed parents, and you thought if you could just do everything right they would be calmer or happier), so you continue to find people you can please as an adult. Maybe you felt you weren’t “good enough” as a child – your parents didn’t listen to you, your opinion didn’t matter, your home life was unstable. You will recycle yourself into similar relationships throughout your adulthood as well, unless you actively work to stop that pattern. You will find yourself choosing people who minimize or discount you and your thoughts.
March 2013
Sometimes we recycle other bad habits: smoking, overeating, gambling. We cycle in and out of taking care of ourselves. Why do we do that? It’s so frustrating, isn’t it? I’ve observed in others and myself that just about the time we are feeling really good and healthy, we start slacking off the very things that helped us feel so good. Sometimes the holidays throw us into that tailspin. At other times, we experience a highly stressful situation and all our healthy habits go out the window. So what can be done about all this unhealthy recycling? As usual, the first step is awareness. Maybe you’ve already been realizing that you are in the same situation, once again. Maybe reading this article is bringing some awareness to your consciousness. Next, you have to choose to pay attention to the awareness. Don’t shove it back down to the back of your mind like you’ve always done before. Let it swirl around in your brain for a while so you can digest it. Begin to put the patterns together. Begin to consider that it is time for a change. Now, you have to make a choice. And it’s a tough choice. Do you continue repeating these things in your life that keep you from becoming your best version of yourself, or do you do something about it? Doing something about it will be hard and scary. It will be work, and you will get tired. You will want to say “forget it,” and let everything slide back into the old, comfortable unhealthiness. But you won’t. This time is going to be different. You are going to read a book about getting out of unhealthy relationships. You will Google an article about staying on track with your healthy habits. You will start counseling so this time you have an increased chance of sticking with the changes you know you need to make. And this time you are going to stop recycling the unhealthiness and actually get rid of it!
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15
Going… Going…
Green
by Ann McMurry
Today’s culture encourages more and more consumption, and Americans, like many other people around the globe, are constantly looking for ways to upgrade – better jobs, newer cars, bigger homes, and the latest gadgets. Bottled water and fast food have become billion dollar industries. But as consumption rises, more trees have been cut down and more fossil fuels and metals have been mined, and the environment has been impacted by the high demand of the earth’s resources. It’s time to replace consumerism with sustainability, according to Erik Assadourian, director of Transforming Cultures at Worldwatch Institute, a global environmental research organization based in Washington, D.C. “We’ve engineered a consumer culture,” Assadourian said. “Historically, we’ve been very thrifty, but now we live in a disposable culture. Now we live in a culture where we think we should constantly be upgrading. “ It’s time to shift society’s understanding of “normal,” Assadourian said. Society has to turn away from what has become the cultural norm, because the earth cannot sustain this level of consumption. “We have to reshift our understanding so that living sustainably is as natural as living as a consumer.” But “green living” means more than driving less and recycling, Assadourian said. “We have to do that, but it’s not enough to get us there.” People need to consider living in small homes, living closer to their work, and taking less expensive vacations, he said. They need to look at their livelihood, he added. “How can they use that job, and do something green or sustainable?” he said. Employees at McNeese State University are doing just that, according to Dr. Chip LeMieux, department head of the Harold and Pearl Dripps Department of Agricultural Sciences. The department is working with Chartwells, McNeese’s food service contractor, to recycle cafeteria waste material into compost at the McNeese Farm. LeMieux said the program is in its infancy, but McNeese students have been trained to put
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cafeteria waste, such as egg shells and vegetables, into containers separate from other discarded food. Then it is used make compost, with a layer of feedstock, such as leaves and old hay as the absorbent material, then the cafeteria waste, and then more feedstock. “We’ve only been doing it for about four weeks, but we’re excited. It’s impressive,” LeMieux said. “We will be able to spread it in the pasture at the farm and in flower beds on campus.” Richard Rhodes, director of Facilities and Plant Operations at McNeese, said the university is trying to “go green” in other areas as well, and it’s really been an ongoing process for several years. About 25 years ago, McNeese installed a water-based central cooling and heating system that delivers heated and chilled water to campus buildings through over six miles of underground pipe. That effort saved the university about $1.5 million dollars annually on its utility costs, and it has been an energy savings and a maintenance savings, Rhoden said. The university has been in the process of changing light fixtures, and had converted the lighting in three buildings to a more energy efficient lighting with an electronic ballast. The energy efficiency was a plus, but in addition, the cooler running ballast meant the air conditioner didn’t have to work as hard, Rhoden said. A year ago, McNeese received a $465,000 federal grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to install energy efficient lighting in five more buildings, along with occupancy sensors and LED
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exit lights, and variable frequency drives on the motors to the cooling tower in the central plant. Within the next two years, with more renovations ongoing or scheduled, 75 to 80 percent of the campus will have more energy efficient lighting, with sensors that automatically turn lights off after a period of no activity. Fluorescent lights are being recycled, Rhoden said. The lights are crushed and saved in sealed containers, and a hazardous waste disposal company picks up the material a couple of times each year. The campus also has a voluntary white paper recycling program. Various departments on campus requested the program, and they have recycling containers that are picked up twice a month by the contractor. Rhoden said sensitive materials are shredded and recycled.
In addition to McNeese, other agencies and organizations are offering opportunities for residents to take part in “green” activities, and the response has been favorable. Theresa Champeaux, assistant director of Public Works for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, said
March 2013
residents have shown strong interest in recycling, and that’s seen in the level of activity that takes place at the Police Jury’s two recycling locations at the East and West Public Works maintenance facilities. Waste Management provided collection dumpsters, and items that may be recycled include aluminum, brown bags, boxes, paper, plastic bottles and jugs, cardboard, catalogs, and tin. The facilities also accept metals, and appliances, such as washers, dryers, and refrigerators, are among those items that may be recycled. The Police Jury receives money for the metals that are recycled, Champeaux said, and those funds go back into the program. The program has been popular, she said. “The more people become aware of it, the more they are doing it,” she added. “At the west side facility, within two months they needed an additional container.” In 2012, residents recycled approximately 2,500 yards of metals and 600 to 700 yards of other recyclables at the Police Jury sites. The Police Jury was paid about $50,000 for the metals. “I’m really proud of our citizens,” she said. “They had to load this up, bring it to us, and then unload it. We are very pleased with how the recycling has been going.” Byron Hardy, who has served as president of Team Green of Southwest Louisiana for two years, said the area’s annual Trash Bash is a clear indicator that area residents want to recycle. Team Green is a City of Lake Charles project, and the group sponsors numerous activities, with a goal of improving the environment. Items that shouldn’t go into landfills, like paint, mercury thermometers, fluorescent bulbs, batteries, tires, and scrap metals are among items that may be recycled at the annual Trash Bash. The paint is recycled and reconditioned and is given to non-profits for their own use or it may be given to
March 2013
the Salvation Army for sale in its thrift store. The city has Green Station drop off centers on East Board Street and by the Nelson Street ballpark. There is also a drop off location at Amerimex on Highway 14. Other Team Green projects include Adopt-ASpot/Litter Pickup and Beach Sweep. But two key programs are the Clean Campus Contest and the Telephone Book Recycling program, because those programs are in the schools. Hardy said there is significant emphasis on the schools, because those programs enable students to learn about taking care of the environment. The various clean-up and recycling programs are drawing more volunteers, Hardy said. “It just takes some time,” he said. “But we are getting people at a younger age.”
Members of Team Green discuss upcoming projects at a recent meeting.
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Call us today to set up a free quote or consultation. 18 www.thriveswla.com for Better Living 1155 E. McNeese Street, Lake Charles Thrive Magazine www.averyarchives.com
March 2013 (337) 491-9522
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Handle with Care: Household Hazardous Waste by Kristy Armand
Hopefully you don’t think of your home as a bio-hazard zone, but there are products you use every day that are considered hazardous waste if not disposed of properly. “Most people don’t think of hazardous waste as being something they have to worry about in their homes,” says Mason Lindsay with the Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana. “But dangerous waste products are not just confined to industrial facilities. Household hazardous waste is created on a regular basis through household chores that require the use of products containing hazardous components. These may include paints, cleaners, stains and varnishes, car batteries, motor oil, and pesticides.” Experts estimate that Americans produce 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste each year. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to properly dispose of it, so they either throw it out with their regular trash, or just keep it, meaning these dangerous chemicals accumulate in people’s cabinets, closets, garages and storage sheds. Having these dangerous substances in and around your home increases the risk of fire, skin irritation, blindness and poisoning, among other dangers.” Lindsay says extreme caution is required for both storing and disposing of household hazardous waste to prevent injury and contamination. “You should always keep products containing hazardous materials in their original containers and never remove the labels. The only exception to this rule is when the container is coming apart. In this case, replace the container, but be sure to label it clearly and include all the warnings from the original label.” If not handled properly, Lindsay says hazardous waste will inevitably hurt someone or something, whether it is a person, an animal, or the environment. “That’s why the first step in dealing with these substances is making an effort to reduce the amount of hazardous waste produced. When performing household chores that require potentially hazardous materials, for example, use the minimum amount required, and when you’re done, try to give anything leftover to neighbors, small businesses, or charities. Many of these groups will be happy to receive items like paint, pesticides, and cleaners, which can be very expensive. Also, bring your car batteries and leftover oil to auto part stores for recycling.”
March 2013
When it comes to disposal, awareness of proper disposal guidelines as well as caution is needed to avoid contamination of the home and/or environment,” People often make the mistake of pouring this type of waste down the drain, on the ground, into storm sewers, or putting them out with the trash,” says Lindsay. “This is extremely risky. Certain types of household hazardous wastes can cause injury or illness to sanitation workers, contaminate septic or water tanks if poured down drains or toilets, and present hazards to children and pets if left around the house.” Lindsay says you can usually find instructions for disposal on the label of most hazardous products. He advises following them carefully, and also suggests contacting your city and parish public works department for information about local collection programs for household hazardous waste. “These types of products do require extra effort,” says Lindsay, but proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste products you have in and around your home is key for ensuring the safety of you, your family, and your neighbors.”
COMMON HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE PRODUCTS:
• Automotive fluids (oil, anti-freeze, fuel, brake fluid, windshield washer fluid, transmission fluid etc.) • Household cleaners (bleach, ammonia, disinfectants, carpet freshener, air freshener, window cleaner, furniture polish, etc). • Laundry products (laundry detergent, fabric softener, etc) • Health and beauty products (hairspray, hair remover, fingernail polish, fingernail polish remover, hair coloring products, medications, etc.). • Lawn and garden products (fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, gasoline, oil, etc.) • Barbecue products (propane, charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, etc.) • Home maintenance (paint, varnish, stains, oils, mouse/rat poison, etc.)
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GO GREEN
simple ways to live greener INDIVIDUALS Collect your yard and food wastes and start your own composting at home. Recycle. Many communities offer locations that recycle paper, plastics, metals, appliances, and electronic items. Change a light and save a bundle. ENERGY STAR® qualified light bulbs are 75 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs. When just one room in every home is brightened by ENERGY STAR® lighting, the change will keep over one trillion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air. Make a quick trip to the hardware store or home improvement center for a hot water insulation kit to wrap your water heater and save on water heating costs. Run your washer, dryer, and dishwasher only with a full load. Ensure that your heating and cooling system is energy efficient. Check your filter every month, especially during heavy use months (winter and summer). If the filter looks dirty after a month, change it. At a minimum, change the filter every 3 months. Upgrade your refrigerator if it is 10 years old or older. Refrigerators use more energy than any other appliance in your home, but an ENERGY STAR® qualified refrigerator uses about half the energy of a 10-year old conventional model. Consider replacing your central air conditioning system if it is more than seven years old. Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when you buy and use 20 percent less energy than a standard model. If just one household in 10 bought ENERGY STAR® heating and cooling equipment, the change would keep over 17 billion pounds of pollution out of our air. Seal and insulate your home to improve comfort and reduce heating and cooling costs. EPA recommends Home Sealing to improve your home’s
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The Environmental Protection Agency offers the following tips for individuals and businesses who want to make more of an effort to go “green.”
“envelope” or the outer walls, ceiling, windows and floors. Plant trees to provide shade and wind protection for your house Unplug appliances when you’re not using them. Or, use a “smart” power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts “phantom” or “vampire” energy use. Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too. Install a low-flow showerhead. They don’t cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment. Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high. While they can be expensive, solar panels and skylights can all add value to a home and will be worth the investment when it is time to sell, the EPA suggests.
BUSINESSES To reduce paper waste, avoid printing and printed materials to the extent possible. In today’s digital age, documents can be read and shared electronically. When you have to print, print double-sided. Format your print options and printer for automatic double-sided printing. Optimize for fewer pages with smaller margins and more effective use of white space. Reuse scrap paper for note taking. Edit and review on-screen rather than on a printed page. Use electronic billing and invoicing instead of hard copy.
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Recycle. Recycling reduces energy use and saves natural resources. It also reduces landfill use and waste incineration. Surplus office and kitchen equipment, clothing, and furniture can be donated to charitable organizations. There are also home improvement thrift stores in many communities that accept used or surplus construction material. Buy green. Choose products made from recycled, reclaimed or recovered materials. Look for the highest percentage of post-consumer recycled content. Common products are paper products like printer paper and cardboard, but you can also find recycled-content plastic and construction products. Use energy-efficient products. EPA’s Energy Star label indicates that the product has been evaluated by an energy performance rating system. Look for products that use less water such as high efficiency urinals and dual-flush toilets. EPA’s WaterSense program certifies products that are 20 percent more water-efficient than similar products. Conduct a water audit of your building and facilities to identify and repair leaking or older pipes. Reinforce seals to prevent leaks in the future. Control the temperature of your building. Don’t waste energy heating or cooling an empty building. Improve efficiency by sealing thermal leaks. Many leaks, such as those from drafty windows or poorly connected ducts, can be sealed at little cost. Other fixes, like repairing older windows or concealed ducts, may be costly upfront but can save money over the long term. Also, if it’s time to replace old windows, be sure the replacement windows are highly efficient. Lighting can account for 20 to 50 percent of your energy bill, and is one area where saving energy is easy and inexpensive. Start by replacing traditional incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). For existing tube fluorescent lamps, upgrading the tubes, installing reflectors, and changing diffusers all save energy. Unplug. Adapters, chargers, and appliances with digital displays draw energy even when “off.” Make it company policy to un-plug and switch off
March 2013
Southern Solid Waste chargers and appliances when not in use. Power strips make it easy to turn off everything at once at the end of the day and some can sense when appliances are not in use and shut down automatically. Reduce business travel. Business travel, especially air travel, is costly to the environment and the bottom line. Make sure that business trips are necessary, take public transportation or car pool, don’t send more staff than needed, and cluster trips when possible.
We are locally owned and operated. • 2, 4, 6, & 8 cubic yard commercial front load containers • 15, 20, 25, 30, & 40 cubic yard roll-off containers • Stationery & Self-Contained Compactors Please allow us to quote your waste disposal today!!!
E-RECYCLE DAY presents
Saturday, March 23, 2013 • 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. • Stine Parking Lot, Sulphur
RE C YC L E YOUR E L E C T RONIC S For details, call the City of Sulphur at (337) 527-4500.
Each year, thousands of computers, monitors, TVs, cell phones and other electronics are discarded. Such “e-waste” contains recyclable materials and can be hazardous if disposed with regular garbage. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Electronic Items Accepted: Computers, Monitors, Computer Peripherals, Printers, Fax Machines, Keyboards, Photocopiers, TVs, VCRs, Stereos, Home & Office Phones, Mobile Phones, Consumer Electronics. Mercury Items Accepted: Thermostats and Thermometers containing metallic or liquid mercury, Lamps (fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium and metal halide). Items Not Accepted: Smoke Detectors, Fire Alarms, Dehumidifiers, Large Appliances (e.g.: Refrigerators, etc.), Medical Equipment, Units with Sludge or Liquids. Residential Items Only, Please.
March 2013
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GO GREEN
Don’t Leave a Paper Trail
Protect your Identity and the Environment by Shredding by Kristy Armand Even in the digital age, businesses and individuals deal with paper every day. Employee records, client records, bank statements, receipts, insurance policies, vendor invoices, tax returns, credit card bills and even junk mail contain information that can be used to steal your identity and your money. Identity theft continues to be a growing problem in the United States. According to the 2012 identity fraud report by Javelin Strategy & Research, cases of identity fraud increased by 13 percent last year, with more than 11.6 million U.S. adults becoming victims. Research shows that the majority (56 percent) of identity theft occurs when the thief has direct contact with the victim’s personal information, through a stolen or lost wallet, rifling through a personal mailbox, trashcan or recycling bin, or even taking documents from inside a home or business. “In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook all of the documents that contain personal and financial information,” says Eric Avery, co-owner and executive vice president of Avery Archives, a full service records and information management
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company based in Lake Charles. “Tossing intact anything that contains your name, address, phone number, birth date or financial-record numbers puts you at risk of identity theft. You may not realize that almost every pre-approved credit card and loan offer has enough information for anyone to open an account.” Avery says shredding paper documents is one of the most cost-effective ways to prevent fraud and identity theft. “Our shredding service helps reduce your risk for exposure by ensuring proper compliance with privacy laws and regulations. We offer on-site shredding for businesses with our mobile shredding truck, and drop-off shredding services at our facility in Lake Charles for businesses and individuals. In addition to the privacy protection Avery Archives’ shredding service provides, it is also an easy way for businesses and individuals to be environmentally responsible. The company recycles the paper it shreds, with an average of 60-70 tons of shredded paper processed for recycling each month. “One ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees, three cubic yards of landfill space and 20,000 gallons of water,” says Avery. He explains that the shredded paper is collected from his facility and compacted into bales that are 3x6 feet and weigh close to one ton each. “Our bales are shipped to various part mills across the country, including Kimberly Clarke, Boise Cascade and Georgia Pacific. Each mill melts the shred to recover the pulp (cellulose fibers), which is used as the raw material for the production of their recycled paper products, such as paper towels, toilet paper, notebook paper, copy paper, packaging and more. So when you see the recycled paper logo on a product you buy, it may contain sustainable remnants of paper we shredded right here.”
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be a savvy shredder
Before you shred anything, make sure you won’t need that document again. Each state has regulations on how long certain documents should be kept, particularly if those documents are used for business or needed for taxes. Regulations on shredding vary by industry as well. Non-tax documents, including utility statements, credit card statements and medical bills should be kept for one to three years. Tax documents should be kept up to six years.
You should shred: • credit card or loan offers • credit card receipts • expired credit cards • medical and financial records • canceled checks • tax records • computer printouts containing personal/financial information • correspondence related to any of these items Avery Archives is located at 1155 E. McNeese Street in Lake Charles. For more information, call (337) 491-9522 or visit www.averyarchives.com.
March 2013
Industry’s Role in Environmentalism
by Christine Fisher
Recent environmental regulations, along with the utilization of best available technology and an environmentally responsible approach from leaders of local industry have led the way in bringing changes inside the plants. There are many environmental benefits to being “green”. Industries know there are significant benefits, as well. “When an industry wants to implement a capital project, that industry calculates the potential environmental impact of the project and installs the necessary technology to minimize the impact and insure that all environmental standards and regulations are met,” explained Larry DeRoussel, executive director of Lake Area Industry Alliance, or LAIA, which is a channel of communication between industries and the community, public officials, educators and non-profit organizations. The health, safety and environmental aspect in industry play a significant role in the day-today operations. “Each facility has instrumentation that continuously monitors for leaks, equipment failures and other potential environmental
issues. All employees in industry are highly and continuously trained to carry out their job functions and industry officials are committed to operating their facilities in an environmentally responsible manner. It’s important to remember that they and their employees are members of the community in which their facilities operate.” Industry ultimately reduces, reuses, recycles or treats approximately 97 percent of any waste as they produce products that contribute to improve the day-to-day lives of people thought out the world. Being environmentally responsible is everyone’s responsibility whether at home, on the road or at work; local industry understands that and takes this responsibility very seriously.
United Way Super Heroes AXIALL COLLECTS OVER 380,000 FOR UNITED WAY
$
Axiall Corporation (formerly PPG Chemicals) successfully raised over $380,000 during its 2012 United Way campaign in October. Together, employees and retirees demonstrated their dedication to the local community by not only reaching the original set goal of collecting $250,000, but garnering a grand total of $277,300 in employee pledges alone. A special thanks to our Axiall salaried and hourly employees, IAM Local 470, union committee members and retirees who were a crucial part of the campaign’s success. The grand total from pledges, special gifts, online auction and corporate’s contribution totaled over $380,850.
United Way Committee: Tom Hatfield, Jon Manns (Axiall Plant Manager), Blanche Richard, Rose Williams, Laressa LeBlanc, John Scroggins, Beverly Schalon and Denise Durel (United Way President).
March 2013
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GO GREEN
local For many companies, business success is about more than just a healthy bottom line. Good corporate citzenship is a key piece of the puzzle too. Thrive took a closer look at several local companies who make being environmentally responsible a top priority. They are working to ensure that Southwest Louisiana remains a great place to call home for generations to come.
by Katie Harrington
L’Auberge Gives Back to the Environment Since opening its Lake Charles property in 2005, L’Auberge Casino Resort has worked to support various community events and organizations. Committed to being a good community partner, the company is also working to give back to the environment. “By far our most exciting program is taking place in our 1,000-room hotel,” says Kerry Andersen, corporate director of media relations and public affairs for Pinnacle Entertainment, L’Auberge’s parent company. “All of our Louisiana properties partner with the Clean the World Foundation, a 501c3 charitable organization that collects, recycles and distributes discarded soap, shampoos and conditioner from hotels just like ours and ships them around the globe to humanitarian programs in third world countries to reduce hygiene related illnesses.”
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Andersen says Pinnacle Entertainment spends approximately $8000 per year at L’Auberge alone to cover expenses for the program, and this isn’t the only effort the company is making in order to decrease their impact on the environment. “Across the property, we have incorporated the goal of decreasing our carbon footprint in virtually every department.” The following list includes just some of the ways L’Auberge is going green: • In January, the property started recycling plastic and aluminum from their back-ofhouse operations and has already filled one 53’ trailer and is working on their second. • They currently recycle more than 19 tons of cardboard per month, more than 3,800 gallons of used cooking oil per month and approximately 6 tons of white paper per year. • They recycle toner cartridges for copy machines, as well as approximately 800 wooden pallets from their warehouse per month. • A new initiative is underway to replace plastic water bottles in their back-of-house operations (for employees, not guests) with 5 gallon water dispensers to reduce plastic waste.
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“When our recycling efforts lead to a monetary gain, those funds are also ‘recycled’ back into our green program,” Andersen adds. According to Andersen, L’Auberge team members are more than happy to participate in these efforts. “During our last Team Member survey we learned that our employees would like us to step up our recycling efforts even more, so we are in the process of installing a recycling station, and in the future, we are also looking at implementing glass recycling programs and possibly participating in a program that would create Bio Fuel from used cooking oil. We would use this product to fuel our golf lawn equipment, generators, heaters, etc.” Finally, on-site restaurant Ember Grille and Wine Bar participates in the ReCORK program which collects and recycles corks from wine bottles.
March 2013
There is a ‘cork collection’ bin inside the restaurant that anyone can utilize to drop off their corks for recycling.
Agrilectric: Doing more with a grain of rice
“This program also serves to educate people about the crucial role that cork forests play in curbing climate change,” says Andersen. “Recycling these corks is a great excuse to pop open a good bottle of red wine.”
Since 1917, Farmer’s Rice Milling Company has been buying rice from local farmers and supplying it to the rest of the world. Today, as one of the largest mills in the world, the Lake Charles company mills eight million pounds of rice a year. Milling, drying and storing rice isn’t the only business Farmer’s Rice Milling Company is involved in, though. Cognizant of the need for smart energy consumption and conservation, a division of the company called Agrilectric Power, the United States leading operator of rice hull combustion power plants, has been burning the rice hulls and converting them into electricity for nearly 29 years. “Agrilectric generates electrical power for the mill and eliminates the historical liability in transporting, disposing and handling of rice hulls,” says Carl Kiser, plant manager. “In 28 years, we’ve beneficially used 3.3 million tons of rice hulls. This is enough to cover one-square mile or 600 acres of landfill.” Since Agrilectric first began its operations in 1984, the company has generated in excess of 2.9 million megawatts of renewable energy, enough
To learn more about the ReCORK program, visit http://recork.org/. To learn more about the Clean the World program, visit www.cleantheworld.org. Finally, to learn more about L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles, visit www.mylauberge.com.
by Katie Harrington
power to supply neighboring small towns. “In addition to generating a source of energy, we’ve also been able to generate markets for over 565,000 metric tons of silica bi-products,” Kiser adds. “These have been used to make soil improvements, are beneficial to the steel industries, provide high quality filter aids, make great absorbents and add value to cement production.” The plant also uses rainwater for cooling purposes to minimize the impact on the local aquifer. “In this ever expanding global economy, the need for additional energy is constantly growing,” Kiser says. “As the concern for our environment grows, the demand for a cleaner alternative source of energy is being heard throughout the world.” For more information on Agrilectric Power, visit www.agrilectric.com.
IndustryInsider
Straight Answers to Your Questions on Industry and the Environment
Q:
Industry says they care about the environment, but isn’t it true that the only reason they try to be environmentally responsible is because government regulations make them?
A:
Being environmentally responsible makes good business sense.
At local industries, keeping our products safely in the pipeline is not only environmentally friendly, it improves our bottom line. Being environmentally responsible is part of everything we do. In fact, local industry reduces, reuses, recycles and treats nearly all of the waste it produces. The key to rowth is increasing productivity. Industries promote growth and good business by implementing programs to significantly reduce waste. Yes, government regulations require us to invest in environmentally-friendly equipment and procedures, but we know these same investments help us increase our productivity. Going green isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for business.
David Rentrop
operations director with local industry
Visit www.laia.com to learn more and submit your question about local industry and the environment. March 2013
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GO GREEN | Profiles
Healing and Recycling Happen at Area Hospitals
Using Pieces of the Past and Modern Technology to Protect the Future by Kristy Armand
by Christine Fisher
When you think of the hundreds of people within a hospital, from employees, physicians, patients, visitors and vendors, the vast amount of material available for recycling is staggering. Along with the healing that takes place, the down-to-earth truth is that these large facilities generate a high quantity of trash, much of which contains material that can be recycled. Thrive Magazine reached out to all area hospitals to see what programs these facilities have in place. In 2012, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital recycled 250,000 pounds of shredded paper, 375 pounds of batteries, 305 pound of ballast, 22,000 linear feet of light bulbs and 13,500 pounds of electronics, according to Thomas Chapman, facility manager at LCMH. “We recently purchased new compactors that will help us recycle our cardboard,” he said. In addition, the hospital recycles used oil, televisions, monitors, computers and printers. Russell Benoit, environmental services director with West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital said each department develops its own initiatives with support from hospital administration. “Our materials management department collects outdated magazines and catalogs for recycling, nutrition services recycles the many cans that are used and the maintenance department
recycles the numerous batteries used,” Benoit explained. “We are looking toward initiating a cardboard recycling program.” CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital’s Vice President of Support Services Joy Huff said they currently recycle all cardboard, newspapers and cans. “Recycling falls in line with our mission and core values, specifically our core value of stewardship which encourages all of us to make wise use of resources in a collaborative manner to improve our community. Recycling is our responsibility,” she said. Women and Children’s Hospital shreds all confidential paper then recycles it, especially in departments that generate a high volume of paper. “We are fully engaged in our toner cartridge recycling program,” explained Annette Garber, marketing director, “as well as having paper and aluminum recycling bins throughout the hospital. Our Senior Club, for those 50 and above, have an active program to collect cans for recycling.” She said many ideas for recycling have come from their FOCUS program, where employees are encouraged to submit ideas for recycling, cost-savings and being environmentally friendly.
While standard building practices are guided by short term economic considerations, more sustainable construction practices emphasize long term quality, efficiency and affordability, along with a focus on decreasing any negative environmental impact of the project. This approach takes a great deal of additional planning, but according to Gus Schram, III, with Walnut Grove, a new traditional neighborhood development (TND) in Lake Charles, it’s been an important part of their design approach from the beginning. Walnut Grove is located along some of the region’s most beautiful marsh land, bordering Contraband Bayou. “We chose this location because of it’s natural beauty. We don’t want to do anything to diminish that – our goal is to protect and enhance it for residents and visitors to enjoy,” says Schram.
Take Steps to Fight Lung Cancer Mark your calendar and make plans to help us raise money to ght lung cancer, the #1 cancer killer in the country. Annual Free to Breathe 5K Run • 1 Mile Walk
Saturday, March 16 Follow us on
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For more information or to register online, visit
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freetobreathe.org March 2013
Several environment-sustaining projects at Walnut Grove include:
Baffle Box The storm drains of Walnut Grove feature Lake Charles’ first nutrientseparating baffle box system in a residential development application. This sediment and debris-trapping structure is near the storm drain outflow into the estuary. It reduces the opportunity for potentially tons of sediment and pollutants to enter the estuary, where they would cause irreversible damage to its fragile ecosystem.
TrueGrid TrueGrid, an innovative green paving alternative, has been installed along Depot Alley. TrueGrid is environmentally friendly, made of 100% recycled plastic, and is water permeable to absorb run-off and prevent erosion. Once completed, it will look like a grassy lawn instead of unsightly concrete. The grass will filter particulates and hydrocarbons, allowing cleaner water to return to the water table.
Traditional concrete paved lots or paths sheet flow water, including contaminates, through the sewer drainage into the estuary. TrueGrid helps to prevent this.
Repurposed Bricks Reusing and repurposing are hallmarks of environmental responsibility. The paver bricks installed in front of the Lawton Building come from St. Louis, Missouri, and have an interesting history. They are made of clay mined from 1890 - 1940. Some were hand crafted before the industrial revolution, and come from one of the most famous streets in St. Louis, in the ItalianAmerican neighborhood called “The Hill,” where Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola grew up. The bricks more orange in appearance were interior brick; the reds were used on the exterior of homes and buildings. Any black bricks you see were used in fireplaces, and are charred.
Antique Cypress Beams Cypress beams have been reclaimed from aging structures and are being reused in various parts of new construction throughout Walnut Grove. Beautiful, old growth Cypress is strong and one of
the most decay-resistant of all U.S. wood, making it idea for salvaging and reuse.
Street Lights Crafted by the Bevelo Gas and Electric Lights company in New Orleans’ French Quarter, the street lanterns throughout Walnut Grove feature the latest-technology LED light bars to improve light quality while conserving energy. “These are just a few examples of the sustainable construction practices we are incorporating,” says Schram. “We are committed to environmental stewardship now and in the future. Our neighborhood covenants include firm guidelines for best management practices for home, lawn and garden construction and maintenance aimed to reduce the community’s ecological imprint and keep our waterways and natural environment clean and beautiful.” For more information about Walnut Grove, visit www.walnutgrovetnd.com.
DEVALL TOWING & BOAT SERVICES OF HACKBERRY, INC. Since 1952
Towboat Contractor • Deck Barge Rental • 45 Tank Barges • 29 Boats
Servicing the inland waterway industry & inland drilling industry Operating Dispatcher 24 hours a day • Family Owned & Operated • Serving the Marine Industry March 2013
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GO GREEN
Area Recycling Update PARISH
In December 2011, the parish placed two recycle bins at the Calcasieu parish’s two solid waste dropoff sites. The centers are located in Sulphur and Lake Charles and have taken in about 700 yards of recyclables since opening. Waste Management picks up the recycle bins every two weeks and then items are sorted and processed for recycling. There are two bins at the west facility at 2915 Post Oak Road in Sulphur and one bin at the east facility, 5500 B Swift Plant Road in Lake Charles. The centers are open from 7am – 5pm Thursday through Monday and are closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
LAKE CHARLES
Team Green of Southwest Louisiana is a Mayor’s Commission whose mission is to develop and sponsor projects, which will enhance the appearance and quality of the environment in Southwest Louisiana. There are currently two Green Station Drop-Off Centers, one at 4331 East Broad Street, which is open from 8am - 4pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and one at Nelson Ball Field on Alma Lane from 8am – 3:45pm on Monday through Saturday. The following projects help Team Green accomplish their mission. Adopt-a-Spot/Litter Pick-up Beach Sweep Clean Campus Contest Clean City Contest Litter Law Enforcement Mercury Collection Recycling Telephone Book Recycling Contest Trash Bash
SULPHUR
In October 2011, the City of Sulphur began a voluntary recycling program with two bins located at Eastside Fire Station. In no time, the program was expanded to four bins at Eastside Fire Station, one at City Hall and one at Southside Fire Station. Several schools expressed an interest in the City’s program. To date, Leblanc Middle School, E. K. Key Elementary School and Frasch Elementary School have joined in the City’s effort to promote recycling. A Super Recycler Award is given every nine weeks to a student from those respective schools. Also, W. W. Lewis Middle School conducts a recycling program for their students. The City of Sulphur also provides a collection service for the recyclable materials collected by Care Help.
SPRING RECYCLE DATES
2013 E-Recycle Day – March 23, 8-11am, in the parking lot of the Sulphur Stine location.
For more information on these recycling efforts, visit cityoflakecharles.com.
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Fuel Up your Body with Clean Energy by Katie Harrington
It seems like everyone these days is talking about going green. It is becoming more popular to recycle what you can and we are making great strides in improving our energy efficiency. In the last decade or so this green movement has made its way to our diets as well. Farmer’s markets are becoming more popular every day and people are becoming more conscious of where their food has been and what exactly they are putting in their body. In an effort to be healthier, grocery store shelves and produce bins are now loaded with items like organic fruits and vegetables and gluten-free pasta and snacks. “As a country we’ve finally begun to realize that we are fighting an obesity epidemic,” says Jeremy Ward, DC, a chiropractor with Ultimate Performance Sports and Rehab. “We’ve discovered that we have developed a habit of eating just because it tastes good instead of eating simply for fuel.” Even though we are now seeing more ‘pure’ products on the shelves, they are still being squeezed for space by pre-packaged convenience foods. According to Dr. Ward, the problem with these items is all of things added to them to preserve their shelf life and in some cases, to make them taste better. “We live in a toxic world where our primary source of fuel is loaded with artificial flavorings, preservatives and food additives. All of these extras create a great burden to our immune system.” March 2013
What exactly does it mean to eat clean though and how do we make the switch? “Clean eating really is as simple as getting back to the basics,” Dr. Ward says. “For example, instead of buying canned vegetables, buy fresh produce or head out to the local farmer’s market and buy fresh, seasonable products that were grown locally.” Dr. Ward adds that clean eating and achieving fitness goals go hand-in-hand. “You cannot get healthy without eating healthy. You can exercise for hours every day, but if you pass through the drivethru afterwards, you aren’t really getting anywhere.” Food is the ticket to good health. “If you eat things that aren’t good for you, your body will show it,” says Dr. Ward. “On the other hand, if you eat healthy and fresh foods, then you will not only look better, but you will feel better too.” Dr. Ward offers these additional tips for cleaning up your diet.
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GULF COAST SOCIAL SERVICES right
Go green! Stick to foods that are off a tree, bush, plant or vine.
Throw in Meat. Aim for cuts that are whole and straight from the butcher. Steer clear of prepackaged products because preservatives are often added to ensure freshness. Enjoy grains. Stick to brown rice, whole wheat and other whole grains. Be careful with consuming too much gluten though. This protein found in grains is difficult for the human body to break down. Leaky gut and indigestion are just two possible negative side effects stemming from a gluten-rich diet. Read labels carefully. Even if the package states the product is whole grain for example, it’s important to still read the label. If a loaf of bread claims to be whole grain but enriched wheat flour is listed as one of the first ingredients, then it is not truly whole grain. Eat fewer ingredients. Look for foods that have no more than three to six ingredients and be sure you recognize each of them. Remember, if you can’t pronounce the ingredient, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
Eat several small meals a day. Focus on smaller portion sizes. Eat a sensible breakfast, lunch and dinner and then add in two to three small snacks for a total of five to six meals per day. Finally, cleaning up your diet may seem a little overwhelming at first, but by making one or two small changes at a time, you can find yourself feeling recharged and renewed in no time. “Just like any other lifestyle change you set out to make, it’s important to take baby steps,” adds Dr. Ward. “Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes either. We all make them. It’s what you do the majority of the time that counts.” For more information on cleaning up your diet, visit www.uperformance.com or call (337) 421-0010.
March 2013
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Money & Career
Repurpose your Refund by Kristy Armand
Tax season is here, and if you are one of the lucky ones, you may get a tax refund this year. Whether you’ve already received it or are eagerly awaiting it, it’s tempting to view this refund as “free money,” but keep in mind, this is really just your money that the government is returning, so you should not necessarily treat it as a windfall, according to Christa Comeaux, assistant vice president with Lakeside Bank.
Double-up on your mortgage payment. Extra payments reduce the
“Many people get their money and immediately spend it all on a shopping spree or vacation, without stopping to think about how wiser financial choices could be turned into many more shopping sprees and vacations in their future,” Comeaux says. To truly take advantage of your refund with your overall finances in mind, Comeaux recommends that taxpayers consider these suggestions:
longevity of the loan and ultimately save you money. Just one extra payment each year could reduce the life of the loan by up to six years in for most loans.
Start a rainy day fund for emergencies. Ideally, you would have three to six months’ worth of expenses saved, just in case you or your spouse face an unexpected crisis, such as losing a job. Rainy day funds also come in handy for large, unplanned expenses. Once you start it, try to contribute a portion of your income every month. It doesn’t take much to bulk up a savings account, especially with a hefty head start that a refund can provide.
Pay down debt. Use your tax refund to take care of
Take care of the things you’ve been putting off. If you’ve been delaying repairs or purchases, such as new tires, servicing your car, upgrading appliances or starting a college fund due to lack of finances, this is a great way to use your tax refund.
any bills you are behind on paying. This is a wise choice any time you have extra money and outstanding debt. Paying down credit card debt is one of the best ways to improve your credit score.
Invest. Just like starting a rainy day fund, investing your tax refund may not provide any immediate reward but can help you be financially prepared for the future.
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“There are numerous ways that consumers can use their refund to its fullest potential. Some are practical and some are not-sopractical. It’s ultimately up to the consumer to decide what to do with their refund money,” Comeaux says. “There’s certainly nothing wrong with doing something for yourself, but as you make plans for this money, keep your bigger financial picture in mind.” For more information on managing your money, call Lakeside Bank at (337) 474-3766 or visit www.LakesideBank.com.
Financial Resolutions? Let’s Talk Solutions.
Whether it’s getting started with investing, saving for college, managing risk, preparing for retirement, arranging your estate, supporting an aging parent, or all of these, the experienced advisors at Rau Financial Group can help. We’ll listen to your goals and dreams first. Then we’ll develop a sound customized strategy to help you pursue them. Make a resolution today to set up a free initial consultation.
The Rau Financial Team: Mark Eckard, Debora Alexander, Denise Wilkinson, Denise Rau, Joel Istre, Eva Abate, Philip O’Quin (337) 480-3835 | 1634 RYAN ST., LAKE CHARLES | www.raufinancialgroup.com March 2013
Denise Rau
Securities offered through LPL Financial Member FINRA/SIPC
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Money & Career
It’s Your Call:
Mobile Internet Security Need to pay a bill or order dinner on the go? No worries. Today’s cell phones have made it convenient to do just about anything from anywhere with just the touch of a few buttons. Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart have even created apps allowing you to shop from anywhere. There’s no question that these options make our lives easier, but are we paying the price for them by risking the security of personal banking and credit card information? Just like a personal computer, our cell phones hold a plethora of personal information, making them a tempting target for identity thieves. In fact, Lookout, a mobile security firm, says four out of 10 mobile users will click on a potentially dangerous link in the next 12 months. The first step to mobile phone security is to password protect your device via your settings menu.
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The second step to keeping your data safe is to know what you can do on your device without worry. For instance, you should be safe checking the headlines on your favorite news and magazine sites. Just make sure your username and password for each account is unique. You can also rock out to your favorite tunes and follow GPS directions without fretting. Conversely, you should proceed with caution when it comes to managing your money from your device. Mobile banking is only as secure as the phone itself. Since there is no way of knowing if your device has been compromised, proceed with caution. You should also be careful using free Wi-Fi to send and receive data via your mobile device. Finally, think twice before using your phone to update your social media accounts. If you’ve volunteered your birthday, hometown or other personal information as part of your profile on these sites, and you update these accounts over a free Wi-Fi connection, you could compromise other accounts. Armed with this data, a hacker can easily determine the answers to your security questions and log in to your banking and other secure accounts. The bottom line when it comes to cellular security is to take the same precautions you would when sharing private information from your personal computer.
March 2013
home of the Free Banking Services
Pet Pics Improve Performance Turns out checking out adorable pet pics could actually make you more effective at work. Japanese scientists found that looking at cute photos increased people’s manual dexterity and speed at mental tasks. “When we see a cute thing, we want to get close and know its details,” said Hiroshi Nittono, PhD, study author. “We then bring that focus to the non-puppy-related job we tackle next.”
Other banks tempt you with the promise of free services, but surprise you in the fine print. Not Lakeside Bank. Our goal is helping you save money, and when we say FREE, there’s NO FINE PRINT. Free Checking Options
Free ATM Use at Any ATM
Free Online Bill Pay
Plus, we offer additional options you can choose to add, allowing you to manage your money, your way.
Join the Migration to Lakeside, and set your money free.
4735 Nelson Rd., Lake Charles March 2013
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Money & Career All you need to know to stay in the know! Business First Bank Adds Vice President
City Savings Bank Marks 85th Anniversary
Gregory C. Robertson, President of Business First Bank, Southwest Louisiana, announced that Gwen Himel has joined the banking team as Vice President. Himel brings more than 30 years of Southwest Louisiana banking experience in numerous leadership positions to Business First. For more information on Business First Bank, call (337) 721-2700.
Robert S. Touchette, president of City Savings Bank, held an anniversary celebration commemorating 85 years of community banking service in February. It was on Valentine’s Day in 1928 that City Savings Bank obtained its state charter to conduct business in Louisiana. For more information, visit www.citysavingsbank.com.
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Oceans Healthcare Closes $17m Strategic Growth Equity Financing
Gwen Himel
Healthy Image Named U.S. Chamber Blue Ribbon Award Winner The U.S. Chamber of Commerce named Healthy Image, a full-service marketing and communication agency in Lake Charles, a 2013 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award winner. Healthy Image was one of 100 businesses throughout the country to be named. The company’s three partners, Kristy Armand, Christine Fisher, and Barbara VanGossen, will be recognized in April at America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. The award program honors companies that demonstrate excellent business practices in several areas including strategy, employee development, community involvement and customer service. Healthy Image was named Small Business of the Year for Southwest Louisiana in 2012 by Louisiana Economic Development, and selected by the Chamber Southwest to be part of their Economic Gardening pilot program. The agency has received hundreds of ADDY awards for advertising, design and copywriting, as well as being honored by the Louisiana Press Association. Healthy Image is located at 836 University Drive in Lake Charles. To learn more, visit their website at www.ehealthyimage.com.
Oceans Healthcare, Louisiana’s largest provider of psychiatric facilities for geriatric patients, closed a $17m round of strategic growth equity financing from General Catalyst Partners. The financing will be used to capitalize the organization as a foundation for its geographic expansion.
Nine Lives Media Names National Networks to Distinguished List National Networks, LLC, has made Nine Lives Media’s sixth annual MSPmentor 501 Global Edition, a distinguished list and report identifying the world’s top 501 managed service providers.
The Heritage Festival March 28-30, 2013
Imperial Health Laboratory Recognized The Imperial Health Laboratory has met all criteria for continued Laboratory Accreditation by COLA, a national healthcare accreditation organization. COLA accreditation is given only to laboratories that apply rigid standards of quality in day-to-day operations, demonstrate continued accuracy in the performance of proficiency testing, and pass a rigorous on-site laboratory survey.
Signatures Salon Named a Top 200 Salon For the fourth consecutive year, Signatures Salon in Lake Charles, owned by Wendy White-McCown, was named one of the top 200 salons in North America by SALON TODAY magazine, a top business publication for salon and spa owners. In addition to inclusion in the top-ranked salons, Signatures also received special recognition the category of Customer Service. Additional information about services is available at www.signaturessalon.biz.
Saturday - March 30th • 9:00 pm
Bernie Alan Band
March 28th 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm Free Admission March 29th and 30th – 9:00 am until 11:00 pm Active Uniformed Military Free Admission The Heritage Festival in Merryville give visitors an experience of an 1800’s town fair with skits, historical demonstrations, live music, special exhibits in the museum, historic 1883 Burks Log Cabin and an old jail dated back to 1912! Live performances by the Bernie Alan Band, Bayou Boogie, Jesse Carmichael (1863), Zydecane, the Louisiana Kids and other local favorites. Cook Off Contest, Washer Board Tournament and Camo Queen competitions. From all of us who call Merryville “home”, we look forward to seeing you and your family! Media Sponsor: KVVP 105.7 FM Big Dog Country Radio in Leesville, LA Platinum Sponsor: Townsley Law Firm in Lake Charles, LA Gold Sponsor: Connector Specialists in Sulphur, LA Silver Sponsors: Ideal Health Mart in DeRidder, LA, Sabine State Bank, Bass Assassin
For more information visit www.merryvilleheritagefestival.com Email merryvillehistoricmusuem@yahoo.com or call 337-396-3467
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When selecting a workers’ comp provider, being close counts. For more than 20 years, LCI has helped all kinds of Louisiana companies—offering competitive rates, great service, and excellent coverage across 200+ class codes. Today we’re proud to say that we serve more than 2500 businesses in 63 of the state’s 64 parishes. So give us a call to see what we can do for you. Or if you want to chat in person, we’ll be right here in our New Orleans headquarters. lciwc.com :: 985-612-1230 March 2013
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Places & Faces
Local farmer Burt Tietje examines the catch from one of his crawfish traps.
Crawfish Farming: Louisiana’s Gold Mine Thirteen years ago in Jeff Davis Parish, crawfish farming accounted for two to three percent of a rice farmer’s income. By 2010, that number had increased to 23 percent and totaled over 12.5 million pounds of production.
by Katie Harrington photos by Shonda Manuel
What started out as a way for a few farmers to supplement their rice crop has become an important secondary crop for many.
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A brief history lesson Burt Tietje, local farmer and owner of Tallgrass Farm in Roanoke, says records on crawfish farming go back to New Orleans in the 1800’s. “The Mississippi River would flood and when the waters receded, the crawfish would move out of the swamps in great numbers. Fishermen would go out and catch them and sell them in the French Market.” During the Great Depression food was scarce and the Extension Service suggested that people eat crawfish as a source of protein. For decades, the Louisiana delicacy was considered a poor man’s food. The majority of the wild caught crawfish came from the Atchafalaya Basin. By the 1960’s the Basin supply of wild caught crawfish could not meet the demand by restaurants offering boiled crawfish so eventually farmers learned how to grow them as a crop in area rice fields. “If I set up my pond correctly and time my flood just right, if the oxygen level is adequate, if winter weather is not too cold, if predators don’t eat all my young crawfish, this can be a profitable enterprise,” says Tietje. “It’s become crucial to survival of our farms. This is a good cash crop in the spring when we normally have no cash flow.” Tietje refers to the crop as a simple supply and demand market. “I catch crawfish, I put them in a sack and I sell them to a consumer or to a wholesaler and collect the money. There’s an immediate gratification as opposed to a crop like rice where you grow it, put it in your bin to dry, wait for another two or three months before being sold and sent to the mill and then it’s months later before you get paid for it. That’s a big disconnect. Crawfish farming is the last pure market we’ve got.”
How does it work? Growing crawfish in a rice field is a fairly simple process. “In this field for example, we planted rice in April of last year and then seeded the crawfish in June by dumping a sack of live crawfish per acre,” says Tietje. After the crawfish are seeded, the farmer then cuts the water off and dries the field for harvesting. “They begin to bury up, generally mating either before they burrow in or immediately after,” adds Tietje. “They seal themselves off from predators and then we come back in October and turn the pump on to fill the ponds back up. They sense the water and that their mud plug has gotten soft.” At this point, the crawfish dig themselves out and release their young into the pond. Tietje says this process is all a basic replication of the natural life cycle of the crawfish in the wild. “The luxury we’ve got in the rice fields that wild caught crawfish don’t have is that we don’t have to wait for the flood waters to come down the Mississippi from the melting snows up north,” Tietje says. “We turn the pump on when we want and bring the crawfish out early. We can let them grow all fall and winter. Wild caught crawfish may not get their slug of water until late March or April. We start providing crawfish in December. We have a longer season and a more reliable crop.”
March 2013
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Places & Faces Outside of crawfish farming being a potential cash crop, Tietje says the other thing he loves most is the truly organic nature of crawfishing. “There is nothing else added, other than water, to the land. Everything else is sunshine and biology. These little single cell organisms come along and begin eating and then a bigger organism follows and eats them and so on. All of these organisms become a food chain for the crawfish. And we provide great wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl to boot.”
So, when is crawfish season exactly?
“We start catching them in December,” comments Tietje. “December, January, February are generally pretty cold months so we don’t catch many. This is why the price is high.” Tietje points out that the farmer’s don’t set the price of the crop, the buyer does. If the demand isn’t there and the market is slow, then the farmers are told not to crawfish. The biggest months are March and April and by May the catches start declining before completely dropping off in June. Even though crawfish farming allows the farmer a measure of control over the crop, Mother Nature still plays a hand in the success of the season.
“We are still dependant on the weather to some extent” adds Tietje. “We need the heat, the sun, out there to warm up that water in winter to get things moving and we can have problems with the crawfish drying up and dying in the burrows when we get a long, hot, dry season in late summer. Tietje says the long, wet months we experienced last year are making for a great start to this year’s crop.
Getting the crawfish to your table
After the farmer collects his sacks of crawfish, it’s time to move them to market. “We depend on a group of mid-level buyers,” Tietje says. “There are 30 to 40 farmers going through the local crawfish dock in Roanoke delivering their crawfish daily. In the late afternoon and through the night, trucks are coming in buying the crawfish and moving them on to final markets in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Houston, San Antonio and beyond. These guys have done a good job of creating markets to sell our crop to.” The next time you fire up your burner to boil some crawfish or travel down Interstate 10, take note of the crawfish ponds and rice fields lining the roadway. Somewhere out there, a farmer is working
A specialized boat is used, making manueverabiltiy through the crawfish pond easier while emptying the crawfish nets.
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hard to bring you one of Louisiana’s greatest delicacies, crawfish!
Tietje prepares to head out into the crawfish pond.
One of Tietje’s dogs patiently waits on the levee. Thrive Magazine for Better Living
March 2013
On-Site Catering Drive-Thru Service We Sell Live Crawfish!
Tietje explains how to tell the gender of a crawfish.
479 - 2295 5400 Hwy 14 (South of McNeese St)
Crawfish scurry around the boat before being dropped into a sack.
March 2013
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Places & Faces
h s i f w a s e r C ecip R
Blackened Louisiana crawfish served over rice Chef David Crews Ducks Nest Restaurant ~ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter ~ 1/2 cup seafood stock ~ 1 heaping tablespoon Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish Magic ~ 8 ounces cooked and peeled Louisiana crawfish tails ~ 1/2 cup cooked rice
Crawfish Etouffee Chef Tricia ‘Teedy’ Boutté ~ 1/4 cup butter ~ 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour ~ 1/2 cup chopped celery ~ 1/2 cup chopped green pepper ~ 1/4 cup chopped green onions ~ 1 cup chicken broth ~ 1/2 cup water In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter and then stir in the flour. Cook and stir ~ 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley constantly over low heat for about 20 minutes, until mixture is a ~ 1 tablespoon tomato paste caramel-colored paste. Add the celery, pepper, and onions; stir until ~ 1 bay leaf coated. Add the broth, water, parsley, tomato paste, bay leaf, salt, pepper, ~ 1/4 teaspoon salt garlic powder, Creole seasoning, and cayenne. Stir the pot well to ~ 1/4 teaspoon pepper make sure that the roux is well incorporated and there are no lumps. ~ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Add ~ 1/4 teaspoon Creole seasoning crawfish and heat through. Serve over rice. ~ 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper ~ 1 pound cooked Louisiana crawfish tail meat (thaw if frozen) ~ hot cooked rice, as needed
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SEAFOOD PALACE
BOILED CRABS • BOILED CRAWFISH • BOILED SHRIMP
Heat stock and butter on high heat in sauté pan until butter melts. Add blackened seasoning and crawfish tails. Cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Remove crawfish from pan and place on warm plate with rice. Return stock to heat for 1 minute or until stock starts to thicken slightly. Remove and pour one-quarter of the stock over crawfish and rice. Return the rest to heat. Reduce until thickened. Be careful not to burn. Spoon on top of rice and crawfish, making sure to serve all of the blackened seasoning as part of the dish.
(337) 433-9293 MON - SAT • 10:30AM - 9PM 2218 ENTERPRISE BOULEVARD, LAKE CHARLES, LA
Got
Crawfish?
We farm our own crawfish, therefore we cull out the little ones. Honey B Hams, home of the BIG CRAWFISH served with just the right amount of spice. Come get a platter full to eat in or a ice chest full to take home!
We Do!
506 East Prien Lake Road • 478-3354
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WE CATER CRAWFISH PARTIES
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Places & Faces |
Recipes
Louisiana Crawfish Courtesy of: Louisiana Seafood for Life ~ ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil ~ ¾ cup garlic, chopped ~ Cherry tomatoes, stemmed, split in 1/2; 72 ea. ~ 3 Tbsp. crushed red pepper ~ 1½ cups white wine ~ 3 cups clam juice ~ 2¼ lb. Louisiana crawfish tails ~ 1½ lb. raw whole wheat spaghetti, 2 oz. raw, cooked per package instructions ~ ¾ cup flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped ~ 3 Tbsp. black pepper, freshly ground
Heat large sauté pan; add extra virgin olive oil, garlic and tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Add crushed red pepper, white wine, clam juice and Louisiana Crawfish; toss and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add cooked pasta; toss to heat through and let cook for 2-3 minutes to allow pasta to absorb sauce. Mound into serving bowls; garnish with parsley and freshly cracked black pepper.
Source for all recipes: Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board.
LAKE CHARLES DERIDDER 474-7377 463-4574 1717 Prien Lake Rd. 514 N. Pine St.
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BY THE NUMBERS
4 lbs
3 to 10 inches
amount of live crawfish needed to serve one adult
metric tons
number of crawfish produced annually in the U.S. foodreference.com
louisiana seafood promotion & marketing board
size range of crawfish depending on the species and the location foodreference.com
1%
60,000
1.5 lbs
amount of tail meat yielded from 10 pounds of whole crawfish louisiana seafood promotion & marketing board
fat content in washed crawfish tail meat foodreference.com
300
average number of eggs a female crawfish produces during one mating season lsu agcenter
90%
amount of U.S. produced crawfish coming from Louisiana each year foodreference.com
March 2013
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Places & Faces
Louisiana Entrepreneurs Launch a Healthcare
HIT by Kristy Armand
Think back to a simpler time in healthcare. A time when a doctor’s visit involved real conversation between a patient and a doctor, and lasted longer than a few minutes. A time when healthcare may not have been as technologically advanced, but it was definitely a lot more personal. Fast forward several decades, and healthcare is anything but simple. New technology has led to amazing improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of patients, but conversely, the personal relationship between patients and doctors has declined dramatically. Government and insurance regulations and requirements have created a multitude of barriers between doctors and patients which impede communication and depersonalize care. Instead of improving this process as it intended, the 2009 government mandate requiring all healthcare providers to implement Electronic Health Records (EHR) by 2014 has added new, digital layers to the problem, and even worse, it’s just not working. The failure rate of EHR implementation is close to 50 percent across the country. Programs are often complicated to use and incompatible with other programs for billing and scheduling, and with systems used by other providers. EHRs may help the doctor leave paper behind, but patients are being left behind as well. These systems still require information to be entered during and after the exam, further decreasing the time doctors have to see their patients. Every 15 minutes a doctor spends with a patient can require up to as much as one hour of end-of-day documentation. As a result, doctors today spend less time than ever with their patients, leading to inefficiencies in care that begin with the very first appointment.
Two Brothers’ Careers Converge Growing up in Lake Charles, brothers Peter Ragusa, MD, MPH and Rand Ragusa never dreamed they’d be at the helm of a company that has been called a “game-changer” in the healthcare industry. Their company, VoiceHIT, is poised to revolutionize communication between healthcare providers and patients, restoring the doctor-patient relationship in a way that will improve care, reduce costs and ultimately save lives. After earning his undergraduate degree from LSU in Baton Rouge, Peter earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He then completed a fellowship as a Government Relations Fellow with the American Medical Association. In that position, he gained experience and insight into the cost and chaos that accompanied EHR 44 www.thriveswla.com
implementation. “I saw firsthand how the evolution of this type of technology was hindering, not helping, patient-doctor relationships. I knew there had to be a better way, but the more I researched, I realized the technology didn’t exist to fix the multitude of problems. We needed a system that would think like a doctor, not like an insurance processor; a system that was focused on facilitating communication and improving care, not just digitizing information.” So Peter went back to school, and earned a Master of Public Health, with a focus on Health Policy and Administration, Rand Ragusa, Peter Ragusa, MD, MPH and Jeff Miller in 2011 from the School of Public Health at Yale University. While there, he started developing the framework for VoiceHIT and A Better Day™ is on the Horizon the software solutions he had in mind. (The HIT in the company’s name is an acronym for Health for Healthcare Information Technology.) While Dr. Ragusa was on the East Coast pursuing his education, his brother Rand was building an impressive resume in the technology field, working in technology and software sales, marketing and business development. He held senior executive roles with four Silicon Valley start-ups (Infoseek. What started as Peter’s idea for facilitating com, Freestyle Interactive, SurfaceArea.com, Sony better doctor-patient communication through EHR Broadband). “It was a natural fit for Peter and I to technology evolved into VoiceHIT’s online software work together on VoiceHIT, and it seemed just as platform, called Better Day™, a product that is natural for us to come back to Louisiana when creating major buzz – with a capital B – throughout it was time put our ideas and business plan into the healthcare industry. The company has received action.” recognition as an emerging leader in the EHR field The brothers, along with Dr. Ragusa’s college in numerous national media outlets, including roommate Jeff Miller, also a Lake Charles native, Forbes, NPR, Information Week, Healthcare IT News set up their corporate offices in the BioInnovation and EHR Watch. Center in New Orleans, in the center of what Better Day is a patient-centered, Web-based has become know as Silicon Bayou. “This health management platform that offers a ‘smart’ location allowed us easy access to business and EHR solution, designed to improve patient care. technological resources,” says Rand. “The state has The system uses medical speech recognition, become very focused on growing the bio-tech predictive modeling and a wide variety of thirdindustry in recent years and we’ve received a great party applications to expedite patient-provider deal of support. Equally important has been the collaboration for better health management. input and support from our families, friends and Dr. Ragusa says the comprehensive program is physicians in our home town of Lake Charles. We available for providers still searching for an EHR have an active satellite office here, and this is where package that fits their practices, and it will also we chose to do the pilot and beta testing of our work seamlessly as an add-on solution for already product.” in place EHR systems. “Better Day doesn’t come in a box to download onto your system. We customize Thrive Magazine for Better Living
March 2013
the software for each office.” In the office, Better Day successfully removes the computer as an unwelcome participant in the patient-doctor relationship through the use of medical speech recognition technology, which allows for passive, automated documentation. “Doctors can stop typing during exams,” says Dr. Ragusa. “They can spend more time with their patients and listen to what they are saying, eyeballto-eyeball. This is critical to a patient encounter – it has been undermined by technology and that has to change.” Better Day’s technology also helps patients engage with their doctors in a more meaningful way both in and out of the office. “Over 95 percent of a person’s health is managed by them, outside of
a medical office setting,” explains Dr. Ragusa. “They take their medications, test their glucose levels, follow a diet plan, exercise and more – often with the help of smart phone apps, online programs and home health devices. With Better Day, we are able to give this data a home at your doctor’s office and use it to improve your care. It’s a modern twist on an old-fashioned house call, giving doctors muchneeded real-time insight into how a patient’s daily lives could be affecting their heath.” A pilot test of Better Day at Dr. Keith DeSonier’s ENT practice in Lake Charles is nearing completion. “We wanted our first implementation to be in single office,” says Dr. Ragusa. “It’s been a great success and we are ready to move to the beta phase of our testing with Imperial Health in Lake Charles. By the
end of the year, our plan is to be marketing Better Day across the country.” “When we first started working on this, our goal was to find a way to get medical technology and computers to understand how people work, rather than the other way around,” says Dr. Ragusa. “After all, healthcare is about people – both doctors and patients. Technology and EHR systems should help create stronger connections between them, not put up new types of barriers. We weren’t sure exactly how we would do it or what the end product would be exactly, but I was committed to remaining focused on this objective, and I feel we’re accomplishing that.”
What Local Doctors are Saying about Better Day™
Additional Noteworthy VoiceHIT Insights
Keith Desonier, MD ENT Specialist, ENT Associates I’m very proud to have my office serve as the pilot study site for the implementation of Better Day. I’ve watched the Ragusa brothers grow up; their mom was my office manager. Before Peter went to medical school, we had many conversations about the direction of healthcare and what regulations and paperwork were doing to the industry. Healthcare is personal, but computers depersonalize it. This software changes all that. I’ve never seen anything like it. The voice recognition is programmed to work with the way I talk. It’s important to understand that it’s not a dictation device or an audio recording. The technology is designed to recognize content and context, specific to the way I practice. It’s amazingly efficient. I’m extremely pleased with how it is working in my office and how we are able to customize it for my specialty. Physicians and their patients are going to love how Better Day changes the patient/doctor dynamic in a very positive way.
CEO Dr. Peter Ragusa, MD, MPH was in the first class of high school graduates to receive the Louisiana TOPS award.
John Noble MD Orthopaedic Surgeon, Center for Orthopaedics Board Member, VoiceHIT The technology in Better Day™ is truly revolutionary, and has the potential to make direct patient care truly direct. It removes the computer as a barrier to care because now we can focus more on the actual examination. We are now able to listen to what our patients are saying, without worrying about whether we will remember hours later doing our clinical documentation exactly what they said or what code applies to their symptoms. We can function in “real time” and be present in the moment with each patient, knowing that an accurate record of the exam will exist, independent of my memory at the end of the day. I believe this technology will dramatically improve our efficiency and the efficiency of our entire practice. Simply put, Better Day™ allows doctors to give patients more time and better care.
VoiceHIT has benefited tremendously from Louisiana’s probusiness incentives, receiving start-up investment support through the state’s Angel Investor and Digital Media Tax Credit programs and as part of the BioInnovation business incubator in New Orleans. The company was selected to participate in the Idea Village’s 2012 IDEAxcelerator, an intensive, six-month business accelerator for 15-20 high-growth ventures in New Orleans. VoiceHIT was one of five early-stage companies that made the cut for High Stakes Pitch Night, held in conjunction with the Baton Rouge Entrepreneurship Week in November 2012. This pitch led to a private meeting with multiple potential investors. Both Peter and Rand Ragusa were named on the 2012 Silicon Bayou 100, a list of innovative technology executives in Louisiana. VoiceHIT was chosen as one of 15 companies in the country to present at the mHealth Summit’s Mobile Venture Fair in Washington, D.C. in December 2012, an event that connects emerging businesses with potential investors.
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Places & Faces
First Person is a monthly Q&A that features compelling people who excel in their chosen endeavors. Ideas for future Q&As? Email edit@thriveswla.com.
first person with
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Paul Groves by Brett Downer
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March 2013
Tenor
Paul Groves has performed in every major opera house in the world. He has won the Richard Tucker Foundation prize, the Metropolitan Opera’s National Council Auditions and global respect for his body of work. The New York Times has variously described him as “dramatically expressive” with “vivid and thoughtfully characterized” by “a capable, intelligent musician” who has “a beauty of tone.” And, he’s from Lake Charles. Groves went to Barbe, McNeese and LSU before launching his career. Nowadays, the praise may ring from the rafters during curtain calls, but Groves seems just as comfortable chatting about his family and hometown as he does globetrotting to sing the world’s great works. Proof of that was seen by his Barbe High classmates this past year, when Groves and his buddies reconstituted their high school band and demolished their class reunion with a concert unlike any other -- a world-class tenor fronting an ‘80s band, singing Steve Perry songs. The performance, captured by countless Barbe alumni on their iPhones, prompted an upcoming benefit concert that’s open to the public (see box). Since training at Juilliard, and debuting at the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala, Groves has crisscrossed the world for operas and concerts, forging a reputation as a world-class operatic tenor.
Before you singing around the world, you were at Barbe, at McNeese, at LSU. Are there things you did and learned here that you still carry today? Oh, sure. McNeese was my first time on stage. Barbe didn’t have a theatre program, so I never got to perform on stage until college -- but Barbe did have a strong band and choir. We had own rock band, too, of course. At McNeese, I did musical theatre first, and that was a great way to start -- the talking as well as the singing. I loved it. I did productions at LSU as well. When I teach master classes now, I tell students that they should take advantage of any chance they have to be on stage.
with a P and an L and no vowel. She said, “It’s just ‘pllh.’” I said, “It’s ‘pllh’ for five seconds?” We spent several hours going through things. When we opened the opera, there was one Czech guy in the cast. I apologized to him for destroying his language.
What’s opera life like over the course of a year, or a performing season? It varies every year, and depends on the productions and the concerts. I usually travel 11 months out of the year. Last year, I took a month off in December.
You’re about to come back to Lake Charles for another reunion concert with your high school rock band, this time for charity. How hard is it to shift from singing Mozart to Journey? (Laughs.) For me, it’s very difficult. It’s a completely different type of singing. I sing Journey, Styx. But I stay from AC/DC. It takes a couple of days to adjust. When we have these concerts, I have to take a few weeks off afterward, just to re-adjust to opera.
Who’s the hardest to sing? Mozart. You’re so exposed. If there’s one little glitch, it’s glaringly obvious. With Puccini, for example, the orchestration is loud, and the music is romantic ... so it’s not as noticeable if there are a few notes off. Are some languages harder to sing? Absolutely. Russian, for instance, is great to sing ... it has great vowels and it’s dark. But in 2012 I was asked to do an opera in Frankfurt, Germany, that was in Czech. I thought it would be easy to pick up, knowing Russian -- but I when tried learning it, it wasn’t even close. Usually, there are vowels, but I had one long note that was just a P and an L. No vowel. “Plhh.” I called my vocal coach at LSU, Robert Grayson, for help ... (and) he found a Czech student at LSU -- she was studying for her doctorate in biology. I drove over to Baton Rouge and sat with her. The first time through was hilarious. I asked her how to sing that long note
March 2013
What’s your next project? I’m going to Madrid to do a new production of “Don Giovanni.” It’s the first time I’ve done it in 13 years. After doing it with such a great cast in 2000 with Renee Fleming at the Met, I had even thought about retiring the role. But I’m doing it again for two months, and then we’ll go to Provence and perform it there.
So why do you do it? I grew up with it. Most Americans in opera have some kind of background in performing other music. I have other buddies who do it, too. Five or six years ago, we were opening a show at the Chicago Light Opera, and we’d all go out afterward, with Susan Graham, the famed mezzo-soprano, and we’d sing karaoke.
You sing karaoke? Sure! One time we went out and called it a OneNight-Only Karaoke Contest. I won. People came up to us afterward and said, “Wow, you guys are really great.” We never said who we were. I said I worked at the shipyard.
“Autism Rocks! “ Benefit Concert Sunday, May 26 , 6 p.m. L’auberge Casino Resort
Proceeds will benefit Autism Services of Southwest Louisiana, Inc. Corporate sponsorships and tables available. For more information, call 436-5001 or visit the Paul Grove & Mirage page on Facebook or www. AutismServicesSWLA.com. To buy tickets directly, visit autismrocks.eventbrite.com. *Donation of $50 per person, must be 21 or older to attend.
Paul with his local band Mirage. Other members are: Philip Miller – bass guitar. Alvin Hunt – guitar. Bob Landry – drums and vocals. Alvin Touchet – guitar and vocals.
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Places & Faces
Get Away to the
Gateway to the Bay
by Kristy Armand
If you are looking for a relaxing weekend getaway, or even just a fun day trip, Kemah, Texas, should be at the top of your list. I traveled there with two friends for a girls’ weekend and we had an amazing time. It’s a trip we plan to repeat this year.
Located on Galveston Bay , this waterfront community is 25 minutes south of Houston and 25 minutes north of Galveston. For us, it was a two-and-a-half hour drive from Lake Charles. The bayside location is home to fabulous restaurants, charming shops, a packed schedule of entertainment and festivals, a Boardwalk brimming with family activities, and a daily, scenic boat parade – not to mention the relaxing Gulf breeze. The name Kemah actually comes from the Native American Karankawan phrase “Wind in the Face.” Kemah is also home to the one of the largest pleasure boat fleets in the United States. In 2012 The Houston Business Journal ranked Kemah as the #1 tourist destination within the Greater Houston-Galveston Area. Our weekend was packed with a full agenda of things to see and do. Here are the highlights of our favorite experiences: We chose the Boardwalk Inn for our stay due to it’s convenient location in the 48 www.thriveswla.com
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middle of the famous Kemah Boardwalk. This boutique waterfront hotel features 52 guest rooms with private balconies, as well as premier meeting and banquet facilities. The staff went out of their way to make us feel welcome. We hit the Boardwalk right away to explore. The Kemah Boardwalk has been featured as one of the Top 10 Boardwalks in the U.S. by Forbes Traveler, and voted the “Ultimate Place to Take a Tourist” by readers of the Houston Chronicle. It’s a half-milelong, with something new to see or do every few feet, from specialty retail shops and restaurants to exciting midway games and amusements, including the coolest coaster on the coast – the Boardwalk Bullet! Special events are held nearly every weekend in the plaza. Our next stop was the Aquarium Restaurant on the Boardwalk. We had made arrangements to have appetizers here, ahead of our dinner plans later in March 2013
the evening. We had no idea we’d be diving into a dining adventure! A 50,000 gallon aquarium is the centerpiece of the restaurant, which allows exceptional floor-to-ceiling viewing from all tables. More than 100 species of colorful, tropical fish from the Caribbean Sea, Hawaii, South Pacific and the Indian Ocean reside in the tank. Other aquariums line the walls. We chose to sit on the patio to watch the boats come in. Our appetizers of fresh seafood were so delicious! It’s hard to please the discerning seafood palate of someone from Southwest Louisiana, but they did it. After dinner, we visited Stingray Reef, and had a great time touching and feeding the stingrays, before taking in the other rain forest themed exhibits of piranhas, snakes, scorpions, tarantulas a more. Our dinner that evening was at the Flying Dutchman, a local seafood favorite on the Boardwalk. Again, the seafood was incredibly good, and again, we chose to sit out by the water. We were definitely taking advantage of the famous Kemah Gulf breeze. We moved to the restaurant’s fire pit for dessert and after-dinner drinks and ended up staying there the rest of the night, listening to music from the Boardwalk and visiting with other tourists. The next morning, we took a short drive (down the street and around the corner) to Skipper’s Greek Café. This recommendation came from a friend
March 2013
of ours who lives in Kemah. From the outside, it looked like a small diner. We walked into a family atmosphere packed with locals and tourists. We were seated right away. The breakfast menu was huge, as were the serving sizes. What wasn’t huge was the price – we felt like we were undercharged! We hit Kemah’s Lighthouse District after that, just down from the Boardwalk. This series of streets offers a wide variety of shops, including handcrafted products, antiques, fine art, clothing and more. Don’t miss Boardwalk Fudge Factory, which is rated one of the top 10 fudge shops in the country. Then it was on to the Sip and Stroll wine festival which sprawled out along the entire boardwalk. Over 20 wineries and 60 wines were featured from all over the world. Live music played the entire afternoon, providing the perfect backdrop. On Sunday morning, we were thrilled to be invited to dine at the Lakewood Yacht Club, just a short drive from Kemah in Seabrook. Lakewood has been recognized as one of the 10 most prestigious yacht clubs in the country, and after our visit, we can attest that it is worthy of this acclaim. We arrived for brunch and were presented with a wide array of culinary creations beautifully presented. It was almost overwhelming –but not quite! Service was impeccable, and we managed to sample at least one delicious bite of everything, along with perfectly prepared mimosas while enjoying the
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clubhouse view of Clear Lake and Galveston Bay. After brunch, we were treated to a tour of the club and grounds. Lakewood is located on 38 beautifully landscaped acres. The Bermuda-style clubhouse includes a bar and piano lounge with several large screen televisions, and a beautiful ballroom for parties and events. Additional amenities include a sparkling pool, three lighted tennis courts, private meeting rooms and cabanas along the water. There’s even a game room for children. The marina area includes seven docks and 300 covered and open boat slips. The club offers an active agenda of regattas and cruises, along with sailing classes for adults and youth. We were told that people from Louisiana often take advantage of the short drive to take their summer sailing classes. Our brunch visit was the perfect way to end our fun-filled, relaxing weekend in Kemah.
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Places & Faces
Movers and Shakers in Southwest News? You tell us! Send press releases to Louisiana... Who’s edit@thriveswla.com with the subject line “Who’s News.”
SWLA Students Compete at Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition Gagliano Promoted Allen Bradley, Chairman/ CEO of AMERISAFE, announced, on behalf of the Board of Directors, that Vincent Gagliano has been promoted to the position of Executive Vice President – Chief Technology Officer. In his Vincent Gagliano new role at AMERISAFE, Gagliano will be responsible for the operations of the Information Technology and Premium Audit departments.
WCCH Announces Safety Award Recipients
Nine high school students representing Sulphur High School, DeRidder High School, Westlake High School, A.M. Barbe High School, and L to R: Brooke Bose, Bree Lee, Elizabeth Salvador. home school groups competed for the top three honors at the SWLA Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition at Central School. Elizabeth Salvador, a home school student, won third place, Bree Lee, a junior at Sulphur High School, was awarded second place, and Brooke Bose, a junior at A.M. Barbe High School, was honored with first place.
Symphony Names Executive Director
Charlotte Ardoin, RN
Lonnie Puryear
West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital (WCCH) named Charlotte Ardoin, RN, and Lonnie Puryear, network telecommunications supervisor, as recipients of its Safety Award. The award, which honors employees for their promotion of safety and safety awareness in and around the hospital, is distributed to those employees that demonstrate extraordinary awareness and action in minimizing potential safety risks.
Iberia Bank Announces Elected Education Chairman
Brian Abshire
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Iberia Bank has announced Brian Abshire to Education Chairman of the Louisiana Bankers Education Council for 2013. For more information, visit www.iba.org.
Shelly Appleby has been named Executive Director for the Lake Charles Symphony. She comes to the Symphony with more than twenty years of professional experience in grant writing, fundraising, Shelly Appleby and coordinating special events and volunteer management.
Dr. David Drez Completes 10-year Certification Program David Drez Jr., MD, orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Center for Orthopaedics, has been recognized by the American Board of David Drez Jr., MD Orthopaedic Surgery for successful completion of its Maintenance of Certification requirements. This means he has fulfilled all the stringent criteria for the Board’s recertification process, as well as participated in the full 10-year Maintenance of Certification program, which has many additional requirements of documentation and reporting of lifelong learning and performance. Dr. Drez is recognized as a leading national expert in the orthopaedic and sports medicine Thrive Magazine for Better Living
fields, and has published a large body of research that focuses on athletic injuries and prevention.
LaFamilia Resource Center Announces New Employees
Sherese Picornell
Daryl Boyd
LaFamilia Resource Center is pleased to announce the addition of two new employees, Sherese Picornell as Office/Program Coordinator, and Daryl Boyd as Marketing/Public Relations Director. For more information call (337) 312-2906.
Paul E. Fenn, MD, Joins Orthopaedic Specialists Memorial Medical Group welcomes Paul E. Fenn, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in lower extremity reconstruction and food and ankle surgery, to their Paul Fenn staff. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call Orthopaedic Specialists at (337) 494-4900.
Representatives Elected for Regional Organization The Southwest Louisiana Partnership for Economic Development elected its 2013 Officers, Executive Committee and Advisors at L to R: Incoming Chair Mayor Kenneth its December Stinson of the Town of Vinton and Outgoing Chair Ernie Broussard Board meeting. (Formerly of Cameron Parish.) The appointees represent the communities within the five parishes served by the SWLA Partnership for Economic Development: Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron & Jeff Davis. March 2013
The SWLA Partnership for Economic Development is a member of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance
Gary Named WCCH Employee of the Quarter West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital named Chase Gary, exercise specialist at Dynamic Dimensions Fitness Center in Sulphur, as its first quarter Employee of the Quarter. Chase Gary Gary is responsible for assisting in the coordination, promotion, and implementation of all wellness programs at Dynamic Dimensions and in the daily operations of the center.
ICHRMA Named Chapter of the Year Imperial Calcasieu Human Resources Management Association (ICHRMA) was named Chapter of the Year by the Louisiana Society for Human Resource Management State Council. This honor was bestowed upon the Southwest Louisiana local chapter in recognition of outstanding accomplishments made in 2012. For information about ICHRMA, visit ichrma.shrm.
Raftery Honored IBERIABANK has announced that Roy Raftery, Jr. was honored for his support of McNeese State University’s Athletic Department.
Licensed Professional Counselor
Progressive Waste Solutions Expands Sales Team
L to R: Elmo Sartin, Phil Earhart, Roy Raftery Jr. and Tommy McClelland.
Levens and Wilkinson Appointed to Board of Directors
Jake Philmon
Kevin “Davis” LaFleur
Progressive Waste Solutions has expanded its local sales team with the addition of Jake Philmon as District Sales Manager and Sales Representative Kevin “Davis” LaFleur. For more information, contact Progressive Waste Solutions Lake Charles office at (337) 436-2161. To find out more about Progressive Waste Solutions Ltd., visit the company website at www.progressivewaste.com.
Wallace to Head Business Incubator Adrian L. Wallace has been named the Executive Director of the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development (SEED) Center’s Business Incubator. Formerly with Adrian Wallace the City of Lake Charles, Adrian has worked with on this project since its inception and has recently earned his Incubator Management Certification.
Evan Morris to Louisiana College Sam Houston Highs School athlete, Evan Morris, has agreed to play soccer for Louisiana College. Morris is a two time all-District Selection and State Nominee in soccer. Morris plans to study Business Marketing. March 2013
825 Ryan Street, Suite 300 Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: (337) 436-6622
Brian Levens
Samuel Wilkinson
The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has two new appointees joining the board of directors with Brian Levens representing the West Calcasieu Association of Commerce and Samuel V. Wilkinson nominated by the Chamber Southwest. For more information on Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana, call (337) 436-9588.
Now offering Child & Adolescent Counseling
Southern Home Health Announces Care Representative Southern Home Health is proud to announce Jill Gilbert as their patient care representative. Jill has been a life long resident of the Lake Charles area and is a Jill Gilbert graduate of McNeese State University and The University of Texas at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.
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Kara E. Garofas, M.Ed., LPC, NCC
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Mind & Body
Sleep:
Work, school, family and social obligations in today’s 24-hour society have left us scrambling to fit it all in. The ability to work from anywhere via computers and mobile devices has also abolished the traditional 8 to 5 work schedule. The problem this creates, however, is that sleep is taking a backseat and our minds and bodies are not being given the attention and time needed for the natural healing processes to take place. Sleep specialists say that the average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep per night and it’s not just the quantity that is important. The quality of sleep counts too. New research is also debunking the old myths of ‘catching up on sleep’ as well. “Sleep deprivation is a major concern for a person’s overall health,” Dr. Jana Kaimal, medical director at the Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana, says. “Heart disease, depression, obesity, increased risk of having a stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure and sexual dysfunctions are just some of the medical conditions that are now being linked to inadequate sleep through various research projects.”
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Making It a Top Priority
Furthermore, most people’s plans to catch up on sleep when things settle down or over the weekend may not be enough. Missing out on those couple of extra hours of sleep creates what is called a sleep debt and if the pattern continues long-term then the debt becomes increasingly difficult to repay. “The thing to realize here is that one night of less than seven hours of sleep is not a huge deal, but if it becomes the rule to only get 5 hours of sleep per night, then a person’s physical and mental health will begin to decline,” says Dr. Kaimal. “In the short-term, their mood is going to be darker, their reaction times will be delayed and they will have trouble staying focused on basic cognitive tasks.”
What’s the big deal about sleep anyway?
The problem of living in a sleep deprived society is certainly not a new one, but it is definitely something that is becoming more of a mainstream health issue to be tackled head-on. “The field of sleep medicine is still relatively new. It was just a little more than a decade ago when Thrive Magazine for Better Living
By Katie Harrington
healthcare professionals really began to study the impact of sleep deprivation on a patient’s overall health picture,” Dr. Kaimal adds. In recent years formal scientific studies have been conducted and the results released are sobering. One out of every three people with high blood pressure also suffers from sleep apnea, a condition where the airway becomes obstructed during sleep. The cardinal symptom related to sleep apnea is snoring. “It is critical that anyone who suffers from heart disease, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular ailments needs to be checked for sleep apnea,” says Dr. Kaimal. “The treatment for apnea can be used in conjunction with other medications being taken in order to lessen a person’s risk for heart attacks and stroke.” Sleep deprivation is also a key player in increased risks for diabetes and obesity according to Dr. Kaimal.“When our bodies become sleep deprived, our brains secrete increased amounts of hormones that trigger hunger instincts. Unfortunately for our waistlines, the things we crave in this state tend
March 2013
to be foods that give us a quick boost of energy. These sugary, starchy foods only keep us satisfied for a brief moment and then leave us feeling sluggish and tired again. This cycle continues over and over leading to excess weight and increased risk of diabetes.” Sleep deprivation also impacts mental health. In patients with an already diagnosed mental disorder, reports of trouble sleeping are almost always present. Anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other psychiatric conditions tend to affect a person’s ability to shut their brain down and the end of the day, hindering them from drifting peacefully off to sleep or from staying asleep throughout the night. On the other hand, someone who is chronically sleep deprived with no diagnosed mental disorder, may begin to exhibit signs of anxiety or depression simply because their brains are not getting the rest needed in order to release the appropriate hormones at the right time. For more information on sleep disorders and treatment options available, call (337) 310-7378 or visit www.sleepdisordercenterofla.com.
Daylight Savings Time and National Sleep Awareness Week Each year, sleep centers across the nation join forces with the National Sleep Foundation to celebrate National Sleep Awareness Week. This year’s celebration will begin on Sunday, March 3 and will conclude on Sunday March 10 in conjunction with the beginning of daylight savings time. It is no coincidence that the two dates overlap. Losing an hour of sleep as we do when daylight savings time begins creates additional sleep debt for an already sleep deprived society. The goal of the week is to educate people of the importance and value of sleep through various activities and events. The Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana will be conducting free screenings from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. March 4-8. Community members are invited to stop in for a screening conducted by a qualified sleep professional and tour of the facility at their convenience during these hours. Call (337) 310-7378 for more details on this opportunity or for answers to your sleep related questions.
of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital proudly announces the opening of OBG-1 of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. Under the medical direction of Ben Darby, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN, and Scott Bergstedt, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN, the clinic offers quality, personalized women’s care at one convenient location in Sulphur. With physicians having combined experience of over 50 years in treating women’s health issues, OBG-1 of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital offers services for: • Pelvic Pain • Infertility • Menstrual Disorders
Ben Darby, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN
• Breast Disorders • Pregnancy • Contraception
To schedule an appointment, please call (337) 312-1000.
Scott Bergstedt, MD, FACOG, OB/GYN
1200 Stelly Lane, Sulphur
wcch.com
March 2013
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Mind & Body
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Snooze
Surprising Sleep Stealers
There’s more to getting a good night’s rest than a dark room and drinking warm milk before bed. There could be surprising sleep stealers that are sabotaging your ability to sleep well. “You could do the usual routine of getting ready for bed and then lie awake for hours,” said Jason Ramm, MD, family medicine physician with The Cypress Clinic in Sulphur and medical staff member of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “Some people have a difficult time getting to sleep and others have problems staying asleep all night.” Being robbed of sleep can make getting through the next day difficult. Blurry vision, stress, unclear thinking and low energy are signals that could indicate you’re not getting adequate sleep.
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Taking medications can affect sleep. Steroids, beta blockers, high blood
pressure medications thyroid hormones and even nasal decongestants can cause insomnia. “There are quite a few medication classifications that can affect sleep. Check the drug information given by the pharmacy, or talk with a pharmacist or your family doctor about whether your sleep might be affected by the medication. If sleep trouble is a chronic concern, they may be able to use a different type of medication or assist in some way to avoid adding more difficulty to your sleep schedule,” said Dr. Ramm.
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Increased age can change sleep habits. Many adults over the
age of 65 need more sleep than they did 20 years earlier. Napping during the day is common, which can alter the ability to achieve deep sleep during the night. “As we age, the proportion of time spent in the deeper stages of sleep is reduced while time spent in the lighter stages of sleep increases,” said Dr. Ramm. “Older adults who nap during the day may not need as much sleep at night.”
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by Christine Fisher
3
The pep that energy drinks give can cause problems when it’s time to relax. Some
drinks have the caffeine equivalent of three cups of coffee. They also may have other ingredients that are meant to enhance energy or alertness. The affects of caffeine are felt soon after you ingest it but you may experience lingering affects as much as six hours later, a concern if the amount of caffeine is high. Dr. Ramm said it’s best to approach energy drinks with caution. “In healthy individuals, they may not cause many problems, but because they are loaded with sugar and caffeine, they aren’t healthy and shouldn’t be used frequently, if at all. In many cases, they can cause problems with sleep.”
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Acid reflux can cause chronic sleep problems.
“This is a classic sleep stealer because the individual may not even be aware there is a problem, but they know they aren’t sleeping restfully,” explained Dr. Ramm. Acid reflux causes the body to partially awaken from sleep as the body tries to digest. In the morning, the food has been digested, relieving your body of the asymptomatic heartburn problem, but you don’t know why you didn’t sleep well. Recent studies show that up to 25 percent of people who report sleeping poorly without a diagnosed cause have sleep-related acid reflux. Dr. Ramm suggests avoiding acid-causing foods, such as heavy sauces, spicy food or tomatoes for a while and seeing if that tends to help. “Also, it’s best to avoid eating for at least two hours before going to bed.”
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said Dr. Ramm. Alcohol is also known to exacerbate sleep apnea and snoring.
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Worry and stress can cause you to be wide-awake for hours. Once in bed, your mind can
have difficulty shutting down for the night. The tension and anxiety can cause your mind to jump from one problem to another robbing you of the hours you need to rest. Stress management techniques are helpful, such as thinking through the source of the stress to see if there is anything you can do to relieve the problem. Changing negative thought patterns can often help. “Avoid generalizing situations to the point that you make them larger than they should be,” said Dr. Ramm. Once the stressors are identified, you can take steps to reduce them.
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Lack of exercise can inhibit sleep. In studies, a sedentary lifestyle
affected how soon a person was able to fall asleep. Those who were active during the day reported falling asleep much faster. “Exercise helps reduce stress which calms the mind and it causes the body to be fatigued, which is beneficial in promoting sleep,” said Dr. Ramm.
Drinking alcohol.
Alcohol an make you feel sleepy soon afterward, but it has a rebound affect disrupting sleep during the second half of the sleep cycle. Moderate doses of alcohol, which is considered two drinks, consumed as much as six hours before bedtime can increase wakefulness during the night. “The individual may have an easy time getting to sleep but difficulty staying asleep,”
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March 2013
Doze
Sleepless In College College students can attest that most of them are missing their bedtimes. Roommates, dorm noise, increased workload both in and out of the classroom and extracurricular activities are all contributing factors to restless short nights. Studies show that a mere 11 percent of college students get the sleep they need and sleep deprivation has many negative repercussions. “A lack of sleep can contribute to memory problems and difficulty in logical reasoning. It can interrupt physiological processes related to hormone function and blood pressure, and it is associated with decreases in both efficiency and ability to concentrate,” says Boyace Harlan technical manager at the Memorial’s Sleep Health Center. Although getting 8 hours of sleep per night is still the general guideline, student needs can vary from as little as five to as many as 10 hours of sleep necessary to feel rested and refreshed. Sleep debt can be a real problem, because it accumulates over time. A couple of “all-nighters” in a week will make a serious impact. All-nighters have become a habit in higher education as students cram for a big test or work on completing a project by deadline, but it turns out this is not an effective way to succeed in school. “Studies show that a reduction in total sleep stages can dramatically inhibit a person’s ability to consolidate recently formed memories,” Harlan says. “The so called night owls, or students who stay up late, sleep an average of 41 minutes less than larks, or students who are early to rise. As a result, night owls tend to have lower GPAs.”
March 2013
Catching extra sleep on weekends can feel like it helps to repay some of this debt, but irregular amounts of sleep can actually serve to interfere with your sleep cycle and result in increased difficulties falling asleep, also known as insomnia. “Students who don’t get the right amount of sleep tend to be more stressed, angry, sad and mentally exhausted,” Harlan says. “Plus, poor sleep can lead to poor health since your body is not getting the recovery time it needs.” Here are some tips to get the sleep you need: Modify alcohol consumption. Although alcohol can help you to fall asleep, it disrupts the sleep cycle and will leave you feeling less rested the next day. Decrease smoking. Large levels of nicotine in the blood result in increased agitation and decreased restful sleep. Exercise regularly. Regular exercise produces a higher percentage of deep sleep as well as fewer awakenings during the night. However, don’t exercise just before bedtime.
Set realistic daily goals. Setting goals helps to minimize the possibility that you will stay awake thinking about what you have not accomplished that day. Establish a regular sleep schedule. It is important to try to go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time each day--failing to do so is like putting yourself through jet lag on a regular basis! Practice diaphragmatic (deep) breathing. When practiced before bed, not only will deep breathing help you to feel more relaxed and to facilitate sleep, but also you are likely to obtain more restful sleep. While it is normal for college students to have occasional difficulties falling asleep, regular insomnia can cause serious problems. If your insomnia makes it hard to function during the day because you are sleepy and tired, you may want to consult a specialist. For more information about sleep disorder, contact the Sleep Health Center at (337) 494-2393.
Take a look at your diet. Make sure that you are consuming adequate amounts of B-complex vitamins, which can enhance restful sleep as well as reduce fatigue. Reduce caffeine intake. Don’t consume caffeine within 4 hours of bedtime.
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55
Mind & Body
Siesta by Katie Harrington
Healthier Sleep Leads to a Healthier Heart There’s no denying that a good night’s sleep can leave you feeling refreshed and ready to tackle a new day. New research is showing, however, that getting at least six hours a night can also lead to better heart health. “We’ve suspected for years that sleep and heart health were related,” says Dr. Thomas Mulhearn, cardiologist with Cardiovascular Specialists, an affiliate of Imperial Health. “Now there is solid scientific data to back this theory up.” Last year researchers from the University of Chicago presented results from their study to the American College of Cardiology. After examining more than 3,000 patients over the age of 45, researchers determined that people who got less than six hours of shut eye a night doubled their risk of have a stroke or heart attack and are 1.6 times more likely to have congestive heart failure. “The results of this study give us another prevention tool to use in the fight against cardiovascular disease,” adds Dr. Mulhearn. “It is now clear that the duration and quality of an individual’s sleep are identifiable risk factors for heart disease. Just as poor dietary choices and a lack of physical activity can rob us of our health, so can a lack of sleep. And as is the case with any controllable lifestyle risk factor, simple changes regarding our sleep habits can reduce the risk.” Can too much sleep be just as harmful though? According to the same group of researchers, the answer is, “Yes.” Results of the study also revealed that sleeping much more than eight hours a night can lead to a significantly higher prevalence of chest pain or angina and coronary artery disease, a narrowing of the blood vessels supplying the heart with blood and oxygen. “As with most things in life, moderation is the key,” Dr. Mulhearn says. “Sleep really can be thought of in the same way we tell people to diet or exercise. You don’t have to give up all the things you love, or spend hours in the gym every day to be healthy. You have to
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make sure you are getting the recommended healthy amount of sleep.” In addition to the amount of sleep you get every night, certain sleep disorders can adversely affect your heart health. “Sleep apnea is the first disorder that comes to mind,” says Dr. Mulhearn. “The sudden closing of the airway characterized by sleep apnea strains the heart and over time, can lead to arrhythmia, high blood pressure, increased stroke risk and heart failure.” According to the American Heart Association, one in five adults suffers from at least mild sleep apnea. The most common type of sleep apnea is known as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which occurs when the weight on the upper chest and neck contributes to blocking the flow of air in with airway. “Obese people are at a higher risk for OSA,” Dr. Mulhearn adds. “Obesity is also a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in addition to being a contributing factor for sleep apnea.” From a structural standpoint, sleep apnea can also lead to changes in the heart’s shape and function. “This is similar to the changes we see with untreated hypertension,” says Dr. Mulhearn. “In a patient with untreated moderate to severe OSA we may see increased mass, thickening of the heart wall and reduced pumping ability.” The good news is that once a sleep disorder has been diagnosed and a treatment plan has been put in place, further damage can be prevented. “It is important to discuss your sleep patterns with your cardiologist,” concludes Dr. Mulhearn. “Getting the right amount of quality sleep each night can be an effective piece of the treatment puzzle when it comes to cardiovascular diseases.” For more information, call Cardiovascular Specialists at (337) 436-3810 or visit www.csswla.com.
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Back to Sleep
by Katie Harrington
Snoring and insomnia may cause sleepless nights for some people, but for others, the source of their tossing and turning, along with nagging back pain in the morning, is their mattress. But will all the options in mattress styles, it can be difficult to decide what mattress offers the best comfort for a bad back. For years, people with back pain have been told that sleeping on a firm mattress was their best bet, but research published in the medical journal Lancet found just the opposite. Researchers in Spain reported that people who sleep on a medium-firm mattress are twice as likely to see improvements in their lower back pain. Dr. Bill Lowry, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist with Center for Orthopaedics says if running out to buy a new mattress is not an option, consider adding a 1 ½ to 2-inch thick padding to the top of your firm mattress. “The spine is not a straight line, so adding padding to a firm mattress or sleeping on a medium-firm mattress without extra padding allows for more ‘give’ in the mattress, helping it to conform to the concavities and convexities of the spine.” While a firm mattress with padding or a medium-firm mattress may offer the most relief, those with back pain should avoid a softer mattress, according to Dr. Lowry. “A soft mattress doesn’t provide enough support for your body and can actually leave you fighting even more back pain and strain in the morning.” Dr. Lowry also advises against relying on store ratings when choosing a mattress. “There really isn’t a national or international standard on mattress ratings, so the numbers are all over the place. In fact, in the United States, a higher number is often assigned to a firm mattress, while in Europe a lower number is given.” Also, when testing a mattress, many people like to bounce up and down on it to see how firm or soft it is. This is not the best test of how comfortable you will be. “A better way to determine if a mattress is right for you is to lie down on it for 10 minutes
March 2013
Make the Switch to. . .
or so,” says Dr. Lowry. “Lay on your back, side and any other way you typically sleep. After 10 minutes you should be able to tell if it’s a good choice for you and your back.” For more information on treating and preventing back pain, visit www.centerforortho.com or call (337) 721-7236.
2640 Country Club • 337-426-0919 • www.calcasieucare.com Mon-Fri • 7:30am - 7:30pm | Sat-Sun • 8:00am-5:00pm
Change your day. Change your sleep. When you don’t sleep well, it’s a struggle to make it through the day. Staying focused at work, finding the energy to get up and get moving and even making healthy food choices can be a challenge. The sleep specialists at the Sleep Disorder Center of Louisiana can prescribe a sleep regime for your sleep problems and help you turn good nights into great days. Make a change. Call us today!
March 2013
Change your life. Sleep Specialists Jana P. Kaimal, MD Michelle Zimmerman, NP
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4820 Lake St., Lake Charles (337) 310-REST sleepdisordercenterofla.com www.thriveswla.com
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Mind & Body
Catnap
Dreaming of a Good Night’s Sleep During Pregnancy by Kristy Armand
Sleep deprivation and new babies seem to come as a package deal, but you may not have expected sleep problems during pregnancy. According to Scott Bergstedt, MD, FACOG, ob/gyn specialist with OBG-1 of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, for some women, getting a good night’s sleep during pregnancy is an elusive dream. “It’s a lot easier to accept lack of sleep when you’re holding your beautiful baby in your arms. It can be more frustrating when you are tired, uncomfortable, and everyone is telling you to ‘rest now because you won’t be able to once the baby gets here.’“ He says sleep problems can occur during all stages of the pregnancy for a variety of reasons. In the first trimester, frequent trips to the bathroom, hunger and leg cramps – all the result of physical and hormonal changes – can interfere with your regular sleep routine. “Anxiety, particularly
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for first-time mothers, can also affect sleep, and some women experience vivid dreams and even nightmares during this first stage of pregnancy.” Fortunately, Dr. Bergstedt says sleep usually improves during the second trimester of pregnancy. “Nighttime urination becomes less of an issue as the growing baby reduces pressure on the bladder by moving above it. Anxiety can still contribute to insomnia, but because most women are feeling so much better physically by this stage, this problem usually improves as well.” Then comes the third trimester. Just when you are feeling exhausted and need sleep the most, it becomes more difficult to rest. “The reasons for this can seem endless, and as soon as you get one problem resolved, another pregnancy-related sleep issue appears,” says Dr. Bergstedt.
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Frequent nighttime urination returns, because the baby’s changing position puts pressure on the bladder once again. As the uterus expands, it also exerts pressure on your other internal organs, so you may experience heartburn, leg cramps and shortness of breath. Dr. Bergstedt says all of these factors can keep you from getting good rest, “but by far, the closer you get to delivery, the biggest interference with sleep is sheer discomfort due to what probably seems to be an impossibly-large belly. It’s not only difficult to find a comfortable position, it’s also hard work to move your body to find a more comfortable position.”
March 2013
Dr. Bergstedt offers the following tips for getting the best sleep you can during pregnancy: • Avoid caffeine after noon. • Be sure to drink the recommended eight glasses of water (or other fluids), but taper off at night. • Exercise regularly — during the day or early evening. Don’t work out late at night. • Have a light snack before bed time to eliminate hunger pangs. • Take a soothing, warm bath just before bed. • Make sure your room is a comfortable temperature for sleeping. Is it dark and quiet enough? Heavy or dark-colored curtains can help keep out unwanted light, and sound machines can help mask the drone of traffic with white noise. • Try relaxation exercises, such as deep breathing, meditation or visualization to help you relax before bedtime. • Get extra pillows to support both the belly and back. A pillow between the legs can help support the lower back and make sleeping on your side easier. Some specific types of pillows include the wedge-shaped pillow and the fulllength body pillow.
• Experiment with your sleeping positions and pillows to find the most comfortable position. Avoid sleeping on your back, because this puts unnecessary pressure on critical blood vessels. If you are too anxious or uncomfortable to sleep, don’t toss and turn, advises Dr. Bergstedt. “Get up, read a book, watch some TV, then try again. Stressing about lack of sleep only adds to the problem. The good news is that just around the time you feel like you’ll be pregnant and sleepdeprived for the rest of your life, your baby arrives, and you have a new and wonderful reason for sleep deprivation.” For more information about pregnancy-related concerns, call OBG-1 for an appointment at (337) 312-1000.
Laurie M. Baynard, DC, CCSP®
Pregnancy Chiropractic 50-70% of pregnant women will experience back pain during their pregnancy…let us help you with your aches and pains to help make your pregnancy more enjoyable!
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March 2013
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Mind & Body
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
Conquering Colon Cancer Screening Anxiety by Kristy Armand
Colon cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men and women combined in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 142,820 people will be diagnosed in 2013 and that 50,830 will die from this type of cancer. You may think these are dismal numbers, but there’s a positive side to colon cancer statistics: When caught early, colorectal cancer is among the most treatable of all types of cancer. There are currently more than one million colon cancer survivors in the United States. Gastroenterologist Ricardo McCall, MD, a member of the medical staff at CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, explains that unlike many other cancers that can appear suddenly and grow quickly, colon cancer has a long precancerous phase. “Most colon cancers start as colorectal polyps, abnormal growths inside the colon or rectum that may later become cancerous. If these growths are discovered and removed promptly, colon cancer can be prevented.” A colonoscopy screening, is recommended for all adults beginning at age 50. This test allows doctors to examine the inner lining of the large intestine with a tiny video camera attached to a thin, flexible tube. The effectiveness of this screening in early detection is the reason the colorectal cancer death rate has declined for the past two decades. “Screening works on two levels,” says Dr. McCall.“ It helps prevent colorectal cancer by detecting polyps in early stages, allowing us to remove them before they ever have the chance to turn into cancer. We are also about to find existing colorectal cancers at earlier stages through screening, when the disease is easier to cure.” Colorectal cancer is 90 percent curable when found early. Unfortunately, Dr. McCall says many people who are otherwise conscientious about their health seem to practice a head-in-thesand approach when it comes to protecting themselves against colorectal cancer. “As a
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result, only a fraction of the people who could benefit from the recommended colorectal screening actually receive it.” Dr. McCall stresses that colonoscopies are really not as distressing as most people imagine them to be. “The anticipation is for worse than the actual test. We use conscious sedation for the exam, which puts you in a pleasantly sleepy state, with no discomfort and no memory of the exam when it’s over.” Any small polyps detected during the colonoscopy are removed during the procedure. Larger polyps or any other abnormality detected may require further testing. “New surgical techniques and drug therapies are improving outcomes, extending lives, and enhancing quality of life for colon cancer patients,” says Dr. McCall. “The prevalence of this disease, and the relative ease with which it can be diagnosed and treated in its early stages, offer compelling reasons to get past the anxiety and focus on colon cancer awareness and prevention as part of routine adult health care.” For more information and to find a physician for a colorectal cancer screening, call (337) 491-7577.
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The American Cancer Society recommends the following lifestyle habits to possibly reduce your risk of colon cancer is to: • Increase the intensity and amount of physical activity • Limit intake of red and processed meats • Get the recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D • Eat more vegetables and fruits and maintain a healthy diet • Avoid obesity and weight gain around the midsection • Avoid excess alcohol March 2013
ir of a pa unning n i w Tri-R r to iste es from g e R o g sh nnin
ru
Race Past Running Injuries Running is a great way to stay in shape but it can take a toll on your muscles and joints, leading to minor aches and pains, as well as more serious injuries such as runner’s knee, shin splints, tendinitis, stress fractures, twisted ankles and others. Learn more about the prevention and treatment of common running injuries from Dr. Geoffrey Collins with Center for Orthopaedics at this free upcoming seminar. Dr. Collins is an orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, and serves as a Team Physician for McNeese State University’s Athletic Department. Dr. Collins will be joined by running shoe specialists from Tri-Running, who will demonstrate fit analysis techniques and common mistakes in choosing running shoes.
Running Injury Seminar
LaserCenter
Tuesday, March 26, 5:30pm
AT T H E E Y E C L I N I C
Center for Orthopaedics • 1747 Imperial Blvd., Lake Charles Seating is limited and pre-registration is requested. Refreshments will be served.
Call 721-2903 or register online at www.centerforortho.com
Geoffrey Collins, MD orthopaedic surgeon & sports medicine specialist
LaserCenter
Faren Kleckley White
AT T H E E Y E C L I N I C
LaserCenter
The improved vision provided by glasses and T Tcompare H E E to Y vision E C after L I NLASIK, IC contactsAcan’t according to Faren Kleckley White. Faren received LASIK at the Eye Clinic’s Laser Center as a college graduation present and says her view on life has never been clearer. Now she can focus on things that count – like her career as a registered nurse.
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Mind & Body
New Hips Give Woman New Lease on Life
by Kristy Armand
For Roxie Buroughs, something as simple as putting one foot in front of the other was a pain-filled endeavor. After suffering with hip problems for years; problems that included a hairline fracture and pins to stabilize both joints, she was dealing with nearly constant pain and very limited mobility. Her orthopaedic specialist, Dr. George J. Trappey, with Center for Orthopaedics, recommended a total hip replacement. “I was ready for relief and trusted Dr. Trappey. The procedure he recommended seemed like it could be a great solution for my ongoing hip struggles.” Roxie Buroughs and Dr. Trappey view her new hip joints.
Dr. Trappey’s recommendation was a total hip replacement with an advanced twist: “The difference is in the approach. We use a direct anterior approach for total hip replacement versus the traditional posterior approach. The technique is made possible through advances in surgical techniques and specialized equipment, which is available at Women and Children’s Hospital in Lake Charles.” Dr. Trappey explains that the benefits of the direct anterior approach are made possible because the technique allows the surgeon to replace the hip joint without detaching any muscles from the pelvis 62 www.thriveswla.com
or femur. Traditional hip surgery uses a posterior or anterolateral approach in which the patient lies on their side and the surgeon accesses the hip joint by cutting through skin, tissue and muscle. “With the direct anterior approach, the patient lies on their back on the Hana table, a special table Women and Children’s has that allows us to use this technique. We make an incision across the front of the hip and access the joint by going between the muscles in the leg, rather than cutting through them. Because the muscles used for walking are not cut with this approach, recovery is quicker.” Dr. Trappey says the direct anterior approach reduces the amount of pain, as well as limitations after joint replacement. “Immediately after surgery, most patients are weight-bearing and walking. Patients can expect to remain in the hospital usually no more than two to three days, with full recovery expected in two to three months.” Buroughs says this was definitely her experience. “I went home and didn’t even take my pain meds. I was moving around pretty easily right away.” Generally, Dr. Trappey says patients who have undergone a traditional total hip replacement experience restrictions in motion, flexibility, and in many normal activities (such as sitting or Thrive Magazine for Better Living
Roxie Buroughs
bending a certain way), but the direct anterior approach allows patients to return to their activities without usual hip precautions. “Eliminating these restrictions is another big advantage of the anterior approach” says Dr. Trappey. “They can sit in a chair, ride in a car and perform most functions of daily living without having to worry about restricted movement or joint dislocation.” Buroughs was so happy with her new left hip that she decided to have the other hip replaced the same way less than a year later. “I feel almost as good as I did before I ever started having hip problems, and for a 69-year-old, that’s pretty amazing. I’m able to do all the things I need to do.” For more information on hip pain and treatment options, call Center for Orthopaedics, an affiliate of Imperial Health, at 721-7236 or visit www.centerforortho.com.
March 2013
Seizing Control: Each day more than 3,800 under the age of 18 try their first cigarette. In order to be effective in the fight to take back control, it’s important to recognize that the fight begins with us according to Sherry Forest with Women and Children’s Hospital. “Kick Butts Day promotes youth activism with the goal of empowering kids to Stand Out—Speak Up—and Seize Control against Big Tobacco,” says Forest, tobacco program coordinator for the hospital. “We want to encourage youth to stay tobacco-free and urge strong action to protect kids from tobacco.”
Teens fight youth tobacco use by celebrating Kick Butts Day
Kick Butts Day, set for March 20, is a national day of activism for raising awareness about how big tobacco targets youth as future consumers through tactics such as point-of-sale advertising and marketing tobacco products flavored and packaged to resemble candy. The goal is to lure kids into thinking that tobacco use is cool, attractive and an expression of independence. The tobacco industry spends more than $23 million per day in the USA alone on marketing and advertising to meet this goal. The American Lung Association State of Tobacco Control Report 2013 gave Louisiana a grade of “F” for tobacco prevention control, cigarette tax, and cessation. According to the report, the Louisiana high school smoking rate is 21.8% and the middle school smoking rate is 6.3%. Ninety percent of all adult
smokers start smoking by the age of 18. Women & Children’s Hospital’s Tobacco Prevention Program is sponsoring several Kick Butts Day 2013 activities to encourage middle- and high school-aged students to send a message back to Big Tobacco. All area schools and youth organizations are eligible to participate in the activities and contests. “Winners of a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) video contest with a message against tobacco will be awarded prizes ranging in value from $200 to $1200. The winning video will be aired on television,” explains Forest. Teens can also participate in other planned activities or use their own creative ideas to counter the effects of tobacco marketing and advertising to have a chance to win prizes. For more information, contact Sandra Priest at 225-936-4010. Additional information can be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kickbuttsdaylakecharles.
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Community Contributor$ L’Auberge Donates to ABF Community Development Fund
United Way Donations: Isle of Capri Casino Donate to United Way of SWLA
L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles supported the ABF Community Development Fund’s annual Basketball Fundraiser with a cash donation and luxury auction item. L to R: Michael Ned, board member; Freda Gauthier, event organizer, Keith W. Henson, L’Auberge senior VP & general manager; and State Representative A.B. Franklin, founder.
L’Auberge Donates to SWLA Mardi Gras Merchants’ Parade
Employees of Isle of Capri Casino present United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a check for $59,923.00. L to R: Paul Hutchens, vice president/ general manager; Jan Wilburn, office manager; Danielle Broussard, United Way campaign coordinator all from the Isle of Capri Casino and Becky Ainsworth, resource development associate for United Way of SWLA.
L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles donated $3,375 and a $375 hotel package for the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Merchant’s Parade. L to R: Rebecca Moss, Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana secretary and parade chairman; Keith W. Henson, L’Auberge Lake Charles senior vice president and general manager; and Katie Harrington, Mardi Gras of Southwest Louisiana president.
Family & Youth Accepts Donation Family & Youth accepted $21,000 from the Friends of Shannon Cox to benefit the Shannon Cox Counseling Center. The money was raised during the Shannon Cox Memorial Tennis Tournament. For more information, call (337) 436-9533, or visit L to R: Pam Tadlock, Jules Maust, Marti Lundy, www.fyca.org. Jane Baggett, Ginny Henning, Joy Parker,
CenterPoint Energy Donates to United Way of SWLA Employees of CenterPoint Energy present United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a check for $11,498. L to R: Scott Faulk, district director; Blaine Spell, district operations manager; Brittney Welch, assistant; Brittany Chandler, marketing consultant all from CenterPoint Energy and Becky Ainsworth, resource development associate for United Way of SWLA.
Golden Pass, LNG Donates to United Way of SWLA Employees of Golden Pass, LNG present United Way of Southwest Louisiana with a check for $8,326. L to R: David Daniel, operations; Reggie Collins, pipeline tech; from Golden Pass, LNG and Beverly Smith, director of resource development for United Way of SWLA.
Tammy Andreas, and Alcantara Faul.
Stelly Provides Leadership to Elementary Schools John Stelly of Paramount Automotive Companies, Owner of Nissan of Lake Charles and 171 Nissan of DeRidder, will be funding The Leader In Me initiative in three schools in Southwest Louisiana. In Beauregard Parish, a portion of these funds L to R: SWLA Economic Development Alliance ($47,715) will bring The Leader Director of Investor Services, Avon Knowlton; In Me to Merryville Elementary Merryville Elementary Principal, School. John Stelly and Paramount Chad Schulz; Rosepine Police Chief, Dennis Parrot; Paramount Automotive Automotive Companies’ investment Companies Owner, John Stelly; Superintendent in The Leader in Me is a total of of Beauregard Parish Schools, Tim Cooley; $150,000. Owner and General Manager of 171 Nissan, Troy Auzenne; SWLA Economic Development Alliance President/CEO, George Swift; SWLA Economic Development Alliance Foundation Development Director, Ann Barilleaux.
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McDonald’s of SWLA and Billy Navarre Chevrolet Cadillac Supports South Lake Charles Little League McDonald’s of Southwest Louisiana and Billy Navarre Chevrolet Cadillac donated $14,000 to the South Lake Charles Little League. L to R: Dexter Fountain, league player agent; Doug Gehrig, owner and operator of McDonald’s of Southwest Louisiana; Ron Turner, league president; Ryan Navarre of Billy Navarre Chevrolet Cadillac and of the league; and David Haegele, league vice president.
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March 2013
Genesis Therapeutic Riding Center Receives Grant The Sempra Employee Giving Network designated the Genesis Therapeutic Riding Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital as the recipient of a $1,000 grant to support the center’s vision therapy program. For more information on the services of the center, call (337) 625-3972. Pictured: Steve Trahan, external relations manager with Cameron LNG, along with fellow advisory council members and Cameron LNG employees Marianne Rankins, Lana Hicks and Karyn Constance, presented the check to representatives of the West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Foundation and employees of the Genesis Therapeutic Riding Center.
Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel Supports Family & Youth’s Dinner at Mi CASA
L to R: Chef Kevin Williams; Chef Kim Johnson; Chef Nate Winters; Delta Downs Vice President and General Manager Steve Kuypers; Family & Youth President & CEO Julio Galan; Chef Jesse Flores; Delta Downs Executive Chef Joseph Jaskievicz; Chef Kathy Dunigan; and Chef David Savoie.
Family & Youth accepted a donation from Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel of $12,500 in support of Family & Youth’s recent Dinner at Mi CASA hosted by Ted and Trudy Mayeux.
New location next door to Tony’s Pizza!
For every event…
Make it sweet! Cupcakes, Cakes & Specialty Desserts
New Expanded Menu and Drive-thru for your convenience! 341 East Prien Lake Road • Monday-Saturday: 10-6PM • 337-496-7471 • www.sweetchicbakeryboutique.com March 2013
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Style & Beauty
Spring Fashion Trends Outfits provided by Catina Couture
With the warm months nearing, there’s no time like the present to highlight spring’s hottest styles in fashion. Here’s our guide to some of the most essential and wearable trends from the spring runways.
Bold Colors
Think electric pinks, blues, and yellows this spring. Reminiscent of the neon go-go era during the 60s and the vibrant fashion debuts of the 80s, shoppers can expect to see these colors lining the shelves of their favorite stores this spring.
long shorts
Ladies who failed to jump for joy over last year’s short-shorts trend will appreciate the more modest just-abovethe-knee length that’s on trend this year. These comfortable, family friendly, and flattering shorts are perfect for anyone this season.
Stripes
Sixties graphic prints like stripes and checkerboards will be on trend. The best way to incorporate this into your wardrobe is piece by piece. For example, pair a striped top with a solid bottom. This will keep your entire outfit looking great without turning you into an optical illusion.
ruffles
Flouncy, flirty, fun ruffles will make a statement. Whether it is an accenting slit in a skirt or adding flourish to a top, ruffles will be on trend and are an easy way to bring femininity and softness to your style.
black & white
Black and white will make a bold bang this spring season. With head-to-toe graphic prints, vertical stripes and color blocking, this will be an easier way for anyone to branch out and try a wild print or design without color. 66 www.thriveswla.com
Thrive Magazine for Better Living
March 2013
by Christine Fisher
Spring jewelry Trends Jewelry trends are derived from a combination of red carpet, fashion runways and, of course, real life. Whatever the celebrities and models are wearing, you can look for similar styles adapted for everyday wear. When it comes to jewelry this spring, watch for serpent-style influence. 2013 is the year of the snake in Chinese zodiac and its curving shape is influencing the design of many jewelry brands from fine jewelry to costume pieces. Of course, the color emerald will be a strong trend, since it is the Pantone color of the year; also look for amber to make a strong showing. This natural stone ranges in color from browns and tans to even ivory and orange hues, mixing well with greens. “I’m seeing quite a lot of smaller-scale jewelry, especially in the fine jewelry collections. Feminine styles of subtle drop earrings, for instance, and fine chains with smaller scale pendants complement the spring full skirts and romantic looks,” said Annette St. Romain, with Bijoux Fine Jewelry in Sulphur and Bijoux Jewelry Design Center in Lake Charles. For high-end costume jewelry, Annette said chunky looks are still going strong. “Fun pieces, especially incorporating the snake look, will be popular. Ladies love our personalized jewelry lines, such as Chamilia and the jewel pops in the Kameleon collection, allowing women to customize the color of the stone and the charms to reflect their personality and outfits. Those are classics.” “Druzy was very popular last year and looks to hold strong for 2013,” Annette said. “This stone is a flat-backed crystal mineral. It has an organic look to it and it’s available in many colors making it very versatile. You can get a high-impact look without spending a lot,” she said.
JOIN US FOR A NERIUM MARKETING EVENT 1st AND 3rd TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH
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MEET AND GREET: 6:00 PM PRESENTATION: 6:30 PM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, EMAIL LCNERIUM@GMAIL.COM
AGING IS INEVITABLE. Looking old doesn’t have to be. Today, we have more innovative age-defying options than ever before to help you look as young as you feel. Eyelid Surgery Brow Lifts Cosmetic Injections Skin Analysis
Chemical Peels Microdermabrasion Facials Home Care Products Dr. Mark Crawford, Medical Director
(337)310-1070 facehealth.net
March 2013
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Style & Beauty
Express Yourself With
Style
Dress For You
This is the most important part of shopping for the perfect outfit. Sometimes it is good to take the advice of others but it’s important to actually want to wear the outfit once you leave the store. When shopping you can think about things like your favorite color, trouble areas and how you want to be perceived.
Discover Your Style
Discovering your style can be a process that you may need to work through. Most people gravitate toward certain styles, fits or colors. It’s essential to be open and honest with the sales associate about what you like and dislike in the store. This will give them a better feel of what items might be great for you.
Wear What Makes You Feel Good
At the end of each day you need to feel fabulous. “At Mimosa, we like to push our customers a little out of their comfort zones. My goal is for my customers to have fun but more importantly to make them look and feel amazing. A lot of times that small push will make you feel great about trying something different,” said Monroe. 68 www.thriveswla.com
Fashion is something that is different to everyone. The great thing about fashion is that there are no right or wrong ways to do it. Follow these tips from Lauren Monroe, owner of Mimosa Boutique to express your true style personality.
Don’t Be A Slave To Fashion
Trends are trends for a reason. They come and go and you can take them or leave them. If you do not embrace every trend that does not mean that you are not trendy. Your age does not determine your ability to wear the trend. For example, printed pants are huge right now and every woman can wear them, but just make sure you find the right fit for your body type and that they are age appropriate.
Express Yourself
Fashion is all about expressing yourself. Show people who you are with what you’re wearing. If you are fun and outgoing, embrace the trend of neon this spring. If you are more reserved, then show people classic looks like the pencil skirt. Most importantly, fashion is what you make it. Throw all of the “rules” out of the window and dress for you! For more information on how to express yourself through style, visit Mimosa Boutique at 3101 Ernest Street in Lake Charles.
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March 2013
2013
SPRING beauty thick lashes Full, dramatic lashes are the hottest facial accessory blooming this spring. Look toward long but more polished looking lashes.
Be prepared to think outside the box when it comes to makeup trends this Spring.
behind the scenes
defined full brows If you aren’t blessed with dense and bushy eyebrows, this look can easily be faked with stencils and brow powder. pops of color on lips Vivid colored lips will be huge this spring and are a quick and easy way to jazz up any makeup style. bright eye liner Skinny lines are out and thick lines are in. Don’t be afraid to take your usual cat eye up a notch.
478.4433
www.signaturessalon.biz March 2013 Hair
ThriveSMagazine Better Living & Makeup by Lens i (S enior S tylist Signat ures alon). for Model Taylor. Phot ography by Signatureswww.thriveswla.com S alon.
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Style & Beauty
to Ready Wear
10 items 10 outfits
Find ways to make your closet more versatile. With a skirt, pair of jeans, pair of dress pants, a dress, silk blouse & tank, denim button up, sweater, vest and blazer you can create 10 original looks. Add accessories to help turn each look into a fresh new outfit!
1 Remember, if you have a fashion question for me, just email it to edit@thriveswla. com or post it on the Thrive Facebook page. It could be answered it an upcoming column. If yours is chosen, you’ll receive a Thrive t-shirt.
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10 8 7
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Instead of viewing the purple pencil skirt as a work or dressy wear, I changed the outfit to a casual skirt with the chambray button up and boots.
Whitney Manns is the owner of WM Wardrobe Consulting. For more information, visit WMwardrobeconsulting.com
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March 2013
Same can be said with the lime green cocktail dress, by adding a blazer, fun printed belt and some wedges I was able to make it more of a work or fun night out look.
The other key to maximizing your wardrobe is using your accessories to mix up the look. By adding a new statement necklace to the most basic outfit can change it into a whole new look.
Even the pair of skinny dark denim jeans were transformed from an everyday look to a fancy night out with a silk tank and heels.
I threw a casual vest over my silk button up to revamp it into a casual fun shopping outfit.
March 2013
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Style & Beauty
Cosmetics and Contacts by Kristy Armand
Getting makeup in your eye is annoying, but if you aren’t careful, you could be risking a lot more than frustration when you apply your eye makeup. Improper use of eye cosmetics can lead to eye infections, irritations and corneal injuries, and the risk is higher if you wear contact lenses.
The American Optometric Association reports that cosmetics are among some of the most common sources of problems for contact lens wearers. These problems include deposits on the lens, eye irritation, allergy, dryness injury, infection. Dr. Donavon LaFleur, optometrist with The Eye Clinic, says this is why contact lens wearers should take extra precautions when using cosmetics. “Whether you are an adolescent just beginning to experiment with make-up or an adult who has been wearing it the same way for years, we want everyone in the habit of applying cosmetics in a safe way to avoid painful eye injuries. We spend a lot of time with our contact lens patients, instructing them in how to minimize the risk of any problems, and this is one of the things we discuss.” He says eye make-up is not prohibited for those who wear contacts, but there are some basic precautions lens wearers should be aware of: • Choose non-scented, hypoallergenic cosmetics manufactured by a wellknown, trusted brand name. • Wash your hands before inserting or removing your contact lenses. • Do not borrow or lend your cosmetics to others. • Wash all make-up application brushes frequently. • Apply make-up after inserting the contact lenses. • Do not purchase mascara refills in which you insert your old applicator. • Avoid frosted, pearlized, iridescent, or other glittery types of eye shadow, which may contain ground oyster shells or tinsel when can get
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trapped under your lens and scratch the surface of the eye. • Do not apply eyeliner to the inner edge of the lid or above the lash line on the lower lid. • Avoid using loose powder on the face. • Do not apply creams too close to the eyes. • Never apply eye makeup while in motion or while driving. • Never use makeup testers in stores or share eye makeup with others. • Avoid lash-extending mascara, which has fibers that can irritate the eyes, and waterproof mascara, which cannot be easily removed with water and may stain soft contact lenses. • Dispose of eye cosmetics three months after purchased, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology • Do not use water or saliva to lubricate applicator or thin cosmetics. • Remove lenses before removing makeup. • Do not apply cosmetics if your eyes are red, swollen, or infected. If symptoms persist, see your eye doctor. Dr. LaFleur says that by following these guidelines, contact lens wearers can wear eye makeup without putting their vision at risk. For more information about contact lenses and proper usage, call The Eye Clinic nearest you in Lake Charles, Moss Bluff, Sulphur, DeRidder or Jennings, or visit www.theeyeclinic.net.
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March 2013
Reveal A More Beautiful You To be your best, it helps to look and feel your best. If the signs of aging—fine lines, wrinkles and age spots—are becoming more visible, join us for an evening of education and empowerment.
“The Secret to Aging Beautifully” Featured speaker: Harold Bienvenu, MD,
facial plastic and cosmetic surgeon with the ENT & Aesthetic Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital
Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m. Dynamic Dimensions in Sulphur 545 Cypress Street Seating is limited. To RSVP, please call (337) 527-5459. There is no charge to attend. Dr. Bienvenu is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
YOU COULD WIN!
Two free makeup consultations will be given away.
1327 Stelly Lane, Suite 3 Sulphur
Best Impressions Modern Day Manners & Everyday Etiquette by Rose Klein
Q: Every year a friend who lives in another city sends me a New Year’s card and catches me up on her life. However, this year she didn’t mention her husband and I’m wondering if he passed away. I looked on line and couldn’t find anything. How do I tactfully ask her about him? A: Just be genuine in your note to her and tell her that she usually mentions him and since she didn’t, you were wondering if he was alright. If he did pass away, she probably doesn’t realize that you are unaware.
March 2013
Q: I went to a movie recently and someone in front of me wouldn’t stop texting. When I asked her to stop, she rudely responded stating that the movie hadn’t started yet as the previews were running and she’d stop when the movie started. Was I out of line? A: When the lights go out in the theater, cell phones should be turned off. Even during the previews, the light from a cell phone can be very distracting. Many people enjoy watching the previews, so talking and cell phones should not interfere with others’ enjoyment.
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Submit your etiquette questions to: edit@ thriveswla.com.
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Mark Your Calendar! CPSO to Host Self-Defense Workshop The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office will host, “SAFE & SECURE: A Ladies Firearm Safety and Self-Defense Workshop,” on Saturday, March 9 from 8am – 3pm at the CPSO Training Academy located at 3958 Mallard Cove Dr. in Lake Charles. This free event is open to women from Calcasieu Parish who are 18 years of age and older. For more information, call the Sheriff’s Office at (337) 491-3850.
Live @ the Lakefront Music Fest Live @ the Lakefront Music Fest returns to the Lakefront Promenade for three consecutive Fridays on March 8th, 15th, and 22nd from 6 pm to 10 pm. The free outdoor music festival, which is copresented by the Arts Council of SWLA and the City of Lake Charles, showcases the best of live music with emphasis on homegrown talent with Lake Area ties. March 8th City Heat and Barbe Show Choir March 15th Lost Bayou Ramblers and John Guidroz March 22nd Ashes of Babylon and the Lochness Mobsters For more details, visit Facebook or call the Arts Council at (337) 439-2787.
Second Life of Plants on Exhibit A new exhibition, “Second Life of Plants”, will hang at Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center from February 15 through April 6th. The ancient technique of pressing dried botanical materials, known as oshibana, began hundreds of years ago by the Japanese. Rita Ford is a garden designer and artist of botanical materials who creates floral collages. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit cityoflakecharles.com.
Empty Bowl Dinner Scheduled The Salvation Army will hold its fifth Empty Bowl dinner at L’Auberge Casino Resort on Thursday, March 14. Proceeds from the event will be used to enable the Salvation Army to continue to meet the needs of the less fortunate through social service programs which meetthe basic needs of daily life for those without the resources to do so themselves. Sponsorships and single admission tickets are still available and may be obtained by calling (337) 433-4155.
Running Injury Seminar
Lost Bayou
John Guidroz Ashes of Babylon
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Dr. Geoffrey Collins, orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist with Center for Orthopaedics, will be the guest speaker at a free seminar, “Race Past Running Injuries,” beginning at 5:30pm on Tuesday, March 26, at Center for Orthopaedics. Dr. Collins is also a Team Physician for McNeese State University’s Athletic Department. Dr. Collins will discuss the prevention and treatment of common running injuries. He will be joined by running shoe specialists from Tri-Running, who will demonstrate fit analysis techniques and common mistakes in choosing running shoes. A free pair of running shoes will be given away at the seminar. Seating is limited and preregistration is requested. Call 721-2903 or register online at www.centerforortho.com. Refreshments will be served. Center for Orthopaedics, an affiliate of Imperial Health, is located at 1747 Imperial Blvd. in Lake Charles.
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Symphony Hosts Champagne Bingo Luncheon The Lake Charles Symphony has scheduled its first Champagne Bingo Luncheon on Saturday, March 16, 11am – 2pm at the Lake Charles Country Club. Tickets are $50 a person or reserved tables of eight for $400, and may be purchased online at the symphony website or by calling (337) 433-1611.
Volunteers of America’s Beats & Eats Featuring Tommy Shreve, Danny Kimball & Friends Volunteers of America will hold its Beats & Eats fundraiser on Friday, March 8th from 6 - 9 pm at Treasures of Marilyn’s in Lake Charles. The casual event will feature a dinner buffet and dancing to music by Tommy Shreve, Danny Kimball & Friends. Tickets are $35 per person after February 25th upon availability. To purchase event tickets, raffle tickets or sponsorships, call Volunteers of America at (337) 497-0034.
Quilt Show Scheduled “Beyond Grandma’s Quilt” Quilt Show, sponsored by Calcasieu Cut-Ups Quilt Guild, will be held at the Lake Charles Civic Center, March 15-16, 10am-5pm. Admission is $5, under 6 free.
The W.H. Stark House Showcases Director’s Favorite Collection Items Director’s Favorite is a new exhibit at The W.H. Stark House in Orange, Texas, showcasing retiring Managing Director Patsy Herrington’s favorite decorative art objects from The W.H. Stark House collections. Items are currently on display in the adjacent Carriage House and can be viewed through Saturday, April 20, 2013. For more information, call (409) 883-0871 or visit whstarkhouse.org.
Autism Awareness 5k/ 1Mile Walk Scheduled Autism Services of SWLA, the St. Nicholas Center and the Autism Society SWLA Chapter will host its third annual “Joining Hands for Autism” 5k/ 1 Mile walk April 6th at ICCS school in Lake Charles. For more information, contact Autism Services of SWLA at (337) 436-5001, or St. Nicholas Center (337) 491-0080.
March 2013
Creating an Ideal Workplace
The success of Jason’s Deli
by Katie Harrington
Thirty-seven years ago Joe Tortorice Jr. and three friends opened a small soup and sandwich shop in Beaumont. Never in their wildest dreams did they ever imagine it being the birth of a franchise more than 200 locations strong with representation in over two dozen states. “When we started the original Jason’s Deli in 1976, we just wanted to do well with our one little shop,” says Tortorice. “But we are constantly challenging ourselves to be better. It’s a constant, relentless pursuit of excellence and in the end, it’s our culture, rooted in those who have been our mentors over the years, that sets us apart from our competitors. ” Around two decades ago Tortorice says he was attracted to a management concept called servant
leadership. This concept finds its base in volunteerism and provides a vision that will inspire people. “Servant leadership focuses on being Joe Tortorice Jr. a servant in order to be a good leader,” Tortorice adds. “We like to think of ourselves as a spiritually-based company better themselves professionally by becoming and aim to create a safe environment, both emotionally and physically for our employees.” managers and leaders. Around 30 percent of our management staff is a product of The Fishing Their Leadership Institute offers free classes in School.” money matters, ethics, marriage matters, conflict Tortorice will be in Lake Charles Friday, March resolution, emotional intelligence and in the core 15, to speak at the Better Business Bureau’s B2B values of the company’s brand. Breakfast at the Civic Center. “The Fishing School is aimed at improving our employees’ quality of life,” Tortorice says. “Through For more information, call (337) 478-6253. this school we empower hourly employees to
Assemblé with the Lake Charles Civic Ballet featuring Graduation Ball
The Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc. announces the 11th Annual
LEAGUERS & LINKS
GOLF TOURNAMENT lakecharlescivicballet.com
Photo by Romero & Romero Photography
Monday, March 18, 2013
Saturday, March 16 ● 7pm Sunday, March 17 ● 3pm Rosa Hart eatre
Tee Times are 8:00AM & 1:30PM
Monday, March 18, 2013
presenting sponsor Tee Times are 8:00AM & 1:30PM
Preferred Seating ● $26.50 General Seating ● $16.50
presenting sponsor
For tickets, contact Civic Center Box Office at 337.491.1432 or ticketmaster.com.
Mr. & Mrs. Frank Williams The Sweet Lake Laura & Land & Oil Company, LLC Buddy Leach
March 2013
For more information about sponsorship opportunities or additional tournament information, please visit jllc.net
ROMERO&ROMERO PHOTOGRAPHY
For more information about sponsorship opportunities or additional tournament information, please visit jllc.net.
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March 2013