BayouLife Magazine July 2016 by BayouLife Magazine

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20 / BAYOU KIDZ Puppy Love 24 / FISHING WITH KENNY Why Would We Throw That and When to Use Them 28 / A. ALDEN’S MEMO Last Minute Getaway 30 / P. ALLEN SMITH Conserving Water in the Heat of Summer 36 / ASK ERIN Professional Kits of An Organizer 52 / BAYOU ICON The Artsman: Tommy Usrey

64 / SOUL SURVIVOR The Story of D-Day Survivor Leo Grayson 78 / BAYOU EATS Rosemary’s Kitchen in Ruston is An Organic Original 88 / BAYOU ARTIST Dancer Courtney Crain Pursues Her Passion 100 / BAYOU HOME The Home of Mary Kathryn and Eric Edwards 108 / BAYOU OUTDOORS Liberty for All

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110 / MAKE A SPLASH Summer Style Essentials to Keep You Haute

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BayouLife

ULY IS ALWAYS A BUSY

month for our household. We celebrate a lot of birthdays and usually try to squeeze in a vacation during the 4th of July holiday. This year, I feel like we have so much to reflect on leading up to our Independence Day. It’s definitely been a challenging and somber few weeks, as we’ve witnessed one of the largest mass murders/hate crimes/terror attacks in the United States. We defiitely need to educate ourselves regarding the upcoming elections and stand together as Americans to rally behind our citizens – regardless of age, race, creed, color, sex, national origin, religion or sexual orientation. In this issue, we are proud to feature Leo Grayson. Mr. Grayson recently commemorated the 72nd anniversary of D-Day at 102-years-old. He is a man who doesn’t care to speak of war, but loves his nation. He is thankful – probably because of all that he has seen throughout his life. He is truly a living legend. Read his story on page 64. This month we also honor Tommy Usrey as he wraps up his career as President of the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council. Recently Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Office of Cultural Development announced that our friend Tommy Usery won the Lifetime Achievement in Culture Award. We are forever grateful for his contributions to the arts community in Northeast Louisiana and are proud to call Tommy this month’s BayouIcon. Read this article on page 52. I love a good juice bar, throw in some organic goodness and I’m there. This month’s BayouEats is Rosemary’s Kitchen in Ruston. Mary Napoli sits down with

1201 Royal Avenue Monroe, LA 71201 Phone 318.855.3185 Fax 318.855.4645 owners Rosemary Thomas and her daughter, Sara Corley. See this article on page 78. Barbara Leader and Brad Arender met up with this month’s BayouArtist Courtney Crain in the dance studio. We thought it fitting that she was recently honored with the Dorothy Bassett Award from the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council and would grace the pages with one of her biggest supporters, Tommy Usrey. Read about this dancing queen on page 92. I am absolutely in love with the Edwards’ home and so thankful that they let us feature it in this month’s issue. I think that I would be happy living in their master shower! Maré Brennan and Martin G Meyers met up with the Edwards and designer Cole Baker. See this article on page 100. I’ve had some comments recently about articles that are published in our magazine. The opinions of our writers are not always the opinions of our editor and publisher. But, we do believe in giving people a voice – even if it doesn’t fit within our bubble. We do try to make sure that we publish timely and informative articles that will appeal to a variety of readers’ interests. With that said, we hope you enjoy this month’s issue of BayouLife Magazine. Happy 4th of July!

Cassie

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM PUBLISHER Cassie Livingston cassie@bayoulifemag.com EDITOR Maré Brennan mare@bayoulifemag.com ART DIRECTOR Melanie Moffett melanie@bayoulifemag.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Taylor Collins taylor@bayoulifemag.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER Toni Navarro toni@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Ashley Hubenthal ashley@bayoulifemag.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Amanda Singley amanda@bayoulifemag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Maré Brennan Dan Chason Kenny Covington Lou Davenport Dr. David Finley Cindy Gist Foust Linda Holyfield Janine Hopkins Barbara Leader Paul Lipe

Erin Love Meredith McKinnie Dr. Timothy Mickel Mary Napoli Kay Rector Delia Simpson P. Allen Smith Beatrice A. Tatem Analeise Thomas

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Brad Arender Scarlett Holland Martin G. Meyers ON THE COVER BayouLife Magazine in partnership with Monroe/West Monroe Convention and Visitor’s Bureau presents this year’s photo contest winner: Michelle Tripp “Biedenharn at Night” BayouLife Magazine is published and distributed by Redbird Publishing, LLC. Circulation: 13,000 copies monthly. Postal subscriptions ($20) can be ordered online at www.bayoulifemag. com. BayouLife Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts or other materials. Reproduction of contents without express written permission is prohibited.

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Blue Moon Turns 21 A Milestone Year for an Iconic Beer

BY DELIA SIMPSON, CRAFT, SPECIALTY, AND IMPORT MANAGER, CHOICE BRANDS, INC.

T BLUE MOON BREWING Company, something is always brewing – literally and figuratively. That’s because everything they do starts with creative inspiration. And that was true from the very beginning. In 1995, head brewmaster Keith Villa, put a new-world twist on the old-world art of brewing and created a refreshingly unique take on the classic Belgian Wit beers he had grown to love while studying brewing in Brussels. By taking inspiration from the classic Belgian Wit recipe and then tweaking it with Valencia orange peel and adding a touch of coriander, Keith crafted a beer unlike any other. The result was Blue Moon Belgian White. Beer drinkers really loved its subtle sweetness and citrusy flavor, which just goes to show that life is a lot more interesting when something’s brewing. Blue Moon started brewing at the corner of 22nd and Blake in downtown Denver, Colorado, at the beginning of the ‘95 baseball season. The original brewery is actually located in a baseball stadium. It was called The SandLot Brewery, and focused on brewing craft beer for the fans at games. By the middle of the season, the roster of beers was ready to start pouring. It included Slugger Stout, Rightfield Red and a fan favorite called Bellyslide Wit. As the season went on, the fans kept requesting the same thing: “Give me a Bellyslide.” With an overwhelming fan-favorite they knew they had a special beer on their 8 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

hands, but needed a name that could live outside of the baseball stadium. So one day, when a bunch of the employees were tasting beers, their admin called out, “You know, a beer that tastes this good comes around only once in a blue moon.” And with that phrase ringing in their ears, the Blue Moon Brewing Company was born, and Bellyslide became Blue Moon Belgian White. As distribution of Blue Moon Belgian White grew across the country, the brewery noticed that people were serving it with lemons. Lots of them. All curiously hanging off the sides of Blue Moon Belgian White, which is common practice for traditional Belgian Wits that are tart. But Blue Moon Belgian White is not tart; it’s slightly sweet. So after a little thinking, Keith suggested garnishing Belgian White with an orange slice to heighten the citrus aroma and taste from the Valencia orange peel used to brew the beer. Needless to say, it caught on and Belgian White was the first American beer that called for an orange. While Belgian White still remains the flagship Blue Moon beer, several new beers have been added to the roster. Blue Moon White IPA, available year round, is a perfect balance between a Belgian white and a traditional IPA. Brewed with Huell Melon hops, as well as Simcoe, Cascade and Citra, it has an assertive clean bitter flavor with hints of grapefruit and citrus. The best of two styles have been brought together to

craft this IPA with a unique twist. Hoppy. Unfiltered. Balanced. A new seasonal addition for summer this year is Blue Moon Belgian Table Pils. Traditionally, a Belgian style pilsner has a lower-alcohol and is brewed to accompany a meal and great friends. Blue Moon created a twist on this style by making their Table Pils a little more flavorful, yet balanced. Belgian Table Pils is a sessionable Belgian-style pilsner brewed with mandarin orange peel and two row Moravian barley for a balance, refreshing summertime beer. Cinnamon Horchata Ale is available in variety 12 packs. For this beer, Keith Villa reached back to his roots and found inspiration in the traditional agua de horchata. This cinnamon-spiced ale is his interpretation of the delicious Latin beverage. It’s brewed with long-grain rice for a creamy texture to complement flavors of cinnamon, making it the perfect treat for a get-together with friends. Throughout the month of July, we’ll be celebrating Blue Moon’s birthday in style. Like us on Facebook at facebook. com/choicebrands to find information on brands, events, and specials around town. Search #BlueMoon21NELA to get the scoop on the festivities!

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The Sounds of Summer Let Audibel the Hearing Center Accomodate Your Lifestyle Needs

UMMER HAS ARRIVED! DURING the hot summer days nothing feels better than heading to your closest lake, pool or ocean. Whether you are catching some sun, fishing, boating or merely splashing around, summer gives us all the opportunity to act like kids again. The water, for some, gives a sense of freedom. The endless view of the ocean or the feeling of weightlessness when you float in a pool can give you the ultimate sense of liberation. In addition to activities by the water, we also enjoy all of the wonderful and diverse sounds that water brings. It could be the giggles of your grandchildren playing in the pool, the gentle and rhythmic sound of the ocean rolling into shore or the gentle breeze of the wind coming off the water. Time spent by the water is visually beautiful but the accompanying sounds bring it to life and bring us back to a simpler time….a time when your biggest problem was to make sure your sandcastle didn’t get destroyed by crashing waves and a big ice cream cone could put a smile on your face for a week. To make sure you’re enjoying all the sounds that summer provides, schedule a hearing evaluation today. Our hearing healthcare professionals will check your hearing, make sure you don’t have sand in your ears (we dislike that as much as you do) and determine a solution for your unique hearing challenges. Over the past few months, we have walked you through what a hearing consultation entails. Now, we are ready to look at what you can expect should you

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decide to purchase hearing aids. When a hearing aid is recommended, our doctors try to offer the best option for that particular patient’s unique listening needs. As part of that decision, it is important for one to consider a few factors such as their lifestyle hearing needs, technology features and the overall cost. The first consideration is how your lifestyle impacts your hearing needs. For people who are active in the community or workforce, managing background noise is an important feature to consider. New hearing aid technology offers many levels of this sophisticated feature to help speech clarity in noisy settings. This allows for more comfortable listening experiences in social venues such as loud restaurants, meeting rooms or gatherings. Also worth consideration is the overall sophistication of the technology. Not only does today’s hearing aid technology help manage background noise, but it also helps with compatibility with media devices and with telephone conversations. For example, the new Audibel A3i™ hearing aids are made for iPhone devices which allow the user to wirelessly sync hearing aids to an iPhone to stream music, television and phone calls. Lastly, consider the cost of the hearing aid technology. This is often a significant concern for many people but we advise to not let it be the primary part of a decision. There are many affordable, quality hearing aid options for anyone who needs hearing assistance. In particular, we offer no-interest

financing plans to help manage the cost of new hearing aid technology. If a hearing loss solution is recommended to you, an opportunity will be presented to try using hearing aids while in office. This is a completely voluntary step in the appointment process but many patients who are struggling with hearing loss have found it compelling to listen to the difference that hearing aid technology can make in their hearing. To find the best fit, we use ear mold impressions of the patient’s ear canals, custom hearing aid shells are made to fit comfortably and discreetly in ears resulting in SMALLER and less visible hearing aids. Should you decide to purchase any hearing aids, a no-obligation trial period is included with the purchase. Next month, we will finish up our series and look at what to expect from your hearing aids after your purchase. ABOUT US Audibel The Hearing Center is Northeast Louisiana’s Audibel dispenser. Cherry Phillips “The Hearing Lady” has been serving this area for over 27 years. We offer free hearing screenings, free second opinions, extended warranties and repairs on all makes and brands of hearing aids. You can find out more by visiting our website www.AudibelMonroe.com and you can see more and like us on Facebook.com/ AudibelMonroe.

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What’s Your Vision of Beauty? Haik Humble Eye Center Wants You to Imagine the Possibilities

AIK HUMBLE EYE CENTER has added advanced cosmetic and medical aesthetic services to our practice offering. Our services are provided in a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere utilizing the latest technology and highly qualified professionals to deliver great results. Our goal is to help you achieve healthier and younger-looking skin. We’ve focused our advanced technology on treatments for improving skin’s health and appearance, as well as cosmetic procedures for the eyes and surrounding area. Whatever your vision of beauty, Haik Humble Eye Center makes it remarkably affordable. PHOTOFACIALS Most people seeking skin rejuvenation to restore a smoother, more youthful appearance or to correct certain skin issues will be ideal candidates for photofacials. Photofacial treatment uses intense pulsed light (IPL) to remove skin imperfections and stimulate collagen and elastic fiber production, thus creating healthier and smoother skin. The gentle, non-ablative treatments use broad spectrum light to treat the face, chest, neck and hands—virtually anywhere that sun damage shows. The process is ideal for anyone with active lifestyles because the procedure requires no downtime and has a low risk of side effects. Photofacials can improve the signs of sun damage, rosacea and brown spots on the face, hands and body. It has also been used to reduce the appearance of mild acne scars, dark circles around the eyes and fine lines around the eyes and mouth. At Haik Humble Eye Center, we utilize the Lumenis M22 laser

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for IPL Photofacial treatments, which is the gold standard platform for cosmetic skin treatments. PATIENT SATISFACTION Photofacials have a very high measure of patient satisfaction. Patients are very pleased with treatment results because the process treats the full face, neck, chest or hands, rather than addressing a single isolated area or imperfection. With a series of treatments, IPL technology can help restore a more youthful appearance with no downtime or a prolonged recovery necessary after other types of treatments Several appealing qualities of IPL Photofacials which result in very high levels of patient satisfaction: • IPL treatments are quick, gentle and noninvasive. There is no interruption of routine activities. • By helping to remove the age spots (suninduced freckles) and broken capillaries, the result is overall more even, luminous, younger looking skin. • Patients can see dramatic results within a very short time. WHAT TO EXPECT Each pulse of the laser lasts less than one second and may produce a slight tingling feeling. In particularly sensitive areas, such as the upper lip, it may feel like a quick pinch. After the treatment, a moisturizer is applied with sunscreen. If there is any mild swelling, a cold pack may be applied for five or ten minutes. Commonly, patients can reapply foundation or concealer immediately after treatment.

Each treatment session takes about 20 to 45 minutes to perform, depending on the size and location of the targeted area. Usually four to six treatment sessions are recommended to produce optimal results. After the photofacial treatment, patients can return to work and other regular activities the same day. The skin may appear slightly flushed and capillaries may appear more visible, but these changes are often unnoticeable to others. It is important to protect the skin from sun exposure for the first few months after treatment to promote proper healing and long-term results. EXCELLENT RESULTS Most people will experience a disappearance or significant reduction in skin irregularities after a series of treatment sessions spaced several weeks apart, although results depend on the type and severity of the condition being treated. Sun spots and other forms of sun damage tend to darken after treatment and then shed from the skin after one to two weeks. People with rosacea often notice a decrease in redness and a return to a more normal skin tone within a week after treatment. Those with spider veins may experience a full or partial fading of affected vessels after 10 to 14 days. Achieving smoother, more beautiful skin is now easier and more comfortable than ever before. The professionals at Haik Humble Eye Center will develop a customized treatment plan in order to achieve the desired results for each patient’s individual condition. Call us today at (318) 325-2610 to schedule a FREE consultation.

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Glenwood Regional Medical Center Now Offering Lung Cancer Screenings

RE YOU AT HIGH RISK FOR LUNG CANCER? EARLY detection could save your life. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women worldwide. Nearly 160,000 Americans die of lung cancer each year. Results of a recent National Lung Screening Trial Study (NLST) reveal that participants who receive low-dose CT Scans had a 15 to 20 percent lower risk of dying from lung cancer than participants who received standard chest x-rays. Improved detection at earlier stages, when lung cancer is more easily treated, is key to increased survival. Glenwood Regional Medical Center, an accredited American Board of Radiology (ACR) facility, was recently designated as a Lung Cancer Screening Center. To receive the distinction, facilities must be accredited by the ACR in computed tomography in the chest module and undergo a rigorous assessment of its lung cancer screening protocol and infrastructure. Procedure requirements include followup patient care such as counseling and smoking cessation programs. Like other annual preventive screenings including mammograms, colonoscopies, and prostate exams, lung cancer screenings are now approved by Medicare and some private insurance providers. If you qualify, check with your insurance provider about coverage. For those who qualify and don’t have insurance coverage, screenings are available for a $200.00 cash price. Who qualifies? 1. Between the age of 55 and 77. 2. Asymptomatic – no signs or symptoms of lung cancer 3. Tobacco smoking history of at least 30 pack years (smoking one pack per day for 30 years) 4. Current smoker or smoker who has quit in the last 15 years Other requirements LDCT lung cancer screenings require a written order from a physician or nurse practitioner following an evaluation and counseling session. Contact your medical provider for more details and to schedule an appointment. Know the FAQs What is a low- dose Lung CT? 14 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

A computerized tomography (CT) scan uses special x-ray technology without contrast or needles to get detailed images from different angles of the lungs and surrounding areas. During the test, patients lie on a table attached to the CT scanner, a large donut-shaped machine that rotates to provide highly accurate lung images. Should I get a low-dose CT scan to screen for lung cancer? Before making your decision, It’s important to see a physician or nurse practitioner to review and discuss your health history and to better understand the benefits and risks. There are some radiation risks, and you may need to have additional tests or procedures depending on your results. Only low-dose CT scans are recommended for screening, so it’s important to choose a hospital or imaging center that meets the American College of Radiology requirements such as Glenwood Imaging Services. What types of results will I receive? All screenings are interpreted by our specialized staff of board certified radiologists. After your screening, Glenwood’s Lung Scan program will send you a written results notice including instructions if further studies are needed. Receiving a “suspicious” result means your scan revealed something abnormal. It could be lung cancer, or it could be something else. Additional testing may be required to get a definitive diagnosis. A “negative” result means that there were no abnormal findings on your screening. If you are high risk, your doctor will discuss when and if you should be tested again. Does my insurance cover the screening? For Medicare beneficiaries, annual LDCT preventive lung cancer screenings are fully covered for those in the high risk category. High risk qualifiers with insurance or supplemental Medicare HMOs should contact their provider to see if coverage is offered. For those at high risk whoare not insured, screenings are available for a cash price of $200.00. For more information about low-dose CT scans or lung cancer screening, call Glenwood Regional Medical Center at 877-726-9355, or speak to your doctor.

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Fitzco Marine Group Serving the Waterfront of the U.S. Since 1979

IKE FITZPATRICK, OWNER/FOUNDER OF FITZCO has spent all his life on and around the water. He started in business in 1979 at the age of 19. Having been instilled with values and principles from the beginning, he truly operates his business by “the Golden Rule.” Fitzpatrick has a passion for educating folks on marine construction, to help them get the best bang for their buck. Fitzco has recently partnered with Joe Terracina of River Marine Works on the Ouachita and Red Rivers, as well as local lakes, in Northern Louisiana to provide a level of quality unlike any other in the area. They offer unsurpassed customer service and quality for your marine construction needs. Mike’s message is that floating docks shouldn’t be unkempt looking structures with vegetation growing out of the “exposed foam” flotation. They shouldn’t have poorly painted steel framework and columns. The problem is with the original design of the docks, most of which are not repairable, as the concrete decking has been poured on top of the foam flotation with a steel frame around it. “At Fitzco, we do many things differently… for a reason,” says Fitzpatrick. “We believe that your dock should secure your boat, not the other way around. Over the years, we have developed equipment and processes specific to improving our finished product while increasing efficiency. This has led to unmatched ability and quality in the maritime construction industry in the areas of pile driving (we can even drill and install piles in bed rock), bulk heading, floating and fixed structures and underwater recovery of sunken vessels.” “With us, it’s about design it and building it correctly…. once,” says Mike. “If it’s already been built and is not performing, we will redesign it and rebuild it correctly…. once. If you choose us for your next project on the water, whether it’s replacing pilings, installing a bulk head, building a new floating or fixed pier or an elaborate custom boat house, prepare to be impressed.”

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Their system features: • Encapsulated float modules that are replaceable should one become compromised (which will not allow vegetation to exist) • Galvanized steel frames with the floats attached thereto so as to prevent any direct exposure of steel to the water • Precast, steel reinforced concrete deck panels which can be removed to access utilities or to replace in the event one becomes compromised. • All galvanized steel components alleviates the need to paint anything resulting in a truly “maintenance free” design. “ I’ve been designing and building floating dock structures, from small private docks to massive commercial marinas, as well as consulting for other marine contractors, for over 30 years,” states Fitzpatrick. “It’s simple,” he says, “Fitzco and River Marine Works want you to enjoy more time on the water! Contact Fitzco Marine today by calling Mike Fitzpatrick (318584-7003) or Joe Terracina (318-665-0190 or 318-614-2406). 323 Moon Lake Road, Monroe, LA 71203 P.O. Box 466, Shell Knob, MO 65747 • 417-858-BOAT (2628) 212 Flat River Road, Bossier City, LA 71112 • 318-584-7003 Fitzco Marine Construction • AirHoist Boatlift Systems Century Maritime • MariTow U.S. “Serving the waterfront of the U.S. since 1979”

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Black and White Thinking Life In Black and White and in Between BY BEATRICE TATEM, PH.D., LPC-S, NCC, ACS

MAGINE IF LIFE WAS ALL OR nothing without a middle ground; without room for compromise and negotiation. Picture life without choice, without difference, without variation, without option. Think about how life would be if everything was either/or, up or down, high or low, hot or cold, large or small, left or right, weak or strong. Consider life void of the opportunity to make decisions and judgments and situations were viewed as yes or no, right or wrong, easy or hard, success or failure. Envision life without surprises, without chance and people always knew what to expect. Imagine life if everyone thought in black and white and there was no in between? Black and white thinking, also referred to as “splitting,” “fixed thinking,” “all-ornothing thinking,” occurs when an individual thinks or acts in an extreme or absolute manner. Black and white thinking is being unable to see the middle, the in-between or the “gray” (falls between black and white) in everyday life. This type of thinking limits a person to having two options; things are experienced or seen in polar opposites. Black and white thinking is often associated with how people view and define themselves; it becomes a means by which an individual measures his or her worth as a person, a way they make sense of their experiences and the world around them. Are you a black and white thinker? Do you live your life in black and white terms? Black and white thinking can happen to the best of us. Admittedly, there are times and circumstances in which I have been a black

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and white thinker. As a young psychology student working on comprehensive exams I recall experiencing anxiety as to whether I would complete my exam in a satisfactory manner. At the time, I implored the allor-nothing thinking of passing or failing. I confided in my father my fears about performing in an unsatisfactory way. My father asked me, “How do you know you’re going to fail?” He suggested, “If you fail, just retake the exam or if you pass some parts of the exam and fail other parts, make the necessary revisions and resubmit it.” My fear of failure and test anxiety outweighed my feelings of success, strides and accomplishments. When I reflect on my situation I recognize I was viewing things in extremes of pass or fail with out considering the in-between possibilities. Many years have passed by and I now find myself processing with clients, particularly those that are students, life is a continuum, not limited to passing or failing. Life is not simple and clear cut nor definite and defined. There are several ways to avoid the black and white mentality and experience the in-between in life. The suggestions are as follows: Allow yourself to be okay with making mistakes and accept you will sometimes be wrong; being perfect is impossible to attain. Live life as “maybe,” “perhap,” “possibly,” “what if” instead of ”must” and “should” and “have to.” Explore all options; in most situations, there is the opportunity for change, revision and improvement. Set realistic expectations and let go of the “should and should not”

mentality. Be mindful of the words you use when communicating…implore the words “both/and” when communicating versus the word “or.” Accentuate the positive…it strengthens self-esteem and reduces negative thoughts. Expand your understanding of the world around you and the people within it…people are complex. In life there is need for compromise, flexibility and the need to adjust our attitudes and thoughts; make room for negotiation. Be open minded to new and different ideas and situations; you will be more likely to perceive the situation as it is and not how you think it should be. Life is unrehearsed and in almost every situation in life there are different ways of approaching and experiencing things. Thinking in black and white creates short cuts and those short cuts, short change our appreciation of ourselves, our view of the world and, in general, short change our day-to-day understanding. Thinking in black and white can limit our opportunity to grow and can impact our chance to experience life fully; it narrows our vision. Life is not full of absolutes, but is complex with varying degrees of opportunities, occurrences, problems to be solved and yet the wonderment of the unexpected. For more information on counseling and outreach services contact Dr. Beatrice Tatem at Wellness Initiatives, LLC 1900 North 18th Street, Suite 414, Monroe, La 71201, 318-410-1555 or at btatem.bt@gmail.com.

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B AYOUKID Z

PUPPY LOVE The Love for Our Pets article by Cindy G. Foust

appy 4th of July, BayouLife readers as we begin our crossover to the “other half” of the year that includes months filled with back-to-school, football and big family holidays. I wish time would slow down, but instead, it continues to march on during these dog days of summer. By the way, does anyone in our BL community know what in the cat hair “dog days of summer” really means? When you think about it, what does a dog have to do with summer? Or what exactly is a “dog day?” If you don’t already know the answer, I want you to be able to say you heard it here first, that “dog days of summer” actually refers to the sultry part of the summer when Sirius, the Dog Star, rises at the same time as the sun. Oh, okay. Nah, I still got nothing. But speaking of dogs, have I ever shared with my readers that I am not a dog person? Most of you know, because I write about it frequently, that I grew up a country girl. That’s right, I could shell peas and shuck corn in the Olympics. My family always had animals roaming the family compound, like we were Old McGist and his farm...horses, pigs, chickens, dogs...you name it, we had it. One time, we had this crabby old rooster, that I was so infatuated with, I chased its tail every time my granddaddy would let me go with him to feed it. Tragically, this crabby ole rooster didn’t appreciate me chasing it and pulling its feathers out, so he defended himself the only way he knew how...he “jumped me.” Mental image: he jumped on my head and started pecking. The story goes, that my granddaddy had to slap me in the face (I promise, it was the only time he ever laid a hand on his oldest granddaughter), because apparently, I was screaming at the top of my lungs, looking like

Justin E. Tarver, DDS 92 Lincoln Road Monroe, LA (318) 343-6006 www.tarverdental.com

Moving Dentistry Forward to Enhance Your Smile 20 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

a child possessed. I have, of course, no independent recollection of the incident. Is anyone else wondering how this column got hijacked by a rooster when it started with a dog? Okay, redirect. I was saying that my family has always had a dog, an outside dog, but we always had a dog for a pet. There was Lucky, Smokey, Ralphie, Harley, Tiny and Rambo (that one chased the furniture delivery man to the top of his truck)...the list goes on and on. But sadly, I never had a bonding experience with a dog, like many people do. Doesn’t everybody in the world love dogs? Well, except me. Well, until now. I’m not really sure why I’ve never shared the passion for dogs. I was never bit or chased by a dog, or have any other incident that might create this aversion to the four legged canine companion. To be honest, I’m not sure you need a real reason, I just never had the burning desire to have one. Last March, I wrote a column on the fear of dogs my little girl had; that the terror she experienced, and the fear she had of any dog, any shape or size, haunted Scott and I daily. I got some really sincere and empathetic feedback after that column. As I suspected, lots of children experience these same fears. I’m not sure when the turning point came for my daughter, but shortly after my sister and her husband got a small lap dog, Angel Grace began a slow, gradual transition from: a dog terrorizes me to a dog sort of terrorizes me to a dog licked me and I didn’t have a “rooster fit” to I want my own dog. Say what? I never dreamed my husband would allow her to have an indoor dog, so I quietly discouraged her every time she would ask. At this CONTINUED ON PAGE 70

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Marsala Beverage

BayouLife Sits Down with Heath Lord from Ouachita Brewing Company When did you first start brewing beer and how did you get started? I have been a fan of the process and “assisted” in brewing for many, many years. I however did not really become a “brewer” until 2008. I had a good friend, named Michael Sawyer, who introduced me to the full process. What makes your company unique? Me. I am a pretty weird dude. Everybody else is fairly normal. We push for all things local from our ingredients to the boxes we use to package them. We strive to stay true to our roots and loyal to the greatest state. What brews do you offer? LouisiAmber – LouisiAmber is our first beer out of the gate. From Louisiana and our beautiful country, across the amber waves of grain, we packed a lot of love in the beer. LouisiAmber is a “West Coast” style Amber which has the traditional caramel malts with the added aroma and bitterness to balance out this brew. Ouachita Down – Ouachita Down is a Bohemian Pilsner given to us by the great King Wenceslas II. Arguably, this style changed the beer drinking world. For us, we are paying tribute to both Ouachita Parish and the beautiful river that runs through it. After a long, hard day sometimes you just need to Ouachita Down. See what I did there? Conflicted – Conflicted is a Coffee Porter and quite possibly the most delicious beer to 22 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

touch the lips of the consumer. Brewed with locally roasted coffee out of Lincoln Parish from Railway Coffee Roasters, this amazing blend of Coffee and Beer will leave you Conflicted. 318 IPA –This brew is named after the area code in which it is made. This is a traditional IPA with a high hop flavor and a smooth mouth-feel. This will certainly refresh you in the Louisiana heat. Do you have any future plans in store for Ouachita Brewery? Yes. We plan to expand and grow the business to produce jobs and create a culture change for art, music and beer. Our immediate upgrade would be the addition of our taproom. How many people are involved in the business and what parts do they play? Currently, this is a husband and wife team and we do everything from brewing great beer to mopping the floor. We also have a fantastic board of directors who push us to be great. What do you want our readers to know about Ouachita Brewery? This business is not just for me and my family. This business is for everyone in Northeast Louisiana. This is not about money or me; it is about creating something that has never been done before in this area and delivering a responsible education to those around. My family and I choose to be here and we want our children to stay here.

This is about creating jobs, boosting the economy; it is about using coffee my neighbor has roasted in Lincoln Parish or the grain harvested in Tensas Parish. It is about bringing attention to the rich heritage we have adopted from our ancestors, which is every bit as important as other parts of this amazing state. Above all things, my chief goal in life is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. I am to love all, even my enemy and especially those who might disagree with my political and/ or religious beliefs. By every day’s end, I fall short and every morning’s beginning, I am trying again. God, Family, Beer! Everything else is just background noise. I have a lot of people to thank along this journey: First and foremost my amazingly talented, beautiful, and intelligent wife, Jennifer. My three supportive and loving children: Abigail, Brooklyn, and Cholly Mac. I would like to include: My church, my friends, other businesses /supportive individuals (which are too many to count). And to Marsala Beverage who supported, helped and proactively helped to better me through this quest. Final Quote: “For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest sleeping in the unplowed ground. Is our world gone? We say ‘Farewell.’ Is a new world coming? We welcome it… and we will bend it to the hopes of man.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Fishing

With Kenny WHY WOULD WE THROW THAT AND WHEN TO USE THEM? article by Kenny Covington

ecently while fishing with a good friend, we were fishing water less than a foot deep when I caught a bass in the five pound range on a 10 inch plastic worm. As I unhooked the fish my friend made the statement, “I would have never thrown such a big worm in water that shallow”. When I asked him why he replied, “It just never occurred to me.” As fishermen we get set in our ways and this lack of an open mind can keep us from taking advantage of opportunities to catch fish that exist on each fishing trip. But are we really closed minded about certain fishing ideas or is it that we simply don’t know? It may be a little of both. When it comes to soft plastics in bass fishing, the choices are beyond numerous. We have finesse worms, croc tail worms, ribbon tail worms, super finesse worms... The list goes on and on, nevermind the numerous creature baits and the abundance of color choices. So how do we know when to use what? As a rule of thumb, regardless of the type of soft plastic, I always go with basic colors no matter where I am fishing. I know in our area waters I can catch fish on any shade of watermelon, black neon, redshad, plum or junebug no matter where I am fishing. Those five will take care of most of my color choices. I think the complexity starts when we discuss the size and style of our soft plastic lures. When do we use a small worm or when is the bigger 10 or 12 inch version the better choice? At what point is a creature bait

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such as a Zoom Brush Hog a better choice over a Sweet Beaver? Here are some basic guidelines that might prove to be helpful. In warmer and dirtier water use a bigger bait. Like the example I used in the beginning of this article, fish that are located in warm (over 80 degrees) off colored, shallow water tend to feed more by feel than they do by sight. A big bulky plastic worm such as one with a croc tail or Brush Hog that gives off a lot of water displacement makes it easy for the fish to locate even in the muddiest of conditions. In clearer and colder water or on high pressure lakes, use more finesse. This is very effective in the winter months but finesse presentations work well year round on certain bodies of water, especially those with high fishing pressure or boat traffic. Some cypress tree based lakes, like Cheniere Lake, are good finesse lakes simply because of the personality of the fishery itself. Techniques such as shaky heads, small Carolina rigs and Texas rigged finesse worms are proven big fish catchers in these lakes completely going against what we program ourselves to believe what a big fish likes. Color is overrated but let the fish choose anyway. Let’s face it, we all have our favorite color for soft plastics but sometimes it is best to choose your lure color based on conditions instead of what you like. In clearer water use more natural colors that are watermelon based. In stained or muddy water or at night, choose a darker color such as a black neon or junebug. But don’t be hard headed. If your partner is beating your eyes out throwing a

color “they aren’t supposed to hit,” don’t let your ego get the best of you. Let the fish tell you what to throw. Don’t overlook the lake and the conditions you are fishing. In the heat of the summer, larger plastic worms seem to catch big bass. In the dead of winter, smaller creature type baits tend to catch more fish. On Turkey Creek, a Zoom Brush Hog is a standard choice of soft plastic year round. On Caney Lake, a shakey head is a top producer for numbers and big bass alike. Each lake has its own personality and the techniques reflect that. Some lakes are color specific. A good example of this is Lake Claiborne. Since I was old enough to fish Claiborne, it has always been a chartreuse, green or watermelon color based lake. Bright skies, cloudy days, rain, snow... no matter the weather or the water conditions, I have caught fish using lures that have these color schemes. Do I throw a craw worm or do I use a sweet beaver? Should I use a centipede worm or go with the finesse version? The questions will always be asked and the standard answers will always be given. I have said many times there is no substitute for experience and when it comes to soft plastics and the when’s and where’s of fishing them it is even more so. Please be careful when you are out on the water. Use plenty of sunscreen, drink plenty of water and catch one for me! See you next month!

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

First South Farm Credit Supports The Farm Whatever the Farm Means to You

AVE YOU EVER TAKEN ONE OF THOSE FACEBOOK quizzes that asks you to pick out your dream home? You know the one; (A) a posh city condo (B) an in-town home in a rural setting (C) a suburban two-story. And then, there’s (D) a comfortable, family-style home in a rural setting. Did you pick (D)? So did I. That country home, on some acreage, is what I might call “the Farm.” One of these days, I’m going to buy that place. The Farm means different things to different people. Is that sprawling stretch of cropland full of rich green crops? Perhaps it’s the place where you were raised. Filled with memories of hunting, fishing and exploring the outdoors. Or better yet, maybe it’s the place that you want your family to call “the home place”. The one where your kids learn to plant a garden and put the results on the kitchen table for supper. The one where build a chicken coop and the kids learn which comes first, the chicken or the egg. And it probably includes a home with a front porch…. And a porch swing… and some rocking chairs… and you, watching the sun set on a quiet summer evening.

lifestyle as much as we do. As a farmer and board member, I feel good knowing that my lender is run by people who understand and respect the rural lifestyle.” What does it mean that First South operates as a cooperative? Well it means that we are owned by the people who do business with us. As a borrower you become a stockholder. As a financial cooperative, we share our profits with our owners. How do we do that? Well, just this past year, First South returned $12.5 million in patronage dividends to our customers/owners. “That’s cash that goes back into your wallet and is then spent on local products and services to bolster the entire community, “ said Monroe-area loan officer Bret Munson. Over the past 21 years, First South has declared patronage totaling over $299 million to be paid to its customers/owners through patronage refunds and retirement of allocated surplus. As a customer of First South, not only can you get competitive rates and loans terms, but you get service from folks that know and understand you, and the opportunity to share in profits. “You can’t beat that combination,” Munson said.

A stable foundation to serve you Whatever The Farm means to you, First South Farm Credit has nearly 50 locations throughout our region with tools, knowledge and expertise to help you finance it. A part of the nationwide Farm Credit System, First South has been helping people like you and I finance that country home – and a whole lot more – for 100 years throughout Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi. Our mission is to serve rural communities and agriculture with reliable, consistent credit and financial services. “Farm Credit works so well because it operates as a cooperative. Our borrowers are also our owners, so they have a say in how we run the business, “ said Tap Parker, a First South Board Member from Monroe with farm operations in Lake Providence. “Most of our employees are local folks, who cherish the rural

Get in the picture So, what does The Farm mean to you? You’ve probably got a pretty good mental picture of The Farm. First South Farm Credit can help put you into the picture. Whether you are starting from scratch and need financing to buy The Farm, or if you’ve already taken the first step and now need help molding your farm to fit that image, First South wants to help. “If you’re not living the lifestyle you want, think about the leap today. Consider what the Farm means to you,” Munson said. “We’ll be there with you every step of the way as you turn those dreams into reality.” Get started at FirstSouthLand.com.

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WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

A. ALDEN’S MEMO

LAST-MINUTE GETAWAY

Dallas and Atlanta based sales representative for Reeves & Company, Analeise Thomas, shares her top weekend getaway destinations for a lastminute summer vacay.

School gets out, you hit the road for summer baseball, attend a wedding or two and next thing you know, summer’s over and you don’t feel like it’s even begun! We’ve all been there- it’s hard to squeeze in any kind of quality family time when you’re going, going, going. Some of my best memories growing up were those spent with my family, away from home, just the four of us. I do a lot of traveling and visit some amazing places but sometimes I forget about the little gems in my own backyard. Here are some of my favorite getaway spots for an easy three-day weekend that’s not too far from home.

Graceland

Pamplona Tapas Bar

Festivals Acadiens et Creole 28 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

Frank Stitt is one of my favorite Southern chefs and his restaurant Highlands Bar & Grill is almost worth the trip to Birmingham on its own, but while you’re there, check out the Birmingham Botanical Gardens before heading to Mountain Brook for some of the best shopping in the South. Birmingham doesn’t have a major department store so the boutique shopping is unparalleled. Some of the most beautiful and well-curated boutiques that I service are located in Birmingham. Stop in to Monkee’s of Mountain Brook, M. Lavender Clothing and Gus Mayer and tell them I sent you! Favorite restaurants: Bottega Cafe: Another Frank Stitt masterpieice--sip on a Haitian Breeze and feast on any of the amazing Italian dishes; Hot & Hot Fish Club: opened by a former protégé of Stitt, enjoy the chef’s tasting bar where they’ll give you small bites of various dishes as they leave the kitchen; bamboo: top notch Japanese sushi and snow cone cocktails.

BIRMINGHAM, AL

Go to Greenville, head north on HWY 1 along Ol’ Man River and take a trip back in time as you drive leisurely through the Delta all the way to the home of the blues. Once there, pop in to Gus’s World-Famous Fried Chicken (GQ Magazine has confirmed it’s world fame) downtown location for the best crispy bird you’ve ever put between your lips. Graceland is obviously a must (it gets better every time I go) as is the Mud Island Mississippi River museum. If you left the kids at home, soak up the vibe on Beale Street with a gin and tonic and a rack of ribs or catch a AAA baseball game with the Memphis Redbirds at AutoZone Park as a family. Favorite restaurants: Brother Juniper: breakfast burritos and blueberry pancakes; Alchemy: New American tapas and handcrafted cocktails; Central BBQ for well, you know.

MEMPHIS, TN

LAFAYETTE, LA

John and I love visiting his brother and sister-in-law in Cajun Country for the culture, food and Acadian festivities. It seems like every time we go, there is a wonderful festival taking placeit’s like Mardi Gras never ends! Head down on July 16 for Dancing & Cruising in the Streets in downtown Lafayette for three stages of continuous live music, great food, beer/wine and a classic car and motorcycle cruise. The festivals are super kid-friendly and fun for the whole family. Don’t miss out on the best donuts in the continental U.S., bar-none, Meche’s Donut King. Trust me, I’ve been claimed a donut connoisseur by many and these are the best I’ve ever had. Favorite restaurants: The French Press: a brunch that’ll knock your socks off; Pamplona: low-lit Spanish bar & eatery serving traditional tapas in an old-world setting; Social Southern Table & Bar: seasonal Southern fare that’s fun!

M. Lavender Clothing

Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

Bottega Cafe

Conserving Water in the Heat of Summer

n the extreme heat of summer, especially in the South, it can become a major chore to keep your lawn and garden looking lush, or even alive. The heat is brutal, and the rainfall often diminishes to near drought level. When there’s no chance of rain in sight, it’s tempting to reach for the water hose, but before you do, consider these water conservation tips to get the most from your effort and keep waste at a minimum. Timing When the heat is at its worst in the afternoon, it’s tempting to cool your grass off with a light watering. Resist the temptation because when heat is high, water can evaporate before it has a chance to actually reach the roots of your grass and plants. Shallow watering encourages unhealthy, shallow rooting. It’s better to water deeply once or twice a week early in the morning when the temperatures are still cool. Aim for about an inch of water. If you use a sprinkler hooked to a garden hose, it may be a good idea to set out a cup nearby to measure how long it takes to reach an inch of water. Once you have that time, set a timer each time you water so you know when the plants have had enough; it’s easy to turn the water on and forget! In-ground Sprinklers If you don’t already have in-ground sprinklers installed, then it’s best to avoid them. While sprinkler systems are convenient, they are often the culprits of massive water

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waste. When they are set on a timer you can be sure to find them watering in the rain, watering the street, or a broken sprinkler head just dumping water into the yard. If you do have in-ground sprinklers, be sure to check them periodically to make sure they are spraying where, when and how they should.

photo by Kelly Quinn

photo by Jane Colclasure

again quickly. Zoysia is another good drought tolerant choice. When planning your beds and borders, there are lots of great plants that can go a little longer without water. Lantana, salvia, lavender and coneflower are all perfect for a flowerbed that is a little on the dry side. Your local nursery would be glad to help you make some drought tolerant plant choices. Mulch Adding a layer of mulch to your beds, containers and borders is a great way to retain moisture in the garden. Up to 70 percent of water can evaporate from the soil on a really hot day. Mulch is an excellent barrier to cool the soil and keep the moisture where you want it. It also helps hold back weeds that might steal moisture. Look for coarse mulch that will allow water to get down through to the soil, and layer it on about two inches deep.

Let Grass Stand Tall Taller grass can help shade the roots and the soil surface and greatly reduce evaporation. Mow grass to a height of no shorter than two to three inches, and during extreme drought, stop mowing altogether. Choose the Right Plants Get a leg up on watering by picking grass and other vegetation that is suited to your climate and doesn’t need a lot of water. Bermuda grass is a good drought tolerant grass variety. It goes dormant during a drought, and when it gets water, it perks back up

article by P. Allen Smith

photo by Bill Ridlehoover

DIY: Rain Barrels Directions: 1. Clean the trashcan thoroughly. 2. With the utility knife, cut a hole in the trashcan for the boiler drain several inches from the bottom of the can, being careful not to make the hole too big. You want the boiler drain to fit snugly into the hole to minimize leaks. 3. Thread the metal washer onto the drain first then the rubber washer. 4. Place the drain through the hole and thread another rubber washer on the inside of the trashcan. 5. Use the pliers to help screw the locknut on as tightly as you can. 6. Repeat this process for the second drain several inches from the top of the trashcan. This drain will act as an overflow valve. 7. Lay the screen over the top of the trashcan and cut enough to cover the top. The screen will prevent debris from getting in the rain barrel and clogging up the drain.

8. Tie cut screen with twine around the rim of the trashcan (staple gun is optional). 9. Use the scissors to trim off the excess screen. 10. Using the utility knife, cut out an opening in the lid of the trashcan that is the size of the downspout. This will be the intake for the downspout from your gutters. Put the lid on over the screen. 11. To install the rain barrel, cut your waterspout to desired height using a utility knife or Dremel tool. Then, reattach curvy part of a waterspout and set your rain barrel underneath lining up the downspout to the hole in the top of the lid of the rain barrel. 12. When you are ready to use the water you’ve collected, just attach a hose to the bottom faucet. You may need to elevate your rain barrel before filling it to create increased water pressure when watering.

Supplies: 1 32-gallon trashcan 1 roll of window screen 1 90-foot hose 1 set of 3 conduit locknuts 2 ½-inch boiler drains 4 flat metal washers 4 rubber washers

Tools: Utility knife Scissors Staple gun (optional) Twine Pliers Screwdriver Dremel tool (optional)

Rain Barrels Consider using a rain barrel to conserve rainwater for your garden. These barrels can hold many gallons of water and typically connect to a downspout on your home. Plants love rainwater because it is naturally soft, nutrient-rich and doesn’t have the chemical content you typically find in tap water. There are tons of rain barrel options from your basic plastic barrel to decorative painted barrels that blend seamlessly or add a visual impact to your garden. Most barrels range in price from $60 to $150 depending on their size and capability. If you are feeling handy, making your own rain barrel at home is really not that hard. I made one using a 32-gallon trashcan. See above for a how-to!

photo by Patrick Green

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Welcome to Your Home The Most Beautiful View in Monroe Could be Your Backyard

T THE END OF A QUIET cul-de-sac on Placid Drive in Monroe, Louisiana sits a beautiful threeÂstory home on the edge of Bayou DeSiard that exudes tranquility, luxury and elegance. In this five bedroom, five full bath and one half bath property, one will find that this twenty-first century stylish property actually holds a warmth inside and out that one feels the minute they step inside. This glorious home, with crisp lines and a natural flow of color from room-toroom, is universally appealing across the country today and its design is popular with all ages. It is truly a sight to behold! One of the most wonderful features of the home is that the entire back of the house is adorned with windows and doors allowing natural light to fill the home and providing magnificent views of the moss hanging from the cypress trees standing tall next to this magnificent stretch of bayou. The way the house is positioned on the lot allows a view of the Bayou DeSiard Country Club golf course and also views of the bayou in two different directions. The grand foyer welcomes guests as they enter into the home. Imported South African Bluestone flooring and custom painted walls tie the foyer, kitchen, staircase and living room together, bringing harmony to the rooms. Light fixtures and chandeliers were hand selected to complement each room to create just the right amount of light and add extra elegance to the space. The magnificent fireplace in the living room soars from 32 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

the hearth to the ceiling and is made of travertine. There is absolutely no lack of space anywhere in this impressive home. The master bedroom overlooks the pool and bayou and has its own fireplace. The master bathroom features a stunning design of marble and travertine tile. The spacious master bathroom has a tremendous closet, separate vanities, a walk-in shower, a large tub and an adjacent room that could be used as another sitting area/office. The remodeled kitchen has everything one would ever want in a kitchen. A walkin pantry, two sinks, two dishwashers, a four gas burner and griddle cook-top stove, a built-in coffee maker, Subzero refrigerator, a microwave drawer and two ovens. It has an open floor plan with easy access to the breakfast table, dining room and a large den, which is the usual gathering spot for friends and family. This kitchen was made for hosting a large party, a Thanksgiving dinner or simply having breakfast with the family in the morning. Also on the first floor and adjacent to the den area is an exercise room with lovely bayou views. The exercise room also has access to a full bathroom. An impressive bluestone staircase leads up to the second floor from the main entrance. The second story features four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a large recreational room with a sink, microwave and refrigerator. On the third floor is a multi-purpose room with its own private full bathroom. Overlooking the bayou, this

room is currently being used as an office but could easily serve as a media room or guest bedroom. The backyard is one of the most beautiful features of the home. The lot boasts 298 feet of bayou frontage with custom iron fencing surrounding the entire perimeter of the back yard. The pool, pool spa, pool house with full bath and backyard landscaping were installed in 2012 and all were designed by award winning landscaper, Tony Tradewell. Mr. Tradewell won the American Society of Landscape Architects merit award in Louisiana for his design of this propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pool, pool spa, pool house and landscaping. Travertine tile is featured around the pool and on the patios and is also used on multiple pathways throughout the backyard. The heated pool is complete with fountains and a retractable cover. A fireplace and two overhead heaters warm the pool house in the winter, making it a great place to be year round. A fire feature created from a solid piece of stone sits by the bayou complementing the outdoor lighting and creating the perfect ambiance for the pathway. This home is a rare jewel and is located in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Monroe! Nancy Inabnett and Kathy VanVeckhoven are the listing agents for this property.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

BEFORE

DR. WALTER SARTOR

Take Charge

AFTER

LCWLS Can Help

HILLIP SHAW IS THE ASSOCIATE Athletic Director for Internal Operations and the Director of Football Operations at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Since undergoing the gastric sleeve surgery at Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery in 2014, he has maintained a 125-pound weight loss—a transformation that allows him to more easily handle the physical demands of his job. Perhaps most importantly, he knows he will be around to “see his kids grow and enjoy their activities.” “Not one time have I regretted the decision to have the surgery. Once my surgeon, Dr. Walter Sartor, stated that we had added years to my life, I knew I was blessed, and I knew I made the right decision,” he said. “Dr. Sartor and his team did an incredible job throughout the whole process. They were eager to answer all of my questions and provide resources to help me understand what my body would experience.” Phillip had struggled with excess weight his entire life. “I never felt like it affected me socially until now. I find myself more eager to take on things and to be involved.” Prior to losing the weight, Phillip suffered from high blood pressure and sleep apnea. He also watched his father suffer from obesity-related issues. “My dad was having health issues and had asked me to meet him for one of his doctor appointments during which the doctor listed all of my dad’s obesity-related issues. Some of those health problems were hereditary, but some may have been prevented had he been healthier,” Phillip remembered. “We were told he would not 34 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

qualify for a liver transplant list due to his health. Several months after returning from that trip, my wife Cindy woke me up during the night and said that I had stopped breathing to point that it scared her. The next morning, we started discussing options, one of which was the gastric sleeve. I spoke with my general physician, and after that conversation, I was determined to follow through with it.” Phillip had a few concerns prior to surgery. “I thought I would have to completely give up the foods I loved. I have found that I can enjoy the food I like—just in smaller portions. I didn’t think I could give up Diet Coke, but I haven’t had it in a year and a half, and I don’t miss it.” It was during a moment after the surgery that Phillip knew with certainty he had made the right decision. “Due to my dad’s health history, I had some concerns about my own future. Dr. Sartor visited me after the operation, and he indicated that my body was beginning to mimic some of my dad’s health problems. Dr. Sartor reassured me that with weight loss, those issues would correct themselves and that having the surgery would add years to my life.” Phillip’s transformation was so incredible that even his own family and friends did not immediately recognize him. “I was standing on the sidewalk waiting for my aunt at the airport. When she called and asked where I was, I was literally standing about 50 feet away from her; she didn’t recognize me. This happens at ULM when former players return to campus and

walk in my office. I had one player ask if ‘Phil Shaw still worked here,’ and when I turn around, we both started laughing.” Phillip is known for his positive attitude and determination, both on and off of the football field. What is his advice for future patients? “You will have some adjusting to do early on, and you may become frustrated, but stick with it. The end result will be well worth it.” NATIONAL CENTER OF EXCELLENCE In 2010, P&S Surgical Hospital, home to Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery, received the designation of Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation. In 2015, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana recognized P&S Surgical Hospital as one of the nation’s first hospitals to receive a Blue Distinction® Center+ designation in the area of Bariatric Surgery. Most recently, Optum, a subsidiary of United Health Group, recognized P&S Surgical Hospital as a Center of Excellence in bariatric surgery. Louisiana Center for Weight Loss Surgery, an accredited bariatric program, is a partnership between Dr. Walter Sartor, P&S Surgical Hospital, and St. Francis Medical Center. Like us at facebook.com/LCWLS, and call us today at 1-866-821-LIVE.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Professional Kits of an Organizer by Erin Sharplin Love erinlove@panachebyerin.com

s a professional organizer, I truly believe that preparation is the key to a stress-free and enjoyable life. Imagine a day when you can handle any, and all, emergencies that come your way. Whether big or small, these emergencies can be handled with professionalism and confidence by creating specialized “kits” for each scenario. For instance, you’ve heard of a first-aid kit, but I suggest you go a few steps further and prepare more kits! Below is a list of the kits that I currently have in my arsenal. I hope they get your organizational juices flowing. Car-Emergency Kits How many times have you been out and about and needed to tend to a scraped knee, bloody nose or a swarm of mosquitos? What about spilled milk, bored kids and a flat tire? With these kits, there will be no reason to cry over that spilled milk anymore! First-Aid Car Kit - This kit should include the following, but if you have needs beyond my needs (i.e. –diabetes, allergies) consider adding items that correspond. • Band-Aids (include several sizes) • Mosquito repellant • Baby wipes • Hand sanitizer • Antibacterial wipes • Pain reliever • Eye drops • Cortisone cream • Sunscreen • Alcohol wipes • Q-tips • Anti-nausea medicine • Small bottle of water These items easily fit into a small plastic bin or travel case. Car Emergency Kit – This kit is for when you have a flat tire or other vehicle issue. 36 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

• Gloves • Flashlight • Jumper cables • Tire-repair kit • Tire-pressure gauge • Electrical tape • Windshield-wiper fluid • Anti-freeze/coolant (Keep this out of reach from children and animals! It is deadly) • Blanket • Motor oil • Empty gas can • Paper towels • Pocketknife • Small hammer • Small wrench set • Small screwdriver set Not only do these items come in handy for vehicle emergencies, but you will also notice you will use a few of them for a lot of other situations, too! Child Travel Kit – If your children are like mine, their attention span is often shorter than the amount of time it takes to get where we need to go. Also, it’s just plain fun for them to have their own little personalized “kit” with toys, games, and snacks. • Fruit snacks • Crackers • Colors • Paper • Stickers • Small toys • Small magnets and an altoid tin Homework Kit Much of the time, your child has already been doing school work for most of the day, so the last thing he or she wants to do is come home to chaos before having to do more school work. I suggest creating a seamless transition from school to home by providing a snack, a little down time, followed by a dedicated and organized space for doing

homework. Homework Kit – A homework kit can be arranged in a plastic bin, pretty basket, or even a shower caddy! Use your imagination and make it fun for your child. *Note – Some of the items below may not apply to your child’s age group, so simply leave those out. • Pens • Pencils • Crayons • Stapler • Paper clips • Highlighters • Paper • Scissors • Calculator • Tape • White out • Hole punch • Ruler • Glue • Erasers Tool Kit It is my opinion that EVERY woman should have her own personal tool kit. It is very empowering to be able to handle the simple repairs that arise, sometimes on a daily basis! You will also need this tool kit for getting your home organized and styled to perfection. The Woman’s Tool Kit - You could use a typical toolkit that you can find in any hardware department or you could make it a little more personal by using a pretty zippered bag or colorful plastic bin. Either way, make sure it has a handle and is easy to carry. • Small hammer • Flat-head screwdrivers of varying sizes • Phillips-head screwdrivers of varying sizes • Picture-hanging kit • Nails of varying lengths and sizes • Super glue • Command hooks • Label maker CONTINUED ON PAGE 86

personal protection and safety

Self Protection 101

BY DAN CHASON

have been involved in various aspects of training for most of my life. I have trained police officers, citizens, students and people from all walks of life in measures to protect themselves. As a concealed handgun instructor for Louisiana, it amazes me how little the common citizen prepares themselves for the potential of being attacked. My number one lesson would be that paper targets don’t shoot back. My second lesson would be that there are many things you can do to prevent being involved in a critical incident. Lesson three would be that you react in an incident as you train. Learn how to train yourself to be prepared whether through physical action or defensive action with a weapon. People are like deer. A deer has a range, habits and identifiers that make him an easier target. If a deer comes to a certain location every day and eats or moves down a certain trail going to a bedding area, he becomes easier to shoot. The same patterns occur with humans. Ask yourself some very key questions: Do I travel the same route daily to work? Do I park in the same spot and enter the same way when coming to work? Am I aware of my surroundings or am I so engrossed in my cell phone that I pay little or no attention to what is going on around me? These are typical actions by the majority of people as they go about their day. My point is, to remain safe and a hard target, there are three areas you need to address. Area 1: Home. We all find solace in the fact that home is where the heart is and nothing can happen to us there. The fact is, we are very vulnerable at home to a deviant attack. Criminals prey on our weaknesses much as a lion watches a herd of gazelles and looks for the weakest or the one displaying injury. If you are locked into what is going on in your world, you can overlook some very dangerous situations. One situation is that ever growing tendency of not simply locking doors and windows. I would wager that most of us lived in a time when we didn’t lock doors and felt safe in our homes. Those days are gone, whether you live in the suburbs, country or in the middle of town. Another situation that is often overlooked dark hours. Lighting in and around your home is a deterrent to criminals and the criminal element. Why is it that businesses that are not open have all the parking lot lights illuminated?

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Criminals are like roaches. They don’t like light and will avoid lighted areas. Criminals are like roaches. They don’t like light and will avoid lighted areas. There is no substitution for being aware and organized, such as with a neighborhood watch program. Strange vehicles, people or activity in the neighborhood is most easily detected by the people who live there. Problems with suspicious vendors, handyman services, yard services and other people appearing to be legitimate can be easily averted by a simple phone call to neighbors. The main objective here is to never let anyone you don’t know into your home. Check references and confirm their identity. Most importantly, use reputable local businesses for any work at your home. Many home invasions have occurred after a “job” has been bid under the guise of a “tree service” or “yard service.” If you are home alone, never ever let anyone have the impression that is the case. Always give the impression that your spouse or family member is in the home as well. Ask yourself “what if” over and over. Do you have a plan? Is your family a part of the plan and do they know what to do? Do you have a safe room in your home? A safe room is the same room you would use for a tornado or severe weather. This safe room can be a refuge for you and your family in the event of a break in or an attempt to harm you inside of your home. The door should hinge OUTWARD to avoid being kicked in. Little tips like this can mean the difference in life, death and severe injury or harm. Area 2: Your Vehicle. We spend an awful lot of time in our vehicles. But very few of us understand what we can do to avoid attack in or near our cars. One of the first lessons we teach in the concealed carry course is the difference in cover and concealment. Simply put, cover will stop or divert a bullet. Some examples of cover include concrete pillars, brick walls, trees or certain parts of a car. Concealment will hide you, like a busg, but will not stop a bullet. On a car there are three areas that will give you cover: the engine

block, axles and the “A” pillar of your car. The “A” pillar is the metal that holds your windshield. Television shows like T.J. Hooker show the officer jumping out of the car and using the door to shield him. Sadly, that won’t work in real life, as modern cars are not built with metal that can stop projectiles. The most important thing that drivers forget (such as in a case of an attempted carjacking) is that your car is a great weapon. Not only for an offensive weapon but a defensive weapon. Remember as a kid when you would play the game “chase” until that one kid ran around a car and nobody could catch him? It is called a barrier. Barriers can be cars, shopping carts in the store parking lot, concrete dividers and other obstacles can keep someone from getting their hands on you. Another tip about a car is to always approach a vehicle from the rear. Front wheel drive cars are low to the ground. The rear area offers the only hiding place for a potential attacker. Area 3: Places Away from Home. The other place(s) overlooked are where we spend our time away from home. That can be at church, shopping center, mall, movie theater or anywhere that requires us to leave the sanctity of our home. Have a plan. Always. Never sit with your back to a door. Always know the closest exit and always know the closest cover. Don’t rely on leaders, owners or employers to provide your safety. It is your job. Take a safety course/self defense course. A concealed handgun course isn’t for everyone and a handgun isn’t always a viable alternative. If you can train your mind and prepare for the unknown, you can overcome most attempts to harm you and live a safer, happier and more content life. Dan Chason is a certified PPCT Defensive Tactics/ Self Defense and Concealed Handgun Instructor for Louisiana. Check him out on Facebook at http:// laconcealcarry.vpweb.com. “Don’t be Scared...be Prepared” 318-366-4868

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Holloway and Risinger

atie Louise Risinger and Kevin Matthew Holloway were united in Holy Matrimony on Friday, October 30, 2015. The ceremony took place at the historic Dixie Gin in Shreveport at half past five in the evening. Nathan Battey, evangelist for Green Oaks Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas, and brotherin-law of the bride, officiated. Katie is the daughter of Todd and Vicky Risinger of West Monroe. Matt is the son of Marty and Claudia Earnest of Columbia. The ceremony had a bohemian feel, incorporating just the right amount of burlap and cotton lace with more elegant touches. An autumn breeze added the perfect touch to an already romantic evening. Escorted by her father, the bride wore an elegant gown by Allure. The A-line gown

featured an underlay of faintest gold peeking through a bodice of intricate ivory lace and triple layers of sheer ivory skirting. Her bouquet was fashioned of Festiva Maxima peonies, orange ranunculus, blush delphinium, Queen Anne ’s Lace and ivory roses. Katie’s sisters, Summer Risinger and Savannah Battey, attended her as maid and matron of honor, respectively. Bridesmaids included Jana Walls of Moody, AL, Anna Brown of Griffin, GA, and Tatum Saucer of West Monroe. They wore floor-length floral chiffon gowns with sheer three-quarter length sleeves and carried wine peonies, yellow marigolds and orange roses with touches of pale pink dahlias and greenery as bouquets. The flower girl was Posy Smith of Brookhaven, MS. She was lovely in a floor-length white and ecru lace gown.

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Matt’s brother, Cody Earnest, of West Monroe, stood by the groom as his best man. Groomsmen included Nolan Lamar of Houston, TX, Trent Hibbard of Ruston, TJ Weed of West Monroe and Wade Halley of Farmerville. The ring bearer was Roan Roebuck of Soper, OK. He was adorable in a wine bowtie and khaki suspenders. As a token of respect, each mother and grandmother was given a custom corsage to match the dress she had chosen and also received a cotton lace handkerchief with her initial for the occasion. Following the ceremony, the bride and groom were honored with a reception inside the Gin. The breathtaking scene included lighted branches and rustic chandeliers. Floral arrangements and greenery were created by the talented Mandy Cathey. Once

introduced, the couple was seated on a beautiful antique gold velvet settee. Guests enjoyed tasty Louisiana foods, including a pirogue of boiled shrimp, provided by Maison Louisiane Catering. The bride’s cake was a delicious naked cake with a salted caramel filling created by Social Bites of Ruston. Kristin Van Zandt Photography captured the wedding and reception. Sevin Jane Photography took additional photographs of the couple after the wedding. On the eve of the wedding, the groom’s parents hosted a lovely rehearsal dinner at The Hilton in Shreveport. The couple resides in West Monroe where Katie is an R.N. at St. Francis Medical Center and Matt is employed by INX International Ink Company.

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I REMEMBER article by PAUL LIPE I REMEMBER a time, not too long ago, that whenever our National Anthem was played, all would stand at attention, facing the flag and quietly acknowledge their gratitude for all the blessings that they enjoyed as citizens of the United States of America. It saddens me that, in the present day, too many show so little respect for the flag and the freedom it represents – a freedom purchased at an unbelievably high price. I hope I never forget the sacrifices others have made, sacrifices that have secured and preserved our liberties that many in this world have yet to taste. How important to you is the freedom that you experience in our beloved nation? Often a thing is valued or treasured in proportion to its price – the more it costs, the higher is the value we put on it. For instance, I drive a truck that is a little over ten years old and has logged about 110,000 miles. If I were to sell my truck, I would probably get a little over $10,000 for it – not much money should I be considering a replacement for my vehicle. Now, we own a small tree farm just south of Delhi, and I drive my truck all over the property, through mud holes, bumpy food plots and often too close to the trees whose limbs cause scratching sounds that suggest I am not doing any favors for the paint on my truck. Though I really do like my truck, I do not take the same care with it as I would if it were new.

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I drive an old truck, and I treat it like an old truck. My wife, Linda, on the other hand, has a new car that cost much more than a retired preacher can afford; however, she is well worth the price we paid. But there is no way that we are going to drive her auto through the mud holes and back woods of our farm. We value it too much to subject it to that kind of wear and tear. It cost a lot and we are not going to treat it as though it had no worth. So then, if value is, in part, judged by cost, what is the price of our freedom in the U.S.? And how do we show how much value we place on that freedom? The history of our nation is highlighted by accounts of bravery and sacrifice that have gained and kept our freedom. From the bitter winter at Valley Forge to the oppressive heat of the Middle East, men and women have paid a high price for our liberty, including the sacrifice of their lives, so that others might experience the blessings of independence. Who is not moved by stories of soldiers who threw their bodies on a grenade to protect the lives of other soldiers with whom they shared a foxhole? Or the brave passengers on United Flight 93 who, on, September 11, 2001, stormed the cockpit and overwhelmed the terrorists who planned to fly that plane into a target just as their fellow jihadists had

done at the Twin Towers in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. These heroes knowingly sacrificed their lives to keep America free. They paid the ultimate price -- for you and for me! These great sacrifices made by service men and women of our armed forces are compounded by the price paid by families of those in uniform -- families who have had to face their futures without a spouse, or father or mother, or sister or brother. This month, when we celebrate our independence and are reminded of the sacrifices others have made to assure our freedom, let us remember those who have given so that we can experience the fruit of liberty – when we see a U. S. flag, let us express a silent “thanks” for those who have sacrificed their blood to keep that flag flying -- and when our National Anthem is played, let us stop our talking, stop our texting, stop any other activity and … just REMEMBER – with truly thankful hearts! And finally, when I think of those servicemen and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, I remember another whose sacrifice is even more significant to me. Just as we U.S. citizens ought to show our respect for and gratitude to those who have paid the price of our freedom, so we who follow our Lord should live lives marked by a similar gratitude.

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Rayville Recovery A Place to Go When You Decide That it is Time to Get Treatment for Your Alcohol Or Drug Dependence

AYVILLE RECOVERY IS LICENSED by the State of Louisiana to provide programs to address substance abuse and dependence problems. We are also accredited by the Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) to further ensure that we provide the best services and programs to meet your needs. SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT Some of the programs we offer include residential medically supported detoxification, residential drug and alcohol rehabilitation and aftercare programming. We also provide discharge planning services in order to facilitate the most appropriate placement for clients when the program is completed. Our program is based on the Minnesota Model, a 12step model. Each client receives an assessment at admission and an individualized treatment plan is developed to meet the treatment needs and desired outcomes of each client. In using this plan, we are able to address the addiction of a variety of substances including alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine, Xanax, opiates (including heroin, prescription pain medication – Lortab, oxycodone and similar substances), and a variety of other substances that may be problematic. STAFF The decision to get treatment for alcohol or drug dependence can be difficult. Rayville Recovery has an experienced staff that will assist you in working on your problems. Many

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of our staff have over 20 years of experience working with people who have had problems with addiction or other behavioral health problems. Our staff has a variety of credentials including addiction counselors, social workers and professional counselors. Some of our staff have the additional experience of being in recovery themselves. We are very familiar with your doubts, fears and concerns. We are eager to help individuals in starting the process of change. In addition to counseling staff, we have nursing staff to make sure that your medical needs are appropriately addressed. The program is operated under the supervision of the Medical Director, Dr. Thompson. He has over 30 years of experience practicing medicine in the community of Rayville. In addition to his family practice, he has also served as the Coroner for Richland Parish. He supervises the program and provides the medical assessment and follow up care as necessary for program participants. Dr. Thompson’s experience and insight are invaluable in our program. WHY RAYVILLE RECOVERY? There are many factors in choosing a provider to work with you on your problems. We would like you to consider the following: • We are the affordable choice. We accept private insurance, Medicaid and self-pay. We are contracted with Northeast Human Services Authority to provide services for clients of that agency. If you have a problem with substances, we will find a way to get

•

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this addressed. Should it be necessary, we can provide referrals to other resources. We provide short term and intensive treatment. In some cases, we can have a client detoxed, referred to outpatient care, and returning to work within 10 days. Our participants can generally complete the program within 30 days and then be able to return to their communities and jobs. In addition to working with program participants we also work with families to enhance chances of long term sobriety. This includes educational sessions with the family, in addition to the contact that counselors make with a client’s support system. We are currently undergoing remodeling our facility. We are committed to making our facility an environment that is more conducive to facilitating an individual’s progress in treatment. Meals and laundry facility access are provided as part of the program. Aftercare programming is available.

HOW TO GET STARTED • Contact our Intake Coordinator at 318-728-5488 • Visit our Website at www.rayvillerecovery. com. There is a tab where you can enter contact information and we will contact you by the next business day. • Visit us at 307 Hayes Street, Rayville, LA 71269.

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Bright white chrysanthemums are interspersed with rotund poppy seed pods and exotic protea in a hot pink hue get everyone in a poolside party mood. A crisp white square glass container keeps it low-key modern.

Photo by Martin Graham Meyers Arrangement by Gregory Hudgins

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Take a walk on the wild side when you artfully add several long stems of tropical birds of paradise (strelitzia) to bright orange day lilies placed low in a white ceramic vase with a geometric pattern. Summer never looked so good.

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THE ARTSMAN Article by MarÃ© Brennan Photography by Brad Arender

Tommy Usrey

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nless you’ve lived under a rock or never taken advantage of our region’s vibrant arts culture, you are sure to know this colorful man’s name. Tommy Usrey is as proud as a peacock of the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, as well as the arts organizations and artists it represents – and he dresses the part, too. The day he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the State of Louisiana, Tommy was the lone blue and white seersucker suit paired with tan and white spectators with a bright orange tie in a sea of dark business suits. Talk about a statement. “Now this was something special,” he laughs. “Gaye Hamilton, the State of Louisiana’s Cultural Economy Initiative Program Manager said, ‘We can always count of Tommy to wear his bright colors.’” And he loves his shoes. He found a new appreciation for his beloved bucks (white bucks are his fave), when he suffered from back and heel issues and had to find slip on mules to wear. With over 40 pairs, he gushes, “I’m a shoe freak – I love all kinds. Luckily, Melanie is a shoe person, too.” Melanie is his true partner, in all things shoes and life. The couple has been married for the past 45 years, raising two sons and now loving their new roles as doting grandparents. Wiping a tear from his eye, Tommy adds, “She’s the reason. I give her the credit for encouraging me and letting me do what I have done. We have had an amazing partnership.” The pair met during their freshman year at LSU, during the storied Freshman Frolic event where boys and girls lined up and were marched into the Coliseum for a mixer. Whoever you happened to land next to was your “date” for the evening. As luck would have it or perhaps by some creative dodging put in place by Usrey and his friend, Tommy wound up next to the pretty, little dark haired beauty named Melanie from South Louisiana. Usrey remembers vividly that Chad and Jeremy, a popular singing group, was the entertainment. Usrey had just pledged ATO and was studying history and Melanie was a pre-med zoology major. The two hit it off, and Tommy asked Melanie to come to his upcoming fraternity keg party. “Well, Melanie said she didn’t drink beer, so I asked what she would like. She said she drank Jack Daniels. Needless to say, we had a really good time. By Christmas we were dropped, and after initiation we were pinned in the spring. By our senior year, we were engaged, and I made my third trip into the University Lake,” laughs Tommy. “We were known as the ‘institutional couple’ around campus.”

consortium in the state of Louisiana, connecting Ouachita with surrounding parishes to promote arts activities. He explains, “Someone may see an act in Caldwell Parish and decide to go see them again in another north Louisiana venue. RUPAR was based on the ‘teach a man to fish’ concept, so that an arts organization like Byerly House in Lake Providence could go out and find artists, negotiate a contract and present acts and exhibits that would be able to pull our region together.” When Usrey took over the Arts Council in 1994 from Dot Bassett, only Winnsboro’s Princess Theatre and Bastrop’s Rose Theatre and Snyder Museum were actively a part of RUPAR. We had to create an arts infrastructure from scratch.” Looking at arts funding from a state perspective, Usrey says we need to always look at state funding as the icing on the cake. Arts organizations need to have strong revenue streams sourced from programming and creative fundraising. The Louisiana Decentralized Arts Fund Program (DAF), initiated in 1995, makes the arts available in every parish in the State of Louisiana by providing grant funding for artists, nonprofit organizations, community groups and local government agencies. Funding is allocated to each parish on a per capita basis utilizing U.S. census figures. It is based on population, not on any additional factors. The Louisiana Division of the Arts (LDOA) oversees the program, disbursing funds to each of nine Regional Development Agencies (RDA’s), including the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, which in turn regrant those dollars to parishes in their region. The Northeast Louisiana Arts Council (NLAC) does things a little differently than other councils across the state in that early on Tommy chose to invest in our local organizations to provide programming rather than become a presenting entity itself. In order to fund our area arts organizations, NLAC, under Tommy’s leadership knew fundraising would be key to keeping our arts community well-funded and not at the mercy of the state legislature. Signature events like the Blend of the Bayou with Men Who Cook and now the North Delta Food and Wine Festival are known for bringing more and more new people into the Arts Council fold. One of Tommy’s most ardent volunteers for the Arts Council, Margaraet Lauve, recalled how Blend of the Bayou came to be, “I have known Tommy a long time. He is three years younger, but his sister and mine were dear friends. Tommy called Jan Brockman and I in 1997 with the idea of Men Who Cook and wanted us to chair the event, which I still do and enjoy. It is work, but it’s always fun working with so many different people involved in creating such a great event. Many times Tommy has written Jan and I up in different magazine articles, always selflessly giving the credit to us and not mentioning all the work he does. He nominated me for the Arts Council’s Mary Lee Milam Service to the Arts Award last year, which I received. His speech gave me all the credit, none for himself, but that is Tommy. He has been a dear friend

“...He genuinely loves the arts and the artists. We feel appreciated and valued, and his undying support makes us want to go above and beyond for whatever opportunity he grants us.”

THE ARTSMAN’S LEGACY FOR OUR CULTURAL ECONOMIES Tommy says RUPAR, the Rural Underserved Presenters and Representatives, and its strength is one of his greatest accomplishments since being president and CEO of the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council. Usrey developed RUPAR and it has since become the largest presenting

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for many years. He and Melanie are the best grandparents ever. I know he may be moving to be near grandkids, but he will really be missed in Monroe.” “I’d love to brag on Tommy!” says Corey Trahan, Assistant Professor of Theatre/ Director of Music Theatre at Northwestern University and a long time collaborator and friend of Usrey. “I attribute Tommy’s success to three things,” adds Trahan. “First, he genuinely loves the arts and the artists. We feel appreciated and valued, and his undying support makes us want to go above and beyond for whatever opportunity he grants us. Second, Tommy is a people person. He knows people throughout his region and is a known personality. Tommy faithfully attends arts events and somehow remains unbiased as to which area of the arts he and the Arts Council support. Finally, Tommy is, at heart, a businessman. He’s intelligent and aware of how business needs to function. He’s great with money, he delegates to people based on skill strengths and he’s not shy to have a confrontation when one needs to happen. You always know where you stand with Tommy!” Tommy believes he was at his personal best when he and Linda Ford created Ballet Under the Stars at Kiroli Park. “I credit Linda Ford for teaching me what dance was all about and how to appreciate dance. It is the complete art form combining music, theatre, costuming and movement. Missy Crain has also had an impact on me as well,” explains Usrey, crediting these gifted women with raising our community’s awareness of dance in its many forms. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD “In May, I was honored to have several of my past board chairs with me at the ceremony when I received the Louisiana Cultural Award for Lifetime Achievement from Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser,” says Usrey. “Phil Boggan 54 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

(Deputy Assistant Secretary of Louisiana’s DCRT-Office of Cultural Development) sent me an email and wanted my resumé. That was my first clue that something was up. Phil and I go way back to when I helped write the Decentralized Funding Program with Pam Breaux and Maida Owens to develop a funding source for the Arts in 1993-94.” The Lifetime Achievement Award itself

was designed of stained glass by Monroe native and longtime Baton Rouge arts legend Sam Corso, who was also honored as a Louisiana Cultural Ambassador by Lt. Gov. Nungesser for his own work as an artist and advocate for the arts. Usrey is quick to give credit for his Lifetime Achievement Award to a long list of ladies who encouraged and cajoled the maestro into a career serving the arts. One

of the first artforms a young Tommy Usrey discovered he loved was ballroom dancing. “Every Wednesday night, all the 8th graders would take dance lessons from Lolly Neal. I was such a rebel. My family would be at church, and I would be out dancing,” he says with a knowing wink. Now that Dr. Trettin has replaced his bad knee, Usrey says he is ready to cut a rug again. Later on, it was arts patron and volunteer Joy Marshall with whom Tommy credits starting him on the arts career path. “She really got me involved with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra. Once I started volunteering for the symphony, Betty O’Donnell was the person who taught me how to be a board chair. I was a three term president for the MSO board of directors. Every time I moved to a new board, I would bring Georgia Street with me,” says Usrey. “Frances Adcock called and said she would agree to be President, if I would be her VP of the Arts Council board. Dot Bassett (who headed up the Arts Council at that time) was my mentor for being an arts professional. Of course, I was lucky to have Melanie by my side, attending openings and events and encouraging me throughout my career. T o m m y ’ s business background was corporate by nature. He made a career out of examining the bottom line and watching expenses as operations manager for first Montgomery Ward, then exploring his entrepreneurial side as owner of Swiss Colony in life B.A.C. (Before the Arts Council). Since becoming CEO and President of the NLAC, Usrey has been active on the board of the Louisiana Partnership for the Arts and as a chairman of the board for the Americans for the Arts’ Louisiana State Arts Action Network, which advocates for the Cultural Economy and the artists and organizations that drive it. In 2013, Usrey was awarded the Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award for demonstrating time and again the instinctive ability to bring

together people, political opportunities and resources to grow and strengthen the arts on the state level starting from the ground up. “When you work at the national level, you can see what great programs other states are doing and how you can bring that back here to our state,” he says. “Before 1994, the state had zeroed out the budget in terms of funding for the Arts. With creating the Decentralized Fund that year, we went from number 52 in the nation on spending for the Arts per capita to number 24 or 25, overnight, with the addition of $5.2 million through the decentralized funding program. Senator Francis Thompson was our champion to get the legislation passed, and Senator Walsworth has been very supportive as well. I think the leadership of Monroe and West Monroe, especially our mayors, have also done an outstanding job as supporters of the arts. It is proven that our cultural economy helps grow our businesses,” he adds. THE ARTMAN’S IMPACT ON OTHERS “I met Tommy in 2000 when I was an apprentice with Shreveport Opera,” explains Corey Trahan. “Following a concert, he approached me and said, ‘Young man, I love your voice. Now, before the next concert, I want you to make sure the labels are cut out of the inside of your tuxedo. Every time you gestured, we saw white labels, and it was distracting.’ At first, I was offended but then came to realize that’s just Tommy Usrey’s way of showing he cares about the image and product the Arts Council puts on stage. We soon became friends and for the past 16 years, he has been a mentor, friend and one of the Arts’ biggest supporters I know. I have learned how to write grants, create budgets, negotiate contracts and many other aspects of arts administration that aren’t taught in school,” says Trahan. On the other hand, Tommy is quick to credit Corey with teaching him how to work with artists. “Corey is like part of our family. Singers might be the easiest artists to work with since they carry their instruments with them wherever they go,” he laughs. “Tommy and I, after years of trial and error, have found a balance of our two skill sets that has resulted in projects that have positively impacted Northeast Louisiana and surrounding cities like numerous concert tours like We Three Kings, The Louisiana Trio, Hooray for Hollywood, Five Golden Rings, Broadway’s Latest and Greatest, Celebrating Sinatra, With Love-Corey and Lisa, South Pacific in Concert, countless staged productions and pops concerts funded by the NLAC and grants for established and emerging artists),” explains Trahan. Laughs Trahan of time spent with the legendary Artsman, “I could write a short novel on Tommy Usrey. I talk to him a couple of times of day, usually about nothing in particular, but just to be entertained. We often recall funny incidents that have happened over the past 16 years and still find them as funny now as when they first happened. I believe the all-time best Tommy Usrey story is, of course, the ICEE incident. Following a holiday concert, Tommy and I were driving back to Monroe with Mrs. Coralie White. Mrs. Coralie wanted something to drink, so we stopped at a sketchy gas station that had an ICEE emblem on the front door. For safety reasons, I offered to go inside. Tommy said he’d go to and he immediately went to the ICEE machine. I saw him reading the instructions, aloud, of how to make an ICEE as he awkwardly handled the lid, cup and straw. Before long, I heard a huge explosion and Tommy’s distinctive voice screaming ‘Jeeeeeeeeeezus!’ He had not stopped the ICEE machine in time and it exploded all over him and everything nearby. I was on the floor laughing as he stood there

dripping with ICEE remnants. I helped him refill the cup and return to the car. As he handed the ICEE to Ms. Coralie, he said, ‘Coralie, you better drink every damn bit of the ICEE.’ He began to drive with the palms of his hands. I asked him what he was doing and he, in Tommy fashion answered, ‘If you think I’m about to get ICEE on this Cadillac, you are mistaken.’ If only this article could be accompanied by a read along cassette, I would gladly be the narrator.” Former chair of the NLAC Board of Directors and Origins Bank Senior VP Patti Nelson describes Tommy as “truly one-of-a-kind! He’s a great collaborator. He listens (yes, sometimes he does) and picksup on the personalities and assets of others. He then forms groups of those who will play and work well together to find opportunities and solutions for challenges facing the Arts. Having known Tommy nearly all of my life, I can say it has always been fun and certainly always interesting.” WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS In the near future, Usrey foresees being there for his successor, Barry Stevens, the newly appointed CEO and President of the NLAC. Says Tommy, “Barry has a good presenting background, and he knows if he needs me I will be his support during the nine month transition.” Patricia Cameron has been tapped to help rebrand the NLAC just as Sarah Johnson and Brian Fassett did when Usrey took the reins of the NLAC from Dot Bassett. But the real plus side of retiring is measured in time spent with his five grandchildren, “burning up the roads between Chatanooga and Dallas,” he smiles from ear to ear with a huge twinkle in his eyes. “We plan to travel a lot,” says Usrey. “Melanie and I truly enjoy musical theatre, so trips to Broadway are always a treat. Plus I can splurge on Junior’s infamous sugar free cheesecake in Times Square when I’m there. We’ve already booked an Alaskan cruise for next year, as well. In addition, my good friend and St. Frederick High School Principal Bob Webber called to see if I might be interested in substitute teaching,” says a truly interested Usrey who went back to school in 1994 to earn a degree for working with at risk youth. The Usrey’s sons were alumni of the school and Usrey had served on the school’s board of directors when his children were there. As far as the future of Northeast Louisiana, Tommy says, “I don’t want to see us get too big. We have a great community full of great people. I would love for us to go back to a kinder, gentler time. For example, I love the renaissance of downtown Monroe. We have come back together. We value each other, and I hope we can slow things down a bit. We are delta people at heart. We value traditions and stay true to them. Our mamas taught us to use our manners and,” adds Tommy wistfully as he blinks back tears, “I think my daddy would be very proud. He put so much emphasis on giving back to the community. What he instilled in me was service to our community. Daddy worked to raise funds for the YMCA, and his trophy for raising the most money was a terrible, ugly yellow tie. Well, my beautiful stained glass Lifetime Achievement Award is my ‘yellow tie.’ I’ve been the front man, but I have a big team behind me.”

“...Tommy is, at heart, a businessman. He’s intelligent and aware of how business needs to function. He’s great with money, he delegates to people based on skill strengths and he’s not shy to have a confrontation when one needs to happen.”

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center The Rise of Heroin and the Demise of Its Users BY JEFF NOLES, MA, RAC

EROIN AFFECTS PEOPLE OF EVERY AGE, GENDER, RACE, culture and socioeconomic class. Often, people start out with legitimate medical problems that require opiates to treat their pain. Their tolerance for these drugs increases and they eventually become dependent. Once dependent on the effects of opiates, many of them continue to use the drugs long past when they are considered medically necessary. At some point, physicians become aware pain relief medications are no longer necessary and discontinue them. The patients find themselves in withdrawal and then discover heroin is much cheaper than prescription opiates on the streets. “Four in five new heroin users started out misusing prescription painkillers. As a consequence, the rate of heroin overdose showed an average increase of 6% per year from 2000 to 2010, followed by a larger average increase of 37% per year from 2010 to 2013.” Not to be misleading, heroin is also used by many people who never have had medical pain, nor are prescribed prescription opiates. Pain medication is big business and as more and more of them have been prescribed and sold, they have inundated society and become available to normal people looking to relieve emotional pain who underestimate their addictive properties. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Today’s heroin Epidemic), the people most at risk of heroin addiction are: • People who are addicted to prescription opioid painkillers • People who are addicted to cocaine • People without insurance or enrolled in Medicaid • Non-Hispanic whites • Males • People who are addicted to marijuana and alcohol • 18 to 25 year olds If you suspect someone you know has a problem with heroin, advise them to contact Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center and participate in a three day evaluation to determine which substance abuse treatment, if any, may be necessary to assist them in living a sober life. Things that may indicate heroin use or abuse are: • Lying or other deceptive behavior • Avoiding eye contact or distant field of vision • Increase in slurred, garbles or incoherent speech • Sudden worsening of performance in school or work, including loss of jobs • Decreasing attention to hygiene and physical appearance • Loss of motivation and apathy toward future goals • Withdrawal from friends and family, instead spending time with new friends • Lack of interest in hobbies and favorite activities • Repeatedly stealing or borrowing money, or unexplained absence of valuables • Hostile behaviors toward loved ones • Wearing long pants or long sleeves to hide needle marks, even in very warm weather There is help available and there are people who genuinely care and are invested in assisting people struggling with addiction to regain purpose in life. To hear more about our treatment program, call Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center.

56 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Pilots for Patients Making A Difference in the Lives of Others BY CASSIE LIVINGSTON

EVERAL YEARS AGO, I MET RYAN Chappell and Pilots for Patients president Philip Thomas, when they came and spoke to the Junior League of Monroe about their program. Mr. Chappell talked about his role with the Pilots for Patients organization both as a board member and a cancer patient. I don’t think anyone present that night could forget his words; they were heartfelt and inspiring. Over the years, I’ve seen Pilots for Patients in the news and each time I did, I would think about that night. Recently, my friend Glenn Northcott joined Pilots for Patients as a volunteer pilot and in the month of June alone, he has accepted ten missions. His involvement in the organization prompted me to get involved. I recently joined Director Sharon Thomas and President Philip Thomas at the PFP hangar on Operations Road in Monroe. Upon arrival, I met a young woman and her companion who were being flown to New Orleans for treatment. She was lying on the sofa with a washcloth on her forehead waiting for her pilot to arrive. The waiting area was inviting and comfortable and Sharon, along with Alex, an intern and student at ULM’s School of Aviation, were there to present the patient with a Compassion that Compels bag. This bag presented to women undergoing breast cancer treatments includes a tote, a 58 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

devotional, a notebook and journal, a pen, soft mints, tea, a mug and a soft custom blanket. This is just one of the many things that Pilots for Patients does for its patients. This program has completed over 2,795 air missions, which totals 1,070,292 nautical miles, plus 161 ground missions. The mission of Pilots for Patients is to assist those in need of air transportation for medical purposes. The goal is to eliminate the burden of travel and to let the patient concentrate on getting better. Pilots for patients, a Louisiana based nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization, provides this service completely free of charge for qualified patients and requesting agencies. The pilot volunteers donate their time, aircraft and fuel through their own generosity. The patients are from Louisiana and surrounding areas and are found through referral from doctors, social workers and word of mouth. Qualified patients are those needing help traveling to a medical facility for diagnosis or treatment within approximately 350 miles from patient point of origin. This need may be financial, medical or logistical. Patients who travel with Pilots for Patients must be medically stable and ambulatory. Whether the mission is flying a 10-month-old to a specialist in Dallas or a cancer patient to M.D. Anderson, Pilots for Patients is up for the task. But, like most

non-profit organizations, a huge part of their funding is from private and corporate donors. And the organization would not exist if it weren’t for the generosity and support from their volunteer pilots. “There’s something about being in a plane on a beautiful day with a patient,” Director Sharon Thomas says. “A lot of times the patients talk to us about things they wouldn’t normally be comfortable saying. We are there for them throughout the process, not just through the flight. If a patient needs a prayer, we’ll pray with them.” It’s the compassion of the staff and the volunteer pilots that makes this program such a needed component in our community. For more information or to make a donation to Pilots for Patients, please contact them on their website at pilotsforpatients.org. Pilots for Patients is always seeking volunteer pilots throughout Louisiana, Texas and surrounding areas. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact them by calling 318.322.5112 or emailing pfp@pilotsforpatients.org.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Meredith’s Musings

aseball began in February odd. He avoided eye contact, freaked when I this year, and I’ve never seen picked up his bat he uses to hit balls to the Boyfriend so excited. He had outfielders before the game and had little recently transferred from a appetite. I’d never seen him like that. But then head coaching position at one school to I remembered, no game had ever mattered an assistant position at another to learn this much; no stage had ever been this big. from a longstanding head coach he much But I stayed supportive. I kissed him and respected. He wanted to learn from the hugged him and told him, “Y’all go play best. He wanted to learn what made one YOUR game.” It was all I could say. the best. I love that he craves to be his best. It was a battle. I lost my voice. I yelled And as a coach’s girlfriend, expectations as hard as I could, as if every decibel would exist. Boyfriend never mentioned them. He inch them closer to that winning run. I knew knows better than to tell me what to do; they could win this game. Heart always wins, the rebel in me will revolt. But I knew. Be right? That’s what the movies teach us. And present, be supportive and if you can, fall the Chiefs had the heart. So through my own in love with baseball, too. clenched fists and in the heat of the scalding This season made it easy. It was my sun, I braced myself through every pitch. article by Meredith McKinnie busiest semester at school, but every free I marveled at the turnout in the stands. The chance I got to attend a game, I was there. community showed up for its heroes. I saw And admittedly, sometimes I was the woman sitting alone in the the pitcher’s mother with her head buried in her lap on the first pitch. corner of the bleachers grading essays, feeling productive, balancing I could hardly watch either, and he wasn’t even my son. I saw the work and my supportive girlfriend role. I remember being engrossed head coach’s wife right in front of me. She’d been here before, but this in grammar and sentence structure when the crack of a bat would time, her only son was in right field. I saw each and every player’s pull my attention back to the field. And little by little, I paid more mother, father, step mother, step father, all unified with one goal. I attention to the game. I realized, “Wow, these kids are pretty good.” saw the red and blue signs we’d made the night before now being What began as sitting there quietly, quickly morphed into cheering held by trembling fingers in the last inning. I saw belief and hope on players’ names I’d never met and leaping into the air on a line drive everyone’s faces, as if we could will them to a win. catch or a home run. I learned the terminology and the reasons why But we fell in the final inning. We lost by one run. With everything we bunted on the third strike in the sixth inning. I had questions after we’d done, we couldn’t will them to a win. So along with the parents every game, and Boyfriend always had an answer. I became genuinely we slowly and quietly exited the stands to make our way to the interested. dugout. But what I saw there surprised me most of all. The boys had When we made the playoffs, I saw the stands’ overflowing made a circle around the coach. Tears were streaming down their capacity. I saw community defined at every game. I saw headdresses faces. And it occurred to me. I knew them by the numbers on the and T-shirts, all in the same blue color. I heard bullhorns and shouts back of their jerseys, I knew them by their stance in the batter’s box, I of support and enthusiasm. We were all there for a common goal. knew them from Boyfriend’s comments after a game, I knew them as We believed in these boys because we could see they believed in hometown heroes. But they were just boys, learning to become men on themselves. They were a team. They worked together. They supported the baseball field. one another. One player’s success was every team member’s success; I saw Boyfriend in the corner of the circle, tears also streaming no hostility, no poor sportsmanship, just classy camaraderie built year down his face. He doesn’t cry often. I froze because I didn’t know by year as these boys grew and played together. What I saw on that the dialogue. I didn’t know how to be supportive after a loss. We field over those few months is what makes us cry in sports movies; it’s had always won. So I approached him slowly, and he wrapped his what stirs the soul, hard work and humility meeting success. arms around me and whispered, “It’s okay, babe, the tears are for the And then it happened; we made the state championship. It was boys.” He was sad for their loss. He was sad their heart plus humility during finals week, and I was slammed, but I made it happen. I had stalled before the ultimate trophy. But he knew they had done made two trips down south to catch both games. I was too invested. everything they could. We all did. Like every game they had won Boyfriend needing me there is not why I went. I couldn’t miss it. The before, they left their hearts on the field, still beating, waiting for the idea of only hearing the game on the radio saddened me, and what if next at bat. they needed me? What if my one voice cheering made a difference? I A few hours later, back at the hotel, I saw the parents and players couldn’t let them down. assembling in a field near the parking lot. After a shower, I headed My stomach was in knots that first game. This opponent was downstairs to join everyone. And what I walked outside on brought good. But I kept reminding myself, so are we. Watching Boyfriend on me to tears. The parents had assembled in lawn chairs watching their first base, coaching the batters and the runners, he looked composed; sons play a Sandlot-style baseball game. Many had no shoes because he looked confident. But I know my Boyfriend. I could see his often- the shoes were serving as first, second and third base. They were clenched fists, his shifting from one foot to the other, his hands on his laughing. They were giving every hit their all. They would search as a hips when he knew it was a bad call. He was nervous. He wanted this group in the tall grass when someone hit the ball too hard. They were for the boys as much as they did. He knew they deserved it. In his playing ball again as a team because they loved it. A trophy didn’t eyes and in all of ours, they were the best; they were what Boyfriend determine their worth. It didn’t determine the game’s worth. And aspired to be part of a year ago. Now he could call them his. with a silent look at Boyfriend, we both realized we had won. We had The morning of the state championship, Boyfriend was acting the heart, we had the fortitude and we had the team.

FOR THE BOYS, FOR THE GAME

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WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

BayouTrends

Red, white and hue! We are showing our pride this month with these American-inspired items from area retailers.

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1. AZURE POOLS AND SPAS 2. K&K’S GIVING TREE 3. THURMAN’S FOOD FACTORY AND GIFTS 4. VIEUX CARRE MARKET 5. PEARCE PHARMACY 6. HOUSE OF CARPETS AND LIGHTING 7. WALSWORTH & COMPANY 8. BEEHIVE 9. K-SERA BOUTIQUE 10. LINCOLN OUTDOOR LIVING 11. HOLLIS & COMPANY JEWELERS 12. ABSOLUTELY ABIGAILS 13. SLEEPY HOLLOW FURNITURE AND MATTRESS 14. MATERIAL THINGS 15. MD MINERALS 62 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

SOUL SURVIVOR THE STORY OF D-DAY SURVIVOR

LEO GRAYSON

article by BARBARA LEADER and photography by BRAD ARENDER

eo Grayson of West Monroe vividly remembers what it felt like to step off the U-Boats into the waters off the coast of Normandy, France on D-Day as a young soldier facing a formidable enemy and an uncertain future. Injuries he sustained during the invasion nearly robbed Grayson of his hearing, but not his memory. His voice is strong and his mind is sharp and full of memories of that painful day and the weeks that followed. Resting in his room at the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Home in Monroe on the 72nd anniversary of D-Day, Grayson, now 102 years old, shared thoughts about D-Day, stopping many times to reflect and slowly shake his head before continuing. “They put us out, with water about up to here,” Grayson said gesturing to his upper chest. “On the way to shore there was a boat of pretty good size. We called it a heavy cruiser. Every time it turned, it would let out a blast. Would you believe the water would shake with vibrations from the explosions?” The explosions caused much of Leo’s hearing loss and has made conversation challenging. About 10 years ago, Leo’s family gave him a tape recorder to capture his memories. Up until that point, he hadn’t shared many stories of World War II with anyone. The stories of war weren’t easy for him to tell. But, Leo would sit out in a swing made of horseshoes under a fig tree in his back yard and dictate into the recorder. Much of this account comes from that priceless recording of his memories. THE GREATEST GENERATION “We descended big rope ladders that were let down on the sides of the ship into assault boats called LSPs (Landing Ship Personnel),” Grayson dictated into the recorder. “We were loaded with ammunition, a Garand rifle and food for three to four days, a full field pack and all totaled about 60 pounds of equipment. “These ships carried us to shore. When we got near the shore, probably a half mile from the shore, the water became shallow. The LSPs would drop the front of the boat and we unloaded into the water, breast deep with all of this gear, with ammunition, about 60 pounds or more. The front of the boat then pulled

up, it backed up full throttle and left us.” “You’ve often heard the expression ‘these brave men that fought at the beach’,” he recalled. “Well, let me tell you something – I don’t think there was a brave man in the group, including me. Here we were – we couldn’t go back to sea and drown. We had only one option. We went to the shore and you went just as fast as you could. That’s exactly what we did. “All of us were scared to death of course, but we hit the beach and took up the fire fight. I will never forget the first man that I walked over. I was so tired and worn out that I felt my heart was going to burst. We had run in water for a half mile and if you don’t think it’s hard to push forward in water, try it.” “When we reached the shore, we were exhausted, all of us,” he said. “Well, I was just about to collapse from exhaustion when I stepped over a man. When I looked down, I saw that he was a German and it did something to me. I suppose my adrenaline kicked in and I felt like a new person. I had the urge to push forward and that’s what we did. Had it been one of my boys, I would have given up on the spot.” D-DAY WAS “HELL ON EARTH” “In the first 48 hours of hitting the beach... we lost 6,500 men and about 20,000 were wounded,” Grayson recorded. “We did establish that beach, of course, but we had fired our weapons until they were half worn out and we were almost out of ammunition. Our gun barrels actually became so overheated from continuous fire the settings weren’t accurate. You couldn’t hit the side of a barn they were so worn. Three days later, the military dropped reinforcements with new weapons and new ammunition. “ Within that drop were men who delivered instructions to Grayson’s group and then continued on deeper into the territory. Grayson and his fellow patriots took up the constant fight there for several weeks. “Our mission was to push forward and find an American unit that had been engaged in a fight with Germans,” Grayson said. “There was a huge inundated area with a bridge across it. Well, we were supposed to display an orange flag so they would recognize us as Americans and realize we were not the enemy. We started this reconnaissance and we traveled two to three miles and we came up on these people. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

“Never in my life have I seen such a beat up bunch of men. They fought a battle across the road where it started on the east side and went to the west side of this huge swamp. Some of us were trying to get across and these men were to keep anyone from crossing and they did. The commander of this unit wound up being a 1st lieutenant, all of the senior officers had been killed. When they saw us, they were the happiest people you have ever seen in your life.” Grayson told about marching and continually fighting behind waves of bombers -aircraft that could carry several dozen bombs. He was a platoon sergeant in the Intelligence and Reconnaissance platoon of the 8th regiment 4th infantry division. “As a matter of fact, they were so close to us and in front of us that some of the bombs fell near enough to us that it would shake you up. We were told that approximately 3,000 aircraft took part in these raids. We worked our way back through this and took up chase of the Germans. It was everything but good.” Grayson’s group was responsible for taking Cherbourg, a city right against the tip of the Cherbourg Peninsula, where the ships came in and loaded. “The Germans retreated and we had them bottled up and pushed them right back to the ocean where there was a fortification right on the water,” Grayson recorded. “This was built for the war and turned seaward. These big guns being turned seaward and not toward the land became our salvation.” The group left a regiment there to keep the Germans out on the peninsula where they would either have to starve or surrender. 66 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

In pushing toward Paris, Grayson’s group was actually nearer the enemy than they realized. “We had a mission to contact the enemy and we found out that we had actually bypassed the enemy and gotten behind him,” he said. “Well we reported our position back to headquarters and were told, ‘Boy, you are behind the enemy and they are coming your way retreating.’ We hid ourselves in haystacks with our vehicles and stayed in those haystacks until the Germans passed through this town. At this time we came out and joined our original unit.” Grayson said he spent many nights underground in holes, created by using TNT, to avoid enemy fire. “If you were above ground, you didn’t live,” Grayson said. After about three months of fighting, Grayson said his platoon was the “grimiest looking group you’d ever seen. We had on dirty clothes, were unable to bathe, although most of us had shaved” he said. “I lay in a foxhole many a night dug in after we had posted the guards and sentinels, licked my palm, wiped my face and shaved with my spittle. We were issued a quart of water a day and you didn’t waste it on your face. You drank it.” THE HAUNTING MEMORIES “During one of our missions, we captured a high-ranking General, some of his high ranking officers and with him were a bunch of female German soldiers,” Grayson recorded. “We were in the process of taking these captives back to be interrogated when one of these women seized a rifle to defend her officers. One of my men who had a Tom-

my gun cut her in two when he saw her do that. Her intent was to kill us, but I’ve always wondered why we couldn’t have overtaken her instead of cutting her down with a Tommy gun. He was probably given an award for it, but I’ve always thought of it as a bad thing. “We were pushing the Germans rapidly as they retreated. As a result we were in columns moving forward. We broke over a small hill with a small village in the valley below. We received automatic fire when we broke the crest of the hill. We retreated about 50 yards back and deployed. A decision was made that we would not assault the small town.” Instead they called up two support vehicles, a tank destroyer and a tank that fired phosphorous shells. The support vehicles fired and destroyed the village. “The (tanks) tore the buildings down and the phosphorous shells set them on fire,” he said. “I still have nightmares today about this. When we entered the town, half of it was destroyed and burning. At that time, the German nurses met us and were frantic. “We had burned to the ground an old folk’s nursing home killing and destroying everything in it. The nurses called us all of the names they could think of. ‘Murderers’ was one, which we were. This was collateral damage caused by the war and it will bear on this man’s mind the rest of his life.” Grayson was in five of five combat campaigns from the day he hit the beach until the war was over. He served in three branches of the military. He was in the Army then the Army Air Force and then the Air Force Reserve. During the Korean War, he served in

an advisement group in Korea, advising the Korean people and retired as a Chief Master Sergeant after 30 years in the military. A PURPLE HEART During the war, Grayson was hit by a small piece of shrapnel in his left side – it clipped an intestine. He was evacuated back to England where he was stitched up and recovered. He rejoined his unit near the last part of the war. The Purple Heart was only one of many medals that Grayson received while he was in the military. “Those things, purple hearts, they are for service,” Grayson said from his wheelchair at the Veteran’s Home. “They ain’t worth a dime to anybody but you.” Grayson’s great grandson, Hank Cordell, proved that to be wrong by choosing “Pappy” to honor in a 2015 Veteran’s Day essay. At 12 years old, he recognized the significance of what his great grandfather had done on the shores of Normandy. “After hours and hours of fighting, the allied soldiers finally got off the beach and headed into Normandy,” Hank wrote in his report about Grayson. “This very victory caused a complete turning point in the war. Now allied forces (could) send supplies, armor, guns and soldiers. I honor him and respect him for what he did. He and others (are) the reason that we are free.” Grayson was married twice. His first wife, Eve died of cancer. His second wife, Mattie Tisdale, is now also deceased. Mattie had two children, Tommy Smith and Cheryl Lynn Smith. Tommy’s daughter, Misti Cordell, said that later in life her grandfather still has strong opinions about war. “When the Iraq War started, I said ‘Pappy, what do you think about it?” Cordell said. “He said, ‘War is never good, but sometimes it’s necessary. It changes a man and many times it changes them for the worst. But he said, ‘If you don’t fight them over there, you’re going to have to fight them on your own turf.’” “YOU CAN’T FORGET” On the 72nd anniversary of D-Day, Grayson was surrounded by family and visitors at the Veterans Home in Monroe. He hadn’t realized it was June 6th. When asked about his thoughts on the invasion, Grayson didn’t really want to discuss it, but he did – to a limited degree, pausing periodically and thoughtfully to interject his emotions while he slowly recalled the horrific battles playing over and over in his mind. “I don’t like to talk about it. It doesn’t do any good to talk about that stuff. All it does is aggravate you,” he said. “I try to forget all that. If you remember, you remember. Some of those things you can’t forget.” WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Vieux Carré Market

Summertime Grilling, Desserts and Parties

UMMER IS A MAGICAL TIME OF year filled with relaxation and fun. It is the only time of year when we can enjoy hanging around the pool and lazy days at the lake. One of the best ways to enjoy the outdoors is to gather around the grill with family and friends. There’s something special about cooking great food and drinking that creates an environment where laughs are shared and wonderful memories are formed. At Vieux Carré Market, we want to contribute to those memories by providing you with all the great food and drinks you’ll need to turn your grill party from great to legendary! A proper grill party begins with the food, and we have everything you need including steaks, specialty meats and fresh seafood. We offer Wagyu, 1855 Black Angus, heritage pork, fresh made ground

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beef and much more. The steaks are beautifully marbled and ready for the grill. We even create special meat selections inhouse, such as cold smoked, coriander and peppercorn crusted ribeye. Our helpful staff will guide you through the various selections and cut it to your specifications. At Vieux Carré Market, we understand that a great beverage is just as important as the food. If you truly want your grill party to be legendary, let us help you choose from our massive selection of thirstquenching options. Our wine collection will fit any palate at any price and we have a huge assortment of craft beers. We stock incredible whiskeys, vodkas, rums, cognacs and unique mixers to help you create tasty cocktails. We also offer unique bitters and other liqueurs, such as the mouthwatering Italian Amari.

For those southern family gatherings, a great dessert is key. Let Vieux Carré Market handle that part for you! Our creations are truly works of art, made completely from scratch and will surely be a hit at your next gathering. Looking for an activity for kids this summer that will keep them engaged and be a fun learning experience? Vieux Carré Market is now offering kids’ parties including a “Learning How to Bake and Decorate Cupcakes” party and a “Create Your Own Pizza” party. We offer “Custom Tea Parties” for birthdays or any occasion. We take into consideration any allergies, including gluten and peanut allergies. And don’t worry parents, we offer parties for adults too, including cooking and wine demonstrations or classes. Check out Vieux Carré Market to bring something special to your summer break. From gourmet grilling, drinks and dessert options to fun activities for the kids, we have you covered! Lunch Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner Hours: Thursday – Saturday 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

House of Carpets and Lighting Well Worth the Drive!

ELLO! All of us at House of Carpets and Lighting in Shreveport are excited to showcase our products to Northeast and North Central Louisiana, and hope you will make the short drive to see us. We promise you will not be disappointed! Remodeling your home? Building a new home? Looking to update a couple of areas in your home? House of Carpets and Lighting has what it takes to make your home look its best. We carry quality flooring, from beautiful hardwood to durable ceramic and porcelain tile, to plush carpet, and so much more! We also have a huge selection of backsplash and tumbled stone. House of Carpets and Lighting is the only Shaw Design Center in the area, and we have other top name brands as well. When it comes to lighting, House of

Carpets and Lighting combines quality and selection. We offer a wide range of lighting products that provide the perfect blend of beauty and utility. From beautiful crystal chandeliers, to decorative kitchen and bedroom lighting, to under-counter and LED lighting, you will find the perfect lights for your taste, style and budget! Whether you are looking to update your entire house, or just one room, we’ve got you covered! Let us make your home the gem of your street with the perfect exterior lighting solution to highlight the beauty of your home. From subtle lighting accents to landscape lighting and gas lanterns, House of Carpets and Lighting can help you enhance your home’s exterior to match the level of style and beauty of the interior. Accessories are the “cherry on top,” and you will find plenty of treasures at House of Carpets and Lighting. Artwork, lamps, home

accessories, mirrors, accent furniture and vanities – everything to update your beautiful home. However, what sets apart House of Carpets and Lighting is our customer service. Family-owned and operated, House of Carpets and Lighting’s staff is knowledgeable about all of our products. In addition, our design team can guide you when it comes to selecting the best look for your home. We look forward to serving you! We can’t wait for you to visit our showroom at 4344 Youree Drive. Take the Market Street exit off I-20. Market St. becomes Youree Drive, so you will be here in no time! Open Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. House of Carpets and Lighting— Well Worth the Drive!

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

PUPPY LOVE Continued from Page 20 point, I have to admit, I was secretly glad Scott’s OCD house cleaning fetish would prevent us from ever having an indoor dog. To make matters worse, my best friend, (who will remain nameless for this column, but has a dog that everyone in the Twin Cities knows and loves, Lucy Lou) treats her dog like the Princess and the Dog, She sends her to the dog spa, and she debones rotisserie chicken for her and she buys her ice water from Sonic. I’ve never been to a spa and I’m a person! (I am however, turning 50 next month, and should anyone want to get me a gift, I might like a facial). There were many days that my “best friend” would share these outrageous stories, and I would make so much fun of her. I was about to do a doggy intervention, (for she and her husband, my other best friend, who had also been converted into thinking Lucy Lou was the new Lassie of the Twin Cities) after she bought Lucy a Sealy Posturepedic mattress, when something really special happened... Scott buckled. You dads out there know what it’s like when your little girl puts the full course press

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on you for something they really want...the little girl usually wins. I will save the story of how we got our little puppy for another column, because it’s one for the books all by itself, but it will suffice to say that my same best friend, who I had made fun of so many times, found the newest member of our family for us. And so it would happen, on Christmas morning, 2015, that Santa delivered the most treasured family gift we could ever ask for, he brought us Annie Lou Foust. Our daughter’s joy brought all of us, including her 18-year-old brother, to tears. I have to say that watching my children interact with Annie Lou and realizing just how much she loved and trusted us, well, it’s a better love story than a Harlequin Romance. With no warning at all for this writer, my heart changed. I went from making fun of people who take selfies with their dogs, to being the one who takes selfies with their dog. Or being the one who spends an hour picking out just the right doggie treats. Or sending my puppy to the dog spa, because, well, she deserves it for being so perfect. This little

dog, who is sitting at my feet while I write this column, has licked and loved and jumped her way into this tired old writer’s heart. She’s so smart, readers, that I am even thinking of applying for her to get into Doggy Harvard. My little ‘babylove” inspired this column, but more importantly, she has me mindful for other people’s dogs! So much so, that I will remind readers that it is summertime and it gets really hot outside, so remember: 1) dogs can get heat stroke really easy; 2) watch their little feet on hot pavement; 3) never, ever, ever leave your dog in a parked car; 4) cool water will help them cope with heat, and even give them cool treats; and 5) use a fan to keep outdoor dogs safe from heat stroke. That’s it...I’ve gone from being the rooster hypnotist to the dog whisper...and no one who knows me can believe it. But in the backseat of my best friend’s car, driving from Jonesboro, Louisiana two days before Christmas, wrapped in a beach towel, shaking and scared, two little brown eyes stared into mine, and the bonding experience I had always wondered about, happened. The same brown eyes that are staring at this writer as I close this column, grateful that we have the unconditional love of this precious little dog to enrich the walls of our home. Hang on readers, there’s more Annie Lou stories where this one came from.

Breast Augmentation Your Questions Answered

BY TIMOTHY J. MICKEL, MD, CERTIFIED, AMERICAN BOARD OF PLASTIC SURGERY

She was a black haired beauty with big dark eyes, and points all her own sittin’ way up high . . . Bob Seger, Night Moves

VER 200,000 BREAST augmentations are performed annually by American plastic surgeons. Since I opened my practice in Monroe in 1990, I have personally done well over a thousand. It is by far the most common procedure that I perform and it is certainly one of the most gratifying. There are very few surgical procedures that in the course of an hour can have such a profound and lasting impact on the way a woman feels about herself. Breast augmentation is an outpatient procedure that takes about an hour. Most are done through a small incision in the fold beneath the breast or around the edge of the nipple. Either approach results in a small scar that is well hidden. Since the FDA moratorium on silicone

implants was lifted in November of 2006, roughly 95% of the breast augmentations I perform are with silicone implants. They have either a smooth or a textured surface, have either a round or a teardrop shape, and can be placed either above or below the chest wall muscle. Each of these options has its pros and cons. I use all of them when appropriate, as I try to tailor the operation to the patient’s desires and her anatomy. At the initial consultation, considerable time is spent discussing the patient’s motivation for surgery and the result she hopes to obtain. A series of breast and chest wall measurements are taken and the breast tissue and overlying skin are evaluated so that I have a thorough understanding of the patient’s starting point. Rib and chest wall asymmetries, differences in breast width, height, projection and shape, and differences in nipple level are all noted and discussed with the patient. The surgical significance of pre-existing breast or chest wall asymmetry is that it often leads to some degree of

asymmetry (usually minor) post-operatively and the patient needs to understand this beforehand. A large part of the initial consultation is spent discussing desired breast size. My job is to align the patient’s wishes with a result I can realistically deliver. Patients generally describe their breasts in terms of cup size. Unfortunately, while France maintains an International Bureau of Weights and Measures to ensure uniformity in meters, grams and minutes, there is no committee of jaunty and erudite Frenchmen who carry out measurement-related research to ensure uniformity of cup-size. So a “C” cup at Sears-Roebuck may be a “D” cup at Victoria’s Secret, and there is no such thing as a “D minus, minus” or a “C plus.” Moreover, breast implants don’t even come in cup sizes; they come in volume sizes and base widths. So, a 300cc implant may make one woman a “B” cup and another a “D” depending on her chest wall width, the pliability of her skin, the amount of breast tissue she starts out with and where she buys her bra! So choosing the appropriate implant size is a bit more complicated than simply looking at pictures on the Internet and picking a number. It requires thoughtful discussion and assessment of many variables. CONTINUED ON PAGE 86

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Jesus the Good Shepherd JGS Summer Camp

GS SUMMER CAMP 2016 IS OFF TO an amazing start. Camp began May 31st and will continue through July 29th, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. JGS Summer Camp is open to all students, ages 3-13 years, who are currently registered for the 2016/17 school year. Our amazing troop of certified JGS teachers and highly qualified teacher’s aides, who oversee summer camp, have an exciting summer planned for our campers. Our summer camp students are grouped into sections by age and their games, crafts, snacks, field trips and outside playtime are planned accordingly. Our teachers strive to make camp fun and exciting while at the same time providing structure and safety. A typical summer camp day will begin with outside play time, followed by prayer and morning snack. Afterwards, an age appropriate themed lesson which may include books with discussion, smartboard games or videos will ensue followed by lunch, nap/

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rest time, afternoon snack, computer lab, craft time, free play with play dough, board games, center play and ending the day with additional outside play time. Our young campers will enjoy weekly field trips during the summer to Tinseltown Movie Theater, Kiroli Park, Uncle Robert’s Orchard and The Children’s Museum just to name a few. Our youngest campers will also benefit from scheduled rest and snack times in the afternoon to ensure they are not overly exerted during the day. Our older summer camp students will also attend some of the previously mentioned field trips along with visits to the Chennault Aviation Museum, Masur Museum, Bayou Bowl and the Ouachita Parish Public Library. During the week of June 20th-24th, our summer camp students will be invited to attend our annual JGS Church Vacation Bible School. This year’s bible school theme is titled “Joseph’s Journey from Prison to Palace.” Many of our students already know Joseph

as the guy with the colorful coat, but during the week of VBS they will journey through Joseph’s world and learn there’s a lot more to his story! They will experience the trials and victories of this unique Bible hero. It is sure to be an exciting spiritual journey for all the children. Our main goal at Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School is to ensure that all students develop a love of learning, a love of God and a love of self and others in a secure and safe environment. We strive for this atmosphere of excellence year round, whether it be midschool year or during summer camp. Our hope is that our students will continue to learn and thrive even during the summer months within the safe and loving atmosphere that is provided at JGS. Families who may be interested in enrolling for the upcoming school year are encouraged to find out more about Jesus the Good Shepherd Catholic School by visiting our website, www.jesusgoodshepherd.org, or contacting the school directly to schedule a tour with our principal, Mrs. Lisa Patrick. Our classes are filling up quickly so please do not delay in contacting the school with questions or concerns. The school office will be closed from June 20th-July 8th and will reopen Monday, July 11th at 9:00 a.m. We wish you all a safe and relaxing summer break.

Improving Medical Access One Click at a Time MyGlenwoodClinic.com

GLENWOOD’S NEW ONLINE self-scheduling tool powered by InQuicker® is improving the way patients can see doctors and get access to the healthcare they need. Using a computer or any mobile device, browse through schedule openings and book appointments with our doctors or clinics…anywhere, anytime. Add a little convenience to your life by accessing the tool at MyGlenwoodClinic.com. The healthcare you need is just a click away.

Thomas Causey, MD, F.A.C.C. Glenwood Cardiology 102 Thomas Road, Suite 201 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 338-3525

Alyce Adams, MD Glenwood Internal Medicine 3106 Cypress Street West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 322-0458

Ellen Gentile, NP Glenwood Family Care Clinic 3101 Cypress St., Suite 8 and 9 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 644-2573

Billy Branch, MD Glenwood Internal Medicine and Pediatrics 9052 Hwy 165 North Sterlington, LA 71280 Phone: (318) 665-0170

Ann Gray, FNP Glenwood Stat Care 1107 Glenwood Dr. West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: 318-396-3800

David G Gardner, MD Glenwood Foot and Ankle 3101 Kilpatrick Blvd Monroe, LA 71201 Phone: (318) 322-5506

Ronald Hammett, MD Pulmonary Specialist 102 Thomas Road, Suite 104 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 329-8485 Russell Lolley, MD General Surgery and Wound Care 102 Thomas Road, Suite 203 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 329-8445 Brent A Metts, MD, PhD Glenwood Ear, Nose and Throat 102 Thomas Road Suite 202 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 329-8458 Janet Morvant, NP Glenwood Medicine Clinic 501 McMillan Rd. West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: 318-388-1400 Roland Ponarski, MD Glenwood Family and Internal Medicine 102 Thomas Road Suite 104 West Monroe, LA 71291 Phone: (318) 329-8485

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

K&K’s Giving Tree Spread the Word… It’s Time to Load Up and Make the Trip for Our Annual Summer Clearance Sale!

TOP BY FOR YUMMY DELIGHTS on Friday July 1st and Saturday July 2nd to celebrate the beginning of K&K’s Two Week Annual Summer Clearance Sale. Fall will be here before you know it and it’s your last chance to scoop up your summer favorites! It’s a great time to stock up on apparel and buy in advance for next year. Get unbeatable prices on amazing collections and your favorite name brands like Bailey Boys, KicKee Pants, Kissy Kissy, Ralph Lauren, Mayoral and the list goes on.

50-75% off ALL APPAREL (exclusions apply).

Friday July 1st ~ Saturday July 2nd In celebration of K&K’s Annual Summer Clearance Sale, we will kick things off with 30% off Storewide for the first two days only and 50-75% off ALL APPAREL (exclusions apply).

Our apparel sale has a full range of sizes starting in preemie and goes all the way to children’s size 18. There are also a few adult options in the mix! In childrenswear, you will find a large assortment of fashion apparel, playwear, sleepwear, dressy and occasional pieces, layette and take-me-home outfits and much more.

Tuesday July 5th ~ Saturday July 16th K&K’s two week Annual Summer Clearance for apparel only will have

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Mark your calendars and make a day trip for the ultimate one stop shopping experience! You’ll find a wonderful variety of gifts, home décor, kitchenware, bath and spa products, jewelry and accessories, tons of apparel and scrumptious gourmet delights. We will be featuring our famous Cheesy Tomato Pie Filling drizzled with Captain Rodney’s on July 1st and 2nd, along with a variety of other goodies.

We’ve got you covered for your summer

beach trips, too. Our sale will include children’s swimwear for all ages, cover ups, beach towels, flip flops, sun hats and the perfect outfits for your beach portraits. LOCAL LOYALTY PROGRAM We Ship World Wide but REWARD our locals… Locals receive 15% off store-wide, yearround. You must complete and maintain all three steps to qualify: • Complete a Customer Account online at www.kkgivingtree.com (your customer profile must include your local address) • Subscribe to our newsletter at www.kkgivingtree.com • Follow/Like us on social media: www.facebook.com/kkgivingtree www.instagram.com/kkgivingtree www.pinterest.com/kkgivingtree www.twitter.com/kkgivingtree

Blair David Named Assistant Principal at St. Frederick David Directing New Science and Technology Program at St. Frederick

ST. FREDERICK PRINCIPAL, DR. Bob Webber has announced that Blair David has been named the Assistant Principal of St. Frederick High School. “We are fortunate to have Blair as a teacher and administrator who has an outstanding record as a leader in curriculum development, “ said Webber. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to work so closely with the wonderfully talented group of teachers at St. Frederick. They are committed to continuing to provide the advancement in education that our students need to excel today and beyond,” said Blair David. Blair, a former West Monroe High School and Quachita Parish Teacher of the year, is directing the STREAM building project that includes a science and technology building, and a facility for the art program. This is the only program of

its kind in North Louisiana and makes St. Frederick unique in their approach to the learning process. “I believe Blair is the best and most qualified STEM teacher in the state. Schools in other states have utilized the STEM program he established at West Monroe High School. ‘STEM’ is the acronym for the integrated curriculum of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. St. Frederick has expanded STEM to STREAM to include the arts and religion,” Webber added. As head of the science department at West Monroe High School, David taught pre-engineering and pre-professional health which emphasized student hands-on application and project based learning. David has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from LSU Shreveport, a Master of Science in Entomology from LSU Baton

Rouge, a Master of Arts in Teaching with Secondary Education certification in General Science and Biology from ULM, a Provisional Principal certification grades K-12 and certification for Provisional Secondary Principal grades 6-12 from ULM. In the field of Entomology, David has published in the Journal of Economic Entomology and Insecticide and Acaracide Testing. David is certified to teach dual enrollment through the University of Louisiana at Monroe. This year’s graduating class has an average of 31 college credit hours. Blair is married to Jennifer David and they have three children. The family attends St. Paschal’s Catholic Church in West Monroe.

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Simply Lou Me, Godzilla and God article by Lou Davenport

have been fortunate to travel to a lot of wonderful places by car, plane, boat and even on a train! I still love a good road trip though, I just don’t get to take many anymore. When you drive a 22 year old car, you just don’t venture too far out. What seems like a lifetime ago, I met and married “Mister.” Now, I did love this man although it did not end well. But, it’s okay. I now remember the good times we had and most of them were on trips. So, Mister, this one’s for you! Now, Mister’s idea of fun trips often differed from mine. When he told me we were going white water rafting, my first thought was, “NO! Not me!” I had no desire to be in a little rubber raft in white water! I love to watch that beautiful cascading water, but I have never wanted to be out in the middle of it! He had been rafting many times, of course. And of course, he loved it. First warning. I should have known. But, I was hoodwinked into going anyway. “Oh, you can do this! There’s nothing to it!” Second warning. Off we went to Tennessee to the Ocoee River. I was so oblivious to what I was getting myself into. It was and is a beautiful place. I had researched and found out that the Ocoee is one of the top rafting rivers. It has three sections – the upper, middle and lower. The Ocoee River itself is a slow flowing river over

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rock formations. But, when the TVA turns on the water for hydro electrical use, it creates a whole ‘nother! The river rises and when that happens, the water gets busy and full of rapids. Rapids are divided into a rating system. Classes 1 and 2 are small waves and ripples and ideal for beginners. Classes 3 and 4 get a little more intense and are for more advanced rafters. Classes 5 and 6 are those big, bad ones. NOT for beginners, so I just KNEW I wouldn’t be on any of those. I had trusted Mister to make the reservations, knowing he would book the easiest section since I had never been. Third warning. The Upper Ocoee section was engineered and built for the 1996 Olympic water sporting events. It was rumored that the Chinese kayaking team broke so many paddles on this course, they went home! Fourth warning. There are names for it’s class 5 rapids such as “Blue Hole,” “Humongous” and “Godzilla.” Fifth warning. I just KNEW I wouldn’t be on that section. I was a BEGINNER for goodness sakes! Oh, I was so blissfully ignorant. Sixth warning. The day of the great adventure dawned crisp and sunny. We checked in at the outfitters. They outfit you with your paddle and helmet. Then, they sit you in a raft and show you how to sit on the inflated edge of that thing. There isn’t much room. You end up with one butt

check on there! You have to wedge one of your feet up under that inflated thing as well. They rattle off all these instructions about using your paddle and listening to what the guide says for you to do. They direct you to swim toward the bank if you ger thrown out. They said all this so fast, I didn’t grasp it all. I was trying to figure out how to sit in the damn thing! Then, you sign a waiver...in case you are hurt or die! Seventh warning. Loaded on old school buses with all the rafts strapped to the top, off you go UP the winding road. I was nervous. I kept hearing people talking about the all day float. I got to fidgeting around, thinking “NO! Not the all day float! THAT means the UPPER OCOEE!” I asked Mister, thinking there was some mistake. He said “OH YEAH! YOU CAN DO IT! I’VE NEVER RAFTED THE UPPER!” I replied, “OH HELL NO! I WANT OFF THIS BUS!” He could have his big thrill of FINALLY getting to raft the UPPER without ME! I was in a state of near panic but there was no escape! Everybody excitedly got off that old bus and began grabbing their rafts and hurrying down to put in, including Mister. Not me. I was racking my brain to come up with something that would get me outta this! There was no escape. Then, the guide positions you in the raft. I got put RIGHT UP FRONT! Eighth warning.

So, my only out was going to be to sit right up front in that death trap of a raft and hang on for dear life! And PRAY! There wasn’t any water sounds yet. I know why, too. If you did hear it, NOBODY in their right mind would get in. We eased away from the bank onto smooth, fast moving water and that’s where I got this awful thought that I might could do this. Wishful thinking. But, then, you round a bend and you hear it. A huge, horrifying noise. To me, it sounded like Niagara Falls. But, you can’t get off! There’s no place for you to go! Just grab your ass and pray to the Good Lord, Jesus, all the angels and all the saints! Final warning! Almost immediately we were right in the middle of some Class 5 rapids and the guide was yelling orders to paddle in this whitewater hell. REALLY? I was just trying to stay inside that raft. It was like riding some wild bronco on big, mean, serious whitewater! It seemed endless. And then, straight down we plunged into the deep and infamous GODZILLA! I think I blacked out. In an instant, I looked up and saw only the blue bottom of that raft, with water churning every way imaginable. I had been flung right into Godzilla’s jaws! Another instant, I was laying inside of that raft and could not move. I think Mister had grabbed me and pulled me in. But that guide was yelling for him to PADDLE! I felt like a wet dish rag and I definitely did not like that guide. And we were still riding that wild bronco! With no strength from being beat up from that water, I just laid like a slug on the floor of the raft, praying for it to end soon. When we finally made it to smoother water, I could finally say, Thank You God! HE helped Mister grab me. It was the only way I wasn’t trapped under there and beat too death by those big rocks. I have always been a believer, but that day on the Ocoee, I KNEW GOD WAS REAL! It dawned on me when we stopped for lunch, it just wasn’t my day to die and thanked God again. At lunch, all these excited rafters came to tell me how good I had done! I wanted to tell them, “Thank you, but kiss my ass!” I wanted to slap the guide. He was laughing! But I didn’t, I was still scared, rattled and weak as a kitten. I didn’t know if I wanted to kill Mister or not for signing me up for THIS. But, I knew I still had to get down the Lower Ocoee for this nightmare to end. Then, it was time to put in”again. I was still shaking and if I had ever needed a few shots of tequila, it was right then. My only reprieve was Mister got put up front, me behind him. Off we went, right into a big rapid with that guide shouting orders. I decided the only thing I was doing was keeping myself inside that raft by hanging on to Mister’s belt loop. If I went in, HE WAS, TOO! That guide could take that paddle and shove it (I never said I was a team player)! I kept my eyes shut most of the way down that river and I never turned loose of Mister’s belt loop. I didn’t paddle either! It was enough to keep half a butt cheek on the edge of that raft and my foot wedged. Finally, we got to the end of those miles and miles of whitewater hell and out of that raft. I felt and looked like a drowned rat. I kissed the ground. Back on that old bus, surrounded by all these enthralled rafters saying how cool it was, I remained silent. I was just thankful to be alive! If you are considering whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River, take my advice. Stay away from the Upper Ocoee and “Godzilla.” Just go sit up there on the rocks and watch “Godzilla” grab folks. I bet God is sitting on those rocks. I know He was the day I went airborne! I didn’t kill Mister, but I did consider whether he had bought a life insurance policy on me that I didn’t know about. But, it was a day I will never forget. I didn’t heed the warnings, but I’m proud to say I rafted....ONCE! I would much rather watch other rafters, not be one. But, I did buy myself a tee shirt that said, “I Survived Godzilla,” (with a little divine intervention.) WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

A N O R G A N I C O R I G I NA L article by Mary Napoli | photos by Martin G Meyers 78 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

owntown Ruston is known for its unique shops and charming aesthetic. The quaint area has experienced somewhat of a revival in recent years with an increase in economic activity and youthful creativity. A new generation has set up shop within the storefronts their grandparents built, and the area is alive with energy. Recently, locals have been drawn to Rosemary’s Kitchen, where they find delicious, organic meals prepared by a mother-daughter duo who know how to create dishes that are as healthy as they are palate pleasing. South Bonner Street is lined with charming homes, inviting front porches, and the shade of aged live oak trees. Small businesses intermingle inconspicuously among the houses, some more noticeable than others. When it came time to choose a location for their business, Rosemary Thomas and her daughter, Sara Corley knew that South Bonner would be ideal. Long before the restaurant came to be, Thomas and Corley enjoyed time together in the kitchen of their home. Cooking was a bonding experience for the mother and daughter. Great family meals were an expression of love and togetherness, as they are in many southern homes. Thomas instilled in her daughter an appreciation and respect for farm fresh foods and a value for local farmers that became the basis for their future business. It all began simply enough. The two began to cook for friends, occasionally catering small-scale events. Their food grew in popularity as word spread locally and requests poured in. In 2011, the duo decided to try their hand at selling baked goods at the Ruston’s beloved Farmer’s Market. Their pies, cakes, and other items were definite crowd pleasers and became immensely popular. They enjoyed the experience so much that the idea of a restaurant began to percolate in their minds. When they began to test the waters and do a little investigating, the path to success seemed to appear before them. “The doors just kept opening,” explains Corley. “We just kept hearing ‘yes’.” In September of 2012, destiny and determination combined, and Rosemary’s Kitchen opened its doors to rave reviews. Located just steps

away from the main downtown area, the restaurant is housed in an enchanting home that served as a family residence for decades. Lush plant life and vibrantly colored flowers surround the building and seem to invite passersby to enter. Customers approach the home and enter by the whimsical and alluring front deck, which was added by Thomas and Corley. Tables and chairs, along with a front porch swing, entice guests to stop, relax, and enjoy the view. When the weather cooperates, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a perfect spot to enjoy the tasty delights that the popular lunch spot has to offer. Inside, mouthwatering aromas beckon hungry visitors to take a seat in one of the dining areas, converted from areas that once served as living spaces within the former home. Thomas and Corley designed the menus with their maxim in mind: simple, fresh, good. They focus on delivering this through healthful, organic foods, most of which are locally obtained. The menu rotates daily and changes with the seasons in order to provide the freshest produce possible. Typically, three entrees are featured on any given day, which include at least one vegetarian option. Their gourmet sandwiches are incredibly popular for good reason. The fresh sourdough bread is made delightfully crisp and warm by panini press, and each bite is better than the WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

last. Current paninis include the BBQ Chicken are pasteurized, which removes many of the “People used to live in this house,” explains Panini, which is comprised of hand shredded, vitamins and nutrients which come from Corley. “I wanted our customers to feel like organic chicken in a flavorful local BBQ sauce the raw fruits and vegetables. Knowing they were coming to eat in our home when and topped with cilantro, red onion and this, Thomas and Corley began to juice their they walked in.” creamy, melted provolone, and the Artichoke own organic fruits and veggies for optimum The dining spaces are cheerful, casual and Spinach Panini, which combines fresh freshness and nutrients. After experimenting and creative, with heart-warming touches of baby spinach with an artichoke cream with various combinations, they settled on the homey environment Thomas and Corley cheese spread and sliced red onions. Not four concoctions that were packed with flavor envisioned. One of the most endearing aspects to be missed is the Apple, Smoked Cheddar and nutritional benefits. The “Everyday of the décor is a set of four photos taken of and Bacon Panini, made with fresh, organic Green” contains kale, spinach, apple, orange, generations of the women of the family, apples, rich cheddar, and displayed prominently thick, peppered bacon. together. Each photo mirrors Popular salads include the the next: apron-clad women Roasted Veggie Taco Salad attentively preparing a meal with House Chipotle Ranch with love. Dressing, and Garlic Grilled “The first woman is my Chicken on Mediterranean great grandmother,” Corley Spinach Salad. For a says, motioning to the photo heartier lunch entrée, on the far left. “Next is my guests choose the Chicken maternal grandmother. My and Black Bean Enchiladas, mother, Rosemary, follows. which feature a tangy house Then, there’s me.” made enchilada sauce, or Such special touches the Spinach Alfredo Ravioli adds to the warmth of the Lasagna with layers of restaurant, which feels as tender cheese ravioli, fresh comforting as a childhood spinach and mushrooms memory. In addition to enveloped in a rich alfredo the photos and interesting sauce. The King Ranch décor, guests can view Chicken is a zesty option, mosaics of reclaimed wood with layers of tortilla chips, created by local artist and cheese, and creamy sauce. designer, Joshua Mitchell. Diners also enjoy the Every corner of each room Sweet Potato and Black seems to tell the story of the Bean Quesadilla, featuring community and the families organic sweet potatoes. that it contains. Tempting quiches include The grocery and gift shop the Italian Sausage and sections of the business offer Roasted Red Pepper Quiche guests to take home part of and Bacon and Broccoli what makes Rosemary’s “We serve food the way we like to make it, and our customers Quiche, made with fresh Kitchen special. The grocery seem to like it, too,” says Corley. “I know more than half of broccoli, local milk, thickly section offers to-go options, the faces that walk through out doors on a first name basis, sliced peppered bacon and ranging from light snacks and that means something to the people here.” a trio of cheeses in a buttery to complete meals, which pie crust. are prepared and prepacked Dessert also rotates daily, as a different celery and cucumber. Bright green and in house. Shoppers can grab healthful, tasty pie is featured each weekday. A true Southern slightly sweet, it is refreshing and packed with meals to-go, such as a black bean burger staple, buttermilk pie is a local favorite, as well goodness. The golden colored “Fruitilicious” with all the toppings, or explore the cooler as apple and strawberry pies. The coconut combines the tartness or pineapple and orange for containers of their favorites, like pimento pie is the stuff of dreams: creamy coconut with cantaloupe, beet and apple for a unique cheese or chicken salad, to enjoy at home. In custard is topped with a lightly sweet whip fruity taste. “Immunity” is a vibrant purple addition, there is also a wide assortment of contained in a flaky, buttery crust. However, hue made by joining kale, parsley, orange, organic sodas, sauces, chips, and other edibles nothing is requested more than the house celery, beet and ginger. Nutrient rich sweet available for purchase. Thomas and Corley specialty: Ruston peach pie. In this town, it potato, apple, orange and carrot are united to also offer the baked goods they originally just doesn’t get any better. form the vivid “Orange Cream.” With such became known for to take home and share. While Rosemary’s Kitchen is known wholesome and gratifying combinations, Mother and daughter believe in the for its focus on organic and local products, clean eating has never been more delicious. organic products they use to prepare the the juice bar is a distinctive aspect of the Locals and visitors to the area lunch delicious meals they provide and are proud restaurant that customers enjoy immensely. at Rosemary’s Kitchen for the incredibly to offer them to customers. Much of the So many of the juices that can be purchased delicious, fresh, organic food and also enjoy merchandise in the grocery section actually in regular grocery stores include copious the quaint, comfortable environment. The come from farms located in their own amounts of sugar and preservatives. Even restaurant is casually welcoming and allows backyard. Honey from Ruston’s Jennings the mass produced, so-called healthy juices all those who enter to feel instantly at home. Apiaries is packaged by hand and displayed 80 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

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in beautiful, glass bottles. Local, fresh eggs from Ladelle Farms and organic beef from Harris Ranch of Coushatta, Louisiana are available for purchase. In addition, milk and dairy products from Flowing Hills Creamery, located in Belmont, Louisiana, and an assortment of artisanal cheeses from Haute Goat Creamery in nearby Longview, Texas are purchasable. Corley consistently looks for new local products to use in the restaurant’s kitchen and enjoys offering them to her customers. The restaurant’s gift shop offers many cute products that customers love to peruse. The shelves stock home and kitchen goods that range from colorful napkins to fragrant, handmade hand soaps. Tea lovers will enjoy the assortment of loose teas, like Rooibos Red Tea and Fruit Blend Herbal Tea. Pair a package of tea with a lovely tea ball infuser, hand beaded with delicate, colorful beads by Rosemary Thomas herself for a unique gift. Delightful possibilities await in the grocery and gift shop area. Whether enticed by the healthful nature of eating organic or simply for a delightful and delicious meal prepared by wonderful people, Rosemary’s Kitchen is every bit worth the trip. “We serve food the way we like to make it, and our customers seem to like it, too,” says Corley. “I know more than half of the faces that walk through out doors on a first name basis, and that means something to the people here.” It seems that all of Ruston would agree with her.

Rosemary’s Kitchen is located at 400 South Bonner Street in Ruston. Contact them at 318.202.5951, or visit their website at www.rosemarys-kitchen.com. Follow Rosemary’s Kitchen on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to find current menus and special events. 82 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

Quitting Smoking Isn’t Easy But Getting Started Is (And it Might Be Free!)

OBACCO USERS WHO WANT TO BREAK THE HOLD tobacco has on their lives now have a proven way of tackling the addiction right here in Northeast Louisiana – St. Francis Medical Center’s Tobacco Cessation Program. Located at St. Francis North in Monroe, the comprehensive program begins with an intake session and features group and individual counseling for up to a year, with ongoing contact as needed. “When we started this program last year, we had no idea how many lives would be changed,” said Rebecca Mixon, program manager. “We’re always amazed that no matter how long people have smoked or how many times they’ve tried to quit, they leave their intake session telling us that this is the first time they’ve ever had the hope that they’ll be able to quit and stay quit.” The average cost of a pack of cigarettes is now $5.44, which means someone who smokes a pack a day spends nearly $2,000 a year. When smokers try to quit, they often use over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy or prescription medications known to help with quitting; however, these medications are costly, even if the person has insurance. To cover the cost of these medications, as well as the costs of counseling, the St. Francis Tobacco Cessation Program connects participants who qualify with the Smoking Cessation Trust. The Trust was created from funding set aside in 2011 from a 14-year class action lawsuit which ordered certain tobacco companies to fund a statewide 10year smoking cessation program to benefit more than 200,000 Louisiana smokers. TO QUALIFY TO RECEIVE FREE CESSATION BENEFITS FROM THE SMOKING CESSATION TRUST: 1. You must be a resident of Louisiana. 2. You must have had your first cigarette before September 1, 1988. Roxanne McCormick, Tobacco Cessation Coordinator, explains that the process of signing up to receive benefits from the Smoking Cessation Trust is simple. “Our team will help you sign up and understand your benefits, so there’s no confusion about what to expect,” she said. “It’s truly a wonderful blessing that so many people don’t even know is available. We need to make sure we’re connecting as many smokers as possible with this valuable resource to help break their addiction.” Marie Easterling, RRT, and Teresa Daniel, RN, are the program’s Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialists. They work individually and in group settings with participants to explain the science of addiction and to monitor their progress throughout their cessation journey. For Marie, the program is more than just helping the participant. “There is a generation upon generation effect taking place. When a person stops smoking, they are improving their own health, but they are also improving the health of the people with whom they share their lives, as well as the lives of their pets. Quitting smoking can also help prevent future generations from ever beginning smoking because when children and grandchildren see you quit, they are far less likely to ever start. We may not see the full impact of the success these folks are having for many years to come.” Anyone who wants to quit using tobacco products can call (318) 966-QUIT to schedule an appointment. Evening and morning sessions are offered, and the team works with each participant to create an individualized plan to fit their needs. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Car Wash West Protect Your Investment

INCE 1991, CAR WASH WEST HAS PROVIDED NORTH Louisiana with the finest wash and service available for your automobiles. Their state-of-the-art facility provides the best wash around with premium solutions and machinery. Their superior process guarantees a cleaner vehicle than others, a result of their attention to detail. They prep the vehicle beforehand to ensure that heavy soils will not cause scratching during the washing process. The end result is a spotless, hand-toweled clean car and a happy customer. In addition to the wash services offered, Car Wash West is unmatched in their detail services. Whether you are looking to get rid of a coffee stain or are preparing for a car show, they are here to help you “protect your investment.” Services are tailored to the individual’s needs and expectations, from small to large and everything in-between. Car Wash West’s detailing department offers the latest in technology, sealants and polishes to have your car looking like new. No matter what level of detail you need they have an option for you. Carnauba wax, the traditional protective coating, will last up to six months. For a longer lasting seal, Car Wash west offers an Acrylic Sealant. This coating will last up to one year. New to Car Wash West is CQuartz Coatings for all surfaces, inside and out. This type of technology lasts up to two full years! This large family of products is designed to protect the interior and exterior of your vehicle through Nanotech technology. CQuartz paint coatings protect your vehicle with the glossiest, most hydrophobic, scratch and chemical resistant products on the market. These coatings provide an extreme crisp reflection, excellent swirl and chemical resistance, and an unbelievable deep rich wet gloss you have to see to believe. CQuartz leather and vinyl coatings provide the ultimate in protection for both leather and vinyl surfaces throughout the vehicle. Their fabric coating is the answer to the need for long lasting coating, dedicated to carpets, fabrics and convertible tops. The product creates a surface that is protected by durable, flexible and resistant to stains, body oils and bacterial growth. It also protects against sun fading. The complete detail includes exterior wash, clean wheels and tires, tar removal, polish paint, Carnauba wax or sealant, exterior rubber/vinyl dressings, interior/exterior window cleaning, carpet/upholstery shampoo, trunk cleaning and shampoo, interior vinyl/leather dressings and interior deodorizing. The price of detailing at Car Wash West depends on the size and condition of the vehicle and the extent of service you want. For a detailed list of prices or questions, contact them at 388-0626 or visit their website at www.carwashwestmonroe.com.

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Azure Pools and Spas Your Local Pool Professionals

ZURE POOLS AND SPAS HAS BEEN YOUR LOCAL pool professionals since 2006. In addition to selling liners, above ground and in ground pools, they offer a great selection of products and supplies to help take care of your pool all season long. Fully-stocked with reliable brands for your convenience, their knowledgeable staff can help answer all your pool-related questions. As a member of The Backyard Place, they provide quality products and dependable service to all of their customers. Azure’s has a reputation for excellence and continuous service to the community with high-quality pool supplies and service. There are so many products and technological advances in pool care these days, it can often be difficult to decide exactly what your pool requires. You can trust Azure Pools, to help you sort through unnecessary products and select exactly what you need. Their experienced sales staff can help you by offering sound advice and assist you in making selections from their inventory of highquality items. Azure Pools is the only exclusive Graphex Vinyl Pool Builder in Northeast Louisiana. Graphex Pools won’t rust, corrode, warp, dent or chip. A Graphex Pool stays strong and flexible for decades. This pool carries a lifetime-transferrable warranty. Other exclusive lines that Azure carries are Hot Springs Spas and Jacuzzi, and they are the only authorized dealer in the Ark-La-Miss region! As your Backyard Place, they carry a full line of reliable namebrand products, including Hayward, Polaris, Pentair and ProTeam, just to name a few. But it isn’t just pools and pool products that Azure specializes in. They also feature Primo Ceramic Grills, one of the most versatile outdoor cookers in the world and the only ceramic grills made in the USA. You can use it as a grill, an oven, a roaster or a smoker with a simple adjustment to the air flow and cooking configuration. In addition to offering products and service, Azure’s offers convenience with two locations! Serving North Louisiana and South Arkansas, Azure’s is located on Hwy 165 North in Monroe, as well as on Willow Glen in Ruston. Azure’s is locally owned and operated and is your one stop shop to get your backyard ready for warmer weather ahead! WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Professional Kits of an Organizer Continued From Page 36

• Tape measure • Small level • Scissors • Washi tape • Masking tape • Box cutter • Work gloves • Sharpies • Pens • Paper • Pliers • WD-40 • Goo Gone • Batteries (AA and AAA are most common)

Among the kits I listed above, I also suggest creating a “Cleaning Kit” that can be easily carted from one room to another, a “StainRemoval Kit” for when you accidentally spill red wine on your ivory rug and a “Beach/River/Lake Survival Kit” for you family vacations. All in all, each kit should contain the essentials that are typically needed for each situation or event and should be assembled and placed in an area that is quickly attainable. Believe me, one of these kits will save you one day!

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Breast Augmentation Continued From Page 71

I try to listen carefully and provide guidance and advice on implant size so the patient can be realistic about the surgical result. In the end, I rely mostly on the patient’s measurements and my clinical judgment. It pays off. In over twenty-five years of breast implant surgery, re-operation simply to change implant size has occurred in only 1-2 percent of my patients. Overall, complications from breast augmentation are few. In my experience, the infection rate and the risk of a hematoma (blood collection) around the implant are both less than 1 percent. The risk of a scar tissue capsule around the implant or of implant rupture is around 5 percent. Most patients can return to work within a week, and can return to full unrestricted activity in three weeks. I do all of my breast augmentations at P&S Surgical Hospital where the same excellent surgical crew has helped me for years. This allows compulsive consistency in every aspect of the operation, reducing risks and increasing the predictability of results. If you have been considering breast augmentation, call Mickel Plastic Surgery at 388-2050 for an initial evaluation and a thorough discussion of the procedure, the recovery and the risks. I also encourage you to visit www.mickelplasticsurgery.com and browse the before and after gallery. Then decide for yourself. Just one hour of surgery can have a positive impact for years to come.

First National Bank Investing in our Community

NCOMMON. EXCEPTIONAL. SUPERIOR. THESE ARE all words that describe First National Bank, The Uncommon Bank. For more than 110 years, First National Bank has been investing in local communities throughout Northeast Louisiana. Last year, we proudly became an uncommonly integral part of our local community in Monroe. Exceptional. In 2015, First National Bank opened a $6.5 million state of the art facility in Monroe. Since our opening, The Uncommon Bank has been exceptionally involved with our local community in Monroe and the surrounding areas. To show appreciation for our exceptional customers, First National Bank hosted customer appreciation lunches on-site at each of our locations. At this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fish fry, we welcomed more than 250 customers at our Monroe location and 100 at our West Monroe location. First National Bank cares for our exceptional community by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Med Camps, United Way of NELA, American Red Cross, DART to prevent domestic violence and the Ouachita Council on Aging, just to name a few. We care about our local children by engaging in the Adopt-a-School program. We share the same passion for community athletics, which is why we support our Monroe and

West Monroe High School sports and the ULM Warhawks. The Uncommon Bank responds quickly to our local community. During our devastating flood, we served hot jambalaya plates to those in need. Our exceptional employees have a great time while giving back. We competed in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and the 2016 Dragon Boat Races to benefit the Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coalition of Northeast Louisiana. Superior. At First National Bank, we are locally owned and operated. We provide superior banking services such as cash back personal checking with no fees, free business checking and a highly competitive interest bearing platinum account. FNB is on the forefront of ever changing technology with online and mobile phone banking. We also offer a variety of personal, real estate and commercial loan services. Come by and visit the friendly faces in Monroe and learn more about our superior services. Uncommon. Exceptional. Superior. At First National Bank, investment in the community and individuals we serve is our mission. No matter your financial needs, let The Uncommon Bank help guide you.

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Friends of KEDM

9th Annual Beer Tasting Set for July 14th

UMMER IN LOUISIANA IS HOT – SO COOL OFF WITH a cold brew at the Summer Beer Tasting. Thursday, July 14 from 6 to 8 p.m., Friends of KEDM invites you to find a new favorite beer at Marsala Beverage. “This is my favorite part of summer!” says Babbette Adcock, president of Friends of KEDM. “It’s the perfect combination of good friends, great barbeque and an enormous selection of beers.” Marsala Beverage hosts the event each year. Tyler Flemister, vicepresident of marketing, explains that a beer tasting is one of the best ways to find new favorites. “You never know what you’re going to discover, whether it’s something fruity, or some new combination of flavors. You can try out a new flavor – if you like it, have some more. If not, move on and try another one.” Beer connoisseurs look forward to a chance to talk with the brewers. Representatives will be on hand to answer questions about how they get varied flavors into a beer. Brewers represented include Shock Top, New Belgium, Stella Artois, Tin Roof, Saint Arnold and Lazy Magnolia. Local musician Josh Madden will provide live music. Madden also hosts “The Set List” Saturday nights on KEDM. “Josh’s talent is undeniable,” says Adcock. “With his range of fun to funky, he’s quickly become one of the most popular musicians in the area – we’re so fortunate to have him!” Rhoda Brown will be back with some of the best barbeque anywhere in northeast Louisiana. Two-time People’s Choice winner of Memphis in May, Rhoda will have mouth-watering pulled pork plates for hungry patrons. Admission is $15 with barbeque plates also available for $10. Marsala Beverage is at 825 Stone Avenue, near the Monroe Civic Center. Proceeds from the event benefit 90.3 KEDM Public Radio. The station airs NPR News, jazz and classical music. KEDM Development Director Lila Strode says the station is grateful for the fundraising, “Friends of KEDM is a huge help to our efforts to bring exceptional news coverage to our listeners. It’s also a great way to have a lot of fun!”

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Summer Style Headquarters Beehive Has the Latest Fashion Trends, the Perfect Shoes, Gifts and More

EEHIVE OPENED THEIR DOORS IN 2002 AND THEY quickly became a popular landmark in Ruston, Louisiana. They were considered the go-to spot for jewelry and handbags in north Louisiana for many years. Now, 14 years later, Beehive has evolved into a shopping mecca. You can find the latest in chic fashion trends, the perfect pair of quality shoes, monogrammed gifts for any occasion, cute children’s clothing, ontrend home décor, a variety of furniture styles and so much more! Customers can find sought-after brands such as Jadelynn Brooke, Simply Southern Tees, Naughty Monkey, Not Rated, Sanuks, Borns, TOMS and so many others! The shop is available to monogram and make thoughtful, personalized gifts, hand stamped jewelry and an assortment of items that are perfect for everyone! Your shopping experience at Beehive is made exceptional by the customer service provided by their knowledgeable and friendly staff. Beehive is so much more than just a store. It is a place that always strives to work with the community. They aim to be a destination where every customer will become part of the Beehive family. Beehive welcomes the exchange of thoughts and ideas for products and events with their customers. A major mission for Beehive has always been to give back by partnering with local organizations and charities for events. What is new at Beehive? Beehive is proud to offer a beautiful selection of plus size clothing. Dress trends for summer fashion have just arrived and we are so excited about what’s in store! They range from sizes small to 3x. Also, a selection of infant clothing, and a new section for little girls with a wide range of kid’s jewelry, clothing and toys can be found at Beehive. New products are arriving daily! Stay current on Beehive news and events at facebook.com/ BestofBeehive. Follow their new Instagram page for the latest arrivals and fashion trends: instagram.com/beehiveoutletruston. Beehive is located at 213 North Service Rd in Ruston. Drop by and view their enormous selection of home décor, clothing, shoes, furniture and more!

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4th Annual Chefs for a Cause Banquet Fundraiser to Benefit Family Promise of Ouachita

EAR FRIENDS OF FAMILY PROMISE, We are excited to announce that we are in the final planning stages of our 4th annual Chefs for a Cause Banquet fundraiser. Please mark your calendar to join us at the Monroe Civic Center Banquet Hall, Tuesday, July 12th at 6 p.m. We have a delicious southern meal planned that will be prepared by local Executive Chefs, Pat Nolan of Chef Pat Nolan Catering, Blake Phillips of Restaurant Sage and Chris McKnight of The Fat Pelican. Dessert will be served by Tummy Yummy. The chefs and businesses will be donating their time and efforts to help a hometown organization. Our key note speaker, Trent Dion Soto, is a local artist and film producer from Ruston, LA. He is the star and producer of the independent film, Among the Discarded, a documentary of one manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homeless journey- as told from his point of view. Trent is passionate in everything he does and not only speaks from experience, once being homeless himself, but also speaks from the heart. Family Promise of Ouachita is a 30-90 day transitional homeless shelter for families with children located here, in Ouachita Parish, since 2009. We are one of 200 affiliates of Family Promise National, which was formed in 1988. Affiliates have served more than 600,000 people through the efforts of over 6,000 congregations and more than 160,000 volunteers. The Ouachita Parish affiliate has served 93 families,

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including 201 children, and has offered almost 6,000 bed nights since opening our doors. These bed nights and meals are offered by local interdenominational congregations opening their doors for these families to sleep. During the day, our guests come to our Day Center, which provides a homelike atmosphere from 7 a.m- 6 p.m. This is the staging area for families to take care of their daily needs, and where we are able to assist families in their time of transition. Here we offer life skill classes including resume and job search, short and long term goal setting, New Beginnings Financial Literacy Course, weekly benchmarks, transportation and a list of other things from school supplies to socks. This fundraiser will allow us to continue to serve local families with children and increase our capacity to make a difference here. Family Promise does not accept state or federal funds and is solely supported by foundations, congregational support, and community donations. Call us at (318) 654-4101 to get tickets to this great event and help support the cause. We look forward to spending a night of fellowship and genuine southern cuisine with you!

Golsons Gas, Grills, Logs and Lights

Your Outdoor Kitchen Questions Answered by the Experts What would be the best grill or outdoor heating solution for my patio? Nothing enlightens better than asking an expert, and more so when you have a sea of options that all look great, and a good sum of money at stake. This is because you usually don’t just want the best grill or the best outdoor kitchen accessory, you want to know which is the most suitable grill for your home among the best grills in the market. Six hours of reading about gas grill features like temperature control, high heat, smoking, burners and all such factors to consider will never be a match for 40 years in the patio and hearth industry. If you could ask a 40-year expert for free, would you? This is what Golsons Gas, Grills, Logs & Lights encourages its store visitors to do.

Ask and keep asking until they’re sure of their choice. What’s the best grill for your patio? According to Golsons’ staff, the answer is quite easy if you can define for them the following: • Your needs • Your wants • Your budget Then, they’ll help you define your options among brands like AOG, DCS, RCS, Fire Magic, Saber and Holland, the industry’s finest manufacturers. Golsons’ has a proficient knowledge of each single item they sell. Billy Golson founded Golsons’ local store in 1975, selling and servicing gas appliances in the West Monroe, Louisiana region, which continues

to do. Today, Golsons is a certified dealer and reseller of a wide selection of best-in-class outdoor kitchen components from grills, refrigerators, gas and wood burning fire places, heating and cooling systems, to kitchen accessories. According to its founder, “Complete customer care defines best the company’s operating philosophy.” You also hear the same from its customers, “They are very knowledgeable about their products. We are building an outdoor kitchen and they have made everything very easy for us!” You can visit Golsons’ local store in West Monroe, which is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. They also have an online store that ships to any part of the U.S., golsonsonline.com.

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dancing queen Driven to Dance: Bayou Artist Courtney Crain pursues her passion, making dance her lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work

ARTICLE BY KAY STOTHART RECTOR AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRAD ARENDER

hoever said “choose a job that you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life” was certainly wise, although perhaps a bit naïve. Even work that one is passionate about can be grueling at times. But this sage advice has been repeated, in some form or another, at countless graduation ceremonies, motivational seminars and self-help workshops because it contains a universal and undeniable truth. One of the great inspirational quotes penned by author Maya Angelou is this: “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” Dancing is what Courtney Crain loves, and she has been doing it for as long as she can remember. Beginning at around age two, she grew up in her mother’s business—Missy Crain’s Dance Studios—learning ballet, tap, jazz and contemporary dance and performing as part of the Missy Crain Performance Company in dance competitions all over Louisiana and throughout the United States. She has been dancing with the Louisiana Delta Ballet since its founding in 2004, and is now a principal dancer with the local ballet company. By the time she was in high school, she was teaching others to dance, first as an assistant instructor, and for the past three years as a primary dance instructor. “We sort of threw her in the lion’s den once she graduated from high school, teaching full time, all ages,” says Missy Crain of her daughter. “She was teaching classes with students ranging in age from three to 18, going from studio to studio teaching all forms of dance.” Courtney also choreographs recital routines, as well as the dance company’s pieces. This young woman is no stranger to hard work and long hours. She recently graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, a field she chose because of her plan to eventually take over her mother’s dance studios.

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n addition to taking 15 hours of course work each semester, Crain continued her job as a dance instructor, teaching classes 20 hours per week, and spent an average of 30 hours every week rehearsing. “Before going to class in the mornings, I would pack my dance clothes in my car,” Crain recalls, “and then after school, I would drive to whatever studio I was teaching at that day.” With studios in four locations—Monroe, Ruston, Sterlington and Calhoun—there was always a lot of time on the road. Nights and weekends were spent studying and rehearsing for performances with Louisiana Delta Ballet and the Missy Crain Performance Company. Even with college classes behind her, Crain still spends many hours during the week and at least 5 to 6 hours each Saturday rehearsing. In addition to her rehearsal schedule, her summer plans include working with talented young dance students and renowned professional dancers during the

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Louisiana Delta Ballet Summer Intensive Workshop being held July 14th through 17th in Monroe. This year’s workshop faculty will include Kersten Todey, an incredibly talented dancer and choreographer from Los Angeles who has assisted and danced for some of the most renowned choreographers in the industry, including Mandy Moore and Michael Rooney, and who was recently awarded the “Emerging Choreographer Award” at Regional Dance America for her work with Louisiana Delta Ballet. Also on staff will be Christian Vincent, a multi-talented performer who served as dance captain of Madonna’s Drowned World Tour and has performed with such artists as Prince, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan, Stevie Wonder, Brittany Spears and Ashanti. Courtney lists Todey and Vincent as artists that she admires and has been fortunate to work closely with. Another valuable mentor is Jackie Sleight, co-founder of LA Dance Magic, an internationally known dance company committed to teaching

dancers and choreographers and providing a nurturing learning environment for artists to explore and challenge themselves through dance. Courtney has interned and toured as an assistant with LA Dance Magic for a number of years during school breaks, and was lucky enough to spend an entire summer living with Sleight in Los Angeles, watching her work and honing her own dance and choreography skills. Crain says she would like to dance professionally before coming back to Monroe permanently to teach. Her ultimate dream is to become a Rockette, dancing with the legendary group at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. She has already taken the first step toward this lofty goal. After auditioning with hundreds of other dancers earlier this year, Courtney landed a coveted spot in the Radio City Rockettes 2016 Summer Intensive Program. She will travel to New York in August to participate in this two-week program designed for aspiring professional dancers to learn invaluable

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dance skills while training in the Rockettes style. The program concludes with a performance at a New York City theater. She was also chosen as an alternate for the Rockettes’ Invitational Week, which is the considered their elite program. The Rockettes Summer Intensive, and possibly the Invitational, will ultimately prepare her for later auditions and a chance to reach what Crain considers the pinnacle in the world of dance. While in New York next month, she plans to audition for the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. In a year or two, Crain hopes to be living in New York, or perhaps some other large city, dancing or choreographing professionally. “We don’t want to lose her,” says Missy Crain, “but we will let her go for a little while.” Courtney assures her mom that if she leaves she will come back. “I really enjoy teaching here, and I love my kids.” Teaching is what Crain feels she is good at, and she has found a passion for that, too. “I know that I’m making a difference in my students’ lives, and they are making a difference in mine,” she says. As Crain points out, both dance lessons and performing teach students so much more than just how to dance. It teaches them discipline, etiquette, responsibility, time-management, sacrifice and a good work ethic. She recognizes that, “To be really good at it, a dancer must be determined, and must give up a lot, socially and in other ways, to make the time to dance. But I think in the end, it makes you a better person.” Crain notes that most people don’t realize how very physical dance is, particularly ballet. “Dance is both an art form and a sport. It can be just as physically demanding as football and basketball, but unlike those sports, dancers also are expected to look good doing it.” The perception is changing, though, thanks in part to people like Misty Copeland of the American Ballet Theater. “Misty Copeland is changing the face of dance,” Crain notes, pointing to the Under Armour ads featuring Copeland as the athlete that she is. Of performing, Crain says, “I try to give each performance everything I have, every time I step out onto the stage, no matter how many people are in the audience or what it’s for, so that whenever I walk off I can think ‘I couldn’t have done it any better.’” No matter how many times she has performed in front of an audience, Crain admits she still gets butterflies each time she takes the stage to dance. “I get nervous at that moment right before I go on stage, when I’m standing in the curtain---always. Even if it’s a dance I know really well, but especially if there is a hard skill that I might not have gotten right during rehearsal. Pointe pieces are the hardest. But once the music comes on and the lights go up, the nerves just go away and I become a completely different person. I don’t think about anything. I don’t even think about the dance steps. I just do it, and it’s a really overwhelming but good feeling, especially after I’m done.” Crain is as humble as she is energetic. Not one to tout her own accomplishments, she neglects to mention that she was valedictorian of her Ouachita Parish High School class, or that she was recently selected by the Northeast Louisiana Arts Council as the recipient of the Dorothy Bassett Award. This award, formerly known as the Emerging Artist Award, honors young artists who demonstrate “a commitment to the arts and a desire to pursue a career in their chosen discipline.” Courtney is not quite 22-years-old, with plenty of time to pursue her dreams. Having a clear picture, at this point in her life, of what she wants the future to look like, she is way ahead of the game. “I’ve known from an early age what I wanted to do as a career,” says Crain. “I’m blessed to have been able to realize that and have the opportunity to do what I love. Like my mom, I want to inspire as many people as I can through dance.” 96 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

BAYOUBUZZWORTHY OUACHITA BREWING COMPANY

Ouachita Brewing Company officially hit stores in June, with their first bottled brew, LouisiAmber. Distributed by Marsala Beverage, the amber ale is available on tap in local restaurants as well as in bottles at area retailers. Future plans for the company include the opening of their tap room near the Endom Bridge. The sign that adorns the building was carved from wood from the Ouachita River and painted by local artist Emery Thibodeaux.

SUMMER INTERNSHIP

LIVESTRONG has selected Ashley Day of Monroe, to serve as a 2016 summer intern. Day, daughter of Krista and Jason, is a senior at the University of Louisiana Monroe. She is currently working toward a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in kinesiology along with a minor in business. As a public relations and development intern, she will be assisting with creating business development opportunities, donor stewardship, external communications, media relations and Team LIVESTRONG recruitment tactics.

DOWNTOWN WEST MONROE

Recently, the Downtown West Monroe Revitalization Group unveiled the first of four crosswalk medallions painted in the Downtown area. Local artist Emery Thibodeaux designed the four medallions as part of a contest created to help bring new life to West Monroeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historic art design. The four designs will be placed in intersections in Downtown West Monroe and will be completed throughout the summer by Arrow Public Art.

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Photography Exhibition at Parish Press Heroine, a photography exhibition by Amy James

he North Central Louisiana Arts Council is pleased to announce a photography exhibition by Amy James, a Baton Rouge photographer with Ruston roots, who specializes in black and white film photography. James loves the darkroom and still prints all of her work by hand. For James, the act of taking photographs feels like creating visual chapters or a storyline to accompany and echo her life experiences. Her photographs and writings have been published in statewide magazines, such as 225 Magazine and Country Roads, as well as in national publications, such as Veranda and Ladies Home Journal. She has served as Artist Liaison and Board Member for the Baton Rouge Gallery for six years. She is represented by Ann Connelly Fine Art. The show opened May 18 and will be on display until September 1.

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In partnership with Parish Press, NCLAC presents art exhibitions that feature work by regional artists. Works are available for purchase by calling the NCLAC office at 318.255.1450. Parish Press, located at 1007 North Trenton Street in Ruston, offers a full-service coffee bar, as well as an assortment of baked goods. NCLAC is supported by its members, as well as by a grant from the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council and administered by Shreveport Regional Arts Council. Funding has also been provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more info about NCLAC and its programming, visit nclarts.org or call (318)255-1450.

Right Up Your Alley

Bayou Bowl is the Place to Go for Family Fun

OR DECADES, BAYOU BOWL IN Monroe has been a staple in Northeast Louisiana when it comes to family fun. However, with their current renovations, programs and leagues, the facility has more to offer than ever. Starting this month, there is a new computer system in place that keeps up with scores automatically, as well as new gutters, bumpers and resurfaced lanes. Owner Lauren Cusimano has had these plans in the works for years and is excited to be able to finally move forward and make changes and updates. In addition to the lanes and computer system, there is a long list of renovations that will give the bowling alley a whole new feel. “We are removing the carpet, remodeling the bathrooms, building a new front desk area and building a new bar area,” said Lauren. “We are even adding a special VIP area that will be six lanes in a special area with sofas and couches.” While all of these changes are currently

taking place, the bowling alley is still open for regular business. In fact, there are still two summer camps this month with spaces available. These camps are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and are open to kids from seven years old to 17. They will learn bowling basics, proper bowling etiquette, how to keep score and even go “behind the scenes” and see how the lanes work. And if your kids already have those bowling basics down, they can sign up for the special summer program. Between now and the end of August, kids 18 and under can bowl two free bowling games everyday! On Fridays, there is an all you can bowl special from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday nights are a special treat with Bayou Luminescence, where bowlers can bowl under the black lights with glow in the dark features. Even during the renovations, you can still enjoy a full bar and kitchen which includes their infamous Bayou Burgers. In addition

to their handmade burgers, there are several options available on the menu that are made fresh and in house – onion rings, French fries, chicken strips, quesadillas, fried pickles and even fried Snickers. You can also still stop in their pro shop and get new bowling supplies from Kingfish. The bowling alley is great place to have a birthday party for kids of all ages. You can choose between regular bowling and glow in the dark, and there are bumpers available for younger kids. The birthday boy or girl gets a bowling pin for their partygoers to sign, as well as a t-shirt. Over the next few months, there will be several changes at Bayou Bowl that will make it feel like a new facility, but will still offer the same great fun that you have known for years. Lauren, as well as general manager, David Campbell, invite you to visit and see the improvements and enjoy all of the things Bayou Bowl has to offer!

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

Family Traditions

From the family heirlooms interspersed throughout the home, to the family ties that designed and built it, this gorgeous Belle Point home of Mary Kathryn and Erin Edwards is all about family traditions. INTERIOR DESIGN BY COLE BAKER, COLE BAKER LIMITED ARTICLE BY MARÃ&#x2030; BRENNAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN G MEYERS

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hen Mary Kathryn and Eric Edwards decided to build in Monroe’s Belle Point, they knew exactly who to call when designing their home’s interiors. As luck would have it, Mary Kathryn’s cousin Cole Baker (their moms are first cousins) is one heck of an interior designer. “Cole is meticulous. If it’s going to be done, it’s going to be done the right way,” says the homeowner of her cousin and project partner. The couple started building their house in 2013 and moved in during 2014. During there home’s construction, the Monroe natives who began dating as students at Ouachita Christian High School, lived just a block down the street, which made managing the process easier for Eric, who self-contracted and was extremely hands-on during the building process. During the building process, Eric says with a laugh, “If I had an idea I wanted to incorporate, I would first call Cole and get his approval then break the news to Mary Kathryn.” “Eric knows every nook and cranny of this house,” says Mary Kathryn proudly of her partner in life. Says Mary Kathryn of working with her designing cousin, “Cole picked out finishes like paint colors, wallpaper and countertops, and designed our unique fireplace surround and mantle. He makes me step outside of my box and pushes me out of my comfort zone, especially the mantle. Now it’s become one of my favorite things about our home.” Family and tradition play a large role in the Edwards’ home. Their immediate families live in close proximity. After living in Arizona when Eric played professional football, the couple ended up moving back closer to home when Mary Kathryn became pregnant with their first child, Ellie, who is now 9. The couple have added Adler, 7, and most recently, Anna Sterling, 9 months old, to the mix. 102 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

For the design of her home, Mary Kathryn wanted contemporary lines with a nod to the traditional and an acknowledgement of her family’s pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit. She is, after all, the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Clarke Williams, legendary telephone magnate who brought Century Telephone from little Oak Ridge, Louisiana to become the powerhouse of technology that is known worldwide today as CenturyLink. Decorative touches throughout the home serve as reminders of that history. A portrait of her grandmother, for whom she was named, greets guests just beyond the foyer in the living room. There, too, on an end table is an antique brass candlestick rotary phone atop a copy of the acclaimed biography by Leo Honeycutt about her visionary grandfather. Just beyond the kitchen, the chandelier that had once hung in her grandparents’ Oak Ridge home is now illuminating an adorable half bath. Cole’s designer touches throughout the home are unmistakable. Cole, who studied in Europe and at LSU during it’s interior design heyday when the school was consistently ranked in the Top 10 in the nation, custom designed baseboards and moldings throughout, creating a streamlined, chic look. The designer also drew taller cabinet heights in the kitchen and master bathroom cabinetry to accommodate Eric’s 6’5” frame. A trio of crepe myrtles surrounded by tall native grasses line the front perimeter while clipped boxwoods edge the walkway, pruned to perfection by the homeowner. Large gas lanterns flicker at the stuccoed arched entrance where metal and glass double doors lead into the spacious foyer, and a pair of modern cylindrical planters with boxwood shaped in a neat mound of leafy greens are expertly placed. A graceful river birch stands near the garage and is surrounded by a bed of blue, showy hydrangeas and spherical blooms of allium. Landscape architect Rhymes Oliver created the landscape plan and Eric executed the design. Because the family

loves homegrown vegetables, Eric built raised boxes for Mary Kathryn’s garden, which is filled to overflowing with tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, herbs and eggplants. “We love to check out here everyday to see what’s growing in our little garden,” says Mary Kathryn. Guests enter the home through a grand foyer. Cole chose a Designer Guild vinyl wallpaper that was “extra scrubbable for little hands.” A distinctive Regina Andrews chandelier with Murano glass leaves adds drama to the space. Mary Kathryn, who is as talented as she is beautiful, painted a silver mirror the color of the foyer’s trim and hung it above a mirrored console which was sourced from Louisiana Purchases. Lucite handles on the sliding pocket doors that lead into Eric’s office were originally conceived as shower door pulls and set the tone that immediately calls to mind Old Hollywood glamour. The pine sliding doors were distressed by Eric and stained by Mary Kathryn. Cole adds, “Pocket doors are practical and the don’t take up floor space. They are really functional and you don’t have to deal with losing space to door swing.” Eric’s office is filled with his collection of football memorabilia, including footballs from his National Championship year with the LSU Tigers to helmets from his days as a professional player in the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. On one wall a massive painting of a horse by Lissy Compton dominates. The desk is from Restoration Hardware and the chairs are vintage from Dixie Furniture. The molding in the office is painted the same Benjamin Moore Whale Grey as the built-in bookcase. Eric had the floor to ceiling drapery panels made using the back side of a fabric from Fabulous Fabrics for its muted hues. A hallway just beyond the foyer has become a gallery for the Edwards’ children’s artwork. Centered around a watercolor by Susan Woodard from St. Francisville, a collection of clear, lucite frames make it easy to change out each child’s artwork. In the living room, Cole added a vintage 1960’s Italian chair which he handpainted. “Eric put a lot of work into these floors,” says Mary Kathryn of the large plank Portofino oak flooring that runs throughout the living areas. The console behind the sectional sofa is a vintage piece from Paul Michael and is topped with a pair of antique blackamoors which had been on her grandmother’s mantle.

wiveling club chairs by Lee Industries are covered in a Swaim geometric fabric. The plush Swaim sectional sofa takes the room to a new level of comfort, and a striated rug in muted grays adds a plushness underfoot. Cole chose one of his favorite colors, Benjamin Moore’s Wind’s Breath, for the living room, painting the walls at 75 percent, the ceiling at 50 percent and the trim at 25 percent to create depth and dimension. A canvas by Drake Labry, a New York-based artist who went to design school with Cole, finds a perfect spot in this light filled room. Inspired by the bayou, Austin James, an artist from Houston, was commissioned by Mary Kathryn to create a custom painting for the kitchen, a light and airy space that is the heart of the home. The oversized island features a porcelain farmhouse sink with a modern Brizo faucet. Three Regina Andrews mercury glass pendants provide task lighting above the island. One of Cole’s signature touches to the island is a chopping block built into a drawer near the sink. The “Aha Moment” is provided when you discover the built-in hole that leads to the trash can in the pull-out cabinet below the chopping block drawer. Clean up is a breeze! Pearlized ostrich embossed vinyl seating upholstery makes a chic statement when paired with lucite swivel counter stools. Countertops for the custom height cabinets set approximately 38” high for the homeowner are a honed and sealed 104 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

marble. A backsplash of tiny herringbone patterned marble gets the glam treatment with an ingenious and subtle hint of glitter added to the grout. Says Cole, “It makes a statement without being too much.” When it was determined that the couple’s dream range hood vent was going to blow their construction budget out of the water, the couple got resourceful. Says Mary Kathryn, “Eric bought sheets of zinc and took them to Sheet Metal Specialists to handcraft a hood that was custom. It turned out to be a lot harder to do than we all thought!” After the hood was constructed, Eric then sanded and Mary Kathryn added patina to give the hood a well-worn, Old World feel. Not one to shy away from a project, Eric also distressed the extra large beam that separates and runs the length of the living room and the kitchen. Explains Eric with a sense of accomplishment, “It took ten men to hang this beam.” The kitchen is complete with GE Monogram appliances. A separate wet bar near the dining area features open upper cabinets that Eric added an antique pewter chicken wire to the doors. The little bar sink is made of hammered metal. Cole pushed Mary Kathryn to kick up the wow factor a notch or two - when he suggested pairing gilded French chairs with a 60” round table Mary Kathryn and her mom, Carolyn Perry, found at Dallas Market. “Cole said we needed color,” she said. “At first I was skeptical, but now I am obsessed with these chairs.” The solution was

to upholster the 1950’s reproduction chairs that Mary Kathryn found on Ebay in a very washable, designer vinyl fabric in a robin’s egg blue on the chair backs and subdued pearlized ostrich vinyl on the seat cushions. At the center of the table is one of Cole’s prized possessions, a bowl designed by a dear friend, the late Baton Rouge artist Kay Cason. The bowl was hand thrown, hand painted with accents of 24 karat gold leaf in Cole’s requested design of Napoleonic bees. “I did some Auto-CAD work for Kay and got paid with this bowl.” The half bath just beyond the open concept dining room and kitchen is a jewel of a space. Cole again chose a Designer Guild vinyl wallpaper in a very tactile crocodile print. A lucite vanity from Restoration Hardware is topped in granite The mirror above the vanity is from Paul Michael. Beyond a wall of floor to ceiling windows in the living and dining rooms lies the home’s outdoor living space. Says Mary Kathryn, “Eric is out here all the time and he designed the whole cook area in thirty minutes.” Explains Eric, “I knew what I wanted, printed it out and we built it.” Outfitted with a copper vent a hood and stainless outdoor appliances and grill, this outdoor kitchen is perfect for this family of five that loves to cook and spend time together. The Ratana collection of all-weather rattan sectional sofa and swiveling chairs creates a comfortable seating area where everyone piles on to take in the big games on the flat screen above the outdoor fireplace, complete with a distressed cypress mantle. In the baby’s room, Cole found a velvet fabric to reupholster a cozy rocking chair, but chose to run the nap of the fabric backwards to achieve the muted tones of grey and pink the room called for. The lucite floor lamp made the trip back to Louisiana from Arizona, and Cole designed a new lampshade that makes it perfect for the space. Mary Kathryn turned up the sentimental value in little Anna Sterling’s room adding pillows made from one of her grandmother’s night gowns. “I saved three nightgowns of my grandmothers and had a blanket made out of one for my brother and sister-in-law for their children,” says Mary Kathryn. Cole’s sister-in-law’s mother painted the watercolors of the fawn and lamb which stand watch over the adorable crib. “Ellie will be in here entertaining her baby sister and they’ll both be in the baby bed,” laughs Mary Kathryn. The room takes on a soft glow beneath the light from the Restoration Hardware chandelier of concentric circles dripping with prisms. Pink and white horizontal striped panels from Fabulous Fabrics dress up the baby room windows. When Mary Kathryn was born her “Mimi” gave her the china doll that now finds its place atop the room’s bookcase. The

chest of drawers, which Eric craftily repainted, was a find from Bayou Crafters. A cowhide runner leads visually down the hallway from the baby’s room past a gallery wall of treasured family photos to the master bedroom. In the master bedroom, a pair of watercolors by noted local artist Caroline Youngblood are positioned above gilded and silvered bedside tables. Luxurious bedding in washable silk with a sueded silk backing are awash in creamy tones accented with large French knots, creating a dreamy escape for the homeowners. Stools with airy, lucite legs are upholstered in an alligator embossed gray leather and accented with a nailhead trim. The master bedroom’s fireplace was designed by Cole as well. A large, mixed media diptych is positioned on the wall leading to the en suite master bath. With enough steam power to make any five star spa envious, the Edwards’ glass walled steam shower is a study in the restorative power of water. The shower features Brizo fixtures, including a large rain shower head, and a wall of textural Walker Zanger tile. Mary Kathryn loves her free standing oval tub, above which are a pair of Meredith Pardue paintings in watery hues. Oversized porcelain floor tiles and Veneto marble countertops create a timeless feel. Regina Andrew sconces are positioned atop the counter to ceiling mirrors in the master powder room. Mayo Cabinets built the vanities to Cole’s specifications. Lucite handles as draw pulls are like jewelry for the cabinets which feature a full overlay, providing for bigger drawers and the clean, crisp look Cole appreciates so much. “I am very particular about door and cabinet hardware,” says the designer, who is known as well for his sartorial personal style, especially his love of vintage designer glasses. On this particular occasion the designer opted for a pair of Yves St. Laurent sourced from 1st Dibs that were reminiscent of a pair Mary Kathryn’s grandmother was apt to wear. As evidenced by the successes achieved for his cousin’s home, it is clear that Cole Baker loves to figure out his clients’ personalities and how he can help them create a home for living. While his own decorating style leans toward the traditional. He says, “I love mixing the old with new, French antiques with mid-century modern, tortoise shell boxes with art stacked floor to ceiling.” Tradition and family, modernity and craftsmanship go hand in hand in this design project that brings the concept of collaboration full circle in a home that is at once livable and lovable. Filled with art and furnishings that recall their proud histories, the Edwards’ home is one that reflects this young family’s values. WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

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BAYOU OUTDOORS | OPINION

LIBERTY FOR ALL Protecting Our Rights article by Dan Chason

S WE CELEBRATE our country’s 240th year of Independence this month, I think that this year should be a time of reflection and a recommitment to the core values that outdoorsmen love so much. Our country was founded on some very basic principles: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Our forefathers came here and established our God given rights, which are protected by our Constitution. Those rights have never been more in jeopardy. Over the last eight years, one of our basic rights, which is protected by the Second Amendment, has been assaulted. Hidden under the guises of 108 JULY 2016 | WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM

protection for all, our rights to keep and bear arms is at risk. This right is even more at risk if the wrong person inhabits the White House during this next election. What has occurred under a veiled attempt to control our rights is the arming of the IRS and other non-law enforcement agencies and the outright price gouging of shooting related items. One need only look at the last eight years and something as simple as a box of ammunition. The prices have doubled and in some cases tripled. This is nothing but an attempt to overshadow our rights to enjoy our firearms. The government and its current leadership knows that if you want an all out rebellion, strike at the Second Amendment. Instead of showing their true colors, they attack us in ways that are easier to hide. So their ploy was to not directly attack guns, but to make the components of ammunition expensive, thus driving up the price to enjoy the sport of shooting. The same goes for the latest craziness of the “gender neutral” restrooms. Companies who adopted this policy are finding petitions against patronizing them as well as all out boycotts. When we become a people that allow ridiculous regulations to govern where our children can have privacy without the risks that this outlandish regulation brings, we are on a slippery slope. It is not a Republican or Democrat question. It is a right and wrong question. Firearms were as much a part of the building of America as was the railroad and highway systems. The very fact that our forefathers depended on firearms to eat and to protect themselves is at the forefront of where we are today. Ask yourself one question: If a burglar had a choice of breaking into a home that was armed versus unarmed, which would he choose? Secondly, I believe the very people that are

anti-gun and gun control proponents themselves are protected on a daily basis by Secret Service, security and law enforcement that are guess what? Armed. That is such a double standard. When the day comes that only law enforcement and our military are armed, we have slipped into a whole different culture. If you look at history, the first step taken by the Nazis was to disarm the people they hated the most. I’m not saying we are slipping into a re-write of that era but I am saying this: Unless you are willing to rid our Constitution of the Second Amendment, our right to bear arms should not be challenged. No more than any other part of the Constitution should be. Are more stringent regulations needed? I would wager that if you give the government an inch they want a mile. Regulations are not the answer. There have been far too many tragedies with firearms. School and business shootings, murders, robberies and all manner of terrible actions by a very few. However, very few of these tragedies would have been avoided by regulation. The very laws on the books right now provide ample protection if those laws were enforced. What is lacking in current law is law enforcement having access to mental health records. No law or regulation is going to stop all violence. Violent behavior can be averted through citizen action. That action can be as simple as “See it, Say it” or demanding that resources be made available to combat the ever growing threat of violence and terrorism. Answer this question: If, for example, state universities and colleges offered free or reduced tuition for certified law enforcement officers and allowed them to carry their weapons in schools, how likely is it that someone would want to attack one of these schools, not knowing where and who the officers may be? What if, instead of our school governing bodies arguing and worrying about everything under the sun (except school safety), they made it a point to make our schools a hard target? I have asked this question for years and I ask it again. In the years that you and your family attended school, how many fire drills have you encountered? How many children, faculty and staff have died in a school fire in the last 100 years? Answer: zero. Here is the kicker: How many active shooter/critical incident drills have you or your children participated in during your/their years in schoo? And the big question: How many children/faculty/staff have died at the hands of violent people in our schools over the last 100 years? Hundreds. It is all about priorities. The tree huggers have cost outdoor related companies millions of dollars because of one factor – They are very vocal. The same goes for the anti-gun lobby and gun regulatory advocates. They are very vocal, very organized and sadly, very misled. The assault on the Second Amendment is one step away from assaults on ALL of our Constitution protected rights. As Patrick Henry famously said, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Those words echo this year as there has never been a better or a more important time to express your views in the voting booth. If you make a selection based on anything other than a candidate who protects the rights under our Constitution, you are sending the message that it is okay to attack the fiber of what started this country. That message affects not only our daily lives, but our recreational times outdoors. Regulations will increase on refuges, seasons will be affected and shortened and you will find yourself looking back at “the good old days” that will be forever gone. I, for one, will speak loudly and as fervently just as did my forefathers who built the greatest country on earth. I will exercise my right to vote with zeal and encourage my friends and family to remember the importance of this critical time. As for the Second Amendment, I will close with a very famous and true statement. “They can have my guns when they pry my cold, dead fingers from around them.”

WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

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NECKLACE This multi-strand necklace is simply charming. We love the tassel and feather accents. PURSE Fun and funky. We want to bag it up.

summer style ESSENTIALS

TOP Coral is one of our summer favorites. This flowy shirt is on top of the list.

DRESS This ombrĂŠ dress is a great way to stay haute on summer nights!

SHORTS Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama! These shorts will keep you breezy all season long.

BEEHIVE

SANDALS These darling fringe sandals are a great staple for summer treks.

BASEBALL CAP Not just for bad hair days, a baseball cap is a girl’s new best friend. PRINTED TOTE This cute tote is great for casual days or a trip to the the lake.

NECKLACE Accessorize with this simple, yet fashionable turquoise necklace. MAXI This denim maxi is a must-have for this season. Both sexy and comfortable, this dress will keep you cute and cool

TOWEL This aztec printed towel is the perfect summer accessory. Don’t let style stop at the swimsuit.

K-SERA BOUTIQUE

ROMPER Go glam in this camelcolored romper. We love the thin straps and deepv neckline.

Downtown Gallery Crawl

On Thursday, June 2, seven of the eight member galleries, all members of the Downtown Arts Alliance, opened for neighbors to mingle, reveling in the talents of their artist-friends. A limited-edition print commemorating the flood, designed by Austin Bantel with assistance from Kelsea McCrary, was available at all the galleries. The UPSTAIRS gallery (curator Emily Caldwell) featured a group of Ruston artists known as the Women’s Art Group (WAG!), while Arender Gallery presented Emma Case Melville in a solo showing titled “Humble Clay.” Big Room Gallery, next door to UPSTAIRS, presented two Louisiana Tech artists Whitney Trisler and Tess Stickney, both of whom recently graduated with Master of Fine Arts. There was a great turnout by the community and the Downtown Arts Alliance looks forward to the next event on August 4th.

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On the BayouScene 1 Carol Plamondon and Amy Bernard 2 MaryAnn Nagan, Debra Heard and Nancy Shutt 3R oger Mcgehee and Gary Rogillio 4 Lila Strode and Sarah Harris 5 Daniel Luther and Jarrod Centro 6 Cash Melville, Joseph DeSoto and Steve McKee 7 Ben Bennett, Victoria Smith, Elizabeth and Cole Prine 8R icky Sikes, Brandon Garcia and Matthew Garcia 9 Tess Stickney and Daniel Moore 10 R ussell and Morgan Moore, Lindsey Lowe, Taryn Davidson and Taylor Bennett 11 A ndrew Joiner, Meagan Shackelford, Brittany McKenzie and Kris Wagner 12 K elsea McCary, Brad Arender, Emma Melville and Michael Leblanc 13 T rey Harvey, Jessica Putnam, Gracie Putnam, Iriel Edwards and Victoria Smith 14 Scotty Tullis, Luke Todd and Corey Britton 15 D oug and Emily Caldwell and Misty McKeithen 16 Sarah Cheathem and Rachael Maddox 17 Emma Melville, Julianne Desoto and Amanda McKee

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Hopkins Dermatology

Dr. Janine Hopkins, board certified dermatologist, has recently expanded her practice to include Dr. Elizabeth Shane French. As a specialist in the field of Men and Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hormone Replacement Therapy, Dr. French, a board certified gynecologist, has been internationally trained in Fotana Laser treatments. Her specialty is advanced laser gynecologocal rejuvenation such as RenovaLase, IntimaLase and IncontiLase. Dr. French also is a leader in the field of Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hormone Replacement Therapy due to Andropause (male menopause). A reception introducing Dr. French was held at the Bayou DeSiard Country Club where she elaborated on the services and specialties she will be providing, followed by a lively question and answer session.

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On the BayouScene 1 2 3 4

Pat Jordan and Dr. Janet Haedicke Linda Reeves, Carolyn Whitfield and Sharon Brown D r. Don and Judy Marx, Joe Roberts B renda Thomason, Dr. Shane French and Irma Ragsdale 5 Dianne and Dr. Kermit Walters 6M ary and Rico Boyer, Ted Hopkins 7 Therese Nagem and Leigh Liles 8D r. David and Brenda Thomason, Phillip Lawrence and Laura Thompson 9 Carol and Tex Kilpatrick 10 Kori Clowers, Clint Downing and Cyndi Tatum 11 Dr. Van Tolliver and Noreen Smith 12 J udy Bradford, Dr. Janine Hopkins, Evelyn Johnston, Cynthia Ryan and Kristin Brown 13 B lake Mason, Katy McDonald, Amy Hebert and Josh Sanders 14 B ob and Lori French, Joe Roberts and Cathi French Roberts 15 Dr. Janine Hopkins and Dr. Shane French

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Go Red for Women

Women’s heart health takes center stage each year with the American Heart Association’s annual Go Red For Women series of events. To commemorate the national initiative, Glenwood Regional Medical Center hosted a Go Red For Women luncheon at the West Monroe Convention Center on May 26th. The event raises funds and awareness for the American Heart Association, the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The luncheon included booths by local vendors and businesses as well as a fashion show featuring survivors of heart disease.

On the BayouScene 1 Jackie Neal and Sharon McClain 2 Tucker DeWitt, Dawn Landry and Chris DeWitt 3 E mma Norwood, Karmen Kennedy, Melanie Robison and Candus Pate 4 Pete Sousa, Alana Babb and Missy Amy 5 Mary Francis Siggers and Kimberly Hudson 6 Jackie Neal and Stephanie Dune 7 Louise Thurman, Jessica Fletcher and Judy Hughs 8 Amanda and Mallory Barmore, Shelby Fincher 9 Pegeen Singley and DeeDee Riley 10 Holly Allen, Susan Ewing and Toni Phillips 11 Melissa Epler and Darline Smith 12 M arin and Anna Clair Varnado 13 A lberta Green, Roslynn Pogue and Kristin Chandler 14 C herie Brown, Becky Tubbs, Eddie Welsh, Jean Hibbard and Barbara Ormond 15 A ngie Robert and Sharon Gilmore 16 Panzi Cromwell, Ethel Cobb and Melody Owens 17 C laudia Wade, Brittany Smith, Dianne Davidson and Evalyn Ormond 18 Amy Reddick and Tim Smith

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Boilin’ for Braylon The community turned out in a big way for this year’s “Boilin’ for Braylon” benefit. The event was held on Antique Alley, where attendants enjoyed some of the best crawfish of the season. The mudbugs tasted even better, because they were being boiled for a good cause – to support Braylon Streetman, the four-year-old son of Brittany and Justin Streetman of West Monroe. Braylon was diagnosed with Dyskeratosis Congenita, an autoimmune disorder and underwent a bone marrow transplant last fall. Money raised at Boilin’ for Braylon will help the Streetman family with the expenses associated with Braylon’s care and bone marrow transplant.

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On the BayouScene 1 Justin and Braylon Streetman with Debbie Bourg 2 Donovan Bennett, Colt Hinton and Lindsey Bass 3K eith and Tiffany Olmstead 4M isty Christy, Christy Parrish and Annie Carter 5M egan Olmstead, Maddie Raborn and Ellie Graves 6 Dee and Ricky Streetman 7 Megan Terrell and Angela Arnold 8 S am Dupree and Caitlin Dupree 9 Karla Duprey, Jase and Lucy Brantley 10 R obin McGaha, Barron Magee, Hannah Magee and Gilbert Robbins

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Bayou DeSiard Dragon Boat Festival

The boats returned to Bayou DeSiard for another year, in what has quickly become one of Monroe’s signature events. The Fourth Annual Bayou DeSiard Dragon Boat Festival was held on May 14 and thousands turned out to watch teams compete for the top prize–bragging rights as the top Dragon Boat team of the year. This year, the Bayou DeSiard Dragon Boat Festival benefitted the Children’s Coalition of Northeast Louisiana. The ancient sport of dragon boat racing originated in China. Teams of 20 rowers follow the lead of the drummer and captain to be the fastest boat in “heats”–races following a specific course where the winner is determined by best time. This year, first place went to the Knight Riders of the Knight Law Firm in Monroe.

On the BayouScene 1 Alyssa Garner and Jan Daniel 2 Cynthia Rodriguez and Lynn Clark 3A llison Bryant and Maggie Rocconi 4R achel Mille, Amy Harvey and Olivia Mills 5G ina Hope, Lexi Smith and Giana Reeves 6 Melissa Woodall and Aybre Woodall 7 Jessie McLelland and Jamie Sheehan 8 Greg Gulyas and Laura Clark 9A debola Shoyebri, Mary Helen Hayes and Antoinette Hoard 10 Stephanie, Emily, Evan and Michael Wilkes 11 P atrick Murray, Matt Snider and Stephanie Lewis 12 Mumtaz and Bushra Hamdani with Randi Clifton 13 L ori Pearson, Alison Sanford, Lillian and Kate Sanford 14 Tanpueray Powell and James Davis 15 Candace Bowen and Scarlett Ellen

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FNB Customer Appreciation Fish Fry First National Bank held two Customer Appreciation Luncheons at their locations in Monroe and West Monroe. Customers and friends were treated to fried fish, shrimp, oysters, hushpuppies and fries cooked on site with all the trimmings. It is one of the many ways FNB likes say thanks to customers and the community for their support. First National Bank originated in 1905, in Arcadia, Bienville Parish, Louisiana. Starting in 2000, First National Bank has expanded its offices to include locations in Farmerville, West Monroe, three offices in Ruston and its newest location in Monroe.

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Rodney Manning, Douglas Dupont and Justin Higdon Mike McGee, Clay Hipp and Rodney Manning C lay Hipp and Rodney Manning V ictoria Lindsey and Chetamor Robinson B rian Woodard, Victoria Lindsey, Clay Hipp, Rodney Manning, Douglas Dupont, Mike McGee and Justin Higdon 6 Dwayne Waley, Ralph Asbury and Ashley Doughty 7 Matthew Harvey and Jody Moss 8 J oe Domingos and Patrick Murray 9 Mike McGee and Bridget Dawson 10 F aisal Ali, Gary Hampton, Mukhtiar â&#x20AC;&#x153;Emmettâ&#x20AC;? Ahmed and Audrey Peterson 11 D ouglas Dupont and Justin Higdon

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Dr. Hampton Rutland

CAPTURED Surgeon and videographer Dr. Hampton Rutland shares his captivating passions for medicine, film and Louisiana culture. ARTICLE BY DAN CHASON PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTIN G MEYERS My first impression of Dr. Hampton Rutland was that just moments after meeting him, you can almost hear the wheels turning in his head. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure among the many items on his plate, there is a lot rumbling around in there as well as a daily schedule that can make a young man old. Dr. Rutland and I met for lunch in West Monroe to discuss yet another opportunity for a national network to showcase our great state. What I found out quickly was that Dr. Rutland had no agenda and no ulterior motive when it comes to his passion for video, video production and his purpose. He just enjoys the challenge of taking nothing but an idea and making it a reality.

Dr. Rutland was raised in South Louisiana in Opelousas. The son of a Presbyterian minister, he remained in Cajun country while his parents founded Westminister Christian Academy. At the ripe age of 12, the call came and they moved to Central Florida to start a new church. I could identify with him closely as I remember my feelings when my Dad would relocate to another church as pastor when I was a youngster. New friends, a new environment and when leaving or coming to Louisiana, there will most certainly be a distinct culture shock. Our other mutual ground was the task of hosting a television show and a burning passion for creativity and producing a product forged from many hours of work. I knew right away that Dr. Rutland and my roads may have taken different routes, but the destination was very similar. At the age of 16, Dr. Rutland convinced his parents and a close family friend, Reggie Dupre’ to allow him to return to Louisiana for his last two years of high school. Graduating from Westminister Christian Academy proved to be the beginning of his career path as he was accepted and enrolled in Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Based on his interests, he began his degree path in Mass Communications with a desire to go into the advertising/marketing business. He discovered quickly that a man can have multiple interests and found this to be the case when taking some science classes. He soon switched his degree choices to Zoology and pre-Med and remained there. Finishing well above the curve (to put it mildly), he was accepted to medical school at the University of Florida, which ironically gave him a chance to be near his parents who were living in Orlando. Fate was in full motion . While in medical school, he met his wife, Tiffany. After graduating medical school, Dr. Rutland accepted an opportunity in Jackson, Mississippi for a residency in Urology while

his wife went to pharmacy school. Career paths and interests soon merged when during residency, graduates were “roasted” with video skits and sketches. Hampton had found a way to explore his other passion and was put in charge of shooting and editing the videos. It was a great outlet to break the strains of long hours and tedious work required at the hospital. But what he really found was a way to challenge his creative skills while being able to maintain a demanding career path that would lead him to future opportunities.

But what he really found was a way to challenge his creative skills while being able to maintain a demanding career path that would lead him to future opportunities. Everyone wants to be a television host. It looks easy and the thought of autograph seekers touting the fame and fortune is a common denominator. The reality of it is that to host and produce a show, the hours are long, the fame is a crooked dealer... and the fortune? Let’s just say the odds are right up there with the number of kids playing Dixie Youth Baseball who will eventually become a professional ball player. The odds are incredibly stacked against you. Those odds are even higher when it comes to hosting a national television show. But to be a successful host, the most important ingredient to possess is a knowledge of production and the part that you, as a host, will play. Most folks assume that an idea comes to bear, a television crew shows up, you stand there

and recite a few lines and wallah....you have a show. An average 30 minute show takes an estimated one and half hours per video minute to produce. Most shows produce 26 episodes a year. That is notwithstanding bad weather, reshoots, production issues, commercial shoots, appearances and all of the other demands on a host. If you do the math, the task can be overwhelming. Dr. Rutland moved to Ruston in 2011 where he and his wife decided to start a family. After four years and assistance of good fertility doctors and the good Lord, their son Henry was born. They are expecting their second child this month. As a physician, Dr. Rutland enjoyed his practice and increased his skills with his training in robotic surgery. He soon became in great demand as this type of procedure reduces recovery time, as well as increases the accuracy of the surgery. While raising a new baby and growing his practice, it wasn’t long before a piece of property near Ruston caught his eye. Call it fate, but the property had a beaver pond within its boundaries and being the die-hard duck hunter, a duck blind was constructed. After discovering that the pond attracted ducks, the good doctor decided to utilize his video skills to set up some time lapse video there and record, over time, the construction phase of the duck blind. With a GoPro camera in hand, he meticulously videoed the project and downloaded it to YouTube. The rest, they say, is history. Shortly after the video was posted, Yeti Coolers contacted Hampton as well as GoPro, who not only were impressed with his work, but licensed his video and published it on their channel. The future was looking good. Realizing the limitations of the hand held, stationary camera, Dr. Rutland decided to invest in some quality video equipment. From experience, this is where most aspiring hosts/producers make their biggest mistake.

His first stop motion video posted on YouTube went viral with over 560,000 hits.

Quality is not cheap and you can spend twice as much money trying to cut corners and piece together a good rig. But Dr. Rutland made the right call and after much research, purchased his video equipment and put it to use. Post duck season is always hard on die hard hunters. Most of us quickly transition to a bass rod or crappie pole. Dr. Rutland starts his post duck season with “do-it-yourself” projects. With video camera in hand, he decided to produce a video showing a rebuild of his camp on Lake Claiborne. One of his hobbies is to take reclaimed wood and metal and give roofs, kitchens, floors and walls a new look with the old material. Such was the case here and the video project began. One of the most time consuming and mind numbing features of a Dr. Rutland video is called stop motion animation. Animation has been around forever, all the way back to the original cartoon days of black and white television. To put it simply, picture a single object. You photo that object. Move it a millimeter and photo capture it again. You do this over and over....and over until the image appears to move. It takes a tremendous amount of time, patience and skill. Much like the surgeon that Dr. Hampton has become. I call it mind numbing. He calls it fun. His first stop motion video posted on YouTube went viral with over 560,000 hits. The video was so impressive, many thought the construction video was produced by the Dewalt company since he was using their products and the tools were featured throughout. Soon after the birth of this video, the phone started to ring. Production companies saw a unique talent and were looking for ways to produce this style and format it throughout internet sites as well as on broadcast television. One of these projects was named Louisiana River Builds which depicted remodels of houseboats and camps on the Ouachita River. A three minute reel was produced and the DIY channel reviewed the

product for their channel. Out of 65 sizzle reels (video sent to a network for possible retaining as a future show) only three videos made the cut. Louisiana River Builds was a reality and a pilot was ordered. The biggest step for a potential show is to have a pilot ordered by a network. This process not only means the network intends on producing a show based on your idea, but it means that our area will again be blessed with production crews from New York. Network folks and production crews will return to our area, bringing promotional value, potential tourist dollars and incredible positive content for our area. One of the things I noted in our conversation was Hampton’s desire to promote our great state and area without the stigmas currently on national television. This is a guy who loves to duck hunt, loves to be creative and wants folks that are not from our area to see what a regular outdoor enthusiast from Louisiana really looks like. There will be no alligator wrestling, or shooting or dragging of same. There will be no set up comedy and skit related reality show type content. A real guy doing a real show featuring our river region and overall area. The pilot of this show will be shot in July with an airing expected in late September to early October. There are many obstacles and many questions to answer as this surgeon is in great demand. He recently transferred his practice to Glenwood Regional Medical Center in West Monroe and, from all accounts, has found his niche. Although the hospital on Thomas Road may be his new home, I guarantee that his second love flows right through the twin cities. And that love will be transformed in a very unique way, by a very unique man. Like he said, “Don’t be scared to be yourself and be different or creative.” I think that attitude is going to take him far. Good luck, Doc. We all wish you well. *Dr. Rutland’s work can be found on his YouTube Channel, “Hampton Rutland.” WWW.BAYOULIFEMAG.COM | JULY 2016

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Anchor in the Storm

Anchor in the Storm, a fundraiser benefitting the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, was held at the home of Ileta Rutherford on May 13. This year’s annual fundraiser, or “friendraiser,” was unique in that a portion of the proceeds benefitted the United Way of Northeast Louisiana’s Flood Response and Recovery Fund. The party was held on the lawn where guests mingled on the bayou and toured the fantastic home. Mark Smith provided eats from his food truck, the “Wayneabago” while attendees danced to the music of Josh Madden and a jazz trio. A favorite of the evening were beignets and coffee, provided by Castor and Chicory.

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Daphne Turlington and Rhonda Haygood Jordan Haedicke and Aleta Eley C arol Anne Barnes and Grisham Lenard Courtney Wetzel, Aleta Eley and Jennifer Lord S helley McCormick, Ileta Rutherford and David McCormick 6 Margo and Charles Morgan 7 Tommy Usrey and Nancy Miller 8 Norene Smith and Joe Mansour 9G raham Abell, Claire and Nate Fletcher and Emily Varnado 10 V ickie Krutzer, Dale Hughes and Dr. Sue Nawas 11 M aggie Zentner and Michael Caire 12 A aron and Amy Booth 13 Heather and Mark Smith 14 J ana Chowns, Pam Robinson, Michael Caire and Pat Mays 15 Carolyn Wilson, Glenda Guice and Susan Vinson 16 Kendall Haygood and Kayleigh Turlington

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DōMo BrewFest The second annual BrewFest was held on June 4th at the former Coca-Cola building on Walnut Street, and was hosted by the Downtown Monroe Alliance, Choice Brands, Marsala Beverage, Glazer’s Distributors, International Wine and Spirits, the Fort Miro Brewmasters, Ouachita Brewing Co., Flying Tiger Brewery and Cotton Port Brewing. Patrons were able to sample from more than 150 kinds of beer from larger breweries and local brewmasters, while enjoying music from local band Smackwater. Governor’s Cigar and Pipe was on-site with special cigar and beer pairings. Although the rain kept the partygoers from celebrating on the Riverwalk, everyone had a great evening thanks to the vendors and sponsors.

On the BayouScene 1 Beau Raines, Steve Parks and Beaux Atkins 2 Kirby Smith and Tara Holmes 3 Jessica Brodnax, Brandi Norred and Toshia Laing 4 Amy Scott and Brittany Ramsey 5 Lorelei Pugh and Josh Lea 6 Yakima Smith and Tasha Johnson 7 David Masters, Dewanna Hutto and Kaysi Hutto 8 Andrew and David Joiner 9 Josh Hart and Mandy Brodnax 10 Rachel Niblett and Mike Brown 11 Debbie Herrington and Lisa Nelson 12 S arah Maimon and Melissa Saye 13 Toni DeVaney, Audre Green, William Arrington and Chelsie McNabb 14 D avid Carroll, Mike Jones, Kristin Harper and Jeremy Jarrell 15 Dana and Justin Tarver 16 K risti, Sherry and Tom Arnold 17 Bunty Patel and Sarah Crowell 18 Brad and Whitney Shell and Eli Gable 11

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Egret Landing Ground Breaking On Thursday, June 16, Egret Landing held a ground-breaking event for Phase II of their development. Located off Hwy 165 North, behind CenturyLink, Egret Landing is nestled between Bayou DeSiard and Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge and is an attractive residential development that exemplifies the perfect blend of luxury and leisure. Partners in the development and project managers were on hand to introduce the new lot specifications and features of Phase II. Other partners including First National Bank, Bank of Ruston, Homeland Federal Savings Bank, AT&T and Atmos Energy were also represented.

On the BayouScene 1 Bishop Johnston, Lisa Holyfield and Madeline Joseph 2 Jack Dollins and Lisa McGehee 3P eyton Farr and James Moore 4 Mike Vining and Keith Brown 5 Bonnie Dilmore and John Mitchell 6 Beverly Jarrell and Joanne Williams 7 Patchez Fox, Anne and Elton Kennedy and Selwyn Fox 8 J eremy Harrell, Melinda Brown, Robin Warner and Melinda Bonnette 9 Joel Dispenza and Aaron Impson 10 Justin Higdon and Ashley Doughty 11 David Sorrell and James Reneau 12 JB Landry and Chris Holyfield 13 Brantley Mathieu and Jennifer Harrison 14 Joel Turner and Michael Echols 15 Amanda Keenan, Stephen Bell and Jay Schroeder 16 D avid Sorrell, Bishop Johnston, Lisa Holyfield and Joe Holyfield 17 Stuart Hodnett and Courtney Hornsby 18 Kay Shipp and Meryl Farr

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Crumbs Catering Grand Opening To celebrate their new location on Hwy 33 in Ruston, Crumbs Catering hosted a grand opening party on the evening of May 26th. Chefs Jodie Morphew and Olivia Stinson welcomed a gathering of friends, family and loyal customers. The guests where treated with the chefsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; favorite dishes like bacon wrapped shrimp, sliders, gumbo dip and desserts, followed by an insider tour of the new building. â&#x20AC;¨Crumbs Catering began their business in July of 2015 and have grown in the year since. They pride themselves on exceptional food, gorgeous desserts and personal service.

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Olivia Stinson, Lauren Roebuck and Jodi Morphew Bradley and Katie Walker P amela and Matt Petrus Andy Halbrook, Bobby Sanders and Greg Bimle T yler Tatumn, Reece Morphew, Amber Halbrook and Tammy Patterson 6 Bryant Whittington, Janice Rainey and Camille Rainey 7 Delisa and Brian McGuire 8 Olivia Stinson and Kay Malone 9 Renita and John Williams, Rick and Susan Morphew, Cindy, Greg and Tobie Bimle, Reece, Jodie and Heidi Morphew 10 S kip, Denise and Mattie Lou Stinson, Jason and Paige Smith, Olivia Stinson and Dawson Sills, Nelda Hutson, Linda Koontz, Dusty Brasher, Amanda Brasher, Robby Koontz and Robert Koontz

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Abita Night at Enoch’s Irish Pub

Local beer lovers gathered at Enoch’s on June 14th to celebrate the release of a brand new offering the Harvest Series from Abita Brewing Company, Lousiana’s number one craft brewer. This crisp wheat beer has the aroma and flavor of fresh Louisiana blueberries. It’s brewed with pilsner and wheat malts and hopped with German Perle hops, then the juice from local blueberries is added to complement the toasty malt flavor. Harvest Series brews are all made with the finest Louisiana-grown ingredients. Guests beat the heat with this refreshing new brew while enjoying Enochs’ famous two for one burgers and racking up on cool swag provided by Abita.

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On the BayouScene 1 Tyler and Nikita Shockley 2 Charles and Rachel Dew 3R ebeca George and Scott Winkler 4B en Potting, David Hinds and Houston Bass 5 I an Ulrich, Delia Simpson and Michael Fondren 6 Rob Rogers and Doug Gagnon 7 Michael Swallow and Sam Torhatore 8 John Dye and Moira O’Connor 9 Victor Che and Victoria Wilder 10 A shley and Andrew Roberson 11 M organ Decelle, Kelli McEnery and Kurt McEnery 12 S cotty Law and Jenny Jacoby 13 Brittany Dannehl and Heather Dufour 14 Rachel Rodgers and Brittany Lowery

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Calendar of Events For a full list of event happenings in Northeast Louisiana, see our website at www.bayoulifemag.com July 1-5 53rd Annual Juried Competition at the Masur Museum Time: Open Tues-Fri from 9:00 a.m.5:00 p.m. and Sat from 12:00-5:00 p.m.; closed Sun-Mon The Masur Museum of Art’s Annual Juried Competition showcases contemporary artists throughout the United States of America working in any medium. Venue: Masur Museum of Art Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-329-2237 Web: www.masurmuseum.org July 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum Fantastic Fridays Time: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Join the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum as they host Fantastic Fridays. On these Fridays, kids will be allowed to add toys to the Art Car, an ongoing project at the Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum. Venue: Northeast Louisiana Children’s Museum Phone: 318-361-9611 Web: www.nelcm.org July 2 My Mini Masur Drop In Activity Time: 2:00 p.m.- 5:00 p.m. Bring your kids and let the creativity flow at the Masur Museum as they create an art project. This event is free of charge and children will leave with a unique art project. Venue: Masur Museum of Art Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-329-2237 Web: www.masurmuseum.org Downtown River Jam featuring Matthew Davidson Band Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Jim Taylor Auto Group presents the Downtown River Jam featuring Matthew Davidson Band on the Skent N Dent stage! Enjoy live music, food and spirits to the backdrop of fireworks! Beer tastings provided by Choice Brands. Venue: Downtown Riverwalk Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-817-1737

The CenturyLink Star Spangled Spectacular! Time: 9:00 p.m. It’s time to celebrate America’s independence! The annual Independence Day fireworks display will be on July 2 at 9:00 p.m. Best viewed from downtown Monroe, or close by, the fireworks will be shot from the center of the Endom Bridge! Venue: Downtown Monroe and West Monroe Admission Cost: Free July 3 Patriotic Program and Fireworks Show Time: 7:30 p.m. In celebration of Independence Day, Temple Baptist Church will once again be presenting their annual musical program of Christian patriotism, followed by a spectacular fireworks show. This is a wonderful event for the entire family to enjoy and admission is free! Venue: Temple Baptist Church Ruston July 7 First Thursday Downtown Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. On the first Thursday of every month, join Antique Alley for extended shopping hours. Enjoy sips, nibbles and store specials during extended shopping hours at participating merchants Venue: Antique Alley Admission Cost: Free Web: www.antiquealleyshops.org Live Oaks Presents: Hikes, Rella, Tremble Out, Kopacetic Time: 8:00 p.m.- 2:00 a.m. Hikes will be making their way to Live Oaks in Monroe for the first time! Tremble Out will be joining them, as well. NELA’s own Rella will also be supporting this event! Shreveports own Kopacetic will be opening. Venue: Live Oaks Bar and Ballroom Admission Cost: $5 Phone: 318-548-4562 Web: www.facebook.com/liveoaksbarandballroom

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July 9 Louisiana State Open Tournament Time: 8:00 a.m. - till Join the Ouachita Horseshoe Pitchers Club as they host the Louisiana State Open Tournament. This tournament will take place at Chennault Park, Shelter 4. Venue: Chennault Park and Golf Course Phone: 318-329-2454 July 9, 14, 20, 23 and 29 Tadpole Adventures at Black Bayou Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Join Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge as they learn more about fish and do a fish printing craft. This event is free for 3- 5 year olds and their parents. Venue: Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge Admission Cost: Free Phone: 318-387-1114 Web: www.fws.gov/northlouisiana/ blackbayoulake July 10 Tim Hawkins LIVE Time: 7:00 p.m. Join Christ Church as they host a night full of laughs with comedian Tim Hawkins. Venue: Christ Church Admission Cost: $25-$45 Phone: 318-387-7035 Web: www.christchurch.la July 12 Chefs for a Cause Time: 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This annual fundraiser benefits Family Promise of Ouachita and raises money for their transitional homeless shelter for families with children located in Ouachita Parish. A delicious southern meal will be prepared by Pat Nolan, Blake Phillips and Chris McKnight with desserts from Tummy Yummy. Venue: Monroe Civic Center Banquet Hall Admission Cost: Free, Donations welcome July 13 and 27 Dog Days of Summer Time: 7:30 p.m.

Dog Days of Summer is an event that takes place during each Louisiana Tech Orientation session. Several Downtown Ruston shops offer extended shopping hours, and you can catch great live music by Chief and the Hounds on the Railroad Park stage. This event is open to the public, so come eat, shop and join LA Tech orientation as they welcome the newest group of Bulldogs to the Ruston community! Venue: Downtown Ruston Admission Cost: Free July 14-17 Oklahoma! July 14-16 at 7 p.m., July 17 at 2 p.m. Don’t miss this classic musical presented by Ruston Community Theatre (RCT)! Oklahoma! is the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance with farm girl Laurey Williams, along with a secondary romance between cowboy Will Parker and his flirtatious fiancée, Ado Annie. Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for students. Venue: The Dixie Center for the Arts, Ruston July 21 Live Oaks Presents: Anders Osborne Time: 9:00 p.m.- 2:00 a.m. Join Live Oaks Bar and Ballroom and enjoy rock and roller Anders Osborne. Tickets can be purchased at outhousetickets.com. Venue: Live Oaks Bar and Ballroom Admission Cost: $20 Phone: 318-548-4562 Web: www.facebook.com/liveoaksbarandballroom July 30 Downtown Cinema Time: 8:00 p.m. Join Downtown Cinema for a movie under the stars. There will be free popcorn and water, just bring your own seating and enjoy the show. Venue: Palace Park Admission Cost: Free Visit www.monroe-westmonroe. org for information about events in Ouachita Parish and visit www.rustonlincoln.com for events in Lincoln Parish.

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