Events Book: Southeast Texas Events

TAKE ONE APRIL 2015

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CHRISTUS LIVEWELL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE COPS & KIDS CARNIVAL CELEBRATIONS & THE PARADE OF THE 67TH NECHES RIVER FESTIVAL BIG FOOD FEST – CRAWFISH, BAR-B-Q, LOBSTER & MEDITERRANEAN

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Southeast Texas Surgeon Gives Personal Care Women’s Conference Moves to Saturday

3827 Phelan Boulevard PMB 112 Beaumont, Texas 77707 409.201.9934 SoutheastTexasEvents.com

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EVENTS

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Performing Arts Visual Arts Food & Beverage Entertainment Kids Corner Festivals Charity Free Fun Sports & Recreation Health, Wellness & Education Business & Networking Event Listings

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D E PA RTM E N T S Infographic On this Date in Southeast Texas Word of the Month Brew Review Pin-Tested Southeast Texas Somebody Social Seen Go Out Classified Pick of the Month Hobby Time Cartoon Corner Sneak Peek SoutheastTexas.com Stats The Last Word

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PUBLISHER Paul Chargois EDITORINCHIEF Shelly Vitanza EDITOR Beth Gallaspy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Tina Breland ART DIRECTOR Therése Shearer WEB CONTENT MANAGERS Dominique Delgado Amy Dowdy Kathleen Gantner ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Renee Cox CIRCULATION Don Shellenberger PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Debes

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from the COVER Southeast Texas celebrates neurosurgeon Erwin Lo, a founding physician of Victory Medical Center and leading physician at SpineTech Institute, for his non-invasive, conservative approach to treating back pain and his commitment to the Southeast Texas' population of industrial workers. Read about his non-conformist's medical practice philosophies and his devotion to personalized care, pages 6 and 7.

Subscribe to the EVENTSBOOK If you would prefer to receive your copies of the EventsBook in the mail for one year, please send $19.95 to: SoutheastTexas.com, 3827 Phelan Blvd., PMB 112, Beaumont, TX 77707 Include your mailing address.

We list all events for Free. We are the one calendar for Southeast Texas.

For the latest and most exciting events, visit us at

www.SoutheastTexasEvents.com.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brandi Crawford Anne East Brandon East Beth Gallaspy Blake Kyler Kathie Platt Melissa Tilley Emily Wheeler Advertising Information: For advertising, please contact Renee Cox at 409.781.3603 or rcox@southeasttexas.com.

To list your event on Southeasttexas.com: Visit Southeasttexas.com, click events. Under the Calendar tab, click “Submit an Event,” or email us at events@southeasttexas.com.

Copyright 2015, SoutheastTexas.com. All rights reserved. All contents copyright 2015 Virtual Communities, Inc, The Events Books, SoutheastTexas.com.

All rights reserved. EventsBook is a monthly publication. Events shown are from SoutheastTexasEvents.com. Priority listing is given to SoutheastTexasEvents.com’s member organizations. Other events are listed as space allows.

For additional information on the events listed in the EventsBook and other events not listed, visit SoutheastTexasEvents.com.

SoutheastTexas.com is not responsible for any discrepancies or changes that may have occurred since the publishing of this issue. Every effort has been made to ensure accurate information at the time of publication, however, this cannot be guaranteed. SoutheastTexas.com recommends visiting SoutheastTexas.com or contacting the represented companies to determine availability of service and to confirm date, time, location and other related event information. All submissions of editorial, photography, advertising and event information are accepted only without risk to the publisher for loss or damage.

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Cure: Dose of Laughter, Shot of Holy Water

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ever have I had a bout of uncontrollable laughter until an Easter mass a few years ago.

Some may say it irreverent, even sacrilegious, to giggle during church, especially an Easter service, but from my perspective the humor leading to laughter was from God. It was an odd Easter from the outset. Our grade school son, 11 at the time, was with his father for the weekend, and the rest of my family was traveling. With no reason to dye or hide eggs, ultimately my husband and I decided to abandon all of our Easter traditions and spend the weekend with his family at Lake Livingston.

Although I love my in-laws, the lake and down-time, I was melancholy about missing Easter baskets, egg hunts, church at home, a traditional crawfish boil and just being home. Resolved to make the best of it, I couldn’t help napping and moping, basically going through the motions hoping the weekend would pass quickly.

My father-in-law, a devout Catholic, who I surmise is a bit suspect of me, still, because my husband and I eloped, never having our marriage blessed in the church, suggested we go to an early Holy Saturday mass in town. Although not feeling the desire to get dressed, go anywhere beyond my lawn chair, be with people, sing or pray, at the urging of my husband, I acquiesced.

Catholic mass is not new to me, but I’d never attended mass the Saturday before Easter Sunday so I didn’t know what to expect. After a hymnal procession, the priest, a very short Asian man, instructed the congregation to remain standing for the reading of The Passion narrative.

From my pew, next to my husband with my father-in-law on the opposite side, I craned to hear a man I could not see over the crowds as he read and read…and read. And as he read, he slipped further and further into his native tongue. Words ending in strong consonant sounds were lost; even “Jesus,” was hard to discern, sounding more like “Gee u.”

About 300 words into the most sacred of Biblical passages, I started laughing. It was embarrassing. I tried to control myself, silently shaking where I stood.

My husband grabbed my hand and

shot me a glance as if to say, “What’s so funny?” and “STOP IT!” I tried to quit but was overtaken by the seemingly surreal circumstances.

Here I was in deep Southeast Texas, where twang is an art form, (“Jesus” should have been pronounced with at least three syllables - jay hay zeus), standing with a church full of retired worshippers who should be sitting, listening to the longest passage ever read in church by a precious priest who (Bless his heart!) is doing his very best to pronounce every word correctly.

The deliberate diction only lengthened the 2000-plus-word reading to 15 minutes. People swayed from side to side, stepping from one foot to the next to balance; even my father-in-law leaned forward on the pew in front of him, which made me giggle all the more.

Just when I thought I’d have to excuse myself, soft music started, and I saw a second processional begin and the reading ended. A young person came forward swinging a brass incense burner. The smoke from the incense filled the sanctuary as a second priest carrying a brass decanter of holy water walked up and down each aisle dipping what appeared to be a pestle into the water and flinging it out over the congregation. He turned down our aisle and flung the pestle in the air, hitting me with the water mid chest. I gasped as the cold water hit and rolled all the way down to my belly button. My male companions both eyed me with a clear message, “You needed that.”

I considered the shot of holy water slung my way divine, thanked God for the humor I felt in my soul, restored joy in my heart and rejoiced in the diversity of the people, languages, customs, traditions and events that meld together to make Southeast Texas such an interesting and entertaining place to live.

That’s what you’ll find in this April EventsBook – lots of interesting things to do and even more to entertain you such as the 67th Neches River Festival with 13 days of activities including a city-wide parade, page 27; the CHRISTUS Women’s LiveWell Conference, this year on Saturday, page 9; roller derby bouts, page 28; Cops and Kids Carnival, page 25; The Last Night of Ballyhoo at Lamar University, page 20 and the last concert of the Symphony season, page 24.

In the next months you can eat crawfish, lobsters, Texas barbeque and Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food plus Go Red for Women and blow it out for the Texas Energy Museum, pages 22, 23 and 26.

And April is the first full month of spring, renewal and fresh starts, therefore you’ll find a lot of information about health and wellness including details of a Tobacco Coalition, two health fairs and one of the most interesting medical practitioners in our area - Dr. Erwin Lo. We call him a medical maverick and think you’ll enjoy learning about his millennial approach to medicine, page 6.

Take a big dose of Southeast Texas cultural this month.

There’s joy in our culture, fun in our customs and pride in our traditions.

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ONE-ON-ONE

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SPINETECH

BY SHELLY VITANZA

The last procedure neurosurgeon Dr. Erwin Lo wants to perform on any patient is surgery. Seems odd doesn’t it? He is a surgeon. He makes a living performing surgeries. Patients go to him to have surgery, expecting to have surgery, especially if they’ve been referred to him by another physician. Some patients do have surgery, of course, but in most cases, not before they have tried one of four other options first.

Lo’s methods – the conservative, non-invasive, medical-team approach to medical care that requires more one-on-one patient-physician consultation and a focus on the overall health and well-being of every patient – is not what the insurance companies, government healthcare reforms or many of Lo’s colleagues advocate. But it’s what Lo is committed to offering Southeast Texans at SpineTech Institute located on the second floor of the Victory Medical Center on Dowlen Road in Beaumont’s West End. “Decision making in healthcare should be with patients and families and doctors, not insurance companies and the government. The best way to control cost is to stop practicing defensive medicine where you run every test because you’re afraid you missed something and start with the doctor-patient relationship,� said Lo, a native of the Philippines, who grew up in Chicago and graduated from Rush Medical College in Chicago. “When you start putting patients in categories things get missed; healthcare costs are rising using these methods. There are better ways to control rising costs than limiting care to the general public, which is what insurance and government reforms do, limit care.�

Lo’s commitment to individualized patient care and his philosophies about extending opportunities to all patients regardless of their conditions and situations, was the impetus behind the founding of Victory Medical Hospital, a specialty surgery center with non-acute care emergency services. He, and several other

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like-minded physicians in Southeast Texas, envisioned a medical facility that not only collaborated with other medical entities but that also focused on the unique needs of Southeast Texas, like the medical needs of industrial workers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Specifically in this community, in Southeast Texas, you see a lot of industry and work-related problems. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got guys working hard - pipefitters, welders, plant operators â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and they are fairly young, in their 30s and 40s, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been at it for 10 years and longer. So youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got young patients in their early 40s with pretty beat up spines,â&#x20AC;? said Lo, the father of twin 8-year-olds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This population of patients is growing with the new plants coming here, and we want to be able to respond to the needs of these patients quickly, so they can get back to work. Basically Victory was built to address the needs of blue-collar workers with a focus on orthopedic and spine-related issues and to get people back to work in a shorter period of time even if you have to have surgery.â&#x20AC;?

Still Lo and his staff of medical experts, including his wife board-certified neurologist Dr. Sujin Yu, neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Clark, physical therapists, physicians assistants and nurses, evaluate patients and recommend non-invasive options first. The first four treatment routes are: â&#x20AC;˘ medicine, usually an anti-inflammatory; â&#x20AC;˘ pain medicine, short-term muscle relaxers; â&#x20AC;˘ injections, delivering pain relief steroids over an inflamed nerve root with a more concentrated dose; and â&#x20AC;˘ physical therapy, building core strength - lower back and abdominal muscles.

However, surgery cannot always be avoided. Lo said of the 1,000 patients he sees a year, he conducts between 400 to 500 surgeries, generally because the patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pain cannot be resolved with one of the four primary treatment options, or the patient is debilitated in some way, oftentimes as a result of a trauma. Still, evaluation and the decision to perform surgery is based on a personalized patient- physician relationship.

Lo said when he and his team evaluate a patient typically an MRI has already been done and a primary care physician has referred the patient as a result of an MRI showing problems that may require surgery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When patients come in they are anxious; their doctor has sent them to us because the MRI looks bad, and the patient is expecting surgery,â&#x20AC;? said Lo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do electrical tests for function of nerves, correlating the nerve function to the symptoms the patient is having and see if it makes sense when looking at the symptoms. Of course, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re mainly looking at pain issues. Most of the time

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the pain is down one arm or leg, which might imply nerves are pinched. But it’s still subjective. We have to find out how debilitating is the pain? Is it just an annoyance? The MRI looks bad, but how do you feel? That’s where that patient-physician relationship comes in.”

Lo gives an example of his work with an elderly man to illustrate the importance of personalized one-on-one evaluations to determine the need for invasive procedures, versus sole reliance on modern technology.

A 95-year-old man, who had been a hard laborer all of his life working as a roofer, was referred by his primary care physician for spinal surgery. Lo received the MRI and upon reviewing it, agreed surgery seemed necessary. Every single nerve was compressed and based on the MRI, Lo would have recommended about 10 different surgical procedures. He expected the elderly gentleman to be in a wheelchair for his evaluation and writhing in pain. Lo began having anxiety about seeing the patient and further about recommending surgery on a 95-year-old.

“In walks this thin man with a slight limp. He didn’t look to be in tremendous pain. I immediately asked his name to check the film to make sure I had the right patient because he didn’t look 95 either. He looked to be about 80,” said Lo. “Then the patient says, ‘I don’t know why I’m here.’ And I told him we needed to check his strength. I did, and he was just fine. He was active, even though he’d retired when he was 80. I didn’t recommend surgery, and that just goes to illustrate the point that nerves, spinal cord, the human body, can compensate for a lot of things for a long time. The down side of great technology is that sometimes you don’t know what to do with it as a doctor. Things can look bad, but you have to determine - how is the patient doing.”

While Lo’s medical practice philosophies seem to represent a paradigm shift back to the good old days of one-on-one patient-physician care, he recommends millennial patients become less reliant on physicians, instead taking responsibility for their own health not only for longevity and quality living but also because of the heavy-handed insurance and government oversight of medicine.

“Be responsible for your health care because you’ve got to go on living your life while I see other patients,” said Lo. “This is what you have to do to survive in this environment when someone is telling you what to do all the time and you’re getting less for your higher premiums; you’ve got to make the most of what you have and live within the system. The best way to do that is to stay healthy.”

Overall patient health is what SpineTech Institute advocates with every patient. Nurse practitioners consult patients about lifestyle habits and choices from food choices to smoking cessation, exercise to alcohol consumption.

Through the complementary practice, Signature MediSpa, Lo and his wife, Yu, also help patients feel and look younger.

“We talk to patients about general health things, and patients love it because it’s unexpected, and they are getting a comprehensive evaluation,” said Lo. “A lot of healing comes from just making patients feel comfortable, reassuring them and listening.”

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6025 Metropolitan Drive, Suite 205 Beaumont, Texas 77706 Phone: 800.959.1342 Email: tina_gtn@yahoo.com Website: www.spinetech.com

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EVERY DAY YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE THERE FOR OTHERS:

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CHRISTUS LIVEWELL WOMENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CONFERENCE 2015 SATURDAY, MAY 9

BY SHELLY VITANZA

isten up ladies of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;to-doâ&#x20AC;? list, task masters, laundry divas, carpool queens, nurturers, cooks, organizers, event planners and 8-to-5ers who bring home the bacon and fry it up, too! Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one day just for you â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2015 CHRISTUS LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference presented by CHRISTUS LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Network Saturday, May 9 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Ford Park.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s right, this annual event featuring health screenings, shopping, workshops and a luncheon with celebrity speakers is on a Saturday for the first time ever, making this female favorite more accessible to all women in Southeast Texas. Although no justification for attending is really necessary because, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every day youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re there for others,â&#x20AC;? the conference does fall on Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day weekend so â&#x20AC;&#x153;be here for you,â&#x20AC;? if an excuse is needed.

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Luncheon celebrity speakers are the dynamic and courageous Giuliana and Bill Rancic. Individually engaging, collectively powerful, the couple is best renowned for their honest depiction of marriage, the heartbreaks of infertility and Giulianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s struggle with breast cancer resulting in a mastectomy on their reality TV show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Giuliana and Billâ&#x20AC;? airing on â&#x20AC;&#x153;E! Networkâ&#x20AC;? 2010-2104. They are also coauthors of the best-selling book, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Do, Now What!â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;For the past seven years we have had some phenomenal women speak at the conference, each from different walks of life with a unique story that has impacted the lives of women in Southeast Texas. For our eighth year we wanted to expand on that strength and broaden the message,â&#x20AC;? said Rebecca Howard, CHRISTUS LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference Lead. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Rancics, who have gone through quite a lot of challenges, pull together daily as a family whether it be handling something as serious as breast cancer or whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking tonight.

They focus on their family values and tackle the tough items with grace and determination, a perfect fit for Southeast Texas.â&#x20AC;?

Giuliana was born in Italy but moved with her family to the U.S. when she was a small child. She is the co-anchor of â&#x20AC;&#x153;E! Newsâ&#x20AC;? and the co-star of â&#x20AC;&#x153;E! Fashion Police,â&#x20AC;? has hosted numerous beauty pageants, including the Miss America and Miss Universe pageants, and her biography has been featured on â&#x20AC;&#x153;E! Hollywood Stories.â&#x20AC;? After surviving breast cancer, Giuliana created Fab-U-Wish, a program to grant fashion, beauty and celebritythemed wishes to women battling breast cancer.

Bill was the first-seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winner of NBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s breakthrough program â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Apprenticeâ&#x20AC;? and has gone on to become a successful entrepreneur as a Chicago real estate developer. He has hosted â&#x20AC;&#x153;America Nowâ&#x20AC;? with Leeza Gibbons and last year starred as host of Food Network's new cooking competition show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Kitchen Casino.â&#x20AC;? He is a founder of FabFitFun, a woman's website focused on health, beauty and fashion and is one of the most sought after motivational speakers on the subject of entrepreneurship and business.

The crux of the LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference has always been its fun, educational healthy living workshops, and 2015 continues the tradition with 24, 50-minute practical, informative and relevant workshops presented in four sessions, two before lunch and two after.

The collaborative effort of CHRISTUS Hospital St. Elizabeth and St. Maryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s plus CHRISTUS Jasper Memorial Hospital results in a roster of experts on everything from the detection and treatment of asthma in â&#x20AC;&#x153;AaaaCHOOO! Here We Go Again!â&#x20AC;? featuring Dr. Russell Perry with Family Allergy & Asthma Center to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Historically Haute,â&#x20AC;? where Kim Williams, owner of Historically Haute, will share her creative techniques by using family photos and historically important family documents in jewelry and home decor. But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all. The lineup has something for everyone including how to protect children on and in the social media world, how to be fashionable at any age, how to live life to the fullest even with a chronic illness, how to use resistance bands for exercise, master gardening in small spaces, designing easy but pretty sweet treats, how to take better cell phone photos and even how to turn a wood pallet into a masterpiece, Junkinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Gypsy style.

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CHRISTUSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; mission is to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ and to improve the overall health status of the Southeast Texas community.

To fulfill that mission, the LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conference will feature three opportunities for women to better manage personal health: Health Screenings, the Health Hub and Party in Pink Center.

Health screenings include total cholesterol and glucose, diabetes counseling, body fat percentage, handgrip strength test and exercise demonstration, body mass index calculation, blood pressure check, peripheral vascular screening and diabetic foot screenings.

At the Health Hub, a new feature to the conference this year, women can ask health-related questions in a one-on-one environment. Experts from CHRISTUS Health will be on hand to provide free personal consultations on a variety of healthrelated topics including neck, back and joint pain, chronic illness (heart failure, asthma, COPD, diabetes) and cancer, to name a few.

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PARTY! All day long, at the Party in Pink Center, also new in 2015, women can stop by for gifts, pink boas and a celebration of women who have fought the breast cancer battle and won. Located in the middle of Market Square shopping area, breast fellowship-trained radiologist, Dr. Sergy Lemeshko, CHRISTUS Certified Breast Health Navigators and very special women, who will share their stories of battling breast cancer, will provide breast health education and demonstrate the latest and greatest technology in womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health including the Genius 3D mammographyâ&#x201E;˘. CHRISTUS Hospital â&#x20AC;&#x201C; St. Elizabeth is the first and only facility in Southeast Texas to offer Genius 3D mammography, which has been proven to find 41 percent more invasive, or lethal, cancers than a traditional mammogram.

Women will get a chance to see this new technology up close and personal at the Party in Pink Center.

When getting a health screening or attending the Health Hub or Party in Pink Center be sure and take your Health Passport and register for a chance to win a great door prize.

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All day long the Market Square is open for perusing and purchasing with unique gifts, trinkets, clothes and specialty items just for you including custom handmade jewelry, purses, handmade candles, TupperwareŠ, gourmet food and cookware, spa treatments, bath products, home dÊcor, makeup and more.

JIHM % m n 7:30 a.m.

Doors open 7:30 a.m.-9 a.m.

Registration/Continental Breakfast/Health Screenings/ The Health Hub Market Square Shopping Party in Pink Center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D Mammography 8:30 a.m.-8:45 a.m.

"It's a Good Morning" Rally. Join us at Wildflower Field 9 a.m.-9:50 a.m.

Session 1 9:50 a.m.-10:20 a.m.

Health Screenings/The Health Hub Market Square Shopping Party in Pink Center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D Mammography 10:20 a.m.-11:10 a.m.

Session 2 11:10 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Health Screenings Market Square 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Lunch with Celebrity Keynote Speakers: Giuliana & Bill Rancic 1 p.m.-1:30 p.m.

Health Screenings/The Health Hub Market Square Shopping Party in Pink Center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D Mammography 1:30 p.m.-2:20 p.m.

Session 3 2:20 p.m.-2:50 p.m.

Health Screenings/The Health Hub Market Square Shopping Party in Pink Center â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 3D Mammography 2:50 p.m.-3:40 p.m.

Session 4 3:40 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

SAVOR Wine Tasting & Pairing/Health Screenings/ Market Square Shopping

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference includes convenience and memory-making enhancements like a botanical-infused rest area on the first floor in the main lobby for reviewing your session schedule, taking inventory of your purchases or just taking a load off in between sessions. If your purchases pile up, take advantage of the Shop and Drop Room also located on the first floor, where you can drop off your items and pick them up when you are ready to leave for the day. Plus you can document your gal pal day at a photo booth right inside Market Square and end your day with a savory wine tasting and pairings event! â&#x20AC;&#x153;We, of course, want women to leave having learned something new with great take-aways for their health and overall well-being,â&#x20AC;? said Howard. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But more importantly, to leave refreshed, renewed and ready to take on their days with grace and determination for what they face in their everyday lives.â&#x20AC;?

$ ') % Registrants can come and go and come to the luncheon and keynote speaker or come and stay all day, but pricing is the same regardless of attendee participation, and seating and session participation is limited. Register in advance in order to ensure attendance and session selection preferences.

Early bird Motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day special is open until April 7 offering a buy one at the regular price of $50 and an additional registration is half off, or $25. From April 8 - May 3, the cost is $50 per person. Group discounts are available.

For more information about the conference and group discounts, contact Rebecca Howard at 409.899.7700.

To register go online to www.christuslivewell.org where you can register using a credit card or you can pay by phone by calling 409.899.7700. Conference registration includes membership with the CHRISTUS LiveWell Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Network.

SHERYL CROW HEADLINES GALA CHRISTUS Health Foundation - Southeast Texas 35th Annual Gala, April 18 at the Beaumont Civic Center, will feature an intimate evening with Sheryl Crow. Cocktails begin at 7 p.m. followed by a gourmet meal at 8 p.m., all leading to a blockbuster performance at 9:30 p.m. Tables for eight start at $3,000. Seating is limited and expected to sell out. To learn more or to receive an invitation, please call 409.899.7555.

For more information about the foundation or to reserve your table for the event, please visit christushealthfoundationsetx.org.

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DELIVERING THE DIFFERENCE: NUTRITION AND SERVICES FOR SENIORS PROVIDES FOOD FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS’ SENIORS Texas ranks sixth in the nation for senior hunger, a staggering statistic that Nutrition and Services for Seniors strives daily to change.

This non-profit organization operates Meals On Wheels in Jefferson and Hardin counties serving seniors meals daily and providing transportation to medically necessary appointments for the homebound.

If you struggle to get one meal on the table per day/week in your busy household, imagine feeding thousands daily. Now imagine having limited funds for food, and even more limited if you don’t meet stringent requirements for meal serving times, temperature of food upon delivery and nutritional value of each meal. Nutrition and Services for Seniors is bound by government regulations in order to receive federal dollars.

Still monies do not cover the growing need, and a waiting list of seniors, who meet requirements to receive services but can’t because of limited funding and volunteers, numbers to nearly 200.

Standard operating procedures at the non-profit, combined with hardworking, caring workers and volunteers, result in an invaluable service beneficial to the entire Southeast Texas region allowing seniors to stay in their homes instead of moving to costly institutions.

Additionally Meals On Wheels ensures seniors daily personal contact, oftentimes the only interaction they have.

As Nutrition and Services for Seniors plans for its Third Annual Deliver the Difference Luncheon, its largest fundraiser of the year that helps them fill the hunger gaps and feed more of our seniors, we thought the entire Southeast Texas community needed to know these amazing statistics of ONE organization.

DAILY MEAL COUNT 1050 delivered through Meals On Wheels 411 served in dining centers 18 dining centers REQUIRED TIME OF FOOD DELIVERY 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

REQUIRED TEMPERATURE OF FOOD 135 DEGREES REQUIRED NUTRITIONAL COUNT PER MEAL 600-1000 calories 7 grams of fiber 20 grams of protein VOLUNTEERS 15 meal drivers a day 14 medical appointment drivers a day 200 volunteers a year MEALS ON WHEELS miles driven a year 577,728 MEDICAL APPOINTMENT miles driven a year 373,080 THE MEALS ON WHEELS SERVICE Among those receiving Meals on Wheels: 60% have 6-14 chronic health conditions

51% take 6-23 medications daily 29% have at least three limitations in activities such as bathing, getting dressed or going to the restroom

59% said that a single meal helps provide half or more of total food for the day

89% said the meals helps them feel better 91% said the meals enable them to live at home SOURCE: Meals on Wheels of America

POPULATION The typical client is female, homebound, has six or more chronic health conditions, lives alone and is over the age of 75. Although income is not a determining factor to receive a home delivered meal, the client lives at or below the poverty level. An overwhelming majority of clients who respond to annual service surveys say they are able to continue to live in their own homes because of their participation in the programs.

SOURCE: Nutrition and Services for Seniors, Beaumont, Texas

On Thursday, May 7 Nutrition and Services for Seniors will host Deliver the Difference Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Beaumont Event Centre. In addition to paying tribute to honorary chair Pat Riley, the organization will honor three seniors who have positively impacted the Southeast Texas community through their professions and civic service.

Marie Broussard Nurse, a founder of Beaumont Community Partners, state president of the Greater Texas Community Partners and a founder of the West End YMCA "You know the more you get involved in your community, the more you get from your community," said Broussard. "Volunteering and helping people - that's your little warm fuzzy because what you give is what you get back.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a law of the universe."

Shirlene Cook Educator, who served under four governors and wrote curriculum and standards for the State of Texas "I was taught from childhood to do what's right," said Cook. "I'd seen my parents do things that were right, and I just thought that was what you were supposed to do, to be a part of the community. Even in college, we did things in the community we were in - volunteer work and activities to be visible; that was just a way of life."

Pete Shelton Beaumontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fire Chief from 1983-1996 "My whole life has been about service, and certainly I always liked sports, but my life has been dedicated to serving others," said Shelton. "I was president of Boys Haven and the American Red Cross and the 100 Clubs for firemen and policemen. Even now, I used to fish and hunt, but I'm too busy serving on boards and helping people and making Beaumont a better place."

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WORDof theMONTH

ON THIS DATE

Fixin' to

in Southeast Texas

In Southeast Texas when you are about to do something, intend to get started on a specific task or are preparing to begin an activity, you are “fixin' to.” “Fixin' to” is a phrase of great anticipation and connotes a future action. For example, ”I’m fixin' to call momma,” “I’m fixin' to boil 34 pounds of fresh crawfish. Wanna come over?,” “I was fixin' to mow the yard when the lightning struck my brand new zero turn mower.”

“Fixin' to” should not be confused with “fixings,” which means necessary ingredients or complementary sides and accompaniments. Fixings can be used interchangeably with “trimmings,” such as turkey and dressing with all the fixings or salad with all the fixings. Likewise, “fixin' to” has a very different meaning than “fixing.” Fixing means repairing or mending. For example, “After the lightning struck the mower, Darrell stayed in the garage four hours fixing it.” Fixing and fixin' to can be used together. Such as “I was fixin' to call for Darrell when I remembered he was fixing his mower.”

April 26, 1934 First Mail to Leave By Ship - For the first time, transatlantic mail will be loaded aboard a vessel at the city wharves by noon today. The mail will be placed aboard the steamer West Cohas, bound Genoa, Leghorn and Naples.

Ray Highfield trains new Kroger checkers.

April 17, 1985 Kroger, a national supermarker chain opens "superstore" on Phelan Boulevard, directly across 23rd Street.

E JOIN THES U O S COURAGE NOREES REBEL HO TTLE IN THE BA AGAINST PROSTATE CANCER!

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TICKETS $125 PER PERSON BENEFITING THE GIFT OF LIFE PROGRAM

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%5(:Review

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Gose & Beermosa, Anyone?

By Brandon East A perfect refresher for our scorching, Southern climate - Gose.

Gose is a tart, low-alcohol German-style white beer that is brewed with salt and coriander and can vary in salinity and acidity. My first gose was Westbrook's gose (not available in Texas) which seemed to contain more salt than average and have characteristics of briny oyster liquor, sea foam and medium acidity. I nearly wrote-off the style altogether because of the high salt level. Then I tried a growler (half-gallon bottle) of Rapp gose that had much more balance of tartness and lower salinity and changed my mind.

The only gose available in Southeast Texas is Anderson Valley gose with blood oranges. It's delicious and at 4.2 percent ABV, it's an easy drinker.

Plus, it's canned and pours a pale, brilliant golden wheat color with a head that dissipates almost immediately. The nose is blood orange rind and orange bitters, and the bready wheat malt becomes reminiscent of freshly baked orange sweet rolls...yes, orange is quite prevalent here. The beer has flavors of various candies like SweetTart, orange Skittles, mimosa, yogurtlike lactobacillus, sweet orange rolls, some caramel and a salinity level of low-medium. The mouthfeel seems to slightly change as the carbonation weakens, yet is still acidic, crisp and light.

As far as pairings go with Anderson Valley Blood Orange Gose, I'm thinking of brunch and lunch. This is your perfect beer for a beermosa, but it's kind of a beermosa on its own. With gose and most sour beers in general, I tend to lean towards charcuterie and soft-ripened cheese.

So with brunch I'd do eggs benedict, and for lunch I'd pair this up with a traditional muffuletta (with mortadella and salami).

Don't be surprised if inventoryy becomes low. After your first sip you'll p bbe tempted to go back and bbuy a case.

Tips & Tricks fro m

By Emily Wheel

er

my Pinterest Bo ards

Everyone could use a break from the dismal and w winter we've had. et April brings fresh er air and a SPRING in our step as we venture outdoors for gardening, gaalas, crawfish boils and all things fun and bright! Here are a few tips on how to reduce, re use, recyyccllee this season and a bonu s idea for crawfis h boils.

K-Cup Seedlings ...and more!

If you throw aw ay one K-cup ev ery day, you've wasted a TON of washable an d reusable little treasures. Once you've had your morning cup of java, peel off the K-cup label, wash out the leftover ground s and set aside to dry. Fill the empty (and clea n) cups with so il and seeds to start seedlings fo r your garden. Yo u can also use the cups to store small objects, so rt money, sort craft items like be ads...the opportun ities are endless. Worried abou t the small hole in the bottom?

Plug it with a drop of hot glue!

Bottle Sprinkler The next time yo u find yourself w ith a large empt plastic bottle, ta y ke a moment to turn it into a sprin kler for your ya rd! Puncture the bottom with sm holes, attach to al l a hose and voila ! You may need purchase an inex to pensive fitting at the hardware st but it will be mor ore, e economical (and earth friendly) th purchasing a sprin an kler.

Reuse Dryer Sh eets Is there a build -up of soap scum on your glass sh door? Simply use ower an old dryer shee t to eliminate th the interior of yo e m ess. Is ur vehicle smellin g a little stale? Fo pine tree on a st rget the ring! Place a few used dryer sheets seats of your vehi under the cle instead! Use sheets to clean an the glass lens of d polish your eye glasses.

They â&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not reco for plastic lenses mmended , though!

BONUS IDEA! Create a hand-w ashing station at your next crawfis Place a full water h boil! drinking jug on a table, attach a towel roll to the pa per top, a bottle of soap nearby and guests will have yo ur fresh, clean hand s!

SoutheastTexas.co m

is compatible with

Pinterest!

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SOUTHEAST TEXAS SOMEBODY

THE HONORABLE LARRY THORNE, 317TH CIVIL DISTRICT COURT April 21 marks the 17th year Judge Larry Thorne has been waiting tables… for CASA of Southeast Texas’ ‘Justice is Served’ fundraising dinner. All judges in the area – criminal, civil, district, county, family, like Thorne – serve as waiters in this benefit that ultimately raises money for children in the foster care system. No other judge has served for as many consecutive years as Thorne.

We caught up with Thorne in his chamber where his CASA apron was ironed and ready for this month’s most important event for Southeast Texas kiddos.

Q: How did you get involved in Justice is Served?

A: I have been interested in foster kids and CPS long before I ever took the bench. As a lawyer before being a judge I had an interest in kids and was appointed to the State Board of Child Welfare in Austin and served on the State Council of Child Welfare Boards in Austin. Then I was chairman of the local Jefferson County Child Welfare Board. I started the juror fee donation project.

The juror fee project has raised over a million dollars basically allowing jurors to donate any and all of their jury fee money to the child welfare board and to crime victims. That money stays in Jefferson County, and I was awarded the state award for volunteer of the year in 1980 for that program. I served on other state boards that funded projects for children, but when I took the bench (1998) I had to give up those positions because it’s a conflict of interest.

And the Texas Supreme Court didn’t want judges to serve on the state board of CASA, and I disagreed and took the position and served on the Texas State Board of CASA until I felt like I made my point.

Q: Why did you fight that and serve on CASA? What’s so important about CASA? A: I do not think a court could operate to the best of its ability in CPS cases without CASA. They literally are the eyes and ears of the judge. I can’t obviously go out on a case and observe evidence. I have to sit and be objective and listen to the evidence; however, the legislature saw fit to give and create a special relationship with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and the court, which allows CASA to see these things and report them to the judge in hearings and to testify. What I tell parents when they are before me is that they should cooperate with CASA and get to know the CASA assigned to their children because CASA is not the police, not law enforcement and not CPS; they are not aligned with the DA’s (district attorney) office. Their sole purpose is the best interest of a child. (I will also compliment the legislature on the term I just used - “best interest” – that card trumps everything, every other consideration that involves a child. If CASA says “best interest” is to terminate or not to terminate and place a child with a relative, the court gives that very strong consideration because that CASA worker is in the middle of it. A CASA worker has seen the home, observed parents interact with the children, has spent time with the children and that relationship, in many cases, has been lifelong for children and CASA workers. Every time we have a hearing I get a report from a CASA worker. Those hearings, by the way, are 10 days, which is the “show cause” hearing; 60 days and then two more hearings that are 90 days out from the 60 day hearing. So you see, I’m not having a lot of contact

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with the child, but the CASA worker is the guardian ad litem to this one child and case. They don’t have 15 other cases; they are investigating and watching and doing paperwork on this one case. Otherwise, it just can’t be done. If not for CASA I would be having to depend on a CPS worker, who has extremely limited contact with the client, possibly once every two weeks, who is overwhelmed because they have too many cases assigned to them and way too much paperwork that the legislature has thrust upon them. In other words it’s a black hole; there is nothing there. I would get a very, very small picture of the life of the child and the parent to base a decision on. Also CPS is under different rules as far as testimony. CASA has a special relationship with the court that allows them to testify.

Q: So basically you participate in the Justice is Served event to help raise money so CASA can operate?

A: Yes. This fundraiser is important because CASA is a non-profit organization.

They get funding from various sources, but a lot of it they have to do themselves. There are several purposes for the fundraiser. Obviously, raising money for the program, which finances many things - they help CPS with Christmas gifts for example. They spend $25,000 every year just for Christmas for foster kids. Some of the money is spent on National Adoption Day, providing many of the things that we use to entertain the children because we have so many, and they provide help in training for volunteers, which is very important. So that’s how the money is used. The fundraiser also honors someone in the community. This time it’s Glen and Teri Morgan. They have contributed much to the program and really helped keep it alive when CASA was struggling financially. The third purpose is to honor the CASA workers. That’s why the judges are serving because we want those CASA volunteers to know how much we appreciate them. Justice is serving them because they do so much for us. We want to honor them. I’m proud to say that our local CASA is one of the best in Texas. I mean that sincerely. They have been recognized as one of the best. We’ve had 100 percent coverage of all of our kids that are in care, and that’s huge compared to some counties that have 10 and 15 percent.

Q: Why should the members of the community attend this event?

A: One, you’re giving to children in foster care that it’s not only contributed directly to them, but It helps provide the love and attention the CASA workers provide to the children, which is the main thing missing from a child’s life, remembering that the CPS worker is not going to be able to provide that close attention and hugs and everything a child needs when they don’t have a par-

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ent. Two, to learn what CASA does and be informed and learn what is going on in our community with respect to abuse and neglect and maybe become interested in volunteering. And how many times can they have a judge serve them wine, and as much as they want. Good meal, community involvement, great cause.

For information about CASA or to purchase a ticket to attend the April 21 event at the MCM Elegante Hotel, visit CASA’s website at www.casasetx.org or call 409.832.2272.

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62&,$/ 6((1 1. Bayou Mermaids cooking up gumbo of the sea at the Girls Haven Gumbo Festival: Cathy Andrews, Katie Patin , Danielle Duhon, Lindsey Bell, Kimber Andrews, Brittany Pitre and Halie Smith.

2. Ava Graves and her two nieces, Alexandr ia Ruth, 13, and Jennifer Ruth, 7, had a chance to see AcroDunk perform in the Beaumont Civic Center lobby at the Gift of Life launch of Southeas t Texas’ first Tobacco Coalition.

3. Girls’ Haven Gumbo competitors inclu ded Stewart Title cookers: Kristen Fuller, Melissa Gutierrez, Nichole Brown, Char ity Daigle and Jill Borque.

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4. Celebrating families at Family Services Lunc heon – Lanny Howell, Shawn Hanley, Alison How ell and Curtis Gernentz.

5. Cathy Shoemaker, Lisa LaFosse and Mar y Ellen Robertson attended the luncheon to supp ort Family Services of Southeast Texas, a non-profit that supports a women’s and children’s shelter and provides counseling services on a sliding scale for all in need in Southeast Texas.

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FEATURED PERFORMANCES

PERFORMING ARTS

PROFESSIONAL

BALLYHOO AT LU

By Beth Gallaspy The excitement of the social event of the season mixes with family tensions and anti-Semitism in the South in Alfred Uhryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Last Night of Ballyhoo,â&#x20AC;? opening at Lamar Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University Theatre on April 30.

The Tony Award-winning play by the writer of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Driving Miss Daisyâ&#x20AC;? centers on a wealthy family in 1939 Atlanta as they prepare for the upcoming Ballyhoo ball, an elegant co-

tillion for upper-class Jewish families at their exclusive country club. Set during the build up to World War II, the play also explores bigotry within the Jewish community. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It speaks to who we are as people and identity and being marginalized, people marginalizing themselves.

That happens in certain minority groups, people being considered other or outside the norm,â&#x20AC;? said Brian LeTraunik, Lamar University instructor and director of the production.

LeTraunik said he has been a fan of the play for many years and looks forward to bringing it to Southeast Texas audiences. Part of the attraction for him is personal.

HIs paternal grandmother was German Jewish, and his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side was Russian Jewish. He remembers finding the tension between the two

', 6#/ 1('/ 3 6%% '33 by Alfred Uhry 7:30 p.m. April 30-May 2 and 2 p.m. May 3 University Theatre at Lamar University Tickets: $15 general admission; $10 for senior citizens, LU faculty and staff, and non LU students; $7 for LU students with ID, 409.880.2250

Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts, 707 W. Main, Orange, 409.886.5535 Imaginocean April 2 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

Dr. Kaboom April 10 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

COMMUNITY Beaumont Ballet Theatre at the Julie Rogers Theater, 765 Pearl, Beaumont, 409.838.4397 Cinderella, The Ballet April 17 at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 & 7:30 p.m.

April 18 at 7:30 p.m.

Betty Greenburg Center for the Performing Arts, 4155 Laurel Avenue, Beaumont, 409.833.4664 Circle Mirror Transformation April 10, 11, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m. & April 18 at 2 p.m.

Saturdays on Broadway April 25 at 9 a.m.

Orange Community Playhouse, 708 W. Division, Orange, 409.882.9137 The Great American Trailer Park Musical April 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25 at 7:30 p.m. & April 19 & 26 at 2:30 p.m.

sides of his family odd. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t we all just expand on our commonalities? Why do we have to marginalize ourselves? I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so interesting.â&#x20AC;?

Even though â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ballyhooâ&#x20AC;? deals with weighty subjects, it does so with a light, romantic and very funny tone, making it accessible for audiences from teenagers on up, LeTraunik said.

It also offers good roles for all seven

Port Arthur Little Theatre, 4701 Jimmy Johnson Blvd., Port Arthur, 409.727.PALT On Golden Pond April 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Julie Rogers Theater, 765 Pearl, Beaumont, 409.892.2257 Symphony of Southeast Texas' Rach On Classic Series Concert April 11 at 7:30 p.m.

STUDENT Lamar University Studio Theatre, 4400 S MLK Jr. Parkway, Beaumont, 409.880.8888 Spring Dance Concert April 10 at 7:30 p.m. & April 11 at 2 p.m.

The Last Night of Ballyhoo April 30, May 1, 2, & 3 at 7:30 p.m. & May 3 at 2 p.m.

MobilOil Federal Credit, 1810 N. Major Drive, Beaumont, 409.880.7011 Industrial Carillon April 27 at 7:30 p.m.

actors in the ensemble, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The play is very lovely and very sweet. I think everyone will see aspects of their own family in the characters.

Everybody has a crazy family. I think everyone can identify with at least one of the characters, and everyone has, at some point, felt like an outsider.â&#x20AC;?

For tickets or more information, call 409.880.2250.

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FEATURED EXHIBITS

VISUAL ARTS

NECHES RIVER CELEBRATED IN BEAUMONT ART LEAGUE SHOW

By Melissa Tilley The Neches River flows for 416 miles, winding its way through East Texas down to its mouth on Sabine Lake. This river is an important part of Southeast Texas, lending itself to many facets of our community, and is celebrated with its own festival each year.

Since the 1940s, the Beaumont Art

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League (BAL) has collaborated with the Neches River Festival to provide an exhibition of works by local artists focused on the river and its life-sustaining natural resources, economic vitality and the countless recreational opportunities it offers to Southeast Texans. Each year, the BAL releases an open call for all artists working in any medium to submit entries with subject matter relating either directly or indirectly to the Neches River.

According to BAL Gallery Director Melinda McCrary, “This exhibition showcases our regional artists that have created works pertaining to the Neches River and its surroundings.”

Entries to the show also had to be original, created within the last two years and not previously exhibited in

Previous winners of the Beaumont Art League’s Neches River Festival Art Show all captured the beautiful landscape and life of the Neches River in their works.

Art Museum of Southeast Texas

Museum of the Gulf Coast

500 Main, Beaumont, 409.832.3432

700 Procter, Port Arthur, 409.982.7000

Harvey Johnson: A Triple Middle Passage, through Apr. 12 Caprice Pierucci: Dream State, through April 12 Great Wall of Fame, through April 12 Will-Amelia Sterns Price: Mike's Road to Taos, April 25 through Aug. 30 Selections from the Permanent Collection, April 25 through Aug. 30

Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow: Living With the Atomic Bomb, 1945-1965, opening April 6 Stark Museum of Art 712 Green Ave., Orange, 409.886.2787

Drawn to Life: Audubon’s Legacy, through July 17

Texas Artists Museum

2675 Gulf, Beaumont, 409.833.4179 Neches River Exhibit, April 5-26 OPENING RECEPTION April 19, 2 p.m.

3501 Cultural Center Dr., Port Arthur, 409.983.4881 Nederland Art Guild Meet to Paint Every Saturday, 3:30-5:30 p.m.

High Street Gallery

The Art Studio

2110 Victoria Street, Beaumont, 409.351.4496 Maurice Abelman Exhibit, April 3, 6:30 – 10 p.m.

720 Franklin St.., Beaumont, 409.838.5393 The Art Studio, Inc. Members Jurored Art Exhibit, opening April 4

any local juried shows.

The Neches River Festival Art Show will be on view April 15-25 at the BAL. Artwork on view will be judged, and first, second and third place winners chosen.

The Neches River Festival King and his court will attend a reception at 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 19 and will hand out awards for the show. The reception is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.

To continue being able to support visual art and arts education in our area, the BAL will also hold its annual Garage Sale from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

on Saturday, April 4. McCrary said the fund-raiser will raise operational funds to keep the league functioning for another year. The BAL celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2013 and continues to be a member-supported, non-profit organization hosting a variety of art shows, exhibitions, classes, workshops and other events throughout the year.

The Beaumont Art League is located at 2675 Gulf Ave. in Beau¬mont and is open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

Visit beaumontartleague.org or call 409.833.4179 for more information.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE

MUDBUGS TO BARBECUE TO BAKLAVA: Belly Up for Authentic Southeast Texas Grub Experience the soul of Southeast Texas this spring when culture collides with cuisine at four annual food fests, or should we say feasts. Pry, pick and peel your way through a huge pile of perfectly prepared crawfish at the Mauriceville Crawfish Festival. Later in the month, eat mudbugs from another mother at the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce Annual LobsterChampagne & Ribs April 16, 6:30 p.m.

Join the battle against prostate cancer and prepare for fo the astronomical party of the light lig year, the Gift of Life, Champagne pa & Ribs at Ford Park. For tickets et and information, contact the Gift Gi of Life at 409.833.3663 or go online on to giftoflifebmt.org.

35th Annual Mauriceville Crawfish Festival April 17, 5 -11 p.m.; April 18, 10 a.m.-12 a.m.; April 19, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Money can’t bayou happiness, but it can bayou crawfish and that’s sort of the same thing, at least that’s what they’re saying in Mauriceville. The biggest celebration of that little red bug we love – crawfish - comes to the Crawfish Capital of Texas – Mauriceville – on the fairgrounds the second weekend in April.

But it’s more than mudbugs. This small-town fundraiser hosts big events – a parade, carnival, shopping and a barbecue cook-off plus live entertainment.

Eat and compete! Order up some of the 5,000 pounds of crawfish that will likely be sold and eaten during the three-day event but consider racing your mudbug, too. The festival includes crawfish eating and racing competitions. Mauriceville youth

Fest. Serving up some savory samples of barbecue - The Vidor Chamber of Commerce at the Texas Bar-B-Q Festival where you can dance off the calories and come back for more! Then raise your glass to Greek beer and the finest Mediterranean food in the land – Opa! It’s time for the Med Fest at St. Miox Christian Church. chael Orthodox

football players, coaches and staff sell the crawfish laying and collect the proceeds to improve playing fields, equipment and uniforms.

Youth also are entertaining this year. All bands and choirs from Mauriceville Middle School and Little Cypress Mauriceville Junior High School and High School will perform during the day on Saturday as Beau Garcon (the Crawfish Festival’s mascot) salutes education throughout the 2015 15 festival weekend. You’ll see him and Little Cypress ypress Mauriceville Independent School District ct Superintendent Pauline Hargrove together as the he grand marshals of the parade Saturday at 9 a.m. Businesses, high schools bands and drill teams, churches and local organizations will proceed down Texas 12 from FM 1136 to Texas 62 turning right at Market Basket.

In addition to the crawfish peelin’ and eatin,’ approximately 15 food vendors will offer a variety of carnival fare like kabobs and funnel cake, barbecue and corn dogs. Crafters from near and far will exhibit their specialty items on the grounds near the carnival rides. You’ll find 25 vendors showcasing homemade items like jewelry and fudge, hair bows and henna tattoos, plus boutique-type apparel and gifts.

And, local talent – barbecue cookers - compete for bragging rights in the Good Ol’ Boy BBQ Cook Off. Parking is free (but donations for Project Safe Graduation are appreciated). For more information contact Darla Norman at Jdnorman90@att.net, for crafts Kathy Keath at 409.782.3488 and visit the Mauriceville Crawfish Festival on Facebook at facebook.com/mauricevillecrawfishfestival.

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE FRIDAY $5 adults; kids under 5 are free The Cadillacs, 7-11 p.m.

SATURDAY $5 after 5 p.m. $7 per person - Midnight LCM Jazz Bands and Choirs, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Creole Cooking , 4-8 p.m.

Midnight River Choir, 9 p.m.-midnight SUNDAY $4 Keith Kire Band, 1-3 p.m.

Texas Bar-B-Q Q Festival April 23, 5-10 p.m.; April 24, 5-midnight; April 25, 12–7 p.m.; April 26, 12-5 p.m.

The food and fun are both sanctioned at the Texas Bar-B-Q Festival at Conn Park Complex in Vidor. This Vidor Chamber of Commerce fundraiser, the largest of the chamber’s events, is an anticipated festival not only for its food but its local live music.

Winners of the Texas Star Music Competition held on April 8 and 9 at Benoit’s Louis Hall will determine three musical talents to perform during Thursday night of the festival. Plus cash prizes are awarded to the top three band winners.

Still at the core of this IBCA (International Barbecue Cookers Association)-sanctioned event is brisket and ribs and pork and beans with the winning team receiving $7,000. Last year 40 teams competed in the finger-lickin,’ kiss the cook event, and the chamber is expecting even more chefs to show up this year.

The pits fire up Friday and include two special contest – a mystery dish contest as well as a Kids Q Competition. In the mystery dish contest, teams are given a food item, like an avocado or beans, and they’ve got to turn that food item into something tasty. Kiddos, accompanied by an adult, are given two pork chops to cook up using only wood and wood products in their own little contest.

Friendly competition, including horseshoes and washers, good eats, jamming tunes and carnival rides, is what this weekend is all about.

Parking is $5, and cost to enter the festival is $2 per person. Carnival rides are priced separately.

For more information contact vidorchamber@sbcglobal.net or visit their website at vidorchamber.com.

SoutheastTexasEvents.com

Greater Beaumont umont Chamber off Commerce 24th Annual al LobsterFest May 1, 6:30 p.m.

LobsterFestt is a major fundraiser for the chamber mber featuring the kingliest crustacean off the ocean – fresh Maine lobster flown in especially for the event. More specifically LobsterFest features “chicken lobsters,” also called chix, which are lobsters weighing between 1 pound and 1 ¼ pounds, the sweetest, most tender lobsters available. The sea delicacy is paired with a perfectly grilled, juicy steak, sweet corn on the cob and red bliss potatoes.

LobsterFest, at the Beaumont Civic Center, also features a silent auction and cover tunes by the dance band Champagne Room, covering every genre of music including Motown, R&B, funk, disco and old school hip hop.

All proceeds from the golf tournament and dinner aid the chamber’s community and economic development efforts for the Southeast Texas area.

Previous years’ dollars have gone to support passage of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and the deepening of the Sabine Neches Waterway as well as securing new investments in Beaumont like the Greenfield methanol plant to be built by Natgasoline, creating 3000 construction jobs and 280 permanent jobs and many long-term initiatives that have a tremendous impact on the local economy.

For tickets to LobsterFest, contact the chamber at 409.838.6581.

St. Michael’s Mediterranean Festival May 2, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Tabouli! Pastitsio! Dolmades! OH MY! St. Michael’s Mediterranean Festival has become one of the most anticipated one-day eating events of the entire year. Even if you’ve never heard of tabouli (freshly chopped parsley, tomatoes, cucumbers, green onions and mint), pastitsio (layers of pasta, ground beef and béchamel cream sauce baked and topped with marinara) or dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), there’s nothing to fear but missing out!

The festival at St. Michael’s, located at 680 N. 15th St.,

actually offers two tracks of o eating. The inside track, which serves a traditiona traditional Middle Eastern dinner - pplate of cabbage rolls, kibbbee, green beans and pita bbread, plus the individual ssale of the most divine ssugary desserts, cookies an and cakes - and an outside track, tented a la carte fare in the church’s side yard including authentic Greek, Arabic and Lebanese delicacies with a side of entertainment. Additional food items include handmade falafel (ground chickpeas blended with fresh cilantro, parsley, fava beans, onions); chicken and beef kabobs; lamb and beef gyros; spanakopita (phyllo dough pastry with spinach and cheese); Arabic and Greek coffees, beers and wines; and a variety of pastries and ice creams.

Sit and stay awhile. The day includes lively authentic music and dance as well as a kids’ area with petting zoo, camel rides, bungee jump and magic performances by Disney Cruise Lines Master Entertainer Chad Chesmark. Magic shows times are 12 p.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. There’s shopping, too. A bazaar includes ethnic groceries, jewelry, t-shirts and church cookbook with all of the festival recipes.

Everyone is invited to peruse the heritage booths displaying a collection of Greek and Middle Eastern clothing, fine china, books and keepsakes accumulated from Southeast Texas families.

And tours of the church will be offered four times throughout the day.

Admission is free. Food and drink tickets are $10 for 10 coupons for a la carte purchases. This year pre-sale tickets are available online at www.eventjoy.com/e/st-michael-mediterranean-festival and eventjoy has a free app for iPhone users that allows registrants to receive updates about the event. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Gift of Life Program. For more information visit www.stmichaelmedfest.com or follow them on Facebook at St-Michael-Mediterranean-Festival as well as on Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat. You can also email stmichaelmedfest@gmail.com with questions.

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ENTERTAINMENT

SYMPHONY’S GRAND FINALE CONCERT “RACH’ ON” For its grand finale, the Symphony of Southeast Texas will “Rach’ On” performing a Classic Series concert with a twist.

Saturday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. at the Julie Rogers Theatre, the orchestra will be joined by the Symphony of Southeast Texas (SOST) Chorus and local favorite, pianist Philippe Bianconi, who will play both Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3, a rare feat for any pianist.

“Each concert this season had something out of the ordinary, and for this one we have pianist Philippe Bianconi pulling double duty playing piano on the Choral Fantasy on the first half of the concert and then to come out and play a work of Olympian proportion like the Rachmaninoff Third Piano concerto is really unheard of,” said Maestro Chelsea Tipton. “But Philippe has always been so good to the SOST and the Beaumont community. He has played here many times. He is a world-class pianist, and we always have so much fun making music together.”

Bianconi, who resides in France, has been described as an artist whose playing is “always close to the soul of the music, filling the space with poetry and life,” (Washington Post) and who offers “an extraordinary exhibition of musicianship, technical control and good taste” (The London Times). Bianconi was awarded the Silver Medal in the Seventh Van Cli-

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$ )HZ 7KLQJV WR .QRZ Q: Is there an intermission?

A: Yes! There will be an intermission midway through the performance.

Intermissions are usually 15 to 20 minutes long. This gives you a chance to socialize, enjoy a glass of wine or soft drink, or visit the facilities.

Q: When should I arrive?

A: We recommend you arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance.

This will allow time to park and find your seat in the auditorium. If you arrive after the concert has started, ushers will escort you to your seat at an appropriate break in the concert.

Also, if you have never been to a symphony concert, you may want to attend the pre-concert chat at 6:30 p.m. the day of the concert. Maestro Chelsea Tipton discusses some of the more interesting aspects of the program that you may not get from the program notes.

Q: When do I clap?

A: Modern audiences tend to wait until the end of an entire piece to clap. Why? Holding applause between movements is considered to be respectful to the performers' concentration and mindful of musical continuity. The conductor will let you know when a piece is over by putting his baton down and turning to face the audience. burn International Competition and made his acclaimed recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 1987. Since then, he has appeared as a soloist with leading orchestras and was recently endowed with the prestigious directorship of the American Conservatory at Fontainebleau.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 is one of the most well-known piano concertos and also one of the most technically challenging pieces ever written in the standard classical repertoire. Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” is a work that is not performed often but has a close kinship to his Ninth Symphony in sound and character. The SOST Chorus, under the direction of James Han, will lend its voice to this brilliant finale.

To purchase tickets or get more information, go to www.sost.org or contact the symphony office at 409.892.2257. Ticket prices range from $17 to $41; senior, student and group discounts are available.

Stand-up comic Ron White will make a stop in Beaumont at the Julie Rogers Theatre April 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available through ticketmaster.com or by calling the Beaumont Civic Center box office at 409.838.3234.

Stand-up performer and actor Chris Tucker is coming to Ford Park, April 11 at 8 p.m.

Tickets run between $40 and $60 and are available at fordpark.com or by calling the ticket office at 409.951.5400.

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KIDS' CORNER

ARRESTING AMUSEMENTS Cops & Kids Carnival 2015

By Shelly Vitanza Seems unlikely that policemen and young people would party together.

But that’s not unusual in Southeast Texas. A big party on April 18 brings these two groups together - Cops & Kids Carnival from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. on the Great Lawn at Beaumont Event Centre.

Targeting elementary age kiddos and their parents, the free public event features favored amusements like rock climbing walls, bouncy houses, slides, a dunking booth, food, drinks and lots of games.

Having fun with uniformed officers is the primary purpose, but a secondary mission is personal safety and crime prevention.

“We hand out a lot of fingerprint kits to the parents, get a chance to visit with the children about ‘stranger danger’ and also ‘good touch, bad touch’ and just basic safety tips about things like getting to and from school, how to prevent bullying and basic issues that children can face today that cause them trouble and get them in a bind,” said Rob Flores, Beaumont police officer and supervisor of the police community relations unit. “It takes a village to raise kids, and the Beaumont Police Department is part of that village.”

The carnival and the Halloween Trunk or Treat are the two most vis-

ible events of the Beaumont Police Department Cops & Kids Youth Outreach Program engaging children of all ages with law enforcement officers in a positive way. However, police officers are active in the community of kids throughout the year. It’s estimated that 9,500 Southeast Texas kids will have a positive interaction with a police officer in 2015 through one of the Cops & Kids Programs like the BISD Reading Program. Monthly, police officers go to a different elementary school campus and read to children.

Beaumont police officers also teach YALE – Youth and Law Enforcement - summer camp for high schoolers interested in law enforcement. The didactic program is so popular it will be incorporated into the fall 2015 curriculum of criminal justice classes in a BISD high school as a pilot program. If successful the officer-taught curriculum will launch in additional high schools in 2016.

“YALE in the high schools will also allow us to expand the conversation with kids,” said Flores. “We can talk to kids about what they’re upset about and get their perspectives, allow them to vent and lessen any tension in the community.”

In conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America, Beaumont Police De-

partment offers an Explorer program – Post 730 – for young people ages 14-20 who may be interested in careers in law enforcement. Police offers teach the scouts real how-to law enforcement skills such as hostage negotiations, arrest, search and seizure, and how to do crime prevention presentations. The scouts then use these skills to compete against kids involved in similar programs in other cities across Texas.

According to Flores, Post 730 has consistently finished in the top three.

Beaumont Police Department hosts a Cops & Kids Bicycle Rodeo to teach bicycle safety. More than 400 pedaled in this year’s February rodeo.

At Christmas time Blue Santa ensures that children who may not otherwise receive gifts experience the magic of

Christmas through gift giving.

“The best part of my day, and I think it is for a lot of officers, is when a child walks up to us and says ‘you talked to my school; you read this book to me.’ That’s a connection, and they remember us,” said Flores. “Kids are coming to us kindergarten through fourth and fifth grades and telling us they met us. There is an instant connection, and they are viewing us as community servants and possibly role models, and that’s what we want.”

For more information about the Cops & Kids Youth Outreach Programs or the carnival on April 18, email Rob Flores at rflores@ci.beaumont. tx.us or call 409.880.3825.

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FESTIVALS

CULTURAL CELEBRATION: CARNIVAL DES CAJUN

By Blake Kyler Cajun country stretches from the balconied streets of the French Quarter through the sloughs and bayous of southern Louisiana to the honky-tonks of Southeast Texas and encompasses peoples and environments as varied as they are strange and enchanting. With a culture as rich and complex as the gumbo that is its signature dish, it should come as no surprise that this area has long attracted the interest of vacationers, adventurers, directors, writers, musicians, historians, Catholics and much more. However, those of us lucky enough to call this place home perhaps take for granted the ecological and cultural diversity that makes our subtropical swathe of the Gulf Coast the subject of such fascination and intrigue.

Enter the Carnival des Cajuns, a two-day festival dedicated to the people, the music, the food, and the culture of Southeast Texas and South Louisiana. Join the Southeast Texas Arts Council and the Golden Triangle Chapter of the Cajun French Music Association for a weekend of all-day singing, dancing and eating as we celebrate the Cajun way, with a bowl of gumbo in one hand, your partner on the other and the boot-scooting, two-stepping rhythms of a zydeco band sending you round and round the dance floor. With music by local musicians, food from local vendors and a crawfish-eating competition, you can’t go wrong. Whether you call yourself Cajun or not, you’re sure to be swept up and captivated by the esprit de corp which makes our home one of the liveliest and most di-

verse places in the country.

The Carnival des Cajuns will be held at the Port Arthur Pavilion at 500 Procter St. from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 and 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday, April 12. Tickets will be $5 at the gate.

Children 12 and under attend for free. For more information please contact the Southeast Texas Arts Council at setxac.org or call 409.835.2787.

CHARITY

BLOWOUT FOR THE TEXAS ENERGY MUSEUM

By Anne East Pediatric neurosurgeon, New York Times best-selling author and columnist Benjamin Carson will speak at

Benjamin Carson

Blowout 2015, the Texas Energy Museum’s annual sponsorship event, on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Beaumont Civic Center.

Carson had a childhood dream of becoming a physician. Growing up in a single parent home and being challenged by dire poverty, poor grades, a horrible temper and low self-esteem appeared to preclude the realization of that dream until his mother, with only a third-grade education, challenged her sons to strive for excellence. Carson persevered and today is an emeritus professor of neurosurgery, oncology, plastic surgery and pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where he directed pediatric neurosurgery at the Johns Hop-

kins Children’s Center for 39 years.

Carson is president and co-founder of the Carson Scholars Fund, which recognizes young people of all backgrounds for exceptional academic and humanitarian accomplishments. The fund is currently operating in 50 states and the District of Columbia, having awarded more than $5.6 million dollars to more than 5,600 scholars.

The annual blowout event raises funds for the Texas Energy Museum’s exhibitions and public education programs focusing on science, history and energy. Previous speakers have included Robert Mueller, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee, Karl Rove, Laura Bush, Newt Gingrich, Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell and Rudy Giuliani.

The museum has a summer exhibit called Lights & Mirrors beginning in June and running through Labor Day. Two bubble days and a space camp also are planned this summer. Visit their website at texasenergymuseum. org for the exact dates and times on these exciting events.

Seating for the blowout is available by reservation only. Table contribution levels are $1,000; $2,500; $5,000, and $10,000. Individual seats are $125, and all tables seat eight. Dress is casual western with live entertainment provided by the Mid-Life Crisis Band. Call the Texas Energy Museum at 409.833.5100 to reserve your table or seats.

(9(5<7+,1* 5(' The American Heart Association will host its annual Go Red for Women Luncheon on April 9 at the Beaumont Country Club to raise funds for cardiovascular disease and stroke research, awareness and education. The luncheon aims to empower women to take charge of their heart health and fight cardiovascular diseases, which claim more women’s lives than all forms of cancer combined.

Heart disease is not just a man’s disease; in fact, more women than men are affected by it. Every year, one in three women in the United States die of heart disease or stroke. And sadly, often women

don’t notice the symptoms of heart disease and stroke until it is too late.

Annie Green will chair the event, and honorees are Amy Lovoi and JoEllyn Jowers. The Go Red For Women Luncheon featured speaker is Susan Peterson of the Mayo Clinic, who will share recent developments for the heart. Henry Venta, dean of the College of Business at Lamar University, will also share his heart story during the event. This year the focus is on “Everything Red” as the theme for the silent auction.

Tickets are $65 per person, with corporate or

group tables still available. Reservations can be made online at charla.davidson@heart.org or by calling Charla Davidson at 409.550.1753.

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FREE FUN

COMMUNITYWIDE PARADE CELEBRATES 67TH NECHES RIVER FESTIVAL Southeast Texas will celebrate its youth, its community and its greatest natural resource – the Neches River - Saturday, April 18 during a 13-day festival that includes a community-wide parade.

The entire community is invited to experience the pageantry and tradition of Southeast Texas’ most established parade.

The festive march will begin at 10 a.m. on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Calder Avenue at the Mildred Building and include Beaumont school marching bands, floats from local businesses and area schools, city officials and all of the Neches River Festival princesses and duchesses and their escorts. Spectators can lineup on the parade route - Calder Avenue to Willow Street to Liberty Avenue to Neches Street ending at the back of the lawn of the Event Centre, 700 Crockett St. near the lake - for freebies such as beads, candy and other goodies.

“We just hope the community will come out to show support for these young people, those in the festival and those marching and performing, but also come out to a festival that has brought our community together for more than six decades, ” said Ashley Messina, parade chairwoman.

This year marks the 67th annual festival beginning Tuesday, April 14 through Sunday,

April 26 with an array of community events including: • Announcement of the 2015 Citizen of the Year, April 16 at 10 a.m. Veranda Restaurant, MCM Elegante • Neches River Festival Parade, April 18 at 10 a.m. from Calder and MLK Boulevard to the Event Centre.

• Neches River Festival Art Exhibit, Reception and Award Announcement, April 19 at 2 p.m., Beaumont Art League; exhibit, April 15-25, Beaumont Art League.

• Milady Garden Reception for King Neches LXVII, April 19 at 3 p.m., Garden Center, Tyrrell Park.

• Neches River Festival Bridge Tournament, April 20-26, Beaumont Bridge Studio.

• Neches River Festival Coronation, April 25, 7 p.m., Julie Rogers Theatre; queen is crowned from 35 local princesses; grand duchesses is announced from four visiting duchesses.

• Neches River Festival Coronation Ball, April 25 immediately after the coronation at the Beaumont Civic Center.

The Neches River Festival invites senior girls in the Beaumont area who are in good standing with their schools, to be princesses. Each princess then invites an escort. The princesses and escorts are eligible to receive the Otho Plummer/Neches River Festival Scholarship at Lamar University.

The education that the participants receive throughout the festival is invaluable. They learn the importance of interviewing, of interacting with adults as well as their peers and of presenting themselves in front of a live audience.

“The Neches River Festival is for families and friends to embrace and celebrate our most valuable assets, our children and the economic opportunities that Southeast Texas affords us,” said Steve McGrade, president of the 67th Neches River Festival. “The festival has a lot of traditions and pageantry, but it also teaches our young people the history of our area, the economic strength of our region, and it instills in them pride about who they are and where they have been raised. The festival ultimately creates ambassadors for our area and gives these young people an experience and memories they can hold on to for the rest of their lives no matter where they reside. Hopefully as a result they’ll always consider Southeast Texas home.”

For information about the Neches River Festival parade or any other activities, call Nancy Fertitta, executive director, 409.835.2443 or email her at nechesrvrfestival@sbcglobal.net. In addition, the Neches River Festival has a website – nechesriverfestival.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

LIFE ON THE FASTTRACK ROLLS OUT IN APRIL

By Shelly Vitanza Donning helmets, elbow and knee pads, teeth guards and surly attitudes, Southeast Texas’ roller derby team, the Spindletop Roller Girls, take to the flat track for their seventh season beginning this April.

Since these girls on wheels were founded as a non-profit organization in 2008, they’ve become one of 250 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) ranked teams with a 27-page rule book, fan base, merchandise and a winning past.

“It’s competitive but not what you see on TV,” said Valerie Breaux, who is the mother of a 10-year-old and the Great Val Fucious on the flat track. “It’s

not bloody and ugly but fun family entertainment, and something kids love and enjoy seeing.”

The fast-paced sporting event called a “bout,” includes 10 players, five from each team, who enter an 88-foot oval track for two halves consisting of as many "jams" as can fit into the time frame. Each "jam" is two minutes long or when the lead “jammer” calls off that jam. The “jammer” from each team tries to score points by getting through the other team’s blockers, the other four players. All blockers are focused on getting their jammer through the pack but also on blocking the other team’s jammer from getting past them.

Although the days of choreographed savagery and theatrics are history, some traditions of the game still exist, including physical contact. But a “clothesline,” a move from the 1940s days of roller derby made to completely knock a player so hard her clothes fly one direction and she lands on her butt, will put today’s players in the “sin bin,” the penalty box, as will an intentional elbow to the face or knee to the gut.

Players can do a can opener, a shoulder to the chest; a thigh check, a slam from the hips into the front thighs, which takes a player’s legs out; hip checks that can send a player flying; and full body checks, when a player throws her entire body at another player.

“We’re one of the smallest leagues in the state, so with these bout requirements that means most of our teammates never actually leave the track for most of the bout with the exception of our halftime or a quick water break,” said Ashli Gonzalez, a.k.a Lola VonBruiser, and captain of the team. “With that

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being said, it's great to note that the women of the Spindletop Roller Girls consider ourselves true athletes. This isn't something that we do because we're bored or want to get out of the house.

We train hard at practice and literally leave it all on the track by the time the end of each one of our bouts is over. I, by no means, am trying to make us out to be the ‘David’ of the Derby World, but when our team goes up against a ‘Goliath’ of a team that has 20 or more members, it's an amazing sight to see. We're considered the underdog. We are the longest-running team to last in Southeast Texas. That should really say something, not only about the team as a whole, but for the fans who love us.”

The Spindletop Roller Girls love Southeast Texas, too. Every bout the team showcases a local charity, raising funds and awareness for that charity. In the past the Roller Girls have featured March of Dimes, the Gift of Life Program, Some Other Place, 18 Shade of Greyhound, Disabled American Veterans and the Southeast Texas Food Bank.

For slams and jams, can openers and body checks, take in a bout this season at the Beaumont Civic Center. Tickets are $10; $5 for kids 12 and under.

Doors for all bouts open at 6 p.m. allowing an hour before the game for fans to watch warm ups with teams and referees but also allowing a “Derby 101” session. Five members of each team go on track and skate through the strategy of the game in slow motion, thoroughly explaining what’s happening.

Keep up with Southeast Texas Spindletop Roller Girls at www. spindletoprollergirls.com. and on Facebook at facebook.com/ spindletop.rollergirls.

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TEE OFF FOR CHARITY: Golf Tournaments for a Cause

April 10 Miracle Match for Life Golf Tournament, Brentwood Country Club May 1 Alzheimer’s "A Round to Remember" Golf Tournament, Tyrrell Park May 3 American Valve March of Dimes Golf Tournament, Wildwood Resort Golf Course May 4 Trinity United Methodist Church 11th Annual Bruce Allred Golf Tournament, Beaumont Country Club May 8 HealthSouth Stroke Classic, Brentwood Golf Course May 11 Girls’ Haven Golf Tournament, Beaumont Country Club May 14 Adaptive Sports for KIDDS, Brentwood Country Club May 15 Cajun Classic Golf Tournament benefiting Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas Foundation, Beaumont Country Club May 16 Harmony Science Academy Golf Tournament, Bayou Din Golf Course

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GO OUT

HARDIN COUNTY HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL A Popular Place for Recreation

By Michael Rodgers When the new Hardin County Hike and Bike Trail was dedicated last October, it celebrated a new opportunity for fun, fitness and families.

Now, with the trail open and a popular attraction for cyclists, joggers and walkers, words such as "beautiful," "safe" and "family friendly" are commonly used by people who have travelled its length and enjoyed the experience.

The seven-mile trail runs from the Super 8 Motel on U.S. 69 in Kountze to near the Big Thicket Visitors Center as it winds in and out of the trees along the route, Sheri Baden, a member of the Southeast Texas Hike and Bike Coalition, a group formed to promote cycling in the area, is very excited about it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It's beautiful," said Baden. "The trees provide a barrier between the trail and the highway, and the 10-foot wide trail is safe and gives plenty of room for everyone."

Safety is one of the reasons that the Kountze Chamber of Commerce pushed strongly for the

$2.7 million project, funded entirely by the State of Texas.

Highway 69 is a heavily trafficked area, with cars and trucks rushing by at high speeds. It can be a risky trip for cyclists and others who use the shoulders for their exercise.

The trail is 10 to 12 feet off the main highway and provides a much safer alternative.

Tom Thompson, a past president of the Hike and Bike Coalition, has ridden it five or six times and said, "It's great for everyone, and since it's off 69, it's perfect for children and their parents to get exercise and enjoy the sights. A neat place to ride."

Safety was built in to the trail from the start. It's a concrete path that crosses several streets and some driveways along the route. Stop signs warn users of possible traffic along the way. Further, the path is level with the streets and driveways, so there is no bump where they meet.

The Hardin County Hike and Bike Trail was incorporated into the annual Big Thicket Bike Ride held every spring.

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HEALTH, WELLNESS & EDUCATION

REDUCING THE HARM CAUSED BY TOBACCO Gift of Life Tobacco Control Coalition of Southeast Texas Enlists Community Alliances

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By Kathie Platt On Feb. 19, the Gift of Life Program introduced greater Southeast Texas to the Gift of Life Tobacco Control Coalition of Southeast Texas during a public meeting at St. Stephens Episcopal Church, Broce Hall. A $75,000 grant from the Hearst Foundation, awarded in October, has infused the “Gift of Life” Program with new momentum and resources, enabling them to reignite earlier anti-tobacco efforts with greater visibility and community involvement.

The goal of the newly formed coalition is to reduce the harm caused by tobacco by initiating and sustaining a community-wide campaign through the support of eight community alliances.

While the Gift of Life’s original program, Don’t Smoke Your Life Away, targeted youth in area high schools, the key to this re-envisioned campaign is forming community partnerships in the areas of business, education, faith-based organizations, government, healthcare, media/communications, nonprofit agencies and youth organizations, reaching into all sectors of the community with the message of reducing the harm caused by tobacco.

Norma Sampson, steering committee facilitator, for the coalition said, “Now the Hearst Foundation Grant breaths new life into the Tobacco Control Coalition of Southeast Texas in order to make transformational change throughout our region.”

The coalition hopes to accomplish its mission by focusing on four main objectives: to prevent the initiation of tobacco use among young people and adults; to reduce the appeal and acceptability of

tobacco use; to implement tobacco cessation initiatives; and to reduce secondhand smoke exposure, all of which will contribute to reductions in tobacco-related diseases and deaths.

Throughout the year the coalition is teaming up with annual health fairs and community events, “Plugging in the tobacco control program any way we can to spread our mission and message,” Sampson said. A key component for fulfilling the coalition objectives is the development of a Tobacco Control Tool Kit as a versatile resource created by and customized for the various alliances.

“One-third of all cancer deaths today are related to tobacco,” Sampson said. “We can’t contain the escalating costs of healthcare without committing to the two-fold promotion of awareness/prevention programs and cessation coaching. This coalition came together because so many in our community care and because, at the end of the day, we want to save our kids!”

Regina Rogers, founder and chair of the Julie Rogers “Gift of Life” Program, expressed her fervent belief that of all the many programs and services provided by the Gift of Life, “This initiative is as important as anything we’ve ever done because of the potential long-term positive health impacts on Southeast Texans.”

Barry Sharp, the state-appointed manager for the Tobacco Prevention & Control Branch in Austin, called Jefferson County “ground zero” for tobacco control and credited its earlier efforts for setting the example for other parts of the state.

“From the perspective of a health educator, what you are doing is extremely exciting because I am seeing a grassroots movement,” Sharp said. “I am seeing the community come together and take ownership and pool resources to make this happen. As somebody who works with 254 counties, it is exciting that you are able to take this initiative.”

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The Southeast Texas Food Bank will host their first Diabetes Health Fair Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Beaumont.

“We are hoping to raise diabetes awareness and introduce our clients to our new Diabetes Pantry Program,” Charrica Green said. Green, the health partnership organizer for the food bank and an AmeriCorps intern, developed the idea for the health fair after conducting a four-month community needs assessment showing diabetes to be “a major chronic disease in the eight counties we serve.”

“Feeding Texas, formerly the Texas Food Bank Network, has partnered with AmeriCorps to address poverty in communities across the U.S., transitioning food banks to a more holistic approach by helping clients become healthier through community partnerships,” Green said.

During the Saturday event guests will have access to numerous health, wellness and fitness vendors to learn about their services, to get health-related questions answered and to receive free health screenings. The American Heart Association, Nutrition & Services for Seniors, Legacy Community Health, the Best Years Center and Excellent Way Health & Wellness are just a few of the agencies who will be present.

Diabetes health educators from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, a master gardener and an HEB dietician from Houston will also share vital health information. Everyone will have the chance to win boxes of healthy food and educational materials that can help reduce diabetes.

Call Green, 409.839.8777,or email cgreen@setxfoodbank.org for more information.

The Second Annual FARE Awareness Event & Volleyball Tournament takes place Saturday, April 11, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the East Chambers High School Gym in Winnie. Nine teams participated last year and even more are expected to join in this year’s event. Event organizer Whitney Rollo became affiliated with FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) when her son was diagnosed with food allergies as an infant.

There is a $150 entry fee, which includes tshirts for up to 10 players, for those who would like to enter a team. Otherwise, admission is free. In addition to the tournament, there will be something for everyone during this familyfriendly event, including a silent auction, a bounce house, face painting, clowns, balloon animals, games, music and food. Last year’s barbecue was a big hit.

"Food allergies are increasing every year, and people are so uneducated about the subject,” Rollo said. “Please join me in my efforts to find a cure and create a world secure for those living with food allergies. Every dollar I raise for FARE will make a difference in the lives off the 15 million Americans currently living with food allergies. It only takes one bite!”

To enter a team or for more information, go to www. teamfare.org.

Or contact Rollo at 409.554.5161 or whitney.rollo@gmail.com.

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BUSINESS & NETWORKING

FEAR NOT: SPEAK WITH CONFIDENCE

By Shelly Vitanza It’s been said that the number one fear in America is public speaking and that the number two fear is death.

Worst case scenario? Feeling like you’re going to die if you have to speak in public, either socially or professionally.

Southeast Texas has a solution for such fears – Toastmasters groups help anyone – teacher, preacher, administrator, salesperson, doctor, fitness instructor, manager, mom conquer the fear of public speaking.

Toastmasters International is a global organization founded in 1924 with more than 300,000 members worldwide, more than 14,000 clubs in 126 countries. Two of those clubs are right here in Southeast Texas.

A lunch group meets the first and third Tuesdays from noon to 1 p.m. at Nutrition and Solutions, 990 Interstate 10 North, Suite 215 (next door to the Acura dealership). An evening group meets on the second and fourth Mondays at 6:30 p.m. at Lamar University in the Cherry Engineering

Building Room 3204/3206.

Toastmasters International provides local clubs with meeting formats and guidelines for helping one another improve not only communication but leadership skills. In addition individual members of the club receive books and access to other resources.

Sheryl Brocato, an environmental advisor with ExxonMobil and Toastmaster for three years, said meetings are organized and structured helping everyone improve their skills and get back to work on time.

“There is an agenda for every meeting, and we keep it to one hour. We take turns giving speeches and then evaluating the speeches based on the guides we are given from Toastmasters,” said Brocato. “We talk about how great a speech is and also what needs to improve from voice, hand gestures, eye contact or the need to be more direct. We have a guide to use to critique, but the overall result is that we build self-esteem and learn how to think on our feet.”

Speeches are timed and no longer than five to seven minutes. There is also a section of the meeting called “Table Topics,” where one volunteer provides topics for the day, and club members then volunteer to talk on the subject for two minutes.

Toastmasters is a self-paced, selfimprovement program. New members receive two workbooks: “Competent Communicator,” that teaches the art and skill of public speaking, and “Club Leadership,” a book about leadership. Once a member has completed the workbooks and met the requirements outlined in them, he or she moves up to the next level and is able to hone more specific educational tracks such as storytelling, inspirational speaking and leadership. Completion of additional tracks propels members into Toastmaster

ranks – bronze, silver, distinguished Toastmaster – and Toastmaster International notifies employers of an individual’s achievements.

“I have to give presentations to upper management, and Toastmasters gives me confidence,” said Brocato.

“I learned to make sense, be concise, not ramble; it’s been very beneficial.”

Cost for membership is $42 every six months; $36 goes to Toastmasters International for books and supplies and $6 goes to the local club. Anyone is invited to come and visit a few times, observe and then decide if membership is for them.

For more information about the lunch Toastmasters, call Sheryl Brocato at 409.659.3559. For details about the evening group at Lamar University, call Randy Conley at 409.767.3091.

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HOBBY TIME

READY TO HAVE A BALL OF YARN?

By Beth Gallaspy Maybe it’s the appeal of learning an art practiced by their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers. Maybe it’s the satisfaction of making something beautiful with only a pair of needles, a skein of colorful yarn and skillful hands. Maybe it’s the relaxing, Zen-like calm it brings. Whatever the reason, the hobby of knitting has a growing number of enthusiasts in Southeast Texas.

Rainy Kimbrough learned to knit as a child watching her grandmother. She became more interested in the craft about 14 years ago and seven years ago opened Strings and Things, a specialty shop in Beaumont offering yarns and other knitting and crocheting supplies.

“For me, part of the appeal is the tradition,” Kimbrough said. “I also like that it’s so low-tech. We need that balance, not just the instant gratification.

Knitting will teach you patience.”

Interest in knitting continues with new people visiting the shop almost weekly to ask about taking up the hobby. Strings and Things offers knitting classes with supplies included in the fee. And on any given afternoon, a happy group of knitters settles into the comfy couches in the back to work on projects and trade tips and tricks. Kimbrough said she and the knitting circle are always willing to help new knitters learn more and solve the problems they encounter along the way.

“I’ve seen some real friendships form in this knit-

ting circle. If the shop’s open, people are welcome to come in and knit.”

More younger women seem to be taking up knitting in Southeast Texas. “With 20-somethings, there seems to be a return to older, hand-crafted ways. I see a lot of crossover with artists, people who appreciate the beauty of color and texture.”

For more information on knitting classes and supplies, call 409.225.5185 or visit the store’s website at www.stringsandthingsyarn.com.

CLASSIFIED PICK OF THE MONTH

ECO FRIENDLY WITH KNOT TOO SHABBY FURNITURE

By Dominique Delgado With Earth Day coming soon, what better way to be eco-friendly than to revamp an old piece of furniture? Sarah Stewart’s Knot Too Shabby furniture company gives your old treasures some TLC through a process she calls “upcycling.”

Stewart started renovating her own old furniture around her house as a hobby. Then she started finding good pieces of furniture that just needed some artistic vision to look as good as new again. Now her hobby has become a business. She has been refurbishing and selling furniture for more than a year.

Most recently Stewart started taking custom orders. Customers find outdated pieces of furniture and take it to Stewart, and she personalizes it to their order or design. Stewart does everything from painting tables and rocking chairs to reupholstering chairs and couches. She also revamps full sets of furniture.

Prices range from $140-150 for dressers, $75 for rocking chairs, $50 for small end tables and $200 for farmhouse tables. In most cases furniture is done in about a week, but time varies according to order.

Visit Southeasttexas.com or www.facebook.com/muddymermaids to view Stewarts’s own revamped items for sale. For custom orders, email stewart_sarahmarie@yahoo.com or call 409.344.0489.

CARTOON CORNER

Are you a Southeast Texas artisan who advertises on SoutheastTexas.com?

Contact us to be featured in this section.

Call 409.201.9934 or email shelly@southeasttexas.com.

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SOUTHEASTTEXAS.COM BY THE NUMBERS

ALL EVENTS ON SOUTHEASTTEXASEVENTS.COM In September 2012 SoutheastTexas.com, the most visited website in Southeast Texas, by several 100,000 page views a month, merged SETXsocialcenter.com’s calendar of events into its offerings. All of the events happening in Southeast Texas can now be accessed from SoutheastTexas.

com’s “Event” tab and also directly by going to southeasttexasevents.com.

Several community calendars exist in the area, but several attributes or services distinguish SoutheastTexas. com’s calendar from the others. First, SoutheastTexas.com staff seek events in the community and enter them into the calendar with no prompting from others. We don’t wait for community event organizers, organizations or event venues to upload their events onto the calendar. There is an active harvesting of events to ensure ALL events for any given month are included. The goal, obviously, is to provide the most comprehensive listing of events not only for going to but also so event planners and organizers can avoid planning too many

events on the same day, time, etc.

Another distinction about the SoutheastTexas.com calendar is it generates the event listings in the EventsBook. No other community calendar serves as the basis for a publication, promoting events to the community in print format. Community events from the SoutheastTexas. com calendar are also promoted on SoutheastTexas.com’s Facebook page at facebook.com/southeasttexascom and Twitter.

Finally, the calendar has more event

listings than any other calendar in the areas extending up to two years of events. The calendar is easy to navigate by day, category of event and even by organization and key word.

Calendar listings are free, both online and in the EventsBook, and there is an easy “Add to Calendar” tab for anyone to use who has an event in the Southeast Texas nine-county area.

Check it out at southeasttexasevents.com!

The community is invited to place ONE AD A MONTH FOR FREE! Call for information, 409.832.9869 If you want to buy and sell local, YOUR best choice is SoutheastTexas.com.

Contact live support at www.southeasttexas.com/help/index2.cfm or call 409.832.9869, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

SNEAK PEEK may Get in Gear, Stay Revved Crank your engines early in the month at the 11th Annual Mustang & All Ford Show at Silsbee Ford May 2, and don’t motor down till Anything That Rollss Crawfish Cook-offff & Car Show at Whites Memoorial Park in Anana huac, May 30.

Fla Flavor Savoring… …continues with the Beaumont C Chamber LobsterFest May 1, Medite terranean Festival at St. Michael C Church May 2 and then the crusttacean-iest crazed event of the yyear – the 30th Annual Texas Crab Festival in Boliva Bolivar Peninsula May 8, 9 and 10.

Celebrity Sightings CHRISTUS LiveWell Women’s Conference is on Saturday, May 9 at Ford Park with luncheon speakers Bill and Giuliani Rancic, and a full day of shopping, workshops, demonstrations and health screenings.

Then on May 15, Ford Park hosts another celebrity – Jason Aldean – known for his country western hits like “Big Green Tractor,” and “Amarillo Sky,” and for traditionally selling out Ford Park!

SETX Theater Port Arthur Little Theater presents “On Golden Pond,” and students at Lamar Univeristy perform “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” both the first weekend in May. Mid-May “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” opens at the Betty Greenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Mother’s Day weekend “Listen to your Mother” presents local speakers and stories about motherhood.

Fun for Funds The Kentucky Derby inspires the fun for funds event for Beaumont Community Players May 2 – Run for the Roses; Nutrition and Services for Seniors will salute three seniors May 7 at its Deliver the Difference Luncheon benefiting Meals On Wheels, including Marie Broussard, Shirlene Cook and Pete Shelton; and the Beaumont Children’s Museum opens its doors for the first time for its gala “A Night at the Museum," May 14.

Who Will Carry the Torch No other event identifies exceptional business practice like the Better Business Bureau Torch Awards, being held this year at the Beaumont Civic Center on Cinco de Mayo, May 5.

Health Happening May 19 the Alzheimer’s Association is hosting the 2015 Dementia Conference at the LIT Multi-Purpose Center.

May 21 the Pink Power Network discusses “Are You a Foodie!” and every Monday at 11:30 a.m. Nutrition Solutions host its Intentional Eating Group Class.

See all of these events and more at southeasttexasevents.com.

3$5(176 Be sure and search the “Kid Camp” tab for a comprehensive listing of all of the Summer Camps in Southeast Texas and look for our May EventsBook listing them all.

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EVENT LISTINGS WEEKLY Fridays 7:30 AM Beaumont Business Connection, MCM Elegant Hotel, 409.842.1913 Saturdays 8:00 AM Beaumont Farmers Market, Langham Municipal Athletic Complex 10:00 AM Neches River Adventures, Riverfront Park, downtown Beaumont, 409.651.5326 1-5 YMBL South Texas State Fair at Ford Park, 409.951.5400 2 3:00 PM BBB - ABC’s of Growing Your Business “Training & Networking," MCM Elegant Hotel, 409.835.5951 x 117 5:00 PM First Thursdays on Calder, The Mildred, 409.833.9919 3 6:30 PM Maurice Abelman Exhibit at High Street Gallery, High Street Gallery, 409.351.4496 4 8:00 AM Beaumont Art League Garage Sale, Beaumont Art League, 409.833.4179 8:00 AM Art of the Garden, Beaumont Botanical Gardens, 409.842.3135 9:00 AM The Color Vibe, Event Centre, 409.838.3435 11:00 AM St. Mark's Easter Egg Hunt Under the Oaks, St. Mark Episcopal Church, 409.832.3405 1:00 PM John J. French Museum’s 1st Annual Eas-

ter Egg Hunt, John Jay French Museum, 409.832.4010 2:00 PM "Rise Up with Jesus" Easter Event, First United Methodist Church – Nederland, 409.722.4379 5 HAPPY EASTER!

7 6:00 PM BBB Laws of Life Banquet, Event Centre, 409.835.5951 x. 117 8 11:30 AM Lamar Small Business Development Center: Bookkeeping 101, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 6:00 PM Lamar Small Business Development Center: Interactive Website Builder for your Business, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 9 11:30 AM Golden Triangle American Heart Association Go Red for Women Educational Luncheon, Beaumont Country Club, 409.550.1753 6:00 PM Neuroscience Lecture Series, Kirby-Hill House, 409.246.8000

6:30 PM Texas Energy Museum Blowout 2015, Beaumont Civic Center, 409.833.5100 7:30 PM City of Beaumont’s Classic Movie Nights “What's Love Got to do With It,” Jefferson Theatre, 409.838-3435 10 & 11 8:30 AM BBQ Cook-Off, Beaumont Elk’s Lodge, 409.673.3166 10 8:00 AM Miracle Match for Life Golf Tournament, Brentwood Country Club 11 8:00 AM 2nd Annual FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) Awareness Event, East Chambers High School Gym, 409.554.5161 9:00 AM Slow Art Day, Stark Museum of Art, 409.886.2787 9:00 AM Southeast Texas Food Bank Diabetes Health Fair, St. Mark Episcopal Church, 409.839.8777 10:00 AM Get WILD ABOUT SAVINGS: Education First FCU Youth Financial Literacy Day, Education First Training Building, 409.896.8785 10:00 AM Carnival Des Cajun, Port Arthur Pavilion 8:00 PM Chris Tucker at Ford Park, Ford Arena 409.951.5400 12 10:00 AM Carnival Des Cajun, Port Arthur Pavilion, 409.835.2787

1:00 PM The Wedding Preview, MCM Elegante Hotel, 409.658.5515 13 11:30 AM Lamar Small Business Development Center: Business Start-Up Check List, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 6:00 PM Texas Gulf Coast Writers Guild, Miller Library, 713.501.3425 14 6:30 AM Women & Investing, Education First Training Building, 409.899.3770 6:00 PM Men Against Cancer: Prostate Cancer Support Group, St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 409.833.3663 15 11:30 AM Lamar Small Business Development Center: How Your Small Business Can Dominate the Web (SEO, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 16 10:00 AM Neches River Festival Citizen of the Year Announcement, MCM Elegant Hotel 11:30 AM Press Club of Southeast Texas Meeting, Cafe Del Rio 3:00 PM Happy Bird Day, John James Audubon, Stark Museum of Art, 409.886.2787 6:00 PM Julie Rogers' "Gift of Life" Champagne & Ribs, Ford Park, 409.833.3663 17, 18 &19 9:00 AM Orange Trade Days, Downtown Orange, 409.883.4344

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17 8:00 AM 62nd Annual Cashan Grotto Golf Tournament Benefiting The Shorkey Center, Tyrrell Park, 409.832.3220 18 7:30 AM "Stand Up and Be You" Fun Run/Walk, Tyrrell Park, 409.832.1687 8:00 AM Global Youth Service Day, IEA Ben's Kids, 409.839.8778 8:00 AM AIM for Life: Sporting Clay Shoot, 1-in100 Gun Club, 409.898.4005 8:30 AM Jefferson Horticulture Committee T-Budding and Grafting Seminar, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Office, 409.835.8461 9:00 AM EcoFest, Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, 409.670.9113 9:00 AM Grocery Store Tour, HEB Plus, 409.454.0417 10:00 AM "Shred It & Forget It," Central Mall, 409.835.5951 x117 10:00 AM Beaumont PD Cops & Kids Carnival, Beaumont Event Centre 10:00 AM Neches River Festival Parade, Calder and MLK Blvd ending at the Event Centre 7:00 PM Christus Foundation 35th Annual Gala Featuring Sheryl Crow, Beaumont Civic Center, 409.899.7555 7:00 PM Preservation Bash, Oak Historic District, 409.835.0795

7:30 PM Beaumont Pride 2015 Coming Out Ball, Dishman Art Museum, 409.790.1128 19 1:00 PM Milady Garden Club Exhibit and Tour of the Conservatory, Beaumont Botanical Gardens, 409.842.3135 20, 21 & 22 6:00 PM Lamar Small Business Development Center: Quickbooks for Beginners, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 21 6:00 PM CASA of Southeast Texas ‘Justice is Served,’ MCM Elegant Hotel, 409.832.2272 6:30 PM Home Equity Smarts, Education First Training Building, 409.898.3770 23 7:30 AM Better Business Bureau Morning Mix Tour, Tina's Heavenly Touch, 409.835.5951 x. 117 12:00 PM Pink Power Network: Moving Your Way to Health, Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas - Cancer Center, 409.833.3663 3:00 PM Lamar Small Business Development Center: How to utilize Social Media in Your Business, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 5:00 PM Texas Bar-B-Q Festival, Conn Park Complex, vidorchamber@sbcglobal.net 5:00 PM Heritage Happy Hour - Tyrrell Library, Tyrrell Historical Library, 409.832.4010

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6:00 PM 25th Annual Candlelight Vigil, Jefferson County Courthouse, Jury Impaneling Room, 409.924.4316 6:00 PM Pink Power Network: Moving Your Way to Health, Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program, 409.833.3663 7:30 PM Ron White, Julie Rogers Theatre, 409.838.3435 24, 25 & 26 8:00 AM Kountze Big Thicket Trade Days, Kountze Trade Days Grounds, 409.880.5667 24 5:00 PM Texas Bar-B-Q Festival, Conn Park Complex, vidorchamber@sbcglobal.net 6:30 PM Stars of the Arc Celebrity Style Show & Dinner, Holiday Inn & Suites Beaumont Plaza, 409.838.9012 6:30 PM Financial Literacy Seminar: Home Equity Smarts, Education First Training Building, 409.898.3770 25 8:00 AM Conducting Symposium with Dr. Kevin Sedatole, Wiley Rehearsal Hall, 409.880.8144 9:00 AM Boy Scout Day, Clifton Steamboat Museum, 409.842.3162 11:00 AM Harbor Foundation's 6th Annual Butterfly Release, Tyrrell Park, 409.730.2029

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12:00 PM Texas Bar-B-Q Festival, Conn Park Complex, vidorchamber@sbcglobal.net 12:00 PM Golden Triangle Rose Society Rose Show, Beaumont Botanical Gardens, 409.842.3135 7:00 PM Neches River Festival Coronation & Ball, Julie Rogers Theatre 7:00 PM Band Nite, The Art Studio, 409.838.5393 26 12:00 PM Texas Bar-B-Q Festival, Conn Park Complex, vidorchamber@sbcglobal.net 27 8:00 AM LobsterFest 2015 - Golf Tournament, Bayou Din Golf Club, 409.838.6581 9:00 AM Wonders of Nature, Stark Museum of Art, 409.886.2787 7:30 PM Industrial Carillon, MobilOil Federal Credit, 409.880.8144 29 3:00 PM Lamar Small Business Development Center Business Start Up Checklist, Lamar University College of Business, 409.880.2367 30 6:00 PM Legends at the Jefferson: Tracy Byrd, Jefferson Theatre, 409.838.3435

For more events, go to southeasttexasevents.com.

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THE LAST WORD

THE PERFECT SHOT... NOT!

By Brandi Crawford Perhaps one of the greatest joys of being a parent is sharing your children with others. Now, with sites like Shutterfly and tinyprints, it’s easier than ever to share pictures in specially created cards. But getting just that perfect picture for our annual Christmas card has proven elusive. My expectations are too grandiose for any sort of photo to match my utopian ideal. Having a 5-year-old (Win), a 4-year-old (Wells) and a 2-year-old (Meridan) throws our Christmas card photo shoots into a terrific attempt to stop laughing and crying all at the same time.

Perhaps my greatest wish is that they all would just look at the camera. There’s lots of coaching – “Hey! Over here!!! Look at Mom and smile!!” - and cajoling – “Please no pushing. Please show your pretty teeth. Come on, please just one more smile and think of toys at Christmas!!” In the end, I resort to bribery and blackmail.

Each child has a weakness, but nothing works quite as well as promises of cookies or “prizes.” My oldest son, Win, a.k.a., “The Negotiator,” constantly tries to up the ante. I relent. I beg. I plead. Then, I simply go for the jugular – DO YOU WANT ME TO CALL SANTA CLAUS RIGHT NOW? BECAUSE I WILL!!! Do these tactics cause me shame? Well, yes, maybe. Okay, no. For that quintessentially perfect picture I’ll mail out to many, I’ll do whatever it takes.

The craziest part of capturing that perfect picture begins way before the shutter snaps.

Conceptualization to production is about a six-month ordeal. About now, I start envisioning clothes and location, themes and props. Then we usually book our Christmas pictures with our favorite photographer in October. And in Southeast Texas, October weather often makes a Christmas picture seem downright ridiculous.

First on the list – the ordering of clothes. The perfect bow in the hair. The bow tie that zips, zings, says MERRRY CHRISTMAS! I drive myself crazy looking for just the right coordinating outfits for each kiddo. Once that’s accomplished, and I’ve completed some therapy sessions at Tic Tac Day Spa and Salon, next comes the Herculean task of getting the kids in the long sleeves, the smocked velvet dress, and the shoes that are still stiff from the box. Overcoming this challenge has become a community affair – grandparents, dear friends and our wonderful babysitter all pitch in to help.

Next comes the frenetic race against the clock. We have 15 minutes of time allotted to us, and we have to get there NOW!!! Although I try to be calm and avoid yelling, the honest truth is that I turn into a sweaty, mad mess of a mother. Have you ever seen the reality show “Bridezillas”? Okay, I might be a “Photozilla”!

But wait, what about the props I was to bring? Our photographer recommends bringing items that will engage the children and that may photograph well. NOT EASY! When I “OCD” about the right props, the photos turn out like I tried too hard. One year I brought roses cut from our backyard… an antique rocking chair, Christmas lights, a “kissing ball” of amaryllis… wow! The list is embarrassingly long. This year I played fun music for them to get excited. I decided to embrace the silliness that they are so naturally great at displaying.

And if pictures say a thousand words, I just thought I’d let these three Christmas card pictures do the talking.

Above: With 2012 being the first Christmas with Baby Meridan, I looked forward to showing her off with her brothers in their matching Christmas ensembles. Goodness! You can’t even see Meridan’s eyes. Wells is blinding her and holding on for dear life. This is the REAL LIFE kind of photography that was captured and which made so many of our friends and family smile when they received this “imperfect” perfect shot.

Above: For Christmas 2013, I got the bright idea to let them dress up as they wanted to – so we had a superhero kind of Christmas message! Wonder Woman stole the show, and Superman Win and Batman Wells looked at her with wonder. (Note the cookie in Wells’ hand – part of the bribe.)

Right: And lastly, Christmas 2014 – no props necessary. Cue music and start snapping for that wonderfully PERFECT shot that we will treasure for years to come. (Just don’t look too closely at Meridan’s boots – they’re on the wrong feet!)

15 Minutes of Fame – Skylar Reeves, photographer

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