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STORY BY LIZ GENEST SMITH PHOTOS BY SHANE MUTTER
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everal months ago, a sweet elderly neighbor was fearful that the disappearance of the whimsical Bigfoot statue from her front yard was indicative of an uptick of Northshore crime. I assured her that, while it’s certainly wrong to steal, rather than malicious criminals, it was probably just swiped by bored, thoughtless teenagers with nothing better to do. Possibly the same ones that once placed our life-sized Halloween skeletons in hilariously unspeakable x-rated positions on the sidewalk in front of our house. We thought it was funny, but nonetheless started zip-tying all of our holiday decorations into place as a precautionary measure. Perhaps she could do the same? Unmoved by my suggestion, she became increasingly distressed about the questionable choices and poor character of teenagers these days. My misguided attempt to quell her concerns was to admit that my friends and I engaged in equally mischievous hijinks way back in the 80s. Today’s kids, I assured her, are no worse, really. This was clearly neither helpful nor amusing, as she politely but promptly removed herself from the company of a confessed juvenile delinquent. Probably smart. In addition to reminding myself to think before I speak, I mulled over this encounter, the aforementioned hijinks of yesteryear, and the razor-thin line between prank and crime when Saia’s Super Meat Market in Mandeville became the target of a hooligan heist this past spring. The mom and pop shop has been an institution around here since 1977, renowned for its superior butcher shop, freshly made fried chicken and poboys. But it’s perhaps most famous for its enormous fiberglass cow, perpetually advertising “LARGE SHRIMP POBOY 8.99” on the letterboard sign affixed to its flanks. It has stood sentry in the parking lot for over 40 years, but in the wee hours of May 25, the stalwart steer vanished from its prominent spot along Florida Street (the section of Highway
EDGE August | September 2023
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