St Bernard Magazine Spring 2024

SPRING 2024 VOLUME 6, ISSUE 1

Celebrating Our ‘First’ Ladies

Lacey’s Legacy | Pg. 31

Charmers Turn 60 | Pg. 36

Pgs. 7-26

Old Arabi History | Pg. 42

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Catch our Culture in Historic St. Bernard Parish

Celebrate our rich history while you explore Spanish St. Bernard at Los Isleños Museum Complex and historic village during our Isleños Festival. Connect with our coastal communities in Eastern St. Bernard, and experience world class fishing. For a natural encounter, the St. Bernard State Park is an ideal spot for camping and hiking located along the Mississippi River. Take a road trip down the San Bernardo Scenic By-way, and enjoy local restaurants, shopping and culture.

Live like a local and Stay in St. Bernard Parish.

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A P R I L

MARCH 2-3

LOS ISLEÑOS FIESTA

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FIRST LADY EASTER EGG HUNT

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AGMAGIC ON THE RIVER

21-24

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ST. BERNARD IRISH, ITALIAN,

M AY 3-4

ST. BERNARD BIRD FESTIVAL

ISLEÑOS PARADE 19-21

OLPS TOMATO FESTIVAL

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What’s Inside

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7 8 10 13 14 17 18 21

36 Publisher’s Pen

Readers Write & Artist of the Year 'Cookie' Mundt's Love of Learning Lane Serves 40 Years as Civil Sheriff Tinney Changes Face of Nunez CC Hoopster Earns Div. I Scholarship Reviving Houma Tribal Language Juneau First Female Judge

Officials 22-24 Public Pave the Way

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25 26 28 30

First Woman Law Practice Council Members Make History Clements Provides Personalized Care Connection With Horses

31 33 34 36 37 38 40-41

42 47 48 52

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Lacey's Legacy: Children Riding Dog Daycare Riverboat Pilot Navigates Resources CHS Charmers Celebrate 60 First Female Home Builder Boxing Women Win Big Fights

Small Biz Profiles: T&T Communications, A.J. Laundry & Dry Cleaning Old Arabi Series: Historic Districts Ask a Doctor: Signs of Stroke Shopping Smart For Spring Gardens Faces of the Parish

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Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

Our Ladies in The Kitchen

A

THE

Ashley Richardson

-TEAM

Charles D. Jackson JPR (Jackson Public Relations) Enterprises, LLC Office - 1601 Ohio St., Chalmette, LA 70043 Email - stbernardmagazine@yahoo.com Website - stbernardmagazine.com Phone - (504) 609-7509

Ashly Courteaux

Copy Editor Faith Dawson

ADs Designer Sharon Hueschen

Art Director Brionna Palmer

Cover Photo Farrah Ross Appleman

Cover Design Tony Lawton

3201 East Judge Perez Drive, Meraux

504-676-3697

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WE ARE A CPA FIRM THAT IS NOT “JUST” A CPA FIRM. We provide business owners and investors with: • Proactive Tax Planning • Business Consulting • Unbiased, Financial Planning using Self-Directed IRA’s and more Plus the ordinary things CPA firms provide: • Tax Preparation for Individual and Business • Accounting and Bookkeeping • Financial Statements Email Info@huffconsulting.net Website Huffconsulting.net Scan the QR Code for You Tube Channel

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Spring Issue 2024

Contributing Writers Lisa Adler Jason Browne Bill Hyland Charles Jackson Jamie Leblanc Barry Lemoine Mary Rickard Brionna Palmer Kayla Santiago

Anna Timmerman Lorie Ward

Photographers

Farrah Ross Appleman Jason Browne Terrence Coffil Charles Jackson Joseph Wall

Vol. 6, Issue 1 - Spring 2024 St. Bernard Magazine is wholly-owned by Charles D. Jackson, president of JPR Enterprises, LLC, Chalmette, LA; Printed by Fox Press, Hammond, LA. 10,000 Copies Distributed Quarterly by St. Bernard Magazine and Metro Distribution (Rouses Markets) to grocery stores, restaurants and businesses in St. Bernard, New Orleans, Metairie, Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Ponchatoula and Hammond. See locations: stbernardmagazine.com/distribution Ad Deadlines: Spring Issue (Jan. 15), Summer (March 15), Fall (June 15), Winter (Sept. 15).

Member: New Orleans Press Club, St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis Club of St. Bernard-Arabi.

JPR Enterprises, LLC, Chalmette, registered with the Louisiana Secretary of State on February 23, 2018, Charter No. 42965547K. Recent filing on the state website.

Call to Advertise: (504) 609-7509 © 2024 All Rights Reserved - JPR Enterprises, LLC Contact Publisher Charles Jackson for permission: Jacksonprnola@yahoo.com

Publisher's Pen

by

by Charles Charles D. D. Jackson Jackson

Educating, Serving Community As we celebrate Women’s History Month (March), St. Bernard Magazine showcases some of our "First Ladies" in the Parish to serve or achieve in certain professions. I would like to share my notes on two longtime educators and community leaders, Wilhelmina Snowden and Alfreda Earhart.

Wilhelmina Simmons Snowden

Snowden began teaching in 1935 at the Old Borgnemouth School. After the school was destroyed by fire, she taught at Fazendeville School, Violet Consolidated School, and the new Borgnemouth School, where she served as principal-teacher until the end of World War II. Later she taught at Violet Consolidated High School and retired from Lacoste Elementary School.

On March 18, 1968, Snowden was awarded the State PTA (Parent Teacher Association) Pin by State President Ethel Young for 29 years of service, according to The St. Bernard Voice.

On June 3, 1972, a testimonial dinner honored the retirement of Snowden, who served in the school system for 37 years. In November 1973, Snowden was the first African-American woman elected as board member of the St. Bernard High School Booster Association.

Snowden attended the Old Violet Elementary School and Craig High School in New Orleans, and graduated from McDonogh No. 35 High School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Southern University and a master’s degree in science from Loyola, and completed studies at LSU, Dillard and Xavier universities.

Alfreda Nunez Earhart According to The St. Bernard Voice, Earhart was among six new teachers added to the faculty of St. Bernard High School in 1956, teaching English and serving as girls’ physical education director.

After retiring from the school system, Earhart served as the director of the St. Bernard Parish Health Unit and the Council on Aging. She was instrumental in moving the council’s office from Old Arabi to its current location in the St. Bernard Parish Government Complex.

During her lifetime, she was president of the Chalmette Branch of the American Association of University Women, and a member of the Los Islenos Heritage and Cultural Society and the American Contract Bridge League.

The Arabi native graduated from Maumus High School, obtained a bachelor’s degree in English from Northwestern University and a master’s in education from the University of New Orleans.

She was 80 years old when she passed on July 18, 2003.

The magazine highlights the rich history, people, progress, traditions, culture, resilience, diversity, civics, small business, schools, organizers, and the extraordinarily welcoming community atmosphere of St. Bernard Parish. This mixture makes ‘Da Parish “The Most Unique County (Parish) in the Country.”

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Readers Write

Supporting SisterHearts Maryam Henderson-Uloho is a walking, talking lesson in the power of persistence. She does not quit. She has no fear. She has taken some of life’s biggest losses and turned them into personal strengths. At SisterHearts, she quietly demands compassion for people who were cast aside, and she gets it. Ms. Mary is no ordinary woman. She wants to show the formerly incarcerated their potential for goodness and their calling to become a worthy contributor to society.

I’m happy to call her my friend, and am humbled to encourage and support her mission of unwavering hope.

– Attorney Elizabeth “Lisa” Borne Kott

5-Year-Old Likes Photos My 5-year-old cousin, Crew Miller, (who is more like a grandson to me) is absolutely obsessed with St. Bernard Magazine. He is completely in awe over the mere fact that he is very familiar with the photos, landmarks and specifically the pictures of Chalmette Battlefield. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for being such a positive entity in our wonderful hometown!

– Shelly Alfonso-Ferro

Literary Artist of the Year

Carroll Devine

Longtime friends (from left) Marie Cosse, Susan Tatje, Rose Marie Sand and Anna Bienvenu admire the trophy presented to their bestie – Chalmette High School alumna Carroll Devine (center), for the St. Tammany Parish President Arts Award: 2023 Literary Artist.

“Perhaps I was awarded 'Literary Artist of the Year' because of my appreciation for and dedication to the written and spoken word and my willingness to follow literary adventures around the world and back,’’ she said. “My life has been wrapped around my love for people and their stories.” Devine, a St. Bernard native now living in Mandeville, is author of Sleeping Between the Rails: A Woman’s Odyssey, and a children’s book, The Mystery of the Missing Smile.

As a freelancer, she was a contributing writer (human interest and profiles) for the TimesPicayune St. Bernard Bureau, and St. Tammany Bureau (post-Katrina).

“A large part of my heart still lives – my roots and wings – in St. Bernard Parish among so many memories and love, especially of lifelong friends.”

– By Charles D. Jackson

Send letters to editor: stbernardmagazine@yahoo.com

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Parish Pride

by Barry Lemoine

‘Cookie’ Mundt Legacy of Learning

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atman had Robin. Sherlock Holmes had Watson. And in St. Bernard, Wayne Warner has Cookie. And while the first two sidekicks are fictional, there is nothing fake about Carole “Cookie’’ Mundt, the long time assistant principal at Chalmette High School. In five decades of service, Mundt’s positive and nurturing presence created a powerful legacy of learning.

Early Years For as well-known as she is, many are surprised at Mundt’s origin story. Her parents met in a Lifetime Movie kind of way – in a hospital during World War II. “She was a pretty Army nurse, and Daddy was a handsome, wounded soldier,” Mundt said. Love blossomed and after the war, the couple married.

Mundt was born in Chicago, her dad’s hometown.

But Chicago winters proved challenging for her mom, a Louisiana gal, so the young family relocated to her hometown of Franklin before settling in New Orleans.

A Love of Learning

Photos by Charles Jackson Mundt and Principal Wayne Warner are often found standing next to each other at school events, here at A Day of Reflection – Gratitude Breakfast at Chalmette High School.

The Orleans Public Schools greatly influenced Mundt’s future career path. “I loved school. I had excellent teachers and had a super education.”

Originally, she was encouraged to follow in her mom’s footsteps as a nurse, “but after one semester of college chemistry, I realized that for many reasons nursing was not for me!” Her talent and interests were more aligned with writing and literature, so Mundt majored in English at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, and studenttaught at Lafayette High School. “That’s when I knew my calling -- to teach high school English.”

Mundt’s first teaching opportunity was at Millaudon Middle School in Violet, Louisiana. After

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Spring Issue 2024

two years, she received a call that would change her life – an offer to teach English at Chalmette High School. She accepted it. Decades later, she is still there. “I have found true job satisfaction here. Each day is a reward in itself. Learning every day from others – students and adults -- keeps me motivated to do my job better each day.”

An Icon at Chalmette High Mundt’s favorite part of the job is being involved in the lives of her students. She attends multiple events each week, watching her beloved Owls on the field, on the stage, in the gym, or even on the road. Mundt knows each day she will learn something new. “I am fortunate to have that sense of ever expanding my knowledge of human nature and trying to become a better person.” Mundt said while each school day is a blessing and a challenge, it’s also an opportunity to foster positive relationships with everyone in the building.

Inspiring Next Generation

lives of students. Although quiet and one who shuns the spotlight, Mundt is a shining example of compassion and integrity. Kelli Watson and Emily Boackle, two assistant principals at CHS, can attest to that.

Watson credits Mundt’s open door policy, decades of experience and compassionate heart as strengths in helping other teachers. “Ms. Mundt makes each person feel they play a significant role in making CHS a better place. Her compassion and guidance have truly impacted our school culture in a positive way.”

Her colleague Emily Boackle agrees. “Cookie Mundt is the strongest woman I know and can tackle any situation with a sense of kindness and compassion. She is a quiet leader with the ability to help others work toward a common purpose.

The stories she tells of her time at CHS are filled with laughter and tears of joy as she has watched so many students become productive members of this community. She is the most nurturing individual I have ever met and has made me a stronger teacher, administrator, wife, mother, and woman.”

Words to Live By Mundt is always quick to help, counsel, and advise.

Her favorite quote is the one her Principal Wayne Warner uses each day in addressing the students — the choices you make today, shape your world tomorrow.

So, to all of us who have been shaped by Carole "Cookie" Mundt, we say thank you. We are grateful that the choice you made years ago has shaped so many of our worlds.

Mundt stays busy around campus, here rolling out corsages for homecoming contestants.

Barry Lemoine is an award-winning writer and educator. His commitment to and passion for the Parish and its performing arts have earned him the

Mundt enjoys reading, gardening, traveling and spending time with her family, but her true passion is working as part of a team to better the

moniker of “The Bard of St. Bernard.”

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F O RO

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F O RO

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F O O

Women's History

JoAnn Lane, 80, Serves 40 Years as Civil Sheriff

H

By Charles D. Jackson

er desk nameplate reads: “The Best Man for the Job is a Woman.” Tucked inside the nameplate’s holder sits her business cards: St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office – JoAnn Lane, Civil Sheriff. She has served 40 years in that position, leaving no doubt who’s the “best man” for the job – who also happens to be the longest-serving “woman” employee in the sheriff’s administration.

“I’m a dinosaur,” joked the 80-year-old when asked about serving 62 years in the Sheriff’s Office. Lane has worked under five sheriffs: Dr. Nicholas P. Trist, Jack F. Rowley, Ralph McDougall, Jack A. Stephens, and now Jimmy Pohlmann. The two-system Sheriff’s Office handles tax collections, servicing, civil and criminal matters.

Photos by Charles Jackson

Career Timeline •

1961 – At the age of 17, she started working for

•

1968 - Lane served as secretary to McDougall,

•

1984 - Promoted to civil sheriff by Sheriff Jack

Sheriff Trist as secretary for the public relations officer and civil defense director.

who was the civil sheriff under Sheriff Rowley.

Stephens.

Through her years of service, she has handled and still handles the collection of taxes, ad valorem (property taxes), sales tax, occupational licenses, seizures and sales, civil and criminal services, collection of bonds and fines – everything that pertains to the civil side of the Sheriff’s Office.

“I have enjoyed my job throughout the years, learning and helping the residents of St. Bernard Parish,” Lane said. “It has been a pleasure to have worked with so many officers of the department. I consider the Sheriff’s Office a family.”

Plan to retire? “I DO NOT as long as my health is good, and Sheriff Pohlmann wants me to work in his administration, I’ll be here,” Lane said.

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Making Her Mark

In 6 Years, Chancellor Tinney Changes The Face of Nunez Photos by Jason Browne

Nunez Community College Chancellor Dr. Tina Tinney congratulates Practical Nursing graduate Tierny Legier of Slidell during the Practical Nursing Pinning Ceremony Dec. 7, 2023, in the Nunez Auditorium.

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By Jason Browne

very day as chancellor of Nunez Community College, Dr. Tina Tinney is charged with reshaping the same St. Bernard community that shaped her. In practical terms that requires synthesizing all the cultural elements from her childhood in Yscloskey with all the scholastic knowledge earned from a decorated, 25-year career in academia that began as a high school biology teacher in St. Bernard.

The result is an evolving series of conclusions on what academic and career-technical programs will benefit the most citizens to the greatest extent. It’s a challenge she relishes.

“It’s an honor to be entrusted to leave a mark on my home, especially via an institution that was established to improve the collective quality of life within St. Bernard Parish and beyond,” Tinney said.

In her six years at the helm of

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Nunez, Tinney changed the face of the college. Most recently, the Louisiana Board of Regents approved the college’s Wind Energy Technology program.

Set to begin in the Fall 2024 semester, the wind program will offer students degrees and certificates, sanctioned by the Global Wind Organisation, to work on gigantic wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico.

In Fall 2023, Nunez hit the milestone of enrolling 3,000 students for the first time in its history, which is thanks in large part to the college’s innovative Dual Enrollment program, boasting 17 high school partners from five parishes.

Tinney’s work has drawn acclaim from multiple sectors of academia and the workforce development community, most recently via her selection by the St. Bernard Business and

On-campus improvements include the Student Testing and Career Counseling Center currently under construction and scheduled to open in Spring 2024. The college’s flagship Aerospace Manufacturing Technology program is also Dr. Tinney (center), honored by the St. Bernard set to receive a Business and Professional Women’s Club as its newly renovated Woman of the Year on Oct. 18, 2023, is congratulated building. after the ceremony by Nunez staff members.

Tinney's Actions Professional Women’s Club as 2023’s Woman of the Year.

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Aerospace Manufacturing

•

Enrollment Milestone

•

Woman of the Year

Up next is • Student Testing & the Isleños Career Center Museum, set to join the • Wind Energy Southern Food Technology and Beverage • Model Solar Exhibit (SoFAB) archives on the second floor of the Nunez Library as a cultural resource open to the community. The Isleños Museum will bring Tinney full circle, preserving a portion of her own culture as the child of Melvin “Mully” Molero and Loretta Freire. The Moleros have been in the commercial seafood business (and trappers) from the late 19th century through much of the 20th century, according to Parish Historian Bill Hyland. Christoval Louis Molero, Tinney’s fourth great-grandfather, came to St. Bernard Parish in 1783 from Tenerife in the Canary Islands, which is off the course of West Africa near Morocco.

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“She had ancestors who fought in the Battle of New Orleans and the American Revolution under the command of Gov. Bernarndo de Galvez,” Hyland said. “She was very close to her uncle Frank Fernandez, the first parish historian and a career educator, and he was one of her great role models in pursuing higher education, and making educating a priority in her life.”

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Dr. Tinney emcees the groundbreaking ceremony for the Voyage Mark II Scale Model Solar System walking exhibit on campus in May 2023. The exhibit, one of just 13 in the nation, opened to the public in September 2023.

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A New Era Senior Terren Coffil Enters Chalmette High School Records: First Female To Earn Division I Basketball Scholarship

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She fits well with our program and

By Lorie Ward

here are more than 400,000 high school female basketball players nationwide.

However, only 1.2% of them will go on to compete at the NCAA Division I level – the highest of collegiate sports. Coaches can only give full-ride scholarships to 15 students. Terren Coffil, a senior at Chalmette High School, became one of the 15 this year. She is the first girls’ basketball player in school history to earn a Division I scholarship.

On Nov. 8, 2023, Coffil signed a letter-of-intent to play for the University of South Alabama in Mobile, AL. Choosing South Alabama was easy, she said, because the coaches seemed like family. Her parents – Terrence and Taisha – agreed, saying coaches appear attuned to their daughter’s mental and physical wellbeing – not just her ability to help win games. Coffil said she hopes the university will teach her how to become a “great” student-athlete, and mold her into a “greater” young woman.

South Alabama coaches said they’ve had their eyes on Coffil for several years. They were impressed with her passion, tenacity and leadership – just a few of her qualities they recognized. Coffil, a point guard who’s ranked No. 2 in Louisiana, loves the game and plays solid offense and defense, Assistant Coach Eryk Pittman said.

culture. Terren checks every box.

– University of South Alabama Assistant Coach Eryk Pittman

Head Coach Yolisha “Yo” Jackson looks for players who will be a positive influence around her 2-yearold daughter. “She fits well with our program and culture,” he said. “Terren checks every box.”

‘Never Forget Sacrifices’ Coffil started playing basketball when she was 8 years old. Her dad coached her until she was 12. But her love for the game really started at 14, when she won her first state championship with John Curtis, a private school in New Orleans. She played at Curtis for four years (winning four state championships – 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022). She was named Most Valuable Player at the 2021 state tournament. She transferred to Chalmette High her junior year, and joined its basketball team as a senior.

From 2019-2023, Coffil helped Lake City Pride (AAU), a traveling squad, win several tournaments.

Chalmette Head Coach Shondra Johnson said Coffil is a gifted athlete whose accomplishments have inspired her teammates to work harder.

“Finding out I was the first female to receive this accomplishment excited me,” Coffil said. “It allowed me to open doors and put Chalmette girls’ basketball in the light.

It feels good being the start to an era. When girls’ basketball gets talked about, it feels good knowing I'd be one of the first names brought up in conversations for many years to come.”

Pittman said coaches also felt a genuine relationship with Coffil who comes from a hard-working, loving family. He emphasized that Photo by Terrence Coffil

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Women's History

Cultural Warrior Reviving Lost Houma Tribal Language

W

By Mary Rickard

omen are the “movers and shakers” of the Houma Nation, according to Chalmette resident Colleen Billiot, public education coordinator for the American Indian College Fund.

Her “pawpaw,” Lawrence “Pete” Billiot, built the palmetto huts for the Houma Village at Los Isleños Museum. With academic degrees from Tulane University and Georgetown, and aiming for a Ph.D. in anthropology, Billiot was raised to be a culture warrior herself.

Collen Billiot with Houma Nation memorabilia and a photo of her “pawpaw” in the background.

Rivers, speaking a Western Muskogean language similar to that of the Choctaw and Chickasaw.

From explorers’ journals and Jesuit diaries, it is known that Robert Cavelier de la Salle encountered Houma in 1682 and Pierre le Moyne d’Iberville entrusted a 14-year-old French boy named St. Michel to the tribe to learn their language and become his translator.

Western academic standards tend to discount oral For a decade, Billiot has been passionately working histories, yet when a written record does not exist to revive her lost tribal language, digitally engaging then that oral tradition assumes a much greater members who have significance. left the area because Billiot is busy of climate change planning Tasso Time, or in search of jobs. a weekend gathering She and Hali Dardar, of indigenous peoples project manager for at the end of March the Smithsonian Center to reconnect distant for Folklife & Cultural – Colleen Billiot relatives, play games Heritage, co-founded and practice traditional the Houma Language crafts, including Revitalization Project basket weaving, moss in 2013 to strengthen doll making, jewelry making and carving. They’ll community bonds and communication. practice stomp dancing and making tasso by Along with several volunteers, they are smoking fish. In 2022, the first Tasso Time in more reconstructing the ancient “Uma” language than a century was held at Los Isleños Museum. by collecting elders’ oral histories; researching linguistics; and teaching others online. In 2024, they Reviving the Houma language for current and future generations and planning annual will publish a 3,000-word dictionary. homecomings are lifetime projects for Billiot. She When French explorers arrived, Houma people said: “There will be no endgames in my lifetime.” were living on the banks of the Mississippi and Red

There will be no endgames in my lifetime.

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Spring Issue 2024

History Maker

Jeanne Nunez Juneau 34th Court District Judge

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he Honorable Jeanne Nunez Juneau, a St. Bernard resident of Islenos descent, made history in 2013 when she became the first female judge on the 34th Judicial District Court of St. Bernard Parish. She’s now making history again as the court’s longesttenured current member.

Juneau is featured in the Louisiana Supreme Court Museum as a “Pioneer in Diversity – First Women In Louisiana’s Judiciary."

During her first term on the bench, Juneau started the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program. The nonprofit organization recruits and trains community volunteers to become court-appointed advocates for children in foster care or those who have been abused.

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Judge Juneau’s Background Check Judge Juneau graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University, as well as Loyola Law School with honors in moot court and poverty law. She completed a fellowship at the Early Childhood Policy Leadership Institute in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University and currently serves as vice president of the 4th Circuit Judges Association, board member of the 5th Circuit Judges Association, and a member of the National Association of Women Judges, Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society of St. Bernard, Louisiana District Judges Association and its SelfRepresented Litigants Committee, St. Bernard Business and Professional Women’s Club, and the St. Thomas More Catholic Lawyers Association.

She serves by appointment on the Task Force on Expert Testimony for Justification Defense, and as vice chair of its Civics and Law Related Education Committee. She is also an ex-officio board member of the St. Bernard Bar Association.

After the swearing-in ceremony in 2013, the Juneau family – Braden, Jeanne, Timmy and Ashlyn – pose in front of the bench of the state’s largest (and most historically unique) courtroom located on the second floor of St. Bernard Parish Courthouse.

In addition, Juneau is the language access coordinator for the 34th District Court. She is an avid promoter and participates in the Judges in the Classroom/Students in the Courtroom program. She reigns as the Queen of Lourdes-2024, and serves on the faculty of Modern Conceptions of Dance.

She is the wife of Timmy Juneau, mother of Ashlyn and Braden Juneau, and daughter of Randolph P. Nunez and Rita Serigne Handlin.

- By Charles D. Jackson

Focusing on Child’s Best Interest Judge Jeanne Juneau played a pivotal role in bringing CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) to St. Bernard Parish, recognizing the essential need for an independent voice advocating for children in foster care. In the existing system, various parties have legal representation—the state, birth parents and the child. However, none explicitly focuses on the child's best interest.

Understanding this gap, Judge Juneau championed the establishment of CASA in her courtroom. A CASA advocate serves as a crucial component, ensuring that the child's best interest remains the central focus. Unlike other stakeholders, CASA has the unique ability to witness and comprehend aspects that the judge cannot access directly due to legal constraints, such as ex parte communication.

CASA plays a vital role in providing the courts with the comprehensive insights needed to make informed decisions in the best interests of children in foster care. It's a testament to her commitment to creating a system where every child's voice is heard, and their well-being is prioritized.

– By Raymond D. Sweet, CASA, St. Bernard

20 Spring Issue 2024

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Public Officials

by Charles D. Jackson

‘The’ First Lady of St. Bernard Parish Lena Randazzo Torres If St. Bernard Parish was its own country (as some wish it were), Lena Randazzo Torres undoubtable would be its Queen Emerita.

A small, stately, gracious, soft-spoken woman, Ms. Lena (as everyone knew her) towered over local politics, serving an unprecedented 70 years in public service.

She died in 2021 at 100 years old.

Ms. Lena was born on Jan. 29, 1921, in the small village of Docville (known for its scenic tunnel of oak trees). The trees were planted by her father, Salvatore “Sam” Randazzo, who was the overseer for Dr. L.A. “Doc” Meraux.

Active in politics her entire life, Ms. Lena, at age 21, became the first female poll commissioner in St. Bernard Parish in 1942. She met Sidney D. Torres Jr. at a political rally that year and married him the following March. Her husband Sidney was elected clerk of court in 1956, and Ms. Lena served as his chief deputy until his death in 1988. She was appointed clerk of court and then elected the same year, unopposed, and served for 24 years.

Ms. Lena built a reputation for always being on the job and available to anyone in need of assistance.

Her dedication and commitment to the citizens she represented, whom she considered as family, make her one of the most significant public officials to have held office in St. Bernard.

First Woman Elected to Police Jury Improves Community’s Quality of Life Blanche Perez-Fernandez-Molero was the wife of Police Juror Manuel “Bulo” Fernandez. After Fernandez's death, she was appointed to the Police Jury in the 1940s, and was continually elected until she retired in the late 1960s. Upon her retirement, her second husband, Scott Molero, succeeded her and served until 1976. The police jury preceded the current president-council form of government.

“She brought residential services, including natural gas, telephone and running water to lower St. Bernard,” said Parish Historian Bill Hyland. “She also worked to enhance the recreational capacity by establishing playgrounds in her ward. She was also vehemently in opposition to the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.”

First Female Assessor The Last of Family’s Dynasty For 64 years, there was always a Vinsanau serving as St. Bernard Parish tax assessor. Louis M. Vinsanau was elected in 1948; was succeeded by his son Maurice in 1976; and was followed by Maurice’s wife, Marlene McInnis Vinsanau, in 1995.

She was the first woman to serve as assessor, and the last Vinsanau when she retired in 2012, ending the family's half-century dynasty of leadership and service in the property appraiser’s office.

“When my husband passed away in July 1995, I qualified to run for the position,” Vinsanau said. She added that she was encouraged by her lifetime of service in the office, having started in 1964 at age 19, working as a clerk for her future father-in-law, Louis.

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“I’ve always said I grew up and grew old in the office because I was 68 years old when I retired,’’ she said. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of St. Bernard.”

Vinsanau, the aunt of former Parish President Guy McInnis, now lives in Mandeville, enjoying her grandchildren.

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Meraux High Named For 1st Female School Board President Meraux High School was dedicated on Nov. 28, 1926 in honor of Anita Maumus Meraux (referred to as Mrs. L.A. Meraux), the first female president of the St. Bernard Parish School Board. She was a member of the influential Maumus family, who established St. Bernard Bank & Trust in 1905; and the wife of Dr. Louis A. “Doc” Meraux, who served the community as a physician, sheriff and tax collector. The building Photo Courtesy of the (once Meraux Elementary Meraux Foundation School) is now the school Anita Maumus board’s administration Meraux (a.k.a.) Mrs. office, located on St. Bernard L.A. Meraux Highway near Paris Road.

At the dedication, Parish Schools Superintendent J.C. Blanchard said, according to the Dec. 4, 1926, issue ofShoemaker_hlfpg_3-24.pdf The St. Bernard Voice: “This building, ladies 1 2/1/24 6:31 PM and gentlemen, may be accepted as concrete

SC

evidence that the School Board of St. Bernard Parish has definitely inaugurated a broader schoolbuilding policy for the parish that cannot and will not turn backward; that henceforth its efforts must ever be forward and upward and onward, and that a new, a better and a brighter educational area has dawned for St. Bernard Parish.”

Mrs. L.A. Meraux said at the dedication: “That the name which I bear has been given to this fine school, is, of course, a source of intense satisfaction to me; it is an honor which I deeply appreciate…….”

– By Charles Jackson

School Superintendent Elizabeth Ann Zimmerman, a longtime resident of St. Bernard Parish, served as the first female superintendent of St. Bernard Public Schools. She started her education career as a teacher in 1951 at Arabi High School. She later served as a principal and university professor before becoming schools superintendent, retiring from that position in 1986. After Katrina, she relocated to Slidell, where she died at age 84 in 2015.

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24 Spring Issue 2024

Dr. Lesichia Jarrell 15 Years Experience

1st Woman-Owned Firm Built On Petruccelli’s Personal Experience In 1973, Mary Beoubay Petruccelli was the first woman to open a private law office in St. Bernard Parish. Her daughter, Tracy Ann Petruccelli, and granddaughter, Kristen Pouey Barton, followed in her footsteps, and now are partners in her firm in Covington, where she relocated in September 2005 after Katrina.

“She was the pioneer, the trailblazer, the first woman to hang a shingle in Arabi,” said Lisa Borne Kott, managing partner of Tabary & Borne Law in Chalmette and chairwoman of the St. Bernard Bar Association. “She pushed through and paved the way. Her legacy is not just a name on a plaque but the courage she instilled in every woman with audacious dreams and an unwavering will. She is a legend no one will soon forget.”

Her legacy is not just a name on a plaque but the courage she instilled in every woman with audacious dreams and an unwavering will. She is a legend no one will soon forget.

– Attorney Lisa Borne Kott, chairwoman of the St. Bernard Bar Association

Mary Petruccelli’s daughter, Tracy Ann Petruccelli (left), and granddaughter, Kristen Pouey Barton, are lawyers now practicing in her Covington firm. Mary Petruccelli (center) opened her practice in 1973 in Arabi.

Petruccelli, 85, died in November 2023. According to her obituary, in 1959, she met and subsequently married Luca Anthony Petruccelli. “Theirs was a love cut tragically short, as Luca succumbed to cancer shortly after the birth of their daughter, Tracy,” it read.

“Having only completed a portion of her collegiate studies at the time, Petruccelli returned to night classes at Loyola University in New Orleans to earn her bachelor’s degree in 1969, supporting herself and her young daughter by working full time during the day at Loyola and then teaching at Spencer Business College,” the obituary read.

“In the aftermath of her husband’s death, Petruccelli found herself inundated in legal and insurance documents. She noticed that she had a keen eye for the important details within contracts, and an instinct for navigating complex legal processes. Vowing to help those who found themselves in a similar situation to her own, she went on to Loyola Law School, where she became one of the first 100 women in Louisiana to receive a law degree in 1973.’’

– By Charles Jackson Lisa Borne Kott (right), chairwoman of the St. Bernard Bar Association, presents an Award of Excellence in honor of the late Mary Petruccelli recognizing and honoring her years of leadership, dedication, and service as a practicing attorney in St. Bernard Parish. The award was presented to her daughter, Tracy Ann Petruccelli at the St. Bernard Bar Association’s annual Courthouse Christmas party on December 21, 2023.

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Women On Council Making History

Photo by Desiree Hebert Amanda Mones, Patrice Cusimano and Cindi Meyer pose for photos after the swearing-in ceremony on Jan. 9 at St. Bernard Parish Government’s Fred Sigur Civic Center.

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By Charles D. Jackson

n November 2023, for the first time in St. Bernard Parish’s 216-year history, three women were elected to the seven-member government council: Patrice Cusimano, District A; Cynthia “Cindi” Meyer, District C; and Amanda Mones, District E. Previously, two women served at the same time: Wanda Alcon (District D) and Kerri Callais (At-Large East) for two terms.

Cusimano, a lifelong resident of District A, is an attorney who – since Katrina – has served diligently on several community boards: Council on Aging (15 years), Public Library (17 years) and the St. Bernard-Arabi Kiwanis Club. In 2020-21, she served as Kiwanis district governor (Louisiana, Mississippi and West Tennessee).

“I’m excited about what women bring to the table,” Cusimano said. “We see things differently, and I’m happy to bring my experience as an attorney to the council.” The 67-year-old recently retired as a staff attorney for the Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of Appeals after serving 27 years.

Meyer, a reputable State Farm agent, is active throughout the community and in her church, The Tabernacle in Chalmette. She’s the 2023-25 president of the Driven Youth Organization; and serves with the Kiwanis Club, the Republican

26 Spring Issue 2024

Executive Committee, Lighthouse Missions, St. Bernard Business and Professional Women’s Club, St. Bernard Personnel Review Board, and others.

“I am not only humbled; I am beyond grateful to have been elected to serve District C and St. Bernard Parish,” Meyer said. “I look forward to working with the constituents, parish government, first responders, community leaders and the council. I want everyone to be encouraged for the future of our amazing parish as we continue to raise the bar and be the example for other communities and our future generation.”

Mones, who recently became politically active during the fight to save the fire station in Delacroix Island, is a stay-at-home parent who homeschools her 16-year-old son. The 42-year-old worked in the banking industry for 15 years. “I’m excited to serve and do the best job I can for our citizens of St. Bernard Parish.”

Kiwanis’ First Diane Schmidt-Crovetto served as the first female president of the St. Bernard-Arabi Kiwanis Club in 1996. Now retired, she worked in banking for many years. Her son Eric Schmidt said she’s a breast cancer survivor – “the strong, silent type.” She now lives in Slidell.

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‘The Magic’ Clements Physical Therapy Provides Personalized Care

F

By Mary Rickard

or physical therapist Rachel Clements, her foremost concern has always been that of providing optimal care for patients. Following graduation in 2007 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge with a kinesiology degree, she went straight into physical therapy school in New Orleans, earning a doctorate degree, and moved back to St. Bernard Parish where she and her husband, David, grew up. Although she could have found employment elsewhere, she wanted to provide care close to home for their friends and their friends’ parents, grandparents and other referrals.

Photo by Charles Jackson

Clements Physical Therapy women staff, from left: Meagan Rachel became a licensed physical Palmeri, office manager; Kristin Delise, physical therapy therapist in 2010 and established her technician; Rachel Clements, owner; Ginny Yuratich, physical own practice, Clements Physical Therapy, therapist; and Lizzy Robin, physical therapy assistant. almost five years ago. At her location on Paris Road, she has been able to expand service with a staff of 10 full-time employees, Weathering Storms providing patients with relief from neck and A couple of early setbacks beset the new practice. back pain, work-related and sports injuries, and First, the pandemic forced them to decrease their rehabilitation after joint replacements, among schedule to three days a week, but the couple other conditions. continued to pay full-time staff salaries. Then on Having previously worked nine years in another Aug. 29, 2021, winds from Hurricane Ida rolled practice, Rachel, along with her husband, decided back the building’s roof, allowing rain to pour the time was right in 2019 to establish a business inside. Nevertheless, Rachel was determined to where she could provide the fully individualized keep patients on their treatment plans. So, tables, care necessary so patients could achieve a healthy, mats and equipment were moved into the space functional, pain-free lifestyle. Ginny Yuratich, who next door and service continued there until all the holds a master of science in physical therapy, had building repairs were completed a year later. worked beside Rachel since 2010, and shared that “We never shut down,” Rachel said. “We just vision and agreed to come along. David launched reduced office hours to three days a week because the project, finding a convenient location and people still needed us.” When people become supervising the structural buildout. Although he sedentary, their recovery is compromised, so we works behind the scenes, providing physical and couldn’t allow that to happen, she explained. The emotional support, he calls his wife “the magic” office has been at full capacity now for 18 months. that makes the business successful.

“The patients kept us going,” she said.

28 Spring Issue 2024

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ATING19 YEA LEBR RS” “CE

Worthy Outstanding Women Our logo symbolizes three rings for our three children. The box around the ring encloses Clements, Community, and Strength, the things we stand behind.

– Rachel Clements

Start Treatment Soon Every initial patient visit entails a discussion and evaluation. “We don’t give them false expectations; we set realistic goals,” she said. Many people postpone treatment, believing nothing can be done to relieve the pain. “Don’t wait until it’s a major issue. If you start on day two after a knee replacement, outcomes are so much better,” Rachel said.

Many of Clements’ patients are fishermen and workers from refineries and docks who believe they can’t stop working for six weeks to recover from surgery. Her practice also serves dancers and students with sports injuries. If a patient has had a stroke, it is best to start therapy right away, getting assistance with gait training and maintaining balance, she said. There are even patients who have been injured playing pickleball, needing to improve balance, agility and strength. “We tailor treatment to what they need,” Rachel said.

“A lot of people are skeptical at first,” she said. “But if we can’t help you, we’ll refer you to somebody who can.”

The Clements, who have three young children, are happy to work in St. Bernard Parish where they are close to school, family and friends.

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Hooves and Hearts Competition, Connection to the Horse

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By Brionna Palmer

orses may come with huge responsibilities, but they teach you about yourself more than you know. It’s that very connection that has me hooked. I’ve had horses all my life and plan to have them until the day I’m no longer here. Having horses shaped me into who I am today.

Out of the multiple horses I’ve had, Rebel has been the key turning point in my life. Rebel was 3 when we got him from the Poydras Barn. Now he’s 22, living his best retired life with his other friends. Rebel is a “been-there-done that” type of horse.

From competing, to doing birthday parties, to riding Rebel at the Florida Parish in the Italian Irish Arena for Ride Day. Parade, he’s done it all. He was in Braithwaite with my other horse, Candy, when Katrina hit. They managed to escape the flood waters by getting rounded up on the Mississippi River before being brought to Lamar Dixon in Gonzales.

There are many equestrian sports out there, but the one that attracted me the most was barrel racing. Barrel racing consists of three barrels set in a clover leaf pattern. The goal is to circle all three barrels without knocking any over in the fastest amount of time. It may sound simple, but the adrenaline you experience going 30-plus mph then stopping on a dime to make a turn, is undescribable and addicting at the same time.

Gracie and I competing in Port Allen at the Tuesday Turn-N-Burn show.

animal trusts you enough to send it galloping at a jump, a barrel, or even a herd of stubborn-headed cows.

When you compete, it’s not just you and your horse. It takes a whole team, from your support groups, to your vets, to your trainers and grooms.

It’s a full-team effort, that I would have never gotten to experience without my horses and the friends I made along the way. It’s extremely hard work, and I love every second of it.

I’ve been working with my new prospect, Gracie.

We’ve had a rough start, but we made major progress this year and are finally competing at the local jackpots. With the help of my friend/trainer, Ashley St. Pierre Rogers, and my friends, we are well on our way to be successful.

Competing in events wasn’t about the time or the score you could get, but the connection and understanding you can achieve with your horse.

There’s nothing else like it when a 1,200-pound Rebel and Gracie at the boarding barn in Tickfaw.

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Lacey's Legacy Children Love the Challenge of Riding, Caring for Horses

I love playing video games, but with horseback riding, you actually have to do stuff like control the horse. You learn something new, different things each time, and you get better at it.

-Isabella Ledner, 11

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By Charles D. Jackson

oni Clark, 58, and her two sisters – Jeanne LeBlanc and Gina Hernandez – have been riding horses all of their lives. Their maternal grandfather – Tony Degelos – purchased 12 acres in Poydras in the ’50s and built “Poydras Barn,” a family-owned company that raised and trained horses, and hosted races and shows. “The land had nothing on it,” she said. “He built the barn, racetrack arena and everything on this property.’’

Clark has been riding since 2 years old, started doing shows at 9, and, as an Jeanne LeBlanc heads to the trails. adult, was on a rodeo circuit and served on the state’s racing commission. For 28 years, she’s been married to a jockey – Kerwin “BooBoo” Clark, who’s won several races.

The couple’s love for horses transferred to their daughter, Lacey. “She was special needs and she loved to ride horses,” Clark said. “She passed away in July 2022 (at age 36). In March (2023), I decided to start riding lessons in her honor, to have her legacy live on, and it took off.”

Maevery, 5, riding Lightning with assistance of trainers during a horse show raising funds for the newly created nonprofit in Poydras.

Lacey’s Legacy, a nonprofit, has attracted 40 children learning to ride and care for horses. They are taught proper riding technique, how to clean hooves, groom the animal and brush its hair.

“It’s always been my dream to ride horses,” said 11-year-old Isabella Ledner, whose goal is to become a jockey. “I like getting out of the house and spending time with animals. I just like nature and doing stuff and having fun. I love playing video games, but just tapping the screen can get boring over a long time. With horseback riding, you actually have to do stuff like control the horse. You learn something new, different things each time, and you get better at it.”

Sarah Talcott enrolled her 3-year-old daughter, Amelia, into Lacey’s Legacy, and soon afterward her 9-year-old son, Brayden, took an interest, too. He won the “Buckle” award for 9-to-11-year-olds during the group’s inaugural show in October.

Talcott and her husband have since purchased a horse for their children.

“My mom rode horses when she was younger, and that’s always been

Sarah Talcott and daughter Amelia

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The Gioe Girls

Brayden Talcott learns how to clean horses' hooves.

something I wanted my kids to be around, too,” Talcott said. “They want to be out here around the horses; to take care of the horse and to understand its a big responsibility. They’re not playing games or watching TV, they just love being out here.”

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Sisters Gina Hernandez, Jeanne LeBlanc, and Toni Clark grew up on 12 acres in Poydras on family property. Their mother, Noelle Eve Degelos, wife of Lou Gioe, inherited the land from her father, Tony Degelos, who owned Tony’s Hardware in Chalmette. “We rode horseback since knee high.

Our lives revolved around riding, showing horses, CindiMeyer_qtrpg_3-24.pdf 1 1/3/24 8:02 PM and racing horses,” Gina said.

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I was born and raised in St. Bernard. My family’s property in Poydras is where I’ve lived my entire life. I graduated from Lynn Oaks School in St. Bernard, and received my associate’s degree from Nunez Community College in Chalmette. I am homegrown through and through and proud to call St. Bernard home. My grandparents are Lucien “Lou” and Noelle Gioe. My grandpa owned Gioe’s Truck Service and Demolition in St. Bernard. My mom is Jeanne LeBlanc, a thoroughbred trainer.

Both of my aunts, Toni and Gina, ride horses as well.

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Growing up, horses and dogs have been center stage in my family. We have a 50-stall horse barn located in Poydras, dubbed “the Poydras Arena” by most who know of us. My love for animals, which was ingrained in me as a child, has never wavered

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and, in fact, has only grown as I’ve come to truly appreciate the valuable roles they’ve played in my life.

Now, I am taking it to a whole other level. Every business is started with a spark of passion and since my passion is my dogs, I want to share that with other dogs and their owners. I recognize this desire I have and want to make a difference while providing a unique offering to customers. This passion ignited the entrepreneurial flame within, propelling me to take the leap and create All Tails Wagging.

At the heart of All Tails Wagging lies a commitment to delivering excellence in every aspect. I understand that success hinges on customer satisfaction (dogs and humans), and I have left no stone unturned in ensuring that my business provides top-notch services. Whether it’s through continuous improvement, attention to detail, or going the extra mile, I will leave a lasting impression on my customers.

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Parish’s 1st Female Riverboat Pilot Helping Grow Navigation Resources

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By Railnola.com

apt. Jeanne E. Ferrer is the first female riverboat pilot from St. Bernard Parish. A lifelong resident, she graduated from the United States Merchant Marine Academy in 2006 as a Logistics and Intermodal Transportation major. She holds a United States Naval Reserve Officer Commission as well as a United States Coast Guard Master unlimited license and a First Class Pilot License of unlimited tonnage on the Lower Mississippi River.

After a decade of sea time aboard deep-sea cargo vessels and offshore supply vessels, Ferrer departed her Master position to serve as a Louisiana State Commissioned Crescent River Port Pilot. In addition to her pilot commission, she also served as commissioner for the 1 DTSaDirectAppliance_hlfpg_Dec2023.pdf

St. Bernard Port Terminal and Harbor District overseeing the Port’s operations and economic development.

As a member of the Lower Mississippi River Navigation Technical Committee, Ferrer collaborates with numerous local and federal agencies to grow the Lower Mississippi River’s navigation resources. She recently worked to expand the Lower Mississippi River anchorages to further streamline the supply chain during the river’s 50-foot deepening project.

Ferrer gives back to the industry as a mentor for Open Waters Louisiana and Women Offshore.

She takes pride in developing the maritime industry’s next generation.

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First Place is a Charm The Chalmette High School Charmers placed first in Kick, Jazz and Military, and placed sixth in Pom on Jan. 7 in Dance Team Union Regional Competition in Denham Springs. In the American AllStar Louisiana State Dance/ Drill Team Championship on Jan. 13-14 at the Cajundome in Lafayette, the Charmers placed first in Division 2 Kick, second in overall Kick, third in Open and fifth in Pom and Jazz. The girls will compete in the US Dance Nationals on March 22-23 in Anaheim, CA. CafeRoma_qtrpg_2024.pdf

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Photos by Charles Jackson Striking a pose at the reunion event, Susan Tedesco Ross, Kay Magill and Sandra Gorbaty are some of the earliest members of Charmers.

Charmers Celebrate 60

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By Mary Rickard

ap, swivel, swivel, clap, clap, kick! Thirty-two high-spirited high school girls, bouncing in white athletic shoes and capped with white ribbons and bows, rehearsed a kick line before Chalmette High School’s November homecoming game against West Jefferson High. Charmers celebrating their 60th anniversary had also memorized “On Broadway” choreography so they could join the current ensemble in the bleachers of Bobby Nuss Stadium. “We had to learn it yesterday,” laughed Susan Tedesco Ross, a 1972 alum.

Sandra Gorbaty, class of 1963, remembers when her group came up with its name 60 years ago. “What are we going to call ourselves?” Gorbaty suggested “The Charmers” and everyone heartily agreed.

“That’s how it all began!” she said.

1963 Charmers

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The Charmers had their start in the fall of 1963 when CHS band director Charles Venturella collaborated with a local dance teacher, Audrey Schenck. The 13 original Charmers had been taking lessons from Schenck, who volunteered to design choreography.

The dance team’s first football game performance was accompanied by the rousing marching band classic, “You Gotta Be a Football Hero (To Get Along with the Beautiful Girls).” After 1966, the girls attended Andrew Jackson High School, but continued to roll out their routines for Fighting Owls’ parades and games.

Dianne Walther, a Southeastern Louisiana University graduate and member of her college dance team, became the Charmers’ faculty sponsor twice, in the 1960s and 1980s. She remembers highly competitive auditions — 300 girls trying out for 12 spots. Every Friday during football season, she would receive a cassette tape to begin rehearsing a brand new routine on Monday. Though practices were demanding, she can’t recall anyone dropping out.

Since the beginning, Charmers have worn maroon uniforms, trimmed with white epaulets and fringed skirts. Back in the 1960s, the velvet leotards were expensively custom-made by local seamstresses.

After Hurricane Betsy, local families had difficulty affording the uniforms and wore hand-me-downs, Walther remembered.

It’s A Sisterhood A cheerleader before joining the dance team, Susan Tedesco Ross had heard that Charmers had more fun, participating in half-time shows, as well as dancing down Royal Street during Mardi Gras parades. The camaraderie was what made the team so special. Girls would always look out for one another, Ross said. “We really tried to make it the best we could.”

Charmer Jenny St. Germain now has three daughters – two of whom are 3 and 6 years old who are competitive cheerleaders. Though Hurricane Katrina struck during her junior year, she still counts teammates as her closest friends.

“Charmers remained constant before and after,” she said.

Family Biz Opens Door For Female Home Builder

By Mary Rickard Susan Tedesco Ross, 71, was a licensed contractor in St. Bernard Parish. She built her first house over summer vacation in 1970 before her high school junior year. She designed, supervised construction and sold the house herself.

“I’d been on the job my whole life,” she said.

Susan Tedesco Ross

Even at a young age, her father C.J “Ted” Tedesco, owner of Tedesco Homes, Inc. and her older brother Terry treated Susan as their equal. She earned the respect of the workmen, too.

“I didn’t grow up in a family; I grew up in a family business,” she quipped.

Charmers alumnae practice dance moves before the homecoming football game.

“It really is a sisterhood,” asserts Jill Fos Mitchell, the current Charmer sponsor. “Working together, we have to be supportive of each other. We give feedback and inspire one another.”

“I want to make them truly well-rounded individuals. They need to present themselves as 'classy' all the time because they are representing the school. Every choice they make affects every other person,” Mitchell added.

Charmers have dominated the state and national dance team competitions as performance champions since the 1990s, including state titles in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022, in addition to 11 national titles for their high kick routines.

This current Charmer team is the 60th to take the field under the Friday night lights at Bobby Nuss Stadium.

Ross started out at age 4 or 5, dressing up for open houses to hand out brochures. She worked in the home office with her mother after school and inspected the electricians’ and carpenters’ work on the job. After high school graduation, she got a study book to prepare for the contractor license exam. “I probably knew more than those who attended classes,’’ Ross said. Tedesco Homes built Plantation Village in Poydras and thousands of other houses in St. Bernard. “At one point, we built 300 houses a year,” she said.

As a licensed contractor, she formed her own company, building custom homes in Old Metairie, and earned an associate’s degree in interior design from Delgado Community College, testing out of many of the classes, thanks to her practical, on-thejob experience.

For fun in the 1980s, (a former Charmer) she sang and danced in community theater productions, performing in Orleans Parish and St. Bernard schools. The children who played munchkins in her production of “The Wizard of Oz” still talk about how much fun the show was.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Ross stopped building houses and focused on managing apartment buildings and writing home mortgage loans.

Looking back, she realizes it would have been tougher for a woman in construction without the support of her family.

37

First Female Boxer Wins Big Talk about a dream coming (almost) true. Here’s the story of Britney Ruiz, the first female boxer from St. Bernard Parish to win amateur fights and a professional match.

“I never got in a fight before in my entire life,” said Ruiz, who grew up in rural St. Bernard. In 2011, “I was going down the wrong path in life, drinking and smoking (marijuana). I was messed up one night and I woke up remembering a dream that a referee had my hand raised in the air. I had just defeated a world champion. I liked the image of who I was. And I wanted to change my life and my lifestyle. I did research that day, and I was in Norman Boxing Gym the same day.”

The rest, as they say, is history. Ruiz, under the tutelage of Coach Lonnie Coppersmith, went on to win 17 amateur Photo by Charles Jackson bouts, losing only Britney Ruiz shows off her four. Among her most trophies, medals and belts prestigious fights, at Norman Boxing Gym in the welterweight Arabi, where she began captured two Golden training in 2011.

Gloves championships, the Diamond Gloves (Legends Boxing), a regional title, and competed in a national tournament in Tennessee, winning one match and losing another.

In May 2023, she won her first professional fight with a technical knockout.

“Now, I’m like a role model; kids can look up to me,” said Ruiz, who graduated from Chalmette High School and looks as polished as a model. “It’s like yoga; it’s mentally and physically life-changing – it keeps you happy, motivated and builds selfconfidence.”

By Charles D. Jackson

Olympic Hopeful Training at Bayou Boxing

Ariele Davis focuses before her fight on Nov. 10, 2023 at O.C. Haley Gym in New Orleans.

Ariele Davis is the first female in Louisiana to win a national Golden Gloves title (2018), according to USA Boxing.

“She’s also the last person to win a Golden Gloves in Louisiana out of males and females since 2005,” said Bayou Boxing Coach Paul Metzler, who has trained Davis for six years. Metzler moved his boxing school last year from New Orleans to the second-floor of Bayou Barbell gym in Chalmette.

The Golden Gloves of America, since 1923, promotes annual competitions of amateur boxing in the United States; winners are awarded a belt and a ring, and the title of national champion. The organization currently owns 30 franchises.

A former basketball player at the University of New Orleans, Davis said she was “transformed” into a boxer in 2017. Her goal is to make the U.S. Olympic team. With a record of 18-3, Davis won the “Female Welterweight Special Event” at amateur Friday Night Fights on Nov. 10, 2023, before a jam-packed crowd, weathering light rain in the backyard lot of O.C. Haley Gym in New Orleans. She also captured the prestigious Atlanta Classic Females tournament (2019), and Sugar Bert Boxing tournament in Tennessee (2020).

38 Spring Issue 2024

ClerkOfCourt2_hlfpg_3-24.pdf

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WOMEN:

The Driving Force of the Clerk's Office

The St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court Office is a pillar of public service in this Parish.

This can be attested to the 20 women (including Chief Deputy Clerk Connie Spencer) who are the foundation of this office. These women work tirelessly to safeguard the records and history of our Parish. Clerk employees record land and civil filings, criminal documentation, and assist constituents; all while maintaining a strong and supportive work environment.

BayouBoxing_qtrpg2023.pdf 1 10/30/23 6:44 PM

St. Bernard Parish Clerk of Court Randy Nunez said: “This office and the vital service it provides is dependent on the women who work here and their stellar commitment to their job and this parish.” The employees of the Clerk’s Office are the engine behind the scenes of the St. Bernard Parish Courthouse, guaranteeing the service, transparency, and hard work that St. Bernard residents deserve. 1 1/29/24 5:48 PM SmittysTire_qtrpg_3-24.pdf

Daughter Joins Father's Team

After 28 years as a reporter for FOX 8 News, Natasha Robin joins Smitty's Tire.

The business is owned and operated by her father, Anthony Cuccia.

Robin says she's proud to be a part of the family business that's served the people of St. Bernard Parish for 50 years.

Robin has won numerous awards, including two Suncoast Emmys, Regional Murrows, and Reporter of the Year in 2006 for her outstanding work for FOX 8 News.

SMITTY'S TIRE

Monday-Friday (8 am-5 pm) • Saturday (8 am - 2 pm)

4333 E. Judge Perez Dr. 2615 Buffon St. Meraux 504-279-2770 Chalmette 504-271-5821 39

Small Business Profile

by Charles D. Jackson

Justice of the Peace Tamara Jones, left, is owner of T&T Communications on East Judge Perez Drive in Violet. She joins her mother Desiree Jones and grandmother Marion Williams as an entrepreneur.

Jones' Resilience

T&T Communications Reaches 20

I

By Kayla Santiago

n 2003, Tamara Jones was just another dedicated sales representative for Sprint PCS, quietly making waves in the corporate sales arena. Little did she know that destiny had a remarkable plan in store for her. Jones' journey from an unsung sales rep to a heralded business owner is nothing short of awe-inspiring.

“Sprint Corporation, eager to expand minority participation as owners, asked if I were interested in opening my own business,” said Jones, a lifelong resident of Violet who earned an associate’s degree in business from Delgado Community College in 2002 . “I told them yes.”

Photo by Charles Jackson

“Owning a business in St. Bernard Parish has been a dream come true, filled with unending community support, steadfast friends, and unwavering family support, especially from my two incredible children, Tremayne and Bentley,” Jones said.

She named the business T&T, which is her initial and her first-born son’s. “I wanted to establish a future for him,” Jones said. Tremayne is now a senior at Dillard University, majoring in business management.

Jones, elected Justice of the Peace-Ward J (Violet) in 2020, descends from a line of women business owners. Her great-grandmother, Inez Thompson Lenaris, owned Violet Community Grocery Store in the ’60s; her grandmother, Marion Williams, and her husband, Oscar Williams, were proprietors of Big “O” Trucking Company in the ’80s; and her mother, Desiree Jones, owns Ink Design Custom Printing, located in the same building as T&T Communications.

A young mother with her 3-year-old son, Tremayne, Jones faced a daunting task of financing her own store. “By being a new business owner, it was hard to get financing. I eventually acquired the money needed to open.”

“It’s such a blessing to have generational business owners, and I’m hoping my two sons will continue the family tradition,” Jones said.

Jones celebrated 20 years in business last year. She opened T&T Communications in July 2003 on Saint Claude Avenue in the heart of the Lower 9th Ward.

Her sales soared. However, the realization of her lifelong dream was cut short by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, which swept away her home and business, leaving her on the edge of despair.

Owning a business in St. Bernard Parish

After briefly relocating to Dallas, she soon realized that her heart belonged in St. Bernard Parish.

Resilient, she rebuilt her home and business. She later seized upon an opportunity to buy a building near her home. Today, her thriving business is located at 4908 E. Judge Perez Drive in Violet.

40 Spring Issue 2024

has been a dream come true, filled with unending community support, steadfast friends, and unwavering family support.

– Tamara Jones, lifelong resident of Violet

Small Business Profile

by Lisa Adler (Owner)

The Background of A.J. Laundry & Dry Cleaning

M

y mother-in-law, Carmela Rizzi Adler, was an inspiration to me as a business owner for how she came to this country 8 months pregnant, with $14 in her pocket, and her husband, Josef Adler, by her side. That was 73 years ago in 1951.

Chalmette in 1971, creating A.J. Tuxedo, a leading family-owned tuxedo rental company in the New Orleans area. Additional branches in Metairie, such as AM-PM Formal Wear, followed in 1981.

Guided by lessons from the Great Depression era and the adage of savings for rainy days, Carmela's resilience was tested after Hurricane Katrina.

Health issues forced her to close the business, but her legacy endured through her son Michael, who assumed control of A.J. Tuxedo in Chalmette in 1989. Recognizing the need for diversification, Michael introduced a dry cleaning service in 1994 to complement the existing tuxedo offerings.

In 2005, Katrina reshaped the landscape of Chalmette, but A.J. Laundry and Dry Cleaning stood resilient as the sole dry cleaning service to reopen in the aftermath.

Operating exclusively as a dry cleaner, the business emerged as an essential service for the community.

Lisa Adler

Originally Udler, their last name was later changed to Adler to assimilate into American culture.

Settling in New Orleans with the assistance of the Jewish Foundation, the Adlers established themselves in a city known for its warmth and hospitality.

Carmela's journey unfolded as she became a skilled seamstress at Haspel Brothers manufacturing, the birthplace of the iconic seersucker suit in New Orleans. Faced with wage disparities between immigrants and Americans, she boldly founded A.J. Tuxedo Rental on Broad Street in 1959. The success of this venture prompted her expansion to

Embodying the founders' initials backward (Josef Adler) and securing a prominent position in the phone book, A.J. Laundry and Dry Carmela Rizzi Adler Cleaning proudly stands as the only full-service dry cleaners in Chalmette, continuing the legacy of excellence and commitment to the local community; employing local residents as a testimony to the spirit of entrepreneurship in the face of diversity.

41

Old Arabi History 2nd of 3-Part Series: Historic Districts

By William de Marigny Hyland, St. Bernard Parish Historian Photos by Charles D. Jackson

Edwin Roy Jr. home at 550 Mehle Ave. Built by his maternal grandfather, Jacob Reichert.

A

rabi, originally named Stock Landing, Louisiana, is the westernmost community in St. Bernard Parish, forming the western boundary of the parish with the City of New Orleans.

42 Spring Issue 2024

19th-Century Streetscape Traditional to New Orleans founder of The St. Bernard Voice, in 1912 during a setback of the river levee. Mehle Avenue was named for William Mehle, a commission merchant associated with the Slaughterhouse Company who reigned as Rex, King of Carnival, in New Orleans in 1879.

Friscoville Avenue Labeled ‘Silk-Stocking’ in 20th Century The Cousins house at 331 Angela Ave., an Eastlake Victorian two-bay shotgun camelback.

The Old Arabi National Register Historic District is bounded by North Peters Street, Jackson Barracks, portions of Mehle Avenue and extends almost to St. Claude Avenue along Angela Avenue. The district preserves a typical 19th century dense streetscape traditional to New Orleans. Buildings are built close together and represent a range of styles from Eastlake, Italianate, and Edwardian to Arts-and-Crafts shotgun houses and cottages.

The Friscoville Avenue National Register Historic District entails both sides of the street from the river to St. Bernard Highway.

Friscoville Realty Company purchased the former LeBeau property, known locally as Eclipse Plantation, from Louis Edouard LeBeau in 1905.

The realty company, under the direction of local businessmen, began the subdivision of the property and opened Friscoville Avenue in 1906.

Outbuildings from the LeBeau property were relocated to Friscoville Avenue using teams of mules.

A row of slave cabins was placed along the Angela de Lesseps Daboval subdivided avenue in the 400 block, the adjoining tracts she inherited from structural additions were her parents in 1868 and opened Angela completed enlarging and Avenue, which was named in her honor. modernizing the homes Henri Daboval, her son, constructed the and they were resold. The 420 Friscoville Ave. two-story side hall wooden townhouse home at 420 Friscoville located at 340 Angela Ave. about 1900. Other Avenue, corner Bienvenue Street, was moved to significant homes along the avenue are 347 Angela Friscoville Avenue from the vicinity of Paris Road Ave., an Edwardian raised cottage; 650 Angela Ave., and River Road in 1906-07 as well. The dormers on an Eastlake one-story, two-bay shotgun single; 718 the roof came from the Edmond Macarty Home, Angela Ave., another Eastlake two-bay shotgun Andrew Jackson’s headquarters during the Battle single; and 331 Angela Ave., an Eastlake two-bay of New Orleans, which stood where the Chalmette shotgun camelback meticulously restored by Slip is today.

Albert J. Cousin.

The Macarty House was demolished in 1907 just The most significant historic house standing on Mehle Avenue is the Edwin M. Roy Jr. home at 550 Mehle Ave. The home was built by local businessman Jacob Reichert in 1907 and was restored by his grandson, the current owner, in 1980-1981. The St. Bernard Voice office, 234 Mehle Ave., is reputed to have been a lighthouse facing the Mississippi River on North Peters Street illuminating the Slaughterhouse river landing.

It was moved to the property by William F. Roy,

as the center hall cottage was being moved to Friscoville Avenue. Perpendicular to 420 Friscoville is the wood-frame Dittmar House, 341 Friscoville Ave., corner Bienvenue Street. The home was built for Charles Dittmar by the Metropolitan Dittmar house at 341 Friscoville Ave.

43

Building Company, J.C. Diboll, president in 1907 for $6,400. This raised center hall villa featured gas and electric lighting fixtures made of crystal, decorative plaster work, mirrored wooden mantels, pocket doors, an attached kitchen and interior bathroom.

Other significant structures along Friscoville Avenue include the Sidney Nunez Home, 520 Friscoville Ave., ca. 1910; I.J.G. Janssen Home, a Spanish Revival style home at 825 Friscoville Spanish Revival style Ave. built about 1930; of the former Joseph Maumus High School and the former Joseph (now Maumus Center) Maumus High School, at 700 Friscoville Ave. 700 Friscoville Ave. designed in the Spanish Revival style by architect William Burk and constructed as the first public high school in St. Bernard Parish.

Three 20th-century sheriffs (Nicholas Trist, Jack Rowley and Ralph McDougal) of St. Bernard Parish lived along Friscoville Avenue, which was regarded as the “silk-stocking” (wealthy, aristocratic) residential thoroughfare in St. Bernard Parish in the early 20th century.

Early Casinos The Jai-Alai Gambling Casino, the Riverview and other casinos were constructed near Friscoville Avenue and North Peters Street. These casinos became major employers in St. Bernard Photo courtesy of Joseph Wall. The Arabi before and during the Club, one of several Great Depression. A gambling operations, on series of Congressional Friscoville Avenue (circa 1920). hearings held by Sen. Estes Kefauver brought the gaming industry to an end in St. Bernard Parish in the early 1950s. Many St. Bernard residents formerly employed by the gaming industry relocated to Las Vegas to participate in the rebirth of that community as a major gaming industry, entertainment destination.

First Ward Courthouse and Jail The First Ward Justice Courthouse and Jail was completed in 1911 and served as a satellite courthouse and jail facility for the historic St. Bernard Parish Courthouse and jail in St. Bernard Village. The building faces Hernandez Street

Your Future is

Right Next Door!

Safe Neighborhoods Great Schools Recreation for the Entire Family!

www.SoldOnStBernard.com 44 Spring Issue 2024

on

SOLD

St. Bernard

between Pontalba and Bienvenue streets and was constructed of poured concrete by contractor J.C. Bourg. Business and attendant occasional crime in Stock Landing necessitated the construction of the facility.

The St. Bernard Village courthouse was quite a distance from Stock Landing, which made it difficult to contain criminals. Parish Coroner Louis Alfred Ducros, M.D., performed autopsies occasionally in the First Ward Courthouse in the 1920s and 1930s, borrowing kitchen aprons from his sister-in-law who lived on Friscoville Avenue across the street from the building. Dr. Ducros always returned the aprons (after boiling them in bleach water), which were promptly burned by his adoring sister-in-law.

The structure served as a volunteer fire station and a mechanic shop for St. Bernard Parish Government until it burned in the 1970s. Former Police Juror Alvin W. “Buddy” Guillot restored the ruined jail in 1985 and opened it as a small museum, tourist information center and Road Department office.

The Arabi Lions Club leased the facility from St. Bernard Parish Government in 1992 and maintained it until Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

FEMA funding is presently subsidizing the restoration of the facility.

Final of 3-Part Series: Old Arabi Historic Districts Summer 2024 - LeBeau House, Ford Plant & Cavaroc House William de Marigny Hyland is the distinguished St. Bernard Parish Historian and Site Manager of Los Isleños Museum Complex, owned by St. Bernard Parish Government.

InkDesigns_TTCommunications2_qtrpg.pdf

1

10/27/22

7:42 PM

Ink Designs Custom Printing

Clothing Alterations and Embroidery Desiree Jones, Owner

TT Communications Tamara Jones, Owner Boost Mobile/Bill Payments

504-682-2270

4908 E. Judge Perez Drive, Violet, LA 45

DA Honors Women Making Community Better Place to Live

(Sponsor Content) As the chief law enforcement agency of our Parish, the St. Bernard District Attorney’s Office and the professionals employed in our office work tirelessly to protect our community and our future.

District Attorney Perry Nicosia acknowledges the extraordinary women who serve our community and recognize those women working in the District Attorney’s Office. Our female Assistant District Attorneys, Office Manager, Criminal Administrator, Victim Assistance Coordinator and trial assistants, are all women vital to our office. Their professionalism and dedication are a big reason for our success and the office’s high conviction rate.

Thank you to these remarkable women and all the women who make our lives and community a better place to live.

46 Spring Issue 2024

Download the free app and visit www.stbda.org.

District Attorney Nicosia recently released a new app “St. Bernard DA,” available in all app stores. The office also released a newly designed website at www.stbda.org. The App provides information on jury subpoenas and advises whether you have to appear and/or what day you are required to appear.

Additionally, the app publishes court dockets, provides magistrate bonds set on all arrests, advises of courthouse closings, news worthy criminal convictions and press releases.

Please scan to download the “St.Bernard DA” app.

by Spurthi Surpur, MD

Signs, Symptoms of a Stroke A stroke can happen to anyone at any age.

Although strokes are the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability, the effects can be reversed if treated quickly.

Symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg; sudden confusion; trouble speaking and understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking; dizziness or loss of balance; and sudden severe headache.

Every minute is critical when a stroke occurs.

Contact 9-1-1 as soon as the first symptom of a stroke is identified. The key to lifesaving stroke care is to get to the hospital quickly.

The acronym BE FAST is an excellent way to remember and identify the signs of a stroke

•

Balance: Is balance unable to be maintained?

•

Eyes: Is vision affected, and are the eyes deviated to one side of the face?

•

Face: Is one side numb or does one side of the

• • •

2024

Ask a Doctor

COMMUNITY EVENTS sippin’ in the sunset spring series live music, craft & food vendors, local cuisine, refreshments

THURSDAY, MARCH 14 6 TO 9 PM • AYCOCK BARN OLD ARABI

THURSDAY, MAY 23 6 TO 9 PM • AYCOCK BARN OLD ARABI

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19 AYCOCK BARN • OLD ARABI

Old Arabi Neighborhood Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to actively representing the interests of the neighborhood with the purpose of improving our community. For information on membership & our full mission, visit www.oldarabi.org

face droop?

Arms: Is one arm weak or numb?

Speech: Is speech slurred?

Time: If you notice any of these symptoms, call

9-1-1 immediately.

3523 Paris Rd. • Chalmette, LA 70043

504-267-5509 Dr. Surpur earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Mandya Institute of Medical Sciences in India. She then completed a residency at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Surpur at Ochsner Specialty Health Center – St. Bernard call 504-493-2200 or visit www.ochsner.org.

Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 5AM-10PM Sunday 6:30AM-9PM

"Family Owned & Operated" 47

Diggin in the Garden

by Anna Timmerman

Pentas thrive in heat of summer.

Spring into a New Year of Gardening

W

hen spring weather hits, many gardeners feel the need to start planting in earnest.

With mild spring weather, it’s easy to forget the trials and tribulations of a long, hot summer looming just ahead. I’d caution my fellow garden lovers to not brush those memories of 100+ degree days with no rain in sight, but rather learn from the previous year and choose plants that are more resilient, that look attractive even in horrible summer weather, and that add sustainability to our landscape, in addition to beauty.

One good way to do this is to think back and remember which plants in your garden performed well, even with elevated summer temperatures and prolonged drought. I keep a simple garden notebook where I jot those observations down.

For example, 2023 was an especially good summer for figs, bougainvillea, cassia, angelonia, pentas, and other tropical plants. There was little to no leaf spotting bacterial disease on citrus (because of the lack of rain!), and the sticker weeds were especially bad.

Little reminders like these can tell me the next year that I need to treat the yard in January, that I might want to plant another bougainvillea Peppers make a good spring in the ground, and summer crop. and that in the

48 Spring Issue 2024

container garden, pentas and angelonia might be a better choice than impatiens, or begonias.

Little notes can help guide our future decisions as gardeners.

Angelonia grows well all summer in containers.

Why is this important? Well, it can save money and heartbreak that comes from planting things that fail year after year. We also shifted up a USDA Hardiness Zone, which means our average cool and high temperatures are now more in line with what they see over in Central Florida. All of St. Bernard is now in Zone 9b, with lower Plaquemines at 10a. More tropical plants seem happier, especially if they are protected from frost when it comes.

More temperate climate plants such as flowering cherries, dogwoods, and peaches are struggling,

and will likely continue to struggle with disease and poor performance.

When shopping at the garden centers this spring, be sure to look up the plant hardiness zone for what you are buying. This information is usually on the tag, or you can do a quick search using a phone to check that what is being sold will thrive in our area. I’ve seen several of the big box stores stocking trees and other plants that do best in more northern climates. The LSU AgCenter also has planting guides for helping select fruits, trees, vegetables, and flowers for our state with updated information on the best cultivars and types for our area. This information is at www.lsuagcenter.com, or via a search engine.

Maypop, or passionflower vine, does well in summer heat.

Building soil health in the landscape can also send plants into a better situation for summer.

Soils higher in organic matter, called “humus,” do a better job

of regulating water and maintaining root health.

You can build humus in the soil by adding a few inches of compost to your beds or around your trees each spring. Add some mulch over the top of the compost also helps to keep it in place, and shades the soil, reducing the temperature in the root zone. This keeps plants happier and healthier in the summer months. A layer of mulch 3-4” thick works best; over time the materials will compress and begin to rot, further enriching the soil. Make sure the mulch does not touch the bark or base of the plants – this can cause rotting and disease.

While preparing for summer, don’t forget to have a wonderful spring in the garden!

Anna Timmerman is an LSU AgCenter horticulture agent working in the Greater New Orleans area.

Email her: atimmerman@agcenter.lsu.edu

49

ST. BERNARD TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR The Port of New Orleans is working with local, state, and federal transportation partners to support the design and construction of the St. Bernard Transportation Corridor.

Envisioned as an elevated roadway located outside the levees along the 40 Arpent Canal, the new roadway would connect Lower St. Bernard Parish to the interstate system.

This project is separate but parallel to the Louisiana International Terminal project.

The Port supports the Regional Planning Commission and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development in their efforts.

The Port is coordinating with these agencies on the early steps of the project in an effort to mitigate future potential traffic impacts and address historical needs of St. Bernard Parish residents.

Local officials and community members have envisioned a third roadway for years. The Louisiana International Terminal can help catalyze this muchneeded infrastructure.

CONCEPTUAL RENDERING

Traffic flow is key to the success of the Louisiana International Terminal and to the quality of life in St. Bernard Parish. Port NOLA is working with regional and state agencies to deliver transportation improvements when or before they are needed.

THE NEW ROADWAY WILL

HELP TO RELIEVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION THAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH OR WITHOUT THE TERMINAL

OFFER A ROUTE FOR TRUCKS

REDUCE SAFETY CONCERNS ON LOCAL ROADWAYS

SERVE AS ANOTHER HURRICANE EVACUATION ROUTE FOR RESIDENTS OF THE PARISH

ATTRACT AND KEEP NEW ECONOMIC INVESTMENTS AND INDUSTRIES

$50M ALREADY COMMITTED The Louisiana Legislature has committed $50 million for analysis, planning, and design phases.

In June of this year, the RPC awarded a contract for a study that will formally document the need for the roadway (along with other transportation improvements in St. Bernard Parish) and determine its alignment.

The road will likely be financed through a toll on cargo trucks paid to a private partner that provides up-front construction funding.

Visit our Community Connection office located at 6201 East St. Bernard Hwy. 504-528-3227

50 Spring Issue 2024

LITinfo@portnola.com

www.louisianainternationalterminal.com

Proudly serving St. Bernard Parish for over 50 years.

Learn More: StBernardMemorial.com

St. Bernard Memorial FUNERAL HOME & MEMORIAL GARDENS

504-279-6376

St. Bernard Memorial Funeral Home | St. Bernard Memorial Gardens

51

Faces of the Parish

Newcomers and Longtime Residents

1

2

1.

Jake Beal joins wife Breann and children, twins Gracie and Maddox, for lunch at Today’s Ketch. Gracie and Maddox are straight-A students at Joe Davies Elementary.

2.

Dustin Beebe has lived in Chalmette for four years. He hails from California and works at NASA in New Orleans East.

3.

Breaux Mart employees (from left) Matthew Chiasson and Jayson Savoie are lifelong residents. Jalen Brossett, a store assistant manager majoring in business at Xavier University, has lived in Chalmette for two years.

4. Melba Bardell, a lifelong resident, shares time with her son Chrishon and daughter-in-law Landri Bardell, who recently purchased a home in St. Bernard.

3

5.

The Durhams (Jessica, Dominick and Tamarris) dine at a local restaurant.

The family moved to Meraux in 2018 from Kenner.

6. Kinley Hebert, left, celebrates her 12th birthday with her sister Blaikley, mom Summer, and friend Rylee Topey at Crave.

4

6 52 Spring Issue 2024

5

Faces of the Parish

Newcomers and Longtime Residents

7.

Zane Braselman of Arabi gives an impromptu piano performance while visiting New Orleans Jazz Museum, playing “Hound Dog” by Elvis. He attends Classique Academy and takes piano lessons at NOLA School of Music. He’s a multi-talented musician, playing the violin, trumpet, sax and trombone.

8. Bri Foushee serves as an MC at Bourbon Live in the French Quarter.

She moved to Arabi in May 2022 via New Orleans, Killeen, TX, and from her native Tampa, FL. 9.

7

David Woods moved to Arabi from the Upper 9th Ward when he was 10 years old. He is now 71 and recently celebrated his granddaughter Maddie Rockwell winning a softball game.

10. Breann and Gracie Acosta are lifelong residents. Gracie is a 4th, grader at Joe Davies Elementary where she is a straight-A student and participates in six activities.

8

9

11. Roy Lally V (front left), Ryder, Roy IV and Alissa grab breakfast at Two Sisters Cafe and Donuts on the way to school and work. Roy IV moved to the area before Katrina. He is boat captain at The Wharf on Bienvenue.

12. Tiara and Paula Morton moved to Chalmette in January 2023. “I lived in New Orleans, moved to Maryland in 2020 and relocated back. I like the quietness, safety and convenience of the stores,” Paula said.

10

11

12 53

Resource Directory

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1

1/21/24

6:33 PM

CheesecakeHeidi_ResourceAd3_24.pdf

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13-Passenger Shuttle Bus To Events in City 8 Person Minimum

504-609-7509

OFF 10% 504-381-5613 5440 E. Judge Perez Drive Violet, LA

Any Service

1

1/3/24

10:13 PM BarbaraManuel_Resourse.pdf

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2/4/24 cheesecakeheidi@outlook.com 4:02 PM

Congratulations Barbara Manuel

First African-American Female Justice of the Peace in St. Bernard Parish, Served 2008-2020

your order.

Expires 5/30/24

Chalmette Bicycle Store Celebrating 61 Years of Bicycle & Lawn Mower Experience!

SALES • SERVICE • REPAIRS • BICYCLES LAWN MOWERS • CHAIN SAWS

271-8260 ••• 271-3665 111 E. St. Bernard Hwy., Chalmette 70043

Hair Gallery Call for an Appointment 504-277-8607

115 W. Morales St. Chalmette, LA 70043

Holiday Gift Cards Available

54 Spring Issue 2024

CALL 504-609-7509 TO ADVERTISE

1

1/23/24

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Innovative orthopedic care, close to home.

From the injured athlete anxious to get back on the field to the grandmother who fractured her hip to the little boy who broke his arm falling out of a tree, Ochsner St. Bernard Orthopedic providers are here with compassionate, leading-edge care. If you have a bone fracture or are just tired of living with joint or nerve pain, you owe it to yourself to make an appointment with an Ochsner orthopedist.

Ochsner Health Center – St. Bernard 8050 West Judge Perez Dr. Suite 3200 Chalmette, LA 70043 504-493-2200 Madison Alexander, PA-C

Alexander Habashy, MD

To schedule an appointment, scan the code or visit ochsner.org/schedule

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ublic P y r a t o nd, N

F A A Notary Since 1989 B Business Opened in 1992

First Public Tag Agent in St. Bernard Parish - 1994

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1001 W. Judge Perez Dr. 504.277.6622 Monday-Friday • 9 am-5 pm Chalmette