July-August Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

495

$

INSIDEPUB.com

A “CUPPA” LOCAL FLAVOR •

WOMEN OF NASA • MADISONVILLE LIGHTHOUSE • KAKKI TALIANCICH

JULY-AUGUST 2022 VOL. 37, NO. 4

Retirement Renovation.

Page 20

contents table of

Departments 8 Pub Note 10 Contributors 16 INside Scoop 28 IN Other Words The Girls’ Trip 48 Flourishes Extraordinary Gifts and Home Accents

page 40

Features 12 Naturalism with a North Star Cover Artist Chase Mullen 20 Retirement Renovation 30 A “Cuppa” Local Flavor Louisiana’s First Tea Farm 40 The Women of NASA 46 Nature to Geaux

52 INside Look 54 Generous Hearts Kakki Taliancich Dick Knight 2022 Award Winner 66 IN Love & Marriage 68

INside Peek Women in Business Luncheon Harvest Cup Polo Classic Gray & Graham Grand Opening

70 IN Great Taste Pork and Pistachio Terrine to Elevate Your Summer Gatherings 71 Last Bite 72 Haute Plates 74 Last Look

56 Madisonville Lighthouse Shining for Centuries, Illuminating through Generations 64 Christwood Retirement Community Celebrating their 25th Anniversary

page 52 Editorial Contributors: Maggie Bozkoba, Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, Hilary Creamer, Feather + Arrow Photography Co., Kiyomi Appleton Gaines, Monica Growden, Thomas B. Growden, Poki Hampton, Sandra Scalise Juneau, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Danny Nowlin, NASA MAF, Michelle Preau, Becky Slatten, and John Snell.

6

Inside Northside

Hello Northshore!

You may notice that there is a different name on this issue’s publisher’s note. I am so happy to introduce myself as the new owner and publisher of Inside Northside!

If you believe in fate, you might say that previous publisher Lori Murphy and I were always meant to find each other in the right place at the right time. My very first grown-up job consisted of coordinating the subscription renewals for one of the largest magazine publishers in the country. I was 24 years old, and when I walked into the office and looked around, I knew that I had found my people and my career. In the twenty years since, I’ve had the privilege of working in a field that I love. Though being a publisher has always been a professional goal, I never dreamed that one day my name would be at the top of a magazine I admire so much.

As you all know, Inside Northside is not just a magazine. It is an institution on the Northshore 30 years strong. It’s a long-time patron and supporter of our region’s love affair with the arts. In a world filled with instant news, fake news, and outrageous news, it is an invitation to sit down, relax a bit, and enjoy real stories of the people and places that make our communities so special. It is my neighbor screaming, “Oh my gosh, you bought Inside Northside?! I LOVE that magazine!”

Kudos to the current and former staff of Inside Northside for working so passionately to produce the region’s most beautiful and meaningful publication. Thank you to our advertisers and community partners for the support and incredibly warm reception you have given me. And thank you to our readers! I look forward to getting to know you better - drop me a line at desiree@insidepub.com with any of your thoughts.

Cheers to new adventures!

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Inside Northside

Contributors Our contributors give Inside Northside its voice, its personality and its feel. We are proud to highlight a few of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.

Anthony “Chopper” Leone Retired bank executive, Anthony “Chopper” Leone follows his passion for photography in the surrounding waterways and events near his home in Madisonville. Photographer for the Town of Madisonville, “Chopper” is the guy behind the lens for his community, including: the Krewe of Tchefuncte Mardi Gras Ball and River Parade; the annual Mardi Paws Parade; the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum Wooden Boat Festival; and the Annual LPBMM Golf Tournament.

Leone’s iconic image of the Tchefuncte River Lighthouse was selected for an official Louisiana specialty license plate.

Yvette Jemison

July-August 2022 Vol. 37, No. 4

Publisher Desiree Forsyth

desiree@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Creative Director Brad Growden

brad@insidepub.com Business Manager Jane Quillin

jane@insidepub.com Operations Manager Margaret Rivera

margaret@insidepub.com Marketing and Melissa Leblanc Communications Ashlan Lehmann Brielle Viator ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Advertising Account Barbara Roscoe Executives barbara@insidepub.com

Poki Hampton poki@insidepub.com Pemmie Sheasby

pemmie@insidepub.com

Brenda Breck brenda@insidepub.com Stacey Paretti Rase –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the Cover

Cover Artist Chase Mu llen.

Find more on page 12.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contact

phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 Advertising Sales sales@insidepub.com Subscriptions subscriptions@insidepub.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Yvette’s passion for all things culinary extends back to her childhood growing up in a military family. Her recipes and home cooking are influenced by the many places she has lived. She often attends cooking classes while traveling with her husband and two daughters and has truly enjoyed a well-seasoned life.

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Inside Northside

INSIDE NORTHSIDE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by Working Presses, LLC, 29092 Krentel Road, Lacombe, LA 70445 as a means of communication and information for St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana.

Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­right ©2022 by Working Presses, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Inside Northside Magazine is created using the Adobe Creative Suite on Apple Macintosh computers.

by Maggie Bozkoba

Naturalism with a North Star FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE, artist Chase Mullen has been driven by two passions: art and nature. Romanticizing explorers like Lewis and Clark and naturalists like Audubon, Mullen found himself most at ease in the natural world. “I spent a lot of my childhood outside,” he explains, “I didn’t have many hobbies so when I wasn’t drawing, I would pass time exploring the southern creeks and ponds where I grew up.”

His innate abilities with a brush kept him always coming back to art. “I was never a very good student, but when it 12

Inside Northside

came to art things really clicked for me.”

However, he did not originally consider becoming a professional artist.

“I spent a few years juggling majors in college and not feeling very good about any of it,” he explained of his school years. Back then, working as a full-time artist just didn’t seem like a viable career path. It wasn’t until an opportunity presented itself to move abroad with his wife that he decided to make a shift. This was the first time in his life where he was actively painting 12 hours a day, approaching it as a

profession rather than a hobby. Eight years have passed since making the move, and he hasn’t looked back.

Though their travels took them far and wide, Mullen’s art has always been centered on the South. “I left Louisiana in 2014. We moved all around the >>

photos courtesy: CHASE MULLEN

Cover Artist Chase Mullen

14

Inside Northside

photos courtesy: CHASE MULLEN

world and I never felt more like a fish out of water. I was born in Louisiana and spent my entire life here; I just didn’t know how deep those roots were until I tried to leave. We moved back in 2021.” And it is always the iconic scenes and species of Louisiana that inspire his pieces the most. “I’ve never felt comfortable with any other subject.

I’ve tried and it just makes me feel like a cover band,” he jokes.

Take one look at his work and you are immediately clued into the history that Mullen is influenced by. His hyperrealistic depictions of southern nature scenes are reminiscent of early scientific illustrators like Audubon, but with a colorful twist that modernizes the composition. Speaking on his choice of subject matter Mullen explains, “It’s

been an evolving process. I always looked for juxtapositions or a way to build an artistic identity that I felt was my own. I had the South and naturalism as my two tentpoles.”

Mullen’s style is also influenced by his choice of tools and materials.

Rather than using traditional canvas, he likes to paint on panels of birch wood which he sands and paints to achieve his preferred finish. “I’ve never loved the feel of canvas,” he explains of the choice. “The birch panels give me more control.” They have the bonus of feeling more like a diorama. “They could be just at home in a natural history museum or an art gallery,” Mullen explains.

And though he is inspired by classical techniques, he is not afraid to use modern technology to realize his vision. When starting on a new piece, he will utilize his iPad to move each element in the piece millimeters at a time until the spacing is just where he wants it. “I might move one element 100 times, but 99 of those placements will be wrong,” he jokes of his process. One of his favorite tools is his Masterson Sta-Wet palette, which, through a water well in the base of the box, allows him to continue to work with a set of colors for up to a month rather than the three-hour window you would normally have for acrylic paints on a traditional palette. “Technology gives you so much more flexibility,” he explains, emphasizing that for him it is about balance between working smarter while honoring the history and craftsmanship that comes with

artistic pursuits.

Though Mullen has made many big changes in his life and career to date, nothing could have prepared him for the shift that came just last year, when he and his wife welcomed a baby girl into their lives. “I became a dad this year and that has had the biggest impact on my work to date,” he says of this moment. Rather than thinking about his work in an abstract, more “marketable” way, Mullen has found himself shifting his perspective, wanting instead to communicate something deeper through his work. In doing so, he believes he has since created some of the most relatable pieces in his body of work.

“The interesting thing is that these latest pieces have received some of the most enthusiastic responses from people,” he says, “I get excited about a piece now. When I see her do something or experience something, I read everything now as a metaphor.” He believes that this might be related to the fact that for the first time he is trying to encapsulate more shared experiences into his works.

“It’s not that I am anthropomorphizing the subjects in my pieces, but I am trying to capture more universal relationships found in nature. Which I think everyone can relate to.”

A perfect example is this month’s cover, titled “Nursery”. Depicted is a female wood duck on a cypress knee with a hole that holds a duckling, a pink flower draped across, as a male duck swims along the perimeter. Below the water’s surface are two Bluegills circling the base of the cypress.

“I painted this after my daughter

was born,” Mullen explains, “Her nursery is on the second floor of our home, just down the hall from our bedroom. A pink, flower-shaped mobile hangs over her crib. My wife was home with her for the first few months and my in-laws came to stay with us for a few weeks, downstairs in the spare bedroom.” This scene captures a moment in time. A life-changing, yet everyday moment.

“I have spent all this time trying to create a visual language through my work, but after my daughter was born, I felt like I needed to tell stories with that language. I never really cared about how my work was interpreted by others until I thought about how she would interpret them, and I wanted there to be something there for her.”

In the past, his work has always had an “explanation,” a point of view or a statement to make, Mullen says, but that in his estimation it often lacked an innate sense of storytelling. He jokes that now when he goes to compose a work, his biggest fear is that his daughter would come to him and ask, “Why would you do this?” and his answer would be, “I don’t know.” “What a lame answer that would be!” he laughs.

While nature and the South remain his two tentpoles, Mullen admits that now he has his North Star, a lens through which he now views everything, his daughter.

You can find Chase Mullen’s work on his website, chasemullenstudios.com and email him at chase@chasemullenstudios.com.

July-August 2022 15

p resen t ed b y

8th Annual Light Up the Lake Independence Day Celebration Sunday, July 3, 10am The City of Mandeville will celebrate the 4th of July at its 8th Annual Light Up the Lake celebration with Groovy 7, The Brasshearts, a patriotic tribute, kids tent, games, face painting and food trucks. Picnics are allowed along the lakefront beginning at 10am. No glass bottles or charcoal grills allowed. Lakeshore Drive, Mandeville, 624-3148, ExperienceMandeville.org

July 25th Annual Slidell Heritage Festival

Independence Day Celebration

a Veterans’ Salute, watermelon

Saturday, July 2, 4-11pm This

Sunday, July 3, 10am The City of

eating and rooster crowing contests,

celebration of America’s birthday

Mandeville will celebrate the 4th of

a pie bake-off, and fireworks. Water

features an evening of live music, great

July at its 8th Annual Light Up the

Street, Madisonville, facebook.com/

food and fireworks. Gates open at 4

Lake celebration with Groovy 7, The

madisonvilleoldfashioned4thofjuly

pm and fireworks start at 9 pm. This

Brasshearts, a patriotic tribute, kids

Abita Springs 4th of July Celebration

year’s featured performers are Soul

tent, games, face painting and food

Monday, July 4, 2pm Bring your chairs,

Revival, Amanda Shaw, and The Phunky

trucks. Picnics are allowed along the

blankets, family and friends to the Abita

Monkeys. Food trucks will be on site, and

lakefront beginning at 10am. No glass

Springs Trailhead Park for their 4th of July

beverages will be available for purchase.

bottles or charcoal grills allowed.

Celebration! They will be hosting a classic

1701 Bayou Lane, Slidell, 290-6939,

Lakeshore Drive, Mandeville, 624-3148,

car display from Gulf Coast Classic

ExperienceMandeville.org

Cruisers, live music from Christian Serpas

slidellheritagefest.org Sparks in the Park Saturday, July 7, 4:30pm

Madisonville Old Fashioned 4th of July

Bring your lawn chairs, picnic baskets,

Celebration Monday, July 4, 10am

and fireworks! Food from your favorite

beverages and blankets to Covington’s

The Town of Madisonville and Keep

market vendors, Abita Beer Truck, and

Bogue Falaya Park for the annual

Madisonville Beautiful invite you to the

additional drinks will be available for

“Sparks in the Park”, a free festival for

“Old-Fashioned 4th of July” celebration of

purchase all day. Admission is free.

families and friends to relax and enjoy live

America’s Independence on the banks of

22044 Main St., Abita Springs, 892-0711,

entertainment and music, and fireworks at

the Tchefuncte River. Bring your chairs,

townofabitasprings.com

dusk. Food and drinks will be available for

coolers and picnic baskets and find a

purchase. 213 Park Dr., Covington, 892-

spot on the riverfront to enjoy a day of

Summer Seminar Friday, July 8,

1873, covla.com

fun! The celebration includes kids’ games,

8am-12pm The St. Tammany Master

cornhole and horseshoe tournaments,

Gardener Association presents its

8th Annual Light Up the Lake 16

Inside Northside

& Ghost Town and Four Unplugged,

St. Tammany Master Gardeners’

2022 Summer Seminar Gardening for Success. Admission is $20 per person.

Limited seating to 120 applicants, buy your ticket online today! 133 Mabel Dr., Madisonville, (504) 458-6443, stmastergardener.org/event Northshore Family Fun Day Saturday, July 9, 10am-2pm Bring the kiddos for family friendly activities including face painting, arts & crafts, vendors, football toss and more! Admission is free. 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell, (985) 781-3650, harborcenter.org 5th Annual Kokomo Stroll Saturday, July 9, 4-7pm Patrons will enjoy beachthemed activities, live music, and more as they stop at 20+ outdoor tents to sample food and beverages. Getting creative with your attire -- think Hawaiian shirts, hula skirts, coconut bras and resort wear! Kokomo Stroll cups are $45, available online and must be purchased in advance. Patrons must be at least 21 years of age to participate. Historic Downtown Covington, (504) 439-2543, bigtickets.com/events/cba/5th-annualkokomo-stroll Sunset at the Landing Concert Friday, July 15 & August 19, 6-9pm Bring family, friends and picnics to the Columbia Street Landing in Covington for Sunset at the Landing, a free concert featuring regional and touring artists performing jazz, bluegrass, folk, blues and more. All are encouraged to bring refreshments and chairs or blankets for lawn seating. 100 N. Columbia St., Covington, 892-1873, sunsetatthelanding.org/ Big Easy Big Heart 5K Q50 Race Saturday, July 16, 7am Run a fun 5K (3.1 miles) on the beautiful Northshore while supporting a good cause in the 2022 Big Easy Big Heart 5K Q50 Race in Fontainebleau State Park. Awards will be given to the first three men and first three women to finish--no categories.

Proceeds of the event benefit the New >> July-August 2022 17

Inside Scoop Orleans Mission shelter and the children

com/organizations/playmakers-theater-

housed through the Mission. Register

of-covington. 19106 Playmakers Rd.,

online at q50races.com/2018/07/18/bigheart-big-easy-5k/. 62883 Hwy. 1089, Mandeville, (504) 390-8807

Covington, (817) 734-6496 12th Annual West St. Tammany Red Beans ‘N’ Rice Cook-Off Monday,

Southern Nights Gala Friday, July 22, 7pm

July 25 Each year the Red Beans ‘N’

Southern Nights is back and even better!

Rice Cook-Off event marks the official

Join OnPath FCU and St. Tammany

kick-off of United Way’s fundraising

Chamber of Commerce for the premier

campaign in St. Tammany Parish. The

event of the summer season at the

funds raised at this annual event support

recently renovated Inn at La Provence.

suicide prevention, mental health services

Featuring casino games, open bar,

and other United Way programs in St.

samples from fine dining restaurants, and

Tammany Parish. Sponsors can also enter

both a live and silent auction, this event

a team at no additional cost with levels

offers a festive time while supporting the

ranging from $2,500 to $250. The cost

St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.

to enter a cooking team is $75 for four

Admission is $250 per couple, $150 single

team members. Contact Sonja Newman

ticket, or $1,000 for ten tickets. 25020

for more information at 778-0815. $10

U.S. Hwy 190, Lacombe, 892-3216.

for all-you-can-eat Red Beans. 317 N.

HERPS Exotic Reptile & Pet Show Saturday & Sunday, July 23-24 Buy or browse thousands of reptiles,

Jefferson Ave., Covington, 778-0815, unitedwaysela.org/redbeans Columbia Street Block Party Friday, July 29

amphibians, feeders, supplies and

& August 26, 6-9pm This free family event

more in this two day event. Check out

features classic car enthusiasts displaying

the educational section for a hands-

their “pride and joy” over four blocks in

on experience with some of the most

Covington’s historic St. John District.

exotic reptiles and animals on the planet.

Check out local shops and restaurants,

Tickets available at the door. One day

and live and DJ music in many of the

pass: Adults $10; Children ages 5-12 $5.

downtown entertainment venues. Free

Two day pass: Adults $15; Children ages

off-street parking and in public parking

5-12 $8. Children 4 and under are free.

(“oxlots”). 200-500 Blocks of Columbia St.,

100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell, (214)

Covington, 892-1873, covla.com

708-8305, herpshow.net Playmakers Theater presents Choose Your Own Oz Saturdays & Sundays,

August 17th Annual East St. Tammany Red

July 23-August 7 The Wizard of Oz meets

Beans ‘N’ Rice Cook-Off Monday,

Choose Your Own Adventure in this fresh

August 1 Each year the Red Beans ‘N’

and fast-paced retelling of the L. Frank

Rice Cook-Off event marks the official

Baum classic in which the audience

kick-off of United Way’s fundraising

plays playwright and gets the chance

campaign in St. Tammany Parish. The

to change everything from Dorothy’s

funds raised at this annual event support

footwear (silver slippers or ruby red...

suicide prevention, mental health services

clown shoes?) to Toto’s species (lion,

and other United Way programs in St.

tiger or octopus?—oh my!) to the Witch’s

Tammany Parish. Sponsors can also

flying footmen. Tickets are $20, all

enter a team at no additional cost with

seats. Purchase tickets at bontempstix.

levels ranging from $2,500 to $250.

The cost to enter a cooking team is $75 for four team members.

Contact Sonja Newman for more information at 985-778-0815. $10 for all-you-can-eat Red Beans. 2056 Second St., Slidell, 7780815, unitedwaysela.org/redbeans White Linen & Lagniappe Saturday, August 13, 6pm Time to don those cool summer whites for Slidell’s 4th annual White Linen & Lagniappe! Featuring live music and entertainment, fine art by local artists, after-hours shopping, hot food and cool drinks, signature White Linen Night cocktails, the Ice Box Pie Contest at the Front St. Marketplace and much more. 2056 Second St., Slidell, 643-4375 The Lobby Lounge 2022 Concert Series: Ellisa Sun Friday, August 19, 7-9pm Join your friends at The Harbor Center in Slidell for the next “Up Close and Musical” concert at The Lobby Lounge featuring Ellisa Sun. The concert series features nationally touring acts throughout the year, focusing on artists from the worlds of

Annette Dowdle, RHU, CCWC, CHRS HUB INTERNATIONAL

Benefits can make sense with the help of Annette Dowdle and her “A-Team” at

indie rock, folk, country, jazz, blues and more. Admission to Lobby

HUB International Gulf South. “Creating a positive experience for employees to learn

Lounge concerts is in advance only, on EventBrite (“Lobby Lounge

about enrollment and their options is what we strive to do,” Annette says.

Slidell”); tickets are $19-$110. 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell, 781-3650, harborcenter.org Q50 Races ‘Bleau Moon’ 5 & 10 Miler Saturday, August 20, 8:15pm

Annette’s resources and consulting options include voluntary benefits, data analytics, health and performance, program design and implementation, and more.

HUB has a very collaborative and innovative approach when it comes to new strategies

The Q50 Races “Bleau Moon” 5 & 10 Miler is a unique trail

and the benefits they offer, allowing them to adapt to an everchanging business. “The

event. It happens at night! The 13th annual run through beautiful

consultants on my team see how the health of employees can have an effect not only

Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville is a fast, flat course

on a client’s balance sheet, but also on employee morale and corporate culture.”

alongside Lake Pontchartrain. Kids can join the night run, too: the

While competitors often “check the box” with team members wearing multiple hats,

Children’s Race, starting at 7:45 pm, is a 200-yd. race just for fun-

HUB fully staffs for every resource that they offer with specialists in each respective field.

-no fee, no t-shirts, no prizes, just fun! As this is a nighttime race,

As the largest privately owned brokerage/consultant within the US and Canada, Annette

a headlamp and bug spray are a must, and runners should be

can bring in a HUB Retirement Services professional to help employees get started on

prepared for hot weather. Entry fees for racers are, for the 5-Miler,

retirement planning by designing employee retirement plans that consider their long-term

$50, and for the 10-Miler, $55. 62883 Hwy. 1089, Mandeville,

goals. “You’ll not only help them navigate their long-term goals, but you’ll also support your

(504) 390-8807, q50races.com/2018/08/06/q50-races-bleau-

recruitment, retention, and employee engagement goals,” Annette shares.

moon-5-miles-aug222019/ Covington White Linen for Public Art Saturday, August 20, 6-9pm

HUB’s Retirement Services team alleviates planning and administrative burdens for non-profit, for-profit, and governmental entities. Annette greatly enjoys partnering

Covington White Linen for Public Art, presented by the Covington

with and learning from specialists in other divisions of HUB. “My best projects have

Business Association, celebrates the close of summer with a free

always involved a team. Collaborating always makes for a better outcome!”

soirée in downtown Covington. Pedestrians are invited to shop,

And that’s what Annette wants most—a better outcome, and a healthy

stroll, eat and imbibe while enjoying a variety of local vendors, live

employee-centric environment for her clients. “I love the satisfaction of helping

music, art demonstrations and more. Local businesses donate

my clients and their employees to live a healthier lifestyle. I enjoy meeting

a percentage of pre-tax sales during the event to the Covington

with companies in our community and speaking on HUB’s innovative tools and

Public Art Fund. Downtown Covington.

resources that set us apart from the competition.”

Lemonpalooza 2022 Saturday, August 20, 10am-12pm To celebrate

Call Annette today to see how HUB can help.

National Lemonade Day, Green Oaks Apothecary will host a lemonade contest for kids 13 and under in the shop’s courtyard.

Admission is free and participation is free. Cash prizes will be given for 1st place ($100), 2nd place ($50) and 3rd place ($25). 2238 First St., Slidell, 285-5613, greenoaksapothecary@yahoo.com

Annette.dowdle@hubinternational.com. 504-491-5576. Hubinternational.com.

July-August 2022 19

Retirement Renovation

by Poki Hampton

outdoor cabinets and comfortable outdoor sofas on the back porch make entertaining a breeze.

Below: Antique style copper scuppers on a mosaic tile wall along with Pennsylvania blue stone add interest to the pool area.

20 Inside Northside

RENOVATING AN OLD HOUSE is never for the faint of heart. Full renovations take vision, fortitude and lots of prayers to see the process through to the end. “Marie envisioned what the house would look like when she first walked in the door,” says Jeff McNeely, head designer on the project, of Niche Modern Home in Mandeville.

Marie and Todd Gregory bought their Covington cottage in October 2020 and began the renovations in February 2021.

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Above: The custom

They, along with Jeff, immediately began putting together an incredible team of contractors and subcontractors to carry out their vision of making this Covington cottage into their perfect retirement home.

“This was a total gut job, including electrical wiring, air conditioning, and the additions of the master suite and the outdoor living space,” says Jeff.

Wanting a nice large entertaining area, Marie and Todd added the back porch >> July-August 2022 21

Above: Custom kitchen cabinets are painted Tranquility with quartz countertops. A solid walnut slab tops the island. Right: The addition of the master bedroom and bath were part of the

and pool area. The large porch area was elevated to the same height as the floor of the house. Jackson Cabinetry installed cast resin cabinets in Weathered Desert Tan with leathered charcoal-grey granite countertops. “These cabinets are water-resistant and UV stable so they are great for outdoor kitchens,” says Virginia Schieck of Jackson Cabinetry. The walls are of V-groove Hardie Plank. The backsplash is a mosaic arabesque pattern. The mahogany wooden louvered doors were created by the Woodwright 22 Inside Northside

Shop to match an antique cypress original back door of the house. Fixed cypress shutters and ceiling fans add ventilation. They also installed the cypress ceiling in the outdoor area. A crystal and iron chandelier, designed for outdoor use, hangs over the seating area which is furnished in Summer Classics outdoor cane sofas with sky blue cushions. The dining table is a 100-year-old antique passed down from Todd’s family. An Italian white bowl accents the table while oversized white ginger jars top the

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

extensive renovation.

counter.

The pool was designed and installed by Pools by Joe Crowton. The hardscape of the pool area was designed

by Smoketree Landscaping. “Not only were Todd and Marie a joy to be creative and work with, but the project as a whole was a special one. Our architect, Travis, did a tremendous job designing a unique and beautiful outdoor living space that combines modern touches with the timeless Covington cottage style. Not only is there much to look at and admire throughout, but the landscape affords many different plants which will provide colors and blooms at different times of the year. It’s a one-ofa-kind project and Smoketree/Wetstone, we are proud to have been a part of it,” says Kyle Driscoll.

After taking the house down to the studs and discovering there was no >> July-August 2022 23

Above: Classic Covington cottage. Left: Home office

insulation in the walls, along with other surprises like replacing all the windows, Marie and Todd settled on the idea that it was going to be a long renovation.

“Marie knew when she first walked into the house what it was going to look like in the end,” says Todd. Marie wanted a combination of old and new that would complement the history of the cottage and make it very livable. “Everything in this house has a history. Marie didn’t want the interior to look like a store,” adds Jeff.

The heart pine floors throughout the house were refinished to a soft gloss. In the entrance hall, the beadboard on the ceiling, which is original, was painted white. New Orleans beadboard, with a custom chair rail, was added as wainscoting, with a textured grass cloth above. The front door was hand crafted by The Woodwright Shop to mimic the original backdoor. A “G” carved into the cypress adds a personal touch. Charleston Hardware in the Rice 24

Inside Northside

pattern was used in the entrance on both doors. Two white and brushed gold chandeliers, from Niche Modern Home, and double cove molding add a sophisticated touch to the rustic ceiling and create a juxtaposition between old and new. A contemporary painting, flanked by two brushed gold sconces, is hung over a large classic grey console.

Another major addition to the house was the master suite complete with a roomy bath and large walk-in closet. The floors in the master addition were crafted to match the original floors in the rest of the house. The bedroom highlights textures of white linen in the bedcoverings, and crewel work accent pillows on the king bed. Faux bamboo night tables are painted grey-green and topped with gold urn-shaped lamps with white linen shades. A washed faux Aubusson rug anchors the room.

The master bath has a vanity area and his and hers sinks, with framed

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

next to the master bedroom.

mirrors and contemporary sconces from Pinegrove Electric. The cabinets, from Jackson Cabinetry in Covington, are painted Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue. The marble tile floor is a basket weave in soft grey and white. These soft colors are repeated in the shower wall with arabesque-style mosaic tiles.

Live brass fixtures are used throughout the bathroom.

The living room retained its original footprint. Floors were sanded down and refinished. Walls were re-sheetrocked and painted. Textures of soft velvet, crisp linen and rustic wood set a relaxed mood great for comfortable entertaining or just relaxing. A console table made of pecky cypress floated in Katrina was saved and refurbished for this house.

A teal velvet high-legged loveseat with nail head trim adds a luxurious touch, while two swivel club chairs and the slipcovered sofa are covered in light oatmeal linen performance fabric. The rug is also family-friendly. The cocktail table is honed marble with a hand-forged iron base. Two round bronze metal tables with glass inserts flank the sofa.

The original stairs were narrow and steep. David Rawson of La Custom Floors refinished and matched all of the wooden floors in the house. He also tore out the old stairs and replaced the treads with wider heart pine and added the architectural bronze balusters by Northshore Ironworks.

The original kitchen was gutted, and the footprint changed to make it more user-friendly. Kitchen designers Patrick Fulton and Virginia Schieck of Jackson Cabinetry were brought on board to tackle the project. “The size of the kitchen allowed for a huge island to be added,” says Patrick.

Cabinets in the island are painted Divinity white and the countertop is

by Nola Boards. “We hand-selected >> July-August 2022 25

adds a pop of color to the living room.Heart-ofpine floors run throughout the house.

26 Inside Northside

painted the same Tranquility and completed with a built-in wine cooler.

The upstairs of the house was completely redone.

“There was a lot of “junkiness” upstairs,” says Marie.

“Our trim carpenter, Kyle Cochrane added nickelgap shiplap walls, changed the footprint of the bathroom and guestroom and added a flex space which can also sleep guests.” The sleeper sofa is covered in a linen weave performance fabric and the two chairs are in geometric velvet.

This whole project took much longer and was more involved than we originally thought,” says Marie. “But we love the end result, and the subcontractors who worked on the house were really so skilled and talented that they made our lives much easier. We are so glad it is finally finished and we can start to enjoy our retirement home.”

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

A teal velvet high-leg sofa

this walnut end grain butcher block countertop from Eastern Tennessee,” says Mandy Simpson, of NOLA Boards. “The shape was dictated by the island cabinet design.” The bead board ceiling and heart pine floors are the only original features of the kitchen. “New 54-inch wall cabinets, by Mouser Centra, have a flat center panel with small bead trim and are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Tranquility. Every convenience was included, such as mixer lifts, rollout trays, appliance garages and wooden Super-Susan in a corner cabinet,” adds Patrick. The vent hood is hand-hammered copper and sits over a Wolfe range. The countertops are white quartz and the backsplash is an elongated white subway tile. The porcelain apron sink has live brass fixtures. The pendant lights are brushed brass and glass, with Edison bulbs. The bar area is

The Brooke It Forward Foundation, a nonprofit focused on birthdays, was founded in 2019 in memory of Brooke Posey. BIFF assembles “Birthday Boxes,” which contain all the essentials for a birthday party. Boxes include items such as cake mix, icing, party plates and napkins, candles, an ice cream scoop, a birthday card, gifts, and treats. No box is complete without the organization’s signature cake/ice cream sprinkles.

The Birthday Boxes are currently distributed by counselors at six Children’s Advocacy Centers across south Louisiana near the time of the child’s birthday. Many of the children served are in foster care where tight budgets don’t always include a birthday celebration. To date the organization has supplied over 800 boxes.

For the foundation and the children it serves, the boxes celebrate more than just a birthday. They honor each child as a unique blessing.

To learn more, go to www.brookeitforward.org July-August 2022 27

IN Other Words

The Girls’ Trip

by Becky Slatten

28

FIRST OF ALL, this article is for mature audiences only…well, older people really, not necessarily mature. Meaning, the girls’ trip described here is more of the ‘Golden Girl’ variety rather than the ‘Girls Gone Wild’ type of debauchery. Though we do sometimes have our moments (and I can only speak for myself and my acquaintances), our trips are strictly PG-13.

And sorry, men. As much as I’d also like to write about the guys’ trip, I have absolutely no idea what happens when the males of the species go off together unsupervised, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to. I envision a lot of golf and cussing and spitting and beer and red meat with maybe a little poker thrown in there, but beyond that, I shudder to think. We all know the rules - what happens on the guys’/girls’ trip stays there; so, while I can’t reveal the particulars, I can share a few tidbits which you may or may not find surprising. First of all, we don’t talk about you nonstop, or at all, unless you’ve done something wrong. Secondly, we don’t get dolled up and go out trolling for men. If we can manage to get multiple women dressed and ready for dinner at a restaurant, it’s a miracle; we certainly don’t have the energy to go to a bar afterwards. And thirdly, yes, we do have your credit card.

There are a few factors to consider when planning a girls’ getaway, starting with the guest list; it’s smart to include the right mix of high and low maintenance personalities for a couple of reasons.

For example, if there are no bossy ladies in the group, the rest of us could easily spend three days on the sofa in pajamas going from coffee to wine; we

Inside Northside

need somebody to tell us to get dressed and get in the car. Conversely, an abundance of queens is a recipe for a cat fight; and queens need minions to do their bidding and form alliances. Also important is the general energy level of the group; does everyone get up early and go for a jog? Or lay around in jammies and drink coffee until it’s time to get ready for lunch?

You really don’t want to be the only slug in the group because you’ll spend a lot of time alone and they’ll all go to bed early. Maturity level is another relevant factor; are we earnestly solving the world’s problems over a glass of pinot noir or drawing a mustache on the first to go to bed? In my opinion, as long as you have a sense of humor, it really doesn’t matter if you’re a queen or a minion, a morning person or a night owl, energetic or a slug. Live and let live and, most importantly, laugh.

Some of my favorite memories are from time spent away with girlfriends. I’m still close to my three besties from Dallas because we reconnect somewhere in the world at least once a year; we only have three rules - no shopping, no plays, no museums, we just hang out. My mother, sister, aunt, cousins and I all go to New England together every fall; and it’s because of those pilgrimages that we’ve formed such a close bond. Closer to home, memories of countless beach trips with girlfriends, including the muumuu dance party and the rubber snake in the swimming pool incident, never fail to make me smile. So, ladies, I hope I’ve inspired you to gather your tribe, go off together somewhere fun and make some wonderful memories. No woman ever said, “I wish I hadn’t spent so much time laughing with my friends.”

A

Cuppa “ ” Local

Louisiana’s First Tea Farm

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

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Inside Northside

Flavor

photos: MONICA GROWDEN

DAVID BARRON WAS MORE THAN ready to retire. After owning and operating a successful machine shop for 25 years, he’d earned the chance to kick back and relax awhile. He certainly never saw himself pioneering a brandnew industry for the state of Louisiana.

Yet, that’s exactly how his retirement is shaping up. And it all began with a chance encounter.

“I met Horticulturist Buddy Lee while I was having a tire repaired,” Barron said. “As we chatted and he told me about his work developing new varieties of plants, we realized we had a lot in common.” From that first meeting, the two men became good friends and when Barron purchased a tract of land in Amite, Lee made him an offer.

“My accountant recommended I invest the profits from the sale of my

machine shop, and I decided on 160 wooded acres in Amite,” Barron said.

“The idea was to harvest the timber and replant it, nothing more.”

For his research, Lee often purchases hundreds of trees then chooses only three or four to continue studying, leaving him with the surplus to discard. He asked his buddy, Barron, if he’d like some of the castoff trees and Barron thought, sure, why not.

“Every few weeks, Buddy would call and ask if I wanted this or that tree.

I always said, ‘yes’ and he’d send me hundreds of them. Then, he asked if I wanted some tea plants. I’d been taking everything he offered but I said, ‘Wait, what do you mean tea plants? Does tea even grow in Louisiana?’ He sent me 1,000 tea plants (botanical name Camellia Sinensis Sinensis) and I >> July-August 2022 31

stuck them in the only area I had left that was big enough to contain them.”

That was in 2017. The LSU Agricultural Department soon heard about Barron’s experiment, and they had the same question. “Will tea grow in Louisiana?” They applied for and received a grant to join him in his endeavor, monitoring his progress and advising him as the plants grew.

Just months after Barron planted his initial plants, South Louisiana experienced a late winter storm that dumped eight inches of snow, followed by an additional four. “I thought, well, so much for those tea plants,” he said. “But they pulled through with no problem. That January was the coldest one on record and that February was the hottest on record. None of that seemed to bother the plants.”

One challenge Barron did face was the high Louisiana water table. “Like any camellia, Sinensis Sinensis doesn’t like having wet feet,” he said.

“Camellias breathe through their roots, and the roots on a mature tree can go six feet down. As we all know, six feet down around here is water.

We’re still working on drainage solutions but, in the meantime, they’ve done very well. These trees originally grew in the understory. So, I’m keeping

Above: David Barron, owner of Fleur de Lis Tea Company. Left: David shows off the tea grown at Fleur de Lis Tea Company.

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Inside Northside

photos: MONICA GROWDEN

a lot of the pine trees and planting beneath them. The tea plants love the dappled light and the swaying motion of the pines.”

As Barron understands it, the original Camellia Sinensis Sinensis were gifted to Russians from China and planted near the Black Sea in the Republic of Georgia, the area most similar to where they’d been growing.

Over the years, Russian horticulturists cultivated the plants to become more hot and cold-hearty. Apparently, it worked. These semi-tropical plants have handled anything our volatile South Louisiana weather has thrown at them, and Barron still has most of the original plants.

Barron added another 1,000 tea plants in 2019 and has since propagated an additional 500 from seed. The plants continue to thrive and in March of this

year, The Fleur de Lis Tea Company harvested its first “flush” of tea leaves.

When I visited the farm, I was fortunate enough to taste the very first batch of Louisiana >> July-August 2022 33

tea. With it, I received a Barron convinced crash course in growing, Did You Know?

Wainwright to add Louisiana processing, preparing, The poker term “royal flush” has its to her rotation of tea and enjoying tea and was origins in tea making. “The first flush of the tea companies with which she lucky enough to meet plants was always reserved for the royals,” said consults in such far-flung Beverly Wainwright, a tea David Barron of The Fleur de Lis Tea Company. places as Myanmar, Wales, consultant in town from “It was illegal to pluck the field before the and Scotland, all while Scotland to help Barron kings, queens, and nobles had those first running her own successful get his tea company off leaves harvested for their private tea reserves. company, The Scottish Tea the ground. Wainwright The practice became known as ‘the royal flush’.”

Factory. Wainwright stayed has worked with dozens onsite at the Fleur de Lis of small-scale tea companies around the globe farm for two months helping Barron process his first doing just that, acting as a consultant and— teas, will be back periodically to monitor his progress, according to Barron—so much more. and remains available to him through Zoom in the Wainwright is an encyclopedia of tea knowledge meantime. who has worked in the industry for over a decade, “Our goal is not to copy what someone else starting in Sri Lanka, garnering awards along the has done but to create a Louisiana tea, to develop way. Barron heard about her from a friend at the flavors and processing methods that suit these Great Mississippi Tea Company in Brookhaven. plants and this ‘terroir’, to make something uniquely Wainwright worked with them on their first flush in Louisiana,” Wainwright said. “I’m working on a 2015 and the teas they created together won several series of experiments with the leaves to come up awards at The Teas of the United States competition, with a tea that is distinctly ours.” in their very first year.

“The biggest influence on any tea is the

photo: MONICA GROWDEN

processing,” she explained. “White, black, green, oolong, and Pu-erh tea all come from the same Camellia Sinensis Sinensis plant. But the leaves are plucked differently and are processed differently to make the different types of teas, and each should be prepared differently for maximum flavor and enjoyment.” (See side bar.)

During Wainwright’s visit, she and Barron concentrated on creating a black tea they’re calling “Big Easy; a Tea for the Soul”, a white tea they’re calling “Starry Night; a Tea for the Spirit”, and a green tea they’re calling “Morning Mist; a Tea for the Heart”. As the tea plants at the Amite farm experience their first flush, the young leaf bud is gently twisted off along with the two leaves immediately beneath it. The rest of the plant is left untouched. These select, young leaves are brought into the micro-processing plant where they’re gently withered, dried, rolled, and oxidated. Wainwright continually monitors the sight and smell of the leaves to determine when to halt the process.

“White tea is the least processed,” she said. “It’s gently withered, gently dried, and it’s very easy >>

Tea consultant Beverly Wainwright.

July-August 2022 35

to make a bad white tea. But when it’s done correctly, you get a really delicious tea with all the florals you want and very delicate flavors. Although a white tea may be more expensive, you can brew the same leaves over and over. I often use the same tea leaves all day. But you can only do that with a good quality tea.” That quality is the aim for these teas and Barron and Wainwright don’t want to release them until they know they’ve achieved that standard. >>

If you think you don’t like green tea, it may be that you’re brewing it at too high a temperature. Each type of tea has an optimum temperature to bring out its best flavor profile. True tea connoisseurs invest in a temperature-control kettle. But you can do the same thing with a simple thermometer. A quick guide of tea types and optimum brewing temperatures would look something like this: •

White and Green teas—170 and 185 degrees

•

Oolong—180 and 190

•

Black and Herbal Teas— 208 and 212 degrees

(Optimum temp for coffee is 200 degrees.)

“Green tea hates boiling water,” Wainwright said. “If you don’t want to use a thermometer, one trick is to pour cold water onto the leaves before adding the boiling water. It’s not a perfect method but it helps.”

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Inside Northside

photos: MONICA GROWDEN

Barron admits the first challenge for him, as an accidental tea farmer, was pretending he liked drinking tea.

“I’ve never been a tea drinker,” he said.

“That’s why I’m so impressed with what Beverly has accomplished in making a tea even I can enjoy.”

“Tea has this amazing ingredient called L-theanine,” Wainwright said.

“While tea and coffee both contain caffeine, only tea has L-theanine which acts as a calming agent. Where coffee stimulates the cardiovascular system, tea stimulates the neurovascular system improving attention and brain function.

College students studying for a test should be drinking tea, not coffee.”

Rounding out the Fleur de Lis team is tea lover and jack-of-all-trades, Hans Marchese, who joined the business with extensive knowledge on how to prepare, pour, and drink tea after running his own retail tea business in New Orleans. “I’m loving learning about the production end of things,” he said. “I have a background in biology and chemistry from James Madison University and a lot of experience with annual gardening. But tea plants only have to be planted once every 2,000 years. After that, it’s all about the >> July-August 2022 37

harvesting and production.”

Marchese’s girlfriend, Lyra Schwartz, joined him at the farm and the two are happily filling roles from caring for the resident dogs to managing the tea growth, social media, product design, event center, tea plant propagation, and just all around serving as esprit de corps for the entire enterprise.

Meanwhile, Barron is developing his 160 acres to make it conducive to agritourism. “We’re currently putting in an educational display garden for visitors,” he said. “About 30 acres is bottomland and the bird population there is amazing. I see birds there I’ve never seen anywhere else. I want to turn that into a bird sanctuary and make it available to local birding groups. We’ve already hosted local gardening groups, offering them a tea tasting in our tasting room and tours of the fields and nature trails. We hope to host small weddings. And the Camellia Society held their annual meeting here.

Of course, they really came to meet Beverly.”

“Every time you enjoy a cup of tea, you’re connecting with 5,000 years of tradition and you’re connecting with people around the world who have created the tea,” Wainwright said.

“We’re all so busy. But tea gives you an excuse to have a moment, just watching the colors change, watching the leaves unfurl. You can’t control the big things in life, but you can make yourself a little ceremony of enjoying your tea.

It’s a simple, timeless pleasure.”

“Tea for me is a wee bit of magic,” Wainwright said. “Sadly, many people drink tea in black and white when there’s a whole rainbow of tea to slow down and enjoy.” Now that rainbow includes varieties grown and processed right here in South Louisiana.

the Michoud Assembly Facility.

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Inside Northside

photo courtesy: NASA MAF

Dr. Renee Horton in front of

by Kiyomi Appleton Gaines THIS SUMMER, NASA WILL LAUNCH the SLS (Space Launch System) megarocket as the start of the Artemis space program. The Artemis program aims to establish an ongoing human presence on the moon and to send the first woman and person of color to the lunar surface by 2024. This lunar base will be our launchpad to the next giant leap for humankind - Mars and beyond!

NASA hasn’t yet announced the four-person crew who will next set foot on the moon. But three Women of NASA live right here in our own community.

Born and raised in Louisiana, Sallie Bilbo wasn’t sure what she wanted to do as a career when she left high school. In college, she came across an internship with the Public Affairs Office at Stennis Space Center.

“I’m not one of those that ever thought, I want to work for NASA,” she says. “I didn’t know I could work for the agency, because I wasn’t interested in those STEM careers. Of course, that’s largely what is associated with NASA. I didn’t know it was an opportunity for me until I got here, and I realized there were all kinds of support careers I could go into.”

Bilbo, who now leads the Office of Communications, stresses that NASA is a place for people of all different interests and backgrounds.

“For somebody like me, I liked math, but I didn’t want to do that as a career. It’s great to do STEM! But if >> July-August 2022 41

Katrina Emery, Director for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared

you’re not necessarily leaning towards those career goals, there’s a lot of other ways and different career paths you could take. There’s still room for people to work here.”

“We have quite a few internship programs,” Bilbo adds. “That opens the door to all those different fields, to give students exposure to what it is we actually do. Students can get hands-on work experience. That’s what happened for me, and I love being able to work for an agency that does the stuff NASA does.”

Katrina Emery, Director for the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity at Stennis Space Center and the NASA Shared Services Center, grew up in Compton, California. But her parents were from Alexandria, Louisiana. She returned to the state and followed in their footsteps to 42

Inside Northside

attend Southern University. Emery’s early career focused on connecting minority students to opportunities in STEM. She credits mentors from that time with encouraging her to apply for a NASA fellowship that would send her back to California.

“The work dealing with diversity started on the campus of Southern University in trying to provide opportunities for students. But it expanded when I went to NASA and started working with historically Black colleges and universities, Hispanic serving institutions, and tribal colleges, fostering that relationship between the university and NASA.” Since that time, Emery has returned to Louisiana, and her NASA career has shifted focus from students to employees. “The work I do now is about retention of the workforce,

photo: NASA / DANNY NOWLIN

Services Center.

making sure we have a diversity that actually reflects America.”

She continues, “When I started my career, I was on one side of the relationship building, working with the universities.

Now I’m on the other side, [helping] our employees work with those same types of institutions. I’m making sure they have everything they need so everyone can contribute to our mission. Because at NASA, we are all NASA.” Dr. Renee Horton’s dream had always been to work for NASA. “We would pass the rest stop area where the NASA Center is in Mississippi. My dad would stop and allow my imagination to go wild,” she says. “When I was nine, I got a telescope. It was the first time I realized there was so much more in the world besides me, and I wanted to be able to know and be a part of that. I kind of knew then I wanted to work for NASA.” Throughout her childhood, Dr. Horton’s goal was to go into the Air Force ROTC, become a pilot, and then apply for the astronaut corps. But that wasn’t to be. “At 18, I actually found out I was hearing disabled,” she shares. “And it was a bilateral hearing loss, and I didn’t qualify to be an astronaut.

I wasn’t able to do that. At the time, I never thought about what else I would want to do. I just knew [NASA] was what I wanted, and I thought that was gonna happen.”

It wouldn’t be until a decade later, after the birth of her daughter, that she would return to school at LSU to chart a new path to her dream. “When I gave birth to my daughter, [she] triggered all the, ‘You need to be changing the world for her.’”

After finishing her undergraduate work in two years on a vocational rehabilitation scholarship, she started graduate school. There she came to understand the full extent of her hearing loss and sought the support of the LSU Speech and Hearing Foundation.

She went on to earn a Ph.D. in material sciences with a concentration in physics on a NASA fellowship. “That work became my dissertation, and that’s what’s on the SLS now.

When it launches, my dissertation will launch.”

“I’m very, very proud of that work,” Dr. Horton says. “The idea that that’s going to be the rocket that sends the next man and the first woman to the moon and possibly the first African American to the moon excites me and warms me to my core.”

Dr. Horton’s current work, which brought her to California and back again, is focused on developing electric aircraft. “We are looking at changing the way flight is being done with these electric-powered engines.”

Easily, the best part of the job, they all agree, is being able to contribute to something so much bigger than any of us >> July-August 2022 43

can do individually.

“That’s the neat thing about NASA,” Katrina Emery says, “because we do work with those astronauts, the scientists, the engineers, and the creations they make. I’ve enjoyed seeing that. And we do our best to make sure we are highlighting all of NASA, to make sure everyone’s contributions are celebrated. And, again, underscoring we are all NASA, and we have something significant to contribute to the mission.”

“The stuff we do is so cool,” Sallie Bilbo’s excitement is tangible, “no other organization does it. To say we’re part of this, even though I might not be touching the hardware specifically, I still have a small role in our missions. I used to travel to Kennedy Space Center, and I’ve seen quite a few shuttle launches. I’m so looking forward to that again when we start launching the Artemis program.

To know I’m a very small part of the program that’s going to send humans back to the moon, and specifically, the first woman—that’s worthy that we put a woman and the first person of color on the moon. The Apollo program was all white males. So,

44

Inside Northside

looking forward through Artemis returning to the moon, and eventually, to Mars, the stuff we do is so rewarding, and it’s exciting.”

“My favorite thing about working for NASA is the work we do isn’t just for us,” Dr. Horton says.

“It’s not just for NASA, it’s for humankind. We are promoting something so much bigger than us.”

For those who might be the next generation at NASA, or reach for the stars in some other way, all three say not to count yourself out just because your experience may not be in perfect alignment at first glance.

“Decide what it is you’d like to do and definitely pursue that as hard as you can. Don’t discount that,” says Sallie Bilbo. “We’re all needed, especially working for NASA, we need all kinds of people, we need all kinds of jobs.”

Katrina Emery says, “Everything you do at school is developing your skills to be able to get promoted to that next level. Take challenging courses, don’t settle for mediocrity. Not every student is going to be an A student, but make sure you are doing your best, and always try to improve.”

photo: NASA / DANNY NOWLIN

“And mentors are so key,” she adds “They didn’t identify these opportunities for themselves, they did it for me. I communicated my interests and they listened. When they saw the opportunity, they said my name was written all over it. What I learned from that is nothing beats a failure but a try. And don’t be afraid to network, build relationships, those are so key within the organization.

As I got more comfortable, that allowed people to connect with me and know who I am and for me to know who they are. And that’s what diversity and inclusion is all about.”

“If it’s your dream, don’t let anybody deter it,” Dr. Horton says. “When I think about the idea that I wanted to work for NASA and then my life came full circle again. My very first position at NASA, they allowed us to put our names on a test article. There was a moment in time when my name, my kids’ names,

Sallie Bilbo, Stennis Space Center’s Communications Office team leader.

my parents’ names, my sister’s name went into space. That was my dream come true. I wanted to go to space and a piece of me went. What I realized is each time I’m working on something, it’s another piece of my dream coming true.

And that feeling alone with everything else I’ve been through, good or bad, the satisfaction is more than I could have ever dreamed imaginable. To be able to know you had a hand in that. If it’s their dream, I’m gonna tell them to endure.”

July-August 2022 45

Nature To Geaux

by Hilary Creamer

46

WHEN I HEAR COMPLAINTS of kids staying indoors to play video games all day, I think they must not be talking about Louisiana kids. The kids in my neighborhood love to stop me while I’m walking my dogs to tell me about the turtles they’ve caught or the snakes they’ve almost caught. Even the indoorsy, girly girl that I was could’ve been found climbing our magnolia tree, gathering locust shells, or engaging in the occasional mud fight.

Children’s curiosity about animals and the natural world around them seems to flow effortlessly.

And so it was for Tanee Janusz, who has been an environmental educator for over 25 years. She says, “My mom tired of my bringing home bugs, snakes, and all kinds of critters, so she found an outlet for me in which I thrived. I became a volunteer at the Louisiana Nature Center and basically grew up there.” With a B.S. in Earth & Environmental Sciences, Tanee has flourished in roles at the Audubon Nature Institute and the INFINITY Science Center. Currently, she is working towards an M.S. in Conservation Education and is a board member of the Greater New Orleans Chapter of the Louisiana Master Naturalists.

Appreciative of the impactful mentorship she received at an early age, Tanee wanted to enhance environmental education opportunities for the next generation. In 2016, Nature To Geaux was hatched to connect kids (and kids at heart) with nature and science through fun, hands-on programming.

Inside Northside

Based in Slidell, Nature To Geaux brings the animals and science experiments to public pop-ups, private groups such as birthday parties and Scout meetings, and assisted living communities in nine parishes and four Mississippi counties.

You can find Tanee and a select few of her animals (she has over 30 different native and nonnative species) at local parks on the northshore when Nature To Geaux holds one of its themed public popups like Wetland Detective or Animal Mythbusters.

At the recent Walk on the Wildside pop-up at Bogue Falaya Park in Covington, the audience was delighted by a menagerie consisting of a pygmy hedgehog, blue-tongue skink, Madagascar hissing cockroach, red-tailed boa, spiny-tail lizard and cane toad. Not only does the audience learn about the biology and behavioral traits of the animals, but they can pet and hold them, too. With limited seats, the groups are kept small enough that everyone receives individualized attention. Tanee says, “The personal connections bring about change: influence the next coastal conservationists, encourage a child to go into a STEM field, or just facilitate a peace with the animals with which we share our outdoor spaces.”

Stephanie Imel, who attended the event with her son Jack, age 8, said, “I’m always searching for fun, educational things that are local and affordable– especially when school is out. This is our second time attending one of the pop-ups and meeting different animals each time keeps it interesting!”

Visit www.naturetogeaux.com to learn more.

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1. Bling Bluetooth Boombox & Tie Dye party microphone. 2. Nuna MIXX™ next Stroller. 3. Nuna EXEC All-In-One & Convertible Car Seat. 4. Yellow Lamb Patriot Embroidered Girl’s SunSuit, available in 3M-3T. 5. Yellow Lamb Patriot Embroidered Tie Strap Dress, available in 2T-6Y. 6. Crawfish Warmie. 7. Yellow Lamb Patriot Embroidered Boy’s SunSuit, available in 3M-3T.

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70515 Hwy. 21, Covington • (985) 900-2410 • July-August 2022 47

Flourishes 1

2 1. Governor Pool House Lanterns Portable and available in three sizes, Copper or Stainless Steel. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, Mandeville, 249-6040. 2. One-of-a-kind artisanal handmade tiles and natural stones sources from quarries worldwide. Stafford Tile & Stone, showrooms in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, staffordtile.com.

3. Abstract line art featured on ceramic urns; small urn 3

$55, large urn $75. Florist of Covington, Covington, 892-7701. 4. Astoria Swivel Glider with Oyster finish and Linen Snow fabric, $2,800. Jackson Cabinetry, Covington, 867-8905, jacksoncabinetry.com. 5. Free form textured centerpiece bowl, $310; boxwood spheres, starting at $16.99. Corrinn Fisher Interiors, Covington, 888-1229. 6. Gold metal table lanterns, starting at $175.

Greige Home Interiors, Mandeville, 8757576. 7. Rand Floor Lamp, $625. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045.

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Inside Northside

July-August 2022 49

Flourishes 1 2

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1. Fly-Thru Bird Feeders featuring a charming heart, circle or moon shape. Measuring 17”15”, it is sized to hold a generous 4.5 pounds of seed, $89 and up. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008. 2. Buko Chandelier by Currey and Company. Southland Plumbing, 6

Covington, 893-8883. 3. Green to Blue Landscape Vases made of Hand-blown Glass.

V Home & Interiors, Mandeville, 231-7411, vhomeandinteriors.com. 4. Sky blue pierced, filigree centerpiece bowl, $106.95. DeLucas Fine Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 892-2317. 5. Keep

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drinks cold with a custom designed insulated tumbler. Redoux Home & Market, Mandeville, 674-8811. 6. Bring wet and wacky fun to the backyard bash with Rainbow Wiggle Wobble Splashy Sprinkler. Kiki and Lolli, Covington, 900-2410. 7. New Navarrete Lantern available in three sizes, Gas or Electric, and four finishes.

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Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-9103275. 8. Let It Sneaux kitchen towel, $16.

NOLA Boards, New Orleans, 504-256-0030, nolaboards.com.

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July-August 2022 51

INside Look 1

3 2

1. Straw fedora with wide A-line brim featuring a complimenting straw band, $82. The Villa, Mandeville, 674-9797. 2. 18K Yellow Gold Multi-sapphire and 4

Diamond Circle Pendant Necklace, $750. Lee Michaels Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 3. Beach, pool, lake and boat – this will be your favorite tote; 3 sizes available, $89-$129. Shoeffle, Covington, 898-6465.

4. Ruffled sleeve v-neck blouse, $50. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1690 or 809-1789. 5. 18K Yellow Gold Roberto Coin Round Tube Hoop Earrings, $540. Lee Michaels Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 6. Skinbetter products to protect you from the sun this summer and year-round. Northshore

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Rejuvenation, Slidell, 265-4544. 7. Archies with real arch support flip flops. Specialized material molds to your feet, lightweight and adjustable with unisex sizing. Lifestyle store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0270. 8. Natura Bissé’s Oxygen Collection formulas are invigorated with ingredients such as Living

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Water for powerful hydration and remineralization and spirulina algae packed with proteins, minerals and vitamins.

Royal Retreat Day Spa, Mandeville, 231-7329.

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July-August 2022 53

Generous Hearts

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

Kakki Taliancich Dick Knight 2022 Award Winner

THROUGH QUIET, HUMBLE service, Richard F. “Dick” Knight moved the needle on philanthropy and community service on the Northshore unlike any other. The strength of his character allowed him to build personal and professional relationships that ultimately served our community in deep and meaningful ways. To honor his transformational service, each year the Northshore Community Foundation presents an award in his name to a nonprofit leader who represents his dedicated character and immeasurable impact.

While it is common for this award to be given to a director of a nonprofit, for the first time this year, we celebrate the contributions of someone who has never officially served at the helm yet has been critical in steering the ship. Kakki Taliancich, long-time Associate Director of the West St. Tammany YMCA, is the 2022 recipient of the Annual Dick Knight Award for Nonprofit Service to her community.

“We honor Dick’s legacy by recognizing the steadfast servant-leadership Kakki has demonstrated throughout her long career. Her remarkable, unwavering commitment to the mission of the YMCA perfectly represents the spirit in which Dick lived his life,” Bourgeois said.

In 1986, with her young daughter in tow, Kakki waited patiently for a membership spot to open up at the small Old Metairie YMCA. She was 54

Inside Northside

eventually able to join, but little did she know this was the beginning of a relationship with the organization she would serve for 35 years.

From her Midwest roots in Omaha, Nebraska to transplanting to New Orleans in her 20s, Kakki has always had a heart for people. Her early career in customer service used that heart and patience, including successfully running a sandwich shop with her husband in Chalmette. When she had her daughter, however, her real connection to the YMCA began and she not only became a member, but it also became part of her life.

When Kakki started going to the Metairie YMCA, her plan was simply to work out and have a safe daycare for her daughter. Fate had other plans, and there she met Sandra McDonald, a Y Director, and her future best friend. In very short order, Sandra saw something in Kakki that personified the Y mission – her love and compassion for all people. Kakki was hired to be a part of the team and she has been on that team ever since.

After moving from Metairie to help open the new St. Tammany Y, things began to come full circle. There was a young neighborhood boy who continually jumped the fence when he thought

no one was watching, so he could play some basketball. Someone was watching though, and Kakki made sure the boy knew he was welcome to come through the front door, weather he could afford it or not. She made him a “volunteer” and that boy started with cleaning and sweeping and later became a camp counselor.

Fast forward twenty something years and that young boy would be hired to be Kakki’s new boss as the Executive Director of the West St. Tammany YMCA. “It’s funny how it goes around. He grew up and did a complete turnaround at the Y,” she said of her boss.

The opportunity for a life transformed exemplifies Kakki’s 35 years of service. “I cannot think of a single person who deserves this award more than Kakki,” said Joey Roberts, Executive Director of the West St. Tammany YMCA “She brings the kind of love and commitment that you cannot explain on paper.”

Kakki credits her father with her tireless work ethic but also explains how she never wanted to climb the ladder or take the Executive Director title. “I never aspired for that position.

I wanted the freedom to work directly with the people who came in and not get bogged down,” she said.

Kakki has recently retired from the West St. Tammany YMCA Associate Director position and she, her husband Bob, daughter Erinn and granddaughter Blake are all moving to a little 6-acre farm with a pond in Folsom to garden and fish and raise horses. “It is something I have always wanted. It is my little slice of Heaven and being able to spend more time with my granddaughter is the icing on the cake,” said Kakki. A very fitting retirement from a professional life served committed to others.

July-August 2022 55

e l l i v n o s i d a M Lighthouse

Shining for Centuries, Illuminating through Generations

by Sandra Scalise Juneau

This 1850s sketch of the original lighthouse was drawn by Gaston Pontalba, the youngest son of the Baroness Pontalba, when he had come to Madisonville during the Yellow Fever plague.

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THE MESSAGE LEFT ON MY HOME RECORDER was not deleted, as so many calls from unfamiliar numbers usually are. Coming from Spokane, Washington, the message explained, “I’m calling because, in a genealogy search for my direct ancestor - Benjamin Thurston, your feature about the lighthouse in Madisonville, “Faithful Sentinel” which appeared in the January / February 2015 issue of Inside Northside, identified my 4th great grandfather, Benjamin Thurston, as Madisonville’s first lighthouse keeper. I >>

July-August 2022 57

Mark and Deanne Holmes with Iris Vacante, the Madisonville Historic Museum Curator. Deanne is holding a copy of

was delighted to read in your article, excerpts of direct quotes from his daily log. You also mentioned, from archives of the Madisonville Cemetery, there are buried members of the Thurston family - his descendants, including children and spouses of his five daughters. Further, learning that the original Keeper’s Log is now housed at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, I am planning on coming to Louisiana and would like to visit Madisonville to learn more about my Thurston family who settled there. If you would, please give me a call back.”

Intrigued, I returned the call and learned that she, Deanna Holmes and her husband, Mark would be in Madisonville in the coming weeks. With their visit date set for May 5th, I immediately began a series of phone calls and emails to gather a delegation for welcoming and informing Deanna Homes of her Thurston family connections to the Town of Madisonville.

A 10:00 AM meeting was scheduled at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, arranged by the Maritime Museum’s Docent and Education Director, Jeanne Brooks. Invited to attend were LPBMM Executive Director, Jim McPherson, Former Director, Donald Lynch and Mrs. Catherine Lynch. Our delegation grew to include Iris Vacante, Town Historian, Historic Museum Curator and Director, Friends of the Madisonville Cemetery, as well as Former Board Members and Madisonville residents, Gail Perry and photographer, Anthony Leone. Despite his busy schedule, our Town of Madisonville Mayor, Jean Pelloat arranged to meet Mr. and Mrs. Holmes and cleared his calendar to join us for lunch.

With cloudless blue skies, May 5th was a stunning spring day for discovery in Madisonville, and all anticipated meeting our guests from Washington State. On their arrival, Deanne 58

Inside Northside

photo: ANTHONY “CHOPPER” LEONE

Gaston Pontalba’s sketch of the original lighthouse.

and Mark Holmes were introduced to our group, then were welcomed to the Maritime Museum by Jeanne Brooks, who gave a revealing overview of Madisonville’s history. Viewed in the Museum’s theater, the video “Treasures of the Tchefuncte” reinforced for each of us Madisonville’s importance to commerce and navigation, as informed by its strategic Tchefuncte River location, connecting trade through Lake Pontchartrain to New Orleans and into the Gulf of Mexico.

After a tour of museum exhibits, the group took the short walk over to the Lighthouse Keepers Cottage, which had been moved from its original location adjacent to the lighthouse, and now resides on the grounds of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. Mrs. Catherine Lynch, who conducts tours there for school children, often appearing as “Mrs. Thurston” dressed in bonnet and ankle length vintage costume, explained that the small wooden structure had been the home for each lighthouse keeper and their families. They lived there, planted gardens for food, and fished the surrounding waters which encircled the lighthouse.

A highlight for Deana Holmes was when Iris Vacante presented her with a reproduction of the Pontalba drawing of the lighthouse, cottage, and belltower, as they looked in 1850. The original art piece was sketched by Gaston Pontalba, the youngest son of the Baroness Pontalba when he had come to Madisonville for safekeeping to avoid the Yellow Fever plague, which had sent so many others to the Northshore from the city of New Orleans during those dreaded times.

Our tour was scheduled for a visit to the cemetery after lunch.

Reservations for lunch were made >> July-August 2022 59

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photos: ANTHONY “CHOPPER” LEONE

at the private River Room, which provides stunning corner river views from east and south at Madisonville’s elegant restaurant, Tchefuncte’s. Our group of nine relished stories from his trove of Madisonville lore, regaled by our Mayor, Jean Pelloat. As a special memento of the occasion, Mayor Pelloat presented each of us with a commemorative “Tchefuncte Lighthouse” pin.

From meticulously kept family journals, Deanna Holmes provided details of her family history, which included information on Thurston descendants who settled in Madisonville.

“Benjamin Thurston left Cincinnati, Ohio on 21, October 1830, with his wife, Susannah Hardy Thurston and younger children and took a

journey by flatboat down the Ohio River and subsequently down the Mississippi River to New Orleans, arriving there on December 19. The children who traveled with him were his son Benjamin, and his five younger daughters; Harriet Newell Thurston, Hannah Plumer Thurston, Cynthia Matilda Thurston, Nancy Bagley Thurston, and Eliza Thurston. On June 27, 1831, the family relocated to Madisonville.”

On January 1, 1838, Benjamin Thurston was sworn in as the First Keeper of the Tchefuncte River Light Station. Thurston continued at his post, living with his family on that fragile strip of land until his death on December 3, 1845.

Led by Iris Vacante, the group visited the gravesites of Benjamin Thurston and other family members who are interred in the Madisonville Cemetery. As Vacante related, “After hours of research, it is very hard to know exactly how many descendants of Benjamin Thurston >>

are in the cemetery without doing an extensive genealogy study. The Thurston daughters married into other founding families of Madisonville, such as Badeaux, Reed, Spencer, Wilson, Gaile, and more. The most prominent descendants of the lightkeeper, Benjamin Thurston, were members of the Perkins family, who were heavily involved in teaching, and active in founding the Presbyterian Church in Madisonville after the Civil War,” continues Vacante, “under the last name ‘Thurston’ we have a headstone for only Benjamin Thurston. His wife, Susannah Hardy Thurston, who died in 1850, does not appear on any tomb, nor in the survey, though it is believed that she is buried in the family plot.”

From letters written to her family in Louisiana and the diaries she kept while traveling west on the Oregon Trail, we learned from Deanna Holmes about her 3rd great grandmother, Sarah Thurston Stewart Sutton. The oldest of the twelve Thurston children, Sara was born in Newberry, Massachusetts in 1806, and by the time her parents made the move to Louisiana she was already 24 years old and had been married to Joel Stewart for six years. Sarah and Joel moved west to Illinois and had twelve children there.

According to Deanna Holmes, “Like her father Benjamin, Sara was a prolific writer. Her letters were kept and have been handed down within the family.”

Most certainly, those letters to her parents and younger siblings brightened their days as they were settling into the task of building their home and work station as the first family of Madisonville lighthouse keepers.

Having lost three of her children to illness, at the age of 41 Sarah was widowed, and faced with the daunting task of raising alone her remaining nine children. It was at a Church Revival 62

Inside Northside

photo: ANTHONY “CHOPPER” LEONE

that she met John Pierce Sutton, and they were married the following year. After several years of chronic illness, worsened by the cold winters in Illinois, they made the decision to sell what furnishings they could, outfitted three covered wagons for their family and 20 head of cattle, and on March 21, 1854, they embarked on their trek westward along the Oregon Trail.

It was from Sarah’s diaries of their journey, that copies of her journal have been preserved by the Oregon Historical Society and the University of Oregon, and Sarah Sutton was profiled in the book, “Covered Wagon Women, Diaries and Letters from the Western Trail” by Kenneth L. Holmes, 1987, University of Nebraska Press.

Sarah records, “Leaving our old residence on the 21st day of March, 1854, bound for Oregon on the western shores of America, we much regret leaving behind us, our good neighbors and kind friends to see their faces no more on this earth, but we are bound to search for a healthier and milder clime than Illinois, to spend the remainder of our days, let them be many or few, for our own satisfaction and the benefit of our many children.”

Our day together in Madisonville with Deanna and Mark Holmes was a journey for each of us, reaching back through centuries, connecting us through generations, illuminating the journey of those pioneers whose tenacity and spirit still shines in the paths they forged, building across our lands from northeast to western shores and to our southern waterways. We add our gratitude for their many sacrifices, with appreciation to our guests, Deanna and Mark Holmes and to our Madisonville delegation for making possible this amazing day of discovery.

For further information on of activities, contacts, education, events, programs and support, please refer to the following: lpbmm.org louisiananorthshore.com/listing/madisonville-museum/200 madisonvillecemetery.com July-August 2022 63

Christwood Retirement Community Celebrating their 25th Anniversary

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EVEN THOUGH THE COVID19 pandemic limited or caused postponement of some 25th Anniversary celebratory events, the Christwood management and staff were nevertheless able to carry out several of them, including a staff crawfish boil, an anniversary service and reception at Christ Episcopal Church in Covington, and the planting of the 25th Anniversary oak tree on the shore of Loch Lohman.

The anniversary celebration continued with a Healing Arts Exhibit in the Atrium Gallery.

On a beautiful Sunday morning this past September, Christwood hosted a celebratory liturgy at Christ Episcopal Church. It was held in the church courtyard and attended by members

of the Church who enjoyed an array of sweet, savory, and bubbly refreshments as well as musical entertainment by Matt Lemmler and friends.

Father Steve Holzhalb, D.Min. delivered a heartfelt liturgy in which he shared “God’s Spirit, I believe, continues to manifest at Christwood.

Not perfectly to be sure. Not completely, but in a loving, respectful, caring way, through good times and bad. The spirit is manifest in residents, in their families, in the staff and in their families as a vibrant community…and the spirit of this congregation remains, week by week, celebrating the Eucharist and ministering to those in the resident community in need. Praise God from whom all blessings come.”

After a two-year pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Christwood’s Atrium Gallery reopened on Saturday, June 4, 2022, in celebration of Christwood’s 25th Anniversary with an unparalleled Healing Arts Group Exhibit of 53 multimedia works by 23 regional artists.

The Christwood Atrium Gallery, which opened in 2012, recently adopted what Loomis calls a Healing Arts Initiative, with the following mission statement: Through the vitality of the creative arts and human connections, the Healing Arts Initiative will enrich the community.

“The thinking behind this is that the arts in all forms – visual, musical, literature, poetry, even the culinary arts – give our lives meaning, and are a balm to the body and the soul of our culture.

Without the arts we do not flourish as a community,” Loomis explained.

Participating Artists in the Healing Arts Exhibition: Jan Arrigo, Errol Barron, Harriet Blum, Andrew Boyd, Gerald Cannon, Emery Clark, Sandra Russell Clark, Margaret Crosby, Adrian Deckbar, Alan Flattman, Carol Hallock, Peggy Hesse, Marcia Holmes, Mary Helen Mason, Catherine Mayer, Mary Monk, Jan Munson, Josephine Sacabo, Billy Solitario, Sarah Sparkman-Boyd, Kathleen Trapolin, Peg Usner and Sue Zaunbrecher.

July-August 2022 65

M A R R I A G E A N D L O V E I N

Rosamond-McWilliams Catherine (Kate) Frances Rosamond, daughter of Mary Frances and James Rosamond, and Jacob Paysse McWilliams, son of Jamie and Paysse McWilliams, exchanged their vows at St. Dominic Church.

Catherine wore an Essence of Australia gown from Town and Country and veil from Wedding Belles. The wedding party was comprised of high school friends, college friends, and family. The bride’s sister was Maid of Honor. Reverend Colm Cahill, a friend of the groom’s family, presided.

Following the ceremony, family and friends celebrated at a private uptown venue to a mix of classic and new music by Boogie Falaya. Guests enjoyed dinner and signature cocktails of French 75 (bride) and Old Fashioned (groom) while leaving messages for the couple on an After the Tone audio guestbook.

The bridal cake featured five tiers of white almond cake with Ameri-swiss buttercream icing and a cascade of flowers from Grow With Us Florist, which also provided the bouquets and table arrangements of eucalyptus leaves, white and pink

sticker, LSU sticker, George Dickel sticker, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity sticker, and sportsman sticker.

The bride and groom first honeymooned in Rosemary Beach, to be followed by two weeks in Ireland. The newlyweds now reside in uptown New Orleans.

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photos: MICHELLE PREAU

roses, and baby’s breath. The groom’s cake was a Yeti ice chest with a St. Paul’s

INside Peek

Women in Business Luncheon Lunch, inspiration, and great conversation with some incredible women were the hallmarks of our recent Women in Business Luncheon at Pat’s Rest Awhile. Cover Artist Karen Treuting joined the group displaying her cover painting & signing posters for all of the attendees. Local photographer Cheryl Gerber, author of Cher Chez la Femme: New Orleans Women, and NASA’s Dr. Renee Horton spoke to the group about overcoming obstacles and following your passion.

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The Junior League of Greater Covington welcomed spectators back for a special 25th Anniversary Harvest Cup Polo Classic at Summergrove Farms in Folsom, LA. Since its inception 27 years ago, the Harvest Cup Polo Classic has raised over $840,000 in support of the Junior League and its many community programs.

photo: FEATHER+ARROW PHOTOGRAPHY CO.

Harvest Cup Polo Classic

Gray & Graham Grand Opening

July-August 2022 69

IN Great Taste

by Yvette Zuniga Jemison

Pork and Pistachio Terrine to Elevate Your Summer Gatherings IN ADDITION TO GOOD COMPANY, there are a couple of things you need in order to plan a perfect summer gathering. With plenty of sunshine, a delicious terrine and pickled shallots you’re well on your way to an elevated experience. Whether you’re gathering for a dinner party or a casual picnic you’ll love this make-ahead terrine. The flavors meld together when made ahead, and this homemade terrine easily packs in a cooler for your outdoor gatherings. You can make it in a traditional French terrine or 9-inch loaf pans. It stores for about a week in the refrigerator and freezes well, too. Freezing makes it convenient to serve a smaller portion when the cravings strike you. Simply serve with a crusty baguette, pickled shallots, and as many of your favorite accompaniments from mustard, cornichons, capers to garden fresh vegetables. We’d love to see your version of these recipes - be sure to share yours with us on Instagram at @insidenorthside and @y_delicacies.

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Pork and Pistachio Terrine Makes 1 ½ quart terrine ½ pound bacon 1 pound ground pork 1 pound ground chicken 2 large eggs 2 tablespoons Cognac 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup dried cherries ½ cup pistachios, coarsely chopped Optional for Serving: sliced baguette, mustard, cornichons, capers, garden fresh vegetables Special Equipment: 1 ½ quart lidded, pâté terrine

1. Preheat oven to 250°F. Line the terrine with plastic wrap leaving enough overhang to cover the top of the terrine.

2. Process the bacon in a food processor until whipped, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a medium mixing bowl.

3. Add the pork, chicken, eggs and cognac to the mixing bowl and stir until well blended. Add the salt, thyme, black pepper and nutmeg and stir until well blended. Fold in the cherries and pistachios.

4. Scrape the mixture into the lined terrine and smooth the top. Seal tightly with the overhanging plastic and cover with the lid.

5. Place the terrine in a large roasting pan, and fill the roasting pan with about one inch of water. Bake until the temperature in the center of the terrine is 165°F, 2 ½-3 hours.

6. Remove the lid, peel back the plastic wrap and drain any excess fat. Seal the top with the plastic wrap and weigh down with two heavy cans directly on top of the plastic wrap.

Refrigerate until chilled.

7. Unmold, slice and serve chilled with quick pickled shallots and any of the optional accompaniments.

Quick Pickled Shallots Makes: 1 ½ cups 2 cups shallots, sliced 2 garlic cloves crushed 2/3 cup rice vinegar 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup sugar

Last Bite

WHETHER IT’S A NIGHT OUT with a large party, landmark celebration or important business meeting, group dining at Tchefuncte’s is as effortless as it is memorable. With scenic views of the Tchefuncte River guests can expect exceptionally attentive service, custom-tailored menus, optional Sommelier wine pairings and flexible room design. The elegant settings of the Tchefuncte’s Wine Room, The Captain’s Room, Riverview Rooms, or the Terrace will elevate any private party experience. Each private room hosts a full complement of media capabilities including high-speed internet and televisions. Exclusive accommodations are available for groups of up to seventy-five guests seated and one hundred and fifty guests in a reception-style setting.

The Wine Room showcases Tchefuncte’s signature beverage collection and offers an intimate setting for social and corporate private events. Accommodating up to fifty receptionstyle or thirty seated, the wine room is the largest private dining space at Tchefuncte’s. The outdoor terrace—with river views—is an optional supplement to the space.

1 teaspoon salt 2 star anise pods

photos: YVETTE ZUNIGA JEMISON YDelicacies.com

1. Place the shallots and garlic in a heat proof bowl or jar.

2. In a sauce pan combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt and anise pods. Bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

3. Pour the brine over the shallots and garlic and cover the bowl with plastic wrap, or seal the jar with a lid. Let sit at room temperature until cool.

4. Refrigerate until chilled and store up to two weeks.

We’d like to see which recipe you’ve made, so share with us on Instagram @insidenorthside and @y_delicacies.

Scan QR code to go to @y_delicacies

by Yvette Jemison on Instagram.

The two Riverview Rooms offer unmatched views of the Tchefuncte River. Each room may be reserved separately or conjoined together for one larger space. Room arrangements may be customized according to event specifications; Riverview Room One accommodates eight to twelve guests at one long table and Riverview Room Two accommodates up to sixteen guests seated at four tables of four.

Overlooking the charm of Water Street, the Captain’s Room is an intimate option for smaller groups. Accented by the patron wine lockers, the room’s centerpiece is a live edge table seating up to twelve guests. Luxurious drapes open to display a 55” television upon request.

Visit www.tchefunctes.com to learn more about our Private Dining Rooms. To inquire about availability and custom options, please contact Tchefuncte’s Event Team at events@tchefunctes.com.

July-August 2022 71

Haute Plates

Chivos Bistro & Cantina 2999 HWY. 190

MANDEVILLE • 778-2298 CHIVOSMEXICANBISTRO.COM Making Mexican Food Great

A selection of restaurants and haute dishes found around the northshore and beyond.

Creole Tomateaux

Half Shell Oyster House

La Carreta

MANDEVILLE • 951-2650

COVINGTON • 276-4500

HAMMOND

1851 FLORIDA ST.

CREOLETOMATEAUX.COM There’s nothing better than

70367 LA 21

HALFSHELLOYSTERHOUSE.COM Local Gulf oysters and a variety

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AND PONCHATOULA

CARRETARESTAURANT.COM

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to fajitas to tacos and more, all made

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food in a fun and festive atmosphere, La

from scratch. Stop by to enjoy our

our famous Fried Green Tomateauxs, to

extends throughout our ambience

Carreta offers authentic Mexican cuisine

daily lunch specials. Happy Hour every

overstuffed Po-boys, to appetizers, desserts,

and menu. Steaks, chicken, pasta and

at several locations across Southeast

day from 2-6pm. Be sure to try one of

and everything in between, we have a little

so much more. Lunch, dinner, daily

Louisiana. Daily lunch specials, fiesta

our signature margaritas. Food can be

something for everyone. Catering available.

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one thirteen 113 N. OAK ST.,

HAMMOND 402-3481

ONETHIRTEENRESTAURANT.COM one thirteen seeks to enliven the senses through an inspired mid-

Nothing Bundt Cakes

1905 W. THOMAS ST., STE. V

COVINGTON • 888-6555

SISENORTAQUERIA.COM

1111 GREENGATE DR. #D NOTHINGBUNDTCAKES.COM Our goal is to bake a cake that

Si Señor

HAMMOND • 393-0090

Whether you are looking for an

Tchefuncte’s

407 ST. TAMMANY ST.

MADISONVILLE • 323-4800 TCHEFUNCTES.COM

Overlooking the river, Tchefuncte’s

enhanced dining experience or a happy

celebrates the highlights of the season,

century modern setting, graceful

not only reminds you of home but also

hour, Si Señor Taqueria is the best

rooted in classic Southern cuisine.

service and new American cuisine

opens you to a new world. And while

spot for authentic Mexican dining in

Executive Chef Michael Gottlieb sought

that simply tastes delicious. Menu

that’s no easy request, the handcrafted

Southeastern Louisiana. Experience our

the world’s best ingredients and found

items include chicken, beef, seafood,

recipes are more than up to the task.

upbeat atmosphere while enjoying our

most in the Northshore area. Tchefuncte’s

wood-fired flat bread, and house-

Each recipe uses the finest ingredients

fresh cocktails, like the House Paloma

partners with community purveyors for

made desserts.

to bring you Bundt Cake perfection.

with fresh agave nectar.

the best seafood, meats and produce.

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Marketplace

July-August 2022 73

Last Look

by John Snell

Sunrise Along The Tchefuncte by FOX 8’s John Snell.

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