Acadiana Profile February-March 2013

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February/March 2013

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In Every Issue 4 Free-lancing The Founding – and the Founder – of Acadiana Profile Celebrating 45 years

table des matières

by trent angers

6 Nouvelles des Villes News Briefs From Around Acadiana by william kalec

10 De la Cuisine A Mixed Bag A variety of celebrations calls for a variety of recipes. by marcelle bienvenu

16 Les Artistes In the End In her recent Apocalypse Now exhibit, ULL professor Lynda Frese continues to practice what she preaches: Art is a journey. by william kalec

22 La Maison A Ville Platte Historic Preservation The lovely home of Henry and Charmaine Dupré keeps history alive. by betty tujague

60 Personnes d’Acadiana

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Paul’s Song KBON-FM owner and DJ Paul Marx lives his dream every weekday morning while preserving a oncefaded cultural nugget of Acadiana. by william kalec

64 Sur le Menu Expecting the Unexpected White-tablecloth restaurants aren’t the only places to find good eats in Acadiana. by jan risher

70 Visiter The Best Things to See and Do in Cajun Country

72 En Français, S’il Vous Plaît La Prairie tremblante by david cheramie

Features 30 Top Lawyers of Acadiana The verdicts are in – the latest list lawyer profiles by minh dang

48 “Cajun Light” Cooking Yes, it’s possible. by stanley dry

54 City of the Year: Lake Charles Explosive growth didn’t happen by accident. by laura claverie

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

February/March 2013 Vol. 32 No. 1 Executive Editor Trent Angers Managing Editor Eve Kidd Crawford Art Director Jennifer Hronek Associate Editors Sarah Ravits, Haley Adams Interns Tarani Duncan, Elizabeth Heideman, Caroline Malouse Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 • Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com Sales Assistant Erin Maher Distribution/Newsstand Manager Christian Coombs Executive Assistant/ Subscriptions Kristi Ferrante Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production Designer Sarah George Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Executive Vice President/Editor in Chief Errol Laborde

Renaissance Publishing LLC 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 • (877) 221-3512 100 Asma Blvd., Suite 365, Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 235-7919 Acadiana Profile (ISSN 0001-4397) is published bimonthly

by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 and 100 Asma Blvd., Suite 365 Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 235-7919.

Subscription rate: One year $10; Foreign Subscriptions vary. Periodicals postage paid at Lafayette, LA, and additional mailing entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Acadiana Profile, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2013 Renaissance Publishing LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

The trademark Acadiana Profile is registered. Acadiana Profile is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork, even if accompanied by a selfaddressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in Acadiana Profile are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine or owner. www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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freelancing

by trent angers

and December of 1968. It was published in January of 1969. Its subtitle was “A Magazine For Bi-Lingual Louisiana,” and most of its articles were run in English and French. The whole issue was on one topic and was titled “French Renaissance in Louisiana.”

The issue carried only one ad, Frey Meats of Lafayette and New Orleans. The revenue from that ad – a sponsorship, actually – paid for the first printing (2,500 or 3,000 copies), which was done at Tribune Printing Plant in Lafayette.

My dad’s decision to go bilingual was an expression of his support for the French renaissance movement – South Louisiana’s resurgence of pride in its French-Acadian culture and heritage. He knew a lot about this movement because he had been writing news releases and editorials in support of it for a couple of years. This work was done under an informal contract with James Domengeaux, chairman of the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, or CODOFIL. At the same time, Dad was a

The founding – and the founder – of Acadiana Profile In the fall of 1968, I was at LSU in journalism school when my dad, Bob Angers Jr., called me to say he was starting a magazine.

At first blush, I thought he’d taken leave of his senses.

I couldn’t relate so well to his radical idea because at the time there were very few city or regional magazines in the U.S. Arizona Highways and Los Angeles were relatively new, and Texas Monthly hadn’t even been born yet.

Besides, everyone I knew in the field of journalism – whether students or working writers or editors – understood that our world revolved around daily metropolitan newspaper journalism. That was it. That was our paradigm. That’s what we were being trained for in college, and that’s what we did after graduation.

The first edition of Acadiana Profile was written, edited and produced mostly in October, November

Above: Bob Angers Jr., founder of Acadiana Profile Right: The first edition of Acadiana Profile

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

reporter and editorial writer for the Advertiser of Lafayette.

Only two years earlier, in the summer of 1966 – just after I finished high school at Hanson Memorial in Franklin – our family, all 10 of us, had moved to Lafayette. Dad had owned and published the Franklin Banner-Tribune from 1950 to 1965.

(That’s where I got my start in journalism, first as a photographer and then as a writer and editor of the teen page. I also delivered papers to homes, stores and vending machines.)

Dad was the prize-winningest editorial writer in the history of Louisiana when he owned the Banner. Talk about a guy who pulled no punches when he wrote! He believed with a passion in the American free enterprise system and was a staunch conservative who knew that the threat of communism was very real. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Miami in 1968 and was a Ronald Reagan delegate – way before the term “Reagan conservative” was coined.

Dad was an Army officer in the Pacific Theater during World War II and seriously considered becoming a lifer in the military – until Mom, at home with three very small children, convinced him of the wisdom of his staying home to actively participate in the rearing of his children.

Before the war, he was a proud graduate of the LSU School of Journalism, the same school from which I graduated 30 years later. His dad – a real estate man and city marshal of New Iberia – scoffed at the choice of journalism as a profession, telling my dad, “You’ll never make a decent living in that field.” This, of course, got Dad very angry, and so he set out to prove the old man wrong. I’ll admit, as Dad eventually did, that journalism, by and large, is not an easy way to make a living, nor is it a lucrative field for most of us who work in it. But the job satisfaction is through the roof.

After selling the Banner-Tribune and before starting Acadiana Profile, Dad worked for Latin American Report magazine, based in New Orleans. He enjoyed the slower, saner tempo of magazine work and loved seeing the way color photographs reproduced so nicely on glossy paper – as opposed to duller reproductions on newsprint.

These were two of the things that predisposed him to want to start a magazine for South Louisiana. Another was that working for other people wasn’t his style, really. He preferred to be the man in charge, as he was in the Army and later at the Banner-Tribune.

And so in December of 1968, with all the writing, editing and pre-press production now complete, he boxed up the paste-ups and photos and drove them MAGAZIN just down the street to Tribune ILE E CE OF R Printing Plant. Thus, he put to bed the inaugural edition of Acadiana Profile, now in its 45th year, a publication that would become one of the longest-running regional magazines in U.S. history. ap P

ACADIA NA

G ATIN BR LE

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questions or comments about this column can be addressed to tcangers @ cox . net .

sur le web

If you can’t get enough Acadiana Profile, check out our redesigned Web site. With our new look, everything is easier to read on your smartphone or tablet. Flip through the issue archive, renew your subscription, or read the English translation of En Français, S’il Vous Plaît. You will also find content from all of Renaissance Publishing’s publications, including Louisiana Life and New Orleans Magazine. You can find it at AcadianaProfile.com.

For up-to-the-minute information about Acadiana events, recipes and fun photos, make sure to like Acadiana Profile on Facebook and follow @AcadianaProfile on Twitter.

Attention Festival-Planners!

Help Us Promote Your Event!

Go online to AcadianaProfile.com, and click on “Submit an Event to Acadiana Profile” to let us know about festivals, shows or special events coming up in your town.

Remember, the sooner we get the information, the better able we are to help you.

Want to contact the Acadiana Profile staff by email? Want to see one of your events on Acadiana Profile’s Facebook page? Send feedback to Managing Editor Eve Kidd Crawford at eve@ acadianaprofile.com.

www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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brigade to take part in relief efforts in New Orleans and Southwest Louisiana.

In the spring of 2010, the Infantry Brigade left for its second deployment in Iraq, staying abroad until the end of the year.

nouvelles des villes

by William Kalec

Ragin’ Cajuns Win Again in Postseason LAFAYETTE – For the first time in school history, the Ragin’ Cajuns football program posted back-to-back postseason wins as ULL secured its second consecutive New Orleans Bowl title, this time downing East Carolina 43-34 in front of 48,000 fans at the MercedesBenz Superdome. With the win, the Cajuns duplicated their 9-4 record of last year.

Behind 316 yards passing and 108 yards rushing from sophomore quarterback Terrance Broadway, ULL raced out to an early 28-7 advantage and managed to hang on in the fourth quarter thanks to two field goals from kicker Brett Baer. ”There’s not a whole lot now that fazes our football team,” Cajuns head coach Mark Hudspeth said after the game. “We can be up by 20, down by 20; we’re just gonna keep playing and try to make

Wallis Wins New Hollywood Award, is Up for Oscar Quvenzhané Wallis in Beasts of the Southern Wild

plays. And they believe in one another. … I just couldn’t be more proud to see the look in their eyes and on their faces after they win a game – especially a bowl game in the Superdome.”

The Cajuns finished the 2012 regular season with an impressive 8-4 record, notching victories against Sun Belt Conference rivals Louisiana-Monroe, Troy, South Alabama, Western Kentucky, Florida Atlantic and Florida International. But perhaps the Cajuns’ best effort was given in a near-upset 27-20 loss to national power Florida on Nov. 10, 2012. The heavily favored Gators escaped thanks to two fourth quarter touchdowns, including an improbable gamewinning blocked punt return with 2 seconds left in regulation.

ULL coach Mark Hudspeth accepts the New Orleans Bowl trophy

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Waddell Assumes Control of 256th Louisiana National Guard LAKE CHARLES – Col. Keith Waddell, a Lake Charles resident and previous commander of the 769th Engineer Battalion and the 139th Regional Support Group, has been re-assigned to the same position with the Louisiana Army National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. He replaces former commander Col. Jacques Thibodeaux.

The Louisiana Army National Guard’s 256th Infantry Brigade Combat Team welcomed Waddell at an official change of command ceremony at Cajun Field in Lafayette on Dec. 2, 2012.

While with the 769th, Waddell served in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom and also commanded during domestic affairs such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. He originally hails from New Roads.

The 256th Louisiana National Guard was deployed to Iraq for portions of 2004 and 2005 to assist in the third phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The final weeks of that international assignment fell close to the landfalls of Katrina and Rita, allowing the

HOUMA – Quvenzhané Wallis, the 9-year-old star of the critically acclaimed Beasts of the Southern Wild, won a 2012 New Hollywood Award for her role as Hushpuppy, a storm survivor living in the mythical coastal Louisiana town of Bathtub. On Jan. 10, it was announced that Wallis is also an Oscar nominee in the Best Actress category.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Some handicappers are ... calling her the frontrunner in the category, which, if their predictions pan out, would make her the youngest winner of a competitive Oscar in any of the acting categories.”

Prior to appearing in Beasts of the Southern Wild, Wallis had no formal acting training.

The film, directed by Benh Zeitlin, received positive buzz during screenings at film festivals such as Sundance and Cannes in early 2012.

Later that summer, the movie premiered in theaters in New York and Los Angeles. The entire project was filmed in Terrebonne Parish.

Since the film’s release, Wallis has attended a handful of media appearances but remains a full-time fourth grade student in her hometown of Houma. This past summer, Wallis landed a role in the soon-to-be-released Twelve Years a Slave. That

top photo By Jess Pinkham. bottom photo courtesy of UL sports information

nouvelles des villes

film, also shot in Louisiana, is directed by Steve McQueen and stars Brad Pitt.

Rebuilding Starts for St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church HOUMA – Exactly two years after a fire destroyed the historic St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, pastor Craig Dalferes and other clergy members broke ground on the same site. Through a combination of insurance money and donations, church officials believe they have sufficient funds to begin construction of a new worship center.

In the early morning of Nov. 11, 2010, neighbors phoned authorities when flames were spotted emanating from the church. Firefighters arrived on the scene and battled the blaze for hours. When it finally

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subsided, the 19th-century church was nothing but soot and rubble. At the time, St. Matthew’s – located downtown

the design and layout of the original building – testament to the brilliant architecture of the time. The seating area should

on Barrow Street, near the Terrebonne Regional Medical Center – was the second-oldest church in Terrebonne Parish.

Investigators determined the church burned because of an electrical fire. The adjoining school was mostly unharmed, and classes have continued since then. No one was injured in the fire.

Initial blueprints for the new church very much mirror

be able to accommodate more than 200 church-goers and better-equipped with ramps and railings to handle those with special needs.

february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

“Cajun RVera” Scheduled to Open This Spring NEW IBERIA – Construction continues on the “Cajun RVera” – a modern RV park project spearheaded by the Acadiana Fairgrounds

Commission. The new development – which is scheduled to be completed in the spring – features 200 spots for campers and motor homes, an expansive clubhouse and nearly 10,000 square feet worth of swimming pool space, along with perks such as mini-golf, beach volleyball courts and a video game arcade.

The RV park is strategically located next to the Acadiana Fairgrounds’ SugArena in order to accommodate staff and attendees of its many weekend events and functions. The thought is that the new park will be an enticing nugget for show coordinators and will fill up the few available spots left on the SugArena’s calendar.

Commission officials estimate the new park will generate revenue exceeding $1 million during its first year of operation. ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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de la cuisine

A Mixed Bag A variety of celebrations calls for a variety of recipes.

By Marcelle Bienvenu | Photographed by eugenia uhl

When February and March roll around, my calendar gets jampacked. There is Carnival season with parades, balls, cocktail parties and King Cake parties. This year, at least Valentine’s Day is two days after Mardi Gras so I don’t have to mix hearts and roses amidst my purple, gold and green Carnival décor. I’m a Pisces (Feb. 26), which puts some pressure on my dear husband to try to plan a birthday party, a getaway weekend or a night on the town. Just when I feel like it’s time to take it easy, there’s St. Patrick’s Day, followed by the Sicilian feast of St. Joseph. And this year Easter is March 31! Whew!

At least I got organized during the Christmas holiday season. Yes, it took me almost a week, but, with a little help from my husband, I rearranged and stored decorations (in airtight and labeled clear storage boxes) from New Year’s to Christmas. Now I can easily move from one festivity to the next!

With that task out of the way, I can spend time planning menus for the upcoming busy season.

For the past 20 years or so, I’ve had the same menu for watching the Mardi Gras parade on the Sunday before Fat Tuesday in my hometown of St. Martinville.

Split pea soup made with the ham bone left over from New Year’s, muffuletta sandwiches, Mardi Gras pasta salad and homemade King Cake seem to satisfy my guests.

Split Pea Soup 1 pound dry split peas 1 ham bone or 2 cups cubed ham 3 quarts chicken broth 1 cup chopped celery 1 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup grated carrots 1 teaspoon dried leaf thyme 2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste) 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 bay leaves 1 cup dry sherry Combine all of the ingredients, except the sherry, in a large Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry, and simmer for another 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings, remove the bay leaves, and serve hot. Serves 8 to 10.

Valentine’s Day is one of my personal favorite events, and more often than not, my husband and I enjoy a dinner à deux at home. We take turns planning the menu, but there is always a decadent chocolate dessert paired with a brandy Alexander, one of my favorite after-dinner drinks. This dessert recipe serves 8 to 10, but it can be stored in the freezer for later use.

Frozen Chocolate-Almond Mousse 1/3 cup chopped toasted almonds 1/2 cup crushed butter-flavored cookies 2 tablespoons sugar, divided 3 tablespoons melted butter 2 tablespoons amaretto 2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened 2 eggs, separated 1 tablespoon rum 2 tablespoons strong coffee 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped Toasted almonds for garnish Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the almonds, cookie crumbs and one tablespoon of the sugar with the melted butter. Press into the bottom of an 8-inch oiled springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool. Place in the freezer.

Mix the amaretto with the ice cream, and spread on the crust. Return to the freezer.

Beat the egg yolks until thick and lemoncolored. Blend in the rum, coffee and chocolate, and set aside.

Beat the egg whites with the remaining tablespoon of sugar until soft peaks form.

Fold into the chocolate mixture. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.

Spread this mixture over the ice cream, and sprinkle with more almonds. Freeze for at least eight hours before serving.

Serves 8 to 10.

Brandy Alexander à la Commander’s Palace 1/2 ounce créme de cacao 2 ounces cream or half-and-half 1 1/2 ounces brandy Freshly grated nutmeg Combine the créme de cacao, cream or half-and-half and brandy in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake.

Strain into a stemmed wine glass, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Serves 1.

I think I’ll let my husband have it easy this year for my birthday and have him prepare this menu for me at home: Caviar with traditional garnishes washed down with ice-cold vodka, hearts of palm salad with Dijon mustard vinaigrette and this wonderful tournedos Rossini served with a nice bottle of Médoc. Dessert? That’s easy – more brandy Alexanders.

Tournedos Rossini 2 fillet steaks, each about 1 1/2 inches thick 2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into balls with the large end of a melon baller 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 6 tablespoons butter, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons cognac or brandy 2 tablespoons port 1/3 cup beef stock or broth 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 round slices of foie gras, 1/4 inch thick 1 black truffle, shaved into 4 slices (optional) Remove the fat from the fillets, and tie them to hold them together.

Clean the potatoes, and scoop out little balls. Cook the potato balls for about 2 to

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de la cuisine

3 minutes in boiling water, and then drain.

Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a flameproof casserole, and add the potato balls. Brown them a bit, turning them once or twice, and then put the casserole in a preheated 350 degree oven to finish cooking.

Heat another 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, and brown the steaks on both sides. Season with salt and pepper.

Discard the fat from the pan, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the cognac or brandy, and carefully ignite it. When the flame has died down, remove the steaks, and keep them warm.

Add the port, stock and cream to the pan, and bring it to a boil. Cook until it has reduced by half and is smooth.

Place a slice of foie gras and two slices of truffle on each steak. Ladle the sauce over the tournedos, and surround them with the potatoes. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

For St. Paddy’s Day, my menu may vary.

Sometimes I make a big pot of cabbage rolls; other times it’s corned beef and cabbage, but there is always Irish coffee after dinner. Nancy, my sister-in-law, is the ace at making these cabbage rolls.

Nancy’s Cabbage Rolls 1 large or 2 small heads of cabbage 1 cup raw long-grain rice 1 pound lean ground beef 1 pound lean ground pork 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups chopped onions 1 cup chopped green bell peppers 1 6-ounce can tomato paste Salt and cayenne to taste Pinch or two of allspice 4 12-ounce cans tomato sauce Sugar 2 cans water measured in tomato sauce cans Boil the cabbage in water until slightly tender. Drain well, and cool. Combine the rice, beef, pork, garlic, onions and bell peppers in a large mixing bowl. Add the tomato paste, and mix well, using your hands. Season with salt and cayenne. Add the allspice.

Carefully separate the cabbage leaves.

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Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the rice mixture into each cabbage leaf. Roll carefully but not too tightly. Be sure to tuck in the sides of the leaves so the filling will not fall out.

Make a layer of the rolls in a large roasting pan. Pour in half of the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with a little salt, cayenne and sugar. Make another layer of rolls, and pour in the remaining tomato sauce.

Sprinkle again with salt, cayenne and sugar.

Pour in the water. Cover, and cook over medium-low heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Baste occasionally with the pan juices. Serve hot.

Serves 10 to 12.

Irish Coffee 1 ounce Irish whiskey 1 1/2 teaspoons simple syrup 6 ounces strong hot black coffee Heavy cream Put the whiskey and syrup in a mug or

Irish coffee cup. Stir. Pour in the coffee, and top with cream. Serves 1.

My contribution to the St. Joseph’s Day Altar is this fig bread.

Fig Bread 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/3 cup oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup light brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons butter 10 fig bar cookies, crumbled Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

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de la cuisine

In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir this mixture into the flour mixture. Mix well. Pour half of the batter into a greased and floured 8.5-inchby-4.5-inch-by-2.5-inch loaf pan.

In a bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, and cut in the butter. Add the crumbled fig cookies to this mixture.

Add half of the fig mixture to the batter in the pan. Pour the rest of the batter on top, and then top with the remaining fig mixture. Swirl with a knife.

Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour.

Serves 8 to 10.

And for Easter, I make this baked ham.

Don’t forget to save the bone to make soups or red beans and rice.

Syrup-Rum-Glazed Ham 7-to-8-pound (shank end) fully cooked cured ham 1/3 cup Steen’s 100% Pure Cane Syrup 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar 1/4 cup dark rum

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

If the ham comes with the skin still attached, remove most of it with a sharp knife, leaving a layer of fat and a collar of skin around the end of the shank bone.

Trim the fat, leaving a layer about 1/2-inch thick. Score the fat into diamonds.

Bake the ham on a rack in a roasting pan for 1 hour.

Combine the syrup, sugar, rum, pepper and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl.

Whisk to blend well. Spoon the glaze evenly over the ham. Return the ham to the oven, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the glaze is brown and bubbly.

Remove the ham from the oven, and let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing to serve. Serves about 10.

Use any leftovers to make sandwiches the next day. The bone is ideal for making soups. ap

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les artistes

In the End In her recent Apocalypse Now exhibit, ULL professor Lynda Frese continues to practice what she preaches: Art is a journey.

BY WILLIAM KALEC

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

On one of these walls, in the cozy Saint Street Inn, is a collection of collages evoking the end of the world, a couple of which contain photos snapped at what seemed like the end of the Earth – a forgotten-about swath of the Peruvian Amazon unburdened by the problems of the day.

Lynda Frese concedes it sounds a bit incongruous, but it’s true: The images eventually used in an exhibit titled Apocalypse Now were taken in a place where she never felt so alive.

“It was so off-the-grid,” Frese says. “I don’t think the people there even knew what ‘off-the-grid’ meant.”

Inside a tiny elevated grass hut where she cohabited with a host committee of things that buzz and things that crawl, Frese’s body and psyche fought through a painful detox from modern convenience.

Predictably, there were many moments of discomfort, chased by panic.

“At night, you hear these sounds,” she says. “You couldn’t tell, ‘Was that a fish? Was that a frog? Was that a bird?’

Because sometimes the frogs sound like birds. The whole land was teeming with

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les artistes

life. Everywhere you looked, there was something that was walking or beating or breathing or singing. It was so vivid. After a while, you become more aware of the rhythm of nature. It makes you feel better.

It starts to feel real good. This is how it’s supposed to be. We’re so divorced from the cycles of the day – nature.”

This ethos permeates throughout Frese’s Apocalypse Now series, which was displayed in accordance with the 2012 Winter Solstice at Lafayette’s Saint Street Inn thanks to the urging of friend and local writer Mary Tutwiler. Inspiration was derived from between-semester sabbaticals to South and Central America as well as primitive portions of Northern Italy – places free of smudges left by industrial thumbprints. Frese’s newworld photography melds with generous amounts of Old World egg tempera paint – color pigments hand-mixed with egg yolks – creating a thick sheen and a seamless 18

february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

harmony between modern technology and ancient artistic techniques. As an added conceptual caveat, Frese used eggs from birds indigenous to the regions she visited to make the paint used in these collages.

“The apocalyptic story is something that has a lot of different dimensions to it,” Frese says. “It has these shadow areas and these revelation images, too. The dark, the lost, the hidden elements … I try to bring those back for my audience. The work is about environmental issues, how we interact with nature and live in nature. Beyond that, it’s about embracing the spiritual worlds that are found in the prehistoric places I visited.”

The artistic angle explored and showcased in Apocalypse Now falls in line with the work found in Frese’s 2011 book, Pacha Mama: earth realm. In it, 35 of Frese’s collages are complemented by essays, poems and prayers from renowned healers Kathi von Koerber and Michele Baker, along with then-Louisiana poet

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les artistes

laureate Darrell Bourque. Frese became familiar with Pacha Mama, the revered earth goddess of indigenous tribes, in the Andes Mountains and amalgamated that religious imagery with Renaissance Christian themes borrowed from Europe.

“Going to these places and going to these lengths, gosh, it just connects you with the people who lived there before you – the people who lived there 4,000 [or] 5,000 years before,” Frese says. “When you’re there, you can sense the lessons they’re still teaching us even though they’ve long since passed. They seem so relevant, especially today.

“A lot of what their early art focused on was our relationship with our

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february/march 2013 | www.acadianaprofile.com

surroundings – with the animals, water and plants. … In my mind, they’re really about creating harmony with nature,” she continues. “There’s not really a text for that artwork. There’s not a lot written about it. So, in some ways, it’s an open book in how you want to interpret.”

Even more stunning than the numerous elements and features contained within Frese’s collages is the fact that these pieces (and the globe-trotting trips to capture the photographic elements of these pieces) are constructed in between the rigors of her “regular job.” For more than two decades, Frese has taught visual arts at ULL – landing the job on a whim when she randomly applied for the opening after creating artwork in California

following her own collegiate studies.

“They’re different mindsets for sure,” Frese says of making art and teaching art.

“I tell them, ‘It’s not easy to be a creative person right now.’ Being at the university, a place where the students are working on a skill set to take outside of the classroom, it’s definitely a shift. You have to change your point of view and help these young people find their voices. I encourage them to make art about what they know. Let it be personal, let it be honest so it has an authenticity.

“What we make art about is our own experiences,” Frese says. “So if we don’t strive to go larger, broader, farther, and you just keep in your little room, then how do you grow?” ap

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la maison

HOME TYPE: French Colonial AGE OF HOME: 64 years NEIGHBORHOOD: Ville Platte historic district OWNERS: Henry and Charmaine DuprĂŠ NOTABLE FURNISHINGS: French mahogany formal dining table, including 10 chairs; matching sideboard and china cabinet from Belle Alliance Plantation circa 1846 in Donaldsonville.

DESIGN FEATURES: A spacious entry hall acting as a central foyer is flanked by a formal parlor and a formal dining room.

AMENITIES: Two gazebos with views of the camellia garden and the rose garden and antique ornate wrought-iron railings encircling the exceptionally wide front porch.

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A Ville Platte Historic Preservation The lovely home of Henry and Charmaine Dupré keeps history alive.

By Betty Tujague | Photographed by craig macaluso

Facing page, top left: A Jacuzzi pool with a waterfall serves as an entertainment feature, as does the area beyond, where a roaring fire provides a cozy spot for visiting friends. Dr. Henry and Charmaine Dupré had Eduardo J. Jenkins, Landscape Architect & Planner LLC of Baton Rouge design the extensive back patio in 1994, along with a master landscape plan for the 2-acre property. Facing page, bottom left: The Duprés pose outside their gracious residence in Ville Platte. After purchasing the home from his mother upon his graduation from medical school, Henry has remained in the house where he spent his formative years. Above: The Duprés’ home was built in 1948 by Henry’s parents, Ellis and Dulcie Dupré. The colonial façade, which reflects influences from A. Hays Town, manifests a stately presence on Main Street in the historic district.

Beveled and leaded glass doors at the entrance were rescued from a home being taken down on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. They open to reveal an interior that is visibly appealing and timeless. This live oak draped in resurrection fern is one of 11 on the grounds. The largest oaks were planted around the turn of the 19th century

by Henry’s father and grandfather. Specialty garden rooms that display the Duprés’ collections of camellias, roses and herbs are canopied by their stately limbs.

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Above: The cheerful kitchen quite often becomes a gathering area, as Charmaine is noted for her culinary skills. She has shared her expertise by hosting cooking classes here for the past 18 years. In 1996, major renovations took place in this room, and then several years ago, a cosmetic makeover was implemented that updated it to the present. Right, top: Embracing the exceptionally wide front porch as well as the back is an ornate wrought-iron railing retrieved when the Louisiana School for the Deaf in Baton Rouge was torn down in the 1940s. The remaining pieces acquired by Henry’s mother are stored for future use. Right, center: Recently, a newly built gazebo with a fishpond replaced the original. Red oak posts from an old church in Pine Prairie act as support. Henry retains fond childhood memories of playing in the fishpond that existed in his youth. Right, bottom: A small library off of the kitchen with the walls and ceiling made out of pecky cypress became a good place for situating Charmaine’s computer and the paperwork connected to her work. Cypress shelving houses the special moments in the lives of the Duprés, as well as Charmaine’s collection of cookbooks and Henry’s medical journals.

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Top: Entering the home through the sun room is the usual method.

Initially it was called the furnace room as it held the heating apparatus for the 5,000-square-foot house. Charmaine misses how it warmed the interior but loves the bright, airy room that took its place.

Scissor brackets add to the view of the cathedral ceiling that hovers above the Mexican terra-cotta stone flooring. “I wanted this room to take us into the garden as well as enjoying the garden from here,” Charmaine says. Center: This past year a partial redecorating was completed in the formal dining room. American Society of Interior Designers member Karen BieberGuillory of Designs in Eunice assisted Charmaine in making the necessary changes here, just as she has since the early 1990s. Window treatments were redesigned and combined with bamboo shades for a different effect. Walls went from deep red to taupe to make this room better relate to the adjacent foyer.

Artwork was relocated and halogen recessed lights were installed to individually accent each piece.

A vibrant painting of trees titled The Alpha and the Omega by Jack Bartlett of East Texas was purchased by the Duprés to act as a focal point above the buffet. Bottom: A mood is instantly set in the den with the mule deer trophy mount extending from the stone-face fireplace, the result of a hunting trip Henry took to New Mexico. Comfortable seating is another draw for family and friends of the Duprés to assemble here. Above the primitive sideboard purchased in New Orleans is a painting by Waven Boone, a Ville Platte artist, depicting a sunrise near Dossman Lake north of Chicot Park. Its close vicinity to Henry and Charmaine’s camp gave the picture special meaning. An animal-print rug pulls all of the interrelating features in the room together.

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Above: Charmaine chose coordinated blue-and-white fabrics for the master bedroom. Also skilled at sewing, Charmaine designed and made the bedcover, pillows and balloon shades. The pencil-post bed was handmade of cypress by Olivier’s Woodworks in Natchitoches.

Set above the headboard is a collection of crosses, each representing a personal experience in the couple’s lives.

Right: The Duprés’ home has four bedrooms and three-and-a-half baths, with this bedroom being the first one offered to guests. Henry’s love of hunting is reflected here again with the deerskins above the bed, which include a whitetail deer, an axis deer and a fallow deer, all achieved on a single hunt in Texas.

The cabinet provides a place for his guns to be stored safely. ap

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18-Wheeler Truck Accidents/Big Truck Accidents William H. Goforth Goforth & Lilley, P.L.C. 109 Stewart St. Lafayette 337/205-0321 www.goforthlilley.com

LAWYERS OF ACADIANA

The verdicts are in – the latest list • Profiles by Minh Dang •

To compile a list of top area lawyers, we contracted with LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®, a company that has long set the standard for peerreview ratings, to share its list of area lawyers who have reached the highest levels of ethical standards and professional excellence.

METHODOLOGY This statement has been provided by the research company: Generations of lawyers have relied on LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® as the authoritative resource for information on the worldwide legal profession. With a history spanning 140 years, the Martindale-Hubbell Legal Network is powered by a database of over 1 million lawyers and law firms in over 160 countries. Thousands of people use the network every day to find local attorneys, confirm their credentials and select firms that provide services for their personal and professional legal needs.

To create this list of Top Lawyers in Acadiana, LexisNexis® MartindaleHubbell® tapped its comprehensive database of Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ to identify lawyers who have been rated by their peers to be AV Preeminent® – the highest Peer Review Rating available.

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings are driven by the confidential opinions of lawyers and members of the judiciary who receive invitations from LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell®, via an online survey or by mail, to provide reviews of lawyers of whom they have professional knowledge.

Peer Review Rated lawyers are not required to have a paid listing on Lawyers.comSM or martindale.com®. To learn more about MartindaleHubbell Peer Review Ratings, please go to www.martindale.com/ratings.

These lawyers can be found online at Lawyers.com and martindale. com®, in the Martindale-Hubbell® Law Directory in print and CD-ROM formats, and online through the LexisNexis® services and at lexis.com®.

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Accidents Gordon R. Crawford Gordon R. Crawford & Associates 324 E. Worthy St. Gonzales 225/647-2881 www.attorneycrawford.com Admiralty James E. Diaz James E. Diaz Sr., APLC 1018 Harding St., Suite 102B Lafayette 337/232-5070 Roger E. Ishee Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com John A. Jeansonne Jr. Jeansonne & Remondet, L.L.C. 200 W. Congress St., Suite 1100, P.O. Box 91530 Lafayette 337/237-4370 www.jeanrem.com H. Lee Leonard Leonard & Leonard, Ltd. A Professional Law Corp.

1900 E. Willow St. Lafayette 337/233-4424 www.leonardlawfirm.com Thomas L. Mahfouz Lippman & Mahfouz, L.L.C. 1025 Victor II Blvd., Suite P, Inglewood Mall Morgan City 985/384-1833 www.lmttlaw.com Michael J. Mestayer Michael J. Mestayer A Professional Law Corp.

110 E. Pershing, P.O. Box 12340 New Iberia 337/365-8181 Edwin G. Preis Jr. Preis & Roy, PLC 102 Versailles Blvd., Suite 400, Versailles Centre

Lafayette 337/237-6062 www.preisroy.com Douglas W. Truxillo Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com Admiralty & Maritime Glenn W. Alexander Jones & Alexander, LLC 128 Smith Circle, P.O. Box 250 Cameron 337/775-5714 Kenneth E. Badon The Badon Law Firm 1318 Ryan St. Lake Charles 337/433-4608 Lawrence K. Burleigh Sr. Lawrence K. Burleigh, Ltd. A Professional Law Corp.

100 E. Vermilion St., Gordon Square, Suite 160 Lafayette 337/234-6222 John N. Chappuis Voorhies & Labbe A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., P.O. Box 3527 Lafayette 337/232-9700 www.volalaw.com Larry Curtis Larry Curtis 300 Rue Beauregard, Building “C” Lafayette 337/235-1825; Toll Free: 800-528-1825 www.larrycurtis.com W. Gerald Gaudet Voorhies & Labbe A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., P.O. Box 3527 Lafayette 337/232-9700 www.volalaw.com David A. Hilleren Hilleren & Hilleren, L.L.P. 131 Oakwold Lane, P.O. Box 210 Evergreen 318/346-6162 Michael J. Juneau Juneau David, APLC 1018 Harding St., Suite 202, The Harding Center Lafayette 337/269-0052

Note: Categories are as reported by the lawyers.

THE PERSONAL INJURY AND CLASS ACTION LAWYERS Recognized nationally for its work in class action litigation, Morrow, Morrow, Ryan & Bassett has been serving clients throughout St. Landry parish and the state of Louisiana for more than 40 years. The firm has won significant commercial and person injury judgements/settlements totaling hundreds of millons of dollars. In 2010, this talented group of attorneys won a $330 million verdict against two pharmaceutical companies for misrepresenting the effects of a drug.

It was the sixth-largest verdict in the nation.

The firm’s six attorneys are dedicated to pursuing just compensation for the victims of serious personal injury.

They believe the best settlements are achieved by preparing for court. Good settlements do not come easy; they have to be won.

AREAS OF PRACTICE The firm’s practice areas include traumatic brain injuries, paraplegia, quadriplegia or death in auto, maritime, railroad and aviation accidents. The firm also handles products liablilty, medical malpractice, toxic tort, environmental law litigation mass torts and class actions.

Morrow, Morrow, Ryan & Bassett has considerable experience in class actions regarding individuals injured or harmed by pharmaceutical drugs, employment issues, medical malpractice, consumer cases and toxic tort.

The firm is currently active in class actions or mulitdistrict litigation involving the BP oil spill, Plavix, Yaz, Actos, vaginal mesh, Fosamax and Levaquin.

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www.juneaudavid.com Patrick A. Juneau Juneau David, APLC 1018 Harding St., Suite 202, The Harding Center Lafayette 337/269-0052 www.juneaudavid.com Thomas R. Juneau Sr. Juneau David, APLC 1018 Harding St., Suite 202, The Harding Center Lafayette 337/269-0052 www.juneaudavid.com Cliffe E. Laborde III Laborde & Neuner 1001 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 200, One Petroleum Center Lafayette 337/237-7000 www.ln-law.com Walter J. Leger Jr. Leger & Shaw 627 School St. Houma 504/588-9043; WATTS: 800-523-5787 www.legershaw.com Michael G. Lemoine Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson Street Lafayette 337/593-7600 www.joneswalker.com Douglas C. Longman Jr. Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/593-7600 www.joneswalker.com J. Rock Palermo III Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson, LLC 721 Kirby St., P.O. Box 2125 Lake Charles 337/310-1600, Toll Free: 877-300-8680 www.veronbice.com Will Schieffler Gaar Law Firm 617 S. Buchanan St., P.O. Box 2053 Lafayette 337/233-3185 www.gaarlaw.com Alternative Dispute Resolution 32

Robert S. Dampf Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com

Plaquemine 225/687-3571

Appellate Advocacy L. Lane Roy Preis & Roy, PLC 102 Versailles Blvd., Suite 400 Versailles Centre Lafayette 337/237-6062 www.preisroy.com

James C. Hanchey 231 Harrison St. Lake Charles 337/433-1748

Appellate Practice Lawrence P. Simon Jr. Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Automobile Accidents Richard A. Breaux Breaux Law Firm 7833 Main St. Houma 985/868-6077 www.lawyers.com/ rabreaux Paulin Joseph Laborde Jr. The Laborde Law Firm, L.L.C. 203 Energy Parkway, Building B Lafayette 337/261-2617 www.labordelawfirm.com Mark L. Riley The Glenn Armentor Law Corp.

300 Stewart St. Lafayette 337/233-1471 www.glennarmentor.com Automobile Liability Law E. Gregory Voorhies E. Gregory Voorhies 121 S. Audubon Blvd.

Lafayette 337/237-9708 www.lawyers.com/voorhieslaw Banking Paul G. Borron III Borron & Delahaye A Professional Law Corp.

58065 Meriam St., P.O. Box 679

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Carl H. Hanchey The Hanchey Law Firm, L.L.C. 535 East Street, P.O. Box 2210 Lake Charles 337/436-5551 www.hancheyfirm.com

Guyton H. Watkins Landry, Watkins, Repaske & Breaux 211 E. Main St., P.O. Box 12040 New Iberia 337/364-7626 Lafayette 337/234-5921 www.lwrb.net Banking & Financial Institutions Steven G. “Buzz” Durio Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann Professional Law Corp.

220 Heymann Blvd.

Lafayette 337/233-0300 www.dmsfirm.com Bankruptcy Paul M. Cooke Simon, Fitzgerald, Cooke, Reed & Welch 2901 Johnston St., Suite 202 Lafayette 337/984-1584 www.simonfitzgerald.com Paul N. DeBaillon DeBaillon & Miley, A Professional Law Corp.

201 Travis St. Lafayette 318/237-0598 Gerald H. Schiff Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC 400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 4200 Lafayette 337/237-0132 www.gordonarata.com Bankruptcy / Debt Edward M. Nichols Jr. 827 Pujo St. Lake Charles 337/439-8587 Banks & Banking Stephen C. Polito Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock,

L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Alan J. Robert 12320 Highway 44, Suite B, Building 4 Gonzales 225/647-8594 Business Law James J. Davidson III Davidson, Meaux, Sonnier, McElligott, Fontenot, Gideon, and Edwards L.L.P. 810 S. Buchanan St., P.O. Box 2908 Lafayette 337/237-1660 www.davidsonmeaux.com Billy J. Domingue Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Michael M. Duran Sr. Oats & Hudson 100 E. Vermilion St., Suite 400, Gordon Square Lafayette 337/233-1100 www.oatshudson.com Joseph C. Giglio Jr. Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Merrick J. Norman Jr. Norman Business Law Center 145 East Street Lake Charles 337/436-7787 John F. Robichaux Robichaux, Mize, Wadsack & Richardson, LLC 1777 Ryan St., P.O. Box 2065 Lake Charles 337/433-0234 www.rmwlegal.com Craig A. Ryan Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660

www.onebane.com Charles D. Viccellio Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Business Acquisitions Lawrence L. Lewis III Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com Business & Commercial Law C. Eston Singletary Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Business & Commercial Litigation Gary J. Russo Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/593-7600 www.joneswalker.com Business Litigation Patrick W. Gray Johnson Gray McNamara, LLC 200 W. Congress St., Suite 900, Iberia Bank Tower Lafayette 337/412-6003 www.jgmclaw.com Civil Litigation Homer Ed Barousse Jr. Barousse & Craton, LLC 211 N. Parkerson Ave. Crowley 337/785-1000 www.crowleyfirm.com Phillip W. DeVilbiss Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry Attorneys at Law A Limited

Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com Dana K. Larpenteur Larpenteur Law Office 58060 Court St. Plaquemine 225/687-4344 F. Barry Marionneaux Marionneaux & Marionneaux A Professional Law Corp.

23615 Railroad Ave. Plaquemine 225/687-6884 www.lawyers.com/marioneauxlaw John R. Pohorelsky Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry Attorneys at Law A Limited Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com Drew Ranier Ranier Law Firm 1419 Ryan St., P.O. Box 1890 Lake Charles 337/494-0599; Toll Free: 877-450-7171 www.ranierlaw.com Civil Practice John F. Blackwell John Blackwell 1105 Parkview, Suite 1, P.O. Drawer 10051 New Iberia 337/367-8517 Frederick L. Cappel Raggio, Cappel, Chozen & Berniard 1011 Lakeshore Drive, Fifth Floor Lake Charles 337/436-9481 Richard B. Cappel Raggio, Cappel, Chozen & Berniard 1011 Lakeshore Drive, Fifth Floor Lake Charles 337/436-9481 Charles N. Harper 4401 Highway 108 Westlake 337/708-7422 Diane A. Sorola

his three decades of trial experience gives his clients a decided advantage in the courtroom.

“In complex, high stakes cases, there is no substitute for experience -- none, Curtis says. And experience teaches that, among other things, careful preparation wins cases.”

He recalls a lesson he learned as a young law student. “I read an interview with one of the country’s top trial lawyers,” Curtis says. “In speaking about trial preparation, he remarked that if you ever see a lawyer pull a rabbit out of a hat, the lawyer probably had 10 rabbits and 10 hats. I believed that statement to be true when I first read it and my own courtroom experience has confirmed its validity.”

“MY MISSION IS SIMPLY -- OBTAIN AN OUTSTANDING RESULT FOR EVERY CLIENT THROUGH CAREFUL, DEDICATED, AND RELENTLESS REPRESENTATION.”

Larry Curtis is recognized as one of Louisiana’s preeminent personal injury lawyers. Curtis has represented workers -- drilling rig and platform workers, commercial divers, offshore construction workers, service and dredge workers and fisherman -- wrongfully injured or killed. “My mission is simply -- to obtain an outstanding result for every client through careful, dedicated, and relentless representation.”

EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE With more than 30 years of experience, Curtis is a seasoned trial lawyer, with a national reputation in maritime personal injury cases.

Over and over, Curtis has won multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients. “I am always motivated to provide the best possible representation to my clients, because I know that they are counting on me to help them through a very difficult time in their life.” He believes that

RECOGNIZED AND HONORED Curtis holds the highest rating, AV, given by the Martindale Hubbell® Law Directory. He is listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Woodward/Whites publication, The Best Lawyers in America, and selected to Louisiana Super Lawyers® since its inaugural issue in 2007. Curtis was named by Louisiana Super Lawyers as one of Louisiana’s Top 50 Lawyers in 2012 and 2013. More than two decades ago, St. John’s University honored Curtis with its Alumni Outstanding Achievement Medal. In the summer of 2005, Curtis was invited to join The Academy of Trial Advocacy; an exclusive group of some of the country’s most accomplished trial lawyers. He is also a founding member of The Aletheia Institute, a national, by-invitation-only, organization of lawyers committed to promoting truth in advocacy, full disclosure in discovery and a fair measure of justice to all litigants.

SERVICE TO THE PROFESSION AND COMMUNITY

Curtis is a member of the American, Federal, Louisiana, and Lafayette Bar Associations, The Maritime Law Association of the United States, as well as the American and Louisiana Associations for Justice. He has served as a member of the President’s Advisory Council, the Board of Governors, and the Council of Directors of the Louisiana Association for Justice. Curtis is an Emeritus Member of The American Inn of Court of Acadiana. Curtis also currently serves on the Executive Board of the Lafayette Bar Association as its Immediate Past President. He has been asked to speak at national and state professional meetings on various topics concerning maritime litigation and trial practice. Community involvement is important to him. For over five years, he acted as moderator of a local TV program about Catholic Social Teaching. Curtis presently serves as an officer of the Knights of Columbus, Holy Cross Council 7275.

300 Rue Beauregard, Bldg. “C” Post Office Box 80247, Lafayette, LA 70508 PH: (337) 235-1825 • (800) 528-1825 FX: (337) 237-0241 www.larrycurtis.com www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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Diane A. Sorola 402 W. Convent St. Lafayette 337/234-2355 www.lawyers.com/sorolalaw

5047 Highway 1, P.O. Drawer 770 Napoleonville 985/369-6003; Toll Free 800-451-4885 www.wagleb.com

Class Action Litigation Charles J. Foret Briney, Foret & Corry, LLP 413 Travis St., P.O. Box 51367 Lafayette 337/237-4070 www.brineyforet.com

Commercial Litigation Robert E. Barkley Jr. Barkley & Thompson, L.C. 556 Jefferson St., Suite 200 Lafayette 337/593-4101 www.barkleythompson.com

Commercial & Residential Real Estate Transactions Philip H. Boudreaux Andrus-Boudreaux A Professional Law Corp.

1245 Camellia Blvd., Suite 200 Lafayette 337/984-9480 www.andrusboudreaux.com

Judy Y. Barrasso Barrasso Usdin Kupperman Freeman & Sarver, L.L.C. 1 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1810 Lake Charles 337/433-0707 www.barrassousdin.com

Commercial Law Edward C. Abell Jr. Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com W. Corey Grimley Gibson~Gruenert, PLLC 600 Jefferson St., Chase Tower, Suite 600, P.O. Box 3663 Lafayette 337/233-9600 www.gibson-gruenert.com Dale H. Hayes 1014 Seventh St., P.O. Box 2779 Morgan City 985/384-4218 Edward M. Leonard Jr. P.O. Box 252 Franklin 337/828-4100 Michael P. Maraist Maraist Law Firm, APLC 600 Jefferson St., Suite 810, Chase Tower Lafayette 337/266-2230 James W. Schwing Sr. 411 Iberia St., P.O. Box 13340 New Iberia 337/365-2445 Jess J. Waguespack Jess J. Waguespack A Professional Law Corp.

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Nadia M. de la Houssaye Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/593-7600 www.joneswalker.com Paul D. Gibson Gibson~Gruenert, PLLC 600 Jefferson St., Chase Tower, Suite 600, P.O. Box 3663 Lafayette 337/233-9600 www.gibson-gruenert.com Robert E. Landry Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry Attorneys at Law A Limited Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com Frank X. Neuner Jr. Laborde & Neuner 1001 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 200, One Petroleum Center Lafayette 337/237-7000 www.ln-law.com Warren D. Rush Rush Rush & Calogero 202 Magnate Drive Lafayette 337/235-2425 www.charlesmrushesq.com Wayne A. Shullaw

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Law Offices of Wayne A. Shullaw 600 Jefferson St., Fifth Floor, Suite 502, P.O. Box 4815 Lafayette 337/266-2310 Commercial Real Estate E. Neal Harmon 777 Michigan Ave., Suite A, P.O. Box 228 Port Allen 225/343-0759 Commercial Transactions Amy E. Brining Gibson~Gruenert, PLLC 600 Jefferson St., Chase Tower, Suite 600, P.O. Box 3663 Lafayette 337/233-9600 www.gibson-gruenert.com Complex Business, Bankruptcy & Utility Litigation Joseph P. Hebert Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Complex Civil Litigation Andrew J. Gray III The Gray Law Firm A Professional Law Corp.

One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1700, Capital One Tower Lake Charles 337/494-0694 www.graylawfirm.com Complex Commercial Litigation G. Andrew Veazey Huval Veazey Felder & Renegar L.L.C. 2 Flagg Place Lafayette 337/234-5350 www.hvfa-law.com Complex Litigation Aubrey E. Denton Aubrey E. Denton, APLC 201 Rue Iberville, Suite 210, P.O. Box 52110 Lafayette 337/289-9151 www.aubreydentonlaw.com Paul J. Hebert Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. 1313 W. Pinhook Road, P.O. Drawer 52606 Lafayette

337/232-2606 Corporate Compliance & White Collar Defense Donald W. Washington Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/593-7600 www.joneswalker.com Corporate Law Harold M. Block Block & Bouterie 408 W. Third Street, P.O. Box 510 Thibodaux 985/447-6767 www.blockbouterielaw.com C. Berwick Duval II Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Lovell & Watkins A Professional Law Corp.

101 Wilson Ave., P.O. Box 3017 Houma 985/876-6410 www.duvallawfirm.com Bradford H. Felder Huval Veazey Felder & Renegar L.L.C. 2 Flagg Place Lafayette 337/234-5350 www.hvfa-law.com Alfred S. Lippman Lippman & Mahfouz, L.L.C. 1025 Victor II Blvd., Suite P, Inglewood Mall Morgan City 985/384-1833 www.lmttlaw.com Dale P. Martin The Martin Law Firm, APLC 3721 Highway 90 E., P.O. Box 506 Broussard 337/839-8814

www.bergstedtandmount. net Criminal Defense William L. Goode The Goode Law Firm A Professional Law Corp.

812 Johnston St., P.O. Drawer 3366 Lafayette 337/234-0600 www.goodelawyer.com Shane Keith Hinch Vamvoras, Schwartzberg & Hinch, L.L.C. 1111 Ryan St. Lake Charles 337/377-0538 www.vshlawfirm.com Rebecca L. Hudsmith 102 Versailles Blvd., Suite 816 Lafayette 337/262-6336 Thomas L. Lorenzi Lorenzi & Barnatt, L.L.P. 518 Pujo St., P.O. Box 3305 Lake Charles 337/436-8401 www.lblegal.com Criminal Law James L. Alcock Jr. 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300 Lafayette 337/237-2660 Thomas E. Guilbeau Thomas E. Guilbeau 106 W. Congress St. Lafayette 337/232-7240 www.thomasguilbeaulaw. com Employment Law William B. Swift William B. Swift, LLC 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 442 Lake Charles 337/433-0707

Henry C. Perret Jr. Perret Law, LLC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 220 Lafayette 337/593-4900

Energy Mark R. Pharr III Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith A Professional Law Corp.

328 Settler’s Trace Blvd.

Lafayette 337/235-7110 www.gjtbs.com

Credit Union Law Benjamin W. Mount Bergstedt & Mount 1011 Lakeshore Drive, Second Floor Lake Charles 337/513-0863

Energy & Natural Resources Law Thomas D. Hardeman Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008

Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com James N. Mansfield III Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Richard W. Revels Jr. Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Shawn Carney Rhymes Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Environmental & Toxic Torts Samuel E. Masur Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC 400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 4200 Lafayette 337/237-0132 www.gordonarata.com Environmental Law John Allen Bernard 109 S. Lemans St. Lafayette 337/981-1863 Michael G. Durand Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com Thomas G. Gruenert Gibson~Gruenert, PLLC 600 Jefferson St., Chase Tower, Suite 600, P.O. Box 3663 Lafayette 337/233-9600 www.gibson-gruenert.com Thomas M. McNamara Johnson Gray McNamara, LLC 200 W. Congress St., Suite 900, Iberia Bank Tower Lafayette 337/412-6003 www.jgmclaw.com

STANDING LEFT TO RIGHT: J. Rock Palermo III*, Alonzo P. Wilson,

J. Michael Veron*, Jamie Blair Bice, Michael G. Hodgkins, Jere Jay Bice; SITTING: Turner D. Brumby, Ashley E. Philen

*Chosen for 2013 Super Lawyers

VERON, BICE, PALERMO & WILSON, LLC OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IS NOT LICENSE TO DESTROY PROPERTY.

The mission of Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson, LLC is to seek justice, whether in a land contamination or oil and gas matter.

When big oil and gas companies drill, they are supposed to be stewards of the land. Too often, however, companies contaminate the soil and water in the area where they drill, rendering property dangerous or unusable for future operations.

When this happens, the value of the land plummets, and the innocent landowners can be left holding the bag for an expensive clean-up.

Firm partner J. Michael Veron is considered by many to have pioneered Louisiana land contamination litigation. His landmark trial and appellate case against Shell Oil resulted in a $76 million final judgment for his clients. Veron’s critically acclaimed book, Shell Game: One Family’s Long Battle Against Big Oil, detailed the litigation. His recent article updating significant developments in the litigation appeared in the Tulane Environmental Law Journal.

As one of Louisiana’s leading environmental litigation practices, Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson has access to knowledgeable, trusted experts

who help the firm’s attorney explain drilling complexities to juries and judges.

Repeatedly recognized as one of the Best Law Firms by The Best Lawyers In America and listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, the firm works tirelessly to recover compensation for landowners who suffer as a result of oil company carelessness, and to hold polluters responsible.

Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson is proud of its success in representing those who seek to restore their property.

VERON, BICE, PALERMO & WILSON, LLC 721 Kirby St. | Lake Charles, LA 70601 | PH: (337) 310-1600 | FX: (337) 310-1601 louisianaoilandgaslaw.com | louisianaenvironmentallaw.com | veronbice.com Results may vary, depending on specific facts and law. www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

35

ONE OF MY TOUGHEST CASES

• steven hronek photograph •

Custody

After the Storm As a child, Shayna Sonnier imagined when she grew up, she would become a veterinarian, but a life-altering family legal battle steered Sonnier’s life toward her true calling – a profession in family law.

Sonnier remembers the event like it was yesterday. Her grandfather, who owned a rather large farm in Ragley, placed the farm into a corporation with his brother and father. When she was just 5, Sonnier says, her grandfather was the last of the three to pass away. Very shortly after, a legal battle followed between Sonnier’s grandmother and her grandfather’s nieces and nephews, who wanted the farm and wanted to kick her grandmother out of her own home.

For the next 10 years, Sonnier helplessly watched her mother and grandmother fight a legal battle against people they had trusted. She recalls spending countless hours in the offices of several attorneys and certified public accountants because of it.

“Once I was old enough to fully comprehend what was going on and the hardship my mother and my grandmother were enduring, I decided that I wanted to become an attorney so that no one could ever hurt my family or someone else’s family like that again,” Sonnier says.

After graduating from the University of Louisiana–Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Sonnier pursued her dream of becoming an attorney at the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law in Dallas. She has been practicing law in Texas since 2003 and in Louisiana since 2005.

“I really enjoy what I do, and I enjoy helping people,” Sonnier says. “Unfortunately, attorneys have received a bad rap, but what we do matters. We have the ability to make a difference, and I want to do my part to change the perception of our field.”

One of her most memorable cases began a couple of months after Hurricane Rita. A woman whose husband had just died from cancer came to Sonnier for legal assistance. Her late husband was evacuated from a Lake Charles area hospital due to the storm. The evacuation proved to be too much, and he died a short time after. Her late husband had three children from a previous marriage whom they were raising along with one child they had together. The problem was that Sonnier’s client had no legal right to care for her late husband’s three children from his previous marriage. Sonnier quickly began tutorship proceedings, which involved trying to locate the biological mother as well as deal with maternal relatives. Sonnier recalls that it was a very draining process for her client because she and her children had just lost someone they loved and they were facing even greater changes if the children weren’t allowed to remain in their home with the woman who had cared for them for most of their lives.

In the end, it all worked out in favor of Sonnier’s client.

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Shayna Sonnier

Hunter Law Firm, Lake Charles Nine years in practice B.A. University of Louisiana-Lafayette – 2000 J.D. Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law – 2003 Native of Ragley

“The reason this case sticks with me is because it was the first time I truly realized that what we do [as attorneys] matters on a much deeper level,” she says. “[This case] genuinely touched me.”

As Sonnier’s career continues to prosper, she advises young attorneys to always read their local court rules; behave professionally; and to get involved with their local bar associations, especially the young lawyers section – but above all to make time for family and friends.

It is advice she follows herself: When time permits, Sonnier enjoys reading, watching movies, playing tennis and trivia games and traveling the world, but most of all she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

William B. Monk Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Brett M. Powers Ranier Law Firm 1419 Ryan St., P.O. Box 1890 Lake Charles 337/494-0599; Toll Free: 877-450-7171 www.ranierlaw.com Environmental Litigation Thomas M. Bergstedt Bergstedt & Mount 1011 Lakeshore Drive, Second Floor Lake Charles 337/513-0863 www.bergstedtandmount. net Estate Planning Theresa A. Barnatt Lorenzi & Barnatt, L.L.P. 518 Pujo St., P.O. Box 3305 Lake Charles 337/436-8401 www.lblegal.com J. Jake Fontenot J. Jake Fontenot, A P.L.C. 1401 Poinciana Ave. Mamou 318/468-5210 Gregory J. Klumpp 8332 Tom Hebert Road Lake Charles David L. Sigler Sigler & Raglin Attorneys at Law 630 Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/439-2033 www.dlsigler.com Estate Planning & Successions Sidney A. Marchand III Sidney A. Marchand III, A.L.C. 320 Chetimaches St. Donaldsonville 225/473-3811 Family Law David A. Blanchet P.O. Box 3407 Lafayette 337/269-5729

Randy J. Fuerst 130 W. Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/436-3332 Robert M. McHale Jr. McHale Law Firm, P.C. 631 Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/990-0093 www.lawyers.com/ mchalelawfirm Shayna L. Sonnier Hunter, Hunter & Sonnier, LLC 1807 Lake St. Lake Charles 337/436-1600 www.hunterlaw.com Gordie R. White 400 S. Iberia St. New Iberia 337/364-5846 Fidelity & Surety Emmett C. Sole Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Financial Law Robert J. Boudreau Woodley, Williams Law Firm, L.L.C. One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1750, P.O. Box 3731 Lake Charles 337/433-6328 www.woodleywilliams.com General Civil Litigation Richard E. Gerard Jr. Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry Attorneys at Law A Limited Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com James H. Gibson Allen & Gooch A Law Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com John B. Scofield Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry

Attorneys at Law A Limited Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com J. Michael Veron Veron, Bice, Palermo & Wilson, LLC 721 Kirby St., P.O. Box 2125 Lake Charles 337/310-1600; Toll Free: 877-300-8680 www.veronbice.com General Civil Practice John A. Boatner Jr. John A. Boatner 311 Walnut St. Bunkie 318/346-2661 J. Louis Gibbens Gibbens & Stevens, Attorneys at Law 222 W. St. Peter St. New Iberia 337/367-8451 Camille A. Morvant II Morvant & Cavell A Professional Law Corp.

402 W. Fourth St. Thibodaux 504/449-7500 General Corporate & Civil Litigation Dean Cole 2727 S.E. Evangeline Throughway Lafayette 337/233-0464 General Criminal Law Gerald J. Block 321 W. Main St., Suite 2E Lafayette 985/447-6767 www.blockbouterielaw.com General Insurance Michael W. Adley Judice & Adley PLC 926 Coolidge Blvd.

Lafayette 337/235-2405 www.judice-adley.com General Litigation Russell K. Zaunbrecher Edwards, Stefanski & Zaunbrecher 125 E. Hutchinson Ave., P.O. Box 730 Crowley 337/783-7000 www.eszlawfirm.com

General Practice Elaine Durbin Abell 119 Kimball Drive Lafayette 337/981-3869 Raymond Morgan Allen Allen Law Office 224 St. Landry St., Suite 3-F, P.O. Box 3204 Lafayette 337/232-9919 Timothy J. Barbier 200 Franklin St., P.O. Box 144 Napoleonville 985/369-2337 Herbert W. Barnes Jr. 1042 Bayou Blue Road, P.O. Box 3600 Houma 985/873-8915 Don R. Beard Dennis, Bates & Bullen, L.L.P. 106 Heymann Blvd., P.O. Box 53319 Lafayette 337/237-5900 John Taylor Bennett John T. Bennett Law OFCS Limited 261 E. Mark St. Marksville 318/253-4631

Edmond L. Deramee Jr. 111 Goode St. Thibodaux 985/447-3957 Anthony M. Fazzio Fazzio, Anthony 4906 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Building J Lafayette 337/406-1122 Norman P. Foret McBride, Foret & Leonard A Law Corp.

105 Templeton Drive Lafayette 337/233-3545 James T. Guglielmo Guglielmo, Lopez, Tuttle, Hunter & Jarrell 306 E. North St., P.O. Box 1329 Opelousas 337/948-8201 Robert E. Guillory Jr. Guillory & McCall, L.L.C. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1030, P.O. Drawer 1607 Lake Charles 337/433-9996 J. Phil Haney 2103 Warwick St. New Iberia 337/229-8222

Ronald J. Bertrand 714 Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/436-2541

Michael Harson 800 S. Buchanan St. Lafayette 337/232-5170

Benjamin B. Blanchet Blanchet 8916 Brookshire Road Abbeville 337/893-5115

Michael L. Huggins 104 Oak Park Circle Lafayette 337/258-4567

Porteus R. Burke Burke & Cestia 223 E. Main St. New Iberia 337/365-6628 Chester R. Cedars 415 S. Main St., Suite 200 St. Martinville 337/394-2220 John E. Coleman Jr. Aycock, Horne & Coleman 1304 Victor II Blvd., P.O. Box 1700 Morgan City 985/384-4523 C. Jerome D’Aquila C. Jerome D’Aquila 308 E. Main St. New Roads 225/638-9083

John Wayne Jewell Jewell & Jewell 143 E. Main St., Suite 3 New Roads 225/638-3311 Jerold Edward Knoll The Knoll Law Firm, LLC 233 S. Main St., P.O. Box 426 Marksville 318/253-6200 www.knolllawfirm.com Ralph E. Kraft Kraft Gatz LLC 600 Jefferson St., Suite 410 Lafayette 337/706-1818 Edwin L. Lafargue Lafargue Law Firm 313 N. Main St., Laborde Building, P.O. Box 277

Marksville 318/253-7521 Ralph K. Lee Jr. 107 Myrtle Oak Drive New Iberia 337/365-8452 John A. Lieux John A. Lieux 16208 Highway 44 Gonzales 225/622-2170 James C. Lopez Guglielmo, Lopez, Tuttle, Hunter & Jarrell 306 E. North St., P.O. Box 1329 Opelousas 337/948-8201 William T. McCall Guillory & McCall, L.L.C. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1030, P.O. Drawer 1607 Lake Charles 337/433-9996 Ralph R. Miller 410 Honeysuckle Dr. Norco 985/764-7684 James L. Pate Laborde & Neuner 1001 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 200, One Petroleum Center Lafayette 337/237-7000 www.ln-law.com Robert Ryland Percy III Percy, Lanoux, Mumphrey & Martin 712 N. Burnside Ave. Gonzales 225/621-8522 Penrose C. St. Amant St. Amant & St. Amant 218 E. Josephine St. Gonzales 225/647-3839 D. Kent Savoie D. Kent Savoie 1001 Lakeshore Drive Lake Charles 337/437-3530 Cameron B. Simmons 811 Canal St., Suite B Jeanerette 337/276-5603 John Jeffrey Simon Simon and Simon 154 Duperier Ave. New Iberia 337/369-7685 E. Robert Sternfels Jr.

www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

37

ONE OF MY TOUGHEST CASES

• steven hronek photograph •

L. Milton Cancienne Jr. is a man of many hats. Not only is he a will and estate attorney, but also, he says, he must at times play the role of a social worker, to counsel clients; a teacher, to explain the law to his clients; an accountant, to make tax and other computations; and a detective, to find “lost” heirs.

“I thought I would like handling estates since it would involve accounting,” says Cancienne, who received both a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a law degree from Louisiana State University.

A week after being released from active duty from the U.S. Air Force, Cancienne took and passed the bar exam. He began his successful career as an associate attorney in Colfax.

“The job in Colfax was my own self-imposed internship,” Cancienne recalls. “I knew the law, but I did not know how to go to court and run a law office.”

He moved on to become a sole practitioner in Houma in

1965. ”If we did not have the Cancienne Law Firm sign on our front door, by observing me at work, you would probably think I was an accountant rather than an attorney,” he jokes.

It was 1985 when Cancienne took on one of his most challenging cases that put his skills as a will and estate attorney to the test. The case involved the succession of a widow with no descendants. The widow’s last will and testament left her minerals and royalties to four charities, along with one small monetary gift. After accounting for those five, her will left onehalf of the remainder of her estate to her nephews and the descendants of her deceased nephews. The other one-half was left to the nieces and nephews of her late husband and the descendants of his deceased nieces and nephews. Her husband’s side of the family included 10 heirs; her side of the family included 122 heirs.

Dividing an Estate by 137

L. Milton Cancienne Jr. Cancienne Law Firm, Houma 48 years in practice B.S. Louisiana State University – 1960 J.D. Louisiana State University Law School – 1964 Native of Houma

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Dealing with this many heirs made computations by hand impossible, so Cancienne had to learn and master the use of spreadsheets. And to top it off, the whereabouts of four of the 132 heirs were unknown. All the paperwork for the inheritance tax return was due nine months after the death of the decedent; Cancienne had to work fast.

Two of the “lost” heirs were sisters and were last known to live in Madagorda County, Texas. Cancienne ran notices in a couple of local newspapers in that area asking for them to contact him.

“In my experience, women are more difficult to locate than men because women marry and change their last names,” he says.

Luckily, the sisters contacted him within a couple of days after publishing the ads. The two remaining “lost” heirs, a brother and sister, proved to be the most difficult to find, Cancienne says.

Relatives said they were last known to live in the Shreveport and Bossier City area of Louisiana. Like before, Cancienne ran notices in local newspapers. He heard nothing for a month. Time was ticking.

With the deadline to file the paperwork drawing near, Cancienne ran the notices again as a last-ditch effort. This time the woman contacted him at the urging of her friends, and she gave Cancienne contact information for her brother.

With all the heirs accounted for, it was time to tackle spreadsheets. Cancienne says at the time he knew no one in Houma who could teach him how to use spreadsheets until he met a newcomer at a neighborhood party who agreed to teach him the basics. With the help of his two secretaries, Marlene Chiasson and Jeanice St. Germaine, who still work with him today, Cancienne was able to file the inheritance tax return with time to spare. Each heir received anywhere from $120 to $45,000, depending on the variations in degree of relationship to the decedent.

Since then, Cancienne has worked on numerous cases, and in 1997 he became a certified specialist in estate planning and administration after the Louisiana Bar Association offered board certification for the first time. With every day that passes, Cancienne says that it is the people he works with who keep him motivated.

E. Robert Sternfels Jr. 4858 Highway 1 Napoleonville 985/369-6085 Keith A. Stutes 800 S. Buchanan St., Floor 6 Lafayette 337/232-5170 William O. Templet 23425 Railroad Ave. Plaquemine 225/687-4313 Michael Halphen Torian Michael H. Torian 1810 Oak Leaf Blvd. ,P.O. Box 1388 Opelousas 337/781-2555 Rex D. Townsley Townsley Law Firm 3102 Enterprise Blvd.

Lake Charles 318/478-1400 www.townsleylawfirm.com Patrick G. Tracy Jr. Milling Benson Woodward L.L.P. 101 La Rue France, Suite 200 Lafayette 337/232-3929

www.millinglaw.com Gina Bradley Tuttle Guglielmo, Lopez, Tuttle, Hunter & Jarrell 306 E. North St., P.O. Box 1329 Opelousas 337/948-8201 Lester J. Zaunbrecher Allen & Gooch A Law Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com Government Relations Edgar G. Mouton Jr. 313 Dunreath St. Lafayette 337/237-1109 Health Care William Bourgeois Law Office of Wm E Bourgeois 1025 Victor II Blvd., Suite P Morgan City 985/384-2055 Health care Business Transactions

Stephen M. Sullivan Sullivan Stolier Kovata Knight LC 1042 Camellia Blvd., Suite 2 Lafayette 337/233-6210 www.thehealthlawcenter. com

James M. Funderburk Duval, Funderburk, Sundbery, Lovell & Watkins A Professional Law Corp.

101 Wilson Ave., P.O. Box 3017 Houma 985/876-6410 www.duvallawfirm.com

Insurance C. Thomas Bienvenu Jr. Haik, Minvielle & Grubbs, L.L.P. 1017 E. Dale St. P.O. Box 11040 New Iberia 337/365-5486 www.hmg-law.com

Maureen O’Connor Sullivan Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP 100 E. Vermillion St., Suite 300 Lafayette 337/326-5777 www.lbbslaw.com

Andrew D. McGlathery III Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com

Joseph A. Brame Brame & McCain 426 Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/439-4571 Robert J. David Jr. Juneau David, APLC 1018 Harding St., Suite 202, The Harding Center Lafayette 337/269-0052 www.juneaudavid.com

Insurance Defense Keith M. Borne Borne & Wilkes, L.L.P. 200 W. Congress St., Suite 1000, P.O. Box 4305 Lafayette 337/232-1604

Insurance Coverage Timothy J. McNamara Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com

James M. Dill The Dill Firm A Professional Law Corp.

HOUSTON MIDDLETON RUDIE R. SOILEAU JR.

Insurance Coverage & Bad Faith Richard W. Bane Lewis, Brisbois, Bisgaard & Smith LLP 100 E. Vermillion St., Suite 300 Lafayette 337/326-5777 www.lbbslaw.com

825 Lafayette St., P.O. Box 3324 Lafayette 337/261-1408 www.dillfirm.com

DANIEL KRAMER

Hal J. Broussard Broussard & Kay 557 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/232-1666 www.lawyers.com/ broussard&kay

I. Jackson Burson Jr. I. Jackson Burson Jr. A Professional Law Corp.

220 N. Second St. Eunice 337/457-1227 Susan A. Daigle Daigle Rayburn LLC 303 W. Vermilion, Suite 210, P.O. Box 3667 Lafayette 337/234-7000 www.djrlawfirm.com Lamont P. Domingue Voorhies & Labbe A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., P.O. Box 3527 Lafayette 337/232-9700 www.volalaw.com Richard L. Edrington 600 Main St., Suite 220 LaPlace 985/652-4300 David A. Fraser Fraser Wheeler & Bergstedt, LLP 4350 Nelson Road, P.O. Box 4886 Lake Charles 337/478-8595 www.fraser-law.com

KRISTIE M. HIGHTOWER

LAUREN M. LUNDY

JASON M. HATFIELD

NICHOLAS KOHRS

JACKEY W. SOUTH

CANDACE P. HOWAY MATTHEW E. LUNDY*

HUNTER W. LUNDY*

*CHOSEN TO 2013 SUPER LAWYERS

L UND Y, LUNDY, S O ILEAU & S O UTH, L PP TRIAL LAWYERS WHO BELIEVE IN PRINCIPLES, INTEGRITY AND HARD WORK Lundy, Lundy, Soileau & South, LLP is one of Louisiana’s premier personal injury firms, providing tens of millions of dollars in awards and settlements to injured clients, as well as providing compassionate support to help victims put their lives back together.

“We advocate for those who can’t help themselves,” explains founding partner Hunter Lundy. “We fight to protect the civil justice rights and liberties of individuals.

It’s our job to help them, to lift them up. Our firm is blessed with experienced, talented trial attorneys and a top-of-the-class group of young lawyers We are all united in putting people first.”

AREAS OF PRACTICE With a wealth of experience and resources, the firm helps individuals and families recover

damages from claims related to serious accidents, personal injury, products liability and wrongful death in Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Arkansas and throughout the United States.

Recently, the firm has been active in the landmark litigation and settlements with British Petroleum for damages related to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Founding partner Matt Lundy is a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee that reached the historic agreements, providing compensation for economic loss and long-term health benefits to the injured.

“We take pride in representing victims who need our help,” says Matt Lundy. “We want to make a positive difference in the lives of others.”

COMMERCIAL AND REAL ESTATE LAWYERS The firm also represents businesses in complex commercial litigation and in commercial and residential real estate transactions, including pipeline acquisitions.

501 Broad Street Lake Charles, Louisiana 70601 Phone: 337.439.0707 | Fax: 337.439.1029 lundylawllp.com

www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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ONE OF MY TOUGHEST CASES

• travis gauthier photograph •

A Fierce Advocate

were worn out and wanted the threat of a jail sentence to be over, so his client agreed.

“Never, never quit” is a motto that William L. Goode, a criminal Wrongful convictions of innocent people are not uncommon. defense lawyer, lives by, and there’s no doubt that his can-do Goode says there is an alarming trend among a minority of state attitude is what sets him apart from others in his field. Goode and federal prosecutors to only seek convictions and to disregard spent many days at his father’s law office listening to his father truth and justice. talk about the law frequently while growing up in Shreveport, so “People facing criminal prosecution by those prosecutors need it comes as no surprise that he took on the family profession. a fierce advocate who is willing to challenge the power of the state After practicing law with his father and brother, Goode went on and federal governments no matter how hard it is and no matter to become an assistant district attorney in Caddo Parish, then an how long it takes; I am that advocate,” Goode proudly states. assistant U.S. attorney and then a U.S. magistrate in Lafayette in Goode recalls another case that began in 2002. His client, a 1980, but trial work as a litigator continued to call his name. He high school senior at the time, was charged in a federal cocaine resigned from his position in 1983. After working for two different conspiracy. The government relied mostly on the testimony of law firms in Lafayette, he opened his own practice in 1986. Goode previously convicted drug dealers who were serving lengthy has been practicing law in Louisiana for more than 40 years and sentences in various federal penitentiaries. In exchange for their in Texas for almost 12 years. testimonies, they were hoping to get their sentences reduced.

One of Goode’s most memorable cases began in 2006, when During the course of the trial, evidence surfaced that he took on the case of a man who had been indicted in federal prompted Goode and the other defense lawyers to ask the judge court for drug conspiracy with to grant a mistrial because of allegations of possession of credibility issues raised about marijuana and cocaine with the government’s jailhouse intent to distribute. The case witnesses, but their motion raged on and on, with Goode was denied, and Goode’s client filing motion after motion. The and the other defendants were case finally went to trial and convicted and remanded to resulted in a mistrial. custody pending their sentences.

Goode uncovered evidence of The next day Goode learned his client’s innocence and filed a of additional evidence that third motion to dismiss. In turn, directly proved that some of the the government offered Goode’s government’s jailhouse witnesses client the option to plead guilty had in fact lied about Goode’s to a lesser charge that would client and the other defendants. result in a sentence of 12 to 17 As a result, Goode and the other months in a federal penitentiary defense lawyers filed another instead of 15 to 20 years. motion for mistrial on the basis of “… I knew [my client] was this newly discovered evidence, innocent and that he should which the court, several months not spend a day in jail for later, granted. The government something he did not do,” Goode then dismissed the case. bluntly says. “We refused the With numerous cases under government’s offer.” his belt, Goode advises young In the face of his neverattorneys to remember that “the quitting attitude, the government law is a jealous mistress, and to dismissed the entire criminal properly do your job, you will case, but in return his client had have to work long hours, and do to agree to a pretrial diversion The Goode Law Firm, A P.L.C., Lafayette not cheat. Cheating takes the fun agreement for one year and sign out of practicing law.” an agreement that he would not An avid recycler with a More than 40 years in practice sue the government for malicious penchant for fast cars, Goode prosecution. At this point, the also notes that it is important to B.A. Texas A&M – 1968 case had been going on for nearly “… treat your clients with respect J.D. Louisiana State University Law School – 1971 five years, and Goode had worked at all times, communicate with Native of Shreveport more than 1,000 hours on the them, listen to them and learn case. The client and his family from them.”

WILLIAM L. Goode

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Charles C. Garrison Caffery, Oubre, Campbell & Garrison, L.L.P. 800 S. Lewis, Suite 205 New Iberia 337/364-1816 www.cocglaw.com Thomas R. Hightower Jr. Thomas R. Hightower Jr. A Professional Law Corp.

1019 Lafayette St. Lafayette 337/233-0555 www.trhaplc.com Alfred Smith Landry Landry, Watkins, Repaske & Breaux 211 E. Main St., P.O. Box 12040 New Iberia 337/364-7626 Lafayette 337/234-5921 www.lwrb.net Nicholas F. LaRocca Jr. Nicholas F. LaRocca Jr., Ltd. A Professional Law Corp.

607 Brashear Ave. Morgan City 985/385-4800 www.laroccalaw.com Jerry A. Oubre

Caffery, Oubre, Campbell & Garrison, L.L.P. 800 S. Lewis, Suite 205 New Iberia 337/364-1816 www.cocglaw.com

Tompkins, Burr & Smith A Professional Law Corp.

328 Settler’s Trace Blvd Lafayette 337/235-7110 www.gjtbs.com

Timothy E. Pujol Pujol & Pryor 12320 Louisiana Highway 44, Building 4, Suite C Gonzales 225/644-0607 www.pujolpryor.com

Insurance Disputes Michael P. Corry Briney, Foret & Corry, LLP 413 Travis St., P.O. Box 51367 Lafayette 337/237-4070 www.brineyforet.com

John G. Swift Swift & Rhoades, L.L.P. 930 Coolidge Blvd.

Lafayette 337/572-9877 Edward O. Taulbee IV Taulbee & Associates, LLC 100 Asma Blvd., Suite 200 Lafayette 337/269-5005 John F. Wilkes III Borne & Wilkes, L.L.P. 200 W. Congress St., Suite 1000, P.O. Box 4305 Lafayette 337/232-1604 Jason E. Wilson Galloway, Johnson,

Intellectual Property William W. Stagg Durio, McGoffin, Stagg & Ackermann Professional Law Corp.

220 Heymann Blvd.

Lafayette 337/233-0300 www.dmsfirm.com Intellectual Property Litigation C. Dean Domingue Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre L.L.P. Suite 1600, 600 Jefferson St. Lafayette 337/593-7600

www.joneswalker.com

Morgan City

International Maritime Law James B. Doyle Law Offices of James B. Doyle, APLC 501 Broad St. Lake Charles 337/474-9989 www.doylelawoffices.com

Labor Relations (Management) Law Edward J. Fonti Jones, Tete, Fonti & Belfour, L.L.P. First Federal Building, P.O. Box 1930 Lake Charles 337/439-8315 www.jonestetelaw.com

Labor & Employment Law Olivia S. Regard Babineaux, Poche, Anthony & Slavich, L.L.C. 1201 Camellia Blvd., Third Floor, P.O. Box 52169 Lafayette 337/984-2505 bpasfirm.com Labor & Employment (Management) Greg Guidry Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com Labor Law H. Sloan McCloskey 905 Second St.

Danny J. Lirette Lirette & Gary, LLC 10 Professional Drive Houma 985/876-2997 www.gulfcoastinjury.com James R. McClelland 605 Courthouse, 500 Main St. Franklin 337/828-4100

Liability Thomas C. Cowan Cowan & Lemmon 15068 River Road, P.O. Box 1030 Hahnville 985/783-9849 www.cowanlemmon.com

William H. Parker III Allen & Gooch A Law Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com

Litigation Louis R. Davis The Davis Firm 813 S. Michot Drive Lafayette 337/993-1051 www.lawyers.com/ loudavis

Kaliste J. Saloom Jr. Saloom & Saloom, Attorney at Law 502 Marguerite Blvd.

Lafayette 337/234-0111 www.saloomandsaloom. com

Karen L. Eddlemon The Dow Chemical Co. 21255 Highway 1, Building 2306, P.O. Box 150 Plaquemine 225/353-8000

Russell T. Tritico Sr. The Tritico Law Office 1301 Moss Loop Lake Charles 337/436-6648

428 Jefferson St. Lafayette, La. 70501 337.232.8177 1.800.960.2211 For the past twenty years, Kenneth D. St. Pé has focused his career primarily on Civil Litigation and Trial Law and has represented clients, both plaintiff and defendant, in a wide range of casualty cases including maritime and offshore injury, employment/ wage disputes, products liability, medical malpractice and securities matters. With experience in large, multi-party and complex class action litigation, St. Pé knows the challenges clients can face and how to help navigate the waters of an intricate legal system.

Rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale Hubbell, St. Pé represents the highest level of professional excellence, ethical standards and legal ability and is one of few Louisiana attorneys board certified in medical malpractice.

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Litigation & Transactions T. Kenneth Watkins Watkins, Walker & Eroche, APLC 501 Roussell St., P.O. Box 5095 Houma 985/868-2333 www.wwelaw.com Local Government Law Calvin E. Woodruff Jr. 220 S. Jefferson St. Abbeville 337/898-5777 Maritime Law St. Paul Bourgeois IV 100 Rimwood Ave. Lafayette 337/739-6989 Richard R. Kennedy Richard R. Kennedy A Professional Law Corp.

309 Polk St., P.O. Box 3243 Lafayette 337/232-1934; Toll Free 800-440-1934 www.richardkennedy.com James Parkerson Roy Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, L.L.C. 556 Jefferson St., Suite 500, P.O. Box 3668 Lafayette 337/233-3033; Toll Free 800-375-6186 www.wrightroy.com Elwood C. Stevens Jr. Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, L.L.C. 556 Jefferson St., Suite 500, P.O. Box 3668 Lafayette 337/233-3033; Toll Free 800-375-6186 www.wrightroy.com Jason M. Welborn Gaar Law Firm 617 S. Buchanan St.,P.O. Box 2053 Lafayette 337/233-3185 www.gaarlaw.com Bob F. Wright Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, L.L.C. 556 Jefferson St., Suite 500, P.O. Box 3668 Lafayette 337/233-3033; Toll Free 800-375-6186 www.wrightroy.com Maritime Litigation Randall K. Theunissen Allen & Gooch A Law 42

Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com Maritime Negligence Gary P. Kraus Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com Maritime Personal Injury Jimmy L. Dauzat Jimmy L. Dauzat, Attorney at Law 620 S. Union St. Opelousas 337/942-5811 James P. Lambert Jim Lambert Law Firm 315 S. College Road, Suite 146, P.O. Box 53083 Lafayette 337/261-3737 www.JimLambert.com Maritime, Oilfield & Insurance George Arceneaux III Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Mark A. Lowe Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com George H. Robinson Jr. Liskow & Lewis A Professional Law Corp.

822 Harding St., P.O. Box 52008 Lafayette 337/232-7424 www.liskow.com Mediation David S. Cook David S. Cook A Professional Law Corp.

117 Heymann Blvd., Suite 12, P.O. Box 12 Lafayette 337/234-4155 www.nadn.org/davidsherman-cook Paul B. David

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Paul B. David 204 Kings Road Lafayette 337/988-0560 Medical Marc W. Judice Judice & Adley PLC 926 Coolidge Blvd.

Lafayette 337/235-2405 www.judice-adley.com Medical Malpractice Charles J. Boudreaux Jr. Preis & Roy, PLC 102 Versailles Blvd., Suite 400, Versailles Centre Lafayette 337/237-6062 www.preisroy.com John Stanton Bradford Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St. One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Alan K. Breaud Breaud & Meyers A Professional Law Corp.

600 Jefferson St., Suite 1101 Lafayette 337/266-2200 Robert J. David Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. 143 E. Main St., Suite 3 New Roads 504/522-2304 www.gainsburghbenjamin. com Kenneth D. St. Pe Guilliot & St. Pe 428 Jefferson St., P.O. Box 2877 Lafayette 337/232-8177; Toll Free 800-960-2211 www.guilliotstpe.com Todd A. Townsley Townsley Law Firm 3102 Enterprise Blvd.

Lake Charles 318/478-1400 www.townsleylawfirm.com Medical Malpractice Defense John E. Bergstedt 7057 Moss Lake Lane Sulphur 337/583-4411

Philip J. McMahon McMahon & McCollam 628 Wood St., P.O. Box 1548 Houma 504/868-0104 Mineral Law Patrick D. Gallaugher Jr. Scofield, Gerard, Pohorelsky, Gallaugher & Landry Attorneys at Law A Limited Liability Co. 901 Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, P.O. Drawer 3028 Lake Charles 337/433-9436 www.scofieldgerard.com Municipal Law Russel J. Cremaldi Biggs, Supple, Cremaldi & Curet, L.L.P. 200 Willow St. Franklin 337/828-5480 Michael K. Dees 150 Marine St. Lake Charles 337/493-3504 Natural Resources William E. Shaddock Jr. Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. 127 W. Broad St., One Lakeside Plaza, Chase Bank Building, Fourth and Fifth Floors Lake Charles 337/436-9491 www.ssvcs.com Offshore Drilling In Production Rig Accidents Glenn Armentor The Glenn Armentor Law Corp.

300 Stewart St. Lafayette 337/233-1471 www.glennarmentor.com

Robert L. Cabes Milling Benson Woodward L.L.P. 101 La Rue France, Suite 200 Lafayette 337/232-3929 www.millinglaw.com

Thomas G. Smart Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com

Ralph B. Chustz Kearney, Smith & Chustz 154 E. Main St. New Roads 225/638-3764

Randall C. Songy Onebane Law Firm APC 1200 Camellia Blvd., Suite 300, Onebane Law Firm Building Lafayette 337/237-2660 www.onebane.com

Howell A. Dennis Jr. Dennis, Bates & Bullen, L.L.P. 106 Heymann Blvd., P.O. Box 53319 Lafayette 337/237-5900 Andrew L. Gates III 106 Tomahawk Drive Lafayette 337/981-3843 Larry C. Hebert Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. 1313 W. Pinhook Road, P.O. Drawer 52606 Lafayette 337/232-2606 Thomas C. McKowen IV Dennis, Bates & Bullen, L.L.P. 106 Heymann Blvd., P.O. Box 53319 Lafayette 337/237-5900 W. Joe Mize Robichaux, Mize, Wadsack & Richardson, LLC 1777 Ryan St., P.O. Box 2065 Lake Charles 337/433-0234 www.rmwlegal.com Patrick S. Ottinger Ottinger Hebert, L.L.C. 1313 W. Pinhook Road, P.O. Drawer 52606 Lafayette 337/232-2606

Oil & Gas Law William F. Bailey Randazzo Giglio & Bailey LLC 900 E. St. Mary Blvd., Suite 200, P.O. Box 51347 Lafayette 337/291-4900 www.rgb-llc.com

Matthew J. Randazzo III Randazzo Giglio & Bailey LLC 900 E. St. Mary Blvd., Suite 200, P.O. Box 51347 Lafayette 337/291-4900 www.rgb-llc.com

Stephen D. Baker Law Office of Stephen D. Baker 412 W. University Ave., Suite 101 Lafayette 337/235-8298

Reginald J. Ringuet Ringuet & Collier A Professional Law Corp.

302 Rue France, Suite 201, P.O. Box 52647 Lafayette 337/232-0002

Oil & Gas Matters Raymond A. Beyt Law Offices of Beyt & Beyt, PLC 700 E. University Ave. Lafayette 337/233-6771 www.beytlaw.com Oil, Gas & Energy Litigation B. J. Duplantis Gordon, Arata, McCollam, Duplantis & Eagan, LLC 400 E. Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 4200 Lafayette 337/237-0132 www.gordonarata.com Personal Injury Law Johnny X. Allemand Deramee & Allemand, L.L.P. 302 W. Fourth St. Thibodaux 985/447-9436 Bennett Boyd Anderson Jr. Anderson & Dozier 2010 W. Pinhook Road Lafayette 337/233-3366; Toll Free 800-233-6194 www.andersondozier.com J. Robert Ates Ates Law Firm A Professional Law Corp.

13726 River Road, Suite A Destrehan 504/264-9524 www.ateslawfirm.com Lawrence K. Burleigh Jr. Lawrence K. Burleigh, Ltd. A Professional Law Corp.

100 E. Vermilion St., Gordon Square, Suite 160 Lafayette 337/234-6222 Blake R. David Broussard & David, LLC 600 Jefferson St., Suite 700, P.O. Box 3524

Lafayette 337/233-2323 www.broussard-david.com Kenneth W. DeJean Kenneth W. DeJean 417 W. University Ave. Lafayette 337/235-5294; Toll Free 800-284-3962 www.kwdejean.com Pride J. Doran Doran Law Firm 521 E. Landry St. Opelousas 337/948-8008 www.doranlawfirm.com Joseph F. Gaar Jr. Gaar Law Firm 617 S. Buchanan St., P.O. Box 2053 Lafayette 337/233-3185 www.gaarlaw.com Owen M. Goudelocke 556 Jefferson St., Suite 400 Lafayette 337/262-1700 Douglas H. Greenburg 502 Roussell St. Houma 985/868-3080

Daniel G. Guidry Guidry & Guidry 324 S. Main St. St. Martinville 337/394-7116 www.guidryandguidry.com Edmond L. Guidry III Guidry & Guidry 324 S. Main St. St. Martinville 337/394-7116 www.guidryandguidry.com David H. Hanchey The Hanchey Law Firm, L.L.C. 535 East St., P.O. Box 2210 Lake Charles 337/436-5551 www.hancheyfirm.com Thomas J. Kliebert Jr. P.O. Box 105 Convent 225/562-2280 Andrew A. Lemmon Lemmon Law Firm, LLC. 15058 River Road, P.O. Box 904 Hahnville 985/783-6789 www.lemmonlawfirm.com

Hunter W. Lundy Lundy, Lundy, Soileau & South, L.L.P. 501 Broad St. Lake Charles 337/513-0292 www.lundylawllp.com Matthew E. Lundy Lundy, Lundy, Soileau & South, L.L.P. 501 Broad St. Lake Charles 337/513-0292 www.lundylawllp.com Robert C. McCall Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, PLC 3006 Country Club Road, P.O. Drawer 7820 Lake Charles www.baggettmccall.com Bernard H. McLaughlin Jr. McLaughlin Mediation Services 713 Kirby St. Lake Charles 337/310-1609 www.mclaughlinmediators.com Paul G. Moresi Jr. Paul G. Moresi Jr., LLC 111 S. State St., P.O. Box

1140 Abbeville 318/898-0111 Robert E. Morgan McClain & Morgan A Professional Law Corp.

125 W. School St. Lake Charles 337/474-9625 William M. Nolen 1112 Bayouwood Dr. Lake Charles 337/477-6363 William D. O’Regan III William D. O’Regan III 1107 Main St. LaPlace 985/652-6476 www.oreganlaw.net Patrick W. Pendley Pendley, Baudin & Coffin, L.L.P. 24110 Eden St. Plaquemine 888-725-2477 www.pbclawfirm.com Richard J. Putnam Jr. Putnam Law Firm 118 S. State Street Abbeville 337/893-0076 www.putnamlawfirm.com

Michael J. Samanie The Law Offices of Michael J. Samanie 7836 Park Ave. Houma 985/868-2284 www.samanielaw.com Thomas W. Sanders Thomas W. Sanders A Professional Law Corp.

411 Clarence St., P.O. Box 3032 Lake Charles 337/433-1691 www.lawyers.com/thesanderslaw Leslie J. Schiff Schiff, Scheckman & White 117 W. Landry St. Opelousas 318/942-9771 Thomas R. Shelton Thomas Robert Shelton, Ltd. 223 Bendel Road Lafayette 318/237-3000 Jack Paul Showers Jack Paul Showers Attorney at Law 125 Riverview Road Lafayette

318/237-9000 Allen L. Smith Jr. Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com Kenneth R. Spears Spears & Gary One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 900, Capital One Tower Lake Charles 337/513-4333 www.spearsgary.com Glen D. Vamvoras Vamvoras, Schwartzberg & Hinch, L.L.C. 1111 Ryan St. Lake Charles 337/377-0538 www.vshlawfirm.com H. David Vaughan II Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com Leon C. Vial III

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Leon C. Vial, III, A.P.L.C. 14999 River Road, P.O. Box 321 Hahnville 504/783-6618 Joseph L. Waitz Waitz & Downer 423 Goode St. Houma 985/876-0870 waitz-downer.com Personal Injury Claims Jacque B. Pucheu Jr. Pucheu, Pucheu & Robinson 106 Park Ave., P.O. Box 1109 Eunice 318/457-9075 www.pprlaw.com Plaintiffs Personal Injury Thomas J. Gayle Thomas J. Gayle 713 Kirby St., P.O. Box 3190 Lake Charles 337/494-1220 www.gaylelaw.com M. Terrance Hoychick M. Terrance Hoychick, APLC 141 S. Sixth St., P.O. Box 391 Eunice 337/457-9331 www.yhalaw.com Probate Law Donald A. Capretz Donald A. Capretz A Professional Law Corp.

1011 Coolidge Blvd., P.O. Box 53509 Lafayette 337/237-9999 J. W. Landry Jr. 604 Emmeline St. New Iberia Products Liability Law William M. Bass Voorhies & Labbe A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., P.O. Box 3527 Lafayette 337/232-9700 www.volalaw.com Richard C. Broussard Broussard & David, LLC 600 Jefferson St., Suite 700, P.O. Box 3524 Lafayette 337/233-2323 www.broussard-david.com Richard D. Chappuis Jr. 44

Voorhies & Labbe A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., P.O. Box 3527 Lafayette 337/232-9700 www.volalaw.com James R. Nieset Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com Nora M. Stelly Allen & Gooch A Law Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com Frank M. Walker Jr. Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com Products Liability Defense David R. Frohn Frohn & Thibodeaux, L.L.C. One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1220 Lake Charles 337/433-5523 www.ftlaw.com Professional Liability Joel E. Gooch Allen & Gooch A Law Corp.

2000 Kaliste Road, Suite 400 Lafayette 337/291-1000 www.allengooch.com Professional Liability & Casualty Law J. Roslyn Lemmon Cowan & Lemmon 15068 River Road, P.O. Box 1030 Hahnville 985/783-9849 www.cowanlemmon.com Professional Malpractice Patrick J. Briney Briney, Foret & Corry, LLP 413 Travis St., P.O. Box 51367 Lafayette 337/237-4070 www.brineyforet.com

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Public & Private Sectors S. W. Plauche III Plauche & Stock LLP 130 S. Audubon Blvd., Suite 102 Lafayette 337/237-1213 www.plauchestock.com Public Utilities William O. Bonin 201 Fuqua St. New Iberia 337/364-1666 Railroad Litigation John E. McElligott Jr. Davidson, Meaux, Sonnier, McElligott, Fontenot, Gideon, and Edwards L.L.P. 810 S. Buchanan St., P.O. Box 2908 Lafayette 337/237-1660 www.davidsonmeaux.com Real Estate Mary Coon Biggs Biggs, Supple, Cremaldi & Curet, L.L.P. 200 Willow St. Franklin 337/828-5480 Richard J. Bouterie Jr. Block & Bouterie 408 W. Third St., P.O. Box 510 Thibodaux 985/447-6767 www.blockbouterielaw.com Michael D. Carleton Woodley, Williams Law Firm, L.L.C. One Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1750, P.O. Box 3731 Lake Charles 337/433-6328 www.woodleywilliams.com John L. Delahaye Borron & Delahaye A Professional Law Corp.

58065 Meriam St., P.O. Box 679 Plaquemine 225/687-3571 Lynn A. DeRouen DeRouen & Wattigny 103 E. Main St. New Iberia 318/369-3826 John P. Everett Jr. Roddy, Watson & Everett 400 E. College St. Lake Charles 337/474-4886 www.roddywatsoneverett.com Calvin T. Guidry Calvin T. Guidry

1018 Harding St., Suite 206 Lafayette 318/232-6183 William Hugh Mouton William H. Mouton, APLC 606 Claymore Drive Lafayette 337/233-3697 Francis Audley Smith Jr. Kearney, Smith & Chustz 154 E. Main St. New Roads 225/638-3764 Stephen A. Stefanski Edwards, Stefanski & Zaunbrecher 125 E. Hutchinson Ave., P.O. Box 730 Crowley 337/783-7000 www.eszlawfirm.com Joseph Major Thibaut Sr. Dampf, Thibaut & Melanson, L.L.P. 2004 False River Drive, P. O. Drawer 39 New Roads 225/638-4508 www.dampfthibautandmelanson.com Securities Regulation Martha Q. Thomas 141 Ridgeway Drive, Suite 203 Lafayette Serious Injuries & Wrongful Death Steven W. Hale Steven W. Hale & Associates Inc. 1735 Ryan St. Lake Charles 337/426-1071 www.halelawfirm.com Successions Helen O. Mendell The Dill Firm A Professional Law Corp.

825 Lafayette St., P.O. Box 3324 Lafayette 337/261-1408 www.dillfirm.com Edward G. Saal Jr. Edward G. Saal Jr. A Professional Law Corp.

504 Second St. Gueydan 337/536-9210 Successions, Trusts, Probate Raymond E. Allain Allain and Bellefontaine 1701 Main St. Jeanerette 337/276-5004

Taxation Edwin K. Hunter Hunter, Hunter & Sonnier, LLC 1807 Lake St. Lake Charles 337/436-1600 www.hunterlaw.com William P. Stubbs Jr. Stubbs Law Firm, L.L.C. 1018 Harding St., Suite 103 Lafayette 337/233-9755 www.stubbslawfirm.com Toxic Torts William B. Baggett Baggett, McCall, Burgess, Watson & Gaughan, PLC 3006 Country Club Road, P.O. Drawer 7820 Lake Charles 337/478-8888 www.baggettmccall.com Patrick C. Morrow Morrow, Morrow, Ryan & Bassett 324 W. Landry St., P.O. Box 1787 Opelousas 337/948-4483 www.mmrblawoffice.com Trial & Litigation John L. Lanier Law Office of John L. Lanier 103 St. Louis St. Thibodaux 985/438-7895 Trial Litigation Involving Personal Injury & Insurance Defense as well as Probate Law Charles R. Sonnier The Sonnier Firm 2 S. Magdalen Square, Drawer 700 Abbeville 337/893-5973 www.sonnierlaw.com Trial Practice L. Albert Forrest L. Albert Forrest Inc. 408 Wildwood Drive New Iberia 337/364-2343 Trials M. Blake Monrose Hurlburt, Monrose & Ernest A Professional Law Corp.

700 St. John St., Suite 200 Lafayette 337/237-0261 www.hpmatty.com Michael X. St. Martin St. Martin & Bourque A

Professional Law Corp.

4084 Highway 311 Houma 985/876-3891 www.maritime-law.com Trusts & Estates Jean C. Breaux Jr. Jean C. Breaux Jr. & Associates A Professional Law Corp.

1018 Harding St., Suite 103 Lafayette 337/233-4447 Robert M. Fleming 322 Heymann Blvd., Suite B2 Lafayette 337/232-3220 Utility Law James B. Supple Biggs, Supple, Cremaldi & Curet, L.L.P. 200 Willow St. Franklin 337/828-5480 White Collar Criminal Defense Michael D. Skinner Skinner Law Firm, LLC 600 Jefferson St., Suite 810, Chase Tower Lafayette 337/354-3030 www.skinnerlawfirmllc.com Wills L. Milton Cancienne Jr. Cancienne Law Firm 515 Barrow St. Houma 985/876-5656 www.houmaestates.com Workers Compensation Jerald P. Block Block Law Firm 422 E. First St., P.O. Box 108 Thibodaux 985/446-0418 www.blocklawfirm.com Jeffrey M. Cole Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com Michael J. McNulty III Plauche Smith & Nieset, LLC 1123 Pithon St., P.O. Drawer 1705 Lake Charles 337/436-0522 www.psnlaw.com ap

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“Cajun The term “Cajun light” sounds more like the name of a photography exhibit than a description of Acadian cooking. “Light” is not the adjective that comes to mind when speaking of such iconic Cajun foods as boudin, andouille, gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, hogshead cheese, rice dressing, cracklins, syrup cake and bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Cajun cooking is robust country cooking, with bold, assertive flavors and, typically, little or no concern with fat and calories.

Butter, lard, vegetable oil and margarine are used in copious quantities in many dishes, and meat is central to the cuisine.

By Stanley Dry Photographs By Eugenia Uhl 48

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LIGHT”

cooking YES, it’s Possible

It is possible to lighten many Cajun dishes by reducing fat and calories, but it should be said at the outset that some Cajun foods simply do not lend themselves to adaptation. Of the many varieties of fresh and smoked Cajun pork products, none is more popular and revered than boudin, the highly seasoned pork-and-rice sausage that is a popular treat any time of day or night. Part of the reason for the deliciousness of boudin is that it is well-lubricated with pork fat. Take away the pork fat, and boudin would be but a poor shadow of itself; no one would eat it.

Many Cajun dishes start with a roux, which, of course, is flour browned in some form of fat, often vegetable oil, lard or bacon drippings. A very easy way to reduce the fat and caloric content of a dish is to use dry roux, which is browned flour without the oil. Dry roux, often labeled “instant roux,” is widely available in grocery stores and supermarkets. Or you can make your own by browning flour in a cast-iron skillet, either in the oven or on the stove top. Once made, dry roux can be stored indefinitely in a sealed container.

When making a dish with dry roux and no added fat, it’s best to change the order of the initial steps in the recipe. Traditionally, you cook the roux first and then add the seasoning vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper and sometimes garlic) to the roux, followed by the addition of stock or water. With a dry roux, bring the stock or water to a boil, whisk in the dry roux to dissolve and then add the seasoning vegetables. After that, proceed with the recipe in the usual order.

As the saying goes, “fat equals flavor,” so whenever you reduce the amount of fat in a recipe, you need to compensate for the resulting loss of flavor. There are many ways to do this. One of the simplest and most effective is to replace water with a flavorful stock or broth. If you have the time to make homemade stock, that is the best option because there really is no substitute for a richly flavored stock. However, there are a variety of chicken, beef, seafood and vegetable stocks and broths on the grocer’s shelf that are more than adequate. Soup bases, also available in chicken, beef and other flavors, are another option; I’ve found the paste versions superior to the powdered varieties. And then there is the bouillon cube, which generations of cooks have relied on as a flavor booster. Any commercial stock or broth can be improved by simmering it with aromatic vegetables, seasonings and white wine or vermouth.

Monosodium glutamate, or MSG, is a well-known flavor enhancer that has been around for a century, ever since a Japanese scientist discovered the naturally occurring presence of glutamates in food and went on synthesize and patent MSG as an additive that would boost a food’s flavor appeal. But MSG has acquired a bad rap in this country, with the result that some are reluctant to add it to their food. However, it’s possible to mimic the effect of MSG by using ingredients that are naturally high in glutamates. Meat, poultry, fish and vegetables all contain glutamates, but some ingredients have particularly high levels of the substance, and they can be used to achieve the desired result. Glutamate-rich foods include tomatoes and tomato products, mushrooms (particularly shiitakes), dried seafood (such as dried shrimp), fermented or cured products (such as ham and cheese), soy sauce, fish sauces, Worcestershire sauce and anchovies, among others. Any of those ingredients can be used in a recipe to enhance flavor. Simmering dried shiitake mushrooms in either a homemade or commercial stock will also produce a more flavorful broth.

Another simple way to boost flavor is by browning meats, poultry and vegetables. If your goal is to reduce fat and calories, brown your ingredients in the oven or under the broiler instead of cooking them in oil. Once they’re browned, add them to the pot, and you will notice a marked improvement in the finished dish.

The following recipes are made without using added fat and with an eye to reducing calories and boosting flavor.

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Chicken, Tasso, and Smoked Turkey Sausage Gumbo

The principal changes in this gumbo include using dry roux; boneless, skinless chicken breasts; and turkey sausage. The recipe includes tasso, which is pork that is seasoned and smoked, but the pork is lean and adds a lot of flavor.

8 cups chicken broth or stock 1/4 cup dry roux 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 1/4 pound tasso, chopped 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bitesize pieces 1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced Creole seasoning to taste Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Hot sauce to taste 1/4 cup chopped green onion tops 1/4 cup chopped parsley Bring the chicken broth to a boil.

Add the roux, and whisk to dissolve.

Add the garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaf, thyme, Worcestershire and soy sauces and tasso. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the broiler, and season the chicken and sausage liberally with Creole seasoning. Broil, turning once, until browned. Add to the pot, and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and hot sauce. Add the chopped onion tops and parsley.

Serve with steamed rice. Serves 4 to 6.

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This recipe can be prepared in short order.

Crawfish Stew

2 cups chicken broth or stock 3 tablespoons dry roux 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 medium onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1 bay leaf 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves 12 ounces crawfish tails 2 tablespoons lemon juice Creole seasoning to taste Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Hot sauce to taste 2 tablespoons chopped green onion tops 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Bring the chicken stock to a boil, and whisk in the roux to dissolve. Add the garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Add the crawfish tails and lemon juice; season with Creole seasoning, salt, pepper and hot sauce.

Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the onion tops and parsley.

Serve over steamed rice. Serves 4.

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Shrimp Creole

Another dish that can be prepared quickly, it contains only vegetables, shrimp and seasonings. For additional flavor, you can add ground, dried shrimp.

2 medium onions, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 stalks celery, chopped 2 bell peppers, chopped 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes 2 bay leaves Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste Hot sauce to taste 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 tablespoons chopped parsley In a large, heavy pot, combine the onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers, tomatoes with their juice and bay leaves. Cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. Season with salt, peppers and hot sauce.

Add the shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp turn pink, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the parsley, and adjust seasonings. Serve over steamed rice. Serves 4.

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Recipes often call for discarding the mirliton seeds, but they are actually quite tasty, with an almond-like flavor.

2 small mirlitons, peeled and chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 1 cup chicken stock or broth 1 cup crushed tomatoes 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped 4 tablespoons ground, dried shrimp 3 cups cooked rice Creole seasoning to taste Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Hot sauce to taste 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Combine the mirlitons, onion and stock in a heavy pot; bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover; and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes; shrimp; and ground, dried shrimp, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice, and stir to combine. Season with Creole seasoning, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Add the chopped parsley. Serves about 6. ap

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Lake Charles Lake Charles Explosive growth didn’t happen by accident.

By Laura Claverie

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photo courtesy monsours photography

AC

IA D A

NA’S

CITY

OF THE

What does it take to make a good city great? This is the question Lake Charles city leaders asked in the early 2000s. Today, less than a decade after government, business and nonprofit leaders embarked on an ambitious program, the town and its surrounding parishes are welcoming a whopping $42 billion in new industry over the next few years.

It is because of this staggering growth, while retaining a good quality of life, that Acadiana Profile magazine names Lake Charles its City of the Year.

“Lake Charles and its 72,000 residents make up the urban center of a five-parish area called Southwest Louisiana,” says Randy Roach, mayor of Lake Charles for the past 12 years. “We can’t do anything without a coordinated effort of all five parishes. We’re like a family. We may have disagreements, but we work together behind closed doors and come out with a unified voice.”

Anyone who lives in Lake Charles – or who has spent any time there recently – knows one thing for sure: This city and its surrounding parishes’ explosive economic growth didn’t happen by accident.

“I don’t think there is a city of our size in America that can claim this type of success,” says David Conner of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance. In the next few years, the Lake Charles area will welcome nearly 6,000 new jobs, more than 18,000 construction jobs and nearly 8,000 indirect jobs, including: • SASOL Ltd.: Its gas-to-liquid facility, a $10.5 billion investment, will add 850 new jobs and 4,000 indirect jobs,

with an average salary of $89,000.

More than 5,500 construction jobs will take part in building the facility. SASOL’s Ethylene Cracker/ Derivatives Complex will be a $4.5 billion capital investment and add 400 to 500 new jobs. The company’s Ethylene Tetramerization Unit will add another 36 jobs to its existing 350 and require a capital investment of $175 million.

• Cheniere Energy in Cameron Parish will add 148 new jobs to its existing 77 and make an $11 billion capital investment.

• Sempra/Cameron LNG will add 130 new jobs to its 60 existing and 610 indirect jobs with average salaries of $80,000 per year. Its capital investment is $6 billion.

• L eucadia National Corp. LC Cogeneration will add 200 new jobs to the area and make a $2.6 billion investment.

• Energy Transfer Equity/Trunkline LNG will add 100 new jobs for its $5.7 billion investment.

A booming tourism business is

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“if you’re bored in Southwest Louisiana, it’s your own damn fault.”

the second economic driver, just after the petrochemical industry, and brings in $339 million annually. Four area casinos draw gaming tourists and those who wish to enjoy the topflight entertainment and restaurants.

L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort boasts a 70,000-square-foot casino, more than 1,000 rooms (with extraordinary private villas for the highest rollers), six restaurants and two pools. Top entertainers such as Harry Connick Jr., Tony Bennett and Dionne Warwick headline performances. Delta Downs Racetrack, Casino and Hotel in Vinton appeals to the horsey set, and the Isle of Capri Casino attracts even more gamers.

Ameristar Casino Resort Spa broke ground in July 2012 on its $500 million casino resort. The resort will include a luxury hotel with 700 rooms, 1,600 slot machines, 60 table games, an 18-hole golf course and other top-flight amenities.

Most of this boom was planned for prior to 2005, when Lake Charles’ economy was anchored by the petrochemical industry and bolstered by the Port of Lake Charles. The downtown area was an underused expanse that failed to attract business or residents. Tourism was beginning to come of age. With the

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catastrophic losses from Hurricane Rita, the city felt a sense of urgency. “Call it the ‘blessing of adversity’ if you want,” says Mayor Roach, “but the lesson learned for Lake Charles was that we couldn’t control what happened to the area, but we could control what we did with it.” City leaders and residents became galvanized to rebuild the city, better than ever.

The pivotal moment came when nationally known and respected community planner Andrés Duany arrived in Lake Charles after Hurricane Rita to manage and direct a series of meetings with city leaders and residents.

With his guidance, residents developed a common vision of what the city could be and how it could be achieved. A parish-wide bond issue to accomplish the plan failed. Lake Charles residents later took matters into their own voting booths and approved a bond issue to support the citywide improvements.

The hard work of rebuilding the city and making long-needed changes began.

Today, residents point to a revitalized downtown, where a 36-square-block area boasts new sidewalks along the lake, opening the area to walkers, joggers and yogis. Millennium Park, a 19,000-squarefoot, $1.2 million children’s playground,

opened last January. A large green space is now a festival area and hosts public concerts and fairs. A $5 million transit facility opened in December, and a new courthouse is under construction. The pedestrian-friendly space has stateof-the-art amenities, while welcoming charming horse-drawn carriages that transport visitors along the way.

Charpentier Historic District, adjacent to downtown, is now a chic 40-block area filled with Victorian homes, many on the National Register of Historic Places. The quirky Lake Charles custom of having an odd number of columns on the homes prevails.

“Redeveloping the downtown area gave the community a sense of place,” says Lori Marinovich, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.

“Before all these improvements were made, this was an underutilized space.

Now, everyone identifies with it. It speaks to the overall quality of life in Lake Charles and instills city pride.”

A good quality of life and a world of business opportunities convinced businessman Rick Richard and his wife, Donna, to return home after living throughout the U.S. for 35 years. The two have spent the past seven years

photos courtesy monsours photography; the national hurricane museum; romero

& romero photography

throwing themselves into real estate development and civic endeavors. They have restored some long-neglected and historically important buildings, such as the Calcasieu Marine National Bank and the Cash & Carry building, now both on the National Register of Historic Places and used for special events. The elegant Phoenix Building, the first new building downtown in decades, is another Richard project. The couple has immersed themselves in leadership roles with the Lake Charles Symphony, mentoring programs and other nonprofit endeavors.

“What really brought us back home to Lake Charles were the people,” Richard says. “We always enjoyed the state and saw a lot of good things happening in Lake Charles. In the 1970s, Lake Charles did some really stupid things, like tear down beautiful old department store buildings and theaters. Now the city sees the opportunities it has and is making the most of them. They’re bringing people back to the downtown area to live, shop, entertain. Downtown is now the ‘living room’ of the city. We wanted to be part of all this.”

Residents also cite a safe environment as a draw for businesses and families alike. The city’s crime rate is low, with

six murders in 2011 and six for 2012 by December. The public school system is the fifth-largest in Louisiana, and although it is good, locals agree that it could use improvement. There are two new charter schools and a few private and parochial schools.

McNeese State University, with an enrollment of nearly 9,000, recently announced a meat-processing program that will enhance agriculture in this part of the state, thus helping diversify the economy even more. Today, the Port of Lake Charles is more robust than ever, the 14th-largest port in America.

One area of concern among some locals is the environmental impact of such a prominent petrochemical industry.

Last year the Sierra Club filed a formal protest to the U.S. Department of Energy challenging the proposal to export billions of cubic feet of domestic natural gas from a facility in Cameron Parish. The Sierra Club’s protest challenges the natural gas companies’ efforts to secure liquefied natural gas without acknowledging its damaging effects. Likewise, the club’s Beyond Coal Team has protested the new coal-fired power plant being built and cites Leucadia’s petroleum coke synthetic gas plant in Lake Charles.

But most residents accept the petrochemical industry as part of life in Lake Charles. “I’ve lived here most of my life,” says a third-generation local, “and it is very apparent that the air and water quality is better than it was 40 years ago. The oil companies have very stringent regulations today, and I do think the environment is better than when I was a child.”

Longtime residents joke that “if you’re bored in Southwest Louisiana, it’s your own damn fault.” In the course of one calendar year, there are more than 75 festivals held in the Lake Charles area, ranging from the down-home Iowa (pronounced I-Oh-Way) Rabbit Festival, where festival-goers sample rabbit prepared myriad ways and dance in the street to Cajun music to the very sophisticated Rouge et Blanc Food and Wine Festival. Mardi Gras festivities boast more than 60 carnival krewes. The town’s Mardi Gras Museum claims to have the largest collection of Mardi Gras costumes in the world on display. The Lake Charles Symphony, now in its 55th season, presents four performances a year, attracting nationally known performers. The Lake Charles Civic Ballet is equally prominent. Community

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support for both is high. On a recent night when the ballet was almost a sell-out, B.B. King was performing at a concert, the Louisiana Swashbucklers (a professional indoor football team) had its opening game and the McNeese Banners Series was hosting an event.

“That night was a true testament to the cultural diversity of Southwest Louisiana,” says Kelley Saucier of the city’s ballet. “Few preprofessional dance companies in the country could have accomplished what ours did.”

Lake Charles is also the youth sports capital of Louisiana, attracting a large number of tournaments throughout the year to the city’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities. The nearby aquatic center in Sulphur, a stone’s throw from Lake Charles, brings in state and regional swim meets. The area has seven golf courses, including the pristine Audubon Golf Trail course at Gray Plantation.

One intangible that helps attract visitors to this part of the state is its authentic culture. “We locals guard that closely,” says Megan Hartman, senior marketing manager of the Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau.

“We want the visitor to drive the 180mile Creole Nature Trail and to see our four wildlife refuges and two migratory 58

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flyways for exotic birds or stop on the side of the road and go crabbing. Here, tourists can see how people and nature can live together peacefully.”

After a day with nature, a visitor can visit any of the stops along the Southwest Louisiana Boudin Trail – located in upscale restaurants, mom-and-pop shops and gas stations – to sample the local delicacy, boudin. The yummy sausage is traditionally bought by the pound and eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any time in between. It’s a multi-milliondollar business for local outlets.

City leaders look forward to even more development. To ensure this, they have instituted mentoring programs with proven leaders such as Richard to work with young entrepreneurs.

The Southwest Louisiana Economic Development office is working with other petrochemical businesses considering locating or expanding into the area, as well as other industries.

In late 2016, the National Hurricane

To learn more about Lake Charles, visit: www.cityoflakecharles.com www.visitlakecharles.org www.allianceswla.org

Museum & Science Center, located on the city’s lakefront, will open and be dedicated to understanding hurricanes and wetlands, investigating their scientific and ecological impact.

The $65 million project, a sweeping complex inspired by the Sydney Opera House, is expected to attract 220,000 visitors annually. It also embodies the spirit of Southwest Louisiana, an area that has been ravaged by hurricanes but continues to thrive despite Mother Nature’s wrath.

“In the next few years, Lake Charles will have several big industries locating here, with high-paying jobs,” says Jill Kidder, the museum’s project coordinator. “This museum is part of an overall community development plan aimed to keep the best and brightest here. We’re providing opportunities for our residents to stay in Lake Charles and raise their families in a city that cares about education, culture and quality of life.”

Businessman Richard agrees: “There’s no place on earth that is smarter than we are right now. I tell my Lake Charles friends to shoot for the moon because even if we miss it, we’ll hit a star. It’s all here: the talent, energy, work force, and vision. We just have to reach for the moon and go for it.” ap

photos courtesy monsours photography; the southwest louisiana cvb

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personnes d’acadiana

Forgive the biblical overtones, but it’s undeniable that the man with the cans behind the microphone on Second Street makes the sad laugh; breathes life into late musicians; and, most miraculously, didn’t get slapped or worse when he wrote this love song for his wife.

“Hold on,” Paul Marx says. “I’ll sing a little bit of it.”

What’s it called? “‘I Love You Like a Pig Loves Slop,’” he says without a thimble of trepidation.

(Clears throat): “Oh, I love you like a pig loves slop.

You know, a pig likes slop a lot.

My love for you will never, ever stop.

Because I love you like a pig loves slop.”

OK, so he doesn’t have the voice of an angel. It’s more like a private eye’s chin after-hours or the hands of a retired construction worker, a tad rough and uneven to be sure. But for the motorist crawling on the tiny two-lane asphalt arteries connecting the Prairie Cajun Country, the folksy wit of Paul Marx and the regional music he plays on KBONFM are audible reminders of home, reassurance that as much as this place has changed, some things remain the same.

Since 1997, when he rolled the dice and inexplicably sold multiple land holdings to purchase KBON in Eunice so he could play once-dusty Cajun and zydeco records, Marx – everyone’s pawpaw – has been the invisible guest at Labor Day barbecues, springtime crawfish boils and any other excuse to mingle amongst friends and family you can name.

Partially thanks to Marx and the 25,000-watt-FM-signal-that-could, regional music currently basks in its second Golden Age as its popularity continues to climb and expand. A healthy pool of talented acts fills stages from Sulphur to Gramercy and beyond. For a brief period in the late 2000s, Cajun and zydeco separated itself from the folk 60

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Paul’s Song KBON-FM owner and DJ Paul Marx lives his dream every weekday morning while preserving a once-faded cultural nugget of Acadiana. by william kalec

music pack when the Grammy Awards designated the music as an individual genre. And through KBON’s streaming online audio, accordions can be heard via laptop from across the Atlantic.

Although he much prefers to deflect attention to those on stage, Marx’s tireless promotion and preservation of

this region’s unique sound has earned accolades from the Erath Acadian Heritage and Cultural Museum, the Cajun French Music Association and then-Gov. Mike Foster and a Golden Mike Award from the Louisiana Association of Broadcasters.

“My goal has always been for our music to just be music,” Marx says. “I don’t want

travis gauthier photograph

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our music to be a niche. I don’t want it to be something a radio producer sticks on Saturdays when his ratings are low anyway. Maybe KBON has played a part in getting us closer to that. I hope it has. I’d be proud if it has, just like I’m proud when I see our bumper stickers on the cars of grandparents and teenagers on the same day – because that’s when you know our music is being heard by and shared with everybody, young and old and hopefully near and far.

“I’ve had musicians tell me, ‘The reason we got back in the studio is because you’ll play the music,’” Marx continues. “Now, don’t get me wrong: KBON won’t play anything because you recorded it just up the road. But if you got talent, we’ll put you on.”

Music and Marx have been inseparable for some time now, though the relationship didn’t begin in harmony.

At 9 years old, he wrote his first song.

The lyrics are long-lost. Marx wishes he could recall them; he’d get a kick out of

“I didn’t hear Johnnie Allan on the radio anymore.

Where was Warren Storm, Clint West and those guys? ...

I went into the honky-tonks and bars, and those guys were still hot on the jukebox ... And I thought: ‘Well, this ain’t right. There must be something I can do.’”

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it, he’s sure. The song – whatever it was titled – was a love song written for the cute neighbor girl Marx was crushing on. He poured his heart into the darn thing, too – scribbling down mushy phrases and then erasing them because they weren’t good enough, only to scribble something even mushier until the words fit just right.

“She wasn’t impressed,” he deadpans.

“But it was a start.”

A couple of years later, Marx landed his first gig, faux-emceeing in his friend’s living room.

“Don’t ask me why we thought to do that,” he says with a laugh borrowed from an old-timey prospector. “I was giving away gift certificates I didn’t have and talking to listeners that didn’t exist. Look at that – 12 years old and pretending to be a DJ and here I am 65 years old still pretending to be a DJ. Guess things don’t change.”

After serving in the military both domestically and abroad for six years, Marx returned home after being honorably discharged in 1968 and found a comfy job selling advertising for the nowdefunct Crowley Post-Herald.

During the short daily commute to and from the job, though, Marx couldn’t find a decent radio station. It bugged him: “I didn’t hear Johnnie Allan on the radio anymore. Where was Warren Storm, Clint West and those guys? Man, it had changed.

I went into the honky-tonks and bars, and those guys were still hot on the jukebox, but radio had basically done away with ‘em. Those guys were heroes and legends.

And I thought: ‘Well, this ain’t right. There must be something I can do.’”

Armed with a blank radio résumé, Marx walked into KSIG and pitched an idea – a local radio show exclusively featuring the songs of local artists.

When Marx was asked who’d host such a show, he pointed to himself. The station manager thought about it for a minute and then amazingly agreed – an impulsive decision, for sure, but one with little downside considering that the onair window offered to Marx (Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.) traditionally only drew a spattering of listeners.

“I was so nervous,” Marx says, “and I

travis gauthier photograph

was terrible on the radio. It was before I got my radio personality. I listened and recorded and was like: ‘Goddamn, I’m boring. I wouldn’t listen to me.’ But I had good music to play.”

Marx stayed there for more than two decades and built a healthy, loyal following. The truth is, he probably would have never left had it not been for new ownership choosing to slowly phase out the sounds of Marx and his music.

“Before I was canceled, I quit,” Marx says. “And I told him: ‘Maybe you spend too much time on the golf course or the country club, but don’t ignore the girl stocking the groceries or mopping the floor. They listen to this.’ But it didn’t matter. And I was off the air for four months or so, and it was killing me.”

So Marx decided to cut out the middle man. Instead of being on the radio, he’d own a radio station. He retained the services of two brokers – one in Florida, one in Houston – but they didn’t do any good. All they found were signals for sale outside Louisiana. “Cajun music in

Kissimmee?” Marx thought. It wouldn’t work. Then, right when he was about to give up and put a bid down on a weak AM station he really didn’t want, an old friend from Marx’s early radio days called. He had a radio license for sale.

“I just said, ‘I want it,’” Marx recalls.

“Didn’t even ask for a price. Probably should have. Probably should have negotiated. But right then, all I could think about was, ‘I want it.’

“I sold everything – house, land, businesses – for that station and equipment,” he continues. “We were eating bologna sandwiches for quite a while. But I knew the audience existed for this type of station. I’d lived it for 26 years and witnessed the response. I’ve seen what this music can do.”

He tails off that thought to share a story that happened a couple of years ago while broadcasting remotely from the Swine Festival in Basile. During commercials, townspeople and tourists engaged Marx in conversation. A few requested songs.

Some just wanted to shake his hand.

Normal stuff. Then a man approached him and said, “Mr. Marx, I want to give you a hug.” Caught off guard but flattered, Marx opened his arms. The man explained how his mother had been clinically depressed for months following the unexpected death of her husband. Most days, she’d sit alone at home, a prisoner to her loss. She didn’t call much. Worried, the man suggested to his emotionally ailing mother to perhaps listen to the radio, to break up the silence if anything.

“He said: ‘Mr. Marx, she’s been a loyal listener of KBON, and her mood has changed. It’s like I have my mama back.’

What do you say to that, you know? It’s so special and makes you feel so good inside,” Marx says. ”That’s the way it should be, which is why we have an opendoor policy. If you want to come around and look at the station, come down.

“If the music is for the people, then KBON is for the people. We often have musicians come in to do a live set in the studio: ‘Hey, you got your guitar in the car with you? Oh, you do? Well, bring it on in!’” ap

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sur le menu Dinner with Friends at Creola Café $60 per person, includes a complimentary bottle of wine per couple.

There’s only room for 22 at the dinner – “unless it’s a beautiful starry night in the spring and we bring our tables on our veranda and courtyard and bring in a guitar player, [and then we] can take 30,” says Tobi Veltin Doherty, manager of Creola Café. Make reservations in advance.

Expecting the Unexpected White-tablecloth restaurants aren’t the only places to find good eats in Acadiana. By Jan Risher Surprise! Sometimes you get something wonderful or a little something extra when you least expect it – like a gas station, a quick stop or a bait shop that serves excellent, restaurant-quality food. Other times, it’s a tiny restaurant in a little village that goes beyond serving gourmet food to opening every other Saturday night for a Dinner with Friends. South Louisiana is all about lagniappe.

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Creola Café 284 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive Grand Coteau 337/662-3914 Creola Café in Grand Coteau is a little jewel. Sitting at a table in the petite restaurant often feels more like you’re hanging out in someone’s kitchen than in a bona fide restaurant. The cafe seats 22 and is open for lunch Wednesday through

Saturday. The menu is limited, but the food that’s served is thoughtful, and the dessert (especially the signature Italian cream) is not to be missed – as in, if you’re going to have one dessert this month or this season – heck, even this year – make it this one. The Italian cream is light and unbelievably delicious and has earned its nickname of Angel’s Kiss.

“We do a killer, killer spinach-andcheese-stuffed ravioli topped with Alfredo sauce and panko-crusted pork loin medallion,” says Tobi Veltin Doherty, manager of Creola Café.

“I love the small atmosphere and

malarie zaunbrecher photograph

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sur le menu

quaint, cozy feeling,” says Katy Svendson, a frequent diner. “I have always been very pleased with the food, the service and the oh-so-quaint atmosphere.”

The most popular lunch item varies between two different turkey sandwiches, both with sun-dried tomatoes and brie.

One is garnished with caramelized Vidalia onions and cranberries. The other is garnished with organic baby greens and fig preserves.

“Both are served with a cup of soup – and that’s always a mystery because it’s just whatever we feel like cooking,” Doherty says.

Svendson’s favorite is the Spa Salad with greens, dried cranberries, roasted pecans and Gorgonzola cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette.

“I like the restaurant so much that I happen to have the menu right at my fingertips,” she says. “I always keep it close for those ‘Oh, I need-to-have-aparty’ moments. Tobi and [chef] Carol [Baugnon] are so nice to work with.”

Doherty explains that the concept of Dinner with Friends evolved over time.

The little café was open for lunch only until five years ago. It began opening one night a year – on Valentine’s Day. The occasion was such a success that enthusiastic diners convinced Doherty and Baugnon to open one Saturday night a month. The long wait list for a onenight-a-month event persuaded the duo to open two Saturday nights a month – most of the time, anyway. Usually, Dinner with Friends is held on the second and fourth Saturdays of the month, but its schedule has a degree of flexibility that most establishments couldn’t pull off.

However, the nonrigid schedule works for the Creola Café. It really is dinner with friends, most of the time.

Baugnon, originally from Algiers, has been in Grand Coteau for 13 years and sets a four-course menu for her Saturday night soirées.

Athena’s (inside the Citgo) 2133 Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette 337/216-9975 If you’re looking for another surprise 66

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and aren’t already a fan, go fill up your car’s tank at the Citgo station at the corner of Martial and Kaliste Saloom in Lafayette.

While you’re at it, go inside and order a gyro plate for a different kind of filling experience. When you walk in the Citgo, the gyros are to your left and the gas station counter (where you pay for gas and gyros) is to your right. It’s a local favorite.

“To me, gas station food around Acadiana, like Athena’s, comes closest to the concept of ‘hole in the wall’ dives that you find in larger urban areas,” says Moon Chang, an Acadiana transplant from Massachusetts. “Acadiana’s too bright and open to foster dark holes in the walls. There’s not a hidden place that only underground foodies know about. These gas station places come the closest to the secret holes in the walls that only foodies know about in larger cities.”

Cormie’s in Lake Charles 4907 Big Lake Road Lake Charles 337/474-5455 Even though the old Cormie’s burned to the ground, the family kept on serving boudin balls to keep their customers happy. They rented a mobile kitchen and set up shop. However, in late November 2012, Cormie’s merged with Brookshire’s and reopened – still dishing out the chicken salad, bread pudding and boudin balls it’s known for, according to Shaun Cormie, who has worked there on and off for 20 years – through a series of family members running the place.

Matt Jones of Lafayette has been making frequent trips to Cormie’s for years.

“We used to go to Cormie’s frequently when we had the camp out at Big Lake, before [Hurricane] Rita,” Jones says. Once, he and a large group of family and friends arrived very late at the camp one Friday night. One friend from Seattle joined the group. “He and I are early risers, and we soon discovered, much to our dismay, that no one had thought to bring coffee.”

So they set off to Cormie’s. And from there, Jones will tell the story, about the old Cormie’s before it burned down: “The sun was just breaking over the horizon, and boats on trailers, some of them massive, were pulling in and fueling up. My friend was nearly run down by a duelie

pulling a Grady-White, and it was only quick action on my part that saved him.

“The double glass doors entering the place were plastered with beer ads, missing dog fliers and the usual posted bills. In the country, the door of the local store is like a big bulletin board, kind of like mailboxes and telephone poles in more urban areas. The current price of fresh bait is usually prominently posted. My friend, the Seattleite, did not fail to notice this particular posting, and he turned white when I suggested we buy a road snack from the place. Nonetheless, I soon snagged a pound of Community; two cups of brewed coffee; and, most notably, two enormous fried boudin balls. We walked to the register past the vats of iced-down beer, already half-depleted by customers at 6 in the morning. Off we went.

“My friend was driving some subsub-sub-compact he rented at the airport. With our shoulders almost touching, I handed him a boudin ball while he tried to navigate the two-lane blacktop toward the Gulf of Mexico, keeping between ditches that made medieval moats look puny. He took a bite and slammed on the brakes. He looked at me with an expression I have never seen before or since and exclaimed, emphatically but very deliberately, ‘This is the best thing I have ever eaten in my entire life.’ He went back three times during the weekend to get more.”

Chris’ Poboy’s (three locations in Lafayette) 1941 Moss St. 1930 W. Pinhook Road 3755 Ambassador Caffery Parkway Granted, two of the three Chris’ Poboy’s are self-standing buildings, but the one on Ambassador Caffery is in a gas station at the corner of Robley. If you’ve never had a Chris’ poor boy or if it’s been a while, go now – and thank me later. Order the roast beef poor boy. And again, thank me later.

Lindsay Dreher of Lafayette took my advice on the roast beef poor boy and is now a convert from the boiled shrimp poor boy, which she says was very good and light. “For several years, I got the boiled over the fried so I wouldn’t feel as guilty eating those delicious steak fries – balance,” she says with a laugh.

Chris’ Poboy’s combo

Dreher also enjoys Chris’ chicken-andsausage gumbo with rice and bread on the side. But the pièce de résistance is the roast beef poor boy.

“It’s my new, juicy, delicious, messy favorite,” she says. “They bring you a stack of napkins with the sandwich.”

The sandwich is dressed with white

cabbage, which, according to Dreher – and most anyone else who’s eaten it – is great because the cabbage doesn’t get soggy and gives the sandwich a crunch.

“It’s the thing that makes Chris’ stand out against the other poor boy places in town – it’s that cabbage and the soft, soft bread,” she says.

Handy Mart 509 W. Port St., Abbeville 337/893-0638 If you find yourself in Abbeville and you have an urge for some fried rice, there is an unconventional place to go to get your fix.

Head to the Handy Mart on West Port Street, owned by Minh Bui. Bui, originally from Vietnam, has lived in Louisiana for more than 30 years. His fried rice at the Handy Mart has become the stuff of local legend.

“Handy Mart fried rice is the best!” says Jeanette Toups Chavin of Abbeville. “They also have a shish kebab that is delicious – it’s chicken and smoked sausage on a skewer and then fried. I can’t eat these too often because they’re not on my diet, but when I do, they are delicious!”

The fried rice is made fresh to order and cooked from scratch, according to Chi Bui, Minh Bui’s niece. They start serving around 10 a.m. and stop serving around 7 p.m.

If you’re not in the mood for fried rice or shish kebabs, Handy Mart’s chicken tenders are tasty, too. ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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Reaching Out – A Night of Palates and Pâté Preparing food can be an art, and sometimes art can be food. That was the case when folks gathered at The Victorian in Broussard for the Palates and Pâté fundraiser. The event, a fundraiser for the Acadiana Outreach Center, paired local artists with chefs who worked as teams to match a piece of art to a signature dish. Acadiana Profile was a sponsor of the event where the patrons, as well as the food and the art, all looked their finest. In all, it was a beautiful night – especially for the Outreach Center.

1. Katie Culbert shows the crowd a piece for auction by artist Ramsey Gardes Ayers. 2. Chef Michael Davis from Ruth’s Chris steakhouse. 3. Joe and April Gaar. 4. Gary and Carol Lamson. 5. Robin Hebert and artist Kelly Guidry. 6.

Matt Dugas and Mary Guidry. 7. Bonnie Bourdier, Jennifer Bodin and Aileen Dauterive. 8. Chairman of the board Andy Begneaud. 9. Palates and Pâté was held at The Victorian in Broussard.

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visiter

Around Acadiana Gatherings, carnivals and activities around Acadiana. Compiled by Caroline Malouse Ongoing Every Tuesday and Saturday: Teche Area Farmers Market. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. 337/369-2330.

Every Thursday: Les Courdre Points Quilting Circle. Nunu’s Arts Collective, Arnaudville. 337/754-7115.

Every Saturday: Cajun Jam Session. Savoy Music Center, Eunice. 337/457-9563.

Every Saturday: Rendez-Vous des Cajuns. Liberty Theater, Eunice. 337/457-7389.

February

1-28 Candy Cane Lane Exhibit. Children’s Museum of Acadiana, Lafayette. 337/232-8500.

1 Joel Savoy’s Honky Tonk Merry-Go-Round & Special Guests. AcA’s Moncus Theater, Lafayette.

337/233-7060.

Krewe of Andalusia Mardi Gras Parade. Downtown, New Iberia. 337/367-6466.

Krewe of Hercules. Houma. 800/688-2732.

2 Cajun Ground Hog Day. 102 W. Main St., New Iberia. 337/365-6773.

Lake Charles Symphony: Journey from France to Finland, With Stops In Between. Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles. 337/433-1611.

Krewe of Tee Caillou. Chauvin. 800/688-2732.

Krewe of Aquarius. Houma. 800/688-2732.

Lake Arthur Mardi Gras Parade. Lake Arthur. 337/774-3675.

Krewe des Chiens Parade for Dogs. Downtown Lafayette. paradefordogs.com Krewe of Carnivale en Rio. Lafayette. riolafayette.com Grand Marais Mardi Gras Parade

Order of the Troubadours Ball. Lafayette. kreweoftroubadours.com.

Carencro Mardi Gras Parade. Carencro. 337/896-4147.

Rotary Club Mardi Gras Ball. Cade Community Center, St. Martinville. 337/394-2233.

Le Krewe Des T-Cajun. Larose. visitlafourche.com.

Krewe of Ambrosia. Thibodaux. visitlafourche.com.

Annual Mardi Gras Run. Gueydan. 800/456-7952.

Vinton Mardi Gras Celebration. Downtown, Vinton. 800/456-7952.

3 Krewe of Hyacinthians. Houma. 800/688-2732.

Krewe of Titans. Follows Krewe of Hyacinthians. Houma. 800/688-2732.

Scott Mardi Gras Parade. Scott. 337/269-5155.

Krewe of Ezana Jeanerette Mardi Gras Parade. Jeanerette. 337/365-1540.

Krewe of Versailles. Larose. visitlafourche.com.

6 Farming on the Bayou. Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, St. Martinville. 337/394-3754.

8 Merchant’s Parade. Downtown-Midtown, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

Cajun Jam Session Krewe of Aphrodite. Houma. 800/688-2732.

Friday Night Parade. Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

Gumbo Cook-Off. Church Point. 337/349-0618.

Krewe of Athena. Golden Meadow. visitlafourche.com.

Krewe of Adonis. Morgan City. 800/256-2931.

8-9 The Cornucopia Ball. Cade Community Center, Cade. 337/789-3592.

8-10 52nd Courir de Mardi Gras. Downtown, Church Point. 800/783-2109.

8-12 Le Festival de Mardi Gras à Lafayette. Cajun Field, Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

9 Concert by Candlelight. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, New Iberia. 337/364-1603.

Jeanerette Farmers Market. Jeanerette City Park, Jeanerette. 337/276-4293.

Eighth Annual Squeeze Box Shoot Out. Strand Theatre, Jennings. 337/821-5532.

Jennings Mardi Gras Festival & Parade. Founder’s Park, Jennings. 337/821-5521.

Lake Fausse Pointe Mardi Gras Parade. Lake Fausse Pointe State Park, St. Martinville. (888) 6777200.

Children’s Parade. Downtown, Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

Rendez-Vous des Cajuns Krewe of Bonaparte. Downtown, Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

Carlyss Mardi Gras Trail Ride. West Cal Arena, Sulphur. swlamardigras.com.

Krewe of Mardi Gras. Houma. 800/688-2732.

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Krewe of Neptune. Galliano/Golden Meadow. visitlafourche.

World Famous Cajun Extravaganza and Gumbo Cook-off. com.

Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

Krewe of Choupic. Chackbay. visitlafourche.com.

Krewe of Omega Parade. Downtown, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

Krewe of Bonne Terre. Montegut. 800/688-2732.

Krewe of Barkus Parade. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Family Affair Mardi Gras Parade. Main Street, Loreauville.

Charles. swlamardigras.com.

337/229-6001.

Zydeco Dance. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles.

Fox 15 Independent Parade. Downtown, Lafayette. 337/237swlamardigras.com.

1500.

Krewe of Cosmos Presentation. Sulphur High School King’s Parade. Downtown, Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

Auditorium, Sulphur. swlamardigras.com.

Lafayette Mardi Gras Festival Parade. Downtown, Lafayette.

Krewe of Illusions. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles.

800/346-1958. swlamardigras.com.

Southwest Mardi Gras Association Pageant & Ball. Heymann Krewe of Apollo. Lockport. visitlafourche.com.

Performing Arts Center and Frem F. Boustany Convention Center, Lafayette. 337/291-5540.

Krewe of Atlantis. Golden Meadow. visitlafourche.com.

Krewe of Chic-a-la-Pie. Downtown, Kaplan. 337/898-6600.

Le Krewe Du Bon Temps. Larose. visitlafourche.com.

Krewe of Coteau. Coteau. 337/519-4606.

Krewe of Dionysus. Bayou Vista. 800/256-2931.

Grand Marais Mardi Gras Parade. Jeanerette. 337/365-8185.

Cypremort Point Parade. Cypremort Point. 800/256-2931.

Franklin Mardi Gras Parade. Franklin. 800/256-2931.

Baldwin Mardi Gras Parade. Baldwin. 800/256-2931.

Krewe of Hephaestus Parade. Morgan City. 800/256-2931.

10 4 W Ranch Sorting. SugArena, New Iberia. 337/365-7539.

Mardi Gras Show at Clark Field. Clark Field Stadium, Taste de la Louisiane. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Lafayette. mardigrasshow.com.

Charles. swlamardigras.com.

15-17 AKC Dog Agility Trials. SugArena, New Iberia. 337/365-7539.

Children’s Day. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

20 Farming on the Bayou. Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, St. Martinville. 337/394-3754.

Children’s Parade. Downtown-Midtown, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

23-24 TABASCO Shootout Soccer Tournament. Louisiana Pepperplex, New Iberia. 337/365-9336.

Lighted Boat Parade. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

24 Musical Valentines Candlelight Chamber Music Concert. St. Peter’s Catholic Church, New Iberia. 337/364-1603.

Krewe of Terreanians. Houma. 800/688-2732.

28 The 8th Annual Eagle Expo. Morgan City. 985/395-4905.

Krewe of Montegut. Montegut. 800/688-2732.

Krewe of Cleophas. Thibodaux. visitlafourche.com.

March Krewe of Chronos. Follows Krewe of Cleophas. Thibodaux. visitlafourche.com.

1-2 The 8th Annual Eagle Expo. Morgan City. 985/395-4905.

Krewe of Nereids. Golden Meadow. visitlafourche.com.

Third Annual Let’s Go Riding Franklin Reunion. Franklin.

504/239-9746.

Newcomers Mardi Gras Parade. Main Street, St. Martinville.

337/380-6031.

Great Gator Race. Bouligny Plaza, New Iberia. 337/367-3277.

Krewe of Galatea. Morgan City. 800/256-2931.

Shadows Arts & Crafts Show. Shadows-on-the-Teche, New Iberia. 337/369-6446.

10-12 13th Carnival D’Acadie. Downtown, Crowley. 337/783-0824.

2-3 SugaSheaux. SugArena, New Iberia. 337/365-7539.

11 Krewe of Cleopatra. Houma. 800/688-2732.

3 Horse Show. Houma Air Base Arena, Houma. 985/868-3484.

Sulphur Mardi Gras Parade. Sulphur. swlamardigras.com.

4 St. Mary Community Concert Association’s Ricky Royal Gala. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Charles.

Remembered: Nelson twins pay tribute to iconic father swlamardigras.com.

Ricky Nelson. Schreier Theater of the Municipal Auditorium, Lundi Gras at the Village. Le Vieux Village, Opelousas.

Morgan City. 985/385-2307.

337/948-5227.

7 A Day in the Life. Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, Queen’s Parade. Downtown, Lafayette. 800/346-1958.

St. Martinville. 337/394-3754.

Krewe of Amani. Patterson. 800/256-2931.

8-10 Black Heritage Festival. Lake Charles Civic Center, Lake Lundi Gras Street Dance. Eunice. mardigraslafayette.net.

Charles. 337/436-9588.

Krewe of Christopher Tableau & Ball. Warren J. Harang Jr.

14 The Franklin Republican Women Gala. Petroleum Club, Municipal Auditorium, Thibodaux. 985/446-7468.

Morgan City. 985/385-5762.

12 Iowa Chicken Run. Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

14-15 Anders Osborne & Band. AcA Moncus Theater, Lafayette.

Motorcycles, Hot Rods and Classics Parade. Downtown337/233-7060.

Midtown, Lake Charles. swlamardigras.com.

14-16 Iowa Rabbit Festival. Lawrence Toups Jr. Memorial Park, Krewe of Krewes’ Parade. Downtown-Midtown, Lake Iowa. 337/436-9588.

Charles. swlamardigras.com.

23 Brittany’s Project Car Show. Former Oaklawn Sugar Mill Site, Tee Mamou-Iota Mardi Gras Folklife Festival. Downtown, Franklin. 337/828-2284 or 337/380-8243.

Iota. 800/783-2109.

24 Palm Sunday Tour of Homes. Downtown, Lake Charles.

Krewe of Houmas. Houma. 800/688-2732.

337/436-1116. ap

Krewe of Kajuns. Follows Krewe of Houmas. Houma.

800/688-2732.

Krewe of Ghana. Thibodaux. visitlafourche.com. don’t see your event? see page 5 for submission information.

Krewe of Gheens. Gheens. visitlafourche.com. www.acadianaprofile.com | february/march 2013

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en français, s’il vous plaît

yeux. Des endroits qui autrefois servaient de pâturages pour les bêtes à cornes, de jardins pour des tomates, des gombos ou des piments doux ou de terrain de jeux ou de chasse pour les jeunes sont

La Prairie tremblante par david cheramie

C’est devenu un cliché tellement on le répète sans cesse. Pire qu’un cliché, c’est devenu accepté comme une réalité aussi certaine que le lever de soleil à l’est ou la chute des feuilles à l’automne. Finissez vous-même la phrase suivante : « La Louisiane perd l’équivalent d’un terrain de football toutes les ______ minutes. » Toutes les cinquante minutes? Toutes les quarante-cinq? Combien? Quelle que soit la réponse, le résultat est le même.

La côte louisianaise, la base du triangle d’Acadiana, glisse inexorablement vers le fond du Golfe du Mexique. Nous connaissons les coupables présumés : l’endiguement du Mississipi qui empêche le dépôt de boue et d’eau fraîche dans les marécages, l’infiltration de l’eau salée amenée par le réseau de canaux innombrables desservant l’industrie pétrolière, la montée lente et impitoyable du niveau de la mer, les dégâts incalculables des ravages d’un ouragan après un autre. Nous avons entendu les histoires et vu les pertes de nos propres

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aujourd’hui sous trois pieds d’eau. On connaît les coupables, mais est-ce qu’on peut les arrêter?

Dans ma jeunesse, ma famille passait l’été à la Grand’Île. On faisait un petit jeu pour être le premier à apercevoir le pont de Leeville. Souvent on s’arrêtait pour voir de la famille qui tenait un petit magasin et visiter la tombe de mon arrière-grand-père, un immigrant allemand que son père qui était veuf a abandonné dans une famille cadienne en 1850. Le cimetière était orienté vers le bayou et non pas vers le chemin LA 1. Mon père me rappelait que pendant longtemps, il n’y avait pas de chemin et même quand il y en a eu un, c’était en très mauvais état la plupart du temps.

La vie passait sur le bayou. Aujourd’hui, les morts tournent leur dos au chemin, métaphoriquement parlant, et ce sont nous, les vivants, qui tournons notre

dos au bayou. En tout cas, quand on reprenait le chemin vers le camp de mon grand-père, on empruntait forcément le pont qui traversait non seulement le Bayou Lafourche, mais aussi un canal qui relie Petit Lac à la Baie Baratarie.

Au carrefour des deux voies d’eau se trouvait un autre petit cimetière qu’on voyait très clairement du haut du pont, ainsi que des centaines, des milliers d’acres de prairie tremblante, cette terre incertaine qui se déplaçait au gré des marées. Aujourd’hui, un nouveau pont est là, accompagné d’un chemin surélevé comme le pont du bassin Atchafalaya.

Au lieu de contempler la beauté de cette scène d’herbes verdoyantes doucement bercées par la brise du golfe et la digne sérénité du dernier repos des anciens, on a du mal à distinguer le bayou du canal, le canal du cimetière. On ne voit guère autre chose que de l’eau, aussi loin que la vision porte.

Peu de choses me font peur. En effet, il existe seulement deux choses qui me donnent des sueurs froides. La première est une carte de la Louisiane qui montre à quoi ressemblera la côte dans seulement cinquante ans. Des milliers de petits baies, bayous et îles auront disparus ou presque.

La deuxième est un rêve récurrent, un cauchemar vraiment, que j’ai. Je descends de nouveau LA 1 comme je l’ai fait toute ma vie. J’arrive aux écluses au sud de Canal Yankee et je monte le petit pan de levée qui sépare ceux qui seront protégés de la montée des eaux, au moins pour quelques années de plus, ceux qui ne le seront pas. Au moment de redescendre la petite pente, au lieu de voir les maisons et les petits commerces de pêche, je ne vois que le chemin qui plonge dans l’eau.

Le reste n’est que le Golfe du Mexique.

Alors, qu’est-ce qu’on peut faire? Des gens bien plus intelligents que moi essayent de trouver une solution. En attendant leur réponse, je tremble comme la prairie de ma jeunesse en pensant à tout ce qu’on perdra si on perd la côte. Il est temps qu’on arrête de tourner le dos au bayou. ap

for an english translation , visit www . acadianaprofile . com .