Acadiana Profile June-July 2014

Chris Segura, Feufollet

32

table des matières

In Every Issue 4 Free-lancing

by trent angers

6 Nouvelles des Villes

News Briefs From Around Acadiana

by lisa leblanc-berry

10 De la Cuisine

Heavenly Herbs

by marcelle bienvenu

14 Les Artistes

Painting Paradise

The unofficial queen of Juniper Island, Lafayette artist Ramsey Ayers brings real texture to this fictitious utopia in her long-standing series. by will kalec

18 La Maison

Sleek Southern Comfort

The modern allure of a new Lafayette residence strikes a balance between rustic and elegant. by lisa leblanc-berry

58 Personnes d’Acadiana

Bayou in a Bottle

Cousins John Peterson and Collin Cormier of Lafayette further satisfy their entrepreneurial thirst with Swamp Pop, a locally manufactured soda loaded with the flavors of home. by will kalec

64 A la Mode

Summer in Style

by krystral cooper christen

66 Sur le Menu

Keeping Cool With Frozen Desserts

by jan risher

70 Visiter

The Best Things to See and Do

10

in Cajun Country compiled by judi russell

72 En Français, S’il Vous Plaît

Des Chênes et Des Chiens.

by david cheramie

Features 26 New Cajun and Zydeco Sounds

by michael patrich welch

31 Genes & Strings

The late Hadley Castille's grandaughter, Sarah Jayde Williams, continues his legacy

after inheriting his fiddles, backing band and

musical talent.

by ashley hinson

34 Top Dentists

127 Dentists in 7 Specialties Across

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june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Acadiana's 22 Parishes profiles by christopher jennings and melanie warner spencer

45 Acadiana Weddings

Sweets and Style

by lisa leblanc-berry,

sarah george and sarah ravits

June/July 2014 Vol. 33 No. 4 Executive Editor Trent Angers Managing Editor Sarah Ravits Art Director Sarah George Associate Editors Lauren LaBorde, Melanie Warner Spencer Intern Lexi Wangler Executive Vice President/Editor in Chief Errol Laborde Sales Manager Rebecca Taylor (337) 298-4424 • (337) 235-7919 ext. 230 Rebecca@acadianaprofile.com Account Executive Angie Mouton (337) 235-7919 ext. 235 Angie@acadianaprofile.com Sales Assistant Erin Duhe Distribution/Newsstand Manager Christian Coombs Director of Marketing & Events Kristi Ferrante Administrative Assistant Denise Dean Subscriptions Sara Kelemencky Production/Web Manager Staci McCarty Production Designer Ali Sullivan Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne President Alan Campell Vice President of Sales Colleen Monaghan

Renaissance Publishing LLC 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 • (877) 221-3512

Acadiana Profile (ISSN 0001-4397) is published bimonthly by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 and 315 S. College Road, Suite 160, Lafayette, LA 70503 (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 2014 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 self-addressed 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 | june/july 2014

3

freelancing

by trent angers

Hugh Thompson’s Broad Shoulders by trent angers One of the high points of my career in journalism has been the privilege of writing the life story of Vietnam War hero Hugh Thompson of Broussard.

He was the United States Army helicopter pilot credited with stopping the My Lai massacre – one of the darkest chapters in U.S. military history. In this shocking episode of March 16, 1968, some of our own U.S. soldiers slaughtered 504 unarmed, unresisting Vietnamese civilians, including women, children and old men.

Thompson’s heroic action was the silver lining around this dark cloud that hung over our country and our military for a long, long time.

I wrote extensively about Thompson’s courageous behavior in my book, The Forgotten Hero of My Lai: The Hugh Thompson Story. It was first published in 1999, and the revised edition was issued earlier this year.

Not only was Thompson a hero for what he did on the battlefield, but also for what he did in the courtroom as the Army’s star prosecution witness against the butchers of My Lai. He was under intense pressure to be 4

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quiet about what he saw. But he kept testifying in his quest for justice. For a year or more, he served as a professional witness for the Army; this became his duty as a soldier, and he did his duty with courage and resolve.

Among those who didn’t want U.S. servicemen prosecuted for war crimes at My Lai was President Richard Nixon. I suspected this was the case when I wrote the original version of Thompson’s biography, but I didn’t have enough evidence to prove it then, so I didn’t include it. However, after extensive research, study and interviews, I now have concluded – beyond any reasonable doubt – that President Nixon initiated an effort to sabotage the My Lai massacre trials so no U.S. soldier would be convicted of a war crime. And, in order to reach his goal, Nixon targeted Hugh Thompson as the witness who needed to be silenced. What Nixon did – obstruction of justice and tampering with a witness – was an impeachable offense that could have brought down his Presidency if it were known at the time.

Working with Nixon in the campaign to undermine the trials were his chief of staff,

H.R. “Bob” Haldeman; one of his top propagandists, congressional liaison Franklyn “Lyn” Nofziger; and two of the leaders of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressmen L. Mendel Rivers (D-S.C.) and F. Edward Hebert (D-La.).

Primary sources for this new piece of American history include the handwritten notes of Bob Haldeman, The Haldeman Diaries, the autobiography of Lyn Nofziger, interviews with an Army prosecutor in the My Lai trials, and letters from a former Secretary of the Army and more than a dozen former congressmen.

Haldeman’s notes, taken in a meeting with Nixon on Dec. 1, 1969, reveal the president’s orders to stem the worsening public relations nightmare in which the U.S. government found itself beginning in the fall of 1969 after the massacre was brought to light by the news media. The notes include: “Dirty tricks – not too high of a level …

Discredit one witness … May have to use a Senator or two …”

Congressmen Rivers and Hebert worked diligently with Nixon to achieve a goal they

sur le web shared – protecting the image of the U.S. armed forces at all costs.

One Army prosecutor who saw through their scheme was Col. William Eckhardt.

“Hebert and Rivers decided that these trials were detrimental to the interests of the United States of America and they tried, calculatingly and technically using the Jencks Act, to sabotage them,” Eckhardt charged.

Moreover, Eckhardt added, besides trying to get Lt. William Calley and the other defendants off the hook, they tried to turn the tables on Hugh Thompson and set him up to be court-martialed for threatening the lives of fellow soldiers in his attempt to rescue unarmed civilians at My Lai. “Another key to sabotaging the prosecution was to get Hugh Thompson,” Eckhardt observed, explaining that if Thompson were to be successfully discredited and intimidated then one of the pillars of the prosecution’s cases would collapse. ***** Throughout the trials, and during the congressional inquiry into the massacre, Thompson was greatly burdened. He felt what seemed like the weight of the world on his shoulders. He felt all alone, as though he had no friends, no support – other than his own strong character. Fellow soldiers treated him like a traitor. Members of Congress – particularly Rivers and Hebert – badgered him, trying to get him to back down as a witness. But Thompson refused to cower, despite the threat of being court-martialed and sent to military prison.

What Thompson wasn’t aware of, though, was that the leader of the team working against him was the most powerful man in the world, the president of the United States. ap

Get copies of The Forgotten Hero of My Lai at www.acadianhouse.com, or by calling (337) 235-8851.

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

If you can’t get enough Acadiana Profile, check out our redesigned website. 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.

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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.

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Send feedback to Managing Editor Sarah Ravits at sarah@ acadianaprofile.com.

ap

www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

5

nouvelles des villes

C on g r es M ondia l A cadien

by lisa leblanc-berry

International Events Slated First, it’s time to start making plans for attending the fifth Congres Mondial Acadien (cma2014. org), August 8-24 in the Acadia of the Lands and Forests, mainly in the Edmundston and Madawaska County area in New Brunswick, Canada. Much more than a summer festival, this international convention is a meeting place for today’s Acadian communities. It’s an extraordinary gathering held every five years with more than 50,000 visitors attending. The 2014 congress encompasses 50 Acadian and Brayonne municipalities. Each jurisdiction has an extensive program in store for participants, from cultural and sporting events to mega parties, genealogy sessions and over 100 Acadian family reunions. Special theme days will include Canadian Francophone Day, France Day, New Brunswick Day, Maine Day and LouisianaCajuns Day featuring Louisiana music, food, art and new books by several notable authors (the latest buzz is that musician and author Zachary Richard will be there showcasing his new book).

The Louisiana Pavilion is open August 14-23 at Grand Falls, New Brunswick.

Next, start thinking about traveling in 2015, because according to Brenda Comeaux Trahan, it’s official: Le Grand Réveil Acadian/The Great Acadian Awakening (featuring concerts, lectures, business opportunities and festivals) will be taking place in Louisiana in October, 2015. “We bid to have it in 2014, 6

but we managed to get it here in 2015 instead,” says Trahan, the Louisiana coordinator for Crown of Maine Productions.

“The 10-day event will take place in several cities including

South Louisiana, including the

Toups, Louisiana Red and Geno

Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave

Delafose and French Rockin’

(scenes were shot at several

Boogie; a barbecue cook-off;

plantations including Felicity

pie-making and watermelon

in Vacherie, St. James Parish)

eating contests; water fights

and such other impressive box-

among big burly firemen; a

Lake Charles, Houma and New Orleans, culminating on the last day of Festivals Acadiens et Créoles in Lafayette.” In April, Trahan facilitated the world premier of The Story of the Cajuns, a film seven years in the making, featuring Cajuns from all walks of life by acclaimed Maine filmmakers Brenda Jepson and Dr. Francoise Paradis, at Lafayette’s Vermilionville, Festival International and at the Acadian Museum in St. Martinville.

office performers as The Butler

parade and dance contests. The

(scenes were shot in Houma,

Independence Day Celebration

Terrebonne Parish). California

July 3 in Youngsville features

and Canada tied for 2nd place,

live music, face painting, pony

with 15 films each.

rides and hot air balloon rides,

On Top of the World A report released in April by the nonprofit Film L.A. (Los Angeles film office) shows that the Louisiana film industry in 2013 overtook that of California for the title of the “film production capital of the world.” Among the 108 major studio productions, 18 were substantially shot in

june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Star Spangled in Erath, Lake Charles, New Iberia and Youngsville It has been announced that the popular Red, White and Boom annual July 4th concert by the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra has sadly been canceled this year (temporarily), according to ASO executive director Jenny Krueger. However, plenty

while New Iberia celebrates July 4th with a big bang, honor guard displays and a lively parade. People gather in Lake Charles with their blankets and lawn chairs for a free outdoor concert at the Civic Center for Red, White, Blue and You! and a fireworks extravaganza.

Numbers are Staggering Deputy Assistant Secretary

is happening elsewhere for In-

for Oil and Natural Gas in the

dependence Day, so put those

Department of Energy’s Office

lame little sparklers away. The

of Fossil Energy Dr. Paula Gant

68th annual Erath 4th of July

recently spoke in Lake Charles

Celebration June 30-July 4 fea-

about Southwest Louisiana’s

tures a nightly fais-do-do with

economic boom at a special

such musicians as Crowley’s

program and pointed out that

Grammy-nominated Wayne

she’s heard “numbers of up

photo by Richard Tardif; courtesy of cma2014.org

www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

7

nouvelles des villes

to $62 billion of investment in the area between now and the end of the decade.” Lake Charles was recently ranked by IHS Global Insight as No. 31 in the nation for metro area growth. IHS also placed Lake Charles 42nd in the U.S. in expected employment growth. By 2019, Southwest Louisiana is projected to create 33,000 new jobs.

Amen! Broussard Assists the Pope Deacon Patrick Broussard, a University of Louisiana at Lafayette graduate who is studying moral theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, assisted Pope Francis during an Easter Vigil

8

Mass on Holy Saturday in St. Peter’s Basilica. The mass was televised live from Rome on EWTN. Broussard is being ordained as a priest in June.

For Your Reading Pleasure Paul Arsenault’s intriguing new book, The True Story of Ancestor Pierre Arsenault in Acadia, written in French and English and researched over a 50-year period, is now available as an eBook, sold by Barnes & Noble.

june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

RED SNAPPER

Get the Boat Out The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries announced that it's modifying the Louisiana weekend-only red snapper season to include weekdays until further notice.

The bag and possession limit is two fish per person at a 16-inch minimum total length. “I have decided to support our anglers and the

associated fishing industry by opening state waters 365 days until further notice,” stated LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. LDWF officials encourage fisherman to use caution when fishing beyond the 3-mile boundary that is currently recognized as federal waters. ap

de la cuisine

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SHRIMP WITH GARLIC & ROSEMARY

Heavenly Herbs Dishes with zing

Ah, the sweet smells of summer. Aromatic sprigs of fresh mint added to homemade lemonade or ice tea. Snipped chives sprinkled on softened cheese. Shredded sweet basil paired with homegrown tomatoes and slices of mozzarella cheese.

Lemon thyme added to melted butter and gently tucked between the skin and breast of a plump little chicken before baking.

I’ve been having a sweet love affair with fresh herbs since my Tante Belle introduced me her crop of peppermint that grew profusely under the leaky faucet protruding from her screen porch. We would rub a few leaves on our lips to tickle our taste buds before we gathered handfuls to put in a pot with equal parts of sugar and water to make mint-flavored simple syrup. The syrup was used to make mint-flavored lemonade chilled with slivers of ice we hacked off a big block of ice that was stored in the ice box.

Tante May, who lived across the street, was fond of fresh parsley and always had a plot of it near the door to her kitchen.

Nary a pot of gumbo or soup, or a plate of food, went unadorned by a few sprigs

By Marcelle Bienvenu Photographed by eugenia uhl of the bright green herb. She often put a few leaves in her mouth while she cooked, saying it rejuvenated her taste buds.

My aunt Grace grew lemon verbena primarily to make sachets to slip in between her bed linens, but she also made simple syrup with it to swizzle into her summertime gin and tonic.

These days, I usually have an abundance of several kinds of mint (try tucking chocolate mint leaves in a bowl of sliced strawberries), flat-leaf parsley, tarragon, Greek oregano, cilantro and dill.

Planted in containers near my kitchen door, they are an inspiration when I’m piddling around in the kitchen. I also have a large wall pocket filled with several kinds of mint in my outdoor shower adjacent to my potting shed. The splashing of the water on the leaves sends out a heavenly scent! You might also think about planting a variety of herbs in window boxes or in small containers on the window sill in your kitchen.

Here are a few dishes that I’ve experimented with. You’ll like the jolt the herbs give to fairly simple dishes.

ROSE

MARY

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de la cuisine

Shrimp with Garlic and Rosemary M A K E S 4 T O 6 S E RV I N G S

1½ pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon minced garlic 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 12 sprigs fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ½ cup dry vermouth In a large shallow bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Lightly crush eight sprigs of the rosemary with your hands, add to the shrimp and toss again.

Cover and refrigerate for up to eight hours, tossing occasionally.

In a large heavy skillet, melt the butter over high heat. Add the shrimp and the marinade, and cook, stirring, until the shrimp are pink, about two minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for about three minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a platter and discard the rosemary sprigs.

Pour the vermouth into the skillet and boil over high heat, stirring frequently until it reduces to a medium-thick glaze. Return the shrimp to the pan and stir gently for about one minute. Add the remaining rosemary sprigs and serve warm on toasted French bread, or toss with the pasta of your choice.

Chicken scallops with lemon thyme M A K E S 6 S E RV I N G S

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil 3 large garlic cloves, sliced lengthwise 15 small sprigs lemon thyme,

plus 1½ teaspoons minced lemon thyme 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken halves

cut into 3-inch squares, pounded flat 3 shallots, minced ½ cup dry white wine or dry vermouth ¾ cup chicken broth 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ½ cup heavy cream Salt to taste Rub one tablespoon of the oil over the bottom of a nine-inch square baking dish. Scatter one-third each of the garlic and the lemon thyme sprigs and top with half of the chicken. Repeat the layering two more times, ending with a sprinkling of the remaining garlic 12

june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

CHICKEN SCALLOPS WITH LEMON THYME

and thyme sprigs. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least eight hours.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining two tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and the minced lemon thyme and cook, stirring, until golden, about two minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the herbed shallots to a small plate.

Increase the heat to high, add the chicken in batches and cook, turning until browned, about one minute per side. Transfer to a plate as they are cooked. Add the wine to the skillet and bring to a boil, scrapping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the wine reduces to a rich amber glaze, two to three minutes.

Return the shallots to the skillet, add the chicken broth and blend in the mustard and pepper. Boil, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces by twothirds, three to four minutes. Stir in the cream and season with salt to taste.

Reduce the heat to low, return the chicken to the pan and warm through, spooning the sauce over the chicken and serve hot.

During the summer months, make compound butter to store in the freezer. Put a generous pat of the butter on sizzling steaks, burgers, fish or chicken breasts when they come off the grill.

Compound Herbed Butter 2 sticks butter, at room temperature 1 teaspoon each finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, dill, oregano and rosemary Freshly ground black pepper to taste Beat the butter until creamy. Add the herbs and beat again. Roll into cylinders and cover with plastic wrap, or spoon the mixture into crocks, small ramekins or jars. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, or freeze.

To make basil butter, add two to three teaspoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves to the butter. For garlic butter, add two tablespoons minced garlic. ap Alternatives:

www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

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les artistes

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Painting Paradise The unofficial queen of Juniper Island, Lafayette artist Ramsey Ayers brings real texture to this fictitious utopia in her long-standing series.

BY WILL KALEC Welcome to Juniper Island, where the rivers are full of fish yet can’t be traversed; where native huts are constructed of bark, sticks and brush yet never wither; where the pace is so simple, tranquil and pure you’d never want to leave … that is, if you could find this place on a map.

As hard as it is for her to believe, it’s been more than 10 years since Lafayette artist

Ramsey Ayers breathed life into a world so perfect it could only exist within a frame.

The story of this self-sustaining tribe is told mostly in heavy reds and browns accented by specs of color and adorned with some odds and ends found buried in a box, or forgotten about out in the shed. Wanting to give the Juniper Island series a signature look, Ayers has fastened everyday items to canvas since its

genesis. This infusion of foreign objects turns paintings into what Ayers calls “mixed media acrylic collages” – a unique way to portray a singular subject matter.

“Life on Juniper Island isn’t really that much different than it’s always been – this village and this little life and the people who live there,” Ayers says. “A lot of my techniques have changed, though. Over the years, I’ve been adding experimental elements to the canvas. Now, I have sticks and beads and cardboard and leather. In the beginning, it was basically just paint, paper and fabric.

“You could put a line of Juniper paintings in front of me, and it’d be easy to date when each was completed,” she says. “There’s a chronology to the work, even though the subject matter is the same – this village and this little life and the people who live there.”

But how it started, or more specifically, how Juniper Island came to be the inspirational glob Ayers repeatedly dipped her brush in, is a bit of a letdown. A couple of art critics have inquired (and were somewhat shocked to learn) that’s there’s no tale to Juniper Island, no hidden message, nothing deeper than what can be seen.

There’s not even an evolution or aging to the people in the paintings.

Juniper Island then is the same as Juniper Island now.

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les artistes

“I don’t even know where I got the idea from,” Ayers says. “Maybe in a previous life I lived on an island or something. I don’t know, but when I see it and when I paint it, I envision this peaceful world with friends and family and everything that’s important to man.

“There’s not a story or a social commentary behind it – it's more of a snapshot into peacefulness.”

Ayers originally intended to work as an event planner after graduating from LSU. (As she explains, “Who doesn’t want to plan a party?”) But she soon retreated back toward art. Her first Juniper Island exhibition took place in 2002, at (of all places) a CC’s Coffee in Lafayette. From there, Ayers’ work has been showcased at Festival International, New Orleans’ Canary Gallery, The Brunner Gallery in Baton Rouge, City Club at River Ranch and the famed Café des Amis in Breaux Bridge. At each presentation, Ayers’ pieces have become much more complex as she continues incorporating objects other than paint to fill the canvas – a stylistic trademark she adopted because after college it was “my first freedom, to do whatever I wanted that wasn’t an assignment and wasn’t for a grade.”

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june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

“My eyes love color and texture and patterns – that’s what does it for me,” Ayers says. “There’s a vibe to it, something you don’t get from paint alone. I hear often from people who own paintings of mine, that every time they view it, they see it differently. There are lots of layers to uncover.

You want to look at them all.

“And that’s when children go up and touch it, and their parents are yelling, NO, NO, NO!’ I say ‘Go ahead.’ Every piece added is sewn on through the canvas with fishing wire. So it’s not going to go anywhere.

And I know adults want to touch it, too.

Their manners must keep them from doing it, but I assure you, it’s OK.” Really, Ayers explains, there are few limitations on what materials can be added to make art thanks to her proficiency in using a sewing needle. Smaller-sized pieces are tricky and limited, which is why Ayers

tends to work on pieces with ample artistic real estate for multiple materials. Grass would probably be a nightmare, she admits, but everything else buried in her “pile of stuff” is fair game.

The process of what to apply and where to place it happens organically, though Ayers can spend hours searching through boxes, magazine and storage containers looking for the right accent. Considering the public’s reception and critical analysis of her series, Ayers feels emboldened to keep pushing the envelope in a tactile sense, even though the content of her work stands still.

“In my mind, this is my sanctuary,” she says. “I’m thankful people enjoy it, but in actuality, Juniper Island is for me, it’s my escape. And I’d live there in a second – a life without interruptions, a life full of color and energy.” ap

portrait by Travis gauthier

www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

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la maison

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june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

FACING PAGE: The breakfast area adjoining the kitchen

is appointed with a rustic farm table and a red custom built-in hutch from Cathy Miller Interiors in Lafayette.

LEFT: Virginia Stokes relaxes near the hearth in the great room designed with built-in floor-to-ceiling bookcases, contiguous archways leading to the breakfast area and kitchen and a sweeping view of the Vermilion River.

Sleek Southern Comfort The modern allure of a new Lafayette residence strikes a balance between rustic and elegant.

By Lisa leblanc–berry | Photographed by chad chenier

On any given weekend, the stylish new Lafayette home of Patrick and Virginia Stokes is filled with the laughter of 17-yearold pianist Anne-Marie, and 14-year-old Leigh, an aspiring chef, and their dozens of friends. Both girls designed their own bedrooms in the 8,300-square-foot, fourbedroom residence overlooking the Vermilion River in the center of town.

“The house is always teeming with teenagers on the weekends,” says Virginia. “We built our new home last year, and we still haven’t put in the pool and pool house. It’s a work in progress. My sister, Cathy Miller, had so many great ideas. She helped the girls with their rooms and also orchestrated the interior design, color schemes and furnishings for the house. She even designed some of the furniture. We have many pieces from her shop.”

While the Stokes’ younger daughter wanted a decidedly “urban” flair for her bedroom, the eldest went for a feminine look in soft pinks and grays. They both collaborated on their shared den. “Cathy went out and got their furniture for them. They wanted the den to look like a Victoria’s Secret bag!” The wide pink stripes in the den add a playful nuance to the upstairs suite, while the furniture and lighting are casual with a touch of whimsy.

“Virginia likes a dressy style, while Pat prefers rustic, so we managed to incorporate both preferences in the design of the house. But there’s definitely an elegant feel to everything,” says Miller, a highly sought-after interior designer who has been creating elegant interiors for Acadiana homeowners for the past 25 years. Formerly of Abbeville, she opened a new, expanded shop in the Parc Lafayette Center last year.

Cathy Miller Interiors features design services in addition to fine furnishings, home and office accessories and also serves as a designer and gift boutique.

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la maison LEFT: Red Dupioni silk light fixtures and red bar stools that Virginia found online add a contemporary touch to the kitchen, while the old cypress beams lend a rustic feel. Designed with entertaining in mind, the Stokes installed a 10-foot custom island adorned with a vegetable sink and a six-burner gas Thermador range.

RIGHT: The cherished Waterford crystal chandelier in the dining room came from the Stokes’ former residences.

Lafayette architect Les Gomez, who is known for designing “Southern homes in Southern places,” helped conceptualize the layout and architectural elements of the home. He has created more than 100 residences in Lafayette’s River Ranch. Gomez was instrumental in designing the Stokes’ L-shaped residence with a wrap-around porch, patio and a large outdoor kitchen area overlooking the river. Water features and landscaping are currently in the works. David Prejean of Abbeville was the builder. “He was great. David paid a great deal attention to detail, from the crown moldings to painting the girls’ den upstairs,” Virginia says.

“My husband Pat did get one main thing he wanted, hardwood floors, but I also wanted brick so we have both. We had a ball building the house,” Virginia adds. “He loves fireplaces, so if it’s 60 degrees or below, he has the two big woodburning fireplaces going back to back, 20

june/july 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

both outside and also inside the great room. I just love the smell.”

The wood-burning fireplace in the great room, which is illuminated by a dazzling chandelier that “looks like a hot air balloon” according to Virginia, is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. A lovely view of the river through a series of French doors creates an air of openness while bringing the outdoors in.

“We’re in the center of Lafayette, but Pat and I love the fact that we are surrounded by trees, so it feels like we’re out in the country,” Virginia says. “This is our third house. Before, we were in Abbeville. For three years, I was driving back and forth to school. This is so much more convenient.”

Among the many design challenges that the Stokes family faced when building their new home was the preservation of a beautiful live oak on the property. “We wanted our great room to face the river, but we also

wanted to keep the big tree, which is why it took a long time to get the plans nailed down,” Virginia explains. “We finally decided on an L-shaped house. It’s modeled somewhat after the A. Hays Town style but with a European flair.”

The handsome interior strikes a balance between luxurious and relaxed with its rich, warm colors, sumptuous fabrics and a diversity of lighting elements and furnishings that range from rustic to refined.

Throughout the home, Miller took classic accents and brought forth the underlying drama with rich new colors and contemporary flourishes. She employed her welltrained eye and a collector’s perspective to evoke an amalgamation of traditional and contemporary styles.

“Virginia loves red, so we added pops of red and gray to the color scheme in the kitchen,” Miller says. “She also loves koi fish, which we incorporated in a backsplash behind the six-burner stove and throughout the kitchen. The entire house had great potential.”

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la maison

TOP: Sisters Anne-Marie and Leigh Stokes enjoy hanging out with friends in their shared den, which was designed with the help of their aunt Cathy, owner of Cathy Miller Interiors. Wide pink strikes inspired by Victoria's Secret shopping bags create a playful ambience in the upstairs den. BOTTOM LEFT: Leigh designed her bedroom with a sophisticated, urban flair.

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“We do a lot of entertaining, so there were several important points to cover in the kitchen,” Virginia says. “I told the architect that he had to find a place for an appliance garage in the kitchen, because I don’t like all that clutter. We keep the coffee pot and toaster in the appliance garage, which looks like a cabinet. I also wanted a large, custom island with a vegetable sink,” she adds. “And I wanted granite that looks like marble, so we selected white fantasy granite for the counters. For the island, we selected black leather finish granite. I didn’t want to use marble for the counters and island because it’s too porous.”

In the adjoining breakfast area, Miller designed a red built-in hutch that reflects the red bursts of color in the kitchen, from the dupioni silk light fixtures to the bar stools.

The Stokes’ inviting entrance that leads to the kitchen area and great room features a long breezeway lined with stately columns and flickering glass lanterns. The brick loggia leads up to a wide door framed

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la maison

with a graceful arch that welcomes visitors into the residence. Upon entering through the front door, the master suite is to the right and the open living area is to the left.

A full palette of gray shows its star quality throughout the home, and serves as a serene backdrop from the sleek kitchen to the master suite. Benjamin Moore Oystershell blue with soft gray undertones was selected for the romantic master suite and adjoining sitting room that connects to hisand-her master baths.

“Instead of bedside lamps, Cathy brought us two beautiful chandeliers from her shop. They are made entirely of sea shells, and they hang over the silver leaf bedside chests, also from her shop. We each have dimmers for our chandeliers on both sides of the bed,” Virginia says. “On the shelves, all the books have been painted the color of the walls. We tried putting

just regular books on it, and they didn’t go with the soft color scheme of the room. It was Cathy’s idea. It’s so serene and beautiful, and music flows from the sitting area into our bathrooms.”

While Pat’s master bath is contemporary and masculine, Virginia’s bath is a feminine haven of comfort and beauty, complete with a Parisian-style boudoir chair, chandelier and a relaxing air jet tub.

“We did something rather special to the bookcase in the master suite. I wanted something different,” Virginia says. “The entire bookcase actually slides open like a sliding door and connects to a guest bedroom next door. When it’s closed, you can’t tell it’s anything but a bookcase. We built it for the future, with our children in mind.

Hopefully, one day, we’ll be having our grandchildren in that room! I know we have many great years ahead in this house.” ap

TOP: Anne-Marie Stokes' serene bedroom reflects a delicate, feminine touch with soft pastels and a mirrored chest provided by Cathy Miller. BOTTOM RIGHT: The Stokes enjoys separate his-and-her master baths. Virginia’s elegant bath, designed to resemble “a Parisian boudoir” is adorned with a delicate crystal chandelier, a Parisian-style vanity chair and a Kohler BubbleMessage tub that produces air bath hydrotherapy.

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F or mor e in f or mat ion

Cathy Miller Interiors: cathymillerinteriors.com Les Gomez: gomezdesigngroup.com David Prejean: acadianabuilder.com

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Welch l Patrick e a h ic M son by avid Simp D y b s h p photogra

&

n u j a C w e N s d n u o S o c e d y Z Today’s young Cajun and zydeco musicians face a choice: adhere strictly to the traditions and represent the cultures, or expand upon Acadiana music and hope listeners embrace it instead of being offended.

The website of the otherwise provincial Cajun band Teechaoui Social Club promises “No New Orleans” in their sound. When asked to clarify, Teechaoui bassist Alan LaFleur responds simply, “Bourbon Street,” before clarifying his desire to make sure future generations hear authentic Cajun music music: “In New Orleans, John Fishburn plays a good version of Cajun music, but everyone else is stuck on Bourbon Street – which isn’t bad but it’s a long ways removed from Cajun culture.” Teechaoui (a word meaning ‘little raccoon’), on the other

hand, plays, “Just what you’d hear at my grandpa’s house,” LaFleur promises.

After a lifetime playing rock ‘n’ roll, rockabilly and surf (he’s led the band the Ginn-Tonics since 1996), LaFleur moved home to Lafayette after 9/11 and finally started playing Cajun music. He spent eight years in the Lost Bayou Ramblers, infusing Cajun music with a modern sound.

His Teechaoui Social Club started fairly recently on a porch during a community boucherie. “I live in this house from the 1820s,” explains LaFleur. “And we have a boucherie there. At a boucherie you can’t come and watch; you come and learn how to do something.You make boudin; you learn by doing, not by watching. We get about 80 people every time with 20 people playing music for about 18 hours of that day. That’s where I met my band. None of these guys are professionals except for me.”

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Today’s young Cajun and zydeco musicians face a choice: adhere strictly to the traditions and represent the cultures, or expand upon Acadiana music and hope listeners embrace it instead of being offended.

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LaFleur describes the Social Club as “a mix of people from all around Lafayette, all mixed into one music. It’s a more high-energy dancehall based style. It’s Lafayette music.”

Rather than let New Orleans influence his music, he aims to influence New Orleans, mostly with a monthly Cajun and zydeco night at hard rock club, Siberia. There, each month’s show will feature LaFleur’s band, plus another rural band of his choosing.

“There are hundreds of these bands out there, each with a very different feel and viability, a different way their area spoke French and played music,” explains LaFleur. “This band’s story, and the band 10 miles down the street, are very different, so they sound different.”

I first caught LaFleur playing bass at Siberia back in April, with both Teechaoui Social Club and opening act, La Bande de Plaquemines Brulee, from Churchpoint. Like many new Cajun and zydeco bands, the members of La Bande de Plaquemines Brulee are all in their 20s, but have been playing since they were kids. “Churchpoint bands have the sound of Churchpoint,” says LaFleur. “They don’t like the faster dancehall. Churchpoint guys play even slower than in Eunice.The music’s not

as flashy.You won’t see my band shed a tear in the middle of the song, but with those gentleman, you’ll see that.”

The members of Feufollet from around St. Landry Parish also first took the stage as kids and by now cannot be considered a “new” band – except in their hybridized Cajun sound. The groundbreaking band, led by multi-instrumentalist (but mostly fiddle player and accordionist) Chris Stafford highlights its Cajun roots with rockabilly, classic country and new-school indie rock.

In 2010, Feufollet’s self-released album En Couleurs was Grammy-nominated in the Best Cajun or zydeco category alongside legends Chubby Carrier, the Pine Leaf Boys, Cedric Watson and D.L. Menard.

The band recently raised over $30,000 to release their sixth album, which promises to feature some poppier tunes sung in English.

This past Jazz Fest nola.com gave Feufollet’s new singer Kelli Jones-Savoy the thumbs up, writing that, “she moves from a piercing near-howl in Cajun French to a softer, folksier sound to husky and haunting to a slow, sultry burn.”

After a 20-year career, accordion player and multi-instrumentalist Corey Ledet is not afraid to try new things, as evidenced

by the zydeco-and-brass band mash-up of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground” on which Ledet plays accordion. Thirty-two-year-old Ledet traveled from his home in Houston each summer as a child to Parks, where he immersed himself in Cajun culture, especially the music. At 10 years old he began drumming for Houston-based band Wilbert Thibodeaux and the Zydeco Rascals before finally moving full time to Parks. In 2003 he formed his own zydeco band, which made Ledet famous for adhering to the sound of zydeco founding father Clifton Chenier. On his 2004 debut solo CD 3 Years 2 Late Ledet mixed firstgeneration zydeco, Creole, nouveau R&B and swing-out and was leaning toward accordionbased blues on 2012’s Nothin But the Best.

Ledet recently entered into a new project, Soul Creole, featuring Louis Michot of the Lost Bayou Ramblers and his wife, Ashley. “Fiddle and the triangle, I don’t normally have that in my Zydeco band,” says Ledet regarding the differences in his various bands. “This might sound strange, but we all also like ‘80s music too, so we’ll slip in a little of that. But otherwise the new band is more Creole.”

As for Ledet’s zydeco ambitions: “I am planning on doing the same as Feufollet, branching out, writing my own tunes, maybe

some more mainstream stuff. We used to stick to the standards, but I might write like a country song with accordion, or a pop song on accordion.”

After more than 20 years fronting the Blue Runners, frontman, guitarist and vocalist Mark Meaux has started a fresh band, the Zordico Stompers. With a whole new repertoire and new possibilities, Meaux’s new style is still in the air. Though the Stompers feature some of his old Blue Runner bandmates, Meaux says, “I am still figuring out what this new band can do!” While he claims the new band is “more traditional” than his former, Meaux definitely aims to blend genres. “We started in the Blue Runners playing started off doing punk rock, and then zydeco, and R&B – which sounds ridiculous, but it’s a roots thing. We liked music that was stripped down, not that complicated. The biggest influence for us besides Clifton Chenier was the Carrier Brothers. In the new band we’ve incorporated Cajun music and more Creole music. That’s the fun: It’s all moving parts, and you fit the right instrument with the right tune.” ap www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

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, ams lle’s i i l t l i s a W s yde ley C g hi a d n i J a t i H r t. rah late inhe alen , Sa t r r e l e t a The ft ic gh ya mus dau gac d e d l n n a s a d gr s hi ban nue g i t n i n co ack s, b e l d fid

y Hinson pson

by Ashle David Sim s h p a r g photo

When Cajun music legend Hadley Castille died in 2012 at 79, his granddaughter, Sarah Jayde Williams, not only inherited his fiddles, but his entire backing band. Hadley Castille and the Sharecroppers has since morphed into Sarah Jayde and the Sharecroppers.

“This case was actually my grandfather’s case,” Williams, 24, says as she motions toward the fiddle case that her grandmother, Mary Castille, 76, periodically handpainted for her now-deceased husband at the turn of each season. The artwork is a delicate rendering of a swamp at sunset, complete with a white pelican. It holds two Barcus Berry fiddles: Williams’ nearly mint garnetand-onyx 5-year-old; and Castille’s ancient turquoise model, still vibrantly painted save for the section worn bare by his legendary hands from their repetitious, back-and-forth contact. A crawfish and an Acadian flag embellish the instrument like a coat of arms.

“My grandma did the crawfish, and we put the Acadian flag,” the scion states. “When we would travel, we would tell stories about Cajun music and the culture and sometimes people would ask, ‘What’s a crawfish?’

Pawpaw would turn the fiddle around and say, ‘It’s one of these things.’”

Williams, a psychology major who just completed her junior year at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is bespectacled and curvaceous with deep mahogany locks that tumble down in waves past her multiple ear piercings and over her back and shoulders.

She cradles the fiddles lovingly, like a mother would her children.

“These are the two I mainly use on stage,” she explains.

For Williams, a native of Opelousas and current Lafayette denizen, the stage could mean anything from Acadiana favorites like Festivals Acadiens et Créoles and Festival International de Louisiane, to the wintertime Festival du Voyageur in St. Boniface, the French Quarter of Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, in

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which she played for the first time under the new Sharecroppers monicker this year.

In her extensive travels across Acadian French-speaking lands, Williams has met scores of musicians, like Hank Williams Jr. and Willie Nelson, and calls local legends Cedric Watson, the members of Feufollet and the Savoy family her friends. Williams is one sprout of a fresh crop of Cajun musicians that is redefining the genre.

“The songs that I’m playing now are the same songs that my grandfather learned when he was growing up,” she muses. She speaks with her hands as much as her mouth, and her fingers complement the syllables her slightly accented voice emphasizes with infinitesimal strokes in the air. “Some songs change a bit, but, in essence, it’s the same stories. There are a lot of groups now, especially a bunch of friends of mine, that are taking the Cajun language and using that to change the music a little bit, too,” says Williams. “They’re preserving the language, but not necessarily the style of music, and there are some that will do the opposite: They’ll be more into the style and will change the words. I’ll do that.”

For Williams, the passing of the most influential person in her life was a time of grieving and self-discovery. She could not touch a fiddle for six months after Castille’s death, but it eventually proved the catalyst to her playing again.

“When he passed, people started asking us to play tributes to him,” Williams recalls. “We didn’t really expect to keep the band together. We played tributes and the people asked me to play, and it was like, ‘Well, might as well keep the guys that know how to play the music and know me well.’

Until I figure out what I wanna do with my music, those are the guys I’m gonna keep.”

Castille’s band became Williams’ band.

The Sharecroppers are composed of her uncle, Blake Castille, guitar; Phil Caelin, bass; Lee Tedrow, steel guitar; and Danny Kimbal on drums. Seventeen-time Grammynominated and four-time Grammy-winning Dockside Studios engineer Tony Daigle will sometimes join in on rhythm guitar.

Although seemingly a heresy to some, this Cajun band lacks an accordionist. The band was accustomed to Castille’s playing, which differed from his granddaughter’s style.

“We played traditional music, but Pawpaw’s music was influenced by the swing style,” says Williams. “The way I play is a little different from the traditional style, with the bowing techniques.”

She lifted the gleaming crimson instrument. Gliding her right wrist over the fiddle’s neck, she deftly demonstrated subtle shifts of playing styles: shuffle, swing, waltz.

“What gives a song flavor, to me, is bowing technique,” Williams says. “What I’m trying to do is use my grandfather’s style

that he taught me, then listen to all of the music that makes me want to dance and feel it. Then go from there. I just started writing my own stuff.”

Williams, who is fluent in Cajun French, has been training since age 3; she began with classical piano. She started playing the fiddle at 10 and is currently learning guitar and bass from her father, Ricky Williams.

Her father plays bass in The Freetown Hounds and The Elvis Depresslies and was the founding member of the eminent psychedelia/hard-rock band Santeria.

“It’s kinda surreal,” he says of his daughter. “I’m trying to show her some of the things that I’ve done and try to teach her a different avenue of type of music, also.”

“Now that [Hadley Castille] passed, I want to really get into the music and decide where I want to take it,” says Sarah Jayde Williams, who wants to incorporate personal anecdotes from Castille’s life, like rationing sugar during World War II, into her music.

“That way, I will be preserving the history of the culture, but modernizing it just a bit,” she emphasizes, squinting her eyes and pinching her index finger and thumb. “I figure if I do that, it’ll get younger generations more interested in the music. If it’s something more relatable, it’s easier to preserve.”

The fiddle case that contains her past, present and future sat open, revealing her fiddle lying next to her grandfather’s. The same instrument she could not touch after his death has become a comforting presence.

“People will see it and say, ‘It’s good to see that fiddle again,’” she said, caressing the worn parts of the iconic instrument. She smiles slightly, then it grows, her full cheeks lifting her cat-eye glasses. “All things shift and change.” ap www.acadianaprofile.com | june/july 2014

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Top Dentists 127 Dentists in 7 Specialties Across Acadiana’s 22 Parishes

SELECTION PROCESS “If you had a

patient in need of a dentist, which dentist would you refer them to?”

This is the question we’ve asked thousands of dentists to help us determine who the topDentists should be. Dentists and specialists are asked to take into consideration years of experience, continuing education, manner with patients, use of new techniques and technologies and of course physical results.

The nomination pool of dentists consists of dentists listed online with the American Dental Association, as well as all dentists listed online with their local dental societies, thus allowing virtually every dentist the opportunity to participate.

Dentists are also given the

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opportunity to nominate other dentists who we have missed who they feel should be included in our list. Respondents are asked to put aside any personal bias or political motivations and to use only their knowledge of their peers’ work when evaluating the other nominees.

Voters are asked to individually evaluate the practitioners on their ballots whose work they are familiar with. Once the balloting is completed, the scores are compiled and then averaged.

The numerical average required for inclusion varies depending on the average for all the nominees within the specialty and the geographic area. Borderline cases are given careful consideration by the editors.Voting characteristics and comments are taken into consideration while making decisions. Past awards a dentist has received and status in various dental academies (Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Periodontology, etc.) can play a factor in our decision.

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Once the decisions have been finalized, the included dentists are checked against state dental boards for disciplinary actions to make sure they have an active license and are in good standing with the board.Then letters of congratulations are sent to all the listed dentists.

Of course, there are many fine dentists who are not included in this representative list. It is intended as a sampling of the great body of talent

in the field of dentistry in the United States. A dentist’s inclusion on our list is based on the subjective judgments of his or her fellow dentists. While it is true that the lists may at times disproportionately reward visibility or popularity, we remain confident that our polling methodology largely corrects for any biases and that these lists continue to represent the most reliable, accurate and useful list of dentists available anywhere.

This list is excerpted from the 2014 topDentists™ list, a database that includes listings for more than 100 dentists and specialists in the Acadiana area. The Acadiana list is based on thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers. The complete database is available at usatopdentists.com. For more information, call (706) 364-0853; write P.O. Box 970, Augusta, GA 30903; email info@usatopdentists.com; or visit usatopdentists.com. topDentists has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Copyright 2011-2014 by Top Dentists LLC, Augusta, Ga. All rights reserved. This list, or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without permission. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without permission of topDentists. No fees may be charged, directly or indirectly, for the use of the information in this list without permission.

Endodontics Casey B. Bargas Bargas Endodontics 2640 Country Club Road, Suite 300 Lake Charles 337-564-6885 Benjamin Ber Southern Endodontic Specialists 1211 Museum Drive Houma 985-917-0084 Brent Chauvin Advanced Endodontics of Lafayette 221 Rue De Jean, Suite 214 Lafayette 337-769-0999 Kenneth Shane Fowler 4906 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Building O Lafayette 337-981-0144 Steven Michael Gaudet Jr. Southern Endodontic Specialists 1211 Museum Drive Houma 985-917-0084 Blair Paul Gremillion Ascension Endodontics 17563 Old Jefferson Highway Prairieville 225-677-5000 John E. Levin Levin Endodontics 312 West University Avenue, Suite A Lafayette 337-236-9880 Kenneth W. Parks Lake Area Endodontics 636 West McNeese Street Lake Charles 337-477-6124 Anthony B. Rainwater 3909 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Suite B Lafayette 337-233-7113

Charles J. Ardoin II 4985 S. Highway 27 Sulphur 337-583-2756

Carl W. Churchman Jr. 3425 Louisiana Avenue Lake Charles 337-477-5043

John Kenneth Aycock 512 Haifleigh Street Franklin 337-828-5841

James Richard Churchman Churchman Family Dentistry 150 West Prien Lake Road Lake Charles 337-478-1700

Peter T. Bayles 824 West 4th Street Dequincy 337-786-6221 Douglas S. Ber 511 Cardinal Drive Thibodaux 985-447-9379 Sheard Adolph Ber 1711 Himalaya Avenue Thibodaux 985-446-5031 Charles A. Bernard III 2726 Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette 337-984-9414 Mark J. Bilello 399 Bayou Gardens Boulevard Houma 985-872-9470 Gary Joseph Blanchette Sulphur Dental Associates 2920 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-2671 Richard Irvin Borne Southdown Dental Center 103 Southdown West Boulevard Houma 985-876-5564 Ellis David Braud Jr. 810 Bayou Lane Thibodaux 985-446-2888

General Dentistry

Nathan H. Bray Jr. Hennigan Dental 700 West McNeese Street, Suite B Lake Charles 337-478-8470

Melanie Jean Andrews Plantation Road Dental Care 103 Plantation Road Destrehan 504-764-1148

Charlie Buller III 206 South Thompson Avenue P.O. Box 1179 Iowa 337-582-7225

Peter S. Guidry 1234 David Drive, Suite 106 P.O. Box 2118 Morgan City 985-385-5423 Sara R. Guidry 556 Cardinal Drive Thibodaux 985-449-0611

Mary S. Churchman 3632 Common Street Lake Charles 337-478-4022

Herbert M. Hamilton Jr. 406 West McNeese Street, Suite B Lake Charles 337-477-9790

Robert C. Cochran Moss Bluff Family Dental Care 1434 Sam Houston Jones Parkway Lake Charles 337-855-7748

Donald P. Harris 605 Rue De Brille New Iberia 337-367-6144

Katie Courville 3632 Common Street Lake Charles 337-478-4022 Daniel Domingue 200 Beaullieu Drive, Building 2 Lafayette 337-235-1523 Dennis Edward Donald 627 West College Street Lake Charles 337-478-3646 Peter J. Dorsey Dorsey Dental Group Inc. 3447 5th Avenue Lake Charles 337-478-2014 Christy Gail Drum-Ammons 214 West McNeese Street Lake Charles 337-478-0870 Lige F. Dunaway III 121 Representative Row Lafayette 337-264-1890 Robert J. Foret 705 Plantation Road Thibodaux 985-446-8821 Joshua Ryan Guidry 556 Cardinal Drive Thibodaux 985-449-0611

Edward J. Hebert 1540 Country Club Road Lake Charles 337-474-4892 Craig S. Landry 350 Doucet Road, Suite 100 Lafayette 337-981-9242 Michele Lavergne 4306 North University Avenue Carencro 318-896-3062 Richard L. LeBlanc 4003 Louisiana Avenue Lake Charles 337-477-8360 Dean Leonard Listi 904 David Drive P.O. Box 3573 Morgan City 985-384-4044 Trace L. Lynn Sulphur Dental Associates 2920 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-2671 Bryan Manning Manning Dental Associates 1910 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-8787 Dean L. Manning Manning Dental Associates 1910 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-8787

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ONE OF MY MOST DIFFICULT CASES

Planning Ahead and Building Trust Profile by Melanie Warner Spencer

Melanie Andrews Destrehan Specialty: General Dentistry with emphasis on Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry • Louisiana Tech University 1979 • LSU School of Dentistry 1983 Native of Trout

When Dr. Melanie Andrews picked

dentistry as a profession fresh out of high school, she envisioned a practice built on lasting relationships with her patients, their children and their grandchildren. “My initial attraction to dentistry was for the unique blend of science and art, as well as the ability to work with my hands,” Andrews says. “It was important to me to pursue a ‘helping’ profession and I also wanted to run my own business.” In 1985, after completing a Residency in General and Hospital Dentistry at University Hospital of Jacksonville, Florida and just

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two years after graduating dental school, Andrews began her private practice in Destrehan.

“I have a true family dental practice where I take care patients from age 2, to age 92,” Andrews says.

Focusing on the big picture is key to Andrews’ special area of interest in comprehensive restorative treatment. Helping patients “understand how that impacts their mouth, their smile and their physical health as well,” is Andrews’ priority.

“In 30 years of practice there have been many tough cases along the way,” Andrews says.This year however brought forth a case

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that would challenge Andrews to employ all of her education, training, talent and abilities.

The patient was a 30-year-old woman who had missing teeth as a child and over the years since had undergone extensive dental work at a different practice. She had become unhappy with the look of the prior work, which included braces, implants and crowns.

As a result, the patient not only was dissatisfied, but also reticent having had a bad experience with her former dentist.

“I spent as much time treatment planning the case, as I did actually doing the work, using

all available resources as well as skills I’ve learned from years of practice and continuing education,” Andrews says. “In her case, the previous dental work, and her reservations about any treatment at all, forced me to think through every step of her plan.”

Extensive consulting with the lab technician, the implant company and the patient, as well as studying the case through models and photography lead to moving forward with the treatment. “In the end, seeing this beautiful young woman finally able to smile – with beautiful teeth and soft tissues – was so incredibly rewarding.”

photograph by romero & romero

Richard J. Martin 1621 Beglis Parkway Sulphur 337-527-8527

Charles C. Savoia 200 Clinic Drive Donaldsonville 225-473-1082

Jerome M. Walker 600 Liberty Street Houma 985-851-2653

Kent Raymond Mauduit Poetic Smiles 429 West Airline Highway, Suite F La Place 985-652-3121

Lance N. Savoie Lance Savoie Family Dental 105 Rue Centre Street Abbeville 337-892-4774

Ryan Walker 1700 Saint Charles Street Houma 985-851-1633

Elizabeth S. McCrory 3107 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-9911

G. Kyle Slaven 671 South Post Oak Road Sulphur 337-625-0008

Mark M. Miller 1516 Eighteenth Street Lake Charles 337-478-9994

J. Jerome Smith 200 Beaullieu Drive, Building 2 Lafayette 337-235-1523

James Philip Mire 102 Mystic Boulevard Houma 985-868-5337

John L. Speer 3425 Louisiana Avenue Lake Charles 337-477-6561

Edward Morris Moody II 404 East Texas Avenue Rayne 337-334-2967

Michael J. Stacey Avoyelles Dental Care 921 Shirley Road Bunkie 318-346-6668

Benjamin M. Ory Ory Family Dentistry 430 West Fifth Street La Place 985-652-9616 Daniel M. Perry 4301 Lake Street Lake Charles 337-478-0812 Randall R. Perry Family Dental Care 1430 West McNeese Street Lake Charles 337-474-0212 Esperanza M. Prato 2816 First Avenue Lake Charles 337-437-7107 Jason R. Ray 698 East First Street Thibodaux 985-446-8037 Kurt S. Rothermel 817 North Avenue, Suite K Crowley 337-783-2113

James J. Stafford 2670 Highway 20 P.O. BOX 70 Vacherie 225-265-3026 Seema Marie Varghese SWLA Center for Health Services 2000 Opelousas Street Lake Charles 337-493-5145

Clay S. Chandler Drs. Dupree and Neupert Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 3839 West Congress Street, Suite C Lafayette 337-984-0403

Daniel A. Weaver Lake Charles Center for Restorative Dentistry 715 West College Street Lake Charles 337-478-3123 Stephanie B. Weaver Lake Charles Center for Restorative Dentistry 715 West College Street Lake Charles 337-478-3123 Michael B. Williamson Williamson Family Dental 731 East McNeese Lake Charles 337-477-6928 C. Leonard Wise 1200 North Victor II Boulevard, Suite 100 Morgan City 985-384-0926 Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Randolph H. Alexander 2708 Aster Street, Suite A Lake Charles 337-478-9843

Harold David Kennedy Oral and Facial Surgery Center 203A Energy Parkway Lafayette 337-234-1780 Edward A. Neupert III Drs. Dupree and Neupert Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 3839 West Congress Street, Suite C Lafayette 337-984-0403 Christopher J. Saal Oral-Facial Surgery Center 1608 Polk Street Houma 985-879-1972 Orthodontics Catherine Schwab Coreil Le Centre Orthodontic Arts 7845 Main Street Houma 985-853-1142 Mark N. Coreil Le Centre Orthodontic Arts 7845 Main Street Houma 985-853-1142

Robert Roy Vaughan 1402 Oak Park Boulevard Lake Charles 337-478-2850

Robin C. Ardoin Oral & Facial Surgery Center 203 A Energy Parkway Lafayette 337-234-1780

Paul D. Vidrine Westlake Dental Care 902 Shady Lane, Suite A Westlake 337-433-1306

David Gunter Baughman Oral-Facial Surgery Center 1608 Polk Street Houma 985-879-1972

Lamar E. Waguespack Jr. La Vie Dental 109 Johnny Dufrene Drive Raceland 985-532-5303

Donald P. Boudreaux Jr. Southern Oral & Facial Surgery 606 Rue De Brille New Iberia 337-560-0131

Christian Michael Walker 500 Corporate Drive, Suite K Houma 985-876-9346

Gene O. Dupree Drs. Dupree and Neupert Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 3839 West Congress Street, Suite C Lafayette 337-984-0403

Craig Hannie Crawford Crawford Orthodontics 701 West College Street Lake Charles 337-478-7590 Kerwin V. Donaldson Jr. Donaldson Orthodontics 519 North Lewis Street New Iberia 337-367-8866 Danielle Ardoin Dore 1144 Coolidge Boulevard, Suite F Lafayette 337-267-7645

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ONE OF MY MOST DIFFICULT CASES

creating affordable plans Profile by christopher jennings

Whybra Joseph Duay Jr. Morgan City Specialty: Orthodontics

• Louisiana State University, 1962 • Loyola University New Orleans, 1966 • West Virginia University, 1975

Dr. Whybra Duay Jr. says his most

difficult case was roughly 20 years ago.The patient was a 15-yearold boy with severe skeletal Class II anterior open bite – there was a large vertical gap between his upper and lower incisors (front teeth). In addition, the boy had crowding in both arches, with an especially narrow maxilla (upper jaw) and an impacted right maxillary cuspid (his top right canine tooth). Normally, this sort of case would call for surgical correction, but “the family was not in a financial situation to afford it,” Duay says.

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However, citing how important it is to use orthodontics to make positive changes in his patients’ lives, Duay developed a compromised, affordable treatment plan. After 30 months of treatment, the patient’s smile had notably improved. “The final result was far from ideal, but it provided a major change in his appearance and self esteem,” Duay says. “Everyone was happy, so I was also.”

Duay’s educational credentials include undergraduate study at LSU and dental school at Loyola University New Orleans. After

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his two years of service in the Air Force, he attended West Virginia University for orthodontics.

In addition to his practice, Duay is an active member of the local, state, and national Orthodontic Associations. Furthermore, he is a charter member of the Alexander Discipline Study Club of America, an innovative technique developed in the 1970s

by Dr. R.G. “Wick” Alexander of Arlington,Texas, that utilizes a prescription of unique dental brackets for individual teeth.

As for his personal life, Duay has been happily married for 52

years. He has five children and nine grandchildren. He is deeply family-oriented, an avid beachgoer, and, in his spare time, enjoys small carpentry projects around the house.

Duay’s major concern for the future of orthodontics lies primarily in prospective patients doing their research when choosing an orthodontist, including making sure that the doctor has had proper orthodontic education. “I hope patients become informed before they let someone perform,” he says. His “small town, low-volume practice” in Morgan City includes three full-time employees and two part-time employees, but has a big impact in the community – they regularly treat around 160 patients per week.

photograph by romero & romero

Noel P. Dragon Jr. 301 Rue Beauregard, Suite A Lafayette 337-412-6281 Whybra Joseph Duay Jr. Duay Orthodontics 1301 Victor II Boulevard P.O. Box 2750 Morgan City 985-385-1850 Jude P. Fairchild Lake Charles Orthodontics 1837 West Prien Lake Road Lake Charles 337-478-2805

John Marion Oubre John Oubre Orthodontics for Children and Adults 1605 Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette 337-988-2025 Alan Carl Perry Lake Charles Orthodontics 1837 West Prien Lake Road Lake Charles 337-478-2805 Paul C. Perry 3109 Maplewood Drive Sulphur 337-625-5330

Guy Warren Favaloro Favaloro Orthodontics 103 Plantation Road Destrehan 985-764-6050

Stephen E. Searcy Searcy Orthodontics 3839 West Congress Street, Suite B Lafayette 337-984-0178

Melanie Merrill Fowler Dr. Melanie Fowler Orthodontic Studio 4906 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Bldg. O Lafayette 337-981-4350

Donovan Paul Soignet Soignet Orthodontics 1001 East Seventh Street, Suite A Thibodaux 985-446-5211

David A. Guidry Guidry Orthodontics 1234 David Drive, Suite 202 Morgan City 985-372-2399 Allison A. Hamada-Moise Hamada Orthodontics 131 Ormond Center Court Destrehan 985-725-0509 Troy Michael Lefort Lefort Orthodontcs 2628 Country Club Road Lake Charles 337-436-3631 James A. Leithead Jr. Leithead Orthodontics 615 West College Street Lake Charles 337-478-8091 John F. Moffett Jr. Moffett Orthodontics 1509 West McNeese Street Lake Charles 337-479-0300

Stanislaus Waguespack IV 4906 Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Building L, Suite 1200 Lafayette 337-233-3677 Pediatric Dentistry Kennell P. Brown Jr. 306 North Lewis Street, Suite 2 New Iberia 337-369-7654 Claudia A. Cavallino Bayou Childrens Dental Center 4752 Highway 311, Suite 115 Houma 985-868-8331 Gantt N. De Jean 1604 Kerr Street, Suite 101 Opelousas 337-948-8253 N. Paige Gaudet Bayou Childrens Dental Center 4752 Highway 311, Suite 115 Houma 985-868-8331

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ONE OF MY MOST DIFFICULT CASES

Treating birth defects Profile by christopher jennings

Claudia Cavallino Houma Specialty: Pediatric Specialist • Fairfield University, 1991 • Louisiana State University, 2002, 2004

Dr. Claudia Cavallino learned what would be her most important career lesson while attending dental school at Louisiana State University and continuing her training as a pediatric specialist.

“Dental school is a whirlwind of basic sciences and clinic and trying to balance all that,” she says. “But when you’re going through dental school, you’re taught repeatedly that you’re not just treating a tooth – you’re treating a whole person.You can’t get tunnel vision.The teeth are connected to the rest of the body.

Oral health plays a major role in your overall general health. It’s all interconnected.”

This lesson has served her well during challenging cases, particularly in regards to her work with special-needs children and children in need of craniofacial 40

surgery at the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. “We treat kids on that team that are born with any and all craniofacial defects, with cleft palate the most common among them,” Cavallino says.

“By the time they’re 18 years old they’ll have had as many as 20 very difficult surgeries throughout their lives. But in the end, when you’re able to transform that child with a cleft palate into an adult with a normal appearance and smile, that’s very rewarding, and I enjoy working with those kids”.

Cavallino’s primary base of operations is at the Bayou Children’s Dental Center in Houma, of which she is a founding member. One of her mentors in dental school, pediatric specialist Dr. Charlie Bush, retired from his practice in the late 1990s, leaving Houma without a

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pediatric dentist for several years, “so kids in Houma were having to be referred to Metairie and New Orleans,” Cavallino says.

Bush encouraged Cavallino to consider working in Houma after completing her specialist training I’ve been busy since 2004.”

Busy doesn’t cover it – Cavallino, her colleagues Drs. Kellie Axelrad and Paige Gaudet, and their nine support staff members are beloved in the community and currently have over 10,000 active patients. “On an average day, we can see 40 to 50 patients,” Cavallino says. “And we’ve had busy Sundays at 3 p.m.”

In addition to her work at Bayou Children’s Dental Center and Children’s Hospital, Cavallino is active in the Louisiana State Dental Association, the New Orleans Dental Association,

the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry Alumni Board, the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and the Terrebonne Parish Head Start Board. In 2013, she was a governor’s appointee to the Louisiana State Dentistry Board.

Cavallino’s main concern about the future of dentistry is the corporatization and delocalization of the practice.

“What you’ve seen over the past decade and a half is an influx of these corporate-owned dental chains that are not owned locally and answer to corporate stock holders instead of the community,” Cavallino says. “They go after Medicaid dollars and are now being investigated by the U.S. Senate. You see a lot of overtreatment and over-billing.

It erodes the public trust in what we do.” photograph by romero & romero

Roger G. Grimball Jr. Grimball Pediatric Dentistry 910 Beglis Parkway Sulphur 337-625-2212

James M. Finley Finley Periodontics 111 Rue Fontaine Lafayette 337-347-7375

John Alexander Hendry 185 South Beadle Road Lafayette 337-234-2349

Monroe M. Howell 1117 Canal Boulevard Thibodaux 985-446-3855

Leslie J. Jacobs Dr. Leslie Jacobs Pediatric Dentistry 113 Rue Fountaine Lafayette 337-500-1500

Bryan S. Pearson Periodontics Associates 3839 West Congress Street, Suite D Lafayette 337-989-0267

William A. Keaty 350 Doucet Road, Suite 101 Lafayette 337-981-9242 S. Troy Miller Quest Pediatric Dental Group 210 Beaullieu Drive Lafayette 337-347-7365 Danielle Robinson 631 West College Street Lake Charles 337-474-2563 Eric A. Sanders Sanders Pediatric Dentistry 2620 Country Club Road Lake Charles 337-433-5437 Paige Sigsworth Associates in Pediatric Dentistry 17534 Old Jefferson Highway, Suite C1 Prairieville 225-673-9600

Murray L. Rabalais Jr. 236 Progressive Boulevard Houma 985-447-1500 Edward T. Savoy 2708 Aster Street, Suite B Lake Charles 337-474-2612 Raymond J. Steiner 4550 Lake Street Lake Charles 337-478-1000 Prosthodontics Conrad F. Frey III Advanced Dental Designs 185 South Beadle Road Building 1, Suite C Lafayette 337-704-0692

Scott L. Worley The Dental Depot 4600 Lake Street Lake Charles 337-474-0246 Periodontics M. Randal Comeaux Periodontics Associates 3839 West Congress Street, Suite D Lafayette 337-989-0267

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Sweets & Style Make it an enchanting affair, from the dress to the wedding cake.

Photographs by Romero & Romero Styled by Sarah & Sarah

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acadiana profile | acadiana weddings

W

hether you are imagining an intimate gathering or a grand celebration, using a wedding planner or doing it

all yourself, your wedding day should be an unforgettable experience, one without any unwanted surprises. This includes developing a trust factor and a good working relationship with your various vendors. They should understand your vision and be flexible, creative and willing to follow your budget and guidelines.

One of the most important tasks while planning your happily ever after is choosing a wedding gown. Acadiana is known for its exceedingly friendly boutiques and bridal shops that offer something for every budget. You can find such styles as a form-fitting vertical gown without a tapered waistline, glamorous ball gowns with fitted bodices, curvehugging mermaid gowns that accentuate the figure, short and sexy dresses that include tea length and knee-length, strapless fantasy designs and flattering A-lines. There is a perfect gown for every bride’s figure and fantasy.

Most people will not choose a more beautiful cake than their wedding cake in a lifetime, so be sure to make yours special. Acadiana is famed for its incredible culinary talent. Whether you go with a favorite neighborhood baker or a renowned pastry chef, always bring friends to the tasting. Ask your fiancÊ to come along and select the cake, and you will make sweet memories for a lifetime. Remember to take plenty of pictures than can be posted on social media along the way, including the cake tasting. It’s a good idea to create a unique hashtag for Instagrams to share with your wedding guests before and after the big day, from the fittings and bachelorette party to special moments on the honeymoon.

- Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

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Rustic Add a few natural elements to your wedding cake in the form of adorable acorns and flirty flowers. Piece of Cake, Lafayette, (337) 565-2753, pieceofcakelafayette.com.

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acadiana profile | acadiana weddings

This Justin Alexander dress, Style 8530, is elegant and ethereal.

This strapless sweetheart cocktail-length tulle gown is by Blue by Enzoani. (Not pictured: a matching belt with a lace bow.) Both dresses available at Sposa Bella, 340 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, (337) 988-4078.

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Fairytale The Oleida dress, by Manuel Mota for Pronovias, is a timeless beauty.

Blanc Bridal Trois, 1921 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 107, Lafayette, (337) 534-4032.

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Piece of Cake created this decadent dessert, adorned with elegant gold beads and a fondant flower.

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Art Deco Add a touch of 1920s glam with a three-tiered, geometric cake from Piece of Cake.

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The intricately beaded Ventura gown, by Manuel Mota for Pronovias, exudes art deco elegance and is available at Blanc Bridal Trois.

This beaded, feathered, flapperinspired number is from the SCALA

by ASHLEYlauren collection, available at Sposa Bella. It’s perfect for a saucy bachelorette party or as a reception dress.

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personnes d’acadiana

Bayou in a Bottle Cousins John Peterson and Collin Cormier of Lafayette further satisfy their entrepreneurial thirst with Swamp Pop, a locally manufactured soda loaded with the flavors of home. by wilL kalec Bad news, everyone.

You know that saying, the one about how all the good ideas are taken? Well, turns out, it’s true … now. Lafayette’s John Peterson and Collin Cormier – first cousins who rarely bicker like brothers and gleefully overextend like young entrepreneurs – not only nabbed the last one, they formulated it, bottled it, packaged it, distributed it and slapped it on a store shelf near you. It happened back in December 2012.

They can’t remember exactly where they were or what they were doing when this light bulb illuminated, because they’ve been at each other’s side from the time they learned to shove a straw through a juice box. And quite honestly, they aren’t quite sure who said it, but someone used the term Swamp Pop as a double entendre.

“The music and the beverage,” Peterson says. “And Collin and I turned to each other and said, ‘Oh man, that’s good, that’s good. Someone must have done this.’ So we’re looking around and researching and we’re like, ‘Nobody has done this? It doesn’t exist yet?! It’s a great idea, and we’d been looking for an excuse to hang out more, so it served a couple purposes, and the company was born with the idea of using the cleverness of the name and combining the use of Louisiana sugar that supports the Louisiana sugar cane industry.”

That’s right. Unlike the wall of soft drinks found on aisle 7 injected with high fructose corn syrup, Swamp Pop uses pure sugar – a concept Cormier pushed hard for considering the massive amounts of Mexican Coke he sells out of the popular Viva La Waffle food truck, his other business venture.

Available in four flavors – Noble Cane Cola, Satsuma Fizz, Praline Cream Soda and Jean Lafitte Ginger Ale – Swamp Pop is bottled, not canned, and can be found in Rouses stores throughout south Louisiana along with select specialty stores

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p h o t o g r a p h s b y t r av i s g a u t h i e r

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and restaurants. In its first six months of production, Swamp Pop has produced nearly 500,000 bottles of soda.

“For a couple of guys who had no experience doing this, and we’re just making our way through a new industry, it’s been a great start,” Peterson says. “We started shipping at a time when sales tend to level off a little, getting our sea legs through winter. So now that it’s warming up and you can ship liquids throughout the country without worrying about those liquids freezing, I finally feel like we understand how to do this, and we’re ready for a busy summer.”

Though equipped with business backgrounds (Cormier owns the aforementioned food truck and Peterson

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runs the Genterie Supply Co., a men’s clothing store) the complementary cousins didn’t know squat about the beverage game. Like a couple of dimestore lab rats, they played around with a Soda Stream machine, mixing flavors just because. In one of their earliest experiments, Cormier and Peterson tossed some Louisiana figs into a run-of-the-mill cola recipe, figuring it’d offer a palatable herbal drink.

“It was a good idea and turned out not too bad, but it was extremely clear extremely fast that this is not how you do it. We didn’t know what the hell we were doing,” Peterson admits. “We got a good idea, but we need help, because this is chemistry when it comes right down to it.”

The new business partners subcontracted “flavor professionals,” who, in four months, converted the cousins’ 15 or so ideas into mass-producible reality.

They settled on four flavors, though six were strongly considered. When pressed to divulge the flavors that miss the initial cut, Peterson doesn’t crack, explaining those will be released a later date.

“Considering (Cormier’s) background as a chef, he’s got a really good gut about what’s gonna work and what’s not gonna work,” Peterson says. “And I think I can take that and translate it into numbers or a plan that we can do something with. So it’s nice – I can rely on my training, and he can rely on his instincts, and when those two things combine, we’re gonna be all right. We spend so much time together, I swear our brains developed in tandem.

We have all the same thoughts.”

After settling on oft-tinkered formulas, the Swamp Pop owners had to figure out how to find their way in a crowded marketplace. The use of sugar provided a niche. So did Swamp Pop’s packaging.

Eschewing multi-container formats popularized by larger brands, Swamp Pop is solely found in capped bottles – a move that’s a bit more costly but one that offers consumers a better-tasting product. The move worked, possibly too well, if there’s such a thing. Swamp Pop’s popularity has brought forth a couple welcomed dilemmas as Cormier and Peterson find innovative ways to attend to the needs of their blossoming joint business and their original individual endeavors.

“When we figure out how to juggle those things, we’ll tell you how it’s done … Not for a second did we think through all this would entail. I mean, there’s a thousand ways to talk yourself out of a good idea, but if you’re doing something that you love, it doesn’t matter how busy you are, because you’re going to be enjoying life every day.

“And I get to do it with Collin,” he continues. “Functionally, we’re more brothers than cousins. I mean, it took us a year to realize I’m not his kid’s uncle.

‘Oh yeah, I guess he’s technically not my nephew.’ But that’s how close we are.” ap

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À la mode

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photographs by romero & romero

Summer in Style by krystral cooper christen It’s hot out, but you’ll look cool in these flirty summer fashions.

1. These chic shades by Wildfox are available in a variety of colors to match your mood – and your outfit, adding an element of playfulness while shielding your eyes from the sun. Hemline, 1910 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 200, Lafayette, (337) 406-1119, hemlinelafayette.com 2. Cute tan wedges can complement any outfit, whether you’re clad in a demure dress or sassy shorts. Herring Stone’s Two Sisters Boutique, 111 Settlers Trace Blvd., Lafayette, (337) 993-0062, herringstonesboutique.com 3. A bohemian-inspired maxi dress is sure to turn heads and offer breezy comfort. Herring Stone’s Two Sisters Boutique, 111 Settlers Trace Blvd., Lafayette, (337) 993-0062, herringstonesboutique.com 4. Steal the show at any summer soiree in this beaded, knee-length dress.

Hemline, 1910 Kaliste Saloom Road, Suite 200, Lafayette, (337) 406-1119, hemlinelafayette.com 5. The chevron print incorporated with whimsical designs and colors on this kneelength ensemble can be worn to the beach or on a hot dinner date. Mimosa Boutique, 3101 Ernest St., Lake Charles, (337) 5645818, mimosa-boutique.com ap www.acadianaprofile.com | June/july 2014

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sur le menu

Carpe Diem! Gelato-Espresso Bar 812 Jefferson St., Lafayette (337) 534-4155

By Jan Risher

Certain foods evoke fond memories of summer as a child. Gelato and snow cones fall into that category. For those who grew up getting a snow cone as a reward on a hot summer day, there are few foods out there that conjure the flavors, scents and memories of childhood as well as this cold, sweet treat. Perhaps the use of Styrofoam cups revolutionized the snow cone as opposed to the original paper cones that usually didn’t make it through the full eating of the treat without sagging 66

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and tearing. Say what you will about Styrofoam, but it does keep a snow cone longer and fresher.

The variety of textures of ice, combined with more intense flavors, has earned loyal followings of certain snow cone establishments by snow cone aficionados.

Gelato is newer to the game for most in Louisiana, but it has quickly earned a place in the hearts, minds and stomachs of those who enjoy a little splurge in the afternoon or late night.

Other gelato places to try in Acadiana: The Lab in River Ranch 1042 Camellia Blvd. Suite 6, Lafayette (337) 889-5782 Desserts (in L’Auberge Casino Resort) 777 Avenue L’Auberge, Lake Charles, (337) 395-7777

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Keeping Cool with Frozen Desserts

Carpe Diem is Acadiana’s crown jewel of flavorful frozen treats. Silvia Bertolazzi, a native of Italy, has brought the art of gelato-making to Acadiana. Her gelato shop has proven to be a hit across the region for its authentic gelato tastes and texture combined with its local flavors.

Bertolazzi uses as many local ingredients as possible to create traditional and unexpected, seasonal flavors, like mayhaw and Satsuma.

Locals love the shop not only for its delicious gelato and pastries, but also for its vibe. Carpe Diem is simply a nice place to be. Bertolazzi’s attention to detail, even beyond the complimentary cucumber water and crayons for kids, is notable. For example, by installing Italian style toilets that conserve water and playing “Learn Italian” CDs in the bathrooms, she makes a statement that Carpe Diem is not just a pretty face.

Her dedication to sharing her gelato and culture has earned the praise and patronage of many.

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sur le menu

Patti Spell Broussard grew up going to the Red Barn for special treats. To this day, she loves to go back.

“The Red Barn pink lady is my favorite,” she says. “It’s delicious and they’re generous with cream topping. The Red Barn is all about childhood memories for me!”

Cajun Sno 4303 Johnston St., Lafayette (337) 981-3342

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Snow Cones Sno B’s Express

Red Barn Snow Cone

426 Roberts Ave., Jennings

301 E. 15th St., Crowley (337) 783-1571

What do you get when you combine an old caboose with a snow cone stand?

You get the Sno B’s Express in Jennings.

The joint has traditional versions of snow cones, but they take it a little further with flavors like dill pickle snow cone. They take the juice from a dill pickle jar and pour it over the snow cone ice.

Yes, you read that correctly.

The dill pickle snow cone has a loyal following. They sell out of them on a regular basis. So the lesson here is, if you want a dill pickle snow cone, get to Jennings early. (By the way, it comes with a dill pickle on the side.) On the non-pickle side of the snow cone business, at Sno B’s, when available, they will “stuff” your snow cone with fresh berries.

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The Red Barn in Crowley has been serving snow cones to generations of children and adults and continues to be a popular choice.

Matt Lyons of Jennings is a loyal fan who prefers the Popeye flavor. Anyone who sees someone who has eaten a Popeye snow cone recently and is paying attention generally recognizes the telltale green. Now that Lyons has grown up and is working, he says he has to select a less obvious snow cone flavor choice.

“Normally, now I have to go with the clear,” he says. “But I really like wedding cake and the strawberry cheesecake is on time.

However, these days, I normally go clear cherry or strawberry. If you want to get really fancy, get the cream on top.”

Cajun Sno is a Lafayette classic. If the sun is shining, there is sure to be a 20-30 minute wait (at least) at the Johnston Street “sneaux” cone icon.

“Their line always makes me happy,” said Jeannie DeRoueun DelGreco. “It cracks me up that people will wait in a 20car line for snow cones!”

It may come as a surprise to many, but Cajun Sno serves more than snow cones.

“I love their snow cone, but when I was pregnant, all I wanted were their nachos,” said Anna Maragos Kedinger of Lafayette.

“You can’t go wrong with $2 nachos and they’re open year round!”

Juju’s Great Balls of Ice 205 S. Thomson Ave., Iowa (337) 660-4627 If you’re in Iowa and needing a snow cone hookup, Juju’s is the place to go. Juju’s has a loyal following for its traditional flavored snow cones and is making a name for itself with sportsinspired snow cones. They have a black and gold snow cone in honor of the New Orleans Saints and a purple and gold one for the LSU Tigers. ap

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visiter

Around Acadiana: Gatherings, carnivals and activities around Acadiana.

Compiled by judi russell

JUNE 1. Cajun Heartland State Fair. Cajundome, Lafayette. (337) 265-2100.

1. George Rodrigue: Memorial Retrospective. 1434 S. College Road, Lafayette. (337) 233-3224.

1-July 31. Cajun Food Tours. Various locations, Lafayette. (337) 230-6169.

6-8. Bon Mange Festival. VacherieGheen’s Community Center, Gheens. (985) 532-6307.

6-8. Opelousas Spice & Music Festival.

Evangeline Downs Racetrack, Opelousas.

(866) 472-2466.

6, 13, 20. Rhythms on the River. Downtown Morgan City on Front Street, Morgan City.

(985) 395-4905.

7. Jerry Crochet Horseshoe Pitching Tournament. Kemper Williams Park, Patterson. (985) 385-3838.

7-8. Cajun Heritage Festival. Larose Park and Civic Center, Larose. (985) 228-0845.

12. Lake Charles Symphony Summer Pops.

Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Civic Center. (337) 433-1611.

13. Lake Arthur Regatta. Downtown Lake Arthur.

20-21. Juneteenth 2014. Lake Charles Convention Center, Lake Charles.

(337) 491-9955.

4. Let Freedom Ring Festival. Peltier Park, Thibodaux.

20-21. Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Event. McMurry Park, Sulphur.

4-6. 76th Annual Fourth of July Fishing Rodeo. 2937 Kiwanis Drive, Lake Charles.

(337) 485-1540.

20-22. Louisiana Catfish Festival. St. Gertrude Catholic Church, Des Allemands.

(985) 758-7542.

5. Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Fair. Lebeau Church Road, Washington.

(337) 351-3902.

21. Sugar Jam Concert Series – Louisiana Soul Revue. Sugar Mill Pond Twin Center, Youngville. (337) 836-2323.

12. The All-American Treat: Homemade Cakes & Ice Cream. Sunset Rail Stop Flea Market, Sunset. (337) 945-9188.

27-28. Le Festival de Viande Boucanee (Smoked Meat Festival). North Side Civic Center, Ville Platte. (337) 363-1416.

12. 9th Annual Quilt Show & Sale. Alon Recreation Club Building, Krotz Springs.

(337) 592-0345.

JULY 3. Fourth of July Fishing Rodeo. Quintana Launch. (337) 367-9873.

17. St. Mary Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours BBQ Bash Kick Off “Meet the Cooks.” Hampton Inn & Suites, Morgan City. (985) 384-3830.

3, 10, 17, 24, 31. Hot Summer Nights Concert Series. Paragon Casino, Marksville. (800) 946-1946.

18-20. 27th Annual Cajun Music & Food Festival. Burton Complex, Lake Charles.

(337) 496-0374.

4. Fourth of July Celebration. Downtown Breaux Bridge.

19. 3rd Annual Bayou BBQ Bash Craft Show 2014. Under the U.S. 90 Bridge, Morgan City. (985) 384-3830.

4. Red, White & Boom. Parc International, Parc Sans Souci, Parc Putnum, Lafayette.

(337) 232-4277.

19-20. Louisiana Hot Sauce Exposition. 200 Greenleaf Drive, Lafayette. (337) 256-4093.

14. Wild Side Ride & BBQ Cookoff. Parc Hardy, Breaux Bridge. (919) 656-7928.

4. Red, White & Blue & You! Lake Charles Downtown & Lake Charles Civic Center.

(337) 491-9147.

14. Juneteenth Folklife Celebration.

Farmer’s Market, Opelousas. (337) 945-5064.

26. Louisiana Outdoor Expo. Cajundome and Convention Center, Lafayette. (337) 265-2100.

4. Fourth of July Fireworks Show. Eunice Reception Complex, Eunice. (337) 457-6503.

14. Chanky-Chank – Cajun & Creole Music.

Sunset Rail Stop Flea Market, Sunset.

(337) 945-9188.

26. Zydeco Bash. Louisiane Banquet & Reception Hall, Lafayette. (337) 277-6069.

4. Fireworks on the River. Nall Park, 562 Front St., Krotz Springs. (337) 566-2322.

28. Acadian Day of Rememberance.

Acadian Memorial, St. Martinville. ap

don’t see your event? go to acadianaprofile.com to submit.

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en français, s’il vous plaît

Le décès de George Rodrigue a suscité de nombreux éloges des quatre coins du globe pour honorer le talent et la générosité d’un maître de son art et de sa petite chienne, Tiffany. Il n’a pris l’animal domestique comme modèle que pour illustrer la légende du loup-garou. Elle est devenue la chienne bleue qui a conquis le monde. Moi, comme beaucoup de Louisianais, j’étais fier de voir cette chienne bleue (oui, c’est une femelle) représenter notre état. Elle validait notre culture à l’extérieur de notre petit pays des bayous, tout comme la musique et la cuisine de chez nous faisaient à peu près à la même époque, vers la fin des années quatrevingts. Des musiciens cadiens jouaient de la musique cadienne à Paris; des cuisiniers créoles mijotaient de la cuisine créole à New York; de même, un artiste cadien créait de l’art cadien sur la scène internationale. Si l’idée est un peu vague et variable selon les régions et les époques, on a une petite idée de ce qui est et de ce qui n’est pas la musique cadienne, ou le zydeco, ou la cuisine créole.

Certains éléments de base, comme le roux, la « sainte-trinité », le violon, le ti-fer, le frottoir, ou l’accordéon, appartiennent à telles ou telles expressions culturelles et pas à d’autres. Mais puisqu’on regrette le départ de George Rodrigue, la question se pose : Au fait, qu’est-ce que l’art cadien ou créole?

Existe-il seulement?

Curieux de rassembler quelques éléments de réponse, j’ai posé cette même question à plusieurs artistes locaux qui, selon rien d’autre que mon opinion personnelle, pourraient se catégoriser comme artistes cadiens ou créoles. L’un des plus connus m’a répondu le suivant: « Je ne dirais pas qu’il y ait un genre d’art cadien ou créole, mais il y a beaucoup d’art différent fait par des Cadiens et des Créoles. Donc c’est un amalgame d’ouvrages, avec des styles variés et sans beaucoup de cohésion. » Bon, d’accord, mais cela me fait penser à la vieille histoire des daiquiris cadiens. À l’entrée de Maurice, il y a « Harold’s Cajun Daiquiris ». Un jour, quelqu’un a demandé au propriétaire qu’est-ce qui fait qu’un 72

JUNE/JULY 2014 | www.acadianaprofile.com

Des chênes et des chiens

Par David Cheramie

daiquiri soit cadien. Sa réponse : « Mais, je suis Harold. Je suis cadien et je les fais. Ça fait que c’est des daiquiris cadiens. » Il y a peutêtre une manière de les faire à la cadienne, mais est-ce que ce n’est pas quelque chose de plus? Certes les Cadiens n’ont pas inventé l’oignon ou le poivre, pas plus que les Impressionnistes n’ont pas inventé les pastels ou le pinceau. Et même quand ce n’est pas fait par une Cadienne ou un Créole, on reconnaît un bon gombo ou une valse entraînante bien de chez nous. Je maintiens qu’il est possible de la même façon de reconnaître l’art cadien ou créole. « D’abord, pour moi, être une artiste cadienne m’oblige à m’enraciner dans mon héritage ancestral, » m’a répondu Melissa Bonin. « On croit simplement des choses qu’on ne peut pas expliquer et on n’a pas de problème à l’admettre. Il y a des nuances d’être cadien et elles sont reconnues par des visiteurs qui affluent du monde entier pour s’en rapprocher. C’est quelque chose que je trouve difficile à articuler, mais je

sais que c’est précieux. ». On arrive plutôt dans le royaume des images qui composent l’imaginaire louisianais. Ce n’est pas un hasard que Tiffany est devenue un loupgarou. Il est à part entière de notre folklore.

Ou qu’Elemore Morgan, Jr. peigne des savanes resplendissantes et que Floyd Sonnier dessine des scènes de vie rurale.

C’est autant le sujet – un grand repas familial comme le dîner d’Aioli de Rodrigue, des puits d’huile derrière l’Accordéoniste cowboy cadien de Francis Pavy ou les coureurs de Mardi Gras de Herb Roe, – que l’esprit derrière qui définissent l’art louisianais.

Bonin le résume bien. « J’aspire d’avoir la même magie derrière mes images que celle qu’on ressent devant un masque tribal africain. Après tout, comme disait Elemore Morgan, Jr., on est de la tribu ». Alors, l’art cadien ou créole existe-t-il? Il existe dans le choix et la qualité des ingrédients et le génie de l’artiste, la combinaison desquels est indéniablement reconnue comme étant née de nos traditions. ap

for an english translation , visit www . acadianaprofile . com . photo courtesy george rodrique studios