Thrive January 2014 Issue

JANUARY 2014

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2014 Home Show

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Special Section:

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Shattering glass ceilings, exceeding expectations, accomplishing dreams, and paving the way for future success.

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Inside:

RESOLUTION ROUNDUP

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1

Rehabilitation Hospital

of Jennings

DIAgNOSeS THAT we TReAT

• Brain Injury

• Hip Fractures

• Strokes

• Osteoarthritis/DJD

• Amputations

• Neurological Disorders

• Burns

• Spinal Cord Injury

• Major Multiple Trauma

• Congenital Deformities

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

• Systemic Vasculidities

• Joint Replacements

Others who can benefit from inpatient rehabilitation are postoperative patients, accident victims and cancer patients.

24 Hour Nursing Care • Physical Therapy • Occupational Therapy Speech Therapy • Nutritional Counseling and Monitoring Case Management Call for a free assessment today.

One Hospital Drive, Ste. 101 • Jennings, LA 70546 • Phone: (337) 821-5353 • Fax: (337) 821-5355 or 5366 jenningsrehab@yahoo.com • www.jenningsrehab.com 2 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

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X

Brain&spine neuro surgery taken to the third power.

At CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital, our 3-man team of brain and spine specialists leads the region in minimally invasive spinal surgery. With state-of-the-art technology consisting of 3-D imaging, our neuro center can address a spectrum of issues regarding the brain, peripheral nerves and spine. It enables our team to perform complex operations and provide customized treatment plans for our patients.

It’s your comprehensive brain and spine center, right here at home.

Erich Wolf II, M.D., Ph.D. Neurosurgeon

Brian Kelley, D.O. Neurosurgeon

James Perry, M.D. Orthopaedic Surgeon

524 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive • Lake Charles, LA 70601 • (337) 478-9653 • ChristusStPatrick.org

January 2014

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Your Partner inwww.thriveswla.com Wellness

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Contents 6

In This Issue Wining & Dining

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6 Defining Our Culinary Flavor 10 SOWELA Culinary Arts Program 12 Discover the Flavorful World of EVOO 14–19 Special Section

RESOLUTION ROUNDUP

Places & Faces 26 Hebert Takes Financial Planning to a New Level 30 Welcome to the Quad Money & Career

68 Regular Features 0 Thrive in Five 2 21 Solutions for Life!

22 First Person with Monique delaHoussaye Breaux 32 Who’s News 43 Business Buzz 60 Horoscopes 66 Ready to Wear 78 Happenings 80 Community Contributors 82 McNeese Corral

34

COVER STORY: Secret Superpowers of the Super-Successful 37 Think Like You’re Rich 40 4 Ways to Bounce Back from a Mistake on the Job

50

Home & Family 46 Decoding Your Dog 48 Secure Your Home from Pests in the Cold Weather 50–59 Special Section

Home Show 2014

Style & Beauty 62 Restyling Jewelry gives a New Look 64 Harnessing the Skin’s Healing Power to Fight Wrinkles

Mind & Body

68

Empowering Students Through Physical Activitiy 70 The Price-Tag Benefit of Knee Replacement Surgery 75 An Answer for Persistent Migraines DON’T JUST LIVE, THRIVE!

Editors and Publishers

Kristy Armand Christine Fisher

Creative Director/Layout

Barbara VanGossen

Assistant Editor

Katie Harrington

Business Manager

Katie McDaniel

Assistant Designers

Shonda Manuel Kris Roy Mandy Gilmore

Advertising Sales Mitch Viator and Kasen Mire ads@thriveswla.com 337.310.2099

Thrive is designed for people focused on living a happy, healthy life, one that is balanced, full of energy and contentment. Thrive readers want to make the most of every day and be successful in all areas of their lives – family, health, home and career.

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Submissions edit@thriveswla.com Submitted articles and photos are welcome. Thrive assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials and does not guarantee any submissions.

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

All our wonderful dogs are available for adoption through 4Paws Society.

Call 287-3552 for more information and to learn about other programs that are available.

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DUNCAN

Duncan has found his fur-ever home!

January 2014

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5

Wining & Dining

Flav r DEFINING OUR CULINARY

by Eric Cormier

photography by Shonda Manuel

“ Friends enjoying great food in a great atmosphere, this is what an eating experience should be.” ~ Dave Evans, owner and chef at Luna’s Bar and Grill.

This summarizes what other chefs are feeling about the culinary offerings in Southwest Louisiana.

A recent roundtable discussion was held with Chef Dave, along with Chef Lyle Broussard of Jack Daniels Bar and Grill at L’Auberge Lake Charles, Chef David Sorrels, who is preparing to open Restaurant Calla in Walnut Grove and Chef Chad Jackson, executive chef at the Lake Charles Country Club. All agreed the restaurant scene in SWLA is poised for an

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upheaval. “I don’t think Lake Charles has a culinary identity yet. Are we Cajun, New Orleans or Texas?” asked Sorrels.

All four of these cooking professionals want to help define the future of Southwest Louisiana cuisine. They enjoy the region immensely and want to do more than just plate beef, chicken or fish.

“I want to keep the chains and have the small local restaurants grow without being influenced by a trend. We can set the trends,” Sorrels said.

Years of watching food television, reading cookbooks, along with constant kitchen chatter on the Internet have raised the expectations of our collective palates.

These chefs are ready to take the reins and help create a flavor that is unique to our area, which is sometimes described as rustic and blue collar with a touch of urbane sentiment.

What the four chefs want more than Thrive Magazine for Better Living

anything is to nurture local cooks and farmers in order to feature locally raised products. Essentially, for a food revolution to take root in an area that loves good food, “local” has to be the rallying call.

“I’m always looking for locally grown produce; it has a wealth of flavor and healthy benefits,” Jackson said. “My menu changes at the Country Club. I love cooking with ingredients I can get locally.”

Jackson thinks the local food scene will be dictated by the whims of residents and Texas tourists who will come seeking gambling riches and a good meal. An estimated 50,000 people are expected to move into the area following the work generated by the billions in industrial expansion.

Many will be moving into the area seeking innovative and satisfying meals prepared with a local flare.

These chefs believe the Lake Area eating scene cannot be neatly fit into a box like New Orleans and Lafayette. In fact, Jackson feels the area is similar to Houston in that cultural fusion has impacted our dining culture. Cajun, Creole, Country Creole, Jewish, Italian, Syrian, Lebanese, German, Irish, Chinese, African American and Native American influences can be found on our plates in homes and restaurants daily.

“Houston has grown up enough that they do not want the chains. You find everything (world cuisine) there in locally owned restaurants,” said Jackson.

January 2014

Front row, left to right: Chef Lyle Broussard and Chef David Sorrels.

Back Row, left to right: Chef Chad Jackson and Chef Dave Evans.

“But what has to be next for our local restaurants is an emphasis on finding and training talent for our kitchens.”

Broussard grew up in a kitchen that his parents owned, studied a subject as far away from pots and pans as possible, realized sauces and meats were his calling and has made a career in the food industry.

He is homegrown and works to keep his upbringing on the proverbial front burner at L’Auberge, where he cooks. On the topic of training future chefs for local restaurants, Broussard is hands on. “First, I will take the guy who can’t boil water and work with him every day. Our job is to inspire the people who want to be in this industry,” he says.

Like Jackson, Broussard is also interested in cooking with the freshest ingredients in an attempt to make sure diners experience a memorable meal. “I like the idea of changing a menu seasonally. We are working on one for February now. The problem is finding what we want, which is really good product. We do get it shipped January 2014

in from Chef’s Garden, they have the best produce I’ve ever seen,” he comments.

All of the chefs want to buy locally grown produce and to make daily purchases from local farmers and growers. “We don’t have a local market that can handle the demand,” Evans says.

The chefs are hoping that local diners allow their minds to expand and be willing to try different dishes.

Chef Jackson adds, “I want to help establish a viable food community in this city. I want to be here and want to provide the start.”

Chef Broussard comments, “People see New Orleans and what exists over there in the culinary world. I want them to know that we’re developing our own style and I want them to know there are some talented chefs here.”

Chef Sorrels proclaims, “Sometimes it takes some outside eyes to look at a situation. It all starts with us.”

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Wining & Dining

Delicious Recipes from Our Roundtable Chefs Fried Quail, pomegranate salad, and corn bread sauce (Makes 4 servings)

For the quail: 8 semi boneless quail (each cut in half) 2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 cup canola oil for frying 1 cup of buttermilk 3 cups all-purpose flour For the pomegranate salad: 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1/2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons high quality extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme leaves 3/4 cup pomegranate seeds 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves stems removed For the corn bread sauce: 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 shallots minced 4 garlic gloves finely minced 1 batch Corn Bread, crumbled (recipe follows) 1 1/2 cups quail stock (you can substitute chicken stock) 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 tablespoon creole mustard 1/2 tablespoon sherry vinegar 1 teaspoon of kosher salt Season the quail with 1 tablespoon of the salt.

Heat the oil in a large cast iron skillet to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Divide the rest of the salt and season the buttermilk and flour. Dip the quail halves in buttermilk and then into the flour, shaking any excess flour from them. Gently immerse the quail into the hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes, then carefully turn the quail and continue to fry for about 4 minutes, until the quail are golden brown.

Remove from the skillet and place on a wire rack over a cookie sheet to rest. You may choose to lightly salt the quail as soon as you remove from the skillet.

Make a vinaigrette by combining the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, olive oil, and thyme and whisk aggressively until combined. Taste, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place the spinach and pomegranate seeds in bowl and dress with enough vinaigrette to coat the spinach but not drowning it. Toss gently.

For the cornbread sauce, heat the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sweat for one minute being careful not to add any color. Combine the stock and buttermilk in a saucepan and heat gently to almost a simmer.

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Add the cornbread and shallot, garlic mixture to a blender. Add the mustard, vinegar, and salt to the blender. Add 1 cup of the liquid and begin to purée. Be careful as the liquid is hot. Slowly add the additional stock and buttermilk mixture until smooth.

To plate: Place a small amount of the cornbread sauce on a plate. Top with the pomegranate salad. Then place two quail halves, one on either side of the salad.

Serve.

Corn bread 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled. Plus more for greasing the pan.

2 cups buttermilk 2 eggs slightly beaten Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-10in skillet and place in the oven to heat.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl whisk the egg then stir in buttermilk and butter. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the dry ingredients, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, and then stir with a fork until batter is well blended. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven and pour in the batter. Return to the oven for about 30 minutes until the edges pull away from the skillet and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool.

Kobe Sliders with Pickled Red Onion and Jalapeno Slaw (Makes one serving)

4 whole jalapenos 1 red bell pepper 1 red onion 1 teaspoon. coriander 1 cup red wine vinegar ½ cup olive oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon. black pepper ¼ cup sugar Thinly sliced strips of Kobe brisket Pretzel buns (or any 1 ounce bun) Julienne bell pepper, jalapeno, red onion and place in a stainless steel bowl. Sprinkle with coriander. In a stainless steel skillet heat olive oil, sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Pour mixture over peppers and onion, cover immediately and refrigerate. Warm pretzel bun in oven until soft and brown. Roll one strip of brisket on to each pretzel bun and top with relish. Serve and enjoy.

From Chef Lyle Broussard, Jack Daniels Bar and Grill, at L’Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles.

From Chef David Sorrels, Restaurant Cala

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

Crawfish-stuffed Avacados (Makes 4 servings)

“ Try Before You Buy!”

Peanut oil or canola oil, for frying 1 cup milk 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons salt, divided 1 teaspoon granulated garlic,

divided 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, divided

4 ripe Haas avocados 1 cup Louisiana crawfish tail meat (about 4 ounces) 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon dried basil

LLC

Splash Dip Enjoy!

Let us help you customize an interactive food experience, blending a variety of flavors in unique ways. We offer personalized service to best suit your needs and taste. We also offer customized gift baskets that make the perfect gift for house parties, clients, friends, or family! Free delivery is available within the service area!

In a large pot or Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 4 inches, and heat over medium-high heat until a candy or deep-fry thermometer reads 350º. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. In another medium bowl, combine flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic, and ½ teaspoon cayenne.

Cut avocados in half lengthwise, and remove seeds. Using a spoon, carefully scoop out flesh from the centers of avocado halves, leaving a ½-inch-thick border; reserve flesh. Run the spoon along the interior edges of peels to remove remaining flesh in one whole piece; discard peels. Sprinkle avocado halves with remaining 1 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, combine crawfish, cheeses, olive oil, basil, reserved avocado flesh, and remaining ½ teaspoon each garlic and cayenne. Stuff each avocado half with crawfish mixture, and press 2 halves together to form a whole avocado. Repeat so 4 whole avocados are formed.

Coat avocados in egg mixture, and then dredge in flour mixture. Repeat coating and dredging at least 3 times, more if a thicker crust is desired. Fry avocados in hot oil for about 8 minutes or until crust until browned. Serve immediately.

Sassy Oil & V inegar can set up a mobile tasting station anywhere! Whether it ’s a coffee shop, sweet shop, jewelry boutique, hair salon, club meeting or your home.

Laissez le bon Mardi Gras 2014! temps rouler!

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

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p. (337) 540-1408 e. LFuselier@msn.com sassyoilandvinegar.com

From Chef Dave Evans, Luna Bar and Grill in Lake Charles.

Pink Peppercorn Smoked Duck Breast (Makes 2 servings)

Grip of fresh oregano (dusted) 2# cherry wood (soaked) 1 Tbsp. black pepper 2 ea. Duck breast 3 long dashes of Tabasco 2 cups grape seed oil 1 ½ tbsp. pink peppercorns 1 cup apple cider vinegar (pulsed in spice grinder) 4 garlic cloves (minced) 3 Tbsp. sea salt Grip of fresh thyme (dusted)

Score duck breast For marinade: Combine grape seed oil, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, thyme, oregano, black pepper, and Tabasco. Fully cover duck breast and refrigerate for 3-6 hours.

Start fire. Use pre-soaked cherry wood.

Remove duck from marinade and sprinkle with pulsed pink peppercorns.

Place duck breast in smoker away from the flame, skin side up.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Close smoker and cook for 25-35 minutes; until the fat is rendered (tightens)

Set of 4: $65

Set of 4: $65 Set of 4: $65 For all your royal entertaining needs.

For all your royal entertaining needs.

MONDAY–

Set of 4: $65

For all your royal entertaining needs.

Set Club of 4: $65 From Chef Chad Jackson, Lake Charles Country January 2014

For all your royal entertaining needs.

MONDAY– FRIDAY FRIDAY 10:00AM–5:30PM

10:00AM–5:30PM

(337) 474-0080 LAKE MONDAY– (337) 474-0080• 615 • 615W.W.PRIEN PRIEN LAKE ROAD ROAD FRIDAY 10:00AM–5:30PM

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(337) 474-0080 • 615 W. PRIEN LAKE ROAD

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9

Wining & Dining

(l to r) Chef Jerry Sonnier (in red), Vince Smith and Lance Isom (students and former military) cook up a tasty meal in SOWELA’s Culinary Art’s lab.

SOWELA Culinary Arts Program Contributing to Area Culinary Scene in a

BigWay

by Katie Harrington

There’s an increased need for employees with a wide variety of skills and certifications as a growing number of economic development projects become a local reality. Area restaurant owners are quick to point out that while they’re excited about the new opportunities headed their way, they’re also in need of skilled chefs and cooks.

The Culinary Arts program at SOWELA hopes to help meet the needs of local restaurateurs by producing well-trained personnel to staff kitchens around the area.

Chef Jerry Sonnier has headed-up the program for a year now and says his ultimate goal is to provide better employees for the Southwest Louisiana restaurant community. “With this program we are teaching aspiring chefs the basic 10 www.thriveswla.com

types of cooking and the basics of the culinary and hospitality industry.”

The program recently received its programmatic accreditation from the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation (ACFEF) Accrediting Commission.

“This accreditation is a mark of excellence and validates the quality of instruction in SOWELA’s culinary program,” says Dr. Neil Aspinwall, Chancellor. “Students with a culinary degree from SOWELA will be able to enter the job market with highly prized skills from a fully accredited program.”

Perhaps one of the most exciting things about the program is the fact that students range in age from high school students via the Pro-Start program to men and women in their 50s and 60s.

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

Photos courtesy of Victor Monsour via SOWELA

“We have two students in the program now who were former military, serving in the Army as sergeants,” Chef Sonnier says. “They always wanted to be cooks and now that their service is complete, they are here getting formal chef training.”

In addition to classroom instruction, students also experience hands-on time in the lab using newer technology like convection stovetops and more. Students in the program also cook regularly for faculty at SOWELA and serve the meals in their on-site café.

In addition to classroom instruction, students also experience hands-on training in the lab components of the course. Students are introduced to a variety of commercial kitchen equipment used in the industry. The program prides itself by January 2014

continuing to provide students with the most up to date equipment used in the industry. Through collaborative funding the culinary program has purchased twenty-four individual student workstations. These workstations are equipped with individual induction cooktops. Induction cooktops are the newest technology sweeping the industry today. Meals prepared as part of the students training are served by the students in the Food and Beverage Service course. The college on-site restaurant known as “The Landing” provides students of the program with real live restaurant experience.

Enrollment in the culinary program averages 90 plus students per semester.

For more information on the Culinary Arts Program at SOWELA, www.sowela.edu/culinary.

Serving up Appetizing Appetizers

by Austin Price

There’s something repellant about the way appetizers are treated. Though they should prepare one for a meal and hint at the main course as their name suggests, most appetizers could be meals themselves. Sauce-soaked chicken wings, potato skins loaded with sour cream and bacon, fried onions and tortilla chips—dishes so salty, heavy and obnoxiously flavorful—are a few of the worst offenders. Though less obtrusive, even complementary, bread comes in such heavy portions that a less-than-attentive eater can kill their appetite in seconds.

The key, in serving and ordering, is moderation.

You want dishes that will prepare you and your guests for the meal, not overwhelm it, and a variety of hot and cold dishes. Cheese plates that are set

Make Any Day a

with gouda, a camembert, manchego and blue cheese and paired with a variety of higher-quality crackers and a few pieces of fruit offer enough light options and never threaten to overload one’s palette. They’re also visually appealing when plated well.

Bruschetta—in fact, most dishes that make use of tomato, mozerella and olive oil—is a fantastic cold dish that actually stimulates rather than overwhelms the palette. For hot and light dishes, small crab cakes (nothing too large) are just rich enough to stimulate the taste buds, and beefstuffed jalapenos and mushrooms make a perfect savory starter that errs on the right side of filling.

Consider the number of people, as well. Common wisdom holds that you are best off allowing

Special Occasion

enough of each appetizer that everyone at the table gets 6 servings overall (NOT 6 servings per appetizer per person). As much as you want your guests to enjoy your appetizers, you don’t want them picking away every minute before the meal, less they fill up.

Crave is a new Specialty Food & Gift Store featuring over 40 Premium Olive Oils & Balsamics from around the world. Our unique tasting bar allows you to sample before we bottle your selections to ensure freshness and flavor.

We also offer a wide variety of Wines, Cheeses and Fine Foods, along with soaps and other artfully crafted gift items. Let us help you create the perfect gift basket to make an unforgettable impression.

Satisfy every taste, with Crave.

2801 Ryan Street, Suite 100 l 421-0040 l crave-foods.com l January 2014

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11

Wining & Dining

Discover the Flavorful World of

EVOO

Just as you have your favorite wines, you can discover your favorite extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs).

Rich, beautiful, and fragrant, olive oil is much like wine - varied in color, aroma and flavor, and best when paired with specific foods.

The chemical characteristics of EVOO (as with all vegetable oils) give an indication of the care with which it was made and stored: how the fruit was grown, transported and harvested, how it was milled into oil, and how the oil was packaged and bottled. The chemical standards for EVOO are the highest of all the grades of olive oils.

“There are hundreds of distinct types of olive flavors, from simple trace flavors such as a nice complimentary note of wood, a marginal hint of nut, a taste of lime to more overpowering tastes, such as the fruitiness of fresher olive oils, the excessively sweet tastes of a suave oil or a more tomato-like flavor,” says Melanie McMullen, co-owner of Crave, a new store in Lake Charles that offers EVOO on tap. “Olive oil varietals can be classified by the richness of its taste, by its country of origin and the methods of pressing and refining. For most purposes, however, it’s easy enough to classify them by the flavor. EVOOs can be anything from very delicate and mellow to quite bold and strong, and what you like best is a matter of personal taste.”

And when it comes to olive oils, fresher is better, she adds. “Even though there is typically no ‘use by’ date on the bottle, olive oils have a shelf life. It truly is like wine or fruit juice; highly perishable, healthier and more flavorful when consumed fresh.”

With more than 40 different flavors of olive oils and balsamic vinegars on tap, Crave offers the opportunity for patrons to try fresh products before making a purchase.

For more information on EVOO, stop by Crave at 2801 Ryan Street or call (337) 421-0040.

SIMPLE SERVING IDEAS FOR EVOO • Use extra virgin olive oil in your salad dressings.

• Puree minced garlic, cooked potatoes and extra virgin olive oil together to make exceptionally delicious garlic mashed potatoes. Season to taste.

• Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over healthy sautéed vegetables before serving.

• Puree extra virgin olive oil, garlic and your favorite beans together in a food processor.

Season to taste and serve as a dip.

• Instead of putting the butter dish out on the table, place a small cup of extra virgin olive oil out instead to use on your bread or rolls. For extra flavor, try adding a little Balsamic vinegar or any of your favorite spices to the extra virgin olive oil.

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Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

Crave offers EVOO on tap, allowing for tasting of dozens of variatels and fresh bottling right in the store.

Follow your Nose to Dr. LeBert’s New Office

Local Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), Dr. Brad LeBert has relocated his medical practice to 501 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive (2nd Floor) in Lake Charles.

Originally from Lake Charles, Dr. LeBert earned his medical degree from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans, where he also completed a residency in Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery. He has been in practice in Lake Charles for three years.

One of the

C o ld es t O ld es t a n d

!

Louisiana Festivals in

FUR & WILDLIFE

Festival

Dr. LeBert specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat, as well as related structures of the head and neck, including: · · · · · · · ·

sinus disease tinnitus ear infections tonsilar conditions thyroid disorders hearing loss minimally invasive sinus procedures specialized allergy treatment

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. LeBert, call:

(337) 312-8564

(337) 312-8564 • 501 Dr. Michael DeBakey Dr., 2nd Floor, Lake Charles

January 2014

at noon ates Open G • d a o t 6:30 pm R perform a nd of Earl n e io e it th d t a a Tr am ret begin at 9 Foret & Fo Dog trials ap shooting • Ryan tr m h arts at 1 p along wit Parade st • m a 1 1 t k-Off a m umbo Coo gie performs at 3 p o at 9 am • G o n B e p in o ck s o te Ga nch R om fose & Fre m festival.c Geno Dela rms at 7 p o rf e p ts ndwildlife u n ra o fu D f a o .l g w w Ba

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RESOLUTION ROUNDUP

by Ann McMurry

A fresh start, clean slate, new beginnings. The New Year brings the opportunity to review goals and renew efforts. Thrive checked in with several Lake Area leaders to learn how they feel about resolutions and secrets they’ve learned along the way for achieving success.

Dr. Philip Williams

Dr. Philip Williams, president of McNeese State University, would make New Year’s resolutions, but, in reality, the timing doesn’t always work out. “I can’t remember ever making a serious New Year’s resolution,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t believe in the concept. It’s just that when I commit myself to a resolution--like losing weight, paying more attention to my spiritual life, or accomplishing a particular goal at work--I tend to do this whenever the resolution is needed or whenever I feel a special calling.”

That has not generally occurred around the holiday season, Williams said.

“Since I work in academia, I typically find that the best time for me to engage in personal reflections about the direction of my life is during summer vacation,” he explained. During that time, Williams has a week or so away from campus to reflect upon “big picture” questions.

“I also don’t tend to think in terms of calendar years,” he said. “So when I make a personal resolution, it tends to be something with a longer term horizon, hopefully a new habit that I can adopt for the rest of my life.”

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Annette Garber

The New Year is an exciting time to challenge yourself to do new things or continue working on resolutions that you made in the past, according to Annette Garber, marketing director at Women and Children’s Hospital. Garber makes resolutions every year, and she has about a 50 percent success rate at keeping those resolutions.

“Typically, my resolutions are more personal related, but in a marketing position, you set goals for the year and challenge yourself to do better than the year before,” she said.

Those personal resolutions often deal with weight loss and choosing healthier eating options, and Garber starts off the year strong, but when those festivals and summer barbecues start rolling in, it’s more difficult to maintain those healthy eating habits.

One ongoing resolution is especially important to Garber. “My family is Jamaican, and my mom is a fantastic cook, but she doesn’t use recipes,” she said.

“I have challenged myself to sit down and write down her recipes.”

Garber believes it’s easier to keep resolutions that benefit others, so when she is volunteering with special projects that involve fund-raising or helping people get fed, there’s a strong likelihood that she will stick with those projects.

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January 2014

For 2014, she is vowing to organize her tubs and tubs of photographs that go all the way back to elementary school. Putting the pictures in scrapbooks is a double-edged project – it’s a “de-cluttering” effort, but it also enables her to share the pictures with others. She also wants to take piano lessons. “As long as you are breathing, you can always learn something new,” Garber said.

Shannon Spell

Calcasieu Parish Police Juror and local businessman Shannon Spell doesn’t typically make New Year’s Resolutions, but he does set goals and he resolves to do his best to fulfill them.

“I try to take things one day at a time and focus on the goals that God puts before me,” Spell said. Those goals are generally both personal and professional, and while he doesn’t always achieve those goals, it’s not because he doesn’t try.

“I’m human, so there are failures and successes,” Spell said. “But I like to think I’ve had more success that failure. I consider myself a passionate person, so that provides the drive, discipline, and focus to achieve the things that I think make a difference.”

On those occasions when he doesn’t attain his goals, he has a fairly good understanding of why that occurs. “I think sometimes I try to do too much-trying to take big leaps instead of small steps. I think it is important to manage our goals in small steps so they can be achievable.”

Although Spell doesn’t start each year with a list of changes he wants to make, he does hang on to some New Year’s traditions. He eats cabbage and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, and for 2014, he has vowed to spend more time with his wife and children and to be effective at what he does on a day-today basis.

Patricia Prebula

Patricia Prebula was a senior in high school when she made her first New Year’s resolution, and the president of a local public relations firm has continued the tradition each year. “Every single year since I can remember, I’ve made a New Year’s resolution about exercise, diet and/ or losing weight,” Prebula said. As a senior, Prebula was wearing a size 12 and she really wanted to lose the weight. “I made the resolution, came up with an exercise plan and I did it,” she said.

For Prebula, that resolution was a commitment she really believed in. “I didn’t keep all the weight off,” she said. “In fact, I was on a weight roller coaster during college, but I did manage to continue my exercises and kept my weight from getting out of control.”

After she had her two children, her resolutions were to lose the baby weight she gained during pregnancy. Later, she made resolutions to try different exercise programs or to eat healthier foods.

Today, she is more focused on balance -- eating right, exercising to be fit and toned and to maintain her current weight in order to stay healthy. “I believe I’ve done a good job keeping my resolutions because they are realistic, practical goals.”

For 2014, her resolution is to take tennis lessons. “I really want to learn to play this game,” she said. “That means I have to free up time from doing other things to make it happen. I’m committed to doing it, so I hope to be successful.”

John Stelly

John Stelly, owner of Paramount Automotive, spends the New Year resolving to gain more wisdom and more discernment and to use that wisdom and discernment in making better decisions for his family and in his business.

“If you make decisions (based) just on what you feel and what you think, they are going to be one-dimensional,” Stelly said. “You shouldn’t make emotional decisions, but most of us are emotionally driven.

If you get more information, you make better long-term and short-term decisions.”

Stelly said his children range in age from 9 to 21, and he has to make the right decisions for them, and also help them make good decisions. In addition, he owns six automobile dealerships with 250 employees, and the decisions he makes impact those employees. “So between the two, I need to elevate my discernment and my wisdom,” he said. “When you gain more wisdom and more understanding, it keeps you off the hook in making an emotional decision. That is the basis for me, wisdom and understanding in everything. A lot of people rely on me; if I make a bad decision, it affects me, but also those people around me.”

Jen Kober

Comedian and actress Jen Kober makes New Year’s resolutions every year, and they’re usually work-related and very specific. Apparently, they are also very effective, because her career is booming as she has landed roles in television and on the big screen, in addition to her comedy routine.

Kober recalled one year when she wanted to make sure that she would have her first television appearance.

She resolved that year to work on a clean set so that she could use the material on television. “Determined to make it happen, I spent every single night for six months onstage trying to work that set out,” she said. “When I had it together, I was on TV in August of that year.”

This year, however, Kober’s resolutions are a bit more personal. “With so much great stuff happening with my career, I’m trying this year to focus on enjoying it,” she said. “I don’t want to have all these amazing moments and not be able to appreciate them as they happen. I am also resolving to spend more time in the sunshine and to read more books.”

Ronnie Johns

For State Senator Ronnie Johns, the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions has been around for as long as he can remember, and he has jumped on board just like many other people. “I’ve been like most people by wanting a fresh start at the first of the New Year,” Johns said. His resolutions have usually been of a personal nature,

continued on p16 January 2014

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RESOLUTION ROUNDUP such as starting a regular exercise routine, eating healthier and losing weight, or being more tolerant.

“But like most people, those thoughts seem to fade away only weeks after the New Year rolls around,” Johns said. “We all get caught up in the stress of our careers and our personal challenges and those ‘commitments’ seem to take a back seat. Change is difficult….whether it be in your personal life or your business career. Change can be very uncomfortable.

But change can happen with the right attitude.”

For 2014, Johns said the time has come in his aging process to take better care of himself. “Without health, we really have nothing,” he said. “So this coming year I plan to do what I have been putting off for years. I plan to exercise regularly, to eat healthier and control my weight, and to just overall take care of myself from a physical, mental, and spiritual aspect. A balanced life is a good and healthy life…Hopefully this time next year I can look back and say, ‘I did it!’”

The No-Hassle Way to Achieve Your Financial Goals

by Christine Fisher

If you’ve felt that financial goals are overwhelming, confusing or just plain boring, then keep reading! We’ve put together a sure-fire way for you improve your financial path.

Most of us make several financial-related resolutions. “People often try to tackle too many projects at once and quickly realize they’re in over their heads and they accomplish little to nothing,” said Lyles McDaniel, senior vice president with Lakeside Bank and branch manager of their new Oak Park location.

Here’s the new idea: take a look at common financial strategies and focus on the one that speaks to you. “By doing it this way, you won’t get overwhelmed and you’ll stay interested in it because the goal you choose will resonate with you,” McDaniel explained.

You can work on it until it’s accomplished; then when you’re ready, tackle another one. “The laser focus approach is one of the best ways to achieve a goal,” he said.

See which one of these financial resolutions resonates with you, then tackle it and watch the changes happen: I’ll focus on retirement savings. It’s best to start when you’re young to allow time to multiply your dollars, but no matter what your age is, start today.

If your employer offers a traditional 401(k) plan giving you the option to contribute pre-tax money, now is the time to sign up. If they offer to match your contribution, enroll immediately. Whether or not a 401(k) is an option, set aside money every month for your retirement. Make it part of your budget, just like a recurring bill. “Most household budgets can be trimmed quite a bit, especially if savings needs to be boosted. Aim to trim your budget by 10 – 20 percent and watch the savings add up,” said McDaniel.

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I’ll get control of my spending. If the latest gadget, the new shoes, or a night on the town siphons away too much of your money, now is the time to regain control. “Daily purchases, even if they are small, can quickly add up and derail your good intentions,” McDaniel explained. Many people have been successful with setting aside cash amounts for entertainment, clothing and other financial categories. When the cash is gone for the month, that’s all that can be spent. Try it for a few months and you’ll probably be surprised at how much you’ve saved.

I’ll get out of debt. Credit cards can be a blessing, but more often they’re a curse. “If you pay your credit card bill in full each month and do not carry a balance, then you’re fine. If you’re like the majority of Americans and carry a balance, you need to pay it off as soon as possible,” said McDaniel. The interest rate for credit cards is astronomical; some are as high as 30 percent. By only paying the minimum amount required, the debt continues to accumulate.

So, now that you’re on board to get out of debt, call each of your credit cards and ask for a lower rate; many times they’ll give it to you. Pay off the card with the highest interest rate first. Once it’s paid off, cut it up and use that money toward the next one.

Over time, you’ll begin to see the debt reduce. “This can be a big goal for people who have a lot of debt, but it’s also one of the most rewarding goals to achieve,” he said.

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I’ll set up a budget. If you’re throwing money here and there hoping to keep creditors away and mindlessly spending on things you want, then it’s time for a budget. “It doesn’t have to be a complicated spreadsheet created to take away your fun; budgets can be a simple list of how you spend your money. It’s a great way to see at a glance where your dollars are going,” explained McDaniel.

If you have no clue where your money is going at this point, start by writing down your expenses. It may take an initial investment of time, but you’ll find it’s well worth it. Then, write down your income each month and see how the two relate. Any extra can be added to your savings account. If you’re expenses and your income don’t line up, it’s time to trim how much you spend. Don’t worry; there are usually many things we spend money on that aren’t necessities. Be a detective and carefully look at all expenses to determine if they’re really needed.

Once you have a realistic budget and you’re able to save money each month, you’ll find the stress will begin to melt away.

If any of these goals catch your attention, and life would be better if you had it under control, then now is the time! Yes, it will need your focus and your energy, but getting your financial house in order is worth it. “All of these strategies are worthwhile and eventually, they should all be addressed, but choose one for now and start there,” suggested McDaniel. Taking them one at a time will increase the likelihood that you’ll see progress in just a few months.

January 2014

Focused on your Future

The Rau Financial Group: Mark Eckard, Debora Alexander, Denise Wilkinson, Denise Rau, Joel Istre, Eva Abate, Philip O’Quin

(337) 480-3835 | 1634 RYAN ST., LAKE CHARLES | www.raufinancialgroup.com

Whether it’s getting started with investing, saving for college, managing risk, preparing for retirement, arranging your estate, supporting an aging parent, or all of these, the experienced advisors at Rau Financial Group can help. We’ll listen to your goals and dreams first. Then we’ll develop a sound customized strategy to help you pursue them.

Let us help you take a closer look at your finances with a free consultation.

Denise Rau

Securities offered through LPL Financial Member FINRA/SIPC

It’s a new year and time to commit to a healthier life.

Our experienced certified trainers provide personal training services for all fitness levels and goals; plus, we offer nutrition counseling with CHRISTUS St. Patrick dietitians. From our wide variety of group fitness classes and GRIT (small group personal training), to the latest cardiovascular equipment, vast array of weight training machines and free weights, there’s something for everyone at CHRISTUS Louisiana Athletic Club.

bodyStep bodypump bodyFlow cX-WorX Grit cardio theaters yoga pilates Senior Group Fitness classes Spinning

complimentary child care available.

4429 Nelson Road (next to Market Basket) • 474-6601 • ChristusAthleticClubLakeCharles.org Your Partner in Wellness January 2014

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RESOLUTION ROUNDUP

New Year, A New, Fitter You

by Katie Harrington

Forty-five percent of American adults usually make a New Year’s resolution, according to results from a 2012 University of Scranton survey. At the top of this list? Losing weight.

Unfortunately, the same survey shows that only 39 percent of respondents in their 20s and 14 percent 50 or older will actually achieve success.

When it comes to fitness resolution success, Ellen Papania, fitness manager at CHRISTUS Louisiana Athletic Club--Lake Charles, says setting realistic goals and finding the right type of exercise for you are key. “If you haven’t been exercising, are completely sedentary, and resolve to begin working out five days a week as part of your resolution, chances are you aren’t going to maintain that. If you hate to run but resolve to run every day in the coming year, you are going to struggle with that too.”

Realistic, regularly reviewed goals can help keep your fitness resolutions on target.

“It takes 21 days to build a habit and baby steps can make any new habit easier to stick with. If you are going from doing nothing, then completing 30 minutes of some type of activity two to three times a week is more realistic and maintainable,” Papania says. “You also need to ask yourself regularly if what you are doing is working. Are you getting stronger, are you losing weight?”

She adds that once you commit to your goals it’s

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important to do it whether you feel like it or not.

“For 21 days there can be no excuses. I call this wax on/wax off. Whether you are seeing results or not, liking it or not, you complete the plan for six weeks.

After that point you can re-evaluate it and see if it’s working or not and then make changes from there.”

After you’ve set your goals it’s important to develop a plan to help you achieve them. Decide which days you are going to exercise, what you are going to do each session and for how long you will do it. For those who struggle with staying motivated, a buddy system can prove helpful.

“Working out with a buddy or participating in group fitness classes can help you be accountable,” Papania adds. “Pick someone who knows your goals and will keep you honest and committed.”

For those who’ve got an established routine and are just looking to shake things up in 2014, changing up your program may be just what the doctor ordered.

“If you find yourself in an exercise rut, try out a new group fitness class, change up your workout’s

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intensity level or maybe interject cardio into your weight lifting routine or vice versa,” says Papania.

“Something like the GRIT program maybe just the change needed.”

GRIT is a program now being offered at CHRISTUS Louisiana Athletic Club--Lake Charles that features high intensity interval workouts. The three or six-month program features small group workouts two to three times for 30 minutes a session.

“High intensity interval training (HIIT) has many proven benefits,” Papania says. “You burn more fat, more calories and can decrease your waist line all in 30 minutes just a couple times a week. It’s the perfect option for someone who is in a time crunch.”

For more information about the GRIT program call (337) 474-6601, or to learn more about achieving fitness resolution success at CHRISTUS Louisiana Athletic Club--Lake Charles, visit www.christusathleticclublakecharles.org.

January 2014

Tips for Smart Snacking

by Christine Fisher

Deprivation, be gone! Instead of trying to ignore your growling stomach and holding your willpower in a death grip, it’s okay to nibble throughout the day. Provided, of course, that your choices are good ones. In fact, snacking is a healthy way to incorporate nutritious foods into your everyday routine.

“Snacks are a great way to boost your energy level; they’re especially helpful if you start to dip into a slump mid-afternoon,” said Leslie Petross, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital. “The main thing is to stay away from empty calorie snacks, like chips and candy.”

Portion sizes are another thing to watch when you’re looking to snack smartly. You don’t want to consume enough calories to constitute a meal; you just want to stave off the hunger pangs and keep your blood sugar levels, and therefore your energy, stable.

Petross offered these tips for smart snacking: • Prepare small servings of your snacks so that you have them pre-portioned and ready to go whenever you get hungry.

• Choose nutritious foods such as berries, cheese, peanut butter, and vegetables.

• Aim to have a healthy balance of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, and fats.

• Listen to your body. Just because it’s okay to snack doesn’t mean you need to. If you’re full from your last meal three hours later, there’s no need to snack.

“Including a smart snack in your eating plan can help you feel energized and help you prevent binge eating,” Petross said. “Eating every few hours, if you’re hungry, also boosts your body’s metabolism and increases calorie burn.”

Pairing types of foods together make a big difference in how your body utilizes the nutrients.

For example, by eating a fruit with a little protein, your body will use the energy from the fruit quickly, and the protein provides longer-lasting fuel.

Know Your Numbers: Free Community Health Screening Offered

January 2014

Here are a few nutritious snack ideas: Cheese and grapes. It’s a simple and satisfying snack.

The grapes provide a quick energy boost and the protein in the cheese will help fill you up.

Yogurt with nuts and berries. Adding a little zing to a plain yogurt will make it feel like a special treat.

Celery with peanut butter. These can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator. Just pull them out whenever you’re hungry for a satisfying snack.

Homemade trail mix. Toss together a ½ cup of whole-grain cereal, 2 tablespoons of dried fruit such as raisins, papaya, or apricots, and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

The next time you’re famished and looking at a few hours before dinnertime, it’s okay to nibble a little, as long as it’s healthy. You’ll boost your energy and give your body extra nutrients when you choose smart snacks.

The Partnership for a Healthier Southwest Louisiana and the City of Lake Charles will offer a free health screening on Saturday, February 1, from 8 a.m. – 12 noon at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Local hospitals, CHRISTUS St. Patrick, Lake Charles Memorial, West Calcasieu Cameron and Women & Children’s, are partnering to offer this annual, comprehensive wellness screening program and provide 1,000 free health screenings. Screenings will assess risks for high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and diabetes.

Participants must fast with nothing to eat or drink for at least 4 hours before the screening and should Thrive Magazine for Better Living

take any morning medication with water or black coffee. Attendees will have access to on-site diabetes, nutrition and lifestyle change education as well as high risk counseling services. Wait time will be minimal and participants can arrive at any time from 8 a.m.–noon to take advantage of this valuable free screening.

The Know Your Numbers Health Screening event is a Dare to be Healthy initiative, made possible by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation’s $760,000 Challenge Grant, and is matched by approximately $832,000 in matching funds from collaborating organizations in the Southwest Louisiana area. www.thriveswla.com

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Clean your Closet

Keeping your Fitness Resolution

is a Snap

At Snap Fitness Country Club We’re under new ownership, with more resources and expert staff to help you achieve your fitness goals in 2014.

We offer: • 24-hour secure access • Affordable rates • The latest strength and cardio equipment • Personal training services • Muscle system evaluation • Fitness forums - ”education MATters” • Speed, agility, flexibility and/or high intensity, sport-specific programs

Start your New Year on a healthier path, at SNAP Fitness.

John Foret, Jr., BS, RTS, MAT, local health and fitness expert, certified Muscle Activation Technique specialist and owner of Muscle Activation of Louisiana is the new owner and operator of Snap Fitness Country Club, located at 2724 Country Club Road in the Albertson’s shopping center in Lake Charles.

A closet overhaul begins with creating stacks of the following: keep, donate, throw away and repair. This can be a daunting task for many of us but following these five quick tips from Closet Tailors you can consistently keep your closet in order.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

1

Hang your pants on the top hanging rod rather than the bottom. This will eliminate the shadow made by shirts, which can make a real difference when you are trying to choose between black, brown, and navy pants.

3 ••••

John Foret,

Personal Trainer and MAT Specialist for individual New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelican Players Get Fit Fast and Get Out Faster

Find other homes for items that are not clothes. Put photo albums and books in a bookcase, seasonal decorations can be placed into labeled storage bins and housed elsewhere. This will free up precious space for your wardrobe.

••••

5

••••

••••

When trying to downsize your wardrobe, turn your hangers of the items in question backwards, if they are still backwards at the end of the season, that means you haven’t worn them and your free to donate those items.

Closet accessories can help to keep a closet functioning properly, tie racks, belt racks, drawer inserts, etc. can go a long way in helping you get out of the door in the morning.

Drawers should be used for tops, bottoms and socks, in other words, your personals. Try not to stuff your pretty sweaters in drawers, you’ll just have to dig them out. Your wardrobe needs to be as visible as possible. No digging!

2

••••

4

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Call today for more information.

478-4525

Ask about our membership special!

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Closet Tailors is owned and operated by Samantha Hebert. The company proudly serves homeowners and businesses offering storage solutions for your garage, closets, pantries, mudrooms, home offices and even guest rooms through complimentary in-home estimates and consultations, professional measuring and installation. For more information on Closet Tailors please call (337) 564-0322.

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January 2014

!

Solutions for Life

from Solutions Counseling & EAP

by Keri Forbess-McCorquodale, MS, LPC, LMFT, CEAP

2014 – Resolve to Set Good Goals So, what is on your goal list for this year? You do have a list, don’t you?

You don’t?! Don’t feel bad, I haven’t made my list yet, either. Who says you have to work from a list that you make at the beginning of the year? Personal goal setting is an ongoing process.

But since the beginning of the year is traditionally the time people embark on developing resolutions, it’s a good time to talk about how to set yourself up for success when develop your personal goals. It’s important to understand that there are good goals, and bad goals.

Bad goals are goals that are unrealistic and/or overwhelming. Good goals are meaningful and achievable within the context of your life. Here are some tips: Presence instead of absence. Good goals are all about what will be. Write your goals in terms of the presence of an activity instead of the absence. So, “I will not eat sweets” is a bad goal. Anytime you tell yourself not to do something, it seems like it’s all you can think about.

Remember your parents telling you not to run/yell/be so loud? After that, it was all you wanted to do, right? Following that logic, “I will not eat sweets,” becomes, “I will eat fruit when I crave something sweet.”

Measureable. How will you know the level of your success? Can you see the results? “I will cut back on smoking,” is a bad goal. What does “cut back” mean? I’ll bet it’s going to depend on the day. Seems very namby-pamby to me. Commit! “I will smoke only five cigarettes a day,” is measureable and decreases your wiggle room.

Realistic. So, you want to get healthier, right? Let’s set a goal of you working out two hours a day, seven days a week.

No? What’s the problem? You’ll get healthier that way, and that’s what you

January 2014

wanted, isn’t it? Your “no way” reaction is because that goal is not realistic. As you are setting your own goals, keep in mind healthy changes you can make for the long term. Working out seven days a week doesn’t do much good if it lasts only one week!

Plan. How will you head towards your goal? What will you do when you crave that cigarette or that sweet? You need a plan. Are you going to take a walk? Are you going to chew a piece of gum? Decide ahead of time so when you are tempted, you already know how to handle the situation.

Manageable. You’ve decided you need to lose 100 pounds, have you? Well, let’s get to it. What? It’s been six weeks and all you’ve lost is 10 pounds? Forget it; it’s not worth all that work for 10 measly pounds. Wait - the problem here is not losing only 10 pounds. The problem is that you set a BAD GOAL. That goal was too big and overwhelming. Let’s go back to basics, and make it manageable.

Feedback. Giving yourself feedback along the way is very important, but be careful about what you tell yourself.

Being too harsh or critical about one stumble could easily lead to several days “off the wagon.” What would you tell someone you loved and cared for if they messed up? Would you call them “stupid,” “disgusting,” or “loser?” No, you wouldn’t. Why? Because that would make them feel bad. And when you feel bad, your likelihood for success decreases dramatically. So, don’t talk to yourself that way either. What you should tell that loved one (and yourself) is: “Okay, so you didn’t do so great that time. Pull yourself back together and get ready for the next time. You’re going to beat this thing, I just know it!”

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What about feedback when you are moving in the desired direction?

Frankly, that is even more important.

You need to acknowledge every step – even the very small steps. Once I was working with someone who was trying to lose weight once (which I immediately reframed as “getting healthy”). She came in very frustrated with herself because she had not started working out after our last appointment as she had planned. Imagine her surprise when I didn’t focus on what she had NOT done, but on what she had one.

Me: “Did you think about working out?”

Her: “Yes, I even got dressed, but I couldn’t make myself go.”

Me: “You got dressed?! That is awesome!!”

Her: “What? How is that awesome?”

Me: “Well, you weren’t even seriously thinking about working out before. Now, you’ve not only thought about it, but you actually got dressed to do it. You’re closer than ever!”

Her: “You know, you’re right. I never thought about it that way. I guess I am moving in the right direction” Guess who had worked out by the next session?

As we embark on our new year, and our new goals, I wish you measureable, realistic and manageable experiences!

Happy 2014!

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Places & Faces

first person with Monique delaHoussaye Breaux First Person is a monthly Q&A that features compelling people who excel in their chosen endeavors. Ideas for future Q&As? Email edit@thriveswla.com.

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by Katie Harrington and Kristy Armand photo by Shonda Manuel

January 2014

Posh: adjective \päsh\ 1) elegant, fashionable 2) very attractive, popular

I

completely visualize her design concept before it even begins. t’s a definition that is extremely accurate for POSH Exclusive Incidentally, this makes her a stickler for detail. Monique personally Interiors. The company began 20 years ago in the trunk creates and coordinates all facets of POSH Exclusive Interiors design of Monique delaHoussaye Breaux’s car. Born in Lafayette, projects, including custom furniture construction. Her extensive spending her early years in Cecilia, and growing up in Baton background in textiles and soft-good construction combined with Rouge, Monique knew naming her company something like POSH her construction background have enabled her to design one-of-aExclusive Interiors was setting the bar high, but she also knew she kind creations which are innovative, glamorous and award-winning. had nowhere to go but up. And up she went. After graduating with Although she has definitively established POSH Exclusive Interiors a design degree from LSU, she moved to Manhattan and completed as one of the most sought-after design firms in the country, Monique further studies at FIT (Fashion Institute of Technology). has stayed firmly connected to her Louisiana roots. Her state-ofMonique is now the president and principle designer for POSH the-art, 5,000 square foot design studio is located in the heart of Exclusive Interiors, which boasts a roster of clients from one end Lafayette, where she lives with her husband and two sons. of the country to another, and includes a few names you might Now, she’s bringing her unique style to Southwest Louisiana. With recognize: The Trump Organization, Dr. Sam Rizk, plastic surgeon to one local project already completed and new projects on tap for the the Stars , NFL players and several Hollywood A list movie stars. Her booming Lake Charles area, Monique is looking forward to doing work has been featured in several prominent publications such as House & Home, Designers Kitchens & Baths and the Robb report, just more work in our area. Thrive recently sat down with Monique and learned some of the secrets to her success. to name a few. She has also been featured in The coffee table book Visions of Design, and most recently she has been selected again by Panache Publishing as one the Home remodel for Patricia premier designers in the nation and she will be Prebula, Posh Exclusive Interior’s featured in another coffee table book, Luxurious first work in the area.

Interiors that is scheduled to be in bookstores the first of 2014. Monique participated in Home and Garden Television (HGTV) to compete as one of the aspiring designers on the TV show, Designers’ Challenge. She was selected by the homeowners as the designer to complete the project for HGTV. Because of her knowledge and experiences, Monique has authored several articles for design publications on the forefront of design. She has recently been featured on HGTV’s House Hunters.

Monique’s design portfolio includes traditional, transitional and contemporary design. Her sophisticated style and her unique approach to design give her a keen ability to I understand that you have a Southwest Louisiana connection. Can you tell me more about that?

My grandmother was from Sulphur. She was a Dunham who grew up on Dunham Road.

After my grandfather delaHoussaye died, my grandmother moved from Lafayette and lived in Lake Charles for a while. We often came to Lake Charles to visit when I was growing up.

January 2014

In 20 years you’ve managed to build a very successful business for yourself, with clients all over the country. Why did you choose Louisiana as your home base?

We’ve had multiple opportunities to move to other places, but I love living in Louisiana. I love knowing that Louisiana is my “home base.” We work primarily in Louisiana, Manhattan, Florida and Texas. However, I often feel like my home has wings since it’s typical for me to be called to worksites in California, Chicago or wherever. We work closely with the Trump Organization and

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Trump International Reality and have had the unique opportunity to meet amazing clientele all over the world which bring me to several different locations.

What is your theory on design?

The reality of the creation of unique design is that it surfaces in the form of innate talent. It doesn’t matter how many degrees you have, continued on p24

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Places & Faces | First Person you either possess it or you don’t. I sincerely feel that my success in this challenging industry is firmly based on my design abilities coupled with a strong footing in business. It’s obvious in this competitive industry that a designer must have business savvy to be successful.

What is POSH Exclusive Interior’s style?

My personal style is really irrelevant. I address the specific needs of each client through traditional, transitional and/or contemporary concepts. Being from Louisiana, I know traditional well. But since I received postgraduate training in New York, I quickly became accustomed to the prevalent soft contemporary look. Additionally, since we’ve also worked extensively in Miami, we’ve quickly learned that it doesn’t get more contemporary than that. When you combine these three styles, you have produced the POSH Exclusive Interiors style. As I have mentioned earlier, I never infuse my personal style in a design. It’s all about what the client wants. It always has been about the client, and always will be.

What sets your company apart from others?

We are committed to exceptional customer service and we pride ourselves on repeat

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business. Our industry consists of promises which, unfortunately, are often broken. At POSH Exclusive Interiors, however, we deliver what we promise… period! We provide everything from design, decorating and construction concept to completion, and everything in between depending on the client’s needs.

How did you branch out into the manufacturing sector?

The design portion of this business is second nature to me. I have no doubt that I can transform typically bland spaces from dull to phenomenal. However, to appoint them with the proper furnishings and window treatments takes time. Once I design it, I turn it over to the contractor for implementation. Unfortunately, I find a huge pitfall in the industry within the decorating phase. When a designer is addressing limited spaces like a New York City apartment accessible only with a small elevator or doorway or even in a Miami high-rise, the designer is limited by the architectural space available. Although I have some great vendors, when I am confined by restrictions that are beyond my control, I have no other option than to designing my own furniture. This reality required POSH Exclusive Interiors to branch off

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

into the design-manufacturing end. So now I, along with my team, design and manufacture furniture in the United States. We can now usually fit any space in a short two weeks. This turnaround effort is completely unheard of in the industry. One of our most impressive claims-to-fame is that we worked hand-in-hand with the Trump organization on one of their Park Avenue properties and completed our project, an 8,000-square-foot penthouse, in a mere two weeks. It was completely furnished and installed from design to manufacturing.

There is no other firm that could have done what we did in such a short time. It goes back to business and back to creating opportunities and delivering. Our custom design furniture is affordable, glamorous and comfortable. It is designed based on the client’s needs and physical size, which is over looked in our market.

What’s your personal secret to success?

I am very organized, and I think that has been the foundation for making my business a success. I often look at challenging situations as an opportunity to perform. I’ve done this my whole life. After receiving calls from designers across the country about my design shown

January 2014

on HGTV, I realized that I did have a gift and that is simply that I can forecast my designs in completion. I am able to walk into a space and within the first 30 seconds I can read the space, the client, their goal and foresee the completed project, and all within their desired budget. I make amazing design simple for the client and I deliver. Our clients don’t want or need additional headaches in their life, and having a glamorous home should be easy and require little effort on their part. I personally am impatient and a perfectionist, I want things to happen fast, my clients are no different.

They want to commit to a design and see it quickly. Four to six months to wait for custom furniture or the implementation of design is not acceptable.

How do you balance being a mother, wife and business owner?

The same way you eat a whole pie!!!!...One piece at a time. My day is filled with clients, travel, construction and design issues. I work well under pressure and almost impossible timelines because I am organized and I start my day before dawn. When you love what you do, you find balance or you will not succeed.

It’s not uncommon for me to have breakfast

January 2014

in one state, lunch in another and then dinner in a third. Balance is key and as much as I love what I do, my family is first. I have a wonderful husband and 2 amazing boys, 15 and 5 years old. My children also understand that my work has provided many amazing opportunities they have been given and continue to receive.

Life is about push and pull and I, like many other working mothers, do a pretty good job at juggling it all.

You’ve mentioned that this is a tough industry to work in. Did you always want to be in this industry? What keeps you motivated?

I grew up with a mother ( Mary Hardy delaHoussaye- Belleau) who had an amazing career. She is a very strong woman. My father was a Marine fighter pilot and was killed in action in Vietnam two months before I was born. My brother ( Dr. A.J. delaHoussaye) is 18 months older and my amazing uncle (Dr. Florent (Pon) Hardy) , the Louisiana State Archivist, helped raise us. A.J. and I have always been surrounded by solid, grounded family and friends. My mother always told me there was nothing I couldn’t do and I believed it. I thought the world was mine for the taking!

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My mom was a widow with two kids, but we never saw her falter. We just assumed that we held the reigns and there was nothing in life that we couldn’t do. I knew that I wanted to be a designer and have my own design firm since I was five years old and fortunately today there’s nothing in my industry that I can’t do with my own hands. I think that’s very important. Everything in life now is disposable, but designed construction with my name on it is going to be permanently attached to my projects. Great style is timeless, and that is the essence of POSH Exclusive Interiors.

For more information about POSH Exclusive Interior’s services, visit www.poshinteriors.com or call 877-769-3346.

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25

Places & Faces

Hebert Takes Financial Planning to a New Level

by Katie Harrington

Being named 2013 Council President, representing New York Life’s United States Agent Group, was a huge honor for Lake Charles native Sam Hebert, and rightfully so. He competed with approximately 12,000 agents from the smallest towns to the largest cities in the nation, including graduates from prestigious universities like Harvard.

This once-in-a-career honor is given to an agent only after a thorough inspection of their practices in delivering support to their clients. Hebert, whose career with the company spans 20 years, has worked hard to stand out in his field over the years, receiving recognition for his mentorship, education and sales just to name a few.

“I’ve tried to be better than I was yesterday, whether it’s a better man, father, husband or agent,” says Hebert. “The more I observe of myself, the more I see what I can improve.”

With improvement comes clarity, Hebert adds—clarity that pushes him towards excellence. “I’ve come to accept that expansion and growth is to be embraced, not avoided because it’s uncomfortable. In other words, the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t know. This awareness leads to faster changes.”

This latest recognition is about new platforms, he says. “It’s important to my learning as an agent, as it gives me access to brilliant people around the globe and puts me on advisory boards in New York where I can engage in new ways of problem solving for my clients.”

He adds that change is constant, and it’s important to keep up with the opportunities awarded through change. “There is a huge level of trust involved in what I do. My clients share an area of themselves with me that they don’t want most people in their lives. I need to be able to share the latest with them in regards to retirement planning, dying too soon, their money, estate protection, taxes, the economy and family health issues just to name a few.”

In his new leadership role, Hebert hopes to inspire others in leadership positions to positively affect those around them. “This has been a wonderful journey, made possible by the idea that if you change the way you look and think then you can empower yourself and the world around you. My goal is to empower and enroll myself towards excellence, my clients towards financial independence and the people around me towards peace and ambition.”

For more information, contact Sam Hebert Financial Group at (337) 436-7797.

26 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

nationally ranked in 12 specialties. the difference between practicing medicine and leading it.

When a diagnosis can affect your life, how far would you travel for the best? As one of the best hospitals in America, according to U.S. News & World Report, Houston Methodist is the choice of patients from around the country for their critical health needs.

That’s why we offer complimentary medical and concierge services for out of town patients, making it as easy as possible for patients to access the best. For appointments, trip-planning assistance and more, call 877.790.DOCS. houstonmethodist.org/usa

January 2014

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

www.thriveswla.com

27

Places & Faces

Golden Nugget Topping Out Ceremony The Golden Nugget Casino recently held it’s topping out ceremony to celebrate reaching top elevation for its Lake Charles project.

“This is a ceremonial thing you do to drive out evil spirits and give you good luck,” said Tillman Ferttita, president and sole owner of the project. “Being that this is a casino project, we want lots of good luck.”

The $600 million project, when completed, will feature 715 rooms, an 18-hole championship golf course, a private beach and marina, all-new casino floors and several award-winning Landry’s-owned Restaurants.

28 www.thriveswla.com

“Being in Louisiana is great, it’s close to home, and to build a project that is one of the largest being built in America right now is incredible,” added Ferttita. “From the rooms and the restaurants, to the casino, golf course and pools, it’s going to truly be one of the nicest casinos every built.”

For more information on the Golden Nugget Casino project, visit www.goldennuggetlc.com.

A Christmas tree was placed on the top level of the Golden Nugget Casino on December 6, 2013, in the ceremonial topping out ceremony.

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January 2014

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We’ve got a doc for that.

We’re Imperial Health, the region’s largest, independent multispecialtiy medical group, with over 40 doctors ready to care for you and your family.

Just as parts of the human body work together to function as a whole, our primary care physicians and specialists work as a team, sharing resources and expertise to provide excellent care, from minor illness and injuries to more serious, ongoing health conditions.

When you need a doctor, choose one you know and trust at Imperial Health.

January 2014

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

www.imperialhealth.com

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29

Places & Faces story and photos by Jody Carroll

Welcome to On any given Saturday, an average of 120 people can be found coming and going from the Quad, the area’s newest hangout for toddlers, teens and those in between. Owners Deb and Mark McCormick of Sulphur say they opened the venue with the hopes of offering a fun place for kids.

“We have three boys ranging in age from high school to middle school to elementary school and, like most parents, we look for ways to keep our kids engaged,” Deb said.

The McCormicks wanted a Sulphur-based venue with a retro twist—a place with less technology and more old-fashioned fun, designed to keep kids active in their minds, bodies, imaginations and social circles.

Amber Case (a Quad Squad member) says there are a variety of attractions available, all operated by fellow members of the Quad Squad, an extraordinary group of older teens and college students whose mission is to make sure that every visitor has a positive experience.

Focusing on the younger crowd, The Quad has “Q-Ville,” a town square set inside half walls so that parents can relax knowing their little ones are in a

30 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

safe area. Teens and Tweens rule the main areas, where they can chill, compete, celebrate or have a fun social gaming experience.

The large game room and mini-gym are designed to keep kids socially interactive. From ping- pong, basketball, air hockey, and shuffle board to round-the-clock activities for the mind and imagination, kids are encouraged to “tune in to the people around them, not tune them out,” Deb says.

At any moment, a member of the Quad Squad will have an “open call” for those interested in a game of Pictionary, Trivia Buzz or Charades. The mini-gym provides “Radical Recess” activities like dodge ball, four squares, tug-a-qar, and wall ball.

The Quad also caters to field trips, birthday parties, and holiday-themed parties. Hours are 3-6 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and 10 a.m-6 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday. An admission fee is required.

Extended hours are available during holiday breaks and teacher in-service days. The Quad is located at 2901 Maplewood Drive. For updates, follow them on Facebook.

January 2014

Future FIND YOUR

in

PART 1 Residential and Commercial Property Now Available Imagine a simpler time, a better way of living. A place where

community is more than just a word – it’s a way of life. Welcome to Walnut Grove.

Nestled in 60 acres of natural beauty in the historic heart of Lake Charles, this premier traditional neighborhood development is uniquely designed to look and feel as if it naturally evolved over the course of the last century.

A variety of home styles seamlessly blend traditional Louisiana architecture with modern amenities in this community that was built for connectivity, with a picturesque town square, wide open walkways, tranquil parks and the convenience of shops and restaurants just a short walk away.

Walnut Grove’s commercial area incorporates a mix of professional businesses, boutique retail shops and restaurants, with options to rent or buy.

Discover the difference at Walnut Grove. Call our sales office today at 497-0825.

West Sallier Street, Lake Charles www.walnutgrovetnd.com

Call (337) 497-0825 for information on residential or commercial property in Walnut Grove.

Visit us at the Home Show: Booth 103 January 2014

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

2070 Jabez Drive

call for an appointment www.thriveswla.com

31

Places & Faces

Movers and Shakers in Southwest News? You tell us! Send press releases to Louisiana... Who’s edit@thriveswla.com with the subject line “Who’s News.”

Dr. Abushamat Named CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Award Recipient Abdel-Raouf F. Abushamat, M.D., was named the CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital 2013 John Greene Martin Compassionate Care Abdel-Raouf F. Abushamat, MD Award recipient at the Annual CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital Physician Christmas Party held at L’Auberge Casino Resort. Dr. Abushamat, Nephrologist, has been on the medical staff of CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital for 17 years.

Sara Judson Named Chief Executive Officer The Board of the Community Foundation of Southwest Louisiana has named Sara McLeod Judson as Chief Executive Officer. The Community Foundation of SWLA’s Sara Judson mission is to unite human and financial resources to effect permanent positive culture change. For more information, call (337) 491-6688.

Dr. Brad LeBert Relocates ENT Practice Local Ear, Nose and Throat Specialist (ENT), Dr. Brad LeBert, has relocated his medical practice to 501 Dr. Michael DeBakey Drive (2nd Floor) in Lake Charles. Dr. LeBert, a Lake Brad LeBert, MD Charles native, specializes in the medical and surgical treatment of a variety of diseases and disorders of the ear, nose and throat, as well as related structures of the head and neck.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. LeBert, please call (337) 312-8564.

32 www.thriveswla.com

Dr. Steve Springer Receives National Recognition Steve Springer, M.D., Imperial Health Family Medicine Physician, was recognized as the Most Influential Doctor and Top Doctor in the Lake Charles region and the Top Family Steve Springer, MD Physician in Louisiana by HealthTap, a medical expert network comprised of over 50,000 U.S. licensed doctors dedicated to improving people’s health and well-being by providing registered users with personalized health information and free online and mobile answers.

For more information, call (337) 436-1370.

Memorial Welcomes Dr. Samuel E. Sprehe, MD, FACS Memorial Medical Group welcomes otolaryngologist and allergist, Samuel E. Sprehe, MD, to its staff. His office is located at Southwest Louisiana Ear, Nose and Samuel E. Sprehe, MD Throat, 1890 W. Gauthier Road, Suite 205. For more information, call (337) 480-5595.

Charles Viccellio Retires After 57 Years of Service The law firm of Stockwell, Sievert, Viccellio, Clements & Shaddock, L.L.P. honored one of its founding partners, Charles D. Viccellio, who has retired effective Charles D. Viccellio December 31, 2013.

Mayor Randy Roach honored Mr. Viccellio with a proclamation. For more information, visit www. ssvcs.com or call (337) 436-9491.

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

Sowela Awards Customer Service Star Award

Dr. Neil Aspinwall and William Mayo

William E. Mayo was awarded the 2013 Southwest Louisiana Technical Community College (SOWELA) Customer Service Star Award. Twice a year during fall and spring semester, an outstanding faculty or staff member is recognized for exemplary service and presented with the Customer Service STAR Award. The award recognizes achievements in the area of providing faster, friendlier, and easier service to the College’s customers. For more information, visit www.Sowela.edu.

Turkey Trot 5K and Kid-K Winners Announced The Greater Lake Charles Rotary Club promoted health and wellness while raising funds to support scholarships at the club’s second annual Turkey Trot 5K and Kid-K. One hundred and seventy-six runners participated in the fun run and walk at Enos Derbonne Sports Complex on Lake Street. Geoff Landry and Ariel Harrington were the overall male and female winners of the 5K race. For more information, visit www.turkeytrotswla.com.

2013 Turkey Trot Race Results NAME CATEGORY Jules Hardy Kid-K, 12 and Under, Male Sydney Manuel Kid-K, 12 and Under, Female Geoff Landry 5K, Overall, Male Ariel Harrington 5K, Overall, Female Ariel Harrington 5K, 12 and Under, Male/Female Javier Bojorquez 5K, 13-19, Male/Female Kyndal Comeaux 5K, 20-29, Male Morgan Darby 5K, 20-29, Female Jason Boone 5K, 30-39, Male Tonya McNight 5K, 30-39, Female Geoff Landry 5K, 40-49, Male Sandra Hayes 5K, 40-49, Female Alvin Midkiff 5K, 50-59, Male Gloria McGuirt 5K, 50-59, Female Ray Burch 5K, 60+, Male January 2014

Family & Youth Honors Pinnacle Light of Hope Awardees

Kohl’s Associates in Action

Lake Charles Police Department

Kohl’s Associates in Action, Lake Charles Police Department- Sex Crimes Unit and Amanda McElveen were honored as recipients of the 2013 Pinnacle Light of Hope award for their outstanding work in advocating for the welfare and well being of children and youth in Southwest Louisiana. Presented by Pinnacle Entertainment Foundation, the awards honors individuals who serve as advocates for children in our community through Family & Youth Counseling Agency’s (Family & Youth) Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC), Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and Children & Families Action Network (CFAN).

Amanda McElveen

Armand Joins Staff of Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce Haley Armand has joined the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce as events director. A graduate of Louisiana State University, she earned a bachelor in mass communication and a master’s in public administration. Her work experience includes positions with Louisiana Economic Development, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, Southwest Louisiana Economic Haley Armand Development Alliance, Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, Healthy Image Marketing Agency, Prebula Public Relations/Axiall, Dream Street Productions and Thrive Magazine. In her new position, Armand is responsible for the planning, coordination, and execution of all chamber events.

January 2014

Jones Named West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital Safety Award Recipient

Michael Jones

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital recently named Michael Jones, registered nurse, as the recent recipient of its Safety Award. The award, which honors employees for their promotion of safety and safety awareness in and around the hospital, is distributed to those employees that demonstrate extraordinary awareness and action in minimizing potential safety risks.

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33

Money & Career

secret superpowers of the

by Erin Kelly

SUPERSUCCESSFUL Ask people to describe the typical

characteristics of a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, and few would envision Elizabeth McCormick. It’s difficult to imagine a field more dominated by men than the cockpit of one of the military’s most recognizable aircraft, but McCormick blazed her way through a long line of naysayers to find her way into the pilot’s seat. She shattered glass ceilings, exceeded other people’s expectations, accomplished her dreams, and paved the way for future success. Not just for herself, but others.

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Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

She flew missions such as air assault and rappelling, command and control, VIP, and military intelligence. She supported United Nations peacekeeping operations in Kosovo, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for excellence in service, and was awarded the Congressional Veteran Commendation in 2011.

The path between McCormick and the Black Hawk wasn’t easy, but she persevered. Why, then, do so many others stumble along their own paths? Why can’t everyone find the pot of success at the end of the uphill rainbow?

According to McCormick, who now travels internationally as a motivational speaker, anyone can get where they want to go. If you’re having trouble getting there, it’s probably because someone’s standing in your way.

More often than not, that person is you.

“It’s up to you to determine your pathway, but it may not be a paved road and sometimes it requires a four-wheel drive and a willingness to get a little muddy,” McCormick says.

If you want to break out of a personal or professional rut and lift yourself to success, you have to arm yourself with the same mixed bag of superpowers that has allowed people like McCormick to fly.

Superpower of the Super-Successful: They accept who they are.

We’ve long been told to quash negative thoughts and become positive Pollyannas to get what we want out of life. But according to Garrison Wynn of Houston-based Wynn Solutions, that may not be true.

“Positive thinking is not how most people succeed. That’s a myth,” says Wynn, author of The Real Truth about Success. “Who you are is who you are. It’s not about changing who you are to become

successful. It’s about accepting who you are and adapting to that.”

Both McCormick and Wynn say that the most successful people not only accept and believe in themselves, they also accept and believe in their dreams.

According to Wynn, misguided expectations of life can prevent people from truly accepting and achieving their true visions of success. He says he’s talked to men who wanted to become teachers, but nixed the idea because it didn’t seem financially practical.

He’s talked to women who wanted something other than marriage and family, but resisted the idea because it’s not what’s expected of them.

“You have to understand what you want versus what you think you want,” Wynn says. “You have to be honest with yourself. You have to believe that what you want is okay.”

Superpower of the Super-Successful: They don’t dream.

They act.

A lot of people dream about their perfect life, but few have an actual plan on how to get there. Successful people don’t dream. They act.

“Let’s say you want a new cell phone.

You can sit on the couch all day and think about this new cell phone you want, but you’re not gonna get one until you actually get up and go to the store,” Wynn says. “Successful people understand that. They know what they January 2014

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

want and they spend time figuring out exactly out to get there.”

One of the biggest roadblocks to success is getting comfortable in stagnant routines and mired in indecision. “Choosing not to take action is still a choice,” McCormick says. “Why not choose a positive action?”

Successful people are productive people, Wynn notes. They make a conscious effort toward productivity. Rather than live “a reactionary life on autopilot,” as McCormick puts it, they ask themselves if what they did today will help them get somewhere tomorrow.

“We have a tendency to spend time doing things that don’t help us get where we want to go,” Wynn says. “But you can’t think yourself into action.”

Superpower of the Super-Successful: They’re willing to hustle.

Unfortunately, life is no fairy tale. Just because John Doe wants to be a teacher doesn’t mean he can quit his lucrative job tomorrow and march into a classroom. There are at least a dozen things John Doe has to do first. Go back to college. Build a savings. Downsize his lifestyle. Adapt. Adjust. But such is the life of the most successful among us, McCormick says.

“Highly successful people believe in their potential success and are willing to invest time and money into developing that potential,” she says.

“They are lifelong learners.” Plenty of people dream about their own version of a perfect life, but few are willing to do what it takes to get there. Success requires sacrifice. It isn’t easy. continued on p36

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35

Money & Career

secret powers

continued from p35

Superpower of the Super-Successful: They try and fail.

“You have to ask yourself: Am I willing to give up something, or do I just magically want to get what I want without having to give anything up?” Wynn says.

Want to be the star of your own dream? “Be willing to take a risk,” McCormick says. “Maybe it’s that aviator training, but I love to try new things, especially technology. It forces me to think more creatively and problem solve in different ways than I normally would. And when I fail--you know, the big epic fail--I assess what worked, what didn’t work, and how I can do it differently next time.” Superheros of success don’t see failure as the end of a chapter.

They see it as the beginning of another one. They turn failure into opportunity.

“Guess what? You’re going to fail at some point. We all do. It’s up to you to decide: Does the outcome from achieving your goal mean more than your fear?”

And you can’t be embarrassed or scapegoat out of those failures, either.

According to Wynn, you have to hold yourself accountable if you want to learn and move on.

Superpower of the Super-Successful: They’re tenacious.

When McCormick first walked into the recruiting station to join the military as a helicopter pilot, the recruiter said she couldn’t. Rather than walk out, McCormick asked why. She didn’t get an answer the first three times. Fourth time was the charm.

“I was finally able to draw out of the recruiter that he didn’t know how to do the paperwork,” McCormick says. “Since he didn’t know how to do it, I read the regulations and learned how to do it myself.”

That’s the thing about the super-successful: When the going gets rough, they don’t throw in the towel. “Even when I was failing flight school due to prejudice and I didn’t know how I was going to make it through, I still showed up. I didn’t call in sick. I didn’t just go through the motions. I kept showing up day after day and gave it my best,” McCormick says. “How are you showing up?”

36 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

Think LikeYou’re You may think that your only shot at getting rich is a lottery ticket or an unexpected inheritance from a long-lost uncle, but you’d be wrong.

There are other ways to pile-up the dough, and you don’t have to strike oil. What you need is patience, knowledge, and a starting point.

“Most people underestimate their ability to accumulate wealth,” said Mark Eckard, LPL Financial Advisor with Rau Financial Group. “They think it’s not possible or it’s beyond their reach.

But it doesn’t have to be. If you develop goals and understand the steps to get there, you can start building wealth today. You may not be Bill Gates, but you’ll be better off than where you started. It’s important to keep in mind that wealth isn’t about what you spend. It’s about what you keep. And you can adopt a philosophy toward money that helps you achieve your goals, even without that rich uncle or a six-figure salary.”

So, what is this philosophy? What are the common attitudes that help create the wealthiest among us?

“In general, the most financially successful people follow proven wealth-building strategies and share common attitudes about money,” Eckard said.

Understand. Income differences alone have little to do with disparities in wealth, according to a study conducted by economics professors from Dartmouth College and Harvard University.

Observing that some of the lowest-earning households in the study had managed to accumulate significant wealth, the researchers concluded that most of the disparity was a result of how much the households chose to save.

Save. People who experience long-term and progressive financial success live comfortably, but not necessarily extravagantly. To them, financial independence is more important than pretension.

January 2014

Rich

“In this era of consumption, it can be difficult to understand the difference between being independently wealthy and engaging in shows of wealth,” Eckard said. “It’s hard to live modestly when people around you consistently consume.

Traveling, eating-out, expensive technology— sometimes it seems that everyone around us has more money than we do. But you’d be surprised at the number of people who live well within their means, to the point that they’ve developed financial independence. That’s where you want to be. You don’t want to be the person living beyond your means. Pay yourself first. If you don’t, you’ll pay for it later. “ Invest. Stowing money in the mattress or in savings accounts might give you a much needed rainy-day cushion, but it doesn’t build real wealth. To build the kind of wealth that gives you independence and security, you have to invest.

“It’s vital to put your money into things that grow in value if you want to build yourself up financially,” Eckard said. “This means things like mutual funds, stocks, bonds, and real estate. The key is to talk to a trusted financial advisor—don’t go out on your own, and definitely don’t follow fly-by-night hunches from family, friends, or infomercials. You need a solid, diversified portfolio

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

that reflects your genuine interests and goals, and the best way to do that is to talk to someone who knows. Don’t be afraid of investments. Put aside your skepticism and talk to someone that can help you create long-term goals that make sense.”

Plan. Many people go through their daily lives with little or no planning or thought toward their financial future. “Young people in particular pay little attention to things like retirement,” Eckard said. “There’s often a tendency to put things out of our minds until it comes up. Personal finance is one of those areas where you don’t want to wait until it ‘comes up,’ Because next thing you know, you’re sixty-five and have absolutely no financial plan.” A study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College found that households in which someone thought “a lot” about retirement had twice as much wealth heading into retirement as households in which there was little or no planning. “You need to have a good grasp of how much money you have, and you need to be involved in decisions about your goals and investment options,” Eckard said.

For more information about developing a personal wealth-building strategy, call Rau Financial Group at (337) 480-3835 or visit www.raufinancialgroup.com.

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37

Money & Career

Business Disaster Case Management ” Non-Profit Organization Launched companies should remember that A new non-profit organization, they were once small businesses,” he Business Disaster and Recovery said.

Case Management International, Kirk Burleigh, owner of Cameron was recently launched to provide Fire Equipment experienced total assistance to businesses in South business loss when Hurricane Rita and Louisiana and beyond. It’s a one-stop then Hurricane Ike destroyed his shop. shop to guide and counsel business He received assistance on finding clients through disaster or personal resources thanks to Business Disaster crisis by providing proactive solutions Case Management. for disaster preparedness and Dr. John Noble, Jr., board member recovery. and physician with Imperial Health’s Cathy Denison-Robert, PhD, Center for Orthopaedics said, “There is executive director and founder, is a no one-stop shop like this available to graduate of Louisiana State University businesses to help them recover from and McNeese State University and has over 20 years of experience in working a devastating event. It’s a service we with grant projects, consulting programs, training initiatives, There is no one-stop shop entrepreneurship,

like this available to businesses educational and research to help them recover from a efforts, including directing devastating event. federal, state and foundation projects. ~Dr. John Noble, Jr. She has experienced business and personal devastation first-hand desperately need in our area.” from Hurricane Rita and played an Business Disaster Case Management instrumental role in helping hundreds was incorporated in Louisiana in of businesses connect to disaster September, 2013, on Hurricane recovery grants and loans.

Rita’s 8th Anniversary and following At the organization’s kick-off Hurricane Katrina’s 8th Anniversary. event, several area business leaders Business memberships are available explained how they had been impacted recently by Business Disaster for a nominal fee. Businesses of all sizes are encouraged to join.

Case Management’s services. They Donors and sponsors are needed included Tiffany Bourque Ashley to provide start-up funds to help with Nina P’s restaurant, which was provide business case management destroyed recently in a fire. “We didn’t services for business clients who are know where to go for help or where economically disadvantaged. to send our employees. Dr. DenisonRobert was a wealth of knowledge and helped point us in the right direction,” For additional information, contact Cathy Denison-Robert, Ashley said.

PhD, at (337) 310-0923 or send Reggie Ball, Jr., owner of Ball’s an email to cdenisonrobert@ Cajun Foods, spoke of the difficulty businesscasemanagementint.org. in running a small business and competing with larger chains. “Large

Pictured L-R, Tiffany Bourque Ashley with Nina P’s; Kirk Burleigh with Cameron Fire Equipment and Cathy Denison-Robert, executive director Reggie Ball, owner of Ball’s Cajun Foods, spoke at the launch about the struggles of being a small business.

“

”

38 www.thriveswla.com

Dr. Noble explained the need for this organization and its projected growth.

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January 2014

Whatever your plans this weekend, we’re ready to join you.

Working with more than 3000 Louisiana businesses across 63 parishes, all of us at LCI Workers’ Comp truly appreciate unwinding after a long workweek. For more than 20 years, we’ve been working hard to help all kinds of local companies grow and prosper, providing local businesses with competitive rates, great service, and excellent coverage. So whether you’re throwing a line or just roasting a few marshmallows, we’re with you Louisiana. lciwc.com :: 985-612-1230 January 2014

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39

Money & Career

Ways to BOUNCE BACK from a Mistake on the Job

by Christine Fisher

Mistakes happen. After all, we’re human and juggling tasks simultaneously. As much as we want to appear as a superhero to our fellow coworkers, and most of all, the boss, sometimes it all falls apart. Blunders, slip-ups, gaffes, errors— whatever the label, little snags come up. And when you mess up at work, and it’s a big deal; it’s tempting to crawl under your desk and hide.

We hit ‘reply all’ in an email where we’ve written something, well, not meant for all. We don’t get the package shipped on time for a

critical meeting. We approve a project that has a huge error in it.

The bottom line is, we messed up. Now what do we do?

“Resist the urge to hide under your desk,” said Kendall LeJeune, MA, LPC, therapist with Solutions Counseling and EAP. “Even though we want to bury it, if it causes your boss or your company to look bad, you need to own up to it.”

ACCEPT THE FALLOUT.

OWN IT. DON’T TRY TO BLAME OTHERS. IF IT WAS A GROUP MISTAKE, AT LEAST TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR PART OF IT. “EXCUSES AREN’T HELPFUL AT THIS POINT. DEPENDING ON THE ERROR AND THE TYPE OF JOB, THE TIME IMMEDIATELY AFTER AN ERROR IS LIKELY THE MOST CRITICAL,” HE SAID. “ROLL UP YOUR SLEEVES AND DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO CORRECT IT.”

YOUR BOSS MIGHT BE ANGRY. YOU MAY LOOK INCOMPETENT. YOU MAY LOSE RESPECT. ALL YOU CAN DO IS LEARN FROM IT AND MOVE ON. “CHANCES ARE, THOSE AROUND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND AND YOU’LL ALL TAKE AWAY A VALUABLE LESSON FROM THE EXPERIENCE,” SAID LEJEUNE. IT MAY TAKE TIME TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE, BUT BE PATIENT AND CONTINUE TO WORK HARD.

KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.

OFFER A SOLUTION. THIS MISTAKE COULD SHINE A LIGHT ON THE PROBLEM OF NOT DOUBLE-CHECKING ENOUGH. PERHAPS A FEW MINUTES OF QUALITY CONTROL WOULD PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE. “IF SO, THAT’S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU CAN TURN A MISTAKE INTO SOMETHING HELPFUL IN THE FUTURE,” HE EXPLAINED.

After you’ve accepted responsibility and handled the aftermath, it’s time to demonstrate to your boss that you’ve made changes. It will help reassure them that you’re on top of the situation now.

One of the worst things to do after making

40 www.thriveswla.com

It’s helpful to know that most people overreact to their own mistakes. The incident looms over their heads like a giant balloon and it’s hard to see past it. In reality, most blunders can be turned into a learning experience, provided it’s acknowledged and everyone moves forward.

LeJeune advised these steps for turning goofups into golden opportunities:

IN MOST CASES, YOU HAVEN’T CAUSED IRREPARABLE DAMAGE. ZOOM OUT FROM THE SITUATION; MAYBE AFTER THE DUST SETTLES, YOU CAN FIND THE HUMOR OR AT LEAST THE POSITIVE SIDE. “DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES. IT’S HOW WE LEARN THE BEST LESSONS,” SAID LEJEUNE.“TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN WHAT YOU CAN FROM IT AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD.”

a significant mistake is to become defensive or blame others. It will only deepen the pit and make it much more difficult for you to climb out with dignity.

“Mistakes aren’t a sign of weakness. In fact, for those who learn from them, blunders can

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help make a good employee even better. They become more conscientious and resilient,” LeJeune said. “They’ve weathered the storm and came out ahead.”

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41

Money & Career

Businesses Thriving in Incubator

(L-R) Matthew Lundmark, Tyson Queen, Zack Wyatt and Benny Nguyen

If you want to start a business, you need more than a great idea. You need a plan, and funding.

Clients at the Southwest Louisiana Entrepreneurial and Economic Development Center (SEED) spend a lot of time trying to figure out ways to get access to capital and those efforts are enhanced with the help of local investors and good old-fashioned ingenuity.

“Lack of access to capital and managerial skills are among the major reasons that small businesses do not succeed,” said Adrian Wallace, executive director of the SEED Center. “The ability to access early stage funding and leverage the needed resources are immensely important for our incubator clients.”

Recently, GoGoGrocer, owned by Matt Lunmark and Tyson Queen, obtained funding from Angels of Southwest Louisiana (a member of the Angel Capital Association). Queen said the capital provided by the investment group will be used for the company’s development.

GoGoGrocer is a developer of a Click and Mortar Solution for medium-sized grocery chains seeking to differentiate, boost customer loyalty and profitability. The company is entering a market 42 www.thriveswla.com

dominated by Amazon and major grocery chains.

“As a Louisiana-based startup, GoGoGrocer, one of this year’s McNeese State University Business Pitch Competition Winners, and resident of the new SEED Center Business Incubator, is fortunate to have a regional organization like the Angels of Southwest Louisiana invest in our company,” Queen said. “In addition to providing critical working capital, we are excited about having an Angel member join our Board of Directors, which further strengthens our management team.”

The business partners knew nothing of the Angel group until they were introduced to some of its members. Afterwards, the investors invited Queen and Lunmark to make a presentation.

“At times the relationship between the person and investor plays a lot into how a deal develops.

The investor has to be able to trust the person they may do business with. On our side, we realized that you have to be likeable, open minded and willing to change,” Queen said.

Ron McGinley, the Angels managing director, said the market is open for start-ups like Thrive Magazine for Better Living

GoGoGrocer. “The online grocery shopping systems in the U.S. remains inefficient which is creating tremendous business opportunities for startups like GoGoGrocer, which offer turn-key online shopping solutions to small and medium sized grocery chains for the convenience of their customers.”

Ben Nguyen, owner of Bookstoop.com, recently used Indiegogo, one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world, to raise funds and gauge interest. “It is a good way to build loyalty. Each donor can give an amount so this is a good way to raise funds and get attention,” he said. “Bookstoop is the first venture in this area to adopt crowdfunding as a nation wide campaign to raise fund and marketing our business.”

Nguyen said the project was prepared over the last two months with input and assistance from business incubator officials, Louisiana Small Business Development Center and incubator clients. He’s targeting $10,000 for his business using the technique.

“All the money we get goes to the development of our mobile application,” he said January 2014

Money & Career All you need to know to stay in the know!

Ribbon Cutting and Open House Event Hosted at Crave

Lake Charles Partnership Grant Applications Released

Crave, a newly opened business offering fine olive oils & balsamics, wine, cheese, specialty foods, gift baskets, an array of artfully crafted gifts and more, held their official ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on December 6, at their 2801 Ryan Street location in Lake Charles. Crave is owned and operated by Fran Avery and Melanie McMullen. For more information, call (337) 421-0040.

The Arts Council of SWLA has announced that the application for the Lake Charles Partnership Grant is available for the 2014-2015 fiscal year. This competitive grant program is funded annually by the City of Lake Charles and administered by the Arts Council, and it expands the accessibility of the arts by providing arts organizations and community groups the opportunity to develop arts programming within Lake Charles.

For more information, call (337) 439-2787 or visit www.artsandhumanitiesswla.org.

Fort Polk Progress announces Education Initiative Fort Polk Progress is confident that the Vernon Parish School District can withstand the scrutiny called for by Army Chief of Staff Ray Odierno in an October article published by the Army Times. In the article, Odierno said the Army would soon begin evaluating the performance of public schools near its installations in order to pressure officials to make improvements. For additional comments, Jackie Self, Superintendent of Vernon Parish Schools, can be reached at (337) 239-3401. Fort Polk’s Public Affairs Office can be reached at 337-531-1392.

Innovation Flourishing at the Calcasieu Parish Public Libraries

NOW O PE N !

A Piece of Cake’s

The Calcasieu Parish Public Library is building an Innovation Studio that puts imagination, creativity and technology at the forefront of library services. The library system received a $24,000 Sparks! Ignition Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington DC to help fund the start-up of the Innovation Studio. The grant is being used to develop a maker space inside Central library, located at 301 W. Claude Street in Lake Charles that will include a 3D printer, an interactive Smart TV, iPads, animation software, film editing software and sound recording equipment.

Sasol Selects Technip as FEED Contractor for U.S. Gas-to-Liquids Facility Sasol announced that it has selected Technip as the primary contractor for the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase of its proposed gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility in Louisiana. In December 2012, Sasol announced its intention to build a GTL facility adjacent to its existing site near Westlake, La. Using Sasol’s proven, proprietary technology, the proposed facility will convert abundant domestic natural gas into more than 96,000 barrels per day of GTL diesel and other valuable products. Sasol expects to conclude the FEED phase and reach final investment decision for the GTL project in 2016. The estimated project cost is between US$11 billion and US$14 billion.

Harbor Docking and Towing Christens Its Newest Tug Patricia Lundy christened the newest tractor tug in the fleet owned by Harbor Docking and Towing. The tug was named “Pat” after Lundy’s husband T.E. “Pat” Lundy, former chief executive officer of Harbor Docking and Towing, where he served from 1986 until his death in 2012. The fleet of tugs owned by Harbor and Docking and Towing will provide transportation services to the Port of Lake Charles and other plants located along the Calcasieu River Ship Channel, in anticipation of the industrial boom expected in Southwest Louisiana.

3611 Ryan Street Lake Charles, La TUES - FRI • 11AM - 6PM SAT 10AM - 3PM January 2014

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43

The

Reality of TV BULLIES

by Erin Kelly

GIRLS MIGHT BE MADE OF SUGAR, SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE, BUT REALITY TV IS MADE UP OF BULLIES—AND IT HAS A DIRECT EFFECT ON IMPRESSIONABLE VIEWERS, ACCORDING TO RECENT RESEARCH. The 2011 Girl Scout Research Institute Study found that young girls who regularly watched reality television had a greater acceptance of drama, aggression and bullying in their personal lives compared to non-viewers, and a vast majority of these reality TV fans—78 percent— considered gossip a normal part of female relationships. Another 68 percent said girls were naturally “catty.”

44 www.thriveswla.com

Among non-viewers, only 54 percent thought gossip was normal, friend-building behavior, and 50 percent described their fellow females as catty.

“Our current culture seems to be preoccupied with reality television. When you consider the behavior of the people on these shows, it’s concerning, particularly when you imagine an 11, 12 or 13 year old watching it,” said

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psychiatrist Dale Archer, Jr. MD, founder of the Institute of Psychiatry in Lake Charles and New York Times best-selling author. “It’s easy for us to dismiss reality television as silly entertainment, but the truth is it can directly affect people who watch it. Do we really want people of reality TV to influence the attitudes and belief systems of modern adolescents? Anyone who’s seen these shows would likely say ‘no.’”

January 2014

On average, reality TV contains about 85 verbal attacks and insults an hour—twice that of comedies, dramas or soaps, according to researchers at Brigham Young University. And even though audiences always considered themselves personally immune, studies show that these behaviors are indeed influential.

“This new research shows that our own concepts of aggression are activated in the brain every time these shows are viewed,” said Dr. Archer. “This activation prepares us to behave aggressively.

Insults spew on just about any reality television program out there—from stage moms dishing out snide remarks on Dance Moms to models undercutting each other on America’s Next Top Model. So-called “real” housewives secretly trash-talk each other. On the much-touted Jersey Shore, women were called “hippopotamuses” and “grenades.”

Hosts are often celebrated for their aggressiveness, as well. Consider the veinpopping shouts of Gordon Ramsay on Hell’s Kitchen and Master Chef.

To make matters worse: Reality TV personalities get rewarded for their bad behavior with fat paychecks.

“It’s a tragic testament to our culture that people can insult and bully each other, both overtly and covertly, and engage in harmful,

aggressive and misogynistic behaviors, then get paid handsomely for it,” Dr. Archer said.

The Journal of Advertising Research reported that reality television accounted for four of the 10 most popular shows among viewers under age 17.

Other key findings from the Girl Scout Research Study: • Thirty-seven percent of reality TV viewers said you have to lie to get what you want in life, compared to only 24 percent of non-viewers.

• Sixty-three percent said it’s hard to trust other girls, compared to 50 percent of non-viewers.

• Thirty-seven percent said being mean earns you more respect than being kind, compared to 25 percent.

• When asked if you have to be mean to people to get what you want, 28 percent of regular reality TV viewers said yes. Only 18 percent of non-viewers said yes.

“People who watch these shows don’t just see ridiculous arguments and fights,” says Dr. Archer. “They see people behaving badly, and living well, which somehow makes the behavior seem more acceptable. How do we stop this bully-glorifying trend? Simple. Stop watching.”

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45

Home & Family

decoding your

Do g

by Katie Harrington

Any dog lover will tell you that their furry friend really does communicate with them. The truth is, your dog actually wishes you’d speak his language more often.

Understanding the unspoken language of your canine—or any canine, for that matter— can prove to be quite handy.

46 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

January 2014

“If you happen to be jogging through a park and encounter a stray dog, understanding their tense staring and slowly, stiffly wagging tail can help you know how to properly respond,” says Dr. Jae Chang, veterinarian with Farr Veterinary Hospital. “How this dog responds to you will depend on how you present yourself. Are you clueless, a caretaker, or a controller?”

The clueless person will interpret the wagging talk to mean that the dog is friendly. The caretaker thinks the dog is scared and needs comforting, while the controller believes they can overpower the animal with stern talk.

“What the dog is actually saying in this case is to back off or he or she might bite,” Dr. Chang says. “By learning to respect a dog’s posture, you can learn to communicate with them more effectively.”

Dr. Chang offers insight into the following situations to further help you decode your dog’s behavior.

Cowering when you’re angry.

BOW W

Barking at a ringing door bell.

You come home from work to find your couch torn to pieces or a puddle on the floor. You yell at your dog and she responds by lowering her head and tail and scooting away.

“Many dog owners interpret this as a show of guilt, but that’s not exactly true,” Dr. Chang says. “The pose is actually a submissive posture meant to take the edge off your anger.”

A better solution is to avoid these incidents by making sure your dog gets plenty of daily exercise and has engaging toys. This will make her less likely to become destructive. If house soiling is an issue, you may need to start a consistent potty-training program.

OW

Your pet is sounding his alarm and if you yell at him to be quiet you’re only going to make it worse. Instead, acknowledge him by calmly telling him you’ve got it and to go to his spot, Dr. Chang says.

“You can train your dog to go to a specific spot by having two friends help you. When one rings the door bell, show your leashed pet a favorite treat and toss it away from the door while telling him to go to his spot.”

Have the second friend step on the leash to keep him there and if everyone remains quite and calm, your dog will settle down. After he is settled, open the door and reward him for sitting in his designated spot.

Jumping on people.

This doggy display of affection can be a little much to take, especially if you’ve got a large dog. “This behavior is often unintentionally rewarded when the person being jumped on yells or waves their hands in protest,” adds Dr. Chang.

“Your dog can’t distinguish between good or bad attention.”

You can help break your dog of this habit by teaching him to come when called and then to sit when guests arrive. Reward their good behavior with one treat for sitting and then additional treats for remaining seated.

For more information on decoding pet behavior, visit www.farrvet.com.

January 2014

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www.thriveswla.com

47

Home & Family

Secure Your Home from Pests in Cold Weather

by Christine Fisher

As the weather turns cooler, homeowners may not realize they’re sharing their home with unwelcome guests; namely pests. Ants, mice, roaches and spiders seek warmth and often find it inside homes.

An estimated 21 million pests head indoors each year for easily accessible food and water when foraging outdoors becomes difficult, according to the National pest Management Association.

“Pests often carry germs and bacteria that can trigger allergy and asthma attacks, they contaminate food, and create a general unhealthy atmosphere when in a home,” said Robert Soileau, manager of J&J Exterminating in Lake Charles.

In addition to the health risks, pests can cause structural damage and safety hazards to the home by gnawing through electrical wires, and by chewing drywall and support beams.

They can enter through small cracks and crevices in the home’s exterior as well as hitching a ride on firewood, plants that are brought indoors from the cold, and even house pets.

48 www.thriveswla.com

“We encourage homeowners to take a little time to secure their home in the winter from pests. If you have a wood-burning fireplace, screen the vents and openings to the chimney.

Check your foundation and windows around the house. If you see cracks and holes, caulk them,” Soileau advised.

It’s a good idea to store firewood at least 20 feet away from the house and to keep shrubbery trimmed at the bottom. “Leave a gap between the plant and the mulch, and trim the plants so that they don’t touch the house,” he said.

Securing the house now will hopefully reduce or eliminate pests from seeking shelter from the cold.

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January 2014

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49

Special Section: Home Show 2014

MAKE THIS THE YEAR OF YOUR HOME AT THE

2014 Home Show of Southwest Louisiana

We all know the phrase, “home is where the heart is,” but as cliché as this may sound—it’s true. Studies show that we spend most of our time at home, and our home’s decor is reflective of our personalities. It’s also our largest financial investment. So it only makes sense to start the year off with some new ideas—whether small or large—to revive and enhance your special place.

5 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 25, and from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 26. Admission is $5 per person. Children 10 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult.

“The Home Show is much more than an event for building a new home. It’s a must-attend event for anyone who is planning on redecorating, remodeling or are curious about the latest in interior and exterior improvements,” says Buddy Kohnke of Sears Commercial Sales, the 2014 Home Show chairman. “The show will be filled with an array of expert vendors that span every area of home improvement. If you own a home or want to own a home, this event is for you.”

The Home Show will feature more than 140 exhibitor booths displaying products for every area of the home, including the necessary steps

and elements needed to build or buy a new home.

The event will also showcase the latest samples in flooring, appliances, countertops, plumbing fixtures and more. Each booth will be staffed by experts who will be ready to help you realize the pieces needed to put together the home of your dreams.

“The Home Show is a great place to meet the local designers, craftsmen, builders and developers who can help you make your dreams become a reality,” says Liz Trahan, executive director of the Home Builders Association of SWLA. Want to make 2014 the year of your home with a fabulous home improvement project? Learn more about the Home Show of Southwest Louisiana by visiting the HBA of Southwest Louisiana’s website, www.hbaswla.org.

Open and look inside for great tips from local home experts.

50 www.thriveswla.com

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t

Have a project in mind? Maybe you’re looking to buy a new home or aren’t sure what kind of home project you want to do, but are curious about your options. Whether you’re dreaming of a remodeling project, yearning to redecorate or just looking for ideas, a visit to the 2014 Home Show of Southwest is the first step to realizing your dream home.

Your plans and ideas will quickly start to take shape as you walk through the show percolating with ideas for new home improvement projects.

Whether you are interested in interior or exterior improvements, this event will have what you need to get your ideas brewing.

The Home Builders Association (HBA) of Southwest Louisiana will hold its 23rd Annual Home Show Jan. 25-26, 2014, at the Lake Charles Civic Center. The show will be open from 9 a.m.-

January 2013

1 ALARMS

Safety - The primary reason a security system in the home is important is that it creates a safer environment for the entire family. A system will alert homeowners if someone has attempted to break into the house. This takes the uncertainty out of entering the home after being away for several hours or days, or while a family is asleep at night.

2 LIGHTING

Lighting goes a long way to shaping the interior environment of your home. When used properly, good lighting helps you see better, provides safety and security and also creates the overall mood and shapes the ambiance of a room. It’s important to accentuate the space you have by choosing the right lighting for the square footage of your room.

A monitored alarm system can save you up to 20% on your homeowners insurance.

Apex Alarms | BOOTH 15 | 564-5239

Lighting Couture | BOOTH 116 | 764-4840

2

3 FIXTURE REFINISHING

5 New Creations

You don’t have to replace the bathtubs and sinks in your bathroom to achieve and updated look.

Everything old can become new again when you refinish or repair your existing fixtures. This route is more affordable than replacing them and also cuts down on the amount of time it will take to get your room back in full working order..

New Creations | BOOTH 79 | 485-4355

4 FURNITURE

t

1

Not all pieces of furniture are created equally. When looking to outfit your room with the perfect piece, custom built may be the way to go. Custom built, solid wood furniture is built to last, ensuring timelessness of your pieces. Add a touch of your own personality by having a custom finish applied.

Barewood Furniture | 474-5678 | www.barewoodfurniture.info

4

5 home theater

When considering your home audio and theater needs, a little planning goes a long way. Whether building a new home or remodeling an old one, planning out your system and placement ahead of time saves a lot of frustration. Planning for custom lighting and home automation, which can conveniently help you control your thermostat, door locks, lighting and more can also make your life much easier and can help cut down on your energy costs.

Baileys Audio | BOOTH 120 | 433-4005 www.baileysaudio.net

6 January 2013

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6 exterminating

Pests and rodents can gain entry into your home from the smallest of cracks. Examine your home every few months and make any needed repairs including caulking around windows, doorways and pipes. Keep mulch away from the foundation of your home and keep trees and bushes trimmed so they do not touch your home.

J&J Exterminating | BOOTH 39 | 474-7377 - Lake Charles 463-4574 - DeRidder | www.jjext.com.

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Thrive Magazine for Better Living Living Thrive Magazine for Better

January 2014 2013

Special Section: Home Show 2014

HOME SHOW VENDORS • A Door Works • A&A Installations • Absolute Gutters • Acadian Brick & Stone • Acme Brick • Advanced Audio Technology • Air-Conduit • American Press • Apex Alarms • Aquatic Pools • ASAP Landscaping • Bailey’s Audio • Bellaroma • Better Business Bureau • Budget Blinds • Builders Sav-Mor • C&C Audio/Video • C&R Preferred Concrete Pumping • Calcasieu Stone • CenterPoint • Century 21 Bessette Realty • Century 21 Bono • Chief Purification • City Savings Bank • City Savings Insurance • Coburn’s • CPPJ • Creative Concrete • Creative Concrete by Ron • Creative Door & Window • CSE Credit Union • Cutco Cutlery • Details Design • Discount Bedding • Doors Windows & More • Dunham Price • Dupont Sewer • East Alluminum Products • Energy Shield Insualtors • Exhibitor • Fireside Stone • First Federal Bank • First Federal Insurance • Flavin Realty • Frank Thompson • Geaux Green of SWLA • Gen Set • Genset/La. Emergency Supply • Gulf Coast Carpet • Habitat for Humanity • Henderson Implement

January 2014

• Heritage Builders • Hixon’s Pest Control • Holiday Travel • Home Builders Association of SWLA • J & J Exterminating • Jeff-Davis Bank • Joseph’s Electric • K&K Bottled Water • Kayman Construction • Kitchen Craft-The healthy • LA Concrete • LA Mortgage • Lake Arthur Butane • Lakeside Bank • LaMaison • Legends Development • Lighting Couture • Manuel Builders • Merchants and Farmers • Mitchell Buildings • Moss Bluff Floors • National Wastewater • New Creations • NOLA Lending Group • Oleander @ Graywood • Port Aggregate • Rader’s Insulation • Reeds Metals • Rhino Rhinovations • Rock Solid Foundations & Repairs • Shaw-Day Insurance Agency • Sherwin-Williams • Sister’s Gourmet Nuts • Solar Louisiana • Southern Marble • Starr Concrete • Stine Lumber • Storm Guard • Superior Windows • Surfaces Design Gallery • SWLA Credit Union • SWLA Lawn & Landscape • Tax Assessor • the Louver Shop • Tony Houseman Homes • Vac Central • Walnut Grove • Water Purification System • Wilkinson Tree Farm • Williams Wood

Special Section: Home Show 2014

We Have the Keys You Need

Choose Wisely.

Don’t Get Nailed!

Your home is probably your biggest investment, why risk damaging that investment because you think you can pull off building or renovating on your own? Make your first decision, your best decision.

Choose to hire not only a contractor, but a licensed contractor.

“Home building and renovation require research and decision making. Will you want brick or siding on the exterior of your home? Will your door knobs be brushed nickel or perhaps oil-rubbed bronze?

In the course of your build or renovation you will make hundreds of decisions. Start with choosing a licensed contractor. Do your homework and research local licensed contractors. Find the one that will work for you.” said Liz Trahan, executive officer of the Home Builders Association of SWLA. Louisiana licensed contractors take their trades seriously and are accountable to the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. The contractor’s license assures you that he or she is an expert in his field and has proven experience to perform the job.

You can also be sure a license contractor won’t use substandard materials or skip out.

Many unlicensed contractors aren’t familiar with the building codes, laws and permit requirements in the communities of Southwest Louisiana, putting your project at risk of failing an inspection because it’s not up to code. Their lack of knowledge could result in poor craftsmanship, costly repairs and possible removal of property.

In addition, you could face serious liability issues. Licensed contractors have worker’s compensation insurance, so if they get hurt on your property you aren’t responsible for their injuries. With an unlicensed contractor, you may be dealing with someone who has no injury protection and you could end up paying for damages if they’re injured. Sometimes an unlicensed contractor may offer a lower quote to entice a homeowner, but be wary. They may take shortcuts or reuse old materials while charging for new ones.

“Hiring a bonded contractor will provide the homeowner with a certain amount of liability protection if the contractor fails to complete a job as required or contracted. There are different types of bonds and you should consult an attorney to see if the bond at issue protects you,” added Trahan.

Whether you are buying or selling your home, there are questions around every corner. CENTURY 21 Bessette Realty and our staff of experienced agents have the answers.

We’ve won numerous awards for superior service, sales excellence and community involvement. That’s what we’ve built our reputation on for over 20 years.

Bessette Realty, Inc. Come see us at the Home Show on January 25 and 26 at Booth #102.

474-2185 • century21-bessette.com

live chat

Each office independently owned and operated.

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Here are a few tips to help you choose the right contractor.

1. Don’t hire a contractor that asks to be paid in cash. If paying with a check, make the payment to the company name. All professional contractors will accept payment through their company to pay their business taxes.

2. Obtain all estimates in writing and ensure that both parties are in agreement with the work to be completed through a written contract. Unfortunately, gone are the days where work can be done with a handshake. The more you have in writing, the better, and it will allow for a more fluid working relationship between both parties.

3. Get multiple bids/quotes for all projects.

This will allow you to compare the bids. Make sure that all of the contractors are bidding on the same items of the project. Some contractor’s estimates will have everything included in it, while others may omit items and appear less expensive. Cheapest is not always best.

4. Is the contractor reputable? Ask for the contractor to provide you with a list of references of clients he has worked with in the last year or two. Check the references. Ask to see photos of work completed.

5. Ask a professional contractor about the employees and subcontractors that will work in your home. Chances are you will be unable to be at home at all times while work is being done to your house. You want to be assured that the people working in your home can be trusted with your personal valuables.

Are you building a new home or remodeling?

Stop by the 2014 Home Show and speak with local, expert licensed contractors about attaining the home of your dreams.

Visit the Home Builders Association of SWLA’s website: www.hbaswla.org to learn more about the Home Show and how to find a local licensed contractor to work on your home.

Special Section: Home Show 2014

Is Your Home Prepared for a Natural Disaster?

In Southwest Louisiana we know the importance and value of being prepared for a treacherous natural disaster. Weather can be impossible to predict, especially during hurricane season. Is your home ready?

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A hurricane, or even a harsh tropical storm, can cause serious damage to your home. It’s important to be prepared. Making these preparations early can prevent a great deal of stress if something happens.

Two essential preparations: Cover your windows with proper storm shutters and have a generator on hand.

It’s important to protect your windows by installing and maintaining strong, properly fitting, storm shutters. Strong hurricane winds can rip through windows, opening your home, family and all your belongings up to the storm.

The power goes out during most large storms.

Even if you have evacuated for a hurricane, you and your family will be glad you have a generator for the aftermath.

An automatic generator keeps you in control. It can be the best way to maintain a sense of normalcy and safety for your family after a storm or hurricane.

It’s important to determine your home’s power needs when choosing a generator. The larger the generator, the more power or “watts” it has.

“Running” or “rated” watts are the continuous watts needed to keep electrical items running.

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“Starting watts” are extra watts needed to start motor-driven items, such as a refrigerator.

Here are some tips to help you choose the right generator: • Make sure it has your wattage requirements.

Check the running watt and starting watt requirements for each item you wish to power at the same time.

• Look for a generator with a long run time. The longer it runs, the less you will have to refuel it.

• Make sure the generator has enough outlets and the right type of outlets. If you want to run a high-wattage item, such as an air conditioner, make sure it has a 30-amp locking outlet.

• Check the cord set. Some generators come with sets that will give you extra outlets, eliminating the need of managing multiple extension cords.

• Some generators can be very heavy. Make sure you aren’t getting one that’s too difficult to manage in an emergency.

Want to learn more about preparing your home for a hurricane? Or have questions about which shutters or generators would best fit your needs?

Stop by the Gen Set booth at the 2014 Home Show of Southwest Louisiana

January 2014

Financing Your Home in 2014

by Allie Mariano

Will you buy your first home in 2014? As exciting as the prospect may be, the path to homeownership can be intimidating and requires a great deal of work from the outset. It’s important to be educated and informed, so you can make the best decision for your personal situation.

Here are a few tips to get started: Find a credit counselor who is not also a lender.

A good credit counselor will help you understand the ins and outs of home financing.

Get familiar with the vocabulary: fixed-rate mortgage, adjustable-rate mortgage, APR, etc.

And that’s just the beginning! There are many terms to be familiar with when buying a home. Even with the advice of a credit counselor, being proactive will benefit you.

January 2014

A house is one of the largest purchases you can make, and financing that home requires a good grasp of your own finances. It is important to be realistic about income, expenses, and, especially, debt.

If you do have debt, get as much paid off as possible. You are more likely to qualify for a loan.

Not to mention, you will be able to invest fully in your home.

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A good credit score is one determining factor in your interest rate. The better your credit score, the better rate you will be able to get on a mortgage.

Try not to apply for any additional credit cards in the months leading up to buying a home. Extra credit checks will show up on a credit report.

When your finances are in order, get to know the market in your area. Begin your research now.

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Home & Family Special Section: Home Show 2014

Home Repair Safety

by Kristy Armand

Adding some crown molding to your living room? Finally repairing that loose step? Think you’re fully capable of replacing the garbage disposal in the kitchen sink?

National statistics show that DIY (doit-yourself) projects are a leading cause of home injuries. The most common causes are lack of personal protective equipment, inappropriate tools, unsafe work practice and insufficient safety precautions.

Experts stress that whatever home improvement task you are set to conquer, don’t become so focused on “doing it yourself” that you lose sight of safety. “When you tackle any DIY maintenance or repair job, your primary concern should be safety – both for you and those in and around your home,” says Mason Lindsay, spokesperson for the Safety Council of Southwest Louisiana. “Be realistic and don’t tackle a job unless you have the skill and experience to do it. Many people simply get into trouble because they think DIY projects look easier to do than they are. Whatever your experience level, you need to use caution when making repairs or doing general home maintenance.”

Lindsay adds that many people may not have the right tools, and then they try to substitute, which can lead to safety risks,” adds Lindsay. “It’s important to keep any tools you use regularly clean and in good repair, and to give each one a quick check over before you use it.”

Here are some common DIY projects and tips from the Safety Council for preventing injury while completing them:

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SPRUCING UP THE YARD: Take time to inspect for items lying on the ground, such as sticks, stones, toys, before you mow. Protect your eyes with safety eyewear when using any motor-powered lawn equipment.

REPLACING TIILE: Replacing a broken ceramic tile is relatively simple, but you should protect your eyes, face and hands if you are chipping away the old pieces.

Broken tile shards and pieces can be sharp.

ELECTRICAL REPAIR: When it comes to DIY around the house, this is one area that should more often than not be left to the professionals.

FIXING UP FURNITURE: Refinishing furniture is a great way to revive old items, but remember, some finishing products may be harmful to lungs and skin.

Always read the safety information for the products used and wear a good pair of quality painter’s gloves, protective eyewear, and an appropriate respirator.

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USING POWER TOOLS: Any time you use power tools like a circular saw, sander or a compressor, you should protect your ears and your eyes.

ADDING INSULATION: Adding insulation to your home is one of the best ways to increase its energy efficiency. For safety, wear pants, a long sleeve shirt and eye, hand, and lung protection.

USING LADDERS: The distance from the base of the wall to the base of the ladder should be 1/4 the height of the ladder. Make sure the ladder’s foot pads are secure on the ground. Keep ladders away from electrical lines and pay attention to overhead lines when moving an extended ladder into position.

Never attempt to stretch while on a ladder. If you can’t reach, get a taller ladder or move the ladder closer “When it comes to your health and safety, don’t take chances,” says Lindsay. “Doing it right means doing it safely.”

January 2014

January 2014

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57

Home & Family

Turn Winter into a Home Selling Advantage

by Christine Fisher

If home sellers had the option, most would not choose wintertime to put their home up for sale. It’s cold, dreary and there aren’t as many potential buyers in the market as there are in the warm months of the spring and summer.

The months from Thanksgiving and the early new year are traditionally slow for home shopping and the winter months of January and February see the fewest home sale closings, according to the National Association of Realtors. “Not everyone can wait until the home-buying season ramps up in March or April,” explains Larry Turner, REALTOR with Century 21 Bessette Realty. “Job transfers, changes in personal lives or other unforeseen circumstances make selling a home in the winter a priority. It may not be ideal, but it’s not impossible. There are several things homeowners and their realtors can do to make a home more appealing during the winter.”

There are fewer homes for sale during this time, lessening the competition, but in order to appeal to buyers, staging a home and pricing it competitively are always important keys, stresses Turner. Above all, repairs and maintenance should be completed before the “For Sale” sign goes up. Clear out the clutter and de-personalize the home by removing family pictures and hand-made treasures. Aim for a home arrangement that you might see in a furniture showroom: pretty and functional but not personal.

“Home sellers should make it easy for the potential buyers to visualize themselves living there. Buyers won’t look past clutter, so eliminate that obstacle,” he says.

If the home has a gas fireplace, have it on during every showing when the weather is cool; it’ll help the home 58 www.thriveswla.com

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

feel warm and cozy. Also, keep the thermostat on a comfortable setting.

A blanket or quilt casually draped over the arm of a chair or sofa will add a relaxing touch to the home. “If you have pictures of how your home looks during the summer, frame them and set them out on a side table or at least make sure your realtor has them to show,” suggests Turner. “A home can look much different when the crepe myrtles are blooming, the lawn is green and freshly cut, and the garden is filled with flowers.”

Because the winter months are cloudier and the days are shorter, good lighting is essential. Turn on all lamps, even if the home is being shown during the day, and open the curtains January 2014

Special Section: Home Show 2014

Loan The

Will Be the

Easy Part

of Your Home Improvement Project

When you decide to tackle a home improvement project, you’ll be making lots of decisions. Ceramic or travertine tiles? Stucco or brick for the archway?

Sporty, sleepy or aviary blue for the dining room?

We’ll make one decision a simple one. Choose Lakeside Bank for your personal or home equity loan to finance your renovations. Our low, competitive rates, experienced lenders and our ability to make quick, local decisions will help you get the financing you need stop waiting and start improving. to allow light inside. Battery-operated candles are helpful, especially ones with timers as they can be set to come on in the afternoon to brighten the area when the sun begins to fade. “You never know when a potential buyer will want to see a home.

Be as accommodating as possible by ensuring it’s clean, fresh and well-lit,” Turner says. If you have a back patio, it could easily look forgotten during the winter. Keep it furnished with a few patio chairs and a table, throw pillows and a cozy blanket.

Thanks to college bowl games, the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras, residents of Southwest Louisiana entertain often during the winter. Showcase the entertainment areas of the home as much as possible. Whether it’s the front or back patio, a game room, or large family room, stage them to reflect their best features. “Set up the kitchen island or the dining table as if you were expecting a small party. Arrange a few dessert plates, nice napkins and a small dish of treats. It can make a potential buyer feel welcomed,” Turner explains. “It’s small touches like these that will make your home feel warm and inviting.”

With the right preparation, any season can be the right season to sell a home, Turner adds.

“Don’t let cold weather stop you from putting that ‘for sale’ sign in the yard. Being one of a few properties in your area that is for sale could work to your advantage, especially since the Southwest Louisiana population is growing and demand is outpacing the supply. With a qualified agent and the right staging strategies, you can make the sale in winter and be in your next new home before spring arrives.”

Give us a call today to learn more, and join the migration to Lakeside, the region’s fastest growing bank.

Visit the

LAKESIDE BANK

booth #131 at the HOME SHOW January 25 & 26.

4735 Nelson Rd. • 474-3766 2132 Oak Park Blvd. • 502-4314 LakesideBanking.com

For more information, contact Century 21 Bessette Realty at 474-2185 or visit century21-bessette.com.

January 2014

The way banking should be.

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Happy Birthday Capricorn and Welcome to 2014!

Dear Capricorn, 2014 promises an exciting year, with successes on the career front and a variety of positive changes in your personal life; however, at times it will also be a bit of whirlwind. This shouldn’t be a surprise to the intuitive and determined goat, who also knows that there is always a way to use steady horns to shape the negative into the positive, even if it takes a bit of ramming. Throughout this year you’ll find that you have numerous opportunities to create wonderful memories, even if they originally stem from difficult emotions. Make sure to delve into your unique brand of humor to help you along the way. Also, remember to take the time to listen to the details of challenging situations before making and judgments. It’ll make the road much easier.

Horoscopes

Capricorn

(December 21-January 19) You’ve never been one that fully buys into the New Year’s resolutions, but take time this month to list your inner wishes and hopes for this year.

Not only will it help you chart a path toward reaching your goals, it may help you discovery a new and exciting opportunity. Also, you may find that others will be especially drawn to you for advice this month, but make sure not to take on more than you can handle.

Aquarius

(January 20-February 18) Love is in the air for Aquarians this January. Whether it’s meeting someone new or discovering a new spark in that special someone—you’ll be struck by Cupid a month early this year. This is a great time for all kinds of connections. Aquarians can excel in just the right collaboration. January is the perfect time to embark on a new project, especially if it involves a team. It will be a great way to start a new course for 2014. Creativity is all around you—jump in, the water is just right!

Pisces

(February 19-March 28) You’re in the perfect zone to kick off the year right. Avoid worrisome distractions and you will find yourself glowing during January as you motivate those around you by the way you approach your lifestyle and career. Indulge the intense energy you’ll feel this month with rejuvenating workouts or some soul cleansing yoga exercise. Now is a great time to set the tone for 2014 with a new fitness routine that will help keep you in order throughout the year.

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Aries

(March 21-April 19) The ram will begin 2014 with a burst of creativity. Try not to discount the ideas you have right now, even if they aren’t the perfect fit, they could end up leading to an amazing opportunity later in the year. Take some time for self-evaluation. Not only will it be grounding, but it will also help you find some answers you’ve been looking for in your professional or personal life. Love is also in the stars for Aries this month, so make sure not to close off too much while you’re working to maintain balance.

Taurus

(April 20-May 20) Chances are that you will start off the New Year feeling directed, so much that others within your circle may look to you for direction. However, make sure to do what you need to do to stay positive. Be careful not to be too bullish, or you may meet the wrong end of the horns. Avoid being drawn into others’ disagreements this month. Now is a good time to connect with an old friend or relative that you have been thinking about. You may be surprised by what you learn from this re-established connection.

Gemini

(May 21-June 20) January will be a month of communication, which is good news for most Geminis, as you are the star communicators of the Zodiac. You’ll be in your glory with a flurry of emails, texts and calls. Try to stay organized from the get-go, because it will be easy for your calendar to quickly become scattered.

Make sure to slow it down and listen carefully,

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if not you could be prone to receiving mixed messages. You have the power to dazzle this month at work, so if you have chance to make a presentation—go for it!

Cancer

(June 21-July 22) In January the sun will shift in the house of Cancer, which could possibly lead to a financial or other life-changing windfall. Now, don’t expect to win the lottery. The fruits of this windfall may not be immediate and will arise from your success at work, determined efforts or other insights. Remember to be generous, as the sun can shift quickly and your beneficiary could be part of the key to your success. Also, avoid frivolous or unnecessary spending, for now it is still time to mostly clench down the claws.

Leo (July 23-August 22) You’ll be pleased to hear that you’re meant to kick off 2014 in style. The stars are in your corner. Now is the time to get out there and explore your creativity. If you let go of your inhibitions, you’ll find that your efforts will turn more than a few heads. This month, instead of looking at the larger picture, focus on the smaller tasks. Not only will it lead to finding innovative solutions, but it will help you discover your best path for the New Year. Don’t hold back from dazzling them!

Virgo

(August 23-September 22) January is a good time for self reflection and inner peace. Explore a yoga class or mediation. It’ll be essential for you to delve into your inner self and if you do you will glow with an inner sense of joy. While other signs will be bursting into the New Year, it

January 2014

is in your nature to approach changes quietly.

This will assist you in setting up a framework for a productive year and help you deal with any issues that you’ve been avoiding. You are probably overdue for a relaxing massage.

Libra

(September 23-October 22) Just as the other signs are winding down from the celebrations, the Libra will find herself at the center of attention.

You will most likely start the year off with a full social calendar as others will be especially drawn to your humor and natural talents of foresight and guidance. Now is the perfect time to invite your friends over for a fun get together. Be open to expanding your horizons this month, you may discover a new interest or hobby or attract the attention of a new or existing special someone.

Sagittarius

(November 22-December 21) The sun and the stars are in your corner. January is your month to shine! This is a time to explore new endeavors, whether on the job front, a change in location or within your personal sphere. However, be careful not to be overzealous, every star can fizzle. It’s important to focus on improving one to two areas of your life at this time, so you do not get overwhelmed. Stay in focus and you will start of the year in the right direction.

Scorpio

(October 23-November 21) January is the perfect time to start a new, which is always good news to a Scorpio. It’s time to aim that stinger at a new project or toward that special goal you want to attain in the New Year. You are in the perfect zone to accomplish the task. Make sure not to get caught up in past “failures,” as it is important to remember that they are nothing more than practice to help you hold to that resolution.

Remember it’s a new year and a new you!

January 2014

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61

Style & Beauty After Before

Restyling Jewelry Gives a NewLook

By Christine Fisher

Out with the old, in with the new.

The new year is a great time to start fresh. We usually think of changing personal habits, but did you know your jewelry can get a facelift, too?

Restyling a ring, necklace, bracelet or broach can give it a new look. And here’s an interesting twist: it can either carry on a heritage from previous generations or it can symbolize a new beginning. It all depends on your perspective.

“There are so many things we can do when restyling a jewelry piece,” said Annette St. Romain, owner of Bijoux Fine Jewelry in Sulphur and Bijoux Jewelry Design Center in Lake Charles. “Whether it’s preserving the stones, adding additional stones, or melting the gold into a new shape, we can transform a piece into something completely different.”

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A newly divorced woman brought her wedding ring to Bijoux and asked for a large vintage style setting using the diamonds from her wedding set. The master jeweler at Bijoux was able to fit the diamonds into a unique shape that looks nothing like the original. “It’s like putting puzzle pieces together, except these pieces have many ways in which to form a new image,” St. Romain said.

Another Bijoux customer planned to marry her high school sweetheart after they were both widowed. She brought in a costume piece that had the regal look that she wanted, and Bijoux recreated the ring in 14K gold and diamonds.

“She was thrilled,” St. Romain said.

Restyling jewelry often means using genuine stones from a piece worn by someone in the family, such as a mother, aunt or grandmother, and creating new metal and settings for them. “Women usually do this to keep a legacy

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January 2014

close to them. In a way, it’s as if you can have your loved one be part of your every day life,” she said.

Upgrading the size or cut of a stone is also a way to give a new look to an existing piece. Restyling an engagement ring this way is a great option to keep the symbolism of the original ring while revamping the look. “We can always use the original smaller stone and fashion it into a pendant for a necklace. Fine jewelry has many options,” St. Romain said.

Changing the mounting of a stone can also give a piece new life. If the stone is set in prongs so that it sits high, it can be bezel set so that it’s almost flush with the rest of the piece, giving it a completely different look.

When considering restyling a piece of jewelry, choosing a jeweler is an important decision. Look for one with experience in customizing jewelry. There are many important factors a jeweler considers when designing a piece of jewelry, from the aesthetics of the piece to the durability and comfort while wearing it.

There are many reasons for restyling jewelry; it could be out-ofdate, too flashy or ornate, or a woman’s tastes may have changed over the years. “It’s nice to know you can have a new piece to treasure. A customer can either show us what they have in mind, or we can work with her to design it,” explained St. Romain. Restyling is a great way to honor the memory of a loved one, upgrade into a trendier look, or simply start fresh with something new.

Say

Bye Bye To Dry

Dry, cold winter air and indoor heat can take a toll on your skin, leading to chapping, flaking, and redness. The Aesthetic Center can help you refresh and revive dry winter skin with nourishing, rejuvenating facial treatments.

We offer: • Chemical Peels • Microdermabrasion • Targeted Skin Care Treatments • Dermapen

• Cosmetic Injections • PCA Home Care Products • Jane Iredale Mineral Make-up • Facial Cosmetic Surgery

Don’t hibernate, luxuriate!

Call 310-1070 for more information or to schedule your appointment.

Treatments are provided under the medical direction of facial cosmetic specialist, Mark Crawford, MD.

facehealth.net •

310-1070 • 1717 Oak Park Blvd.

January 2014

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Style & Beauty

Harnessing the Skin’s Healing Power to Fight Wrinkles

by Kristy Armand

Aesthetic Center Now Offering Dermapen Treatments

New Treatment For Rosacea

If you or a loved one suffer from rosacea, you’re not alone. An estimated 16 million Americans cope with this common chronic inflammatory and vascular ailment on a daily basis. Experts do not know the exact cause of the disorder, however, they do know certain triggers such as stress, anxiety, certain skin care products, drinking alcohol and eating spicy foods can make it worse.

Fair-skinned adults between the ages of 30 and 50 are at greater risk for developing rosacea, but it is important to note people of all races, ethnic groups, both men and women of any age and even children are susceptible as well. It tends to be a chronic and progressive condition and it rarely reverses itself.

“Facial redness is the most common—and sometimes only—symptom,” says Imperial Health Dermatologist, Dr. Maureen Olivier. “The redness may come and go frequently for some, often without warning, but in others it’s persistent

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by Kay Morgan

and doesn’t seem to fade away. In severe cases patients may also experience bumps, pimples, skin thickening and stinging, burning and itching skin.”

Over the years, dermatologists have managed rosacea with a combination of treatments tailored to the individual patient, including a variety of creams, lotions, foams, washes, oral antibiotics and other medications. Physicians have been without prescription treatment options to specifically address facial redness, until now.

A new prescribed topical gel called Mirvaso, the first of its kind, aims to reduce the redness that comes along with the ailment. It was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is now available here in Southwest Louisiana.

“Mirvaso was developed to specifically treat persistent facial redness associated with rosacea,” says Dr. Olivier. “It works to constrict otherwise

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dilated facial blood vessels, cutting down on the appearance of redness. The gel is applied once a day to the forehead, chin, nose and cheeks.”

While Mirvaso should not be considered a cure for rosacea, it is helping patients deal with the daily frustrations caused by facial redness symptoms. The gel is currently indicated for adults 18 and older, and should be used with caution by people affected by depression or certain heart or autoimmune disorders. As with any treatment, results can vary.

“I began prescribing Mirvaso soon after it was approved by the FDA,” Dr. Olivier adds. “Many of my patients are noticing their redness diminishing for up to 12 hours a day, and the redness is fading in as little as 30 minutes.”

For more information talk to your dermatologist, or call Dr. Maureen Olivier’s office at (337) 474-1386.

January 2014

Collagen induction therapy, also referred to as skin needling, has been around for years, but the new Dermapen available at the Aesthetic Center in The Eye Clinic enhances the technique with advanced precision. Dermapen activates the body’s natural ability to heal and repair itself as the basis for treatment.

According to Tana Garcia, skin care consultant with the Aesthetic Center, the new procedure provides a great new option for facial rejuvenation. “Dermapen improves and rejuvenates damaged and aging skin and works well for improving the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, acne scarring, large pores, lip lines, stretch marks, and hyperpigmentation, as well as for skin tightening and lifting. It can also be used on the facial area, neck and décolleté.”

FDA-approved Dermapen technology uses a fractional micro-needling device with a unique

January 2014

spring-loaded, disposable needle tip. “This tip moves in an automated, vibrating stamp-like motion that enhances results while offering a more controlled and safer method of treatment than other micro-needling devices,” says Garcia. Dermapen’s multi-speed and adjustable needle depths allows the needles to pierce the skin’s layers at 90 degrees and increases the effectiveness of treatments by increasing the absorption of products. Dermapen can effectively treat hard-to-reach places, such as around the eyes, nose, and lips, and Garcia says because of the vertical delivery, the needles can easily penetrate scar tissue which can be hard to treat with traditional skin needling methods.

“The needle causes micro-injuries to your skin, which triggers your body to repair the damaged skin through collagen induction,” says Garcia.

She explains that collagen induction includes the

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release of growth factors, collagen production, and tissue remodeling, which leads to more natural results, while minimizing pain, damage to the outer layer of skin and downtime.

“We are proud to offer our clients the latest technology in the skin care industry,” adds Garcia.

“You don’t have to have surgery or painful laser treatments to get great results. Dermapen gives us an excellent new treatment to address many of the most common facial skin concerns.”

For more information about Dermapen treatments, call the Aesthetic Center at (337) 310-1070 or visit www.facehealth.net.

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Style & Beauty

to Ready Wear

Take a Shopping Adventure in Your Own

CLOSET!

It’s a new year and with everyone striving to make changes in various areas of their lives, why not change up your wardrobe? The best part of this resolution is that you can create a new look without leaving your own closet. There are three key points for shopping in your closet: Visualizing, Blending and Accessorizing.

Visualization is an important step

Remember, if you have a fashion question for me, just email it to edit@thriveswla. com or post it on the Thrive Facebook page. It could be answered in an upcoming column. If yours is chosen, you’ll receive a Thrive t-shirt.

to creating new looks using items from your current wardrobe. Shopping in your closet means you need to be able to view each piece of clothing in your closet in a ‘new light’ in order to start thinking outside of the box. Forget about when you bought it or whatever matching piece you bought it with. You also need to be able to see what you own, so untangle your jewelry, clean out that pile of scarves out on the shelf and organize your shoes by season so you know how many you can currently

work with.

To start the process of ‘new light’ thinking, separate all your items that might be matching sets (i.e. cardigan/camisoles or suits). Make sure each garment has their own hanger so you do not lose them within the stack piled. Organize each of your items by color and style of garment. If it helps, follow the blend of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.). This step will help get you thinking

Mix and match “ new pieces together by blending shades.”

Whitney Manns is the owner of WM Wardrobe Consulting. For more information, visit WMwardrobeconsulting.com

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January 2014

creatively by color instead of specific outfit.

Everything you need to get dressed should be within a close vicinity. Jewelry kept in a bathroom away from all your clothes often becomes a forgotten step or nuisance when trying to find that perfect matched accessory.

Now that organizing your closet is complete, you should be able to start mixing and matching new pieces together by blending shades together.

Using the rainbow blend of color to hang your tops should help you select colors that work well together. Colors that are close to each other in the warm tones or cool tones work well together.

For example, grab your favorite peach top that you’ve always worn with the matching peach cardigan and instead, pair it with a neutral like your navy blazer or blend with a rust orange cardigan.

When selecting the bottom half of your outfit, visualize your body into three sections. It is much more appealing to have your outfit balanced in to thirds rather than splitting yourself in half. Consider tucking your shirt in with a higher-waist bottom or leave it out and put a belt around your natural waist.

Ac c e ss o r i z i n g puts the finishing touches on a look to help make an outfit look complete or ‘put together.’

I run across clients with either a TON of jewelry that barely gets worn or someone that has no jewelry because the concept of accessories is too overwhelming.

This is a big place to forget which necklace you

purchased with a certain top so use the blending method of colors or even just use the warm and cool tone method to create new looks. If you’re outfit has more reds, oranges and yellows, select a gold piece or if your outfit has more blues, purples and greens, try a silver piece.

You shouldn’t wear more than two pieces of matching jewelry. Many places will sell you the necklace with the matching earrings and bracelet, avoid wearing all these at the same time. Select either the necklace and bracelet or the earrings and bracelet and then replace the third piece with something simple like a gold or diamond stud.

Returning to the sample peach top and rust cardigan outfit above, instead of using the peach necklace set purchased with the top, finish off the outfit with a rust or gold-colored necklace or add a fun, printed scarf to the outfit that pulls in these two colors.

The purse is a big item that so many women just do not take the time to change out. If you would rather not take the time to switch out bags for every outfit then invest in a neutral, metallic or animal print bag. Fun, bright bags are to be used with an outfit that needs a pop of color.

Drop the Drops Drops are a hassle, but if you have glaucoma, you are probably using eye drops several times a day to control the sight-threatening disease. If you’re tired of the messiness, irritation, expense and unwanted side effects that often accompany glaucoma drops, The Eye Clinic offers SLT, a newer treatment option that can eliminate or reduce the quantity of prescription medications, eye drops, surgery and other invasive treatments required to control the disease.

SLT (selective laser trabeculoplasty) uses an advanced laser system to help lower pressure in the eye.

This “cold” laser makes the treatment extremely gentle, and does not cause scarring or damage to the eye.

SLT has virtually no side effects. Treatments take very little time and are provided at The Eye Clinic.

For more severe cases, we can also do mini-shunt surgery to eliminate the need for drops.

The Eye Clinic is the only provider in the region to offer this option.

For more information about glaucoma treatment advances, call The Eye Clinic at 478-3810 or 1-800-826-5223.

800.826.5223 www.theeyeclinic.net

LAKE CHARLES • SULPHUR • DERIDDER • JENNINGS • MOSS BLUFF January 2014

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67

Mind & Body

Empowering Students through

Physical Activity

by Katie Harrington

Locally, St. John Elementary School wants to use physical activity to empower its students to reach their own potential, and the effects are being seen in the classroom. In addition to regular physical education classes taught as enrichments to academic coursework, the school has partnered with Hurricane Crossfit to bring SJE Crossfit Kids to life.

“This is our second year to offer SJE Crossfit Kids to our fourth- and fifth-grade students as an extracurricular activity,” says Dr. Sabrah Kingham, principal of the school. “The students attend one session twice a week after school. We evaluate them routinely by gathering baselines and helping them set personal improvement goals, much like we do academically in the classroom.”

Efforts are being made to track the students over time, but it is clear to program coordinators that students are already motivated by their personal growth.

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“There are numerous studies available that show a positive link between regular physical activity and academic achievement,” Dr. Kingham says.

“Exercise increases the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, which may improve student’s thinking process. It may also help by increasing levels of norepinephrine and endorphins to decrease stress and improve mood. Additionally, it may also help create new nerve cells and support synaptic plasticity thus increasing levels of concentration.”

With so many options for exercise programs, why has the school selected Crossfit to achieve its goals?

“Crossfit involves full body fitness by incorporating all facets of functional movement,” says Lauren Byrd, physical education teacher at St. John and a certified level one Crossfit instructor.

“This is a passion for all of us in the physical education department at St. John and working with the kids through the Crossfit Kids program challenges us as instructors to be physically fit. It

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is so amazing to see how much the kids love what they are accomplishing in the gym.”

John Wilson, owner of Hurricane Crossfit, says becoming a partner in education with St. John was a godsend. “Seeing the look on the faces of the kids when they leave is priceless. We’ve been witness to improved self-esteem, strength and physical fitness. We are helping them create ownership of their actions and it pays off with better leadership skills and grades, improved cognitive function and even better behavioral compliance. Seeing the transformation in the kids is what makes coaching fun.”

Fifth-grader Caleb Couvillion is a second-year participant in the SJE Crossfit Kids program and says the program is not about pushing each other, it’s about working together. “I like working out and being able to be with my friends and I feel good when I do the movements right.”

January 2014

Wilson adds that Caleb’s observation of the program is one of the most exciting things to see. “Good is the enemy of great and we are teaching this kids to strive for excellence.

We are also teaching them that compassion and empathy goes beyond competition, that the person who finishes last isn’t the loser, they just need more encouragement.”

Bryn Painter is a parent volunteer and has seen first-hand some of the great benefits of the program. “The kids are having fun while exercising and are learning to persevere and work as a team by motivating and encouraging one another to do their best. Through this program they are establishing life-long skills such as selfdiscipline, goal setting and a better understanding of their health.”

The program has had some positive impacts outside the walls of the school. “Thanks to a grant, last October we were able to host a level one certification course to have our January 2014

physical education faculty members certified. All together 23 people, including employees of the Calcasieu Parish Sherriff’s Office and other individuals from the community were able to participate in this program,” adds. Dr. Kingham. “Our program is now being modeled in other area schools, at our sister school in England and at a school in Atlanta, Georgia. Our next step is to receive our Crossfit Kids certification and that will happen this month.”

The positive impacts being felt in the community is icing on the cake for this school who wanted a program that would help students improve their academic success rates. “In addition to helping our students, we are so proud that we are able to be at the forefront of a program that is bringing families and members of the community together,” says Dr. Kingham.

www.tutoringcenter.com

3471 Nelson Road Lake Charles, LA 70605 Thrive Magazine for Better Living

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69

Mind & Body

The Price-Tag Benefit of Knee Replacement Surgery

by Kristy Armand

For most patients, the primary motivation to undergo knee replacement is to improve quality of life. Typically, surgery is a last resort to alleviate pain and increase mobility. But according to a new study, knee replacement surgery also has a very positive societal and economic impact.

Researchers found that the average patient indirectly saves nearly $40,000, with an average lifetime societal benefit of up to $30,000. The societal benefit results from the patient’s ability to maintain employment, increase earnings over a longer time in the workforce, decrease work absences and lower disability payments. The results of the study were published earlier this year in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

“As the population ages, demand for total knee replacement surgery has increased dramatically.

This demand has also been triggered by improved, sophisticated surgical methods that allow patients to recover faster and more comfortably than ever

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before. Knee replacement surgery has improved by vast proportions over the past several years, and patients have benefitted from that,” says John Noble Jr., MD, orthopaedic surgeon with the Center for Orthopaedics and president of the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association. “When knee replacement is done at the right time, the value to the patient is tremendous. In addition to allowing them to get back to their lives, it allows them to be productive again.”

Collectively, the lifetime societal savings for total knee replacement surgery among those with end-stage osteoarthritis is about $12 billion from the more than 600,000 total knee replacement

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surgeries performed in the U.S. in 2009, the study found.

The demographics of those undergoing knee replacement have changed as baby boomers age, Dr. Noble says. “Baby boomers want to be as active as possible, but their bodies haven’t always been able to maintain the same momentum. Advances in knee replacement techniques and technology are allowing us to help them stay active, longer.”

The growing rates of obesity have also played a role in the increased number of knee replacement surgeries performed in the U.S., according to Dr. Noble. “The more you weigh, the more pressure on your joints, which contributes to joint damage.

January 2014

When you walk, each knee bears a force equivalent to three to six times the body’s weight. If you weigh a mere 120 pounds, your knees are taking a 360-pound, or more, beating with every step.”

Dr. Noble adds that total knee replacement is now one of the most successful surgical procedures performed in the U.S. About 90 percent of patients report significant alleviation of pain and improved quality of life. The demand for total knee replacement is expected to exceed 3 million by the year 2030, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

“If you’ve been postponing knee

replacement surgery because you remember a bad experience an older relative had with the procedure, then you need to forget everything you think you know about joint replacement,” says Dr. Noble. “Long, painful recovery periods and stiff, unnatural movement after replacement surgery are history, and the future promises even further improvement in this area.”

For more information about knee replacement surgery, contact Center for Orthopaedics, an affiliate of Imperial Health, at www.centerforortho.com or call (337) 721-7236.

ADVANCED

TECHNOLOGY IN SAFE HANDS Patient safety isn’t just an initiative—it’s at the forefront of everything we do, every day. At West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, we have examined every policy, procedure and practice to ensure we provide care in the safest of environments. These efforts have earned us three consecutive “A” grade assignments for patient safety from The Leapfrog Group, the most recent was received Fall 2013. This organization grades hospitals on their overall performance in keeping patients safe from preventable harm and medical errors. Safety is important when choosing a hospital for surgery.

Visit www.hospitalsafetyscore.org for more details about the Hospital Safety ScoreSM.

Healing happens when you’re in the right hands—our hands.

Ashley Rondeau, RN

(337) 527-7034 701 Cypress Street, Sulphur

wcch.com

January 2014

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71

Mind & Body

Advancements in Corneal Transplants Make for a Clearer World

by Erin Kelly

Naturally, Carter was less than eager to make the journey, and her doctor told her they could continue to conduct “watchful waiting” for a while.

“Reading road signs and even fine print was becoming a bigger problem over the past year,” Carter, 71, said. She wore glasses and made visits to her doctor at The Eye Clinic every six months for monitoring. She eventually developed cataracts, further compromising her vision. Her vision worsened, even varying throughout the day. The trip to Baylor seemed inevitable, until ophthalmologist Charles Thompson, MD, returned to Lake Charles after completing his medical training.

Dr. Thompson, who joined the Eye Clinic this summer, completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease, cataract and refractive surgery with the Eye Consultants of Atlanta in Georgia. He gave Carter the good news: he could perform a single combined procedure to remove her cataract and repair her cornea in what is commonly referred to as a “triple procedure.” He explains that a triple procedure is so named because it involves removing a patient’s cataract, placing an intraocular lens within the eye and performing a partial or lamellar corneal transplant in an outpatient procedure.

“Partial corneal transplants offer numerous advantages for those patient’s whose condition requires corneal surgery, including faster visual recovery, less pain, and better visual outcome,” Dr. Thompson said.

When Myrna Carter was diagnosed with Fuchs’ endothelial corneal dystrophy several years ago, she was told she needed a corneal transplant and that she would have to travel to Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas for the procedure. Her condition, characterized by progressive deterioration of the cornea, was not going to improve, doctors said. The transplant was a matter of when, not if.

According to Dr. Thompson, the “tried-andtrue” traditional method of corneal transplant is known as a penetrating keratoplasty, or PKP. “Prior to the advent of lamellar keratoplasty, or partial thickness transplantation, if an individual had any type of corneal condition that required corneal transplantation, the only option was PKP,” he says. “With PKP, the full thickness of the cornea is removed as a disk and replaced with a donor cornea. PKP involves more stitchees, a longer recovery process, and many patient’s require the use of a specialized contact lens following the procedure to see their best.”

He explains that partial or lamellar corneal transplantation, such as Descemet’s Stripping Automated Endothelial Keroplasty, or DSAEK, compares favorably to penetrating keratoplasty for the treatment of conditions such as Fuchs’, as was the case for Carter. This newer technique involves making a small, 4-5mm incision in the cornea and

replacing diseased corneal cells with healthy donor cells. A temporary air bubble, rather than sutures, is used to position the graft and foster adherence of the donor corneal tissue to the recipient.

“The newer partial corneal transplant techniques give corneal surgeons more options and enable more people to be andidates for less invasive surgeries, even patients who may not have been considered a candidate before,” Dr. Thompson said.

“Partial corneal transplants such as DSAEK are often performed on patients like Mrs. Carter, who suffer from Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy.”

He described Fuch’s dystrophy as a corneal endothelial disease. “It’s a slowly progressive degenerative process that commonly affects individuals in their 50s to 70s. Roughly 50% of the time, there is a family clustering of the disease with a clear inherited pattern.” Women are effected by Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy roughly 2.5 times more often than men, Dr. Thomson added. He says early symptoms of Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy are typically glare and blurred vision in the morning upon awakening that generally clears within a few hours, becoming progressively better throughout the day. “Fuchs’ corneal dystrophy is the second most common reason for individuals worldwide to undergo partial corneal transplantation using the DSAEK technique,” he says. “The most common indication for DSAEK is Pseudophakic Bullous

photograhy by Erica Fisher Myrna Carter enjoys reading again; something that was becoming difficult due to her eyesight problems.

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January 2014

Keratopathy (PBK), which affects individuals who have undergone complex intraocular surgery, including complicated cataract or glaucoma surgery.

During Carter’s surgery, Dr. Thompson was also able to remove the cataract in her right eye, replacing the cloudy lens with a new acrylic intraocular lens implant and perform her DSAEK corneal transplantation in a single surgery.

The outpatient procedure took place on September 3 and she noticed an improvement the next day.

“Within a week, my vision was unreal,” she said. “A major improvement. I can go without wearing glasses most of the time and can even read the fine print.

I’m having the other eye done in January and I can’t wait.”

For more information about corneal transplants, call The Eye Clinic at (337) 478-3810 or visit www.theeyeclinic.net.

When you love the way you look and feel, it shows! The ENT & Aesthetic Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital offers a variety of surgical and non-surgical aesthetic procedures, services, and products, in addition to ear, nose, and throat care. Our team, led by Harold G. Bienvenu, MD, board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, as well as the American Board of Otolaryngology, provides the most advanced technologies and products to rejuvenate your look.

Ask about our free consultations!

Our most popular non-surgical aesthetic procedures and treatments address: Fine Lines & Wrinkles • Skin Pigmentation Issues • Acne Scarring • Cellulite Spider Veins • Excess Fat • General Skin Care • Lip Enhancement Common surgical aesthetic procedures offered include: Blepharoplasty • Brow Lift • Face Lift Liposuction/Body Sculpting • Rhinoplasty

1327 Stelly Lane, Suite 3 • Sulphur

(337) 439-2040

January 2014

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Mind & Body

Balloon Sinuplasty is a Breath of Fresh Air

by Erin Kelly

Life isn’t easy when you suffer from sinusitis. This chronic condition, often mistaken for allergies or a cold, can mar every waking moment with a host of uncomfortable symptoms: pressure and congestion, headache, tenderness and swelling around the eyes, cheeks and nose, difficulty breathing, fatigue, tooth pain, sore throat.

“The list goes on,” said Brad LeBert, ear, nose and throat specialist with the ENT & Allergy Clinic in Lake Charles. “Chronic sinusitis is frustrating and can be debilitating to quality of life. Anyone who’s ever had a cold--which is pretty much everyone-understands what’s it like when you don’t feel 100 percent. It affects all aspects of your life. Imagine having a chronic condition that makes you feel like this most of the time, with throbbing headaches and facial pain.”

Sinusitis has traditionally been treated with medication, but not all patients respond well.

Jeri Firmin was one of those patient. Her battle with sinusitis went on for 20 years. “My problem was not the typical congestion, pain and drainage that you hear most people complain about. I had headaches. Severe headaches that were almost constant. My entire head throbbed – from the back to the front, my jaw, my face, my eyes. I used to even say that my hair hurt! I have had migraines before and this was worse than that. I saw many different doctors and was treated with antibiotics for years. I might get relief for a few weeks and then it came right back. The older I got, the worse the pain became. The pressure seemed unrelenting. The medication didn’t seem to help any more.”

“As with anything, some patients respond well to medication. Others don’t,” Dr. LeBert said. “For those who don’t respond well to medication, surgical options have long been available, but these procedures have typically been somewhat 74 www.thriveswla.com

invasive and involve the removal of nasal bone and tissue. That’s what makes balloon sinuplasty such a viable and desirable option for those with chronic sinusitis.”

Firmin’s symptoms had become so severe, that her doctor started to think that there might be another cause for her chronic headaches. She had a CT scan that revealed her left sinuses were completely blocked. She was prescribed a stronger two-week course of antibiotics. There was no relief and an MRI was ordered to once again check for some other source of her pain. It also revealed completely blocked sinus passages on her left side.

It was at that point, that balloon sinuplasty was recommended, and she saw Dr. LeBert.

According to Dr. LeBert, more than 250,000 patients have been treated with balloon sinuplasty, which is considered a “breakthrough procedure in endoscopic sinus surgery.” With balloon sinuplasty, there is no cutting of nasal bone or tissue. Instead, doctors open inflamed sinuses in the same way that heart surgeons open blocked arteries during balloon angioplasty. The procedure is much less invasive than traditional sinus surgery and just as effective, Dr. LeBert said.

“Patients recover more quickly so they can get back to their normal activities. Usually, recovery only takes a few days,” Dr. LeBert said. “Most patients experience meaningful improvement in their symptoms for years after surgery.”

Nearly a year after her procedure, Firmin is Thrive Magazine for Better Living

singing the praises of this procedure. “After 20 years of headaches, I was pain free. The procedure itself was simple and pain free – very little discomfort at all. The relief was immediate and I have not had any problems since. I’d recommend this to anyone battling ongoing sinusitis.”

For more information about sinusitis and treatment options, including balloon sinuplasty, call Dr. LeBert at (337) 312-8564.

January 2014

An Answer for Persistent Migraines Karlee Howard never knew a life without migraines. The pulsating, throbbing pain would hit her often and without warning each day.

“It was like a stabbing, dull, all the time aching pain in the back of my head that would never go away,” the 20-year-old says.

In the 7th grade, Karlee was diagnosed with a birth defect called chiari malformation, a condition where her brain could not fit inside her skull. The defect sent Karlee’s development backwards.

“It got to the point that I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t feed myself,” she recalls. “I learned sign language to communicate with my mother.”

Karlee had a piece of the back of her skull cut out and replaced with a mesh patch to relieve the pressure.

Her motor skills and speech returned, but so did the migraines.

“Nobody could figure out what to do,” she says. “Nobody could really help me.”

Karlee continued to spend her days in the dark, trying to get past the excruciating pain in her head. She tried every prescription medication in the book, both those to prevent and stop migraines. Massages and acupuncture where other attempted remedies – and all failed.

That is when Karlee went to see Dr. Seth Billiodeaux, an interventional pain specialist with the Memorial Medical Group. His job: identify the cause of Karlee’s migraines.

January 2014

The third occipital nerve that runs from the spine to the back of the head was determined to be the root of Karlee’s pain. The decision was made to numb the nerve to see if that would provide permanent relief.

“We started with a trial run with a short procedure where I numbed the third occipital nerve,” Dr. Billiodeaux says. “She then reported her pain relief over a two to three day period.”

Karlee’s relief was significant, so Dr. Billiodeaux moved forward with a radiofrequency ablation, using heat to permanently numb the problematic nerve making it incapable of transmitting pain signals.

Three needles were used at the top, middle and bottom of the nerve. It took about 15 minutes to complete the procedure under mild anesthesia.

“Once I place the needle in the identified region, we heat the tip of the needle, which is able to ablate or permanently numb this nerve,” he says.

Karlee had the radiofrequency ablation in July 2013 and the migraines have not returned since.

“I figured that I’d wake up and five days later I would have a headache again, but that hasn’t happened,” she said, “I’ve been 100 percent no headaches.”

For more information on pain management call 337.480.8900.

It’s About Time.

When your doctor says you need to see a musculoskeletal specialist, you shouldn’t have to wait for an appointment.

With OrthoExpress at Center for Orthopaedics, the wait is over.

24-hour appointment guarantee* Monday through Friday OrthoExpress puts you on the fast track to getting the care you need when you have an injury.

We guarantee that you’ll be seen by one of our musculoskeletal specialists within 24 hours. Taking care of bones and joints is what we do best, and whatever your injury, you’re within arm’s reach of the diagnostic and treatment resources of the region’s largest musculoskeletal group.

at Center for Orthopaedics 1747 Imperial Blvd., Lake Charles

(337) 721-7236 www.centerforortho.com

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Mind & Body

Milestone Achieved Surpassing the 250 robotic hysterectomy 50 to 100 ccs of blood just by opening the five Dr. Lee J. Monlezun recently reached an milestone means Dr. Monlezun has seen layers of the abdominal wall before you even important milestone: he has performed over virtually every type of case. “It’s a benchmark start the open abdominal hysterectomy. The 250 robotic hysterectomies as an ob/gyn at for surgeons indicating that we’ve been put blood loss is that amount for the entire robotic CHRISTUS St. Patrick Hospital. through the paces. Of course, every patient procedure,” he explained.

Robotic technology has revolutionized is different, but for the most part, we’ve There are benefits for the surgeon, too. Dr. traditional surgical procedures, including Monlezun said it’s easier to perform the delicate successfully overcome the various types of hysterectomies, with a futuristic approach. And challenges that are usually associated with it.” movements thanks to the magnification from the patients are ecstatic with the results. “After He added that patients in Southwest the robotic equipment. “It magnifies two to five years, I’ve had no complaints,” reports Dr. Louisiana benefit from the surgical options two-and-a-half times, making it easier to see. I Monlezun. available. “We’re fortunate to have excellent can do difficult cases more easily this way.”

Thanks to a less invasive surgery, shorter GYN’s in our area performing laparoscopic Originally, the surgical robotic technology recovery time and less pain, women are able hysterectomies as well as open hysterectomies was developed by the military. During Desert to have the robotic surgery and resume their because not every woman is a candidate Storm in the early 1990s, the concept was normal activities more quickly than they could for the robotic route. I continue to offer the envisioned for soldiers who needed surgery with the open, traditional hysterectomy. open hysterectomy option in order to meet to be prepped on-site and surgeons set up at The robotic process has the surgeon in a the needs of all of my patients,” Dr. Monlezun Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in console twenty feet from the patient and the explained. “There are some cases when the Washington, D.C. would perform the surgery. It rest of the surgical team. The surgeon controls open route is the best for the patient. I always didn’t come to fruition but the idea was born the movements of the robotic arm using hand keep the patients best outcome in mind.” and developed over time. and feet controls. The console is equipped with a microphone, allowing the surgeon the ability to communicate with his surgical team at all times. “If for any reason, I take my hand away from the console, every movement of the robotic arm stops. Nothing happens without my direction,” Dr. Monlezun reported.

He says he performs robotic hysterectomies 90 to 95 percent of the time.

“The benefits are incredible for the patients,” Dr. Monlezun said. “The main problem is women feel good a few weeks after surgery and they try to do too much. Even though the healing process is much shorter, it still takes time for the body to repair itself. I can’t accelerate that, even though I’d like to!”

The typical recovery time for open hysterectomies is six weeks. With robotic surgery it is three to four weeks for a total recovery, in two weeks women are usually able to drive.

In the majority of cases, it’s not necessary to admit women to the hospital for an inpatient stay. The surgery and post-op care usually takes 23 hours or less, so they’re considered an outpatient and then they can recuperate in the comfort of their own home.

Pain is also much less with the robotic surgery. There are five total incisions, with the largest being half an inch and the smallest being a quarter of an inch. In addition, the blood loss is much lower. “With a traditional open hysterectomy, the patient usually loses Dr. Monlezun operates the robotic equipment while the surgical team assists near the patient.

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January 2014

Snap Fitness Country Club Under New Ownership John Foret, Jr., BS, RTS, MAT, local health and fitness expert and certified Muscle Activation Technique specialist, is the new owner and operator of Snap Fitness Country Club, LLC located at 2724 Country Club Road in the Albertson’s shopping center in Lake Charles.

Foret has worked as a Fitness Professional for over 19 years, and is a Certified Resistance Training Specialist and was the first Muscle Activation Techniques Specialist in the State. He works with individuals of all ages, as well as athletes at all competitive levels, including members of the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans teams.

Snap Fitness is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and has free enrollment and no contracts. Under Foret’s ownership, Snap Fitness Country Club now offers the latest strength, conditioning and

exercise equipment and is staffed with personal trainers and muscle activation specialists providing the most advanced muscle system evaluation and fitness process that is solely offered by Muscle Activation Technique Specialists. The staff can also help members with their weight loss and fitness goals.

Foret and his staff will utilize Snap Fitness to transition individuals into a custom strengthening and wellness program as well as a speed, agility, flexibility and/or a high intensity sport specific program.

For more information about monthly membership rates and services offered at Snap Fitness Country Club in Lake Charles or for more details about Muscle Activation, please call (337)478-4525.

Advancing the Fight Against Skin Cancer The Dermatology Associates of Southwest Louisiana proudly welcome

Mohs surgeon, Lee Miller, MD.

Dr. Miller is a board certified dermatologist and the only Mohs surgeon in Southwest Louisiana.

This specialized technique offers the highest cure rates for common types of skin cancer while preserving the maximum amount of healthy tissue around the lesion.

2000 Tybee Lane • Lake Charles, LA 70605 • 337-433-7272 January 2014

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Michael Cormier, MD • Brian Ford, MD Kevin Guidry, MD • Lee Miller, MD

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Mark Your Calendar!

Julia “Caroline” Youngblood will host an opening reception and gallery talk on Friday, January 10 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. Her exhibition will run through Saturday, March 1, 2014. For more information, call (337) 491-9147.

12-Week Nutrition Program to Begin at Dynamic Dimensions Dynamic Dimensions Fitness Centers of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital has developed a 12week nutrition and wellness program entitled “Eat Well, Live Well, Be Well!” for individuals looking for information on how to successfully make healthy lifestyle choices. The class will begin on January 15 and will be held at both locations of Dynamic Dimensions. For more information, call (337) 527-5459 in Sulphur, or (337) 855-7708 in Moss Bluff.

Find Your Inner Warrior at the ReALLIEty Challenge The ReALLIEty Challenge Mud Run is scheduled for April 5. This obstacle course spans approximately 4 miles of unique Louisiana terrain and is designed to parallel military training conditions. The “War Zone” includes running, crawling, jumping, hanging and balancing elements, allowing participants to be a warrior for a day or to run on behalf of a special warrior. For more information or to register, visit www.reALLIEtychallenge.com, or call (337) 274-7988.

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Friends of Tuten Park Announces Gardening Education Programs

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program schedules orientation

Friends of Tuten Park has announced two upcoming gardening educational programs.

“How Plants Build the Soil” will be presented by Kurt Unkel, owner and producer of Cajun Grain, on January 9 from 6-7:30 pm. He will discuss how to grow indigenous microorganisms, which benefit the soil, and how to make your own fertilizer with your weeds.

“How to Graft Citrus Trees” will be presented

by Pam Langley, AMG; Ervin McClelland, MG; and Barbara Watkins, MG; on February 6, from 6-7:30 pm.

Both programs will be held at the Tuten Park Education Building, 3801 Nelson Road. The programs are free to the public, but seating is limited to 25 attendees.

For reservations, email golden.tradewell@cityoflc.us.

An orientation session will be held January 16 for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in Southwest Louisiana. The session will be held from 9am - 1 pm at the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, 715 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. For more information and to sign up, call (337) 433-1088, Ext. 32.

Bill Owens: Suburbia On Exhibit

Friends of Tuten Park Announces Series of Topics for the Beginning Gardener Friends of Tuten Park announces a series of six topics for the beginning gardener. Topics include “Soil Management/Composting” on January 4; “Growing with Different Containers” on January 11; “Top Tips for Starting Seed, Growing Plants for Our Zone, and Transplanting” on January 18; “How to Grow a Herb Garden” on January 25; “Integrative Pest Management” on February 1; and “Importance of Soil Minerals” on February 8. All series topics will be held at the Tuten Park Education Building, 3801 Nelson Road. The programs are free to the public, but seating is limited to 25 attendees. For course registration, or more information, e-mail golden. tradewell@cityoflc.us.

Bill Owens: Suburbia is part of a national tour, managed by Art2Art Circulating Exhibitions, New York, NY. It will open with a free reception Friday, January 10 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition will run through March 8, 2014. For more information, call (337) 491-9147.

Jessica Gayle to Exhibit at Historic City Hall Local artist Jessica Gayle will host an opening reception on Friday January 10 from 5:30-8pm at Historic City hall Arts and Cultural Center. Her art exhibition will hang through March 1. The paintings in this show strive to embody this idea- to be tranquil and calm, without worry or distress, to be untied from conventional subject matter, or the object, in painting. For more information, call (337) 491-9147.

t

Louisiana Artist Exhibits Nostalgic Collections with Gallery Talk

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January 2014

75TH ANNUAL SOUTHWEST DISTRICT LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO 2014 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Thursday, January 23 - Miss Rodeo Pageant Friday, January 24 The Lock-Monsour

House Friday, January 24 Unveiling of 6:00 p.m. the 75th Anniversary

Southwest District

Livestock Show and

Rodeo poster Designed by Buck Taylor – McNeese Banners Saturday, January 25 Western Heritage Trail 9:00 a.m.

Ride Day 1 Riders depart Gueydan

Sunday, January 26 Western Heritage Trail 9:00 a.m.

Ride Day 2 Riders travel from Lake Arthur to Jennings

Monday, January 27 9:00 a.m.

Western Heritage Trail

Ride Day 3 Riders travel from Jennings to Welsh

5:00 p.m.

Rodeo Celebrities’

Autograph & Photo

Session Patton’s Western Wear - 3620 Ryan Street Tuesday, January 28 8:00 a.m.

Annual IHOP Free

Pancake Breakfast The 1912 Calcasieu Parish Courthouse (2nd Floor) Ryan St. & Kirby St. The First 100 Fans to arrive win a FREE rodeo ticket!

9:00 a.m.

Western Heritage Trail

Ride Day 4 Riders travel from Welsh to Iowa Wednesday, January 29 9:00 a.m.

Western Heritage Trail

Ride Day 5 Riders travel from Iowa en route to Lake Charles 5:00 p.m.

Rodeo Celebrity

Meet & Greet Press

Conference Invitation Only Featuring autograph and photo sessions with rodeo stars and rodeo royalty.

January 2014

Thursday, January 30 9:00 a.m.

Western Heritage Trail

Ride Day 6 Riders en route for parade - Lake Charles 4:00 p.m.

Rodeo Parade Begins at LaGrange and Patrick St. – South on Ryan to McNeese Stadium 7:30 p.m.

Rodeo Performance

Burton Coliseum Friday, January 31 9:00 a.m.

Western Heritage Trail

Ride Day 7 Riders depart McNeese Stadium for Burton Coliseum

7:30 p.m.

Rodeo Performance Burton Coliseum Saturday, February 1 9:00 a.m.

Chuck Wagon Cooking

Exhibit Burton Coliseum

Search for Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras.

2:30 p.m.

Rodeo Performance Coronation of Miss Rodeo Louisiana during Rodeo. Burton Coliseum 7:00 p.m.

Burton Coliseum

Rodeo Performance

For more information, contact: Livestock Shows: Tommy Shields (337) 475-8812 Western Heritage Trail Ride: Glenn Daigle (337) 802-8168 or Blaine Crochet (337) 802-4879 Rodeo Parade: Blaine Crochet (337) 802-4879 Press & Media Inquiries: Lisa Sonnier (337) 274-7636 or lisa@xactaadvertising.com Burton Coliseum Box Office: (337) 562-4070 Official Website: www.LakeCharlesRodeo.com Visit our Facebook Page: SWDRodeo

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Community Contributor$ IBERIABank Employees Donate Toys

W.W. Lewis Donates to Care Help of Sulphur

W.W. Lewis Middle Beta Club conducted a “Scavenger Hunt” to collect canned goods and monetary donations for Care Help of Sulphur. The Beta Club chose to donate the items to Care Help of Sulphur because of their support for the community. For more information, call (337) 528-2273.

IBERIABank employees made the season brighter for hundreds of children in foster care by donating toys to children served by Family & Youth’s Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Over 200 children in SWLA, who are currently in foster care, will enjoy the toys donated by IBERIABank employees. For more information, call Family & Youth at (337) 436-9533.

Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana Accepts Endowments

L to R: Shawn Camara, John Thomas Chapman, Roxanne Fontenot Camara and Julio Galan, president and CEO of Family Foundation.

L to R: Julio Galan, president and CEO of Family Foundation; Danny Williams, Langley, Williams & Company, LLC; and Ben Marriner, vice chair, board of trustees of Family Foundation

The Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana accepted a $5,000 endowment from the Fontenot & Camara Family to benefit the programs of Family & Youth. For more information call (337) 436-9533 or visit www.fyca.org.

The Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana accepted a $10,000 endowment from Langley, Williams & Company, LLC to benefit the programs of Family & Youth. For more information call (337) 436-9533 or visit www.fyca.org.

CVB Grants DeQuincy Railroad Museum with Funds

Pictured: Gary Cooper, vice chairman of the CVB’s board of directors (far left) and Mike Dees, chairman of the CVB’s board of directors (far right) present the grant to members of the DeQuincy Railroad Museum’s board of directors (left to right): Carla Robertson, vice president; Jolene Constance, secretary; and Evalin Hester, treasurer.

IBERIABANK Donates Building to Allen Action Agency IBERIABANK, the 126-year-old subsidiary of IBERIABANK Corporation, has announced the donation of a former bank branch building in Oberlin, to the nonprofit organization Allen Action Agency.

LyondellBasell Supports Family & Youth

L to R: Pictured: Julio Galan, president & CEO, Family & Youth and Scott Jackson, operations manager, LyondellBasell.

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The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) board of directors has approved a grant for $15,000 to restore and preserve artifacts for the DeQuincy Railroad Museum.

For more information, visit www. dequincyrailroadmuseum.com.

CVB Grants Brimstone Museum Complex with Funds

L to R: Thom Trahan, executive director of the Brimstone Museum; Oneida Loup, Brimstone Museum board member; Marilyn Broussard, Brimstone Museum board president; and Mike Dees president of the board of directors for the CVB.

Family & Youth accepted a $2,500 donation from LyondellBasell to support programs and services of Family & Youth Counseling Agency (Family & Youth).

For more information, call (337) 436-9533.

Thrive Magazine for Better Living

The Lake Charles/Southwest Louisiana Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) board of directors has approved a grant for $10,000 to support the new permanent exhibit highlighting the history of the Sulphur Mines. For more information, visit www.brimstonemuseum. org.

January 2014

IT’S BEEN A LONG, WINDING ROAD FOR ACTOR-TURNED-ARTIST

Buck Taylor is the iconic cowboy, with a career that resembles a long, windswept trail ride. It’s that winding path that is leading Taylor to Lake Charles in late January.

Easily recognized after more than 50 years in front of either a television or movie camera, most notably toting a gun, Taylor is renowned for his art, which celebrates the heritage of the American West. One of his iconic watercolors has been chosen as the poster commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is being held January 30 through February 1 at Burton Coliseum.

Taylor will join the festivities as Grand Marshal of the parade, which begins at 4pm on Thursday, January 30, at the corner of LaGrange and Patrick streets in Lake Charles. He will also sell his art and sign autographs during intermission at the rodeo later that night.

Taylor, the son of character actor, Dub Taylor, first studied art in college.

After a disastrous encounter with math, he followed in his father’s footsteps – but did not limit himself to Westerns.

While possibly best remembered in his recurring role as Newly O’Brien, gunsmith-turned-deputy, during the last of eight seasons of Gunsmoke, a Western that aired from 1967 to 1975, Taylor also appeared regularly on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Ben January 2014

Casey, My Favorite Martian, Combat!, Barnaby Jones, General Hospital, Dallas and T.J. Hooker.

Despite his successful acting career, he found himself sketching and painting during breaks in filming while on movie locations. In the late 1990’s, he took a life drawing class, and renewed his passion for the career he’d abandoned 25 years earlier.

One of the largest professional rodeos in the United States, the Southwest District Livestock Show & Rodeo is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association, and produced

by Smith, Harper and Morgan Rodeo Company.

More than 500 professional rodeo competitors, including 100-plus pro world champions and national finals contestants from across the nation, vie for $250,000 in prizes. The Southwest District Livestock Show and Rodeo also hosts more than 2,500 4-H and FFA exhibitors, and awards more than $50,000 in scholarships annually.

The Southwest District Livestock Show & Rodeo is called the greatest show on dirt. Catch all the action and the Harper legacy at work, January 30th – February 1st, at Burton Coliseum.

For more information, visit www.lakecharlesrodeo.com.

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81

Autism Contest Winner Announced Charles Stevenson, a 2011 visual arts graduate of McNeese State University from DeRidder, has won the McNeese Autism Program logo design contest.

Stevenson, a graphic designer at Signs Now, Charles Stevenson and ??? received a $100 McNeese Bookstore gift card. His winning design was inspired by the national symbol for autism – a puzzle pattern, which reflects the complexity of the autism spectrum.

McNeese Professor Receives National Adviser Award

Dr. Henry B. Sirgo

Dr. Henry B. Sirgo, professor of political science at McNeese State University, has been honored with one of two national Pi Sigma Alpha’s Chapter Adviser Recognition Awards for 2013. These awards are intended to recognize faculty members who have served as advisers to their chapters of the national political science honor society with extraordinary dedication, commitment and leadership for a long period of time.

Tennis Team Fundraiser

L to R: Devin Thomas, Graywood general manager, Harry Hank, tennis supporter, Danielle Steinberg, head coach of McNeese tennis, and Amanda Prejean, event coordinator at Graywood.

A fundraiser for the McNeese State University tennis team held at Gray Plantation’s Sports Club brought in $39,000. Title sponsors of the 2013 tennis tournament fundraiser were the Stockwell Sievert Law Firm and Nissan of Lake Charles along with an anonymous donor.

L to R: McNeese State University President Dr. Philip Williams, and SOWELA Chancellor Dr. Neil Aspinwall.

McNeese and Sowela Share Rec Sports McNeese State University and Southwest Louisiana Technical Community College (SOWELA) signed an agreement that will make the McNeese Recreational Sports Complex and the university’s intramural sports program available to current students, faculty and staff at SOWELA. For more information, contact Candace Townsend at McNeese at ctownsend@mcneese. edu or Randy Jolly at SOWELA at randy.jolly@sowela.edu.

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January 2014

McNeese Students Nominated Three McNeese State University students have been nominated for the Irene Ryan National Theatre Scholarship for their work in the recent “The Glass Menagerie” production and will be auditioning for it at the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival Region VI Festival in Shreveport in February.

They are Jonathon Richards, DeRidder, Adrianne Parker, Lake Charles, and Chris Reeves, DeRidder. Elyssa Constance, Grand Lake, was also commended for Excellence in Stage Management for this production.

McNeese Announces Holiday Card Winner Kenyonna Moses, a junior with a double major in nursing and art, from Angie, has won the annual McNeese President’s Holiday Card Contest. Moses’ winning design appears on the front of McNeese’s official holiday card.

McNeese State University President Dr. Philip Williams and Kenyonna Moses

Donation to McNeese KBYS Radio Station The McNeese State University Mavericks donated $5,000 to the McNeese Foundation for the McNeese radio station KBYS located at 88.3 FM that will be launched in 2014.

L to R: Alan Dickerson, network system analyst and KBYS planning committee member; Chad Thibodeaux, chief information technology officer and KBYS planning committee member; and Rollenda McCown, McNeese Mavericks chairman.

January 2014

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83

Everything’s Coming Up Orchids in 2014

Orchid, a version of the purple hue, is Pantone Inc.’s 2014 color of the year.

Officially known as Radiant Orchid, this tropical shade is a color-wheel contrast to 2013’s color of the year, Emerald Green.

“It’s a little different, it’s a little off the beaten path, and it’s not a primary color,” said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It’s an invitation to innovation. The purple family offers (an) opportunity to do creative things.”

It’s expected that people will take to the vibrant color quickly since it is flattering for many skin tones and compliments neutral colors really well.

The pick for color of the year by Pantone will, in theory, have a strong presence in fashion, beauty, home design and consumer products.

“It’s very relevant for spring, but I think even going into next fall it can be very pretty,” said Colleen Sherin, senior fashion director of upscale department store Saks Fifth Avenue, in a recent interview. “In ready-to-wear, it mixes with other tones like chocolate browns, and burgundy or Bordeaux makes for a deeper, richer tonal story.”

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January 2014

Smaller. Safer. Faster.

Women’s surgery so less invasive, even our ad has less words.

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Board Certified OB/GYN AIMIS Accredited

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January 2014

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January 2014