Times of Southwest Louisiana

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October 1, 2009 Volume 14, Number 19 617 Drew St., Lake Charles, LA 70601 Phone: (337) 439-0995 Fax: (337) 439-0418

C ONTENTS 5

PUBLISHER 6

Patrick Marcantel

N E WS

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EDITOR Chaney Ferguson ASSISTANT EDITOR Jessica Ferguson

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ASSI GN MENTS Nancy Correro CONTRIBUTORS Terri Schlichenmeyer Garrett Lumpkin D.B. Grady Jen Breen Matt Jones Lisa Miller George Swift POLITICS John Maginnis Dan Juneau

A D VE R T ISIN G

CATCH UP WITH EDDIE

Eddie Kennison

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SALES MANAGER Andy Jacobson ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Brian Chriceol

HOME GROWN Meet Bodin Jewelers

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COLUMNS Inside Baton Rouge: John Kennedy’s Mission

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Biz Bytes: The 2010 Budget Crunch

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Swift Report: Saluting Women in Business

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Geeks & Gadgets: Sure, There’s an App for That

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337 Sports: Eddie Kennison

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COVER STORY Women in Business: They’re Making a Difference

12 14

FEATURES Breast Cancver Prevention Breast Cancer: A Personal Perspective

24 26 34 37 38

The Times of Southwest Louisiana is published every two weeks by Patsco Publishing, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles Louisiana 70601. Phone (337) 439-0995. SUBSCRIPTIONS: $30 per year. Bulk mailing permit #9 paid at Lake Charles, La. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Times of Southwest Louisiana, 617 Drew Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601. FAX to (337) 439-0418. The Times of Southwest Louisiana cannot be held responsible for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations, even if they are sent to us accompanied by a self-addressed envelope. Copyright 2009 The Times of Southwest Louisiana all rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is prohibited. DISTRIBUTION: The Times of Southwest Louisiana is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. The Times of Southwest Louisiana may be distributed only by The Times of Southwest Louisiana authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of The Times of Southwest Louisiana, take more than one copy of each monthly issue from its racks.

ENTERPRISE BOULEVARD John DeRosier Talks About the Millage

ENTERTAINMENT Times Bandstand Turn It Up: Crooks Carnival The Shadow: Out and About in Southwest Louisiana Movie Review: “Whiteout” Coffee Break Crossword: “Remember the Date”

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Inside Baton Rouge - By John Maginnis

Biz Bytes - By Dan Juneau

Budget: Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Kennedy steals the march on government change

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e’s been so busy lately, helicoptering to every corner of the state to deliver jumbosized ceremonial checks to parish officials, to pin medals on veterans and to attend church services that Gov. Bobby Jindal must have missed that, back at the Capitol, someone else was leading the charge to cut state government down to size. Treasurer John Kennedy is merely the chairman of a subcommittee of an advisory panel for streamlining government, but he grasped its publicity potential and has stolen the march on not one but both blue-ribbon commissions on budget-cutting and restructuring. Kennedy has been traveling the state too, not as deeply into the piney woods as Jindal, but rather to Chamber of Commerce luncheons and editorial boards to promote his big ideas for change, from a 15,000 reduction in state employees to a single board of higher education. Going strictly by appearances, Kennedy is looking like a governor; Jindal, a lieutenant governor. Appearances deceive, of course. The governor does focus intently on economic development opportunities. And his staff has been actively engaged with both commissions, particularly the Postsecondary Education Review Board, exploring how to make a big idea like a single college management board actually work. But with Kennedy capturing the limelight by default, Jindal may have felt the need to re-assert his role of budgetcutter-in-chief. If so, he chose a curious way to go about it, by giving both commissions specific dollar-amount goals for budget reduction recommendations: $802 million from the streamlining commission and $146 million from the college board. Nothing wrong with defining the challenge and setting goals. He could have done that six weeks ago when these groups first met. Instead, at that time, he urged panel members to be bold and think outside the box. His job, it goes without saying, is to deal with the box as it is. The streamlining commission should be free to come up with creative, innovative suggestions that, if any of them worked, could save big money. But it is the governor’s

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responsibility to meet the projected $948 million deficit when he presents the executive budget next March. It would be interesting, also comforting, to hear what specific ideas he has come up with already. When it gets down to the reality of writing a balanced budget, Jindal has his own streamlining commission. It’s called the Division of Administration. Commissioner Angele Davis, who sits on the streamlining panel, probably already has considered most of the recommendations that will come up. She gave an impressive presentation on what she’s doing now to control costs throughout state agencies, such as a moratorium on buying cars. It didn’t come close to $802 million, but it was a start. That’s more than the education board has accomplished. Comprised mostly of out-of-state experts with their own busy schedules, that commission has met only once, has yet to elect a chairman or set a direction for what it wants to get done. It’s unrealistic to expect the educators to make serious recommendations on cutting 15 percent of state spending for higher education. They would better serve the state by sticking to their original mission to recommend broad, even sweeping changes in how management systems are structured. Once a new plan is in place, it would be possible — more than now — to reduce costs through the merger of programs, even campuses. The big idea, a single board, is not a new one — and Kennedy is out there running with it already. Board members and the governor’s staff, especially executive counsel Tim Barfield, have been having deep discussions about what kind of new regime could replace the current five boards. Such a far-reaching, controversial proposal —requiring constitutional change — is more effectively advanced after the vetting and seal of approval of a blue-ribbon commission of outside experts. If the governor gets that much out of the education board, he shouldn’t be disappointed if it doesn’t also tell him how to balance his higher education budget. It will have served a higher purpose. At that point, the governor can put away his poster checks and medals and travel the state with a game-changing big idea to discuss, with the stage all to himself.

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he biggest issue facing Governor Jindal and the Legislature in 2010 will be the state budget. No other issue will come remotely close to capturing the same amount of attention and scrutiny in the run-up to the legislative session next March. The governor must submit an executive budget outline in February, so the countdown is on. The budgeting process is going to be anything but fun in 2010. Soaring revenues fueled by incredibly high oil and gas prices and billions of dollars of hurricane recovery money are a thing of the past. Slower revenue growth is likely to meet a huge loss of federal Medicaid money in the budgeting process next year, and the result will not be pleasant. To better understand the future direction of the state budget, a look at the two most recent budgets helps to put things in perspective. In 2008 when the governor and the Legislature fashioned the 2008-2009 budget, state government was still rolling in high cotton. Money was pouring into the treasury so fast it was hard to spend it all — but Lord knows we tried. The total state budget increased by $1 billion and the state general fund portion of it (the part funded only by state generated revenue) went up by a whopping $1.24 billion. That budget also contained an increase of 1,000 state job positions. This significant expansion of the state budget came after a similar sizeable increase in the 2007-2008 budget fashioned in the last year of the Blanco administration. But what goes up must come down — and our governor and Legislature began to learn that lesson last spring when they wrote the 2009-2010 budget. The budget debate last spring and early summer contained a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. The House members wanted to bring spending back in line with existing revenues. A majority of the Senate wanted to increase taxes and lessen the amount of cuts. Governor Jindal did not support tax increases, so the House version of the budget became the basic blueprint. The result was that the total state budget decreased by $1.5 billion from the previous year and the state general fund portion dropped by $1.21 billion. That budget also called for a reduction of 1,200 authorized (but probably not filled) job positions in state government. In essence, the governor and the Legislature simply reverted back to 2007-2008 spending levels when they crafted the current budget. But remember, those spending levels were a huge increase in and of themselves due to higher oil and gas prices and hurricane recovery money. Now the road gets bumpier for the governor and the Legislature. Unless the federal government changes the formula for determining the state match for Medicaid funding (or carves out a temporary exemption for Louisiana), there will be $1 billion less revenue to use to come up with the same spending levels as exists in the current budget. To come up with a billion dollars of spending reductions, some sacred cows are going to have to be sacrificed—things like the multiplicity of institutions in post-secondary education and the large amount of state funding for local government services and construction projects. How the governor and Legislature handle the budget next spring will impact the fiscal future of Louisiana for years to come. Let’s hope they do better than Congress.

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E NTERPRISE B OULEVARD

DeRosier talks new tax

Says he has ‘no alternatives’ to addressing staff pay By Nancy Carrero

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istrict Attorney John DeRosier has called for a ten year 0.75 mill property tax so that he may give raises and benefits to the employees of the District Attorney’s office. The tax will be on the November 14 ballot if the State Bond Commission approves it. “I know that now is not a good time to ask for a tax of any kind even though it is the smallest tax in history, but I don’t have any alternatives,” said DeRosier. Pay’s higher elsewhere John DeRosier is proud of the people at the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office. He says that in order to keep a highly qualified staff, he needs to raise their salaries to reflect the salaries of other comparable parishes. “Lafayette Parish District Attorney starts their misdemeanor secretaries at $2,210 a month; Baton Rouge, $2,000 a month; Shreveport, up in Caddo Parish, $1750 a month; St. Tammany, over in Slidell, they start theirs at $1750 a month. What do you think we start our misdemeanor secretaries out at over here? $1,333 a month. There is a big difference.” DeRosier said that some of his workers have second jobs just to make ends meet because often they

have a family and children and this is their only source of income. “We have a number of our misdemeanor people here, particularly misdemeanor secretaries, who have second jobs. I know, because I go to some of the restaurants where they work at night and it really makes me feel bad that I can’t give them a raise.” The felony prosecutors that have been here ten and twelve years make $65 to $70,000 a year, but they can go into the private sector and make $100,000 to $170,000 a year. Greater involvement One of the first things DeRosier did after he got elected was form the Calcasieu Full Force. That involved every law enforcement agency in the parish. “We all participated in DWI (driving while intoxicated) checkpoints. That is why we have had such a significant increase. In the last 4 years we have almost doubled the number of DWIs that are going through this office. Now, I don’t think that that is because we have that many more people drinking and driving in Calcasieu Parish, I think that is because we are catching a whole lot more,” DeRosier said. They have assistant district attorneys and support staff who go

“It really makes me feel bad that I can’t give them a raise.” – Calcasieu District Attorney John DeRosier

to these checkpoints along with law enforcement. They learn about it from every different direction. They learn about it from the people who actually have to take the test and they learn about it from the perspective of the police officers that have to enforce it. In 1999, the DA’s Office handled about 450 DWIs. Last year, they handled 1,523. “I myself go out to most of the checkpoints and we’re there until midnight or one or two o’clock in the morning lots of times. All of our young prosecutors that prosecute DWI’s—we make them go out there—they actually have to not only watch, but take the field sobriety test out there in the field in the middle of the night,” DeRosier said. The old 3.16 mill tax that passed about 24 years ago has five years before it is renewed. DeRosier thinks the 24 year old mill tax was a good thing at the time. “As a result of that tax the parish does not have to support us. The parish does not contribute anything to the operations of the District Attorney’s Office. The parish furnishes us with a building and utilities and that’s it. And 24 years ago, the tax was enough money for us to do what we needed to do—now it does not do that.” DeRosier wants a separate formula by which he can generate the smallest amount of money necessary to have a firm pay plan. “When you look at the whole plan you will realize you wouldn’t call this a pay raise. It’s not that much of a pay raise because our people who are starting off at $16,000 a year, under

the new pay plan they would start off at $18,000 a year. Not exactly a bonanza, but at least it shows them that we care enough in this community to pay them as much as we can reasonably do to ensure good quality people in the criminal justice system—and that is what it is really all about,” DeRosier said.

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The workload The DA’s Office handles thousands of cases here a year. DeRosier said that the felonies and misdemeanors that they will receive will probably be around 23,000 new charges for the calendar year 2009. Some of those are 2 or 3 charges against the same individual, but basically they are going to handle about a thousand charges a week. “And a lot of those, by the way, are juveniles. Some of the most horrendous sexual assault cases are juveniles. A lot of them—more than you would ever think. When I first got here we had one lawyer doing juveniles and now we have three. We have three judges doing juvenile court and now I have three prosecutors doing juvenile court,” DeRosier said. “It’s just a tremendous volume and it is serious business. You’re talking about aggravated rape, and not just one or two a year—a lot of them and it’s just in the juvenile justice system.” He said that we have a tremendous number of homicides in Calcasieu Parish. Two years ago we had 19. “Fortunately, it’s dropped a lot. In the last two years we haven’t had that many. We’ve got to prosecute all

Continued on Page 7

Sthe o ubest t h iwn elake s t area L o enter u i s tai i annment a ’s

H OM E G ROWN B USI NESS ES

Bodin Jewelers: Where Quality and Beauty Count By Chaney Ferguson

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n 1955, Keith Bodin’s father opened Bodin Jewelers as a watch repair shop. “He just slowly started putting jewelry in showcases. When I came along, I learned how to work on watches, but I didn’t like it. It was too tedious,” said Keith Bodin. Bodin admits his father didn’t give him much of a choice in the business. He had to work in the store, but after spending so much time around the jewelry he began to take an interest. “I started repairing jewelry. I started with simple stuff like cleaning things and I learned how to do buffing on the buffer.” After growing up in the business, Bodin proved to have a real talent for working on jewelry. “I went to a school to learn jewelry repair and along the way learned how to work with customers. I got a gemologist degree in 1987 along with my graduate gemologist degree.” Bodin started his gemologist education in 1978. It took a while since the degree is very involved. “You learn about diamonds, colored stones, and identification. There are quite a few different things you have to look at and learn before you can get your gemologist

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Keith Bodin and his wife, Lena, operate the second-generation business.

degree.” The first thing a gemologist student learns about is diamonds. Bodin studied the history, where they are mined, and then how to evaluate and grade them. “You learn identification and how to identify all the colored stones and there are hundreds. You do different tests on them that tell what type of stone it is and then you get the variety. It is separating imitations and synthetics from natural stones.” When his father retired in 1980,

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Bodin and his wife, Lena, took over the business. Bodin’s degrees set his business apart from other jewelry stores. “If you look around, there are really not that many gemologists,” said Bodin. Lena Bodin describes the difference as being a professional jeweler versus going into sales marketing. An example can be found in the mall stores. The employees may not know what the stone is because they can only tell you what they have

been told to tell the customers. “Through the years we have seen mistakes made, like synthetic stones being sold as natural stones, not by these local stores, but sometimes customers will come in with something.” “People will come in from cruise ships or buy stuff overseas and they were told it was one thing and it is not what they thought they purchased. If you don’t have the right expertise then you can’t tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t real,” said Lena Bodin. Being a gemologist is not the only thing that sets Bodin apart from the competition. He is also a benchjeweler. “That means I can work on the jewelry. If you come in with something wrong, I often know what is wrong. I don’t have to bring the piece to someone else to fix. We do it here in the store. I don’t know of another store in town where you can take a piece in and the owner can work on the jewelry.” Bodin has a minimum of 25 years experience in every aspect of jewelry work. This Christmas will mark their 30-year anniversary for Continued on Page 27

ENTERPRISE

BOULEVARD

CONT.

of those cases. Those are all bad guys.” There are a lot of molestation cases in the adult criminal justice system. DeRosier said, “It takes a special kind of prosecutor to prosecute those for a long time. Prosecutors are very quickly burned out doing those kinds of cases and if I were to show you some of the photographs of some of the cases we have, you would cry. It takes a bright person that can practice law, go to court, and handle a trial of that magnitude.” Those “special kinds” of prosecutors, those “bright” people could easily make more money in the private sector and not be tortured by such difficult cases. “These prosecutors could make a heck of a lot more money than they are going to make here in the DA’s office. But what I’m trying to do is give them some hope anyway, some light at the end of the tunnel.”

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W h o ’s

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Memorial/LSUHSC Family Medicine Resident Receives National Honor Ben Williams, MD, a second year resident in the Memorial/LSUHSC Family Medicine Residency Program, is a recipient of the American Academy of Family Physicians/Bristol Myers Squibb Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education. Dr. Williams joins only nine other family medicine residents nationwide in this prestigious recognition. A Lake Charles native and graduate of Jesuit University in Mobile, Alabama and Saba University School of Medicine. Local Students Honored at LSMSA’s Matriculation Ceremony The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts holds a special ceremony at the beginning of each school year to welcome new students. From Calcasieu Parish, Imman Akram, son of Faryal Farrukh and Farrukh Mahmood; Kathrynn Duberville, daughter of Jeffrie and Donald Duberville; Wesley Ducote, son of Laura Strother; Evan Fullington, son of Karen Robertson and Gordon Fullington; Merritt Harrelson, daughter of Laura and Valden Harrelson; Carmen Hawkins, daughter of Cynthia Hawkins and Donald Hawkins; Chelsea Johnson, daughter of Julie Jarnagin and Roddy Johnson; Joshua Kubiak, son of Mary and Raymond Kubiak; Ryan Monk son of Eric Monk; Alexis Schlamp, son of Maureen Lannan and Kevin Schlamp; William Sherwood, son of Mary and Edwin Sherwood; and Alexandra Swan, daughter of Barbara and William Swan, were recognized for their choice to attend LSMSA and challenge themselves academically. CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation’s New Board of Directors The CHRISTUS St. Patrick Foundation recently elected its new Board of Directors on August 20, 2009 at the Foundation’s Annual Board Meeting. Officers elected were Nancy Burleigh, Chair; Bob Chandler, Vice Chair; Glenda McCarty, Secretary and Eric Mire, Treasurer. Other board members who will be serving on the Executive Committee are Stephen Hotard, Della Rose and Keith Wimberly. Also elected to the Board of Directors are Carl Ambrose, Sr., Gayle Fisher, Margaret Harris, Hunter Lundy, Anne Miller, Joel Oustalet, Dayna Reed, Sister Ann Margaret Savant, Amal Shamieh, and Aubrey White. Nancy Burleigh has served on the Foundation Board since 2005, serving for two years as Secretary and most recently as Vice Chair. She is a retired educator, who taught in Allen Parish for 20 years and also taught at LSU – Eunice. She has also served as the CCD Coordinator at St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. Burleigh brings a great deal of experience to the Foundation Board in the areas of community relations, special events, fundraising and education. Burleigh is a past president of the Allen Parish Teacher’s Association and has served as an officer in the Christian Women’s Club in Lake Charles. She has served on several boards including Kinder Fest, and currently serves as the president of the Kinder Hospital Foundation Board of Directors. Eric Mire was newly elected to the board as Treasurer. Mire is a Business Relationship Manager at First Federal Bank of Louisiana. Mire brings to the board his years of experience in accounting, finance, investments, management, planning, community relations and public speaking. Mire also serves on the Kiwanis Club of South Lake Charles Board of Directors and is involved in the American Cancer Society and the United Way. Clarence Berken chosen as Farmer of the Year Clarence Berken of Lake Arthur, has been chosen as Farmer of the Year for the 2009 International Rice Festival slated for weekend of October 15-17, 2009, as announced by Janet R. Hebert, president. Clarence Berken farms in a partnership with his brother, Stephen, in Thornwell. He began farming in 1973 after graduating from the University of Southwest Louisiana in agricultural engineering and formed the partnership in 1974. It is this partnership and working relationship that has allowed him the freedom to become involved in off-farm activities related to the rice industry. They plant approximately 2,150 acres of rice, 1,100 acres of soybeans, and 300 acres of winter wheat. View the Rice Festival’s website for more information on the festival activities at www.ricefestival.com.

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BUSINESS notes

Habitat for Humanity On October 5, Habitat for Humanity: Calcasieu Area, Inc. will be hosting a build in recognition of “World Habitat Day.” The two homes to be built are sponsored by People of Qatar (Qatar Katrina Fund) and Habitat for Humanity International. In 1985 the United Nations declared the first Monday in October to be “World Habitat Day” in recognition of the need for simple, decent and affordable housing for people in the United States and around the world. We are honored to celebrate “World Habitat Day” and partner with Highway 14 Wal-Mart and Lowe’s. They will donate their time this day to meeting the families and volunteer building their Habitat homes. The additional partners are Starbucks, O’Charley’s, Coca Cola, Zion Tabernacle Baptist Church and KZWA Vibe 105. Following the workday, we will have a groundbreaking for one Habitat homeowner at 3:30 P.M. on 2336 Channel Street in Lake Charles. Habitat for Humanity uses “World Habitat Day” as a call-to-action for individuals and organizations to change the reality of unsafe housing and to work together to find solutions for those in need. Memorial Hospital Teams Up with Area Schools for Young At Art Program Area schools are brightening the hallways of Lake Charles Memorial Hospital through the “Young at Art” program. The program, which spotlights artwork from local elementary schools, was designed to make a positive impact on hospital patients, employees, and the young artists themselves,” said Kathy DeRouen, Memorial’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and the program’s founder. “Young at Art” will feature a different elementary school from the lake area each month. The program launched earlier this month with artwork by the fourth and fifth graders of Gillis Elementary School. October’s display will be by the young artists at Hamilton Christian Academy. At the end of each month, a panel of hospital volunteers will select the top three works from the featured school. Memorial will award a $50 savings bond to the artists of these favorite works. Art is still needed to complete the first full year of “Young at Art,” and will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To register for the program, or for more information, call (337) 4942934. Notary Public Exam Prep The McNeese State University Electronic Learning Department and the Louisiana State UniversityShreveport Continuing Education Department will present a Notary Public Exam Prep course through compressed video from 1-5 P.M. Saturdays, Oct. 3-Nov. 21 in Room 327 of Farrar Hall on McNeese’s campus. A specific review of the subjects tested on the Notary Exam will be offered. The cost is $249 and does not include textbook and study guide. For additional information, contact the McNeese Electronic Learning office at (337) 475-5075.

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Noted Economist to Share Louisiana Insights for Alliance Business First Bank announces an in-depth review of the greatly anticipated Louisiana Outlook: 2010 & 2011 report from one of its distinguished authors -Dr. Loren Scott. This report will detail Louisiana’s changing economy and provides an overview of what is to come. This function is being brought to Southwest Louisiana by the SWLA Economic Development Alliance and will be held at the Lake Charles Country Club on October 7, 2009, at 5 P.M. Dr. Loren Scott is the President of Loren C. Scott & Associates, Inc., a 27-year old economic consulting firm whose clients include such large national firms as BellSouth, Capital One Financial, Entergy, ExxonMobil, J.P. Morgan Chase, and a diversity of others. He is of the 32-member National Business Economic Issues Council, which meets quarterly to discuss issues of state, national, and international interest. This group has experts who cover international trade, Washington economic policy, retail trade, trucking, steel, chemicals, etc. Dr. Scott is an energy specialist on the NBEIC. He has been interviewed on MSNBC, CNBC, and Bloomberg TV, in addition to several local TV stations, and his work has been cited in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angles Times, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Moscow Times, to name a few. His career started at Louisiana State University in 1969 where he spent the next 33 years, rising through the ranks from assistant professor to the prestigious Freeport McMoran Endowed Chair of Economics and the Director of the Division of Economic Development and Forecasting. Over the thirteen-year period from 1983-96, he was the chairman of the Economics Department at LSU. He is presently Professor Emeritus at LSU. R.S.V.P. to Lynette Clark at lclark@allianceswla.org or (337) 433-3632. For more information, contact George Swift, SWLA Alliance President/CEO, at (337) 4333632 or gswift@allianceswla.org. Up4Downs of SWLA On October 10, 2009, Up4Downs of SWLA will host the 7th Annual Buddy Walk at McNeese State University. For more information visit www.up4downswla.org. Geneology Conference October 17 from 8:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. The Registration Fee is $25 and includes the After Hours Reception and Research at the Southwest Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Library on Friday evening; seminar talks by Carolyn Earle Billingsley, Ph.D. And access to vendor displays, and box lunch, coffee and light refreshments on Saturday. Box lunches will be available for those whose registration is received before October 3. Free parking is available at the Civic Center and Library. Vendors are welcome. A skirted table and two chairs will be provided for the registration fee of $25. For any questions concerning guidelines,

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please send an email to gen@calcasieu.lib.la.us, or call (337) 721-7110. Cameron Communications Donates $500 to Grand Lake Hornet’s Basketball Team Cameron Communications donated $500 to the Grand Lake High School Basketball Team for their 2009 season. The Hornets will officially begin their season in October. Basketball coaches Scott Miano, Kris Howerton and Bonnie Berry, bookkeeper for Grand Lake High School were there to accept the check from Trina Johnson, Public Relations for Cameron Communications. Cameron Communications will have the opportunity to be displayed on the Gold Backer Board that hangs in the Hornet’s Gym. Fusion of Tastes at McNeese The McNeese State University Department of Nutrition and Family Studies will offer “casual dining Tuesdays” and “fine dining Thursdays”— nutritional meals prepared by McNeese’s future dieticians—this fall. This year’s “Fusion of Tastes” will include fare from Germany, Italy, Mexico, Asia, Cajun country, the Southwest and the South. Meals will be offered from 11:45 A.M.-1 P.M. from Sept. 24 through Nov. 12 in the Gayle Food Services Lab behind Gayle Hall on the McNeese campus. Cost is $10 per person and consists of three courses with a beverage. Tickets are now on sale and must be purchased ahead of time due to limited seating. Take out meals are also available To reserve tickets or for more information, call the department of nutrition and family studies at 475-5700 or e-mail equebedeaux@mcneese.edu. IDFY Presents The Craig Scott Story It’s been a little more than 10 years now, but Craig Scott hasn’t forgotten it for a moment. He was in the Columbine High School library in April 1999, when a teacher ran in, frantic about two students shooting classmates. Scott took cover under a table with friends Isaiah and Matt. Scott, now 25, will never know why he was spared, but he’s found reason to live. He tours the country for “Rachel’s Challenge,” a nonprofit started by his father that promotes school safety not by advocating for metal detectors and locked schools, but by challenging students and teachers to live more compassionate lives. On Thursday, October 8, Scott will bring his message to Lake Charles for the annual IDFY conference at the Lake Charles Civic Center. Tailored for students in high school and middle school, the IDFY conference will also feature breakout sessions on making the right decisions for life, healthy dating, the results of drinking and driving, cyber-bullying and on-line predators, healthy lifestyles, and bully prevention. To register, Calcasieu Parish students should contact their school counselors. Calcasieu home school students can contact Penny Haxthausen at 217-4170, ext. 2409. Continued on Page 9

Stockwell Sievert Law Firm’s 75th Anniversary

On Wednesday evening, September 16, members of the Stockwell Sievert Law Firm celebrated their 75th Anniversary at a gathering of clients, family and friends at the Lake Charles Country Club, with approximately 450 persons attending. Their theme for the evening was “Continuing a Tradition of Excellence.� Firm members expressed their gratitude to everyone in attendance and to many others who could not attend, thanking them for all their assistance in the growth and endurance of the Firm. The Firm also recognized the leadership contributions of their deceased founders, Oliver Stockwell, Vance Plauche, Fred Sievert and Bob Clements. Last but not least, the Firm recognized the key role that teamwork has played, noting two clearly applicable quotes: “None of us is as smart of all of us,� and “It is truly amazing how much you can accomplish together when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.�

Founded in 1934, Stockwell Sievert is the largest law firm in Lake Charles. It is recognized for its high professional standards and ethics in the Martindale-Hubbell Register of Preeminent Lawyers. The firm provides legal services to individuals and to businesses of every size, in most areas of litigation and in all kinds of personal and business transactions, including those in industry, healthcare, insurance, construction and real estate. Several of its members are listed in The Best Lawyers in America and the Louisiana Super Lawyers, both annual peer review listings of outstanding lawyers. If you are interested in further details, please visit the firm’s website: www.ssvcs.com.

Stockwell Sievert has 26 attorneys: Partners — Emmett Sole, John Bradford, Steve Polito, Robert Dampf, Bill Monk, Alan McCall, Brian Coody, Paul Veazey, Andy McGlathery, Susan Viccellio, Ben Guilbeau, Aubrey White, Lee Boyer, Todd Ammons and David Morgan. Associates — John Simpson, Dallas Kingham, Lynsay Fontenot, Sonny Marks, Somer Brown and Stephen Polito. Of Counsel — Charlie Viccellio, Bill Shaddock, Tom Henning, Doug Cox and Ashley Foret. The attorneys also employ more than 40 support staff.

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BUSINESS notes cont Louis Todd Announces Formation of Todd & Associates Todd & Associates, LLC, a commercial insurance and risk management firm, has opened for business in Lake Charles. Todd & Associates will specialize in providing a full spectrum of risk management products to businesses including hospitals, surgery centers, physicians, related healthcare facilities and other corporate clients. The range of products they offer includes a variety of commercial insurance lines, employee benefits and related strategic and support services

as needed. Louis Todd, owner and president of the new company, has over 25 years of experience in the insurance field. He is originally from Lake Charles and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business from McNeese State University. Todd is a Certified Insurance Counselor and has worked with numerous companies on the local, regional and national level. He currently serves as Chairman of LAMMICO Insurance Company’s Agent Advisory Board and is a member of the Board of Directors for

Lake Charles Memorial Hospital. Todd & Associates is located at 126 Arlington Drive in Lake Charles, and the phone number is (337) 475-1040. Autism Support Alliance The Autism Support Alliance, a program of Family & Youth, will host Complexities of Treating Asperger’s Disorder on Tuesday, October 6, at 5:30 P.M. at Family & Youth. Presenters are Lakisha Williams, Psy.D, and Aneeta Afzal, M.D. Rearing a child with Asperger’s Disorder can bring up many questions

for parents and caregivers: What does it mean when my child has a co-occurring disorder? Where can I get more information about my child’s medication? How do I find effective treatment for my child’s symptoms? Join Dr. Williams and Dr. Afzal as they share their ideas about effectively addressing the challenges associated with a diagnosis of Asperger’s Disorder. Registration is $5 per person. For more information, or to reserve your seat, call 337-436-9533 or email danielle@fyca.org.

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10

October 1, 2009

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BUSINESS notes cont.

BBB Offers Free Document Shredding and Identify Theft Prevention Tips The Better Business Bureau (BBB) and its national partners, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and the National Association for Information Destruction, invites the community to the BBB of Southwest Louisiana’s Shred Fest, a “Secure Your ID� Day event, on Saturday, October 17, at the Sam’s Club Parking Lot, from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon. Residents and small businesses are encouraged to attend the event and take a key step in identity protection by shredding and properly disposing of their sensitive paper documents as well as CDs and floppy discs. BBB staff will also be on hand to provide expert advice and tips for identity theft protection. As the result of two nationwide Secure Your ID Days in 2008, BBB helped individuals and small businesses at more than 83 sites across the country shred 1.2 million pounds of sensitive documents – all at no charge. This year’s event in Lake Charles is sponsored by Sam’s Club, Southern Records Storage, AOK Moving Shredding & Storage, and Cameron State Bank. For more information on BBB Shred Fest and identity theft prevention measures for both consumers and businesses, call 337478-6253. Nutcracker Auditions On October 4, Nutcracker auditions for younger dancers will be held at Sarah Quinn Jones Ballet School; 1920 Ethel St. The young dancers will be auditioning for their chance to perform in Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker performance at the Rosa Hart Theatre on Tuesday, November 24, at 7:30 P.M. Please note that the auditions are open to any dancer who wants to perform.

NOTE TO SELF...

Reach new customers in The Times... Call 439-0995 October 1, 2009

11

The Swift Report - By George Swift

President/CEO: SWLA Economic Development Alliance

A Salute to Women in Business

A

s The Times salutes Women in Business, so do we. Do you know there are over 10 million women-owned businesses in the United States? There are over 9,000 businesses in our five parishes. Of that, over 2,500 are owned by women, but I suspect the number is really much larger. Women entrepreneurs are the fastest growing segment in small business with an almost unlimited potential for growth. As we strive to diversify our economic base in our five parishes, The SWLA Alliance and Chamber SWLA will be encouraging folks in our area to consider starting their own businesses. It’s not for everyone, but business owners who make it have freedom to chart their own course and be their own boss. There are risks and small business owners can’t call in sick or take the day off. You are the business and, if you are not there, you are out of business. The rewards top the negatives and many wouldn’t consider returning to work for someone else. We are fortunate to have many successful women-owned businesses in Southwest Louisiana. Congressman Charles Boustany and the U.S. Chamber Trade Roots program recently presented one such business woman with an impressive award. Alta Baker, CEO of Safe Haven Enterprises of Jennings, was honored for her work manufacturing and exporting blast-resistant buildings, doors, and windows used for high-security areas such as U.S. embassies and throughout the world. Alta had the dream and she acted on it. Now, her company sells their in demand units worldwide. On the Chamber SWLA Board, we have several successful women leading our Chamber and Economic Development efforts. Next year, Patricia Philmon of Merrill Lynch will be our Board Chair and Celia Case of The Southwest Call Center remains our Workforce Vice Chair on the Chamber SWLA Board Executive Committee. Tobie Hodkins, President of Bessette Development,

12

always lends a hand when there’s a tough task to be done. Tobie and Mandi Mitchell headed up the Task Force which revamped the Chamber SWLA Leadership program. (The new Leadership program and curriculum begins in January 2010 and the application deadline is Oct. 1.) While Dr. Andrea Lewis Miller, the new Sowela Chancellor, is relative newcomer to our area, she is remolding the institution into a fine two-year community college and technical school which will provide training for thousands of our citizens in the future. Andrea Bacarisse of E2E Technology does triple-duty on the board representing her business, the technology sector while also serving as Chair of Fusion Five, our young professionals group, which is helping to develop our up and coming leaders today. (Membership in Fusion Five is open to those in business between the ages of 21 and 45 in Southwest Louisiana.) Cynthia Hoffpauir of the Jeff Davis Business Alliance and Avon Knowlton of the Greater Beauregard Chamber are a few of the other women on the Chamber board representing regional allies. I hesitate to mention only these few, but I wanted to make a point. Without our strong women leaders and business persons, our region would be greatly diminished. That is why we’re excited about developing a new forum for women in business to help women get into business and stay in business. At the Alliance, we have conducted entrepreneurial training programs for the last several years and roughly two-thirds of those attending have been women and we have only scratched the surface. Today, we salute our women business leaders. At the Alliance and the Chamber SWLA, we look forward to working with both the business women and business men of our region to build a better future for Southwest Louisiana. Think globally, act regionally and let’s talk up Southwest Louisiana.

October 1, 2009

Help to make strides against breast cancer By Jen Breen This year on Oct. 3, the American Cancer Society’s inaugural Making Strides Against Breast Cancer event in Sulphur will unite Southwest Louisiana with other communities across the country in the fight to save lives and provide hope to people facing the disease. Participants will have the opportunity to honor survivors, educate others about prevention and detection and be a part of raising funds for lifesaving research, support services, and assistance and education programs to help achieve a world without breast cancer. “While the American Cancer Society fights for every type of cancer, the majority of patients served in Southwest Louisiana are breast cancer–related. Since such a large portion of dollars fund breast cancer research and programs, Making Strides focuses on the fight against breast cancer. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer events take place in over 150 communities across the nation, and we are thrilled our volunteers have requested the first Making Strides between New Orleans and Houston to be in Southwest Louisiana,� says Katie McCarty, community representative for the American Cancer Society of Southwest Louisiana. Making Strides is the American Cancer Society’s premier fundraiser in the battle against breast cancer. “Dollars raised from events such as Making Strides allow the American Cancer Society to continue its efforts in serving breast cancer patients in Southwest Louisiana. Along with the patient programs, education and advocacy roles the American Cancer Society takes part in, there are currently over five cancer grants-in-action in Louisiana, totaling over $3.5 million, � says Paula LeBlanc, Louisiana state vice president for

the American Cancer Society. Here are some ways that Making Strides participants and the American Cancer Society are leading the way in the fight against breast cancer: r )FMQJOH QFPQMF TUBZ XFMM through taking steps to prevent and detect cancer early when it is most treatable. The American Cancer Society offers tips to live a healthy lifestyle, free mammogram reminders at cancer.org/ breastcancer, and breast cancer information any time, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345. r )FMQJOH QFPQMF HFU XFMM ĉF American Cancer Society offers around-the-clock programs and services to guide people through every step of their cancer experience in more than 3,400 communities across the country. Thanks to local physicians and treatment facilities such as West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital, Lake Charles Memorial Hospital and W.O. Moss Regional Medical Center, the Southwest Area American Cancer Society is able to deliver services to breast-cancer patients. Local programs include Look Good Feel Better, Reach to Recovery, transportation grants, free wigs, bras and prostheses, and college scholarships. r 'JOEJOH DVSFT ĉBOLT UP generous supporters, Societyfunded research has led to the discovery of lifesaving breast cancer treatments, including Tamoxifen and Herceptin. r 'JHIUJOH #BDL ĉF "NFSJDBO Cancer Society’s nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network™ (ACS CAN) works with legislators to pass laws to defeat breast cancer, advocates for all women to have access to mammograms and lifesaving treatments, and rallies communities to join the fight. Learn more about fighting back at acscan.org/making Continued on Page 13

The CLEAR Choice Clear, digital images enable physicians to more accurately diagnose patient conditions, often leading to earlier treatment. With state-of-the-art imaging equipment, physician expertise and digital technology, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital’s new Diagnostic Center offers Southwest Louisiana residents with a new, CLEAR choice for outpatient imaging services in a comfortable, convenient location.

The Diagnostic Center of West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital 250 S. Beglis Parkway, Suite 2 (337) 310-8834

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That’s why Center for Orthopaedics has developed Bone Health Central, the region’s only comprehensive program developed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!"#$%&'()*'#+,#+--".,/0',/#1"2#3'4'2#3",'#&'+*/&5# please call (337) 721‐7270 or learn more at www.bonehealthcentral.net.

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October 1, 2009

strides. There are a variety of ways you can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer by participating in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Southwest Louisiana or patronizing businesses that are “going pink” with special discounts and donations that benefit the American Cancer Society. Here is a list of area businesses that are “going pink” in October: Accessory Zone/Fashion Express Thursday, Oct. 1, and Friday, Oct. 2: All pink items will be 25 % off. Saturday, Oct. 3: 10% of all sales will benefit the American Cancer Society Bijoux: Sulphur’s Fine Jeweler Thursday, Oct. 1–Saturday, Oct. 3: 10% of all sales will benefit the American Cancer Society Thursday, Oct. 22–Saturday, Oct. 24: Gold buying benefiting the American Cancer Society Casa Olé of Sulphur and Lake Charles Thursday, Oct. 1–Saturday, Oct. 3: Wear pink while dining at Casa Olé (Sulphur and Lake Charles locations) and receive 20% off the combination platter The Ritz Hair Salon Thursday, Oct. 1–Saturday, Oct. 3: 5% of all services and sales will benefit the American Cancer Society Tropical Spirits Thursday, Oct.1–Sunday, Oct. 4: 10% of all sales will benefit the American Cancer Society. The Wine Store Thursday, Oct. 1: “Wild Wines for a Cure” wine tasting. If you wear pink, 10% of your purchase will benefit the American Cancer Society. For event information, call: 477-7017. The American Cancer Society will host its inaugural Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Southwest Louisiana on Saturday, Oct. 3 at Heritage Square in Sulphur. Registration for the 5-mile, noncompetitive walk /run will begin at 7 A.M., with the event starting at 8 A.M. For more information, visit: makingstrides.acsevents.org/ southwestlouisiana or contact the American Cancer Society at 4335817, ext. 2, or makingstridesswla@ cancer.org.

13

A journey of faith, strength and humor By Chaney Ferguson In June of 2006, Melissa Viator received the news she had been waiting for. It wasn’t unexpected, but it was dreaded. Viator had been going to doctors for months with the only diagnosis being that she had calcifications in her breasts. “I kept going to the doctor and they kept telling me it wasn’t cancer.” But Viator knew something was wrong. After insisting on a surgical biopsy since her tumors were too small for a needle biopsy, cancer was confirmed. “When I got that call about my diagnosis I had a ton of boys at my house. I called my husband and said we can’t go home because we have all these kids at our house, where are we going to go? We need to talk about this.” She remembers every detail of that day. “I can tell you the music that was playing as we sat in the swing at our camp and cried, prayed and gave it to God in that moment,” said Viator. The next ten months proved to be a journey that Viator never would have anticipated. “When I finally got my diagnosis that is when I went to MD Anderson, and it was calcifications that had turned cancerous. They never grew. My type of cancer doesn’t grow into large tumors, and many women keep watching the tumor and if it isn’t growing from mammogram to mammogram then they feel like it isn’t cancer.” In Viator’s case they weren’t growing large, but they were spreading. By the time she was diagnosed she was stage two and her lymph nodes were positive which changed the whole diagnosis. “When I got to MD, they found the cancer in one breast and they wanted a biopsy in the other breast, but I told them forget the biopsy I wanted them both gone. So I did a double mastectomy, and actually that was the precancerous cells that had already gone into my other breast so I was thankful I did the double mastectomy.” Viator also did reconstruction with

14

Melissa Viator

the surgery at the same time which a lot of people don’t realize is possible. She completed all of her treatment on March 29, her wedding anniversary. “I told my husband I got new boobs for our anniversary.” Throughout those ten months, life never stopped. Viator owns her own business, Threadworks, and she continues to be thankful for her workers dedication during her time of need. She admits only checking in a few times during her treatment and recovery. “I would open up my Bible and with God leading me I found a verse talking about handing leadership over. At the time I had a girl who was 22 working for me, and she worked full-time. She stepped up to the plate, and everyone that worked for me was great.” Viator says people sent her Bible verses all the time to help encourage her and give her strength. “My daughter would send me a Bible verse every day and it would always pertain to that day. I would write them down and keep them on an index card in my back pocket and I would pull them out and read them all the time or be at a stop light and pull them out and read them. Without that I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.” In the beginning of her diagnosis, Viator went to the Look Good Feel Good program put on by the American Cancer Society.

October 1, 2009

“They teach you about when you are going to lose your hair, how to tie the scarves and camouflage having no hair.” Viator had ordered a few wigs to try when her hair started falling out. Once she tried on the wigs her son swayed her in a different direction. “My son was so funny he told me I looked like Tina Turner and would say won’t you please just go bald. He was a freshman in high school and I was afraid I was going to embarrass him. I didn’t want him to be the one with the bald mom because he is the big football player.” The program helped her tie the scarves around her head and apply makeup in the right way to create eyebrows and eyelashes. “Along with that program, I met a lot of people that were going through it at the same time which was really important. It was somebody else to compare stories with. It is kind of scary to go at first because you feel awkward but it was a neat program and I met a lot of great people. You can bring somebody to the program with you so you are not walking in by yourself.” Viator also received encouragement through two books she was reading. Praying Through Cancer by Susan Sorenesen and Uplift by Barbara Delinsky. “The way the Sorenesen book is compiled, I think it goes along with you on your journey because so many times it ends up being what you need to hear that day.” When Viator started to lose her hair the book said to shave it and take control of the situation. “When it came time to shave my head I was wailing in the shower because it was coming out in clumps and my husband was outside the shower saying “you said you were going to shave it like the book said” I was like, “I know.” He kept telling me to quit pulling it out. I was in there just crying and pulling it out and he kept saying stop it, you promised. It was hard on him,” said Viator. She said the book gave her so much insight, and that each of the stories let her know what each step held for her own journey.

“The night I shaved my head, it was scary. We took pictures. My sister came over and her husband shaved my head. Most of the time—once a woman actually shaves her head and they start going through that process—it is really the easiest thing even though going into it feels like the most difficult. I keep my bald pictures out around my house because I never want to forget what that was like.” Viator says that shaving her head and even going through the chemo was not the most difficult aspects of the cancer. “I was having a grandbaby and I couldn’t pick her up when she was born. I had just had my surgery and that was probably one of the hardest things. To watch my daughter have that baby and know I couldn’t help her and I couldn’t pick up the baby. It was things like that that was much harder for me than the chemo and losing the hair.” Now after experiencing her journey through breast cancer, Viator spends much of her time talking with other women starting their own journey. She received so much encouragement from the books that she buys them in bulk to hand out to friends. Viator says she wanted her store to be a place where women can find support. “There are times when women get diagnosed and their friends will come and just write down their name and number and leave it at the store for me to contact them,” said Viator. She calls the women to offer encouragement and even acts as a sort of guide for what they will be experiencing in the coming months. Viator knows that many women might not know what to ask or say, but she wants them to know she is always available to talk. Viator says she learned so much through surviving breast cancer. It was a time to grow in her faith, spend time with her mother and it provided her with a story that will help others. “It’s not a journey I would ever want to go through again, but it is not a journey I would ever want to give up.”

There’s an app for that — sometimes free

T

he iPhone is unique for many things. A glass screen, for example, with its facial-grease collection technology. (Never before have I realized how truly disgusting human skin is, which makes the iPhone both a biology class and a Wes Craven film.) Its reliance on AT&T, and their advanced call-dropping feature, which makes every conversation a race to the final “goodbyes.” Its compass application (available only in the new iPhone 3GS), which is useful for... something, I think. But there is one place where Apple took the ball and ran with it, a place where not only did they revolutionize the mobile phone, but change the fundamental nature of software distribution: the App Store. To use an Army expression, the App Store is a “force multiplier.” It took the existing iPhone platform, already a powerful, portable personal computer in its own right, and increased its utility exponentially. Yes, third-party software was available for smart phones and PDAs of yore. Palm Computing was rife with expansions. But never before has software browsing, purchasing, and installation been so easy, so effortless, so tempting. And at prices generally as low as 99-cents, a lot of basement millionaires have been made, and a lot of people have been helped on the go. Evernote ranks as one of the most useful apps on the market. Part notepad, part voice memo recorder, part document storage service, Evernote allows users to organize and manage ideas and information. Browsing a website and want to save a bit of text or a photo? (Or the entire site?) Paste it into Evernote. Have PDFs or Microsoft Office documents that you need to access from anywhere? Upload it to the

Evernote servers. See something at the store that you want to remember to purchase later, or research online? Take an Evernote snapshot. Evernote is designed to read and search through this mountain of data. There are Windows, Mac, and web clients available, in addition to the iPhone app, and Blackberry and Palm versions. The app price: free. The online component is also free for the first 40 megabytes per month (which amounts to 20,000 notes or 400 pictures). Expansion, in the unlikely event that the quota is reached, runs $45 a year. Facebook, the social networking site once confined to college

campuses and now reaching into nursing homes and daycares alike has a top-notch app available. It fully supports the service, to include mail, chat, and the newsfeed. It allows for friend and request management, and enables photos and video taken on the iPhone to be uploaded directly to the user’s profile. The price: free. mSecure is a password management app that stores user logins and passwords behind 256-bit encryption. (Using brute force methods, it would take a hacker upward of two hundred years to crack the program.) It also conveniently stores and sorts credit card, banking information, flight

October 1, 2009

By D.B. Grady

numbers and even clothing sizes. The app runs $2.99, and includes a free backup utility that saves your data to a thumb drive in the event of a catastrophic data loss, like, say, you drop your iPhone in the toilet on the same day you spill a cup of coffee on your computer. (Trust me, it happens.) iFitness is a personal fitness app that allows users not only to build and manage workout schedules, but also keep a running log of progress. Featured in the app is a full database of exercise demonstrations (with photographs of each workout position) to maximize routines and enhance performance. Like health club memberships, this is an app I bought, but generally just gaze longingly at while eating doughnuts and watching television. iFitness costs $1.99. There are now 75,000 programs in the App Store. I’ve listed a few that I use daily, but whether your needs are travel, games, or money management, the software is there, and you are only a few swipes away from turning your iPhone into a workhorse computer. Evernote: http://www.evernote.com Facebook: http://www.facebook. com mSecure: http://www. msevensoftware.com/msecure.html iFitness: http://medicalprod.com/ ifitness.html

Have a technology question or advice for other users? Email me at tech@timessw.com.

15

CATCHING UP WITH KENNISON Eddie Kennison is one of the most talented and productive football players ever to come out of Southwest Louisiana. Kennison started at wide receiver for Washington Marion High School where he was a Parade AllAmerican. He went on to play wide receiver at LSU where he was an All-SEC performer in 1995. Kennison was selected in the first round of the 1996 NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams. From 1996 to 2008 Kennison played for five teams, (Rams, Saints, Bears, Broncos, and Chiefs), and caught 548 passes for 8,345 yards and 42 touchdowns. I spoke with Eddie at a Washington-Marion football game and we discussed family, football, and business. Garrett Lumpkin: What are you doing these days? Eddie Kennison: My wife, two boys and I are living in Kansas City. We own a few businesses there. My wife and I own a beauty school, a nonemergency medical transportation business, and we’re part owners of a wine club called Cellar and Loft. It sounds like you’ve made a smooth transition to life after football. But I have to ask: You played last year with the Rams, and you’re only 36, so have you played your final football game? Wow! This is kind of like ESPN or something! That decision needs to be made in the very near future as to if I’m going to continue playing or not. God has blessed me with a 13-year NFL career, and I’m at the point now where I can decide if I want to keep playing or not. What is it like coming home and showing your little boys where you

grew up and went to school? We came in town for some family matters and heard that WashingtonMarion was playing LaGrange. This is supposed to be the big rivalry now that Lake Charles-Boston is gone, so I brought my two boys with me to give them an idea about where dad played high school football because they’ve never seen it. Because I was always playing on Sundays, my boys were never able to come to a Washington-Marion game so this is their first game. So they only know Dad as the NFL wide receiver? Well, they know where dad went Eddie Kennison to high school, college, and the NFL teams I’ve played with, but they’ve never actually been to a WashingtonMarion game. They’ve been to LSU games, but never Washington-Marion. Since you finished playing at LSU in 1995, the Tigers have had a lot of success winning three SEC championships and two national championships. But, they’re coming off a down year, so what are your thoughts on where the LSU football program is headed? 8-5 is still a pretty good record. It’s not what we’re used to, but we have to understand that football is a game of angles and inches. And as much as we’d love to win every year, it just doesn’t happen. I think they have an awesome recruiting class coming in this year, and I expect them to get back in the chase for national championships. You had many great moments, and plenty of highlights as an NFL player. Can you single out one accolade or one performance that stands alone as your proudest moment in the NFL? Wow, I have so many great memories of playing in the National Football League. I think it was 2003 when I was playing with Kansas City and we were in Green Bay. I remember that game, and it was 2003. We were down 17 points entering the fourth quarter. Our offense, defense, and special teams rallied and we tied the game at 34 and went to overtime. We took the field for our second drive of overtime and on the first play I caught a 51-yard touchdown pass from Trent Green and we won the game. The reason that I remember that game is because I am a diehard Brett Favre fan, and when you caught that touchdown to beat the Packers, it broke my heart. I’m sorry, man. It’s cool. I forgave you a long time ago.

All Sports - All Local - All The Time

Every Tuesday at 10:30pm on FOX 29 www.337sports.net 16

October 1, 2009

Store Wide Sale

Treasured Chest OCTOBER SALES EVENT

Proceeds from sale going to fight Breast Cancer

6 7 0RIEN ,AKE 2D s ,AKE #HARLES 3 t mbrichjewelry.com

October 1, 2009

17

W OMEN

IN

B USINESS

The ceiling shatterers

They’re leaders, even pioneers, in area business

Women ‘have every opportunity’ to succeed

When Denise Rau entered the financial field over 25 years ago, women were few and far between in the industry. She says at the time – the early 1980s – women were just beginning to enter areas of business that were once considered “maleonly” domains. “We were told to act like men and dress like men if we wanted to be accepted. We wore pinstriped suits with big shoulder paads and bows tied at the neck,” said Rau. “It really was just a different era, and we spent a great deal of time worrying about being taken seriously in what was then a male-dominated field.” Looking back, Rau says all the worries about being accepted were unnecessary. “My experience has been that women have every opportunity to succeed in the workplace. I have found throughout my career that the men I have worked for and with were very accepting of career women who were willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to compete. The whole women’s rights movement had a purpose, and I believe that purpose has been fulfilled in most industries. If a competent woman wants to succeed, she has every opportunity to work hard and achieve success. But I don’t think any woman should expect a free ride based on her

gender. You have to earn it and if you aren’t willing to work for it, there’s another woman – or man – behind you who is.” Rau is originally from Lake Charles and received her undergraduate degree from Tulane University and an MBA from the University of Texas. She is a Certified Financial Planner and holds a variety of other certifications and licenses for insurance and securities. After 20 years working her way up to the top levels of management at several area financial institutions, Rau decided to form her own company in 2005. “I wanted to create a company that allowed me to approach financial planning from a more personal perspective. I see my role as helping people achieve financial serenity, so they don’t have to spend so much of their time worrying about their future. I want to help them not only save money through sound investments, but also to ensure their ability to meet their life goals without anxiety.” “The first thing I do when I talk to clients is ask them to tell me what things are most important to them in their lives,” says Rau. “Then together we look at where they are spending their money. Very often, they will find that they are not actually spending the most money on the things they’ve said are most important to them. They are not putting their money where their heart is, and that is why they are not happy with their financial situation. I work with them to get these elements aligned. Once that happens, they are on track for achieving not just their financial goals, but their life goals as well, and they feel much more confident about their financial

18

October 1, 2009

Denise Rau Rau Financial Group

By Kristy Armand

security.” Rau Financial Group has grown significantly in its short history. Rau’s staff now includes three additional financial advisors, Eva Abate, Mark Eckard and Denise Wilkinson. Rau credits her success to hard work, certainly, but also to remaining focused on what is most important to her and her family. “I feel so blessed to have found a career that allows me

to balance the demands of children with those of clients. After years of miserably failing all attempts to be the Super-Mom, I realized years ago that I had to define my own version of the word ‘successful,’ and that is one that allows me to determine the best way to adjust my home/work priorities. By doing so, I’ve been able to find my own balance, and carve out my own path to success.”

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19

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IN

BUSINESS

Ambition, persistence have been her signatures for business success Wendy White McCown Signatures Salon

By Erin Cormier When Signatures opened as a 450-square-foot salon in 1996, owner Wendy White McCown worked as the hairstylist, office manager, receptionist, hair washer, and maid. Even though she was just 22 years old, a loyal clientele followed her to the little-salon-thatcould, operated by a small-town Christian gal, and she multi-tasked constantly to make it work. “When you’re that young, you’re not afraid of anything. You think, ‘I can own my own business, sure. Why not?’� McCown said. “I’ve grown up a lot since then and have learned so much in the process.� McCown, the oldest of four girls, said she quickly learned that to own a business and oversee a staff meant that people would have to take her seriously, and as an unassuming

female 20-something, that was difficult. Rather than let that deter her, she polished the adult skills that traditionally make for a successful businesswoman; skills like assertiveness tempered with respect, structure offset by creativity, and selfdetermination coupled with teamwork. “When I got tired of renting and decided to buy, there were people in line ahead of me to get this new location on West McNeese Street, but I had already learned that I’d have to be persistent if I was going to be successful. I called every day, asking to buy it, and the seller kept telling me that he planned to sell it to someone else. I called anyway, asking ‘Did he give you the money yet? Because I have

the money.’ Finally he said if I could be in the parking lot within thirty minutes, he’d sell it to me,� McCown said. “I made it.� Signatures at 803 W. McNeese Street is now considered one of the premiere salons in the area. In 2009, it was named one of the top 50 businesses in Lake Charles. McCown said she runs a structured work environment, but also believes that employees should have the freedom to express their ideas, thoughts, or concerns. “When you’re in a supervisory position, there is a fine line between your relationships with your employees. You want them to respect you, but you want to respect them and think of your relationship as a

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friendship, too. It can be challenging, but we make it work. My business philosophy is that my staff needs to be successful first, because if they’re successful, it makes me successful,� McCown said. She credits much of her success to her parents. “They taught me to have integrity in everything I do, to respect everyone, work hard, treat people the way I would want to be treated, and put the Lord first,� she said. With a staff of 17 employees, McCown no longer has to book appointments or wash towels, so instead she spends her time figuring out how Signatures can stay on top of its game. There are a lot of salons in this area, and they’re all trying to figure out how they can be the best, too,� McCown said. “You can’t stop evolving, learning, or growing, or someone else will pass you by.�

Alana Corry

Asst. Vice President, Retail Banking

Liz Katchur

Asst. Vice President, Cash Management

FIRST FEDERAL SALUTES

Women In Business Member

FDIC

20

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October 1, 2009

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IN

BUSINESS

For local merchant, owning her own business ‘was the ultimate goal for me’ Stacey Vezinot Stacey’s Armoire

By Nancy Correro

There is a hip and chic shop off of W. College Street. Stacey Vezinot’s shop is inviting to browse in. It’s also a great place to pick-up those one-of-a-kind clothing items and accessories. Vezinot opened Stacey’s Armoire October of 2006. Before that, Vezinot went to McNeese State University and got a degree in fashion merchandising. “I started working retail about my third year in college and got my foot in the door and got a taste of it. It’s my passion. I just love retail. Owning my own business was the ultimate goal for me,� Vezinot said. While still in college, she wanted to get some training. Vezinot worked for a locally owned company in town and worked her way up to store manager. “When the mall was expanding

and retail was kind of kicking off a little bit more in the mid to late 90’s, that’s when I really started getting my resume out to get with somebody bigger and I got on as a manager with Old Navy. I got a whole different perspective from that end of retail, with the “big box� and working for Gap, Inc.,� Vezinot said. Right before Hurricane Rita, Vezinot decided she was going to step out on her own. “I resigned the summer before Rita hit. So I’m almost at my three year mark. I tell everybody this is my third child. I have two daughters and this is my third child. That’s how I look at it,� Vezinot said. Stacey Vezinot is passionate about her business. She is all about making the customer comfortable and helping in any way she can. “It’s always been important to me that when someone comes in to the store no matter who they are or how they’re dressed, that is not important to me, that they feel comfortable in

here.� Vezinot is the staff at Stacey’s Armoire. She occasionally gets a little help from family and friends, but it will be Vezinot that will greet you when you enter her store. “I really enjoy what I do and I’m here probably 95 percent of the time. I wouldn’t have done this if I wasn’t planning on being here myself. I have help on occasion but it’s important that I’m here.� Stacey’s Armoire is a ladies apparel store. She has accessories, handbags

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and clothes. “My main market is the younger missy look. My age market is roughly 30 to 70. It’s a working class age group.� To get started in her business, Stacey turned to the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at McNeese for assistance and they helped her with her business plan and marketing. “They really played a big role in helping me get on track with my business plan and helped me look at the demographics and the areas to lease. It’s one of the best kept secrets in town. It’s a free resource.� Vezinot has lived here her whole life. Her husband Matthew and children Meagan and Molly, and her Aunt Donna Mier, who owns Donna’s Lingerie and Swimwear, are a part of her support group. “My husband, kids, family and friends are my rock and keep me going.� Stacey’s Armoire is located at 201 W College St., Lake Charles. You can contact her at (337) 562-8191.

October 1, 2009

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WOMEN

For this trio of women, business is thriving

IN

Healthy Image started out with three women who knew about marketing. Kristy Armand, Christine Fisher and Barbara VanGossen have been working together for over 20 years. Their friendship began while Armand and Fisher worked together at Memorial Hospital. VanGossen, a graphic designer, has always been involved on the graphics end. “We work well together,” said Armand. “That doesn’t mean we see things from the same point of view every time, but we respect each other enough to adjust our view and see it from another angle. Often, the end result is a combination of ideas; better than if we’d have just done it individually, and our clients get the benefit of that collaboration.” Their approach is to provide a comprehensive marketing and communications package for their clients. “Our scope includes advertising but also includes other forms of communication. We’ll help a client put together an event or seminar, make sure they have a quality trade show display and giveaways, write a speech, plan a news conference, or even work with them on their interior décor,” said Fisher. They toyed with the idea of forming an agency, and when it became known that a local health care group was interested, they decided to make a presentation and got the account. One account quickly became several accounts and the growth has continued. “Along the way, we’ve had many moments where we needed to chart our own way of doing things. We don’t follow a pre-determined script or formula. It all depends on what

the client needs at that time and what kind of possibilities we can take advantage of or create for them,” said Fisher. Armand and Fisher decided to concentrate on the work and not get side-tracked with the trappings of owning a business. “We didn’t need an office at first, so we didn’t weigh ourselves down with that expense; we just needed us, our ideas and our computers. We did that for a little while and we had 5 or 6 clients. It just kept growing because I think we really just hit a niche,” said Armand. “We look at marketing as a whole – not just advertising, but anything that has to do with a company’s image. We truly try to function as their marketing department, being just as committed to their goals as they are. I think that means a lot to our clients – we are just as invested in their success as we are in our own.” Eventually, the growing business required office space. “That was a great way to do it because I think so many small businesses run into problems because they have all this overhead and you can’t get out from all the stress of how to pay for everything and still do good work. We never had that. We were very confident in what we had to do as far as delivering what our clients needed. We took the necessary steps and grew slowly,” said Armand. In 2007, VanGossen joined Healthy Image. “We’ve always felt Barbara was part of our success,” said Armand. “When the timing was right, she joined the agency as a third partner and we felt we finally had all the pieces of our puzzle in one place.” From her perspective, VanGossen said she watched as Healthy Image continued to grow. “It was exciting for me because I had an inside view during those first years. You never know how life is going to turn out, and when the opportunity was there, I felt right about joining,” VanGossen said. Healthy Image isn’t the only venture these ladies have undertaken together. In 2003, they formed a separate company and began publishing Thrive magazine. It started out as a quarterly publication, grew to bi-monthly and is now a monthly magazine. Today, Armand

22

October 1, 2009

Kristy Armand, Christine Fisher, and Barbara VanGossen Healthy Image/Thrive

By Chaney Ferguson

BUSINESS

Christine Fisher, Kristy Armand and Barbara VanGossen.

and Fisher are among the team that provides the content, and VanGossen leads the creative team for layout and design. “Thrive is a lifestyle magazine, with articles on a wide variety of topics, like finances, health, wellness, travel, parenting, home and gardening. It’s ‘how to live a better, balanced life’ approach,” Fisher said. “Just as we did with Healthy Image, we managed the growth and, over time, it has become what we envisioned from the beginning – a quality, full-color, magazine-style publication.” Earlier this year, Healthy Image and Thrive magazine moved into new offices on University Drive. Coming from the beige cubicles of their first office, they took advantage of being able to design the space and decorate. The place is full of color and personality. Each person chose a quote for their office space; most are about creativity, design, going the extra mile and other motivating phrases. At the end of a long hallway an old door is propped up against the wall with this quote above: “If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” VanGossen says this sums up their approach pretty well. After talking with the women of Healthy Image and Thrive, it’s clear they have a positive outlook. “We feel fortunate to be able to do what we enjoy for a living,” said Fisher. “There are many days where we wonder how this all happened. On the rare occasion when we look back and see how far we’ve come, we are incredibly thankful. We probably wouldn’t have planned it this way,

but we’re excited to be here.” Today, their client base has grown to more than 70; most are local, others are regional and a couple are national. “I’ll never forget what it was like to see a health report we put together air on CNN, FOX News and other national and international networks,” said Fisher. “With so many of our projects, the background on that project is unbelievable. There are dozens of cases like that, and that’s what is so exciting about what we do.” They find they do their best work with service-type industries, like health care, finance, legal, industrial, realty or any other business that has a message to communicate. The ladies are quick to point out that while owning and growing a business or two is a lot harder than any of them ever imagined, they have been fortunate to have strong support from family, friends, and business contacts. “We had a lot of people cheering us on, supporting us along the way,” said Armand. “Many of them probably don’t even realize it, but their encouraging email or word of advice helped us more than they will ever know.” Armand says they are fortunate to have assembled a talented team of writers and designers for Healthy Image, as well as energetic sales people for Thrive. By focusing on the details of their clients’ success, these women have achieved a level of success on their own that surprises even them. But it shouldn’t, because after all, everyone needs a healthy image.

WOMEN

IN

BUSINESS

Local entrepreneur finds that business is a series of special events Becky Fuselier Becky’s Catering and Banquet Room

for herself. “When my two boys were in high school they were very active in sports and they would always have their friends over and boys being boys, they eat. So we always had to cook large amounts Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. My husband has a large family so getting together we would have to prepare a dish for 30 people. So I always cooked in large

By Nancy Correro

We all know a person who is an exceptional cook. We have probably told that person that they could go into business for themselves. Becky Fuselier is one of those exceptional cooks, but she did go into business

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amounts,� Fuselier said. She has been in business for about 5 years, but she’s been in her new building for about a month now. It’s formerly the Carlyss Lions Club, and Fuselier bought it and made some renovations. People can rent the room for weddings and receptions, banquets, meetings, reunions, holiday events, and parties. “I always catered out of the house. I’ve always had to cater off-site because I didn’t have a location. Now that I have this room I can seat well over 200. If it is a reception that needs a dance floor we can still accommodate that and still seat 100 people. It’s very versatile and very accommodating for any type of event. So I can now cater on-site or off-site,� Fuselier said. Right now, Fuselier offers plate lunches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. “I needed to do something until I get the rentals going. I don’t want to be a restaurant, but it’s just a little

lagniappe kind of event those two days. Becky Fuselier describes her food as “Cajun home cooking.� Her menu consists of everything she has cooked in the past. However, “I am not limited to that,� she said. “If someone has a special request then we can talk about a recipe and find out what they want and I can build it for them.� Becky’s Catering is located at 5121 Lions Road, Carlyss. You can contact her at (337) 583-4063.

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THURSDAY, OCT. 1 Briggs Brown Bayou Cajuns @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Blues Tonic @ Luna Bar & Grill, 8 pm Jam Session @ The Western Bar, 7 pm Snarky Puppy w/ Keite Young @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm Fidelity Maxx @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm

Capri, 9 pm Mack Manuel Lake Charles Ramblers @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Mike Taylor @ Bobby B’s, Vinton, midnight Isis @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Fidelity Maxx @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm

FRIDAY, OCT. 2 Isis @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Meriwether, Windsor Drive, Two Shots Fired @ Toucans Bar & Grill, 10 pm Avery Michaels & Exit 209 @ GG’s Club, Alexandria, 9:30 pm Plump @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Eleven @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9 pm Crooks Carnival and Parallel The Sky @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Desperado-Eagles Tribute Band @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Hotel Cazin Band @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Ron Thibodeaux @ Speckled Trout, Hackberry 8 pm Wilson Miller & Still Kickin’@ Linda’s Lounge, 8:30 pm Ginuwine & Friends @ Civic Center, 8:30 pm Mike Taylor Band @ Engine 89-DeQuincy, 8 pm Mike Richard & Step-n-Out @ Scottie Tee Judi’s Konstruxion Zone, 9:30 pm Briant Lloyd Smith & Hot Gritz, Fridays @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Southern Spice @ Bab’s Pub, 7 pm Tom Brandow @ Outriggers Tavern, 5 pm Fidelity Maxx @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm SATURDAY, OCT. 3 Pork Chop Express @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Forever Falls @ Toucans Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm Ghostland Observatory, Devil & The Details @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Eleven @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9 pm Icky Hollow, Goldman Thibodeaux, Latwell Playboys, The Nouveau String Band @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm Brass Bed @ Luna Bar & Grill, 10 pm Blues Tonic @ YMCA Tailgait Festival Party, 1 pm Desperado-Eagles Tribute Band @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of 24

October 1, 2009

Corey Sanford of Paper Plains.

Static performs at Yesterdays.

SUNDAY, OCT. 4 Jimmy/Wilson Band, Sundays @ Shorty’s Ice House, Moss Bluff, 5 pm Lacassine Playboys @ Wayne & Layne’s Deli, 4 pm Blues Tonic @ Mary’s Lounge, 5 pm Keith Blair, Tortue, Hadley Castille, Corey Ledet @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm Ghostland Observatory and Devil And The Details @ AJ’s Bar & Grill, 10 pm Idol Minds @ Fred’s Lounge, 6 pm Fidelity Maxx @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm MONDAY, OCT. 5 Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Night @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm TUESDAY, OCT. 6 T-Joe Romero @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm WEDNESDAY, OCT. 7 Jimmy Wilson Band @ Cuz’s Lounge, Sulphur, 6 pm Alvin Touchet @ The Blue Duck 7:30 pm Jerry Dee & Shakie @ Granger’s Seafood Restaurant & Lounge, 8 pm THURSDAY, OCT. 8 Prime Time Band @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm Errol Jenkins Louisiana Tradition @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Blues Tonic @ Isle of Capri, Caribbean Lounge, 8 pm Ray Abshire @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm Jam Session @ The Western Bar, 7 pm FRIDAY, OCT. 9 Crooks Carnival @ OB’s, 8 pm Alice Cooper @ Paragon Casino, Marksville, 8 pm No Idea @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Barisal Guns @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Cedric Watson and Bijou Creole, The Bluerunners, Joseph Edgar @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm

Revolver — Beatles Tribute Band @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Marianna at the Republic @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9 pm Scotty Pousson Pointe aux Loups Playboys @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Colorcast Veteran, Smiley With A Knife, Silent Planet @ AJ’s Bar & Grill, 10 pm Ron Thibodeaux @ Speckled Trout, Hackberry, 8 pm Wilson Miller & Still Kickin’@ Linda’s Lounge, 8:30 pm Mike Taylor Band @ Engine 89-DeQuincy, 8 pm Mike Richard & Step-n-Out @ Scottie Tee Judi’s Konstruxion Zone, 9:30 pm Briant Lloyd Smith & Hot Gritz, Fridays @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Southern Spice @ Bab’s Pub, 7 pm Tom Brandow @ Outriggers Tavern, 5 pm Prime Time Band @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm SATURDAY, OCT. 10 Kool & The Gang @ Delta Downs Racetrack and Casino, Vinton 8 pm Marianna at the Republic @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9 pm Don Fontenot Les Cajuns de la Prairie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Red November, Godspeed The Jackle @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm No Idea @ Mikko Live, Coushatta Casino, 9 pm Revolver-Beatles Tribute Band @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Al Roger Louisiana Pride @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Pork Chop Express @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Mike Taylor @ Bobby B’s, Vinton, midnight Prime Time Band @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm SUNDAY, OCT. 11 Jimmy/Wilson Band, Sundays @ Shorty’s Ice House, Moss Bluff, 5 pm Lacassine Playboys @ Wayne & Layne’s Deli, 4 pm Idol Minds @ Fred’s Lounge, 6 pm Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys, Feufollet @ Blue Moon Saloon, 9 pm Continued on Page 27

DON’T SEE YOUR BAND OR VENUE MENTIONED? SEND SCHEDULES TO EDITOR@TIMESSW.COM October 1, 2009

25

: L A V I N R A C S K O MENT O O M L CR L U D RA TOR? NEVE GOT ALLIGA

By Nancy Correro There are a lot of bands trying to be heard and make it to the big time. The three main ingredients that separate those bands from one another are talent, dedication, and luck. Crooks Carnival has for certain talent and dedication. Now, they just need a little lady luck. Crooks Carnival is: Cody Royer—lead singer, vox/rythym guitar, Justin Crain—lead guitar, Mike Alexander—drums, and Jay Moody—bass. I sat down to chat with Royer, Crain, and Alexander (Moody couldn’t be there—he was recording at the time) about their plans for the band and how a trip to Houston, and a recently deceased alligator, gave them inspiration for two of their latest songs. These are some of the hardest working guys in music around here. They have a three hour show of cover tunes and now, they are going to be hitting us with their original music as well. “The object of this band wasn’t to be a cover band, and we wanted to play, but we hadn’t been on the stage in a while so we thought, let’s get a three hour cover show together before we start to write. That whole first six to eight months we were learning those songs we kept holding off on writing. We thought we should get our three hour show down and then start filtering some covers in. Most of the good gigs around here, they want cover bands. And nobody around here that’s original has a three hour show. That’s why they’re all

playing with three and four bands a night and it’s always just us all night,” Crain said. The band did exactly as they had promised themselves and they started writing songs. The band’s style of writing is to bring ideas to the table, primarily the writing team of Crain and Royer, and see where it takes them as a whole band. “It’s a little bit of everything. Me and Crain come from two different styles of music writing and music backgrounds so sometimes we’ll get together and we’ll both sit down and

26

October 1, 2009

Cody Royer, vocalist.

start working on some guitar parts and we’ll start feeding off of each other and Mike and everybody,” Royer said. “Most of the time a riff or lyrics will come from me or from Cody and then we all get together and see if everybody agrees on it,” Crain said. Two of those songs, Whiskey Well and Dixie Trick were written on a recent trip to Houston. It seems there were some interesting moments during the trip. “Our birthdays are real close together and so we decided the following weekend that just me and Crain would go to Houston and meet some friends. We stayed downtown in Houston and we were waiting to go out and we wrote Dixie Trick in the garage of a downtown apartment just sitting outside right in front of the interstate with our alligator in the back of the truck,” Royer said. “We picked up an alligator on the way,” Crain said, laughing. I asked if this alligator was alive. As an interviewer, I was imagining all sorts of scenarios. “No, it was dead,” said both Crain and Royer at the same time, laughing. “It stunk,” added Crain. They explained how a dead alligator ended up in their truck, and with this explanation, I am certain there is more to the story. “Well there was a traffic jam and we got out and people watched us get out and get the jumper cables and we tried to jump start the alligator. That’s what happens when we go places,” Royer said. A band that plays hard together, works hard together. Crooks

Justin Crain.

Carnival has only been together for a year. In that year, they have created a powerhouse, hard rock band with a unique sound and style. “We’re just happy to be where we are at, you know. We’ve been together almost a year. We’ve worked our butts off to get where we are,” Royer said. Crain and Royer ran into each other at a Candlebox concert. They both went to Sam Houston High School in Moss Bluff, but didn’t hang out together. Royer gave Crain a call after being reacquainted at the Continued on Page 37

BANDSTAND

Lost Bayou Ramblers, Pine Leaf Boys @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm MONDAY, OCT. 12 Singer/Songwriter Open Mic Night @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm TUESDAY, OCT. 13 Homer LeJeune @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Blameshift, Sky Tells All @ Toucans Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 14 Jimmy Wilson Band @ Cuz’s Lounge, Sulphur, 6 pm Alvin Touchet @ The Blue Duck 7:30 pm Howard Noel Cajun Boogie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Jerry Dee & Shakie @ Granger’s Seafood Restaurant & Lounge, 8 pm THURSDAY, OCT. 15 Cornerstone @ AJ’s Bar & Grill 10 pm Lesa Cormier Sundown Playboys @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Blues Tonic @ Luna Bar & Grill, 8 pm Jam Session @ The Western Bar, 7 pm Zydecane @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm FRIDAY, OCT. 16 Crooks Carnical @ Hurricane Willie’s, Sulphur, 9 pm Better Off Dead @ Toucans Bar & Grill, 9:30 pm Sequoyah Prep School , Magnolia Sons @ Luna Bar & Grill, 10 pm Arizona @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9pm Zydecane @ Delta Downs Gator Lounge, 8 pm Barry Badon & The Bayou Boys @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Jon Cleary @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm

Howard Noel Cajun Boogie @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Ron Thibodeaux @ Speckled Trout, Hackberry 8 pm Wilson Miller & Still Kickin’@ Linda’s Lounge, 8:30 pm Mike Taylor Band @ Engine 89-DeQuincy, 8 pm Mike Richard & Step-n-Out @ Scottie Tee Judi’s Konstruxion Zone, 9:30 pm Briant Lloyd Smith & Hot Gritz, Fridays @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Southern Spice @ Bab’s Pub, 7 pm Tom Brandow @ Outriggers Tavern, 5 pm SATURDAY, OCT. 17 Pork Chop Express @ Blue Duck, 9 pm Joe Simon Louisiana Cajun @ D.I.’s Cajun Food & Music, Basile, 5 pm Arizona @ JD’s, L’Auberge Casino, 9 pm Jabarvy, Live Oak Decline @ Luna Bar & Grill, 9 pm Henry Gray & The Cats,w/ Carol Fran and Marty Christian @ Blue Moon Saloon, 8 pm Mike Taylor @ Bobby B’s, Vinton, midnight Barry Badon & The Bayou Boys @ Caribbean Cove Lounge, Isle of Capri, 9 pm Sons In Chaos, Survive The Musical, From Ruin, Fallen Embers @ AJ’s Bar & Grill,10 pm SUNDAY, OCT. 18 Jimmy/Wilson Band, Sundays @ Shorty’s Ice House, Moss Bluff, 5 pm Lacassine Playboys @ Wayne & Layne’s Deli, 4 pm Dog Jam 09 w/ The Black Crowes, Saving Abel & Sevendust @ The Ford Pavilion, Beaumont, 8 pm Idol Minds @ Fred’s Lounge, 6 pm

HOMEGROWN BUSINESSES

CONT.

The showroom of Bodin Jewelers.

owning the store. Over those years, Bodin and his wife have learned what their customers want. They go to market all over the states several times a year seeking out a variety of refined pieces. “We handpick every piece of jewelry. If we don’t make it, we select it. A lot of stores, bigger stores, have buyers that buy for them. They are watching what their competition is buying and so they kind of copy what others buy. We don’t look at anyone else’s inventory. We have our own taste and we pick out stuff that we think is pretty and most people like what they see when they come in here,” said Bodin. When they go to market they look for pieces that will be beautiful for years to come. Customers have come to rely on Bodin and the style he carries. He sees second and third generations coming in to look for important pieces. “I had one customer with an anniversary coming up, but we were going out of town. When he asked his wife if she wanted him to go somewhere else the wife told him to wait until we got back in town. She didn’t want a piece from somewhere else.” Value and the happiness of the customer are the two most important things to Bodin Jewelers. They want the customer to be satisfied with a piece that will be beautiful for many years, not a trendy piece

October 1, 2009

that will be out of style after only two years. When men come in the store looking for a gift, the Bodins go through a series of questions to help them get a feeling about what the woman prefers. “We ask as delicately as possible, how big are her hands? How big are her arms? Are her fingers long? What are her tastes as far as what she is wearing now? Is it thin bands? Wide bands? Does she like heavy or dainty? What kind of clothing,” said Bodin. According to Bodin, there are a lot of pieces that will work on everybody. Bodin will also do custom work. If there is a stone that needs to be reset then they will sit down and discuss a design. “Sometimes people ask ‘what if my wife doesn’t like this.’ I say no problem. Bring her in and if I don’t have it in a case we will make it or order it. We will get it so she is not stuck with whatever he bought, but 99% of the time they like what they get.” Bodin says he wants to give his customers enough information so they can make an informed decision on what they are buying. As the holidays approach, keep Bodin Jewelers in mind for your next purchase. You won’t be sorry. Bodin Jewelers is located at 3133 Ernest St. For more information call 494-0999.

27

the best i n lake area enter tai n ment

Delta Downs Announces October Lounge Entertainment Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel has announced the entertainment line-up in the Gator Lounge for the month of October.

PICKS

Fidelity Maxx The dynamic sound and performance of Fidelity Maxx has been electrifying audiences in Louisiana and Texas for over 16 years. They are a high energy dance band that can lay down every funky beat from Earth Wind and Fire to Ne-Yo. October 1, 8 P.M. — midnight October 2, 8:30 P.M. —1 A.M. October 3, 8:30 P.M. —1 A.M. Prime Time Band Playing R&B, Blues and Soul Prime Time Band will shake your groove thing with their funky playlists. October 8, 8 P.M. — midnight October 9, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. October 10, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. Zydecane This band is pure Zydeco energy! Playing variety as well as Zydeco there is a taste of Louisiana in everything they do. From the 2 step to the jitterbug, you will dance all night as Zydecane does their mojo! October 15, 8 P.M. — midnight October 16, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. Brian Best A young saxophone performer and recording artist known for doing it all, Brian Best has a cutting-edge technique and sound that is a breath of fresh air in jazz. October 22, 8 P.M.-midnight October 23, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. October 24, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. Step Rideau & The Zydeco Outlaws Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws offer traditional sounds from the bandleader’s native Louisiana sound fused with the urban vibe of contemporary Houston. Their music fuses influences ranging from old Creole folk songs to classic rhythm & blues to rap and beyond. October 29, 8 P.M. — midnight October 30, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. October 31, 8:30 P.M. – 1 A.M. All shows in the Gator Lounge at Delta Downs are free and open to the public. The Gator Lounge is open Thursday - Saturday at 4 P.M. You must be 21 or older to attend the shows. More information is available on the Web at www.deltadowns.com. Music With a Mission October 15 The event begins at 7 P.M. in the W.W. Lewis auditorium in Sulphur, LA. The event will feature regionally and nationally recognized jazz artists such as James Bill, Chester Daigle, Jay Ecker, Tim McMillen, Huber “Mickey” Smith, Kevin Stone and Eric Sylvester just to name a few. Also featured on this program will be KPLC’s own John Bridges. This event is free to attend as donations will be accepted at the door. The concert will to help raise awareness and money for the Maplewood Middle School Band. Don’t miss sharing this experience with your family and friends. It promises to be a treat when these wonderfully talented musicians perform together for this great cause! For more information, e-mail hubersmith2@yahoo.com or call 625-3457.

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Wine tasting classes will be offered October 17. Wine Tasting Classes October 17 Registration is now open for three wine classes designed to take the mystery out of wine. All three will be offered on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 17, in conjunction with the wine and food event Rouge et Blanc. Each class includes a tasting of the wines discussed. The classes will take place at 10 A.M., 11 A.M. and noon in the Charleston Gallery, located at Pujo and Ryan streets. Each class costs $10 and is limited to 40 people. To register, call (337) 475-5123, e-mail banners@mcneese.edu or go online at www.rougeetblanc.us. Although the Rouge et Blanc event has sold out, you do not have to have a ticket to the event in order to sign up for these classes. They are: 10 A.M.: Demystifying Burgundy Removing the Confusion Taste seven 2006 Burgundies and one from 2005: William Fevre Chablis

Champs Royaux, Louis Jadot Chassagne Montachet, Faiveley Montagny Blanc, Domaine Leflaive Macon-Verze, Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin, Laboure-Roi Pommard, Faiveley Mercurey Rouge, Louis Jadot Chateau des Jacques. Instructor: Jared M. Cocke, certified specialist of wine and fine wine specialist for Republic National Dist. Co. 11 A.M.: The Champagnes of Nicolas Feuillatte Celebrating the Unforeseen Events of Everyday Life A tasting of six champagnes: non-vintage Brut Rose (two), Brut Cuvee Speciale, non-vintage Blanc de Blanc, Cuvee Palmes d’Or Brut, Cuvee Palmes d’Or Brut Rose. Instructor: Chad Kosina, Louisiana state manager for Chateau Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. Noon: Pontchartrain Vineyards Louisiana’s Only Non-Muscadine Winery Private tasting of Dah Red, Roux St. Louis, Zydeco Rosato, Rouge Militaire. Instructor: Cindy Vice of Pontchartrain Vineyards. Boudin & Blue Jeans October 10 Great locally made boudin and Grammy-winning zydeco star Terrance Simien make for a dynamic combo at the Boudin & Blue Jeans Festival at the Imperial Calcasieu Museum grounds from noon-6 P.M. Tickets are $35 ($25 for museum members) and include two drink tickets. Call the museum at (337) 439-3793 for more information. McNeese Theatre Bayou Players McNeese Theatre’s 70th Anniversary Season celebration will open with “The Imaginary Invalid,” performed by McNeese Theatre Bayou Players, September 30-October 4 in Ralph Squires Hall, Shearman Fine Arts Center. Performances are 7:30 P.M. with a 2 P.M. matinee Sunday, October 4. The comic reversal of ”healthy, wealthy and wise,” “The Imaginary Invalid” tells the rib-tickling story of a wealthy, but not so wise, Acadian farmer named Argan, whose life is turned topsy-turvy by an absurd regard for his imaginary illnesses, by his new wife scheming for cash and by his daughter seeking new love. The “Imaginary Invalid” sparkles with Cajun high spirits. The diagnosis is laughter, Moliere-style. The cast includes: Argan (Sylvester Green), Cleante (Jes Breaux), Dr. Diafoirus (William Lormand), Beralde “Uncle Be” (Levi Arens), Purgon (Gabriel Brown), Toinette (Caitlyn Prine), Belinda (Alex Svoboda), Bonnefoi (Heather Wesbrook), Angelique (Katie Pilipauskas), Louise (Elise Hamilton), Sister Fleurant (Wesley Saucier). Moliere’s “The Imaginary Invalid,” translated and adapted by Adley Cormier as “Le Malade Imaginare en Louisiane,” is set in Calcasieu Parish, 1939, and strongly flavored with the sounds of Southwest Louisiana. Veteran theatre artist Adley Cormier is guest director. John Abegglen is scenic and lighting designer. Ticket prices are $15 for adults; $10 for McNeese faculty/staff, senior citizens, and youth (K-12). McNeese students are admitted free with a current ID. Season subscriptions are available during production dates, four shows for the price of three. Season subscriptions are available to new faculty/staff for half price. The box office is open Monday-Friday, 6 P.M. — 8 P.M. , Saturdays 10 A.M.-noon. For reservations call 475-5043. The Light Fantastic: Contemporary Irish Stained Glass Art The City of Lake Charles is proud to present The Light Fantastic: Contemporary Irish Stained Glass Art, at the 1911 Historic City Hall Arts & Cultural Center at 1001 Ryan Street. The exhibition showcases the work of Ireland’s leading glass artists. An opening reception will be held Friday, October 9 from 6 – 9 P.M. All ages are invited at no charge; refreshments will be served. The exhibition will hang through Saturday, January 9, 2010. Renowned worldwide for its high quality and innovation, Irish stained glass reveals the contemporary artistic possibilities within this traditional art form. Ireland’s rich tradition of stained glass art stretches back over centuries. Since the Arts & Crafts and Celtic Revival styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Irish stained glass artists are recognized as pioneers of the craft. As The Light Fantastic demonstrates, the art form is no less vibrant today. Historic City Hall Arts and Cultural Center is open Monday through Friday, 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. and Saturday, 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. Admission is free, but

donations are gladly accepted. For more information, please call 491-9147 or visit www.cityoflakecharles.com. Celts, Corks and Cheers October 10 An evening of whiskey and wine tasting, will be held at 7 P.M. Saturday, Oct. 10, at Pujo Street Cafe in Lake Charles. The event is sponsored by the Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation. Scottish-born Mark Fowler, now a resident of Baton Rouge, will lead attendees through an evening of tasting whiskies from Celtic regions and wines from Galicia, Spain’s Celtic northern region. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased by calling 439-4888. The Celtic Nations Heritage Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and preserve Celtic heritage and culture. Poo yai - Zydeco lovers are in for a treat! October 18 Picture it - The Doghill Stompers, JoJo and the Happy Hill Playboys, and Jabo and the Southside Playboys - all performing live in one big Zydeco event to benefit Parkinson’s disease. This 3-band Cajun music extravaganza will be held on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 3 P.M. to 8 P.M. at the Brickhouse on 110 Pine St. Come listen to the music, dance, eat jambalaya and hot links, drink your favorite beverage, and even watch the football game on a large screen television, all while supporting a great cause. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased beginning September 28 through TicketMaster or PayPal on the Eljay Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease website at www.eljayfd.org. They will also be on sale at the Eljay office in the United Way building at 715 Ryan Street, Suite 201, as well as at the door the day of the event. Proceeds will benefit the Eljay Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease and will be used to establish additional support groups in the tri-state area, resource/ education personnel and materials, awareness programs and projects such as wheelchair ramps and caregiver relief programs. For further information on the event, call the Eljay Foundation for Parkinson’s Disease office at 337-310-0083. YMCA-Style Tailgate Party in Downtown Lake Charles October 3 Everything you’d expect from a great tailgate party — and then some! Lake Charles YMCA is partnering with Livin’ the Music/Rabar Productions to throw the biggest tailgate party Lake Charles has ever seen for the LSU v. UGA game on Saturday, October 3. From 11 A.M. - 6 P.M. the 700 and 800 blocks of Downtown Ryan Street will be closed to traffic, but open to lots of fun - complete with activities for all ages. This event is free and open to the public. Live music all day, pre-game Pep Rally, food, drinks, local vendors catering to Tiger fans, plenty of LSU games and contests, plus specials at many downtown businesses. Kick off is at 2:30 P.M., and the game will be shown on a JUMBOTRON. Live musical performances by The Von Dukes, Blues Tonic, The Kadillacs, and more! Buy tickets now for just $20 to benefit the rebuilding of the YMCA and have access to the exclusive Tailgater area - includes front-stage access, all you can eat courtesy of The Landing, plus beverages, prime gametime viewing, exclusive offers from Lake Area businesses and much more! Tickets for the ‘Tailgater Special’ wristbands are available at www.ymcaonthelake. com. Tickets are also available on a cash-only basis at the following local businesses: Navarra’s, Social Denim, Gordon’s, Frankie & Co., The Wine Store, MB Rich Jewelers, Tiger Nation, Ken Connor’s Tire & Auto, and Dual Service Welding & Industrial Supply. Cheer on the Tigers in comfort and style in the exclusive VIP Lounge located in the beautiful Calcasieu Marine Bank building for just $125. Menu items include BBQ Spare Ribs, Crab Cakes, Lamb Lollipops, and much more beginning at noon, provided by The Landing. Also featuring live acoustic music by Paul Gonsoulin, Chris Shearman, and Elisha Eagle, plus the game featured on large HD Flatscreens, exclusive gameday T-shirts, and plenty of VIP perks!

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TIMES PICKS

Worldwide Maize Craze The Melsheimer family has opened the area’s first MAiZE, an intricate network of twists and turns carved into 5 acres of sorghum in Reeves. The Melsheimer’s and maze designer Brett Herbst – the world’s leading designer of 1,500+ corn mazes worldwide -- hope to challenge the wits of those seeking to find the one exit from their mind-boggling puzzle -- a unique source of good farmin’ fun for adults and children alike. Though the correct pathway can be walked in only 15 minutes, most wandering maze-goers will require about one hour to travel through more than three miles of twists, turns and decision points. As a tribute to its location, the maze is designed in the shape of Louisiana with an array of farm animal mixed in. The MAiZE will give Louisiana residents the chance to “get lost� through November 29. Hours of operation are 5-9 P.M. Fridays, 10 A.M.-9 P.M. Saturdays and

CONT.

1-6 P.M. Sundays. Field trip hours, during weekdays, are available by reservation. The location is U.S. 190 in Reeves, next to Reeves City Park. Cost is $10, $8 for ages 4-11 and free for kids under 4. Group discounts offered. For more information or reservations, call 337666-2280 or visit www.cmfarmsllc. com. Elvis for Autism Elvis for Autism, a benefit concert for Autism Services of Southwest Louisiana, will be held at the L’Auberge du Lac Casino Resort Event Center at 7 P.M. Sunday, October 25. John Ieyoub, nationally acclaimed tribute artist, will be the featured performer along with an all-star cast headed by Chris Flowers and the Louisiana Express. Ieyoub has performed at private and corporate functions and at a occasions across the state and in Mississippi. This will be Ieyoub’s last local performance.

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“HOW READY ARE YOU?� Does your recovery plan include communicating with your customers? Let us help you stay in touch with your customers 24/7 365 days a year. Call 310-2435 or visit www.southwestcallcenter.com

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TIMES PICKS

CONT.

The event will benefit the newly opened Creole House for adults with autism, a dream that has become a reality. Tax deductible tickets are $100 each and may be purchased at any First Federal branch or by calling ASSL at 337-436-5001. All attendees must be at least 21 years of age. 31 Days of Keeping the Girls Healthy This October, women can devote some much needed attention to their own health and well-being with Lake Charles Memorial Hospital’s 31 Days of Keeping the Girls Healthy. Geared toward women of all ages, from every walk of life, and with varying health needs, 31 Days of Keeping the Girls Healthy features a different activity every day of the month. From the kick-off event, Cookin’ for a Cure with Celebrity Chef John Folse on October 1, through a sugar-free Halloween on October 31, Memorial’s other very special events include Cork N Canvas with local artist Sue Zimmerman on October 10th, Kober for a Cure featuring comedian Jen Kober on October 23rd, and so much more. Most of the events are free and open to the public, but reservations may be required. For ticket or reservation information, visit www. lcmh.com or call (337) 494-2936. Sunday Best How Healthy Are You? Find out by taking our simple health assessments to learn about your risks for breast cancer, peripheral arterial disease, diabetes, and more. Simple and confidential, these assessments may help identify a risk—before it becomes a problem. Visit www. lcmh.com/Sunday: Sunday, October 4 - Is Stress Affecting Your Health?

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JE 9D84 I sometimes suffer from chest pain when I am really pushing myself during exercise. Is this normal? No, this is not normal, and chest pain during exercise is something that you should always have evaluated by a physician. Exercise should be done only to the individual’s capability and response level. Once cleared by your doctor to exercise, you should set limits for your exercise, and certainly monitor your heart rate for your age and physical status. Perhaps getting some input from an exercise physiologist would be helpful. — John Winterton, MD, cardiologist on medical staff at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital I just recently had my blood work done. When I received my results, it said I had a high PSA level. What does this mean and should I be concerned? A PSA test is used to measure a substance found in males called “prostate specific antigen.” It is a screening tool that is used for prostate cancer. In a healthy male, the PSA should be less than 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Check with your physician if your PSA was higher than this as it may be an indication of prostate cancer. — Kenneth Verheeck, MD, urologist with the Urology Center of Southwest Louisiana My mother is in her early 70s, small framed and just seems frail. How much bone strength, on average, do women lose each year? In the first five to ten years after menopause, 25 to 35 percent of bone density can be lost. It varies from woman to woman, as each individual’s risks determine the likelihood for osteoporosis. It sounds like your mother’s risk for osteoporosis is high, given the small frame and frailness that you reported. Her doctor can best determine her bone strength and may order a bone density scan to know for sure. It’s recommended for women 65 years of age and older. I’d suggest talking with him or her about having the scan and see what can be done to boost her bone health. — Scott Bergstedt, MD, ob/gyn specialist with OBG-1 I know that some over-the-counter medicine can aggravate ulcers. Are there any pain relief options that are okay to take? It’s good that you’re aware of the potential side effects when dealing with medications and ulcers. Many OTC medications can cause problems for people with ulcers. Talk with your doctor about taking acetaminophen; it’s the active ingredient in Tylenol and generally poses a much lower risk of gastrointestinal problems. Also, remember that pain relief isn’t always found in a bottle. For acute injuries, try ice packs; for treating chronic overuse injuries, try a heating pad; and arthritis pain can be relieved with physical activity. — James McNally, MD, family medicine physician on medical staff of Jennings American Legion Hospital

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TIMES PICKS

By Terri Shlichenmeyer You had to have it. You saw the ad, you wanted the item, it was on sale, you had to have it, that’s that. So - flier in one hand, debit card in the other – you rushed to the store and, well, you got what you were looking for but the place was a mess, the sales associate was frazzled, and it took forever to check out. Ever worked retail? If you have, you might sympathize with the poor sap behind the register. If you’ve never worked in a store, though, read “Retail Hell” by Freeman Hall and get ready to laugh through your new education. Freeman Hall wanted to be the next Spielberg. He wanted to write a blockbuster screenplay, win an Oscar, and be invited to Hollywood parties. But once he got to Los Angeles, he realized that he needed to pay bills while waiting for the Academy to call. So he applied for employment at a famous high-end retail store he calls The Big Fancy. During his interview with a woman Hall dubbed Tammy Two-Tone (because she had two tones of voice: sweet and dragon), he was told that he had a “free spirit personality”. Although he assumed TwoTone was taking advantage of her gaydar and though his inner voice was warning him that it was a mistake, Hall took the job. He would be selling women’s

handbags. Not purses – handbags. Hall quickly made friends with half of his coworkers. “The Angels” taught him, amused him, and helped him get customers (associates at The Big Fancy worked on commission and most handbags were $500 or more). His other co-workers were demons who sniped at Hall and stole his sales. As in most retail jobs, though, the customers were what made work, work. Hall met the Shoposaurus Carnivoarus, a woman with a potty-mouth and a propensity for spending five figures on handbags and accessories. He met Discount Rat Patty, who constantly badgered him for “deescount”. There were Nasty Thieves and the Two Virginias, Piggy Raelene, and a retail vampire who sucked the work-blood out of everyone who dealt with her. But sales, like other industries, are cyclical and Hall was ever-pressured to perform. Could Queer Eye Handbag Guy survive? As someone who spent ten years in retail (A bookstore. I loved it. Go figure), I laughed myself silly over this book. Author Freeman Hall is sarcastic, flippant, snarky, and dead-on in his portrayals of both shoppers and co-workers. His stories are hilarious and only, I’m sure, a tiny bit exaggerated. In fact, anyone who’s worked retail, past or present, will be tempted to insert their own store’s name into this book while reading it, and you’ll recognize way too many customers and cohorts here. The holidays are coming and you might be thinking of taking a part-time mall job to make ends meet. If so – or if you’re already working retail – this book will make you laugh through the season and beyond. Pick up “Retail Hell” because you know you have to have it. “Retail Hell” By Freeman Hall c.2009, Adams Media 272 pages, $22.95 Terri Shlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.

CONT.

Sunday, October 11 - What Are Your Risks for Cardiovascular Disease? Sunday, October 18 - Are You At Risk for Breast Cancer? Sunday, October 25 - Could You Have Diabetes and Not Know It? No More Manic Mondays Imagine a life made easier—and Mondays without mania. We’ll provide you with everything you need from quick, easy and healthy recipes to calming musical interludes. Visit www.lcmh.com/Monday for a different week’s worth of tasty treats that you can make at home. Monday, October 5 - Stress-less Dinners for the Busy Family Monday, October 12 - Keep the Beat: HeartHealthy Recipes Monday, October 18 - Power Eating: Cancer Prevention Foods Monday, October 26 - Sweets for the Sweet: Sugar-free Dessert Recipes Tuesdays With Memorial Special folks deserve special events, and whether you’re gathering to gossip or decked out to dine, check out these events hosted by Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women. Visit www.lcmh.com/Tuesday for more information. Tuesday, October 6 - Dig It Join master gardener J.J. Window, 10 A.M., to see just how relaxing vegetable gardening can be. Seating is limited, and reservations are required; call (337) 494-2936. LSU Ag Center, 7101 Gulf Highway, Lake Charles. Light refreshments are provided. Tuesday, October 13 - Beat It Get your heart beating at our drum circle, at 5:30 P.M., hosted by percussionist Sylvia Hankin. Space is limited, and reservations are required; call (337) 494-2936. Sylvia’s Bistro, 329 Broad Street, Lake Charles. Cash bar. Tuesday, October 20 - Book It Join us for coffee, and meet Angela Tezino, author of “Women of Excellence” courtesy of Christian Book Center and Coffee Beanery. Open admission. Coffee Beanery, 1740 W. Prien Lake Road. 8 A.M. – 12 P.M. Tuesday, October 27 - Tech It The Geek Squad from Best Buy will answer all our questions about this year’s musthave tech toys. Open admission. Memorial Hospital Atrium, 1701 Oak Park Boulevard 11 A.M. – 1 P.M. Wednesday Woman Today’s woman juggles many responsibilities. Between family obligations to career demands, it’s hard to find time to take care of yourself. That’s why Memorial for Women brings you Wednesday’s Woman, a series of special reports designed to inspire and educate women on a variety of topics from health and fitness to family and friendships. Visit www.lcmh.com/Wednesday each week. We just may change your life. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. To register, call (337) 494-2936.

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Poet Nesanovich speaks to Bayou Writers Group Remember the kid’s rhyme that taunts, “You’re a poet and don’t even know it, but your feet show it, ‘cause they’re long-fellas’”? I attended a poetry discussion and reading by Stella Nesanovich, a retired professor of English from McNeese State University, and Stella is definitely a poet, and it has nothing to do with her feet. Stella spoke to the Bayou Writers’ Group of Lake Charles in early September and did a wonderful job, but why wouldn’t she? She’s the author of several books: “A Brightness That Made My Soul Tremble: Poems on the Life of Hildegard of Bingen” (Blue Heron Press, 1996) and “Vespers at Mount Angel: Poems” (Xavier Review Press, 2004) and editor of “Points of Gold: Poems for Leo Luke Marcello” (Xavier Review Press, 2005). Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies, and in numerous journals and magazines. In 1999 she received an artist fellowship from the Louisiana Division of the Arts. During the meeting, Stella tossed out a writing exercise and encouraged everyone to participate. Now, the Shadow doesn’t usually

Bayou Writers Group Vice President Jan Rider Newman and poet Stella Nesanovich.

Author Curt Iles and Mark Foreman Jr.

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enjoy writing-on-demand exercises — I don’t think that fast — but this exercise was fun. Stella called out a word, and someone from the audience would match it. We all wrote furiously to record the words flying around the room, and then we selected ten or fifteen from the list and wrote our own poem. Brave participants read their creation aloud. The Shadow didn’t, but I was impressed by the talent. Stella is a great encourager. In November of 2009, Stella will be reading her poetry and participating in a panel discussion sponsored by Loyola University in Chicago. Titled “Women of the Word: A Colloquium of Catholic Women Poets,” the symposium will also include poets Carolyn Alessio, Linda Nemec Foster, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell. Later this month, Stella and her former student Angelina Oberdan will read and discuss the work of deceased poet and McNeese professor Leo Luke Marcello at the American Italian Historical Society meeting in Baton Rouge. This BWG meeting was held at Piccadilly on Ryan Street because the usual meeting place—the Carnegie Library meeting room—was getting new carpet. Thanks, Piccadilly, for coming to the rescue! At the end of the Bayou Writers Group meeting, awards were given for a membership writing contest. Each entry had three judges who commented on everything from grammar, to theme to writing style. Judges were from south Texas, Ohio, Washington and California. BWG awarded certificates for first place and honorable mention with first place winners receiving a free membership for 2010. In the fiction category, Linda Todd won first place with Marymarc Armstrong winning Honorable Mention. In the nonfiction category, Pat Marcantel won first place and Georgia Downer won honorable mention. In the poetry category, Angie Dilmore won first place and Linda Todd won honorable mention. The Shadow was thrilled to see many of her friends rewarded for excellent

Winning writers Pat Marcantel, Linda Todd, Brandilyn Solieau and Syrine Joubert having breakfast Angie Dilmore and Georgia Downer.

October 1, 2009

Marcia Dutton with author Pamela Thibodeaux.

Kallie Johnson, Amber Merchant and Ashley Johnson.

Leon and Lola Toups.

Krystal and Michael Poirrier.

writing and storytelling skills. The Bayou Writers’ Group meets 10 a.m.-noon the first Saturday of each month in the Carnegie Library meeting room. After the meeting, they always head to Piccadilly for food and fellowship. On any Thursday at 10 a.m., you can find them having coffee at Books-A-Million, brainstorming ideas and talking writing. You’re always welcome to join them.

McNeese fans tailgate at Cowboy Stadium

Charles and Debbie Self.

Lena Mosco and Anthony LeBato.

Denise Files, Adele Files and Jared Mayeaux.

Kris Like and Pam Capdeboscq.

The Shadow and Shadow husband received an invitation and free tailgate passes from Billy Navarre for six home games. Was there anyone NOT there? Parking was atrocious, but I guess regular tailgaters are used to that. We circled in and out of people, places and things looking for the Billy Navarre bunch. Were we supposed to know that free passes did NOT include free parking? Color us dense! We finally located a spot at the car wash across the street so I clicked a picture of Leon and Lola Toups, who manned the parking. Making our way across McNeese Street was a little tricky as we dodged traffic and traffic dodged us, but once on safe ground, I couldn’t resist snapping a picture of three enthusiastic fans: Kallie Johnson, Amber Merchant and Ashley Johnson. And then, we trekked off to experience the exciting world of Cowboy tailgating. The first thing I noticed was the excitement. It was 4:45 p.m. and everyone was pumped for the 7 p.m. game. The Shadow is a natural-born people-watcher so this atmosphere was right up my alley. Not a wife griped. Not a husband complained. Everyone was on the same page, ready to party on behalf of our MSU Cowboys. Husband and I wandered around, absorbing the atmosphere. Everything was so loud. Music and laughter came from every direction. I snapped pictures like crazy: Max and Rose Anne Voge stopped to pose, and then I took off after Colleen and Jack Desselle and Krystal and Michael Poirrier. Some people don’t mind having their picture taken while others run from me. Really! When we finally found the Billy Navarre tent, the line was long but we waited patiently. We watched the Cowgirl Kickers perform and receive hugs from little old ladies who knew them when they were babies. It was easy to be proud of the girls—I was proud of them and I didn’t even know them. They did a fantastic job. Husband and I passed on the food and spirits but it all smelled wonderful. Charles and Debbie Self were having fun. So were Allen and Anna Thibodeaux. After experiencing all the Billy Navarre fun we could handle, hubby and I decided to make our way back to our vehicle. We ran into Lena Mosco and Anthony LeBato. They were decked out in the blue MSU shirts and held little blue bells to shake during the good times and bad. Geaux Blue! I spotted cousins Ralph and Larry Corbello enjoying the great food; my stomach growled. Denise Files, Adele Files and Jared

October 1, 2009

Pattie Elam.

Clyde Orsak.

Brian English.

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Mayeaux looked like pros at tailgating so I couldn’t resist recording their moment. As we trekked back to our little black Honda (we call her Rhonda), we saw old friend Kris Like and just had to stop and visit. We met her friend Pam Capdeboscq and chatted a good five minutes just about her last name. I have to agree, tailgating is fun. I love seeing old friends and making new ones.

Tea Party Rally rolls out red, white, blue

The Shadow has always been curious about the Tea Party Rallies. When friend Tore Carlberg emailed to say they were having one, I rolled out of bed to attend even though it looked like rain and there’s no better sleeping weather. After a brief argument about where to park the car, Shadow husband told me to hop out and he took sole responsibility for parking my little Honda. As soon as I got there, I saw red, white and blue everywhere. Talk about putting a lump in my throat! I’m a pretty patriotic gal—not necessarily demonstrative, but I fight the lump in the throat and prickly tears behind the eyeballs. You know what I mean. I love the American flag, the American music and the American people! Kimberly Soileau, daughter of Joe and Renee Soileau, did a wonderful job of singing our National Anthem. She hit all the notes perfectly. Speakers during this particular rally were Gwen LaRocque, Dr. Mark LaFortune and John Duhon. Bill Ramsey was master of ceremonies. I had no idea what went on at a Tea Party Rally and really didn’t know what to expect. Here’s the gist of what they’re all about: They are a grassroots organization dedicated to restoring America to a Constitutional, limited, fiscally responsible government in Washington, Louisiana and locally. All clear now? As I roamed around the grounds, I took many pictures of people who are concerned about the direction our country is taking. Pattie Elam is beginning to be a familiar face to me. I saw her at the Boustany Town Hall meeting. Clyde Orsak has been wearing the American flag on his hat for the past eight years, ever since 9/11. I spoke with Brian English, who is retired from the Air Force. Aubrey Johnson held his sign up for me to read: “Listen to the People—You Work for Us.” The Southwest Louisiana Tea Party organization isn’t a bunch of trouble-makers making a scene. They’re good Americans who love their country and want to protect it. Heather Johnson is president of the SWLA Tea Party. She told me by email that they had a delegation in Washington for the march there: Mr. and Mrs. Bob Trost, Randy Hebert and Steve Farber. My husband has a friend — Bobby Stollsteimer from Iowa — who went to Washington all by himself to participate in the rally. When I asked him why, he told me he was concerned that our growing debt is going to affect his grandkids quality of life. He said, “Instead of standing around griping and complaining, I decided to get off the sidelines and do something.” When he put it that way, I thought maybe I should too.

36

Stephanie Chretien, Antoinette Chretien and Roslyn Barfield.

Heather Gautreaux and son Christopher.

Artist Rika Davis and daughter Mila.

Adventure Cove Playground opens The Shadow attended the opening of the Adventure Cove Playground. Attendees met in the gym to hear speakers and how it all came together. The gymnasium was so new, I wanted to take my shoes off and run barefooted across the shine. Everything looked pristine perfect. And the air conditioning worked great! There was quite a crowd there. I met Ray Eaglin, Street Maintenance Supervisor for the City and James Green, Area Supervisor for Parks and Recreation. Wandering around a bit, I saw friends Dana and Melody Jackson talking with Mark Eckard. Dana is District F City Councilman and Mark is District G Councilman, serving his first term. I really should wear my reading glasses when I look at the pictures I snap. Mark obviously blinked so I owe him a doover. Seated and smiling, three pretty ladies got my attention: Stephanie Chretien, Antoinette Chretien and Roslyn Barfield, all from Foreman Reynaud Community Center. Eavesdropping on dialogue around me, I enjoyed listening to how proud everyone was of the new facility. As usual, Mayor Randy Roach’s love for the kiddos was evident, and he displayed pride in Lake Charles people coming together to make good things happen. The park was built by more than 1,500 volunteers. Adventure Cove Playground is the first of its kind in Louisiana. The playground itself is accessible for all children. With its poured rubber surfacing and special ramping, it was constructed for children of

October 1, 2009

Charlotte Texada and Charmagne Turpeau.

all physical abilities to play alongside one another. The Liberty Swing is one of only 11 in the country and the only one in the state; it is designed for kids who use wheelchairs. There are also soccer and baseball fields. Mayor Randy confessed that he used to be a soccer coach. The Shadow remembers when his daughter played on a soccer team with Shadow daughter. He’s right when he says, “Time does go on.” Time seems to be flying! I met artist Rika Davis and her pretty little girl, Mila. Rika did the mural on the rock climbing wall. She does portraits and murals, and is very comfortable tackling very large projects. Many of the children at the opening were from Fairview and could hardly wait to try out the new facilities. The Shadow met Heather Gautreaux and son Christopher. Two year-old Christopher’s big sister took part in the ceremony. Many people just came to celebrate the opening. Russell and Edna Johnson were there. I met C-GOV’s Molly Morgan as well as Charmagne Turpeau and Charlotte Texada. Charlotte’s husband is Kip Texada. The Shadow can tell you all about this wonderful facility—the activities available are flag football, buddyball soccer, volleyball, two full basketball courts, martial arts, after-school tutoring, weight training, indoor track, yoga, Latin/salsa dancing— but it would be so much better if you see it for yourself. There are senior activities available like quilting, bingo and beanbag basketball. And there will be summer camps too. As Mayor Randy said, “Facilities like this are for everyone.” If you haven’t seen it yet, it will be worth your while to spend some time there. It’s perfect.

MOVIE REVIEWS

Kate Beckinsale shivers in “Whiteout.”

Better see ‘Whiteout’ before the blackout WHITEOUT (Grade B) 1/2 (Grade B-)

By Lisa Miller

Directed by Dominic Sena Starring Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt Warner-Rated R-Thriller-101 min The desolate but powerful landscape of the Antarctic looms before us in the opening scenes of “Whiteout.” We see it from a Russian cargo plane where an onboard battle causes the plane to crash on the ice. Fast-forward 50 years and we’re in the present day at the McMurdo Research Station. The facility, an oasis in an unforgiving landscape, is viewed through the eyes of U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale). Carrie enters the shelter swaddled in her hooded parka and walks through a maze of corridors, passing rooms where dozens of researchers toil, talk, and eat. Reaching her own room, Stetko removes her parka and five layers of clothing leaving her clad in undergarments when something unsettling happens. The camera becomes a voyeur, peeping at Beckinsale’s backside from behind as she leans over to turn on the shower, continuing to leer, both in close up and through a fogged shower door, until someone lets himself into her room. It’s Carrie’s friend and colleague, Dr. John Fury (Tom Skerritt). His familiarity baffles us when we see Stetko don her robe, and join him in her room for a rather dry discussion. The viewer is uncomfortable long before murder rears its ugly head, but we can’t quite put our finger on the source of this vexation. Are Carrie and John simply good friends, or are they something more? The fog enveloping their connection never lifts. Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber, the screenplay adaptation by the Hoeber and Hayes brothers becomes tangled in forced psycho drama, disturbing its claustrophobic mood. Stetko’s troubles begin after a Russian is found dead on the ice. Though she had planned to turn in her badge, Stetko is asked to investigate the death, hopefully averting an international incident. And just what is a warm girl like Stetko doing in a cold place like this? Through a series of flashbacks to her previous U.S. Marshal career in Miami, the film discloses that Stetko has fled to the ends of the earth to escape bad memories. Inorganic character development will injure a story every time, and “Whiteout” is no exception. Beckinsale portrays Stetko as perfectly grounded in reality and free of vices. She is clear thinking with a Sherlock Holmesian turn of mind. The film suffers from too many expository patches that fail to bridge its storytelling gaps, however, the action is fairly intelligent. Tension mounts when the station is evacuated in advance of an incoming whiteout, leaving only five people in the facility -- one of them the killer. The shivery landscape is Stetko’s most formidable opponent. It’s a tribute to the strength of its premise that “Whiteout” remains engaging despite its numerous character missteps. Warner Brothers Studio has treated this little thriller shabbily, virtually blacking out the press while doing no advertising to speak of. Therefore, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that “Whiteout” barely registered at the box office. Since it’s likely to have a short theatrical run, fans of adult thrillers ought to hurry.

TURN

IT UP CONT.

concert. “We got a bunch of people together—everybody we knew that could play music so we could have a full band, just to see what everybody was doing. We did that the first day, [Crain] heard me sing and then we formed the band right there, I mean we kind of picked out the group from people that were there at the moment so we could get started. We stayed together. We slowly filtered people out that were just helping and moved people in that wanted to be permanent that we felt like were on the same page that we were,” Royer said. As with many bands, members come and go for a variety of reasons. Recently, Crooks Carnival had to replace their drummer. Crain was working sound at Isle of Capri when he heard Mike Alexander playing drums with another band. He knew Alexander was the drummer they needed. So Crain approached Alexander about the opportunity. “I’ve been on the road from 90 to about 2004 I was touring across the country. I was playing with Mike Zito, David St. Romain and I started playing with Laurel. Well, I’m a rock player and these guys play all the rock stuff I like to play and I said [to Laurel] hey look, I’m going to go do this,” Alexander said. Alexander has been with the band for about two months now. There is a consensus amongst bands and other artistic acts in Lake Charles that there needs to be more community support. “It’s hard to make a living in Lake Charles as a band. That’s why I stayed on the road for so long. People in

the Mid West go out to see a band and it’s nothing against Lake Charles or anything, but people going to OB’s are not going there to see the band. There is not a music venue where people go and watch music. When I first started out, if you played Monday you played the whole week until Saturday and this is that one club. Then you tear down and go to the next club. I did that for ten years easily,” Alexander said. “But it’s not even like that now. There are still places where you can play during the week, but it’s in major cities, you know, St. Louis, Chicago, and Minneapolis.” Crain and Royer were quick to respond to Alexander’s assessment of the difficult times and struggles a band can experience in a smaller market. “That would be great to have that kind of scene,” Crain said. “There is a lot of potential in Lake Charles; it’s just got to happen,” Royer said. Crain went on to say that they had been meeting with others in the community of Lake Charles and they would all like to see an entertainment “subgroup” stem off of the Downtown Development Committee. “I think that is in the works. They’ve talked to people, some of the city officials about it. We are just trying to make things happen,” Crain said. Crooks Carnival is making things happen. This is not a band that sits around waiting for work to come to them. They are active in the community and they are dedicated

October 1, 2009

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Continued on Page 39

“Remember the Date”— We’ll make it three times as easy for you. by Matt Jones ©2009 Jonesin’ Crosswords Brought to you by Melanie Perry, Agent State Farm Insurance

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Across 1 “This is only a test” grp. 4 Mission that figured into “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” 9 “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” author’s monogram 12 Captain Hook’s helper 13 More urgent 14 Radiohead lead singer Yorke 16 Israeli statesman Abba 17 1996 Madonna musical 18 ___ Six (Louisiana group who was the focus of 2007 rallies) 19 Commedia dell’___ 20 Word after Pink or black 21 Punch-to-the-solar-plexus noises 22 Limestone, mostly 24 Panama, for one 26 Arctic, for one 27 Pacer maker 29 ___ a customer 30 Director Anderson 31 Electromagnetic physicist Michael 34 Former S.F. Giant Robb 35 There’s no helping it 37 At no cost 40 “If Democrats Had Any Brains, ___ Be Republicans” 41 Ingredient in many soaps

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October 1, 2009

45 ___ Me (Requiem Mass movement) 47 “You got that right” 49 Conjure up 50 Sudoku component 53 Sean of “The Goonies” 54 “You Will Be My ___ True Love” (song from “Cold Mountain”) 55 In a smooth way 58 “___ recherche du temps perdu” (Proust work) 59 Event with an opening on 8/8/08, since 8 is a lucky number 62 Joan’s TV home 63 Give a snotty look to 64 Rubber seals 65 Poultry farm Down 1 Hug 2 With “The,” band with a remastered box set of albums released 9/9/09 3 Dramatist who was adviser to Nero 4 Not so klutzy 5 Multi-continent charity concert held on 7/7/07 6 “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess,” e.g. 7 International standardized measurement promotion that

11 12 15 23 25 28 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 42 43 44 46 48 50 51 52 56 57 60 61

may get more attention next year, 10/10/10 Unwritten tests He baptized Jesus Horror movie remake officially released on 6/6/06 (at 6:06:06 a.m.) Prove wrong Manatee, e.g. Vintner Paul who would “sell no wine before its time” Poop Movie with Robin Williams and LL Cool J The old ball and chain? “The Thin Man” dog Carmaker in Bavaria Onion relative Bended pipes Crappy motel Where Tanguy may have got tan? To linguists, it’s African American Vernacular English Rogers’ dance partner It hooks up to an engine Heather Locklear soap Live (in) They understand in simple terms Structures on sitars Prefix meaning “egg” Like the band Manic Street Preachers Centimeter or candela, e.g. “Flashdance” director Adrian ___ and Daxter (video game series) Cause of a pocket stain, perhaps

TURN to their success as a band. October is a busy month for Crooks Carnival. “We’ve got a deal that we are a part of on November 6th at McNeese State University. There will be a Showcase of different types of music. There will be some R&B acts, some singer/songwriter acts—a broad spectrum of acts. We are also doing a benefit at the civic center October 24th for The Art on Wheels Bike Show. We’ll be playing Halloween at OB’s, it’s huge,” Crain said.

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“They’ll be having a costume contest there and we’ll be judging that. It’s going to be a big night, a big party,” Royer said. Their covers range from Guns n Roses to Motley Crue to Candlebox and many others. Most importantly, you will be hearing some original tunes in between the familiar songs. Check out their new tunes on MySpace page at: www.myspace. com/crookscarnival. You can book the band at its MySpace page as well.

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